Your first 5 months

So now that we've gotten past the name part.

We found out that i was expecting you sometime early April this year (of course). By then, I was about 8 weeks or so pregnant. Did the home pregnancy test and yes, it came out positive, had to have a second opinion and so we went to Dr. Chayan's clinic where it was later confirmed. Dad and I took very well to the news. To keep or not to keep you was never an option. I was all ready for you and just so you know I felt that you were a real blessing to us seeing that I only have ONE OVARY left. (We even thought of naming you Avery. Get it? An-Ovary??!!) All was calm and at that point all i could think about was how lucky i was to not have lost you during my Febuary coverage of the Thailand demonstrations in Bangkok where I was caught mostly in 50-60 camera men and photographer scrums. Not to mention all that darting around against traffic on the barely legal motorcycle taxis. I must say you held on tight in that gestation sac of mine.

Well done nate.

this is just part of the scrum- see thaksin, second left

So you hung on, and so did I. Especially through all the morning sickness. Actually to be honest, i think i only threw up twice. I didn't really experience bad throwing up sensations (thank God) but i did feel very very tired. Like I was suffering from a major hang-over everyday. I would fall into DEEP DEEP half hour naps where I would start dreaming and when woken, I wouldn't remember where I was. That happened anytime and anywhere.

Your father on the other hand was the real hero in this. He had to tolerate bad mood swings and my not-ever-coming to terms with not being alert and energetic-self. I hope you inherit his super patient gene. Yes. Do that. So yes. Until now, he is a patient hero (that needs to run off on his motorbike to regain some sense once in a while) and I'm not complaining.

So to keep the long story short, the rest of the journey was filled with excitement from visits to my OBGYN. She's really cool and steady and I feel like I have nothing to worry about when you decide to enter the world in a month's time.

We would collect ultra-sound pictures of you and file them. A little bit of an occupasional hazard but your father and I are very visual people. And seeing you only makes you more real.

Here's a picture of you taken 03-05-2006 at 04:58:42 pm:

nate at 10 weeks

In that picture, you looked really tiny like a bean, actually the left is your head and the two faint white dots on the right of that bean-like thingy are your foot buds. Cool right.

But i think you were cutest on 26-07-2006 at 04:23:39 pm shown below:

you at about 5 months old

your 5 month old foot

this picture of you from your bottom up

So use your imagination. This is a family blog so I shall keep it as honest and yet as close to the truth as possible.

So anyway since then, you've hit some kind of a growth spurt. Getting bigger and bigger each day, and at this point i'm still working actively as a press photographer. The morning sickness cum hang-over ended exactly on the 4th month. And my tummy started showing more which helped cause i stopped looking fat and started looking pregnant. AND I was not too big yet to have any problems moving around. Daddy is still the same. Being all cheer-leader like in this family and i finally told my boss about you. At this point I loved eating and could eat anything and everything at anytime without feeling guilty. (:

I shall update you with more pictures and information on the following months to come. In the mean time, here's a parting shot that Aunty Stephanie from the paper that your father works at took of me on our nation's 41st year of Independence celebrations at the National Stadium. EAT YOUR HEART OUT. (i'm actually feeling very tired in that picture but trying to maintain a handsome state of -face)

ha!

i'm looking horrible here and yes i did get flak for carrying so many things during my 6th month