Beating the odds

My husband and I are overjoyed when we found out we were pregnant last March 21. I had another check up last April 2 and was told that my pregnancy may not continue due to slow growth of my baby. Although it wasn't certain, just the thought of my doctor bringing it up made our hearts sink. She asked to see me four days later to check the progress. We were devastated. We cried all day for the next two days. But I knew God will help us so we prayed and prayed for a miracle.

I have not filed my SSS maternity notification yet and there is already an impending miscarriage. I was on leave for a week and couldn't file it yet. Also, my doctor wasn't able to give me a formal report of my pregnancy because she does the ultrasound and interprets it herself so it is only a handwritten document that may not be acceptable to SSS.

I decided to get a formal ultrasound report from another clinic after two days from receiving the bad news. To my surprise, I saw my baby on the screen, and it was so much bigger than the scan two days ago. The sonologist also told me to hold my breath so she can catch my baby's heartbeat. I was like, really? My baby already has a heartbeat??? She told me that the heart rate was only 104.53 beats per minute. A viable pregnancy should have at least 120 bpm. Nevertheless, I was elated. My baby has a beating heart and no matter what the doctor said about the ideal range, I didn't mind it that much. My baby is alive!

As I was heading out, I remembered to ask for a photo so I can show my husband since the complete results will be released the next day. The doctor said, "Congratulations!" and took it back saying that I should come back next week to see if the heart rate has improved, only then can she congratulate me. I smiled and eagerly walked away and called my husband and my mom.

When I went in for my follow-up check up, my doctor was not concerned about the size of my baby. She is now concerned of my high blood sugar because if not controlled, it could lead to miscarriage so she put me on four weeks bed rest. My boss is very supportive of my pregnancy and I couldn't be more grateful.

I am now monitoring my blood glucose levels everyday and ensuring I eat right. I always knew in my heart that my baby is a fighter. We will keep beating the odds together until the day he/she is born.

Pregnancy Symptoms

It has been 4 days since I found out I'm pregnant by using home pregnancy tests and confirmed it by a blood test. Here is a list of my symptoms or how I generally felt during my two week wait after the IUI until now:

1. Tingling sensation in my right nipple - It was barely a week after the IUI but I felt it while I was on my way home from work. I didn't think it was pregnancy-related and that maybe I'm just eagerly looking for symptoms.

2. White discharge - I usually have this before my period but not this much. I attributed it to Crinone, the vaginal gel that I have been prescribed to take for 15 days starting 2 dpiui.

3. Mild cramping - I was so sure my period was coming because of the mild/light cramps I started to feel towards the end of my two week wait. I still feel it occasionally even after confirming the pregnancy.

4. Sore/tender boobs/nipples - Similar to how it feels before/during my period but a bit heightened this time. The other day, my right nipple hurt a ton, like it was being mildly electrocuted.

5. Sleeping a lot - I am a late sleeper and can live with only 4-5 hours of sleep. But since my IUI, I have been wanting to sleep early. I also sleep in the afternoon when I'm not at work for 2-3 hours so I can't really call it a nap.

6. Peeing a lot - I pee around 6-7 times even before lunch time.

7. Cheery/generally happy - I guess it's all because of being able to finally get pregnant. My husband and I waited for this and I would like to be positive about everything.

I will add to this list as I go along, but I guess this is all for now at 5 weeks 1 day. :)

I am finally pregnant!!!

I never thought this day would come, me writing this blog, telling the whole world that my husband and I have successfully created a human being: our most awaited bundle of joy. Let me run through the whole shebang so I don't forget a thing.

Remember I did the IUI in March 4. I started peeing on sticks since day 7-12 and got negatives. I stopped myself from buying pregnancy tests for days 13 and 14. On day 15, which is day one of my missed period, I decided to test again and got the lightest second line ever to the point that you really have to squint to see something. I thought to myself that maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks on me or maybe I am just going crazy. I texted my doctor's secretary about it and she told me to test again later that day and to come in after two days for a check up. I took a test in the evening of the same day with a more expensive test but it was negative. I was devastated.

