Yes, she is pregnant … three months pregnant to be exact. And you can’t imagine the joy that this is bringing us!
Last Saturday, Elvie and I went to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital for her scheduled check-up with Dra. Villanueva, Elvie’s OB. Dra. Villanueva is a beterana in the pregnancy business having delivered more babies in her professional career than all the current resident doctors of Lourdes have done so combined. So, we were in good hands, so to speak. We were referred to her by friends and colleagues who are former and current patients of the good doktora. Ay alembong!
Incidentally, when you want to go to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, you just say to the taxi driver “Lourdes Hospital” and they’ll immediately know. Saves time and saves saliva.
Going back …
The session with Dra. Villanueva starts with a review and an interview. What happened last check-up, what had we done, had we followed the good doctor’s prescriptions, and all sorts of questions that you have to prepare for – something similar to an oral exam. When she’s satisfied, she ends the review and then proceeds to examine my wife with a, “Halika, tingnan kita” (Come, I’ll examine you now) and dings the bell on her desk to call in her assistants.
Last Saturday’s examination portion had me in participation. After a couple of minutes in the examination room, my wife called me to join them. There was Elvie on the maternity bed and BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP (censored or my wife will kill me ha ha ha). What was fascinating was Dra. Villanueva was running a device all over her tummy while her assistant was holding what looked liked an effects box (the type used by guitarists to create “effects” with their musical instruments). I could hear a rhythmic beep-beep-beep-beep sound being emitted by the device.
The doctor said, “Yan ang baby mo.” (That’s your baby)
And I smiled because I was hearing our baby’s heartbeat for the first time.
So, after the check-up, the doctor announced that it looks as if everything was ok. Our baby was healthy inside Elvie’s womb and we both expressed sighs of relief after learning that. The Duphastons, the Duvadilans, the folic acids, and Anmum had done their work, have proven they were worth their monetary value.
In about roughly 6 more months, we’ll be proud parents of a newborn child. Elvie’s going to be a mama and I’m going to be papa, in the truest sense of the word.
It has taken us almost a couple of years but finally getting close to that stage of family. Of course, I know two years may seem to short a time to wait. A lot of other couples out there had to wait a little longer before their babies came along, and I know a lot of other couples are still waiting for theirs. But no matter the length of wait, we all share in the experience and anxiety of waiting for that first bundle of joy to come to our lives.
This is not actually the first time that my wife got pregnant. Last year, Elvie got pregnant but had a miscarriage. Imagine the disappointment that that event brought us. So, now we’re taking real good care of our baby. Despite the many odds we’re facing right now, we’re making sure our baby has priority … top priority.
And Elvie is happy. I guess that’s the effect of impending motherhood. She’s taking good care of herself and following her doctors, her friends’ and luckily, her husband’s advice and words of advice. And upon Dra. Villanueva’s suggestion, we’re regularly talking to our baby (more like talking to Elvie’s tummy, if looked upon from a third person’s POV).
So, is it a boy or a girl? I’ll let you know in three or four month’s time.
