Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Though we have experienced some problems this year, 2010 has been a good one for us, better than 2008 and 2009 (Yes, 2008 is the 'best' year for us because Antonio was born that year...but we have experienced a lot and I mean a lot of trials that year...).

Major Highlights:
Jan 2010 - I resigned from office work and became a full time work at home mom.
April 2010 - Arch, Antonio and I went to Bohol for a vacation
June 2010 - Arch and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary in Subic (of course, with Antonio)
October 2010 - my sister graduated from college
November 2010 - 2nd birthday of Antonio
December 2010 - my sister started working

I am praying for good health and more blessings for our family this coming year. Looking forward to 2011! =)

Happy New Year Everyone!

Homemade wrapper

I thought of making homemade Christmas wrappers to be used to wrap the gifts for our immediate family. However, I have been busy busy days before the 24th so we only did 2 activities which were used for 6 gifts (gifts for my family lang).

When Arch saw the finished product, he said we should have used homemade wrappers na rin for all our gifts. I told him, I just tried it kasi baka naman di magustuhan ni Antonio yung activity or baka di maganda yung dating sa kraft paper. I was wrong!!! So definitely, we will do this again next year! =)

Happy 25 months!

So I will not forget his milestones, I will still document them monthly (hopefully!)

Antonio's milestones

• Can say
• henkyu com (Thank you, Welcome)
• please
• what's that?
• come
• raining
• ear, eye, nose
• oh yeah
• oops, sorry my fault
• Dad (ang arte)
• moon
• Hewo (for hello)
• Can count 1 to 10 (but sometimes still omitting 2 numbers hehe)
• Can now complete a 15-pc puzzle
• More makulit than ever!
• Loves to paint (he prefers it than drawing or coloring)
• Sings ABC

Merry Christmas!

Last December 24, we had lunch at Arch's dad.

After wards, we went to my family to spend Christmas Eve there. My brothers and their families were there during merienda and dinner.

December 25 morning, Antonio opened his giftssssss (at my parents' house and at our house).

 

Here's our family picture before we went to Marikina to have Christmas merienda with Arch's lolo (father side).

Merry Merry Christmas! Hope you had a wonderful and meaningful one! =)

Symphony of Parols and Wee Nam Kee

Good thing that the Symphony of Parols at Ayala Triangle Gardens has weekend schedules. Since I am working from home and my husband's office is in Commonwealth (and with the Christmas traffic as well), it would be impossible for us to go to Makati on a weekday.

Last Saturday, we arrived at the place at 545pm. We first reserved a table at Wee Nam Kee. Since we were number 11 in the list, we told the waitress that we will just catch the 6pm show and we will just go back. Our 15-minute wait was so worth it. We really enjoyed the show! This is highly recommended for families =)

 

After the show, we went back to Wee Nam Kee. Apparently, we were called na daw so we have to wait a little bit more. Like the Light Show, the wait to get a table at Wee Nam Kee was so sulit! =) It was kinda expensive but the food was so yummy! =) We will definitely go back! =)

Roasted and Steamed Hainanese Chicken

Cereal Prawns

Antonio and his Jigsaw Puzzles

I think he was able to complete the puzzle less than a week after he started playing with them...and he does this activity everyday after that. Haha!

*Sorry, he was kind of distracted by the tv. I cannot turn it off kasi lalo nyang di gagawin yung puzzle. Haha!

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer to Obtain Favors

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment 

in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, 

at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. 

In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! 

to hear my prayer and grant my desires, 

through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, 

and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

**Note: I think we have been praying this for about 5 years now =)

Antonio's 2nd Birthday Dinner: Cake Avenue

I ordered Lightning McQueen cake for his birthday celebration because Antonio loves Cars. I got this from Cake Avenue. I learned from one mommy at N@W about Cake Avenue. Since our dinner is at Burgoo Rockwell, I decided to get the cake from them.

Rating (1 to 10, 10 being the highest):
Design -  10
Taste - 7 (It is like it lacks some chocolate taste)
Price - 10 (Php980)

Antonio 's 2nd Birthday Dinner: Burgoo Rockwell

We thought of celebrating Antonio's 2nd birthday at Jollibee because I think they have a package of 7k++ for 30 people. Since our immediate familes plus us totaled 20 pax, pasok pa rin sa budget. Our problem lang was we need to invite 10 more and baka may magtampo if we did not invite the others. Haha! So we decided to just have a celebration with my family and Arch's family lang talaga.

We had dinner in Burgoo Rockwell last November 20. We ordered the Family Shared Style Set Menu 2. When I reserved for this event, I was told by the Manager that the set menus are usually served during merienda parties and we should not expect that with this order the guests will be full. So we added some Nachos, and ordered additional ribs and pizza. 

