It's been five months since my maternity shoot. Taglet is now four-months-old and I am posting this just now. Because life happened and I wasn't able to write a lot. Haha!

Anyway, this was shot by my good friend and Taglet's ninang, Ria Bantugan of Graceworks Photography. Another friend, Mek Loo, did my amazing day make up.

Looking at these pictures, I never thought that I was that big. Like really, really big! My stomach was huuuuge! And my nose? Humungous! Why did I do this? Simple. I wanted to love my body while it is so big and full of stretch marks because I am carrying a wonderful gift inside me. I sometimes rub my belly and miss the big bulge that I carry around. But don't get me wrong, I love every single day spent with my son. This was shot in The Columns Legaspi Village where we stayed for a while during my pregnancy.

Anyway, here are some of the photos! If you want to get any of Ria or Mek's service, you can contact them through their pages.

It's been almost a month since I gave birth. Yes, the Taglet is here! After nine long months, our bundle of joy is finally here! Let me tell you the story of how I met him.

"Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." (Col 3:19, NIV)

Photo from http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/

I know this isn't as interesting as it sounds. But believe me, to us pregnant women, high sugar levels in the blood or gestational diabetes is a big deal. 

The other day, my mother called me to ask about the picture I posted when Jeff and I went to Calatagan for our anniversary trip. She's pertaining to my bikini photo while showing my baby bump.

Jeff and I coined the name Taglet for our kids last year when we were praying for a baby this year. Actually, I coined that term of endearment and he was the supporting cast haha! He joked that if the baby is a boy, we'll call him Taglet and if it's a girl, then it's Taglette.

It's been almost two months since we discovered that we are pregnant. I'm on my 13th week and before I forget everything that are happening with my body, thanks to oxytocin, I will write them down here in my blog.

The past nine weeks have been amazing. Technically, I've only been pregnant for five weeks because that's when we learned about the pregnancy.

A few days ago, Jeff and I finally announced that we are expecting our first child. It was a long journey of waiting and trying, and it is finally here. Let me tell you the story of how we actually got pregnant.


I used to go to Asian Hospital for my check ups. My OB there was my doctor for about six months. She was the one who prescribed me to take metformin. After three months of taking the metformin she gave, I got tired of all the stomachache and throwing up. It was also a bit hard to find her on some days. Sometimes, I file leaves only to find out that she's not going to the clinic. I decided to find a new OB. I went to Healthway Greenbelt 5 in September 2013 and the OB on duty was Dr. Cheryl Roces-Barrameda. To my surprise, she is also a sonologist. I read somewhere before that it is advisable to have an OB-Sono so she knows what's really going on inside your ovaries. Haha! So anyway, remember when I wrote about my right ovary being declared PCOS-free? She was the one who said it. She also gave me a new kind of metformin, which totally eliminated my stomach pains and vomiting. She also wanted me to start on folic acid, which I did everyday for the next three months.

The last time I had my period was in November 2013. Last December, I was admitted to the hospital for cellulitis. I was so paranoid when I realized that I haven't had my period yet. The nurses have downed so much antibiotics on my system and if I were pregnant, it might kill my baby. I wasn't pregnant. I tested three times after we got out of the hospital, and it all turned out negative. It was in the last week of December when I thought of visiting my OB again. I have to know why I missed my period again when she actually declared in September that my right ovary was PCOS-free.

I went to Healthway in Greenbelt 5 last December 28 only to find out that my OB, Dr. Barrameda, was not coming. I decided to see the OB on duty, just because I want to assure myself that my right ovary was not a PCOS victim again. Dr. Cansenaje and I had a short chit-chat before she ordered for a transvaginal ultrasound. She is not a sonologist, unlike Dr. Barrameda. I got a schedule on January 2, 2014 for an ultrasound.

My own OB, Dr. Barrameda, was supposed to do my ultrasound last January 2, but she was not coming to the clinic again. Christmas vacation sucks. Haha! Good thing there was a rad tech on duty and she did my ultrasound. Imagine my frustration when she won't even tell me what's going on inside my uterus. I asked if I am pregnant and she said no. She later apologized because they are not allowed to give readings even if she knew. I just asked for the printouts of my ultrasound and went to Dr. Cansenaje again.



Dr. Cansenaje looked at the printouts. She said she can't interpret them because she's not a sonologist. But she pointed out the page with my right and left ovary. My left ovary, as usual, has small white spots which are the small eggs that don't mature. My right ovary on the other hand has one large and very dark spot. She said it looks like an ovulating egg to her. She said that 'you know what you have to do'.

Who would've thought that this dark spot will be our future Taglet?

So we did. Hahahaha! Fourteen days later, I was going low EQ because I still don't have my period. I mean, I know that if the egg didn't get fertilized, it was supposed to come out as menstruation, right? So I told Jeff to buy a pregnancy kit. I tested first thing the next day.

January 16, 2014. Do you see what I see?