I texted the secretary again and said it was negative but she was so positive telling me to test again tomorrow morning and for sure I will get 2 lines. I didn't feel hopeful. My body is telling me that my period is about to come. I tested again the following day with a cheaper test and saw another ghost line. I want to call it that because I feel like it's only me who sees it. But when I asked my hubby to take a look, he said he sees something too.

Still, I didn't think it was a legit BFP (big fat positive) so I bought a huge pack of sanitary napkin because I really felt that my period is coming anytime soon. However, I bought three more pregnancy tests to test with the next morning.

I had vivid dreams that night. I dreamed I had gotten real BFPs and that I am finally pregnant, til my alarm clock went off. I was so disappointed, I really thought it was real. So I got up, peed and tested right away using 2 tests. This time, I saw clearer lines than the ghost-like ones but I still wasn't sure. I thought maybe they were just lightly colored evaporation lines. I wanted to see my blood test results which was scheduled to be released at 2pm of the same day but was taken a day ago.

I went to the doctor, curiously waited for my turn and refreshed the online results page for my blood test results. Finally, it came through and it was POSITIVE!!! I couldn't believe my eyes and said OMG OMG OMG and ran all the way to the waiting room where my husband was.

We were so happy because the blood test was more reassuring than a urine test. When my turn came, the doctor checked my lining and said that it was consistent with pregnancy. She told me that we still can't see the baby this early at only 4 weeks 4 days but she asked me to come back after two weeks for another ultrasound.

We are over the moon. I still can't believe that our first IUI worked as I have read a lot of failed ones. I thank the Lord profusely because none of this would be possible if He did not give the go signal. I love you, God! To my doctor, I love you too. Thank you for making my dreams come true.

We have not yet announced it on Facebook but we have told quite a lot of our close friends already, people at work and of course, our family. Now praying for a healthy baby. Baby dust to everyone! If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone. So never give up and keep the faith, it's all you can do, REALLY. :)

My IUI Experience

It's 2016 already, meaning I have been married for over 3 years now and still no baby. :( When I got my period in February, my husband and I decided to see my RE to seriously try again. I went in for a consult on Day 1 (first day of my period). I was given Letrozole 2 tabs a day for five days starting on Day 3 and was asked to come back on Day 10 for follicle monitoring. On Day 10, my follicles didn't grow much so I was injected with Gonal-F 150 iu and another shot on Day 12 with the same dosage. On Day 13, I was given another Gonal-F shot but with 75 iu this time and was given a trigger shot to be self-administered on Day 15 at 2am. IUI was scheduled on Day 16 at 12noon.

My husband and I stayed at an Airbnb accommodation which was near the hospital where our IUI will take place. It was a 15-minute walk away so it was very convenient for us. We came in at 10am for the semen collection and sperm washing. To my dismay, my hubby's count post wash was only 550,000. For higher chances of IUI success, we needed at least 5million. I was devastated. My doctor ordered a double IUI and my husband had to collect again at 2pm. This is when I experienced a miracle. After just 4 hours from his last collection, we were able to collect 10million post wash. I cried buckets. This time, I felt more hopeful. So we did the 2nd IUI at 3:15pm and my doctor told me that my uterus was more cooperative this time. I had to lie on my back for an hour after each IUI. The procedure was very quick but was also very uncomfortable and quite painful. A few days later, I saw on Youtube that there's this couple who did IUI and was successful with only 6million. I had 10,550,000 in total so more chances for me, right? :)

After the procedure, I went home. I was instructed to insert Crinone (vaginal gel) everyday for 15 days starting from 2 days after my IUI. I think this would help the baby stick to my womb or something. I was told to take a pregnancy test on Day 14 which is on March 18. Being the paranoid and impatient person most of us women trying to conceive are, I tested out my trigger shot (to see if the HCG trigger is out of my system) at 7 dpiui (days past iui). I tested again on 8&9 dpiui (yesterday and today), still negative. My friend tested positive on 10 dpiui but I am afraid to test tomorrow. I will try to wait until Day 14 because I don't want to expect a positive tomorrow and see a negative. I know it will break my heart, so let's just prolong the occurrence of my heartbreak for a bit.

