And Here We Go Again...

Yes, I'm a terrible blogger. But this time I have a really, really good excuse (REALLY!)...

Since my last post, as if life couldn't get any crazier, fate took it up a notch. 

Some time at the end of July, after a terrible bout of food poisoning that landed me in hospital for three days, I discovered I was pregnant again. I had been pretty sure I wasnt, despite my period being a tad late, because my urine test at the hospital 3 weeks earlier had been negative (and there hadn't been much "nocturnal activity" since then - LOL - due to Naz's mad schedule).  

It's not that the pregnancy was totally unplanned. We had actually been trying for around 8 months with no luck. Month after month of negative pregnancy kits was beginning to get a little depressing, so when I finally did take the test end July, I was honestly expecting the same result. I literally couldn't believe my eyes when two lines showed up instead of one, and I had to shake the test a few times just to be sure. But there they were... two beautiful perfect lines.

With my hands trembling, I dashed out of the loo, stood beaming in front of my bewildered hubby and said "Yang, you'll never believe it...", then held up the kit. Boy, was he psyched! He scooped me up and gave me a giant hug before pulling back with a worried face that said, wow, we're done for! 

A couple of days later, we went to see Dr Alex, the dear old man who delivered Zara. When I walked into his office, he was already standing with his hand outstretched and gave us both a hearty congratulatory handshake. And when he ran the ultrasound scan over my (still flat, though a little jiggly) belly, there the little fella was... Zara's adik - A blob, no less, but with a strong heartbeat that filled me with so much joy!

Now anyone who tells you the second time round is a little less exciting or meaningful than the first has got to be wrong. It's no less wonderful to see the beginnings of a No 2 than it is for No 1. There will always be a little something that's different, that surprises you, even at this stage. 

For one, we had to wait a while, anxiously, for Zara's heartbeat to appear. So to see (and hear) No 2's heartbeat, so strong and clear, at my first checkup was amazing.

Secondly, although the nausea and vomiting did make an appearance a week or so later, I am so blessed now (after 15 weeks) that it was a walk in the park compared to the bed-ridden weak state I was in when I was carrying Zara. First time round, I had to be hospitalized five times for dehydration, once for H1N1. With No 2, I am so proud to say I fought the worst of it and was only admitted once.

With Zara, I survived most of the first four months on only icecream and crackers (being unable to keep much else down). With No 2, I couldnt stomach anything cold (so icecream was out of the picture boohoo), water made me feel ill, plums - though sour - came straight back out, and I was constantly craving fried chicken! 

NOTE: Both my first trimesters shared one thing in common though - an insatiable, unexplainable desire for pineapples! Contrary to the pantangs about this, I went ahead and satisfied my cravings during both pregnancies, much to everyone else's horror. I'm happy to confirm this is most likely just a myth.

The most significant difference about this pregnancy so far though, is that when my symptoms started slowing around Week 11, instead of celebrating I actually got worried! I called Dr Alex and he asked me to come in for a check up. Prepared for the worst, I burst into tears when the scan showed a perfectly formed bouncing and very active critter :-D You cant help but fear the worst when you've had a previous miscarriage (my twin peanuts) and sudden loss of symptoms. But here was the proof, an unmistakable sign that sometimes, God gives you a break and lets you have it a little bit easier:

So here, I am now, at Week 15 (Alhamdulillah!), feeling about 99% fantastic, two weeks earlier than I did with Zara. I lost only 5 kilos compared to the 9 I lost the first time. I'm a lot more positive, knowing what to expect, and so very very grateful to not have been as sick and incapable as I was before. We're actually going for a family holiday in a couple of days, to enjoy Zara as much as we can while it's just us three, although I'll be taking this picture with me so he/she doesnt feel left out :-p

Well, I hope this 'excuse' warrants some forgiveness for my tardiness. My next excuse will be that I'm on holiday, but we'll see, maybe I'll make up for it and cram in a couple more posts before we leave. Hmm. We'll see.

xoxo