Month: April 2012

Double Blessings

Rhiza19 Comments

Saturday, March 31. “God must really love us.. in a really special and weird way,” my husband said, laughing as we tried to recover from the surprise that came with our first ultrasound. One week after we tested positive for pregnancy, we confirmed that we’re not just pregnant.. we’re having twins!

To say that we were surprised is an understatement; we were, mostly, blown away. We never prayed for twins, never expected it, never crossed our minds. There haven’t been any twin pregnancies from both our lineage, at least none that we know of, or none that we can trace. And yet, here they are, growing in my womb. It’s like I could hear God’s still small voice, and see a smile on His lips, “Riz, my dear Riz, you can never predict Me. I have more surprises for you.”

So you must have seen this ultrasound print already, if you’re connected to us in Facebook. We managed to be mum about being pregnant for a few weeks, only our family and a few friends knew. But when we found out that we’re having twins, it’s just so hard to keep it to ourselves! Suddenly, my husband was announcing it in the pulpit of our church before he lead Worship, and excitedly sharing the news on Facebook. We’re overwhelmed by the response and the excitement around us, it’s a great feeling to know that friends and family are praying for us from (literally) all over the world.

I’m on my 9th week now and the morning sickness has been horrible; whoever named it “morning sickness” has no idea what he was talking about, really! This “sickness” is more like an all-day-round-a-clock sickness! I’m always sleepy, and tired, and nauseous, and bloated. They say it’s even worse when you’re carrying twins. Which explains why I have a pile of unprocessed photos and unfinished drafts, why this blog has gone quiet for the past week, and why I haven’t seen a lot of my friends like usual.

On a lighter note, a new level of respect and appreciation has been growing in my heart for mothers who have endured so much pain while the rest of us can only see the cute baby photos and pink little tutus and adorable feeding bottles. Pregnancy sure is a lot of work, and one won’t know it until she experienced it.

So my husband and I have been adjusting to pregnancy—easier on some days (like today!), more difficult on most days. But my heart rests in the assurance that all of this will be worth it when we finally hold our babies in our arms. We’re excited to have our 2nd ultra sound any time this week or next! Hopefully we’ll start hearing some tiny heartbeats too. :)

Meanwhile, on those moments I’m not feeling dizzy and sleepy, I’m actually feeling artsy!

I’m currently playing around with my not-so-new stack of art stuff—some doilies, manila tags, and washi tapes I bought before we found out we’re pregnant. I want to put together a pregnancy journal, something I can show the babies when they’re older. I can’t wait for this first trimester to be over, they say I’ll get my groove back after the first 3 months.

“Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward,” says Psalms 127:3.

Multiply that by the power of two, and that’s how blessed my husband and I feel. :)

Time to Rest and Reflect

Rhiza5 Comments

One of the few things I love about working here in the Philippines is the  long holidays. This year, the President declared 6 long weekends. I don’t think there are other countries who enjoy this luxury of long vacations like we do here. Thankfully, this particular 5-day vacation (Holy Week) couldn’t have come at a better time for me.

Struggling with the first trimester, I spent most of my weekend sleeping like I never slept before, and feeling dizzy and nauseous, and a couple of times, throwing up what I ate. I remember being warned about marriage and raising kids. But I can’t remember anyone warning me about pregnancy! Or fine, if anyone did, I probably wasn’t paying attention. :D

When I was not sleeping or feeling dizzy, my husband and I did manage to get out of the house to do something. Here’s a glimpse of our weekend, on Instagram:

He lovingly entertained all my food cravings—from ice cream to baked zitti to mango yogurt. We had some Jollibee delivered. Cooked chicken enchilada. Made omelettes. Baked carrot cupcakes with our neighbors downstairs. Squeezed oranges. I lost track of all the food we consumed this weekend! And can I just say.. my husband has been extremely helpful around the house, cleaning up and keeping everything together while I shifted from being super wife to being-totally-helpless. I don’t think I’ll ever stop staring at him and marveling at how blessed I am to have someone like him journeying this life with me. :)

Today we missed our church’s family outing in Laguna because I was, once again, having a horrible morning; but in the afternoon when I was feeling better, we went to Trinoma to have lunch and to walk around. We passed by this strip of baby shops and made a mental checklist of the things we have to start saving up for. We wondered where all the years have gone and tried to recall when we started feeling like and actually being adults. We pondered upon the things God allowed to happen in our lives, and this new adventure He’s blessed us with. I would be lying if I said I’m not a bit anxious, or scared. But I also know that God won’t give us anything we can’t handle, and the excitement just.. trumps all fears!

The other night, as I was struggling with another attack of nausea, feeling like all my strength is being drained out of me, these words came to me like a lifesaver: It’s God’s love for us that causes us to an end of our own strength. I held on to those words and claimed God’s strength until I finally fell asleep.

Over and over again it’s being confirmed in my heart that He who took us this far will take us farther as He wills.

That’s how I know I will be okay.

That’s how I know we will be okay. :)

New journal, new adventure

Rhiza4 Comments

I have a new journal, and it’s pink!

I say, it takes some serious brand obsession familiarity to spot a Peter Pauper Press journal in local book stores here in Manila. Especially since there are many other pretty journals of various brands and sizes these days, piled up together in one place. Peter Pauper Press doesn’t have an exclusively labeled section, but for some reason, one quick scan through a pile of notebooks and I already know if PPP’s available or not. So you can just imagine my delight whenever I find one when I need one!

I found this Pink Ascot Journal at National Bookstore in Greenbelt 1, just in time for my last journal to run out of pages. It’s a different shade from the other Peter Pauper Press journals I had (I obviously prefer blues and greens), but hey, change is good.

It’s that time of my life when I want to just.. write down everything! Every thought, every verse, every prayer, every name who’s touched our lives in a special way. I want to remember these days, preserve them in the pages of my journal so that someday, I can look back and remember how God made things happen.

Now if only I can get over the first trimester’s nausea, then maybe I can actually write (and blog) more! Ahhh, the dizziness is just too.. overwhelming! Like, no amount of sleep is enough.

I remember blogging one Saturday in March,

Do you feel it too, when something BIG is about to happen—a new adventure looming in the horizon? Time spent in solitude, they say, prepares us for changes and challenges that are about to come our way. My husband and I don’t know what our new adventure is going to be exactly, and when, and how, but something inside me is feeling giddy and restless these days. In a good, bring-it-on-Lord kind of way.

I didn’t know I was pregnant already when I typed that!

It makes me smile now; oh the humor of it all! Be careful what you ask for, is what they always say.

This God we live for, He’s so full of surprises. :)

That Fleeting Moment Before it Rains

Rhiza15 Comments

Saturday, March 24. Just before the rain poured, my husband and I thought it was a great day to spend some time “out” (and by “out” we meant, by our spacious roof top). So I cooked macaroni for lunch and we spent some quality time outside—him, by the laptop, and me, with the guitar. I know Perry Noble said it’s not romantic for a husband to tinker on his gadget while his wife sits beside him, but I guess we consider ourselves an exception. Once in a while when one of us has to work on the computer, we find it romantic actually to just sit next to each other while the other does his thing. :P

The cool wind is the added perk that day, I could almost feel the rain about to pour.

Edit. Apparently, my husband tweeted that moment too:

So.. he had a preaching assignment for our Youth Worship again, two Sundays in a row, and you already know how happy that makes me. On that same Sunday, I was leading Praise and Worship too, so while the husband studied, I was having my own quiet time strumming some chords and meditating on the songs in my line-up. I couldn’t stop thinking, I certainly wouldn’t mind.. a lifetime like this, serving the Lord in ministry together.

And then I found myself reading Leviticus 26 again, and these verses popped from the pages of my Bible,

3 If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

6 I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. 7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

9 I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. 11 I will put my dwelling placeamong you, and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

~Leviticus 26:3-4

I know these words may sound a little bit ancient and out of this world to some of you, but for me, every word, every line, cut deep into my heart until I felt tears on my cheeks. God is going to pour in rain to our life. There will be abundance, and blessings, an increase. There will be a great harvest! God will walk with us and never forsake us. There will be peace and quiet, and we will no longer be slaves to people who cause us pain. One by one I claimed each promise enclosed in that short chapter.

Soon, the rain literally poured and my husband and I had to retreat back inside our house.

Later that day, we found out I’m pregnant.

But that, is a story for another time. :)