Zoey: The Gift We Have Prayed For

Ten years with our first born, Mikko, were wonderful. It had taught us a lot of things when it comes to being parents. All this time, we knew we just wanted two kids. And since we had a boy already, were were hoping that God would give us a girl instead. We won’t want to try for one more child if our second one turns out to be a boy because of the huge age gap. Since it was long before since I last conceived, we had to undergo some fertility treatments before we tried for another child.

If Mikko came effortlessly, it took us a lot of external interventions and prayers for our second child. Nevertheless, when I learned I was pregnant, I was elated. It has been eleven years since I last felt this feeling. It’s not my first time anymore, but the joy I was feeling did not fade away. Since were hoping for a girl, I prayed hard during the ultrasound. I was nervous about the results of the findings, so I was just ecstatic when I found out that we were having a girl!

I carried on my pregnancy normally. Remember the first time I had mild contractions with Mikko? I was at a mall at that time. I must have some knack of getting contractions at the most unexpected places because I had contractions during my mom’s 60th birthday celebration at the Crimson Hotel. It was such a busy and fun party that I wasn’t expecting to feel any contractions, at all! 

It was around 9 in the evening when we went to St. Luke’s Hospital on the same day. This time around, we didn’t have to go back countless times. Regardless of how far I was already, they admitted me to the high-risk unit because of my high blood pressure. My blood pressure was shooting up when I was having my contractions. Even though I was only three centimeters far, I was admitted to the hospital that night.

Again, my obstetrician was Dr. Lana Gan. She was my doctor when I had Mikko so it would be nice to have her again this time around. She briefed me that the labor time is usually faster the second time around. She was right! At 4:30 in the afternoon the next day, the anesthesiologist started giving em epidural shots. By 5:30 PM, the hospital staff transferred me from the high-risk room to the delivery room because I was already 8 centimeters far.

At 6:07 PM, our little girl was born. She’s a beautiful and bouncing baby girl who weighed 5lbs. I am thankful that my pregnancy was healthy, and my deliveries were normal.

Now, we’re a small family of four, and I couldn’t have it any other way.