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Monday, October 08, 2007

The one with the weekend that was

Oct. 6 and 7, pretty hectic sched for all of us. Saturday, we went to Shangri-la to meet with my good friend pinky and her family charlie and steve. it was so much fun seeing her after two years of texting and chatting. we met thru w@w and we exchanged so many wedding preps ideas, then on to pregnancy stuff when we got pregnant almost the same time. haha. she gave birth feb. 12 and i on feb. 21, o diba magkabaligtad lang?! now we talk about babies, parenting and the joy that comes along with it. i really hope we'd get to be friends pa forever. naks!

cute smiles
all-smiles ha...exchange muna kme babies.

kiss babies
i also dont get the point of babies kissing each other kahit ayaw nila. hahaha.

eb with pinky and charlie
nice, all of us are smiling! :) anak ko, masyado naman pa-cute.

after that, i bought a booster chair for simone as endorsed by pinky. hehe. have'nt used it yet but i hope simone will like it. then, we headed to GMA office to have a late lunch with simon. we ate at wan chai tea house, simone's first time. syempre, picture pa rin. :)

kagat labi
kagat-labi with daddy on wan chai -- change costume

and with mom
with mommy...

and with ate tin
and ate tin

after that, simon went to church already for a practice and we had to go home for a while to wrap a gift for the next activity we'll do. haha. we went to jake and shiela's pa for shiela's bday. wasnt able to take pictures na kasi antok na baby ko nun, nag-sleep sya agad. when we slept that night, super tuloy-tuloy. hehe, napagod kme.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Need for repair

When we got this apartment almost two years ago, we had shower faucets installed so our baths will be more pleasurable. Unfortunately, something happened and it got really stained and we don't know how to remove the stains. It's really not a good thing to look at, with molds and dark stains all over the faucet. We tried removing it with cleaning detergents and bleach powder but nothing worked. We were thinking of have it removed and re-install another but then again, since the apartment is not ours, I think it's best if we just let it go and save the money in buying a new one when we have our own home. haha

The one with Cruel or Cool???



This has been spreading like a virus and I was found speechless when I saw it. Before watching it, I was rationalizing to myself that hey maybe, the script called for it or maybe it's not that bad. And after watching it, I cannot deny the fact that it was something uncalled for. Really bad. I have close friends who are doctors and practicing in the US but man, that's just sooo below the belt.

Here's what i'm talking about:

http://mmeyn1.multiply.com/video/item/18/DESPERATE_HOUSEWIVES_Teri_Hatcher_SLURS_Filipinos

So, is it cruel or cool???Definitely cruel! I've been a Desperate Housewives fanatic and they were with me during my sleepless nights with simone (haha), but I can't simply take this sitting down. The producers and the writers, whatever reasons they may have, are simply unexcusable. I think they chose Phils, since our country is the most popular 3rd world country. Popular in terms of i dont know. But t does'nt justify the fact that they've blemished the medical doctors here in the Philippines.

So if you're with me, please sign up for the petition:

http://www.petition online.com/ FilABC/

Been thinking about it

One of my business prospects before was to make shirts. Well, not just the kind that you see in the malls, but it's more of a shirt for preggy, for dad, moms and kids. It's more like a family shirt. I've always felt that something is lacking in the shirt industry here in the philippines and i think it will be best if there are more designs to choose from and more affordable clothes to sell.

I have'nt started on it. I'm still busy on other ventures that I've put this at the back seat for a while. But everything's good, I hope I'll get to try the business someday. I have a supplier and an artist already. All I need to do is find time and resources to launch it. Haha, a marketing plan of my own.

The one with Baby Hannah's update

I sent a YM to Janis the other day and she promised to give us an update on Baby Hannah. So here's an update of the little angel everyone is praying for. Baby Hannah, you might be a stranger to most people, but your little faith and strength inspires people. God bless you angel.