Good food plus good service plus our loved ones = one happy and memorable event! =)

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Happy happy birthday Antonio! We will be eternally grateful to the Lord for blessing us a healthy, smart, and handsome son. We are also thankful that you have been a very good boy ever since. We pray and hope you will grow up to be loving and fearful to the Lord always. We love you so much baby! Mwah!

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Antonio's Milestones

• Can say
• Like this?
• Hi
• There
• This
• Shoot
• My gosh
• Eeww
• Coyo – for Pocoyo
• Henkyu – Thank you
• Key – for monkey and for keys
• Butas (I was kidding Arch that we need to change all our pambahay clothes that have holes, kasi alam na ni Antonio e Haha!)
• Ta – for bata
• Tsk tsk (with matching of head movement)
• Can now jump
• He is so malambing – When he wakes up, he immediately looks for his daddy. Then he will go down from the bed and kiss his daddy.
• Before we sleep, he pushes me to Arch and Arch and I will hug each other, while he will hug himself. Hehe!
• When you say – “How do you think?”, he will put his finger on his chin
• He sings (we just do not know the song hehe)

2 years ago

This is a repost from my multiply account, with some minor revisions =)

My due date was November 19. But I can give birth 3 weeks before that or last week of October. I really like to give birth before my due date so our son will be bigger and a little bit older on Christmas, so we can bring him anywhere over the holidays.

I planned to still work until I give birth. But when I had a check up last November 8 and my OB told me that the baby was still high and my cervix was still closed, Archie and I decided that I take a leave already so we can be serious with our walking sessions.

My last day at the office was November 10. November 11, we went to Megamall. November 12, we went to Shang Plaza. November 13, we went to Greenhills. November 14, we went back to Greenhills. We were really serious with our walking sessions. During those days, I did not experience anything that would suggest that I am already in labor. I had a few contractions but not regular, I also lost my mucous plug, but not too serious to leave the house and go to Cardinal.

I read in one of my yahoogroups that foot massage can trigger labor. So last November 14, I went to The Nail Loft in San Juan to have a manicure/pedicure. Luckily, they have a package that included a foot reflexology. Hehe!

On early morning of November 15 (around 1am), when I went to the bathroom, I had a bloody show already. So I texted my OB then woke up my husband. I told him that there is blood already and asked him if we will wait for the reply of Dra. He said we go to Cardinal immediately and not to wait for Dra’s reply.

When we arrived at Cardinal, the resident doctor did an IE and she said that I am already 1cm. She asked me if I have contractions, I told her yes but not regular and still tolerable. She did a stress test and I think the results were normal since the resident doctor and my OB (they called her) told me to go home and to see my OB at 9am at her clinic.

Archie and I were disappointed; we really thought it was time already. We went to see my OB at 9am. She said that I am already 1-2cm and she predicted that I will give birth that night.

So after going to the doctor, we went to the grocery to buy some stuff for the hospital and we also withdrew some money for the hospital bills.

Early morning of November 16 around 3am, I had regular contractions already but still far apart from each other and the contractions were still tolerable. So as not to have a false alarm again, I did not wake up Archie yet.

When Archie woke up around 630am, he asked me what time I want to hear mass. I told him, we go to Cardinal first. He asked why and I told him “kasi masakit na”. Hehehe!

We had breakfast, took a bath and went to Cardinal afterwards. We arrived there at around 8am. The resident doctor did an IE and told me that I am already 3cm. Then I was surprised to see my OB there already. She told me that she has another patient and she even mentioned that she was already expecting me the night before.

My OB decided that I stay at the hospital and be admitted already. Since I can still tolerate the contractions and we will also pay using my credit card, I asked if I can still go down to the admitting office to have myself admitted. Hehehe!

After that, I went straight to the pre-labor room, dressed up and walked to the labor room. I was telling myself that this is it. The nurse put an IV on me. It was my first time to have an IV. So it was really painful. Then, they added a medicine and immediately I was drowsy. I was falling asleep but waking up again because I can hear myself snore. Hehe! It was kinda embarrassing since my OB was there all through out.

Archie visited me at the labor room, but he was asked to leave since my OB will pop my water bag already. After that, the painful contractions started to kick in. Then, after lunch, my OB did an IE on me again and she told me that I was still at 4-5cm and the head of the baby was coning already. She suggested having a CS already. I said yes immediately since I don’t want our baby to have a cone head. When the anesthesiologist arrived, they did an IE again to check if the opening progressed, but unfortunately, I was stuck at 4-5cm for 3 hours already.

So I was transferred to the delivery room. Before giving birth, I was serious on asking for an all-female nursing staff. When I was at the delivery room, I did not care anymore. I just wanted to have the whole thing done and over with.

