it's a boy!!!

At 19 weeks and 3 days, I underwent fetal survey yesterday to check on baby's development and seek obstetrical clearance to travel to the US next week. I was lying there trying to figure out baby's moving image on the screen when the doctor asked me "alam mo na ba kung ano baby mo?" I said "not yet doc, can you already tell if it's a girl or a boy?" She smiled then pointed on something on the screen and said "ayan o, may pototoy si baby....lalake yan!"

Wow! I'm going to have a baby boy! It's there, sticking out! hahaha. I just couldn't believe how much he has grown since our first ultrasound visit. And he's moving a lot now too!...I started to feel it last week when i entered 18 weeks.

Hello baby...can you hear mommy now? Daddy and mommy are so excited to see you but we have to wait until February. It's ok...mommy waited 33 years of her life to have you so what's 5 months more? We love you baby...

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Yna is "ina" no more

No. 1 in my to-do-list before i leave: to bring Yna to the veterinarian and have her spayed. Last Thursday, we brought her to Animal House in Alabang for the pre-surgery kidney, liver and blood tests. The results showed healthy organs and so we proceeded with the surgery the next day. I was teary-eyed when the vet took her away from me and placed her on a table where the other guys were setting up the dextrose, anesthesia and other instruments. I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left. The next day she recovered from sedation and we came back in the afternoon to pick her up.

Her ovaries and uterus were removed which means she can no longer have kittens. She has a 2-inch incision and needs to wear a head guard for 10 days to keep her from licking her wound.

For 5 years, Yna has been my baby, my constant companion, my living journal. She knows my secrets but promises to never tell. Hahaha. We share the same bed though she has her own blanket and pillow. When i'm doing the laundry or cleaning the house, she can be found sitting on a rug as if supervising my work. When i'm busy with my laptop, she would either position herself on top of the printer facing me or lie motionless on the bed, lost in a dream. She knows a lot of tricks and she can be sweet or mean depending on her mood. She's a responsible mommy cat too. She has given birth to about 50 kittens and i've seen how much this has taken its toll on her body.

I'll surely miss my dear kitty. I am happy she is finally spayed so she can live longer and healthier. When I leave, she will be staying with my parents and i hope to see her again when i come back years from now.

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visa in hand...

My visa was delivered today, exactly 211 days since Fil filed the I-129F petition in February this year.

We survived 7 months of being apart from each other while waiting for notices of approvals and monitoring the flow of our documents from the USCIS to the NVC to the US Embassy in Manila. And now that these are all over, i realized the entire process wasn't as difficult as i first thought. It really helped that we read a lot about the procedure and joined online forums and communicated with people from all over the world who were undergoing the same experience. That said, i would like to sincerely thank the wonderful members of www.visajourney.com, especially the Manila thread family, for all the valuable guidance, encouragement and inspiration which made my visa journey a smooth and enjoyable experience.

The only thing that stressed me during the entire process was my self-inflicted OC-ness. Weeks before my final interview, I was endlessly arranging and rearranging photos, labeling some documents and printing too many emails/chats/phone logs, etc. just in case the CO will ask for it. Fil wasn't spared - I kept pestering him about sending me 'this' and 'that' documents and he even sent one document twice because my keen eye didn't miss the wrong entries he made in the first document he sent. Thus, i was overprepared during the final interview and 95% of the 5-kilo bagful of documents i brought to the Embassy were not needed. I sprained my left arm because of that.

So now that i already have my visa i can take time to relax, breathe for some fresh air, before I busy myself again with the tasks ahead: process some personal documents, attend a pre-departure counseling, pay my debts (hmm...wag na lang kaya? hehehe), buy my ticket, shop for clothes and other stuff (better to buy here where its cheaper), pack my things and say goodbye to family, friends and relatives.

Grabe, totohanan na ito...this is it!

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America, here WE come!

I am not going to the US alone. Surprise, surprise!! i'm now 16 weeks pregnant and I will be traveling with my baby! I am so freaking excited! Soon baby and i will be in the loving arms of daddy Fil.

I am having a happy pregnancy so far. It was last June 23, a few weeks after Fil went back to the US, when i had my self-administered pregnancy test which was later confirmed by my doctor. I remember feeling happy and worried at the same time - happy because i've always wanted to have a baby, worried because at that time i wasn't yet scheduled for a visa interview and i was thinking i'd give birth before i get my visa. But trust God on this one, He really had it all planned. We found out our interview schedule last July and i passed the interview last September 5. Baby and i are now set to go to the USA!

