Aicelle Santos (left) with husband Mark Zambrano
Aicelle Santos, who’s due to give birth in the coming weeks, can’t wait for her first hug with her firstborn.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to the most. I think I will cry! I have been carrying her for almost nine months now. I talk to her, even without seeing her. I know she’s just there—malakas sumipa,” the GMA 7 singer-actress said in a recent virtual conference.
“Of course, I’m also excited for her to grow up, and see her playing, and experiencing all her firsts,” added the singer, who described her pregnancy as a “blessing” because she has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can make conceiving difficult. “I’m very grateful kasi nakabuo agad.”
Her husband, sports commentator and anchor Mark Zambrano, is just as thrilled. “He always tells our baby to come out already,” Aicelle related, laughing. “We’re also nesting, shopping online and completing stuff for our baby.”
The couple revealed that they will name their baby girl Zandrine, a variation of the popular French name Sandrine. “It’s short for Alexandra, which in turn, comes from Alexander, which means ‘protector of men,’” Mark explained. “It will suit our child nicely, because her mom is level-headed and has a strong character. I think our daughter will inherit those.”
The first trimester was a particularly difficult stage, Aicelle said, not only because of the nausea and other bodily changes, but also because of the worries that come with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Paranoid na kung paranoid … I was more emotional and tended to overthink. There’s the fear of catching COVID-19, because you don’t know how it will affect your baby,” she related. “I found out I was pregnant in April, so I thought, ‘What will happen to us?’ It was so scary. There were nights when I would just cry.”
“So, I just prayed, lifted everything to Him, because there’s nothing you can do … just trust that everything will be alright,” added Aicele, who finished a runner-up in Season 2 of the singing tilt “Pinoy Pop Superstar” in 2006 and subsequently starred in such musicals as “Katy!,” “Rak of Aegis” and the UK tour of “Miss Saigon.”
In moments of stress, Aicelle turns to music to soothe her frayed nerves. “I love singing ‘Over the Rainbow’ to my baby. I also play gospel and classical music, which they say can stimulate the brain,” the 35-year-old artist related. “I find it relaxing, especially after being on social media. It calms me.”
Meanwhile, being quarantined with her husband feels like another “getting-to-know-you” experience. “We’re under one roof 24/7 for the first time—you can’t get rid of each other!” she jested. “You see things you didn’t see when you were just dating. It’s a learning experience for you and your partner.”
One of the things that stands out about Mark the past couple of months is his eagerness to help her, Aicelle said. “I find myself asking him for favors a lot more often. And to be fair, he does them—agad-agad!
Aicelle has a new single titled, “Dasal,” which was composed by her good friend Kettle Mata. “It’s about love you’re yearning for, but can’t have, so you pray for it … fervently,” she said.
She’s currently a mainstay in “All-Out Sundays” and a judge in the talent search “Centerstage.” “I’m glad I can still release music … because theater won’t be back soon,” Aicelle said. “I’m praying that things get better, so we can go back to work.”