Dear Peanut: Peanut

Dear Peanut,

Today was the day we found out you're a boy! :)

We actually don't have a preference. I mean, whether you're a boy or a girl, we would love you just as fierecely.

But whenever I ask SC if he has a preference, he would often tell me that he wants a baby boy because he doesn't want the drama. Haha, I guess I am more than a handful for your daddy. But I also know that if you turned out to be baby girl, his daddy heart would be just a proud. Then again, he would joke that you would still be raised as a boy ala Robin Scherbatsky in the TV series How I Met Your Mother.

We're currently at #16Weeks now and you're starting to show. And another great news---the resuls of our First Trimester Screening test showed that we're at low risk of developing chromosomal abnormalities including Down Syndrome. Every night I pray that you develop into a normal, healthy baby. And God really hears our prayers.

So during the checkup, Dr.AZ explained to us the results of the screening test and informed us of another test that we need to take, the Anomaly Scan. Basically, it's a more detailed ultrasound to check how you're developing. We'll do that next week at #20Weeks or so. I read that the test gives you a more detailed set of ultrasound scans. I'm quite excited, more to share on this blog then.

Dr.AZ told us that by this time we can know your gender, but it still depends on your position during the scan. But wow, when Dr.AZ scanned my tummy you immediately showed off your little growing penis ala Shi-chan.

Crayon Shin-chan is a popular anime show shown on TV when we were younger.
You and SC should do this when you're a older, yeah?

I actually gave Dr.AZ quite a shock and a good laugh when I asked, "Is that a small penis?"

I totally forgot that Malaysians are more conservative than Filipinos. I mean, I didn't use the more liberal terms like "dick" and "cock." I was scientifically correct but still, she laughed. The nurse laughed. We all laughed. SC and I continued to laugh at my not-so-really slip-of-the-tongue question days after the checkup (I wrote this post on May 19, 2017).

After laughing, Dr.AZ confirmed that yes, the silhouette is a small penis and that you're a boy! We also heard again your heartbeat. This time, it sounds a bit more mellow than the first two times. Instead, it sounded like galloping horses. So, it's called Horse Heartbeat now. We were are also able to record it clearly!

You still look like a Peanut in here, only bigger this time. Dr.AZ didn't give us an ultrasound photo of your entire body, unlike the previous ones. So here are some of the scans we received:

That's not your face. the perfect circle on the left side of what looks like your face is actually your stomach. I actually can't imagine it but since you're only as big as an apple now, it makes sense.

This scan shows the size of your head.

Don't panic, you don't look like this.

So don't worry, you don't look like the mutant baby toy in Toy Story. I should tell SC to remind me to ask for a good selfie photo for all the succeeding prenatal checkups.

But oh boy, oh boy, YOU'RE A BOY! :)
And we already have your name!

Love,

Update (as of March 29, 2018): Changed my codename from Queen Bitch (QB) to Tiger Mom (TM).

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Dear Peanut,

On April 20, 2017, we had our third prenatal checkup at Columbia Hospital PJ with Dr.AZ. And today, we heard---for the very first time---your heartbeat!

I read once that a baby's heartbeat sounds like galloping horses. But SC said it sounded more like a hovering helicopter. So we called it your Helicopter Heartbeat.

The whole experience felt sooooooooo amazing, that I even cried a bit because I felt so happy. Even SC felt the paternal strings tug a bit when he first heard your heart beating.

We also saw it on the screen (blue lights flickering fast). We tried to record it on SC's phone but when we played it back, it's too faint to hear. But when it was happening in real time, your Helicopter Heartbeat was so loud it filled the entire room.

We also saw your baby shape for the first time today. At #11Weeks, you were past your Alien Phase (you know, you looked like an alien during the first trimester---at least that's how it's shown in many online references). And based on the ultrasound, you're already filling up the small black hole that's your home inside my body.

During our third prenatal checkup, SC and I decided to take the First Trimester Screening test. I've read a great deal about this and even asked a fellow Filipina expat mom we met in Kuala Lumpur.

It's combined ultrasound and blood test. The goal is to see if you have high or low risk of developing chromosomal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome. It's a screening test, not diagnostic, which means it only shows us a range.

If the results show you're at high risk, we can decide to get the diagnostic test but this later test is invasive, which means they'll get a blood sample from you and it comes with a slight risk of miscarriage. And I don't want that.

Dr.AZ explained to me that the screening test is non-invasive and they'll just get my blood for testing. During the first phase of the screening test, Dr.AZ took a longer time with the ultrasound. She made a lot of measurements and at one point, you even turned around. "Baby is turning," she said. You probably got annoyed with all the extra poking in your home.

But we saw you move! It was so amazing!

Your third selfie photo at #11Weeks. You are so much visible now! :)

After the checkup, we were told to go the laboratory for my blood test. The doctor also gave me new medicine to take, a calcium supplement and some multivitamins. By this time, we already finished your folic acid supplements.

Dr.AZ gave me calcium supplements too because I told her I don't like the taste of maternity milk. Well, even before I really don't like powdered milk. Maternity milk just tastes so sweet and even if I dilute it, it makes me wince. Not that I would puke it all out but the smell is enough to make me forget that I actually need it.

This is why I drink it every other day, once a day. When Dr.AZ told me I was supposed to drink 2 to 3 glasses every day, I immediately felt guilty. I got extremely worried that I wasn't doing you good so I immediately asked for calcium supplements. Your AuntieAD also took calcium supplements because she hates milk and she told me it's okay.

Honestly, I wanted to use the maternity milk to make polvoron but SC stopped me.

So that's what happened during your 3rd prenatal checkup. This is when we realized that you look like peanut. So we started calling you Peanut instead of baby, hehe.

We showed LMO and LD your third selfie photo and LMO couldn't see the "peanut" shape in the ultrasound photo. She told us you look like an owl. Where the fuck did that come from? hahaha. So, we sent her this: