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Winter used to be my favorite season. It's now officially my worst.
With two toddlers, the once romantic time of the year is now anything but romantic. It's simply a dreadful couple months of very limited outdoor activity and constant exposure to the cold virus.
I may sound a little too extreme, but this is where I am after barely surviving two weeks with my 18-month-old twins struck with their worst cold ever. I realized this time around that taking care of an ill child is when a mom is truly put to the test.
Forget daily routines and schedules. When you have a sick baby, you work around her schedule no matter what time of the day it is.
At first, I tried to stick to my regular routine just because I didn't want to start a "bad habit." But after seeing my girls stay up nights in pain with high fevers and stuffy noses, I realized that breakfast doesn't always have to be at 8:30 a.m.
I also realized that coming up with speedy remedies can really be a lifesaver.
With all the indoor heating, I knew that dry air was a serious problem. Even I had trouble breathing so imagine how difficult it would be for the little ones.
So for days, I contemplated buying a humidifier ― and for days, I'm sure the girls' cold symptoms grew worse. It was a tough decision because I've heard so many health hazardous things about using one.
After much thinking, I passed on buying a humidifier and ended up using an electric hot pot to help add moisture to the bedroom air.
In case you're curious, it's really simple. Just plug in the pot somewhere in your bedroom out of reach of children, boil water in it with the lid open and repeat a few times. Next thing you know, your room feels almost like a wet sauna minus the heat.
It might be a coincidence, but my daughters' cold symptoms dramatically improved after keeping the air moist all night long using this method.
The girls are all better now but I still remind myself to repeat this routine before their bedtime so they can fall asleep pleasantly. But secretly, more so because I can't afford to have my girls get sick again when I'm only about a week away from my due date.
Yes, one week. I can't believe time went by so fast.
It honestly feels like ― not yesterday ― but just a few weeks ago when I had my bathroom panic attack after discovering the existence of Baby C. It's already been nine months.
Looking back, she's really stuck around through some tough moments.
I barely had time and energy to provide any sort of prenatal care for Baby C, which is why I'm extra thankful that I managed to complete a healthy pregnancy.
People often ask if I'm nervous ahead of my due date since this is my second time.
Not surprisingly, the people who ask me this are usually either men or have never been pregnant before.
Don't people get nervous even for the simplest procedures like drawing blood? Even if it's their 50th time?
We're talking about a major abdominal surgery here, as if bringing a new human being to life isn't a big enough deal. Of course I'm nervous.
So how am I coping with this anxiety? I figured the more I think about it, the more worried I get. So I'm trying not to fix my mind on the procedure itself.
I'm going to go in their next week as if I'm there for my regular checkup, try to keep calm and collected and behave like an experienced mom. That's the plan, but we'll see how things go that morning.
We all know that life never goes the way we plan it. After all, that's why life is fun.
Last December, I would've never expected to be expecting another baby a year later. But look where I am now and I can't be any more thankful.
Before I go to sleep at night these days, I imagine what my third angel will look like. I sort of have my own image drawn in my head, but I'm sure she's a million times better than what I can ever imagine.
A new year, a new family member and a new beginning for us. More details to come next time.
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