When I saw the bright lights in the operating room, I felt so many emotions, from fear to excitement to pity to being grateful. I told myself, “ganito pala ang feeling na nasa operating room” but I thought I am still lucky because I am there because I will have a CS and not because I was sick.  

When they asked me to do the fetal position for the spinal block, I was shivering because it was cold, I was nervous and I was crying. Surprisingly, the injection was not painful. The allergy test done that time was more painful. Hehe!

I was asleep during the operation. Ang lakas ng tama ng anesthesia. But before that, I felt when they started to slice…err open my tummy =(

I woke up when they were wheeling me in at the recovery room already. My first question was “lalaki nga ba talaga?”. I was there at the recovery room by 4pm. I was told I will stay there for 4 hours. By 6pm, I first saw my beautiful baby. The feeling was unexplainable. I can still sleep at first at the recovery room. But after I saw my baby, I kept on waking up. I was getting frustrated because when I wake up and looked at the clock, only 5 or 10 minutes have passed. I really wanted to go to the room already and see Archie. I wanted to talk to him already!

I was transferred to my room a little past 8pm. I was so happy to see Archie! Finally, I can ask what happened when I was in the labor room, delivery room and recovery room=) Hay, I missed Archie!

Up until now, I still cannot believe I was able to go through those things…the pregnancy, labor, operation, and the recovery. Sabagay, until now, I am still at awe whenever I look at our son…I cannot believe that I carried and gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby! I feel like crying, laughing, smiling, and telling the whole world how Archie and I are so blessed to have Antonio in our lives =)

Arts and crafts

Thanks to Mommy Clarice for inspiring me to do toddler activities with Antonio. Most of the time, we are doing arts and crafts. But I am still not consistent, meaning we are not doing it daily. If I have not prepared something for the day , I just compensate it by doing puzzles with him or playing balls with him. I just hope it is okay.

This is the first artwork we did. My husband was so surprised that Antonio was able to assemble them =D

Kindermusik Celebration Day

We still had a short class that day. Then, there was a sort of a graduation ceremony after wards where the parents and the student were asked to go up the stage =) After that, we had a potluck!

Can't wait to start the next class in December! =D

Halloween 2010

Last October 28, Antonio attended the HSBC Trick or Treat Event (My sister-in-law works for HSBC). Sayang, I was not able to go with him inside the office kasi walang parking =p

Then last October 30, we attended the Halloween party at Rockwell Tent. First, there was a program – balloon twisting and mad science lab thingy. While having the program, the kids can avail the glitter tattoo, play at the Lego area and with the computers, and families can have their pictures taken. A free “super tiny” cupcake and free “super tiny” cup of soda were also given to the children. Second part of the event was the trick or treat. Most of the shops joined the fun and gave candies to the kids. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf gave a free drink! 

We started at the top most level of the mall. When we reached the ground level, some shops have run out candies already. Okay na rin naman, hindi rin naman namin mauubos yung candies e! =D

We were supposed to attend the Halloween Event of Shangri-la Mall, but tickets were sold out. Hopefully, next year we will be able to get tickets na…kasi honestly, di ako nag-enjoy sa Rockwell. Mukhang mas maganda pa nga yung event sa may Rockwell Garden that day – the Halloween event for the pets! =D

Scary Story

I was never malalapitin sa mga ghosts unlike my brother (who is always visited by my lolo) and my husband (who has several ghosts encounters). But this instance really scared the crap out of me.

I was still with my previous Company when this happened. We had some visitors here in Manila for the 2-day Fleet Safety Asia Pacific Conference. On the second day, we rented a van and accompanied our guests in Intramuros. We roamed around the Walled City, took some pictures of the place and had dinner at Ilustrado’s.

After dinner, we dropped off our guests at the hotel and said goodbyes. Then, we were on our way home. Maybe 5 minutes after we left the hotel, my boss was stretching his arms. The driver suddenly said, “Sir, wag niyo pong masyadong ilabas yung kamay niyo, may kasama po kasi tayo sa likod.” (Sir, do not over extend your arms, we have company at the back). My boss and I looked at each other asking in silence what the driver was saying. I thought there was a psycho at the back of the van who was ready to kill us. My boss then asked the driver what he means by “we have company”. The driver said that there was a lady at the back. He said that she was with us all the time - from Ilustrado’s restaurant to the hotel to that time the driver told us about her. My boss then asked what she looks like. The driver told us that the lady was wearing a bridal gown. (Waaaaah, this incident happened April 2007 and I was about to get married on June 2007. Aside from being afraid of the ghost, I was also scared that this might be bad luck or bad omen). We were so scared that we never looked at the back of the van. We did not move so much on our seats. I was even avoiding the rear view mirror as I might see something!!!

But as we were traversing South Super Highway, the driver suddenly said that the lady has already disappeared. Hay thank you Lord!