Posted by Janis:

First week of September, Baby Hannah was already transferred to a private room in Las Pinas Doctor's Hospital.

A few weeks ago, Fitz visited Baby Hannah in LPDH, coz I asked a favor from him to deliver a gift from me for Hannah . Fitz told me that Hannah's doing well naman and was active that night when he visited Hannah. Hindi nakakabit ung respirator, she's breathing on her own. But they have to monitor her oxygen level or something. If it goes below the limit, then they put the respirator back. Also when she sleeps, dapat naka-respirator talaga.

Then Wednesday last week (Sep. 26), I got a message from Mariel, former officemate namin nila Joan. She told me she sent an email to me & to other former officemates. I checked my mail, and saw the subject "hannah in icu". I checked my cellphone immediately, baka nagtext din si Joan sa akin, and she did. Hannah got severe infections. According to her xray, she has pneumonia and her intestines are infected as well. She looks really bad now and was transferred to ICU this morning. She became cyanotic 2 times already and O2 level really dropped. Please pray for her. I replied back and told Joan that our prayers are always with them.

Then last Sunday, I texted Joan again, asked how Hannah's doing. She's still in NICU, but she's OK now. They might stay there for a while, even though her condition's stable already. They're too afraid to bring her back to the room, she might get sick again.

That's the latest news I got. Let's continue praying for her.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Christmas around

I think it's 82 days before Christmas! whoa! Before you know it, Halloween has ended and everybody is setting up their christmas trees! I'm so excited, we had ours set up already since last month! Of course, when we talk about Christmas, there's always gifts that go along with the name. I have'nt done our Christmas list. I want this year to have a theme, since this is a more special one for us and we'll celebrate it with Simone. So I tried logging to Couponchief.com to see if there are really good finds that we can give to our families and friends. As mentioned by my friend who've tried this, Couponchief is a subsidiary of Coupon Chief, Inc. and they provide a one-stop discount and promo deals to almost all kinds of stuff, from apparel to pet supplies.

At the top of my mind, here are some online shopping coupons that we can give out to them:
~ For our dads, we plan to give out Gap coupons so they can buy their polo shirts
~ For our moms, we'd like to give them spa certificates
~ For our sisters, I think speedo coupons would be nice since after christmas, summer will be just around the corner. haha.
~ For our brothers, I think Birkenstock coupons will be a catch to buy a pair for each of our three brothers.
~ And of course for Ross, who's our Dachsund, I might try surfing for Pet Food Direct coupons

that's the first list as of the moment. I'l think more later. I'd have to finish first my materials for my meeting later. Merry Christmas everyone!

The one with gabay

Can you believe that at seven months, we are really walking simone already? she takes small steps on the floor but with major support of course. this is what we pinoys call, "gabay". we dont force her to do it but she really insists of walking and getting from one end to another. so cute!
we don't have a walker and we really don't know if we'll get one since we want to do it the traditional way. I just hope our backs will always be able to support her. hahaha. We started doing the walk thing last Saturday, Sept. 29. All her weight are really on her legs and she's really lifting her foot forward to walk. very nice!

She really is growing up.

The one with good food

Last Sept. 29, I was able to attend a seminar at the church, "Good Food, Good Health". Unfortunately, I was late coz I had to bring simone along so preparations took a little longer. anyway, the seminar was really nice and I was really encouraged to try out on eating fruits and vegetables...ONLY. haha, i know it might be really shocking to hear but i'll try to do it gradually and not force myself to be a vegetarian overnight. I really wanted to lose weight and I think discipline will really be the deciding factor for it. And i dont think eating fruits and veggies alone is a hard thing to do. So right after the seminar, I went to the grocery, bought some apples, papaya, pineapple and lansones. yummy! I had them for dinner and lunch. For lunch, I ate adobo pa rin but no rice, then fruits for dessert. For dinner, fruits lang talaga. I didnt wake up at the middle of the night looking for food. everything is okay so far. And today, I just ate fruits for lunch. still good!