I have been praying for a baby for over 2 years now. I keep telling God that I'm okay with whatever plans he has for me. If a baby isn't for me, then at least I have tried my best and showed Him how much I want it. A friend told me about the positive effects of visualizing your dreams and I have been doing that since last week. I am just so excited to find out if we're successful. But I'm also scared to know in case there is really nothing in here. I believe miracles can happen if I just believe. I know that God only has the best intentions for my life and I just have to trust Him. Whatever happens, I will be glad because it is what God wanted.

I hope I can come back to post another blog saying how happy I am for a BFP (big fat positive), but until then, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and continue to pray for our miracle. :)

How to get a multiple entry visa to Japan for the unemployed

Hi. I just want to share my experience in applying for a Japan tourist visa despite being unemployed at the moment. I was issued a single entry visa for my first trip in 2014 while I was still employed at a Japanese bank. This year, having been unemployed for over 10 months, I tried applying again. Please refer to the following list of documents I submitted this time:

1. Application form
2. Id photo
3. Passport (still using my maiden name)
4. Affidavit of support (notarized) from my husband stating that he will be the one to shoulder my travel expenses since I am now just a housewife.
5. Original Certificate of Employment of my husband.
6. Original Bank Certificate (I submitted one under my married name and not under my husband. I did not want to go through the hassle of transferring funds back and forth from my account to his)
7. Photocopy of my husband's 2014 ITR
8. Daily itinerary

Although not required, I also submitted the following supporting documents:

1. Photocopy of my Certificate of Employment from my 2 most recent employers (including the Japanese bank)
2. Photocopy of my ITR from my 2 most recent employers (including the Japanese bank)
3. Copy of round-trip plane tickets

I also prepared to submit a photocopy of my birth certificate and marriage certificate but the lady at the travel agency returned it to me saying that they no longer need them since I have already submitted originals of such documents during my first visa application. For first time applicants, you must submit originals of these documents. Also note that these documents have a 1 year validity period required by the Japan Embassy.

I paid 1,200 pesos for the visa assistance offered by Reli Tours in SM Southmall as I have done with my first application. I submitted it on Saturday and was ready for pick-up on Thursday morning. I was so surprised that they gave me a multiple entry visa valid for 5 years since I'm now just a plain housewife. Maybe my employment in a Japanese bank helped, I can't really say.

If you read through the requirements from the Japan Embassy website, they require interested applicants to submit a letter of request for a multiple entry visa. I did not submit one. The lady at the agency said that it is not necessary since it really depends on the consul whether or not he will issue you a multiple entry visa based on the documents you submitted even without the letter of request.

So there goes my happy story on how I managed to score this 5 year multiple entry Japan tourist visa. Hope it helps anyone out there who's worried about not getting one because of the sad reality of unemployment.

Btw, I'm coming to Japan next weekend! Yey! :)

Ryan's Birthday Cake

I started learning how to bake last April and it is expected of me to bake my husband's birthday cake since I have been posting a lot of photos of my baked goods on social media. I don't always achieve the desired result each time I bake. Sometimes it would be awesome, some are epic fails. Haha! It's a good thing my family devours even those that I consider as "rejects". My husband requested for a chocolate cake on his 30th birthday. His party is scheduled on November 8 and I plan to make him a better looking cake. For his real birthday tomorrow, I baked a simple chocolate cake with a design coming to mind just as I was spreading the icing. My creative ideas come when I least expect it.

I got the chocolate cake recipe from this link http://bakehappy.net/2011/05/how-to-bake-a-perfectly-moist-chocolate-cake.html#.u2cubogszng and it had a lot of good reviews so I decided to use it. The blogger used an 8 inch round pan but what I had at home was an 8x8 inch square pan which I also use for my cinnamon rolls and special ensaymada. The entire batter fit in my pan to my surprise. I am still adjusting my baking temp and time with my new electric oven. I have been using a big gas oven since April and just recently, my husband bought me an electric oven for small orders and family consumption.

