Becoming A SingleD Lola Part 3: My APOstolic Duties

By Nancy D. Galang, M.A.

"Grandchildren fill a space in your heart that you never knew was empty." - Author unknown

It's been exactly a week since Nastassia, my second daughter, gave birth to her firstborn and my first apo, Amara Catrice. The weekend has passed and I have not published my blog, which I would normally publish either on a Friday or Saturday. Why? Alam n'yo na, mga Nan-sis! Nagsimula na kasi ang APOstolic duties!

The past few weeks have been really crazy busy! House repairs from our "Ulyssesperience" are still ongoing. The baby room is still being finished. And I had a lot of (general) cleaning to do.

On my list, aside from finishing the baby room, was to clean and prepare my room (which I have been sharing with Nastassia and Nix). I just had to make a baby corner where we can also set-up the playpen and Nastassia's breasfeeding (and burping) chair. This corner is something which we can later convert into Amara's play area. 

Aside from these, I had to wipe every alikabok from all my furniture, windows, including the screens. Then of course disinfect all surfaces and floors. Mga Nan-sis, nakakapagod! I am really, really exhausted.

Amara's room was finished right on time -
November 26, the day before Nastassia 
was confined. 

Nastassia's estimated due date was November 21. But it was on the 29th that she finally gave birth (I am happy though because ka-birthday n'ya ang brother ko na si Nelson).

With my brother Nelson, whose birthday
also falls on November 29.

I kept on praying na 'wag na muna sana s'ya manganak because I was trying to buy more time. At least matapos muna sana ang baby room. Matapos muna sana lahat ng paglilinis na need ko gawin. Pero alam n'yo, parang walang katapusan. Pag natapos ko ang isang bagay, may makikita na naman ako na feeling ko kailangan ko gawin.

This recently purchased chair will
double as Nastassia's breastfeeding
chair and my reading chair. 

Anyway, mai-share ko lang muna ang experience namin noong November 27. It was just supposed to be another check-up pero Nastassia's OB decided to have her confined kasi 3cm dilated na daw ang cervix n'ya. So that day, wala akong ginawa kundi paghandaan ang apo ko. Linis to death na pati tatlong CRs! (while Louie, her boyfriend, was with her muna sa hospital).

While Nastassia was already confined, hindi ko
ma-describe ang pakiramdam ko. Excited, pero mas matindi ang nerbyos.

I was also on standby that night because I had to bring the baby bag and Nastassia's bag (which was prepared beforehand and dapat sana bitbit namin kapag nag-labor s'ya). But while waiting, ang feeling ko, nagle-labor din ako! Walang biro, mga Nan-sis.

Limang beses ko na-experience ang labor (I have four living children and one deceased), kaya't sure ako, that was the feeling. At kapag nagle-labor, 'yun 'yung sakit ng tiyan na para kang masi-CR pero wala naman lumalabas (na expected natin na lumabas hehe). Kasi nga bata ang lalabas. 

So I was expecting ganun lang, pero talagang wala rin. This started a few days before Nastassia was confined and lasted until the day she gave birth. And she did not give birth that day.

Right outside the Delivery Room,
pinagpapawisan ako sa sobrang sakit 
ng tiyan ko but tried my best to ignore 
it. (after all, I still had to shoot my vlog!)

She finally gave birth guess when? Two days after! November 29 at exactly 2:35pm.

Ang tagal (naming) nag-labor! Instantly, nawala ang sakit ng tiyan ko nung narinig ko kay Louie na "Baby out na, Tita!"

Ganun pala 'yun. Kapag ang anak mong babae ay manganganak, naroon pa din yung feeling na ayaw mo s'ya masaktan at mahirapan. Kung p'wede ikaw na lang ang magdala ng pain (hindi ng bata ah!).

Pero before anything, "i-flex" (banggitin at ipagmayabang) ko lang, na Nastassia gave birth in an almost natural way, kasi hindi s'ya nagpa-epidural anesthesia, but only local. Hindi ba kailangan mag-fetal position para ma-inject 'yun, and ayaw daw n'ya at parang naiipit ang baby. And 3 hours after, she was already messaging me na nagbe-breastfeed na s'ya sa recovery room. Ang lakas na bata!

I admire this girl for being so brave all 
throughout. I must have done something right
to raise such a wonderful daughter. 

Meantime, earlier, while outside the delivery room, I just kept on praying. I got there before lunch so after less than 3 hours wait, I finally saw the person which would change my life (and my heart) forever! Our little angel Amara Catrice!

Up to now, I could not put into words exactly how I feel. But I will try. And I am sure lahat ng mga Lola Nan-sis ko na nagbabasa nito ngayon ay makaka-relate (much).

Seeing Amara Catrice for the very first
  time.  Anong feeling? Super overjoyed!!! 

Una, thankful and relieved. Relieved that my daughter and her baby were safe during and after the delivery.

Second, happy and thankful ulit that we were blessed not only with a healthy baby but

a very beautiful one! Napakabait ni Lord sa G Skwad. Sobra.

 I just can't caption this. All I can say is
that this is such a beautifully captured image
 of my two girls, Nastassia Clarice and
Amara Catrice. 