There was a second faint line on the test. It was the first time that this happened to me. I told Jeff right away and said that I should test again. I told my friend, Faye, and she got really giddy about it. She said that I should test again after a day. That same day, I went to my OB and told her that I got this result. She wasn't very sure about it, so she gave me Provera to take for about five days to make me have my period, but she wanted me to wait two more days before I take it. Two days later, I took another test.

January 18, 2014. It was a clear negative.

After I got a negative, I decided to take the Provera. I thought maybe there was just something wrong with the first test. Still, I made sure that if ever I am pregnant, the Provera won't mess up with the baby. The doctor told me that it won't. She said it's pampakapit. I took the Provera for two days. In January 19, I saw the remaining pregnancy kits that Jeff bought and I felt like it's such a waste so I used one of them again. I tested in the afternoon and it turned negative. Jeff and I went to SM to buy some baking stuff. Around 5PM when we came back, I went to pee again in the bathroom and I saw that there was again a second faint line on my test.

January 19, 2014. Do you see it?

That was it. We decided that getting a blood pregnancy test was our best bet. So the next day, after I went to DFA to renew my passport, I went straight to Healthway in Alabang Town Center to get me tested. The blood pregnancy test costs Php 496. So I was like, yeah, the over the counter urine test is only P60 but this will give me peace of mind. I am so used to getting negative results so this won't hurt as bad, I guess. I will just think that I ate at Yabu if it turns out that I'm not pregnant. Haha!

The test is not covered with my health card. There was also no request from my OB. I sat in the extraction room and waited until it was done. I am so used to all the needle poking. Since I started my fertility work up in December 2012, I've had so many tests done and this blood extraction was nothing. It was done in 20 seconds. I was told that the results will be available after an hour. I thought of what to do. It was 11AM and the mall was barely open.

I walked around. I went to the Apple store and passed by a jewelry store. I felt dizzy looking at the sparkling things in there. I went to National Bookstore and checked out the new books that I can download on Mobilism LOL. I finally ran out of places to go so I decided to go back to Healthway and just wait for my results. I went straight to the Medical Records.

I told the lady about the results that I was waiting for. I told her that I'll just wait if it isn't available yet. I sat and fidgeted my fingers. I've never been that nervous my entire life. I thought of my game plan once she hands me the white envelope. Plan A: I'll take it home first and open it with Jeff. Plan B: I will go to the Family Lounge and open it there.

The lady handed me the envelope with a wide smile. It made me more nervous. I felt like I'm gonna throw up, and when I throw up, it's gonna be my heart that will come out of my mouth. I took it and said thanks. One, two, three, four, five steps away from the Medical Records, I opened the envelope. So much for Plan A and B.



It said POSITIVE. I stopped and folded the paper. I opened it again. It still said POSITIVE. Wow, mixed emotions came over me. I started to cry inside the clinic. I went out and took a picture of the results and sent it to Jeff. We had a big fight the night before and I knew I'll just sob if I talk to him. I walked and cried. I imagine I looked like a crazy woman hugging a white envelope, crying and walking inside the mall. I finally came to my senses and headed to the Family Lounge. I called my Mama.

I went inside the Family Lounge and cried some more inside the cubicle. It was unbelievable. I am finally pregnant. I will be someone's mother in nine months.

Since I missed my period in December, we don't know how many weeks I was by the time of the detection. But if my count was right, I was three weeks at that time. A few days later, I went to the OB to tell her that I finally got a positive result. She gave me some pre-natal medicine and told me to continue taking the folic acid she prescribed in September. She didn't want to do an ultrasound just yet because it was too early.

A week and many bouts of stomach aches later, I decided to visit her again. Dr. Barrameda was very concerned about my tummy pains so she finally decided to do an ultrasound. She wanted to check if the baby is in its right place and that it was not an ectopic pregnancy. I was a bit nervous because Jeff wasn't there. He can't come because he had meetings that day.



Well, say hello to our Baby Taglet! He/she has a yolk sac already at the time of the ultrasound. According to the doctor, the ultrasound size suggests that Taglet is already 5 weeks and 2 days old.

Dr. Barrameda scheduled me again for another ultrasound on February 18, but when I texted her that I noticed some brown marks on my underwear, she wanted to do the ultrasound asap. That's what I love about her. She wants me to text her anything that happens to me. She initially suggested that we do that ultrasound on February 13, but Jeff was in Subic for a training. So we moved it to February 14, Valentine's Day. I was scheduled at 6PM at In My Womb in SM Mall of Asia.

Last Friday, we left home early because our car was banned for the day. We also wanted to watch a movie, but there were so much at the mall and they are all making me dizzy. We decided to not watch and just kill time. Come 5PM, Dr. Barrameda texted me if we are already in the area. When I said yes, she said we can proceed to the clinic and we can do the ultrasound earlier than my schedule. See, we're even textmates! Haha!

In My Womb charges Php 1,400 for transvaginal ultrasound or TVS. During the early stages of pregnancy, only TVS can detect the baby. Later on, we'll move to the ordinary tummy ultrasound. I was prepped up and informed that we can't take photos and videos inside the room. I was a bit disappointed because I wanted Jeff to record Taglet's first heartbeat.