The previous plan was the driver and I will bring my boss first to his home then I will be next. Good thing, my boss asked me if I want to be dropped off at his home and he will just bring me home instead. Without blinking an eye, I said yes! Wala ng hiya hiya! I was really really scared. I thought I am going to pass out!!!

After that, my boss told me never to get vans from that Car Company again!

Happy 23 months!

One more month to go! We are still preparing for a simple birthday celebration for the baby boy next month. Even though we will not have a grand party, I am still excited to prepare for it! =D

Here are the recent milestones of Antonio:

• Can say
• Watch
• House
• Mouse for Mickey Mouse
• Ow or Ouch
• Ho/Wo for hello (as if answering the phone)
• Meme for milk
• Kapi for Milo
• Dark
• Uh oh
• Ane for airplane
• Shhh kap – He means “shhh, you might wake him/her up”
• Tree
• Juice
• He likes to make kwento, the problem is we still cannot understand him. ;)
• Recognizes colors
• Loves to play with his puzzles. He makes sure the words are not upside down
• Starting to throw tantrums, but not all the time naman

Friday Favorites - Lotion

If I do not put lotion on my skin, it gets itchy and so dry! But I cannot use just any lotion coz my skin is sooo sensitive! I have tried a lot of lotions like Aveeno, J&J Baby Lotion, Nivea, Neutrogena and a lot more. I even tried Neutrogena Body Oil, J&J Baby Oil. When I tried all of them, I got red spots all over! =( 
I was feeling hopeless. Then, I tried Body Shop Cocoa Butter. Ooooh, love love love it! It is quite expensive but it is okay, at least I will no longer suffer from dry and itchy skin! =D

www.thebodyshop.com.ph

2 puzzles at a time

Two weeks ago, I posted a video of Antonio while he was completing a puzzle. Last week, I was able to capture a video of him completing 2 puzzles!

Note that he was swaying and humming at the first part of the video. He was also making sure the writings on the shapes are not upside down! =)

Samsonite/American Tourister Sale

My friend forwarded this to me. I wish I am still traveling a lot so I have an excuse to go to this sale! Hehe!

I am blessed!

I have been having sumpong attacks (again) for the past few days. My ever so patient husband just tells me that we should be thinking of happy thoughts...positive vibes lang dapat! I know we have so many things to be thankful for...my husband and Antonio are on the top of the list. Pero madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin diba? Promise, I am really trying hard! 


Like what I have mentioned in my previous post that whenever I am down, God does something to wake me up...He did it again this time. Haha!


I received this Facebook message from my mother-in-law this morning (after I posted another video of Antonio).

Dear Rianne
Antonio is so smart. Hats off to you for bringing up a smart boy. It pays to be a stay at home mom. Love and Kisses for Antonio

O, bongga diba? =)

I am thinking of posting here all of the blessings, either big or small, that we have. So I can always always remind myself that I am loved by the Lord.

Not cool, Mr. Carlos Celdran!

I am sure a lot of you have heard or read about Celdran's Jose Rizal Act. He said that he has no regrets in doing it. That he is just exercising his right of free speech...a peaceful protest. Because he is disappointed with the position of the Catholic Church regarding RH Bill.

What the???!!! So is that an excuse to disrupt a solemn ceremony? Does he not know that it is a HOLY Mass? Sometimes, educated people do the stupidest things!  

Please do not get me wrong. Even I am pro-RH Bill. But I will not do such FOOLISH thing.

Boo, Mr. Carlos Celdran....Not cool!

Proud parents

This puzzle was given by my mom-in-law when Antonio was still a baby. So we just kept it since Antonio will either eat them or throw them, and eventually the pieces will be lost.

Last Friday, Antonio was not in the mood so I decided to give him a 'new' toy. I got this puzzle out of his toy chest. And boy, I was surprised! He was able to master it after the first try!

This video was taken last Sunday. Actually, there were 2 milestones achieved. He was able to complete the puzzle and he was not distracted (meaning he will stop playing) with me taking a video of him and with his daddy entering the room. We are soooooo proud of our baby!

Healthier Us

In our pursuit of healthy lifestyle (because of Arch's hypertension), we have to choose our food wisely. I was really thinking that lunch and dinner will  be easier for us since we can eat chicken or fish or pork just without the fat. But how about our breakfast? We are so used to eating hotdogs, bacon, and corned beef...Hehe!  So last week, I spent 2 hours scouring the grocery for healthy but still eatable food...and I bought these 2 products.

www.krusteaz.com

www.naturespath.com

In fairness, masarap silang 2. For the pancake, I thought it would be bland and flaky. But it tastes like cinnamon and moist naman. As for the cereal (actually, it should be Vanilla Almond. Wala lang sa website nila yung pic), it is yummy and filling. Unlike pag oatmeal, after an hour of eating breakfast gutom na ako! =D

Then last Sundaty, we bought new rubber shoes! Good thing the cousin-in-law of Arch gave us 40% off. Woohoo! =)

ZigTech

We just spent a little more now because of these. But these will do us good, big time =)

Hypertension

Arch's blood pressure has been high for the past 2 weeks. At first, we thought it was because he was tired (because of my Lola's wake), but his bp was still high even days after the cremation.