I hope i'll be able to do this longer.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Loving all the way

After knowing each other for a decade now, being a couple for almost about the same time as well, we can say that we have finally gone through almost everything. We've been through dating, being boyfriend and girlfriend, being engaged, being married, and finally being parents. And did the romance and love fade? Not actually, but it did evolve.

Having read the book, "Creating your own love story", loving someone does not end on being sweet and mushy all the time. Actually, it only starts there. And then it evolves to something more solid, more unconditional and more fulfilling love. You start to grow together and experience everyday living together. It's totally different if you see each other everday than having the frequent dates when you were younger. Now, the love that you have can actually surpass anything. As a wife, I've learned to be more submissive and independent at the same time. I've come to know more of what my role is as a mom and as a partner to my husband.

The free love letter before has now become a vow that we've given almost two years ago. And it is continuing to change for the better. I will always feel blessed to have been given the two most important people in my life...Simon and Simone.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The one with moments

One of the most remarkable moments I had with Simone was just last week. We were playing one morning, I looked at her straight in the eye, told her i love her and she gave me this look that really surprised me. You know the look that lets you know that she understands the word I said specially the word love?! I don't know if it was just me being so emotional but I really saw it in her eyes when she smiled back and I did'nt help it, I cried. hahaha. My baby smiles a lot, as in she has this very contagious smile that can really lift up one's spirit, but this smile was different.

And just this morning, Simone really gave a kiss to her dad. I brought her near Simon's left cheek and asked her to kiss her daddy. She looked at me and when I neared her to her dad, she closed her lips and her eyes and gave that kiss. It did'nt have a sound, but it was a real kiss. so touching! It did'nt happen again. hahaha.

The wonders of a growing child.

The one with reminiscing

I had some free time to browse on our pictures here in our PC and it amazed me how after so many years of being a couple, we were used to be just the two of us.

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goodness gracious?! will i ever be this thin again?!

Simon_Jacque
courtesy of Mai

beh n coda_1
we were used to having Coda as our baby...one that you don't have to change diapers on.

DSCF0751
and the times na super sweet kme we look like we just came out of a love story novel. haha.

everything's changed...for the better. we never realized how much we've grown until simone came.

"Two is a company, but three is not a crowd, it's a family."

The one with almost a month

It's almost a month since I filed my resignation and I'd like to share how things are doing around since I left work and started being what I call, a "business mom" (i really think this is the most appropriate term for me, nice noh?!)

~ My blog ads are working already and I get regular posts every week which is good.
~ Just the other day, I was able to close a good project with my former office. I was so happy I went home early. haha.
~ My online tutor has not yet started but I'm up for my last interview with the president, i think, then i can start already. im soo excited! i just found out that i can be paid with or without students. Im thinking of making it a full-time work since I can spread the number of hours in the morning and the evening.
~ I've already updated a couple of my IDs which unfortunately is needed for the transfer of my coporate phone line to a personal one. sigh
~ I've managed to attend the Pag-Ibig seminar already and so excited to apply as soon as we find a nice house and lot. Did'nt you know that you can loan 2M from Pag-ibig and you will only pay P18k a month if you get the 30-year term. not bad right?
~ I'm scheduled to get my NBI clearance so I can join concon in her sun cellular business.
~ We've set up our christmas tree already
~ Simone had her ears pierced at last!
~ Simon is still working very hard and sometimes when I look at him, he's really tired already but according to him, he's inspired to work more so everything's good.
~ I think I've adjusted to the fact that I won't get my 10-20-30 pay anymore. haha.
~ Simone is babbling more often and is starting to learn more syllables. She knows apooh, agoo, ababba, mamama, mweh, kweh, and the famous "aaahhhhhhhhh" that she does every morning. It's too early that she'd serve as our alarm clock. haha.
~ During our monthsary last 22nd, it's so sad that we had to fire our tech assistant in our studio. too bad, we really can't take his working attitude so even if we've become friends already, we have to prioritize our business more. We've replaced him with Ken who is a friend at the church. He's nice and we feel more at ease with him since we know him from church. He was able to post some posters already in the villages nearby, put up our tarpaulin up and clean the studio in a spic and span.
~ We're scheduled to attend corporate events like agri-link on October so we can promote our services more to other companies that will be exhibiting.
~ I was able to continue my baby book scrapbooking already

Basically, everything is doing great and we're all enjoying it.

