The Best Christmas Gift from Above

Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the world, and definitely my favorite season! Back when I was a child, I remember doing a countdown as early as 60 days before Christmas. I loved receiving gifts from my grandparents, aunts and uncles and I always enjoyed shopping and wrapping gifts for my brothers and cousins with my Mom.

Every year is different but this Christmas is particularly special and memorable for our little family of three. We're now four! Our little bundle of joy, Samara Akasha or Kassy for short, was born on December 14, 2012, 9:30 AM at the Immaculate Conception Medical Center via LCCS (Lower Cervical Cesarean Section). Her body measurements at birth are 33.5cm (Head Circumference), 33cm (Chest Circumference), 30.5cm (Abdominal Circumference) and 54cm (Body Length). She weighed 3.3kgs.

The Cesarean Section was supposed to be until four days later (December 18th) but contractions started on the evening of December 13th. I thought it was just the watermelon I had during dinner that night, but the contractions became more painful and frequent at dawn. I finally called my OB-Gyn Dra. Marlene Palilio 6:00AM in the morning of December 14th, when I'm really really sure that it's more than just Braxton Hicks. She ordered to go to the hospital immediately. 

We reached the hospital at 9:00AM and before I knew it, baby Kassy is already crying her lungs out in the delivery room. With my first born and my first C-Section, I was put to sleep. But this time around, I was awake the whole time. The anesthesiologist, Dr. Martin Domingo was nice, documenting Kassy's first few minutes out of my womb with his reliable camera. He even showed me a video of Kassy crying while being bathed in the nursery. (Doc Martin gave me the printed souvenir photo the next day when he visited me in my room.) Everything happened so fast and I was taken to my room in less than an hour! The C-Section itself only took a maximum of 20minutes, and I think I spent another 30minutes in the recovery room.

The anesthesia made me dizzy though, I vomited twice while in the delivery room and one more time in the recovery room. It also made my skin itchy all over, especially my face! And even though the room was fully air-conditioned, I was bathed in sweat. All because of the anesthesia, the nurses said.

Anyways, back to baby Kassy, a Newborn Screening (NBS) was done on December 16th but we don't have the results yet. Please join my family in praying that the results of Kassy's NBS are favorable. Also, my baby did not pass the Otoacoustic Emissions Test or the Newborn Hearing Test and she needs a follow up test within one week. She's scheduled for a re-test on December 22nd. Again, I hope everything turns out well for my little girl.

How about you? What's the best Christmas gift you ever received?