I've long been waiting for this day: to be able to shout to the whole world that i'm having a baby. I deliberately postponed the announcement not because i wasn't excited but because i wanted to make sure baby will be safe during the first trimester when the possibility of a miscarriage is high. So now that i'm in my 2nd trimester, i am celebrating and letting everybody know.

During my first prenatal visit (6 weeks), seeing baby's heartbeat blinking on the ultrasound screen was a miracle. I just couldn't believe it! At 10 weeks, I first heard her/his heartbeat. Baby's heart was beating so fast, twice faster than my own.

The first 2 months i was feeling a bit queasy and fatigued and had to force myself to eat. I've been on a diet streak since late last year and am no longer used to "eating." During the 3rd month, i started to feel energetic and when I entered the 2nd trimester, that was the only time when i started to like food. So now my tummy looks more of a pregnant belly and i have in fact outgrown some of my regular clothes. I think i've already felt some fetal movements but being a first-time mom, i couldn't really tell if they are for real or maybe just regular twitches in my digestive tract. It's okay, i am willing to wait for stronger baby kicks. By the time we arrive in the US next month (we're leaving october 4), baby will be very active! hmmm, got to show dad what she/he's got!

My parents are very supportive and excited about their first apo. Mom's been visiting me every other week to make sure i eat the right food and we've been sleeping together on my bed while she recounts her experiences when she was pregnant with me. Now I feel closer to her. If there's one nice thing about getting pregnant before leaving for the US, it is the fact that mom was able to participate in my pregnancy. Dad has been very quiet about it. He never asked me anything even if i know it kinda alarmed him that i got pregnant before I get married. I'm sure any parent would feel the same. He celebrated his 63rd birthday last September 2 and we had a party. I can feel he is happy for me, just a bit concerned that i might have a difficult pregnancy 'coz i'll be 33 when i give birth. But so far, baby and i are doing great.

And have i told you about Fil's parents? We talked on the phone and they are so excited about the visa approval and the baby. It will also be the first time for them to have a grandchild! Wow, baby is one lucky angel. She/he is loved by everybody even before she/he is born.

As for Fil, i just couldn't ask for a better man. He is very supportive even if we're thousands of miles apart and he is more excited than me about baby's development. Soon we can share the experience together, plan together, fantasize about baby together, prepare ourselves together for our very first meeting with our angel.

So many blessings this year. Thank you dear God! My only prayer now is that you continue to keep my baby safe. I know you will...

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America, here i come!

Yesterday I had my interview at the US Embassy for my K1 (fiancee) visa application. The male Filipino pre-screener was in a good mood while he checked my thick application documents. He asked for my NBI clearance and birth certificate, Fil's notarized affidavit of support with the attached income tax returns and other bank documents, a few recent photos of me and Fil together and a letter signed by Fil stating that he is legally able and willing to marry me within 90 days of my arrival into the US. I offered him all the documents and proofs of relationship i have (more photos, hotel receipts, airline tickets, phone logs, chat logs, e-mails and letters) but he refused. He said I have enough evidence to prove that my relationship with Fil is genuine.

By 11:15 am, my number flashed for the final interview with the Consular Officer and i was assigned at window 29. Inside was a tall white american, (very obvious even if he was seated), maybe in his 50's, with a contagious smile and a friendly voice. He was the first to greet me and after asking me to raise my right hand and swear to tell nothing but the truth, he asked me the usual questions: who is your petitioner? how and when did you meet? when was the first time you saw him? how many times did he visit and how long did he stay each visit? what does he do for a living? was he born in the US or naturalized? has he been married before? does he have any children? have you been married before? do you have any children?

We were talking and laughing the whole time especially when he saw our travel photos (Fil and i were sporting a funny face in one of them). He was surprised to see the Petronas towers (oh, you've been to Malaysia?!) and when he saw our Cambodia pictures, his eyes were glued on the photo of Angkor Wat for a few seconds and he said "wow, i've always wanted to go to Cambodia. I should go there soon."

He didn't miss the photo of my engagement ring and when I showed him my left hand with the diamond, he exclaimed "oh, it's for real!" Hahahaha. He continued flipping the pages of the other documents then finally he said "ok, all is good, i'm going to approve your application blahblahblah..." I didn't hear the rest of what he said 'coz i was so happy and stunned and excited all at the same time. I just couldn't believe the interview would be that fun and easy. If there was no glass barrier between us, i would have literally jumped out of my seat and kissed him!

I left the CO's room with a smile pasted on my face. Outside i waited for the most-coveted "pink slip", paid Delbros for the visa delivery fee and went home. It was past 12noon, the sun was burning and i haven't had lunch but i didn't feel the heat nor the hunger. It was one great day to end my visa journey. God is sooooo good!
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My K1 visa timeline

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