Harley or not

My brother is a biker. He had his bike 3 years ago and he once told me about a site where he was able to meet fellow bikers whom he shares his passion with. Not only that he has met friends there but he also told me that the site promotes biker dating as well. You can check out profiles of the members, see if you have things in common or if you jive well. It's the largest biker community in the net. Who would have thought that you can actually meet fellow biker personals around the world. Not only that, they will also match your profile to other members' profiles so you know who you can chat the most or whom to ask for questions regarding bikes. All new members are, of course, posted at their home page so current members can look into them.

So whether you're a Harley or not, you can all join and try this site.


Games galore

If there's one thing in this world that my husband will never outgrow with, it's his love for video games and that's why PS2 for him is the ultimate toy for the big boys. He would always tell me that when he was younger, he did'nt have the luxury of toys and video games that's why now that he's more financially capable, he can buy a video game station for himself.

I love it when we play together and get really hooked to the game that we forget to take our dinner already just so we could play more. Sadly, when I got pregnant, I was advised to stop playing for a while since i had cramps brought by too much excitement on playing games. haha. That's how addicted we were with video games.

And I think we'll never outgrow it...we don't really have to.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Dilemma

My friend who's staying at Arizona right now is having a dilemma if she'd want to pursue of acquiring a property thru a Phoenix real estate agent. She was really excited but still not sure if she'd stay in Arizona until her retirement age or if she'll just acquire a property there and have it leased. Plus the fact that she'd have to juggle on two jobs just so she could pay the mortgage. But let's face it, a land will always be an asset to anyone and owning something that you can call your own is a very big accomplishment.

The one with housing loan

I went to a government housing loan last Friday and attended their seminar. At first, I wanted to inquire on getting a loan for a house and lot. And I learned that we can also make a loan to purchase any land for sale. They have a list of the acquired properties that you can avail for an easier and faster approval of your loan. I got interested in getting the land in Rizal but was also interested in the house and lot in cainta. I got their brochure and will discuss it with Simon as soon as we'd know what we wanted already. At least, I'm done with the seminar and I can apply anytime in the next six months.

Friday, September 21, 2007

The one with her 7th month birthday

Celebrated at Somethin' Fishy, Eastwood, Libis. We got their breakfast buffet which we loved so much. We really ate a lot. The waiters gave him a gift, a pink stuffed horse. very nice! here are some pictures

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IMG_0172
lots of food...but i can only have milk?!--simone

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twins...

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fishy people gave me a gift...nice!

The one with a heartfelt gift

For Simone's 7th month birthday, we gave her a very nice and heartfelt gift that she will definitely remember...we got her ears pierced! The day before she turned 7 months, we got her pierced. You can check the video here. http://hotmommajacque.multiply.com

Unfortunately, her pedia told me that she's old na to be pierced and might be a little 'magulo'. Good thing, she did'nt even move (or did'nt get the chance since she was swaddled) She cried (as seen in the video) but as soon as i carried her, she stopped crying already. very brave girl.

Happy 7 months simone! muah! We love you!