Hypertension runs in Archie's family - father side. Also, 4 years ago, he was under medication to normalize his blood pressure and he cut down his fat intake. Kaya during our wedding, he was thin. =) After that, his BP was normal until nga 2 weeks ago. So I decided to go to a doctor, so we know what to do. Mahirap ng lumala.

 

We went to a cardiologist, Dra. Aguirre, yesterday. He was diagnosed of Hypertension Stage 2. So now, my husband is on a low salt, low fat diet. He is now under medication. He also needs to indulge in dynamic exercises. He also needs to undergo some series of tests. After 2 weeks, we should go back to the Doctor.

My husband was a bit sad because of this. But I told him at least, these are the only things he needs to do. 

So now, I am searching the internet for food and recipes he can eat. I also told him, I will eat what he will eat. =) It will also benefit me and Antonio!

Breastfeeding pins

 Last Saturday, I finally got the breastfeeding pins from Ms. Benz. They are soooooo cute! I want to wear them to flaunt them but at the same time, I am afraid they might get lost! Haha!

Thanks to Ms. Benz of w@w/n@w! I love them!!!!

Happy 22 months!

Grabe, ang bilis ng panahon! =) In 2 months, we will be entering the terrible 2 stage. We are hoping and praying that we will be patient enough. Hehe!

Antonio is a bit sociable now, especially with his cousins (my side). Maybe it was because of my Lola's wake. He was with his cousins for 3 days. But at first, he was shy and masungit.

Antonio's milestones:

• Can say
• Sorry
• Torm – for “Storm” the dog
• Fies – Fries. When he sees the Mcdonald’s sign, he says fies
• Gat – for mabigat. He also uses that whenever he has difficulty in doing something, like for reaching something or if he cannot pull a toy apart. I think he thinks mabigat is for mahirap e. Hehe!
• Fower – for flower
• Cock – for clock  
• Cheers
• Choochoo – for train
• Car 
• Tar – for star
•  Recognizes the alphabet
• Knows how to make 1, 2, 5, and 10 using his fingers
• Hums songs
• Loves musical instrument - xylophone, drums, guitar
• Making paarte cries
• Follows 2-step instructions

Lola Charing

I was never close to my papa's family. Yes, they lived with us when we were young but I only had a faint recollection of those days. Then, when they transferred to a separate house, we seldom go there. Maybe once a year, during New Year. I know there was tension between my mom and them...you know, in-law issues. If my father visited his family, he never told us to go with him. If we wanted to go with him, he will tell us that he will not stay there long and we can just stay at home.

A year after my Lolo died, Lola was hospitalized and we were afraid that she will soon join Lolo. Papa was telling us that malapit na si Lola. We were ready but eventually, she recovered. So every time they tell us that Lola will go soon, we will just tell them na malakas pa si Lola!

Time passed. Many things have changed. My mama eventually made amends with papa's family, especially with Lola. I think for the past year, they were visiting Lola frequently. They were also updating us of Lola's health.

We were supposed to go to my parents house last Saturday. I was also thinking of visiting Lola...but we were late. My Lola Charing, passed away last September 4 at 3am.

When I learned of the news, I hav mixed emotions. Sad because she is not with us anymore. Happy because she is reunited with our Lolo Manoling (who died 10 years ago) and with her son, Tito Pepe (who died I think 14 years ago). Also, I am happy because she is no longer in pain.

But one emotion that I feel strongly is guilt. I feel guilty because I did not spend more time with my Lola. I did not make an effort to visit her or talk to her on the phone. Oh, if I could just turn back the time! 

So now, I promise to let my son be super close to my family and my husband's family. I want him to love and respect them, especially his lolos and lolas. I want that he will be able to tell his future children and apos about his family, his joyful and painful experiences with them. I do not want him to be like me, who barely knows her relatives.

Lola Charing, thank you. Thank you for teaching me to appreciate more our family. We are sad that you are no longer with us. But the thought that you are now with Lolo Manoling (maybe watching your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren =D Lola, you can now see us clearly!) lessens our pain. We will always remember you. We love you!

Friday Favorites - Fast Food

When we were kids, we always go to "McDo" every Saturday morning to eat breakfast while my brothers and sister play at their playground. My younger siblings have also celebrated their birthdays there.