It was life changing seeing our baby's first heartbeat on Valentine's Day. It was an amazing feeling. I can't believe there's another heart inside my body, beating 144 times per minute. It felt wonderful.

Dr. Barrameda hesitated at first. She said she thought that I have twins. OMG, twins! But no, Taglet is still a 'single, live, intrauterine pregnancy.' I am not quite sure how we will handle two kids at once. Haha!

Taglet labelled as a BABY. Just in case we forget haha!

Age: 7w3d. Estimated Due Date: September 30, 2014.

It even looked like Taglet is waving on this one.

144 beats per minute. :)

Another thing that Dr. Barrameda said was that my left ovary was also PCOS-free. Wait, what?!? So I don't have PCOS anymore? Oh Lord, don't you just love showering us with surprises!

I know this pregnancy is a gift from God, but being obedient in taking my meds and all the doctor's advice are also part of the whole thing. I'm really thankful we found Dr. Barrameda. She's the most accommodating OB I've ever met. We can't wait to meet our little Taglet in September!

PS. If you want to get her number or know her schedule, just leave me a message here. 

The last few weeks have been crazy for me. Being pregnant is crazy, but I love it! Haha! I started having weird cravings like paksiw at 3AM, siopao, and donuts. Good thing Jeff is always to the rescue and get me anything that I want, on the spot!

The other day, I craved for the fishballs that are being sold in the market. Jeff didn't allow me to eat that, so the solution was to buy fishballs in the supermarket and make our own sauce.

Photo from iamthecook.blogspot.com

And so as my tummy.

We've been keeping this secret since January 20. Until now, my heart still swells everytime I remember that we are indeed blessed with this little surprise.


Yes, after twenty one months of waiting, we are finally pregnant! As of this writing, I am seven weeks pregnant, according to our little Taglet's size during our first ultrasound. Yes, that's what we are going to call him or her while he or she is inside my tummy -- Taglet. Why? Because he or she is our piglet. A Tagle piglet. TAGLET! Haha!

I am not taking my announcement on Facebook because once upon a time, I used to cry on every single pregnancy announcement that I see on my wall. I don't want to bring such pain to those who, like me, are having problems conceiving. I would regularly write about this journey here on my blog and I'll just post links on Facebook. I will not bombard you with ultrasound pictures and morning sickness posts on your feeds.

Friends, we would like to thank those who have kept us in prayers. You guys know who you are but I would like to give special mention to Ria and Ate Duday. These women have always been there with me through this whole struggle. To our family and friends, thank you for understanding and continuing to inspire us. We are asking you to please continue praying for the three of us, especially the little Taglet in my tummy. We can't wait to see him/her in October.

Last year, Jeff and I never ceased on praying for a baby. Last December, Jeff intended to finish nine mornings of Simbang Gabi but he couldn't because I got confined in the hospital. He said that his intention is for a baby this year. I, on the other hand, claimed that we will be pregnant during the first quarter of 2014. It was a realistic one. Three months would be enough time for me to lose weight and get healthier to be pregnant. So imagine my amusement when we got pregnant on the first few weeks of January. God indeed is a great God. We will be forever thankful for this wonderful gift that He gave us.

In the meantime, here are a few more of our announcement photos. I wanted to share all of them because I can't decide which one to post. Haha! We just used blue shoes because that's the only baby shoes that we have at the moment. We still don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet. It was given as a wedding gift by our friend, Carol.








PS. To all my friends who are still praying for a baby, you know Jeff and I are also keeping you in our prayers. Claim that 2014 is your year! Hugs to you and your ovaries! 

"Wala pa ba?"

"Hindi ka pa ba buntis?"

"Kelan kayo magbe-baby?"

These are few of the questions that I still get until now, until after I wrote about my condition. I have read somewhere that September is the National PCOS Awareness Month. Wow, I didn't know we actually have a month for us! I feel like it's the perfect time to write about this.

PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndorme is one of the most common female endocrine problem. In layman's term, it is hormonal imbalance. It affects a woman's body -- she gains weight, have acne breakouts, more hair in the body, and no ovulation. There are also more male hormones in the body than female hormones. It is said that 1 out of 15 women has it. I'm quite confused because I think 1/3 of all my female friends have PCOS. Has the number gone up since I don't know when? Has stress taken it's toll to our kind?

I'm not sure if you are interested to know what our ovary looks like, but for your reference, here's a photo from http://womenshealth.gov

It's been a few days since I wrote my blog on PCOS. I feel overwhelmed that friends and family are actually sending me personal messages of comforting words. Some were sharing their personal experiences and battles on PCOS and other reproductive health related stories. I feel blessed. I feel that I am not alone in this.

It's been 400+ days since Jeff and I got married. A lot of people has been asking if we're already expecting, or if are planning to have a baby. In fact, we do plan to have a baby. We want to have a baby, but until now, every month I still get that one purple line in the pregnancy test. So no, as of this writing, we are not yet expecting.