Third, excited na iuwi agad s'ya, i-share at maipakita sa the rest of the G Skwad. Kaso na-delay ng another day ang pag-uwi kasi may mild jaundice si Amara. Pa-suspense!!! (Bata pa lang e diva na at dramatic entrance na!)

     G Skwad's first meeting with Amara Catrice. (Nix 

             later followed coming from Laguna)

Lastly, naramdaman ko ang fulfillment at meaning ng lahat ng kinailangan kong ibigay na pag-unawa, pagtanggap, at pagpapatawad sa anak ko at sa lahat ng nangyari. The circumstances surrounding her pregnancy were not easy to accept. But, when I saw Amara, I realized, I made the right choice to be this supportive mom to Nastassia, all the way through.

Every mom should be there for this milestone
in her daughter's life. My heart was full knowing I was needed. Nastassia randomly told me, "Ma,
mabuti na lang nandito ka." (Gusto ko nga umiyak pinigilan ko lang at ayoko mag-drama sa ospital)

      

Lahat din ng pagod ko sa paghahanda, sulit. If it was for our little angel like Amara Catrice, then I would do it over and over again.

Mga Nan-sis, from this day on, iba na ang buhay namin ng G Skwad.

Lagi na kaming puyat ni Nastassia. Not that we sleep early ha, pero this time, putol-putol ang tulog namin. In short, feeling walking dead sa umaga. Paggising ko, masakit ang ulo ko kasi kulang sa tulog. And these days, I have to be up 6:30am (after Amara has just fed and slept at 4am) para paarawan siya. (Si Nix di na rin makatulog because she is in the same room.)

So dahil sa zombie-like feeling, I need my coffee even more. Pero ang masaklap, mga Nan-sis, first time kong hindi makaupo in the morning to finish my cup of coffee. Just this AM, I had to heat my coffee 4 times kasi lagi kong naiiwan at di nauubos dahil maya't maya I was assisting Nastassia in burping the baby, cleaning her poop and putting her to sleep. Alam n'yo kung anong oras ko naubos ang first cup of coffee ko? 5pm!

Tapos ilang days na din akong hindi nakakapag-journal, which includes doing my gratitude list each day.

In addition sa not-able-to-do list, is Netflix! Workout! Prompt replies to messages I receive! Itong blog ko, delayed na nga din, di ba?

Remind ko lang din na wala kaming househelp. Mabuti na lang while the G Skwad have their own assigned chores, nag-a-assist naman sa baby sina Nix and Rocky when I have to do laundry and wash the dishes. 

Cooking? Wala na muna! Order order online na lang for the time being! (As of the moment, Nadja is sick and just stays in her room and has not bonded with Amara.)

Seems like I gave birth to my youngest child at 51.
Ang kaibahan, mas-enjoy mag-alaga this time kasi
walang masakit na sugat at hindi ako ang nagbe-
breastfeed! 

But it is all so worth it! May mga trade-offs man sa ibang activities ko, hindi naman ako nagsisisi sa feeling that it gives me when Amara stares at me and listens when I sing her songs (mostly Disney, kahit mali-mali ang lyrics!), sleeps in my arms, and gives me those random smiles. And even when I finally put her down on my bed, I can stay for hours just staring at her. Sobrang cute! Sobrang pure and innocent. Sobrang calming.

You catch these smiles and giggles
with newborns which you will never want
to miss for anything. 

Isa pa, hindi ko naman din pagsisisihan kahit kailan ang support that I am able to give Nastassia now that she is a first-time mommy.

Rocky is the strictest with how we take care of
Amara. Nadja is concerned about the type of
(dance) music she should be exposed to. Skip na
daw ang nursery rhymes and Disney songs. 

To date, Rocky is the most over-protective and is very particular about how Amara is being carried, to the point that one time pinagsasabihan pa niya sa Nastassia (haha). Si Nix naman may future sa pagiging cool and composed mom because she carries Amara with great ease. Each of them have their moments when they would just approach and stare at our baby.

Ninang Nix, may potential to be a
relaxed and calm mom? 

So, mga Nan-sis, nadagdagan ang duties ko. Hindi na lang singleD mom duties, kundi APOstolic duties na din. From Mommy Nancy to Grammy (Grand Mommy) Nancy na rin. And just like many events in my "Nancy Mommy Naging SingleD" journey, I totally embrace this. And I will be forever grateful for this blessing.

Mga "Lola to be" na Nan-sis ko, believe me,
to be gifted with a grandchild is something
that you should look forward to. Sabi nga ng
isang friend ko, when she saw this photo, "I 
have not seen that 100% joy and sparkle on
your face in years."

Until then. Catch you later! 

Nancy Mommy

See related stories for this entry. Just click the links below:

https://nancydavidgalang.blogspot.com/2020/06/becoming-singled-lola-by-nancy-d.html?m=1

https://nancydavidgalang.blogspot.com/2020/11/becoming-singled-lola-part-2-eto-na-ang.html?m=1

What to look forward to this weekend: 

"Nancy Mommy Naging Single" first Vlog on this part of my journey of "Becoming a SingleD Lola") on my new Youtube channel.