Please sit down

When we built our music studio, we had a hard time looking for the right pieces to fit in it. And luckily we found these cool bar stools that were on sale. We bought 4 good enough for the instrumentalists and for some clients. It's important to have sturdy furnitures so you don't have to buy over and over until you realize that the savings you thought you had were the amount of a very nice furniture already.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

The one with practice lang

I'm sorry I'm not that patient with digital scrapbooking (from scratch) so when i got this Creating Keepsakes CD, man! it's soo cool. haha. this is my first project.

family tan

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Vacation Homes

While surfing in the net to find a good place to go to on our trip to thailand, i happened to land on vacation homes in the US and one of this is the Orlando Vacation Home Rental. What's cool about it is that not only that it offers pool houses, it also has condominiums and town homes that are really nice to go to. Home rentals vary from what type you will be needing, from 2-bedrrom to 7-bedroom home rentals. You can also search in their site based on the specifications that you need. Cool!

So if you're planning to go to Orlando, might as well visit this site first.

Planning

At the office where I used to work, we always hold our annual brand planning. It makes us be more prepared for the year ahead of us and to plan which brands to launch and which brands to promote most. Also, it gives us an overview of how our corporate structure would be like for the succeeding months. I always believed that planning is the best way to keep your prepared from your competitors by anticipating their actions and it will definitely be beneficial for the company if all plans will be implemented accordingly.

Now that I'm more at home, I'd also want to do more planning here, of our business, of my schedules and of keeping our home nice.

Construction destruction

Beside my mother's house was a small bungalow house before. And when the family migrated to Chicago, they transformed the lot into a 4-storey building which turned to be a headache. The construction workers failes to use the right construction materials to make their area clean. There would be debris falling on our house and on our roof. They should have at least cleaned their truck rack and not pile all excess materials there. The truck should have at least a good set of accessories so that they'd be able to contruct in a more clean manner.

I hope everything will be okay soon and I hope the heat between them will cool off eventually.

Friday, September 14, 2007

The one with giddily excited

First things first, if you notice, I put "The one" within my title to state that it's a personal entry, otherwise, I'm posting for my blog ads. As much as possible I try to put some personal experience to my blog ads so as not to ruin the essence of why I put this blog up in the first place. Anyway, I'm getting giddily excited over a lot of things and here are some of those:

1. My friend told me that she received some amount already from my ads. yey! It's a small amount initially but I told her to collect it first until it gets a little bigger. happy! I'm really earning!
2. Finally, we got our car already. Not so new model but classic. Toyota Corolla XL 1995. It's still nice for a 12-yr. old car and we're glad we got it a very good price. Yey! thank you Lord. We'll use it for my business matters and of course, to transport simone and make sure she won't have to ride a PUV until she's older.
3. Our first out-of-the country trip together in November - we've always wanted to travel together and this is the only time we could do it since December is a pretty hectic sched for us. Anyway, we're going to Bangkok, Thailand on Nov. 23-26. I got really good rates from Cebu Pacific. Imagine, P13k for two-round trip tickets. good deal right?! and we'll be staying at a friend's condominium. yahoo! we plan not to shop much but if it's for Christmas already, maybe we can do our Christmas shopping there. Downside part is that we'd have to leave simone behind. huhuhu.
4. Our get-together later with Opposwim - I'm excited for later. It's been a while since we were together to really chat and Simone is getting bigger already, they have'nt seen her yet. hehe.

There, have a happy weekend everyone!

My first job

I'm still trying to get the hang of me being a Stay at Home mom, and every now and then, I'd still miss going to work and the people I work with. Just yesterday, I reminisced on the first job position that was given to me and that was being a Customer Relations Staff. And you know what my first assignment was?! To get really nice reception desks. I'm not kidding! I did'nt know it's very important to have nice desks to welcome guests and clients as this gives the first impression to your company. So, I researched and had it customized according to the size given to me and the overall look I wanted to achieve. I think I did great since after seven years, they're still using it and it's still nice to look at.

A new life

As mentioned in my previous post, I'am still empathizing with my friend with a brother who is under drug rehab. And while surfing more about the procedure and all, I happen to get in this site that somewhere in Malibu offers individual treatments for those