I like baking with the electric oven but the temp is very hard to monitor. If I set it at 150 degrees, the thermostat which I bought separately reads past 200 degrees. I'm going crazy with the temp and all. With my gas oven, once it reaches the desired temp, I place what needs to be baked inside and the temp will go down a bit and will slowly go up again but will never really exceed the desired temp in the beginning before I even place the pastries inside.

Anyway, last night, I watched my oven carefully to make sure I don't burn my precious cake as I have done with my first attempt of baking chocolate chip cookies last month. The cake looked done at around 50 minutes so I took it out and let it cool and designed it just this morning. I still haven't tasted it because my husband's birthday is not until tomorrow. I'll have to wait a few more hours to make a review of the actual taste of the recipe I used.

Here's a photo grid of my cake which I call Triple Chocolate Cake because it has cocoa on the actual cake batter, chocolate ganache and chocolate chips for the toppings to cover up my imperfect and obviously unskilled icing spreading technique. I improvised and used a fork to make horizontal lines on the icing. I wasn't sure if the ganache is pipeable so I decided to make it simple. I don't even have a cake board so I just placed it on some parchment paper and used the only box I had which was too big for the cake since I use it as packaging for my custard macaroons. It looks promising though. Hahaha. I will update this post tomorrow once I've had a slice. :)

November 2 *update*

I had to wait the whole day for us to finally eat the cake I made. We woke up late and Ryan said to have lunch first and have the cake in the evening. Finally, we gathered around the dining table and sang him a birthday song. Right after the blowing of the candle, I eagerly sliced the cake and gave each family member their portion. Everyone said it tasted great and my mother in law said that I could add it to my list of baked goods to sell. I was so happy that finally, I actually appreciated my work. Most of the time, I would feel sad about not achieving my desired outcome. But this cake recipe is fool proof. This one is a classic moist chocolate cake that my family will enjoy for decades to come. I'll make sure that this recipe gets passed on to the next generation. Thanks to the person who shared this family recipe on her blog.:)

My very first AIRBNB experience

Howdy! Here's my review of Sue's flat #2 located in Gongdeok, Seoul :)

Booking her place was so easy. It had everything my family is looking for. It’s very accessible coming from the airport. Just take the direct train to Gongdeok Station. We easily located the building because it’s connected to the station via B2 level. The room was even better than the photos and also very clean. You can tell that they really thought about the layout because they maximized every inch of space and even had a built in refrigerator. It had everything I could ever need, except for a weighing scale. I think Sue can add that item in the future.

We used almost every item in the room. We cooked a lot and used the vacuum to clean. We used the washing machine too! Sue prepared 2 hairdryers which is ideal if you have more than one girl in your group. Everything was easy to use because of Sue’s detailed manuals. Sue prepared complete toiletries. Just bring your toothbrush and a big towel. The beds are very comfy, even the sofa bed!

We went to E-Mart just across the street to buy everything we needed from groceries to other items we wanted to take back to the Philippines, even a Happy Call pan which you can cook with even without cooking oil! Sue had a similar pan in the room so we looked for it at E-Mart.

If you like kimbap, you can never go hungry because there’s a 24 hour kimbap restaurant on the first level of the building. There are a few shops in Gongdeok station so if you need make-up or cosmetics, you can just look around there. There are also some bargain stores where my mom got some shoes and a bag. Gongdeok Market is also nearby where you can buy fresh seafood and veggies and other food items.

Check out time is at 11 am so we looked for coin lockers at Gongdeok station big enough to fit our luggage so we can still roam around Gongdeok. Sadly, there are only limited lockers and none were vacant. Sue was kind enough to allow us to place our bags in her car. Her husband met with us at the parking level and placed our bags inside. We went back to get our things at around 5pm.

The train from Gongdeok to the airport terminates at Geomam station (I think) and you have to get off and take the next train on the same platform. Sue’s flat is quite a long walk from Seoul station but everything else makes up for it and you can also use other lines to get there. I would definitely come back to Sue’s flat in my future trips to Seoul and recommend it to my family and friends. Thank you Sue and husband for giving my family the best accommodation out of all the 5 places I tried in Seoul during my trips in the previous years. It is my first Airbnb booking and I am very satisfied with the experience.