After almost ten years of courtship, IC and I finally got married by December of 2007. From then on, we tried to have a baby. We wanted to start a family of our own since most of our friends have kids already. They told us that when we have a baby, things will be different. We went to several places like Cebu, Bohol, Bangkok, and tried to get pregnant there. First attempt, negative result. Second attempt, pregnancy test still revealed one line. We thought that maybe God has plans for us why He is delaying it. Maybe we are not ready yet to have a baby—both emotionally and financially. We patiently waited for God’s perfect timing.

By July 2008, I had my check-up with my OB since I was experiencing gastric pains and almost always feel hungry. My mom told me that when she found out that she was pregnant, she also experienced the same symptom. After the check-up, the doctor broke the news that I am really pregnant. I was touched when I saw IC teary-eyed. He is certainly happy and also the grandparents. If there is one word how IC and I took the news of pregnancy, it would be ecstatic!

I did not experience any pregnancy mischiefs, except during the time when I’m naglilihi. I am supposed to be experiencing mood swings, but there is none. I began to experience morning sickness, throwing up two to three times in the morning and I started feeling sleepy by 10 in the evening. It was really a hard first trimester for me. I am always feeling nauseous. Dizziness comes and goes. I was so picky when it came to food and dislikes the smell of ginisa. I couldn’t even cook because of it. I recall how IC never hesitated even a bit in his husband’s duties while I was pregnant. He is obviously supportive and caring.

I’ve had a normal delivery. The baby is due March 19 and came out more than two weeks earlier, unexpectedly. It is maybe because we are always out, Tagaytay, Batangas, Baguio. It was February 28, during our 12th anniversary as boyfriend-girlfriend, when I started to labor. It was just like an ordinary weekend. In the morning, we were at Asian Hospital to attend the Maternal Seminar and had lunch at Teriyaki Boy. By 5 in the afternoon, we were already home. We were just in the living room when my water bag broke. I did not panic but IC did or maybe it is just his way of showing excitement. I even took a bath. We waited for my parents to fetch us and accompany us to Makati Medical Center. It was traffic and took us almost two hours to get to MMC. I was already 2cm when we arrive at MMC. I remembered how nervous I was and tried only too hard not to show it. I just don’t want IC and my family to worry. During labor, I kept on telling our baby, “Wag mong papahirapan si Mommy mamaya ha. Ilang hours nalang magkikita na tayo and Mommy’s excited to see you!” After thirteen hours of labor and only five pushes, with the help of one of the doctors by pressing my stomach using her elbows, Duanne Christian was born. It was 9 in the morning of March 1, I have experienced birth in a beautiful way and never traumatized. I disregarded the pain as I wanted to see the baby. I cried the moment I saw him and heard his first cry. When you hear your baby cry, all you want to know is if he’s safe. It was a muddle of emotions that overwhelms me.

Duanne Christian is a very significant name. Duanne is named after the combination of my name, Dianne, and my father’s name, Wayne. While Christian is from Immanuel Christian, IC’s second name. We nicknamed him Racco. Besides for the fact that his Daddy got it from his favorite expression, “rock on”, it also emphasizes Peter the Rock, one of the twelve apostles. Just like Peter, we wanted him to rock solid in faith with God. As Matthew 16:18 says “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

This little bundle of joy already exhibits a pleasant quality that endears him to many. We’ll sing to him, tell NBA stories—even when I was pregnant with him. I listen to a lot of music and so does he. It could be classical, R&B, jazz, and bossa. We also think that he is going to be a good listener because when we talk to him, when people talks to him, he listens and maintains eye contact. He is such a happy and expressive boy, just like me and my husband. We love life and exploring things. We think that Racco will be like that, too. Altogether, our family is a picture of love and happiness, no less.

There are plenty of surprises about being a parent. It’s scary, stressful, confusing, tiring, and even boring at times. But despite of all the sleepless nights, all the days when we can’t manage to fix our hair, all the hours spent with the restless colicky baby, nothing is as surprising as we experience the most amazing, rewarding, and fulfilling adventure of our life.

It’s just wonderful how fast Racco is growing, day by day. It’s really a challenge for us on being new parents. There’s so much to learn, so much to discover. One thing’s for sure, IC and I can never perfect parenthood, but we can give it at our best. All the best that our dear Racco deserves.