Now that I am a bit older, I still love McDonald's! If the food they serve is not fattening, I could eat there everyday!Yummy yum yum! I love their big breakfast, longganisa meal, burgers, sundae, apple pie, chicken and their french fries ooh for the win!  I prefer their chicken over Jollibee because Chicken Joy has an after taste. I don't know, it is like the oil used for their chicken was used not only twice but several times already. Eeeew! Also, Mcdo is much 'cleaner' than Jollibee...eeps peace!

during my sister's 20th birthday

But if you ask my son what his favorite is, I think he will say Jollibee. Because he loves him, the mascot! =)

a very dear friend

It has been 10 years since a dear friend went home to our Lord. 

September 3, 2000 - Sunday, I was out with some of my officemates. My mom called me up and told the tragic news. I was so shocked that I even said a bad word to my mom.  Then, I started calling up my highschool friends wishing that they will tell me that it was just a joke...but they too have learned of the sad news.

Noemi was shot several times by her boyfriend, the father of her son. Our guess why he killed her because he was forcing her to get married but she told him to wait after her graduation in December. 

We always knew the guy was bad news and we were telling her to leave him. When we were in highschool, some of our barkada were hanging out at our house. Then, Noemi and the guy had a fight. The guy left. When he came back, Noemi hid under our dining table and we told him Noemi left already. We were so afraid that time because the way he looked at us was different! Noemi was such a sweet lady that she cannot leave him. I think she was hoping the guy will change his ways eventually.

When she got pregnant, she was telling us that she was forced. I think we told her to tell her mom so they can file charges, but she does not want to because she thinks the case will be dismissed since the act happened at the house of the guy. 

Her son is now 10 years old. So you see, he was only 6 months when our friend passed away. But even then, he has grown to be such a respectful and obedient young boy. Her lola, my friend's mom, is doing a great job in raising him up...despite the hardships of life. I sometimes think the what ifs (what if she is still alive, what if we told her mom about the guy, etc), but I always tell myself that Noemi has always been at peace ever since she went home. She has never manifested to me that she was suffering or lonely. Or maybe she knows I am afraid of ghosts =p

Noemi, please continue to help us pray to the Lord for the rest of our barkada and our families. We hope were doing justice of being ninangs to your son =) We love you and we miss you!

Long Weekend

We started our long weekend last August 27 by celebrating the birthday of my sister-in-law (her actual birthday is August 28). We ate at CERCHiO in Tomas Morato. The food was yummy and the place was nice. Unfortunately, my husband was not able to join us since he was coming from Bicol that night.

August 28, Saturday, Antonio did not have Kindermusik. So we just stayed at home the whole morning and afternoon. My husband was not able to report for work since he was so tired of his travel. We just heard mass in the evening.

August 29, Sunday, we visited my husband's dad and Teia, the baby sister of my husband. Oh she was so cutee and so chubby! My father-in-law was telling Arch that Teia has friends in the neighborhood and my father-in-law mentioned a boy's name. Arch blurted out - "lalaki yun ah!" I laughed at him and said - "ang protective naman ni kuya...haha!"

August 30, Monday, we went to Megamall. We ate at Bigby's. The food was so-so. We bought toys for the little one - drums and xylophone since he loves music! =) We also bought shoes for him at Payless Shoe Source. Oh my, I miss PSS in the US. When I was traveling in the US before, I always buy shoes from them...I got good deals since I have sizes in the children's section so it was much cheaper! Hehe! After Megamall, we just dropped off Antonio at home and we went to Ahavia again! I know, I mentioned in my previous post, that we will have a massage every other month...Haha! We went back after 3 weeks =) I tried the Oriental Ritual and my husband tried the Anti-Stress Thermal Therapy. After the spa, we went to Cherry for our weekly grocery.

Looking forward to the next long weekend! Kailangan kaya yun?

happy thoughts please

I am deeply disturbed and depressed with has happened to us...to the point that i was not able to sleep well for the past 2 nights. I do not even want to read the status messages of my fb friends...so much negativity! 

Since yesterday, I have been thinking of happy thoughts...good thing Venus Raj was in the top 5, so there is something to celebrate. But then, some were not happy about it. Oh c'mon, di ba kayo pwedeng maging happy for her or us? Yes, nakakapanghinayang, but still, we should be happy diba? =)

this morning, i saw this video from Chuvaness.com and it really made my day! =D sana maging happy tayo like them! =)

Friday Favorites - TV Network

Ahhhh, another showbiz post! 

My favorite TV Network is ABS-CBN. But I am not hard-core ha like my brothers who do not watch ABS. I watch naman some of the shows in Channel 7 and I do not like some shows of Channel 2 like Wowowee or Pilipinas Win na Win. But I prefer Channel 2 primarily because of my crushes - Papa Piolo, Enchong Dee, and John Lloyd! Hay gwapo gwapo gwapo!

