#17

17 Days to go...

Seriously? 17 days...OMG (that's for you Craig...)!!

Hi, Iz!

I was having lunch with your Tatay and Nana the other day. We were eating dim sum (yummy) and chatting about a little bit of everything.

Nana wanted to make sure I knew the "signs" of when I would need to call the doctor or go the hospital when it was time for you to join our family.

I listened to Nana talk about how your Tita Chonnie was born - she was early and weighed about 4 1/2 lbs...tiny! She said she remembers that she was almost dropped into a bucket....huh? Yes...dropped into a bucket. Apparently there was a lot of rain in the Philippines during that time and of course the hospital got rid of excess water that made its way into the hospital by using buckets.

Then Nana talked about Tita Candice's birth. Nana and Tatay were at a Candice Bergen movie. She got up to use the restroom and "knew" it was time (I'll spare any male readers the graphic details). She walked back into the movies and told Tatay that it was time.

I listened to her talk about my birth and how I was a big baby (haha - I was only a little over 6 lbs) and she labored for a very long time. The doctor decided she needed a c-section with me.

Nana remembers everything about each birth. She remembers the movies she was watching, what was going on, the moments that surrounded each of her children's entry into the world.

It amazes me. It really does - that after over 35 years - the details - albeit fuzzy at points - are still in her mind. It solidfies that the moment that a child is born into a family - that moment is forever engrained into the memory of those who love them the most. Mother's capture each second and store it in their mind and in their heart.

I think about your birth all the time. I wonder if I'll be calm (ha - yeah right), I wonder if I'll yell a lot and turn into the Devil, I wonder what Daddy will be doing as I go through each contraction - how he'll handle watching me in pain, if he'll know what to do, if he'll feel as overwhelmed as me, I wonder if my first instinct is fierce protection, or if I'll be absolutely and utterly be in love.

So many things - so much to look forward to.

I can't wait to meet you very soon, Sweet Girl. For now...keep on growing!