I wish I could see Piolo or Enchong in person! =) We saw John Lloyd before and believe it or not, we saw him (and Liz Uy) in El Nido...during our honeymoon! Haha! I have a picture with him on the background, but I will not post it na lang, baka di pwede! =D

Happy 21 months!

yes, we still buy a cake every 16th of the month! =p

Antonio's milestones:

• Can say:
• “see you!”
• “hayu” for where are you?,
• Nana for his Ninang Anna
• Rose for his Ate Rose
• Cog for dog
• kult for yakult
• kok for cold or Coke
• No (when Diego or Dora is asking – Is this the __? He will answer No)
• crok for cockroach
• Down
• My sister in law informed us that Antonio said “its okay” one time, though we have not heard it again.
• Knows where his shoulders are
• Knows the following shapes – circle, square, triangle
• When you say make a circle, his arms will do a circular motion
• Knows the actions for hammer, saw
• He knows slow footsteps and fast footsteps
• Hums a few notes of the Backyardigans theme song
• Loves to play with his buckets as if they are drums

Bridal March

This is a showbiz post...haha!

Last night, I heard in the news that in case Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez will ask Ryan Cayabyab to have a song made for Regine's bridal march, Mr. C has already created a new arrangement for the song - Iniibig Kita. Waaah! I am so jealous! I so love that song! I wanted that to be my bridal march but that song was not included in the repertoire of the band we got. So if we will request that song, we have to pay them...since we do not want to pay extra just for a song, we just chose another one. Also, I believe the song will be given justice if the Madrigal Singers will sing it...haha! I think I am just giving excuses here.

But please do not get me wrong, I also loved and still loving my bridal march song (When God Made You), but the Iniibig Kita song has more umppph and has more drama. And whenever I hear that song, I feel kilig =)

Here are the lyrics of the song. Or you may also listen it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscPTTMtWuc


Kulang ang araw at gabi 'pag kita'y kapiling.
Kahit ang bukas ay di rin sapat upang mamasdan lamang kita.
Labis kitang minamahal, pag-ibig ko'y walang kapantay.
Kung kaya ko lang abutin ang mga bituin t'yak ito'y gagawin.

Malaman mo lang wala nang ibang mas hihigit pa sa pag-ibig ko sa 'yo.
Walang ibang nagmamahal ng tulad ko sana'y paniwalaan mo.
Iniibig kita.

Kulang ang araw at gabi 'pag kita'y kapiling.
Kahit ang bukas ay di rin sapat upang mamasdan lamang kita.
Labis kitang minamahal, pag-ibig ko'y walang kapantay.
Kung kaya ko lang abutin ang mga bituin t'yak ito'y gagawin.

Malaman mo lang wala nang ibang mas hihigit pa sa pag-ibig ko sa 'yo.
Walang ibang nagmamahal ng tulad ko sana'y paniwalaan mo.
Iniibig kita. Iniibig kita. Iniibig kita. Iniibig kita. Iniibig kita.

Smell of Christmas

Whenever I tell people that I can smell Christmas, they give me a you-are-so-weird look! Haha! But I am teling the truth, I really can smell Christmas..however, if you ask me to describe it, I cannot! Sorry! Basta, I know that is the Christmas smell! Haha!

I still cannot smell it now because it is too early...but 2 weeks ago, my heart jumped a bit because of excitement. I realized that Christmas is so near na! =) I think it is time to start doing my Christmas list =D Woohoooo!

Cookbook Kitchen

Days before our 6th anniversary pre-date, I was thinking of what would be our itinerary for the day. Will it be mass-dinner-spa or spa-mass-dinner? First option was okay since after spa, we will just go home and sleep =) Second option was also okay since we want to have dinner date without being 'harassed' to eat faster (because when we usually go out, we bring Antonio with us. Thus, we should eat and finish our food fast because the little boy will get bored and will want to explore the place). Since we want to have a real "date", we chose option 2 =)

After our spa at Ahavia Lounge Spa and hearing mass last August 7, we went to Cookbook Kitchen for dinner. Good thing we were early since almost all of the tables had been reserved already. We heard and read a lot of good feedback about the place even before but it was only that time we decided to try it out...and the reviews and raves were true!=) We ordered parmesan crusted white fish and porkchops with honey mustard! Yummy yum yum! =)

 We heard people from the other table praising these 2 dishes - adobo pasta and vigan longganisa pasta (or something to that effect)! So when we go back, we will order those! =D 

Cookbook Kitchen is located at 8 Socorro Fernandez St., corner Luna Mencias St. (near Shaw Blvd),
Mandaluyong City.

Spa Experience

Ever since we became "us", we have been to 5 different spas pa lang. First was in Nurture Spa in Tagaytay. We celebrated our first anniversary there last August 8, 2005 =) The massage was heavenly! Among the spas that we have tried, this tops the list! =) Super sarap!

Our second spa experience was in Suriya Spa at Crowne Plaza Hotel, the day before our wedding. Okay din. We really needed that para relaxed kami when we walk down the aisle. Haha! Third was in El Nido during our honeymoon, which was 2 weeks after our wedding! We enjoyed the massage but maybe because of the ambiance...kasi naman by the beach! =)

Fourth was in Island Spa at Jupiter Street, Makati. Okay sana yung massage but the masahistas were madaldal all through out! Haha! And may tv sa loob ng room, and Wowowee was on. Haha! Labo! Buti na lang mura! =) Then the fifth one was at the Spa in Fort. We went there last Feb 2008 to celebrate our first V-day as husband and wife...after that, nabuntis na ako! =) Siguro yun lang ang kailangan! =) Anyway, the massage was okay din naman...pero nothing extraordinary! I cannot remember it na nga e! Haha!

My husband and I rarely go out on dates na...so, I decided to treat him to a spa and dinner. Since we were celebrating our 6th anniversary as bf/gf on Aug 8, we went to Ahavia Spa a day before that.

I am not sure when Ahavia Spa opened. But when we started living (*again for my husband since he was a resident of San Juan since he was in elementary) here in San Juan in 2008, Ahavia is there already. And it is only now that we have tried their services. Hehe! To think it is just a minute drive from where we are currently living.

We tried the Ahavia Signature Massage as recommended by my sister in law. And it did not disappoint. For its price, it was really worth it. My husband and I are thinking of going back, maybe every other month just to de-stress! It would be nicer if every month, but we should be in tipid-mode! =D

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit thou who make me see
everything and show me the way
to reach my ideal. You who give
me the divine gift to forgive, and
forget the wrong that is done to me
and who are in all instances of my
life with me. I, in this short dialogue,
want to thank You for everything
and confirm once more that I never
want to be separated from You, no
matter how great the material
desires may be. I want to be with
You and my loved ones in Your
Perpetual Glory, Amen.


Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days. After 3 days the favor
requested will be granted even though it may appear difficult.
This prayer must be published immediately after the favor is
granted w/o mentioning the favor.


**For the past few days, I have been afraid...then I prayed this again starting last Sunday (I think the last time I really prayed this was 2008 and God has answered my prayer) until early this morning...by mid-morning, my prayer have been answered! =)

Happy Breastfeeding Month!

International Breastfeeding Symbol

When I learned that I was pregnant, I armed myself with pregnant and mommy do’s and don’ts by reading articles in the net, personal encounters of n@wies, stories from blogs, etc. Through those stories, I was able to psych myself to breastfeed. I was really keen on breastfeeding our child, that I bought an electric breastpump even though it was way out of budget. Hehe!

I was not able to direct feed our son right after giving birth because I have inverted nipples and no milk was coming out then. So we had to give him formula. So I was psyched to breastfeed but I was not confident enough (lalo na to breastfeed in the mall, etc). Haha! I think a week after giving birth, I was crying when my son latches. The pain was really excruciating that I wanted to throw my son every time…and not only did I experience cracked nipples but my gosh, when my breasts were engorged…it was really ouchy! Ahuhuhu!

Thinking about it now, a year and 8 months of breastfeeding my son, I cannot recall why I chose to breastfeed or to stick with it. That even though my son was mixed fed ever since, I did not give up totally. I tell you, it was not easy, it was such a hassle, and it was painful! Hassle because when I was still working, I had to bring a lot of stuff in the office. My officemates often tell me that I am like an Avon Lady! And daming bitbit palagi! Also, I did not only feel physical pain but I was also emotionally hurting ha. Naaawa na nga ako sa sarili ko…tapos makakarinig pa ako na “gutom pa ata, tubig lang naman yan” Huwatt??

But after all those not-so-nice-memories I have experienced, if I will be given a chance to go back to the time that I gave birth, I will DEFINITELY still breastfeed my son! Siguro baka fully breastfed na sya! =) If you ask me why, I really do not know. I know I am giving my son the ultimate (sa aking pananaw lang po) nutrients , I know super nakatipid kami, I know the bonding time we are having is irreplaceable…pero it is beyond that that I cannot fully explain. Basta I know I am doing the right thing and I am happy. Period. =)

To those who have breastfed and are breastfeeding, kudos to you! =) To the soon-to-be-moms, please please try your best to breastfeed. There are a lot of breastfeeding resources in the internet, a number of lactation consultants here in the Philippines, and helpful mommies from n@w. And please do not mind the sakit...the sakit will not be even equal to 1% of labor pains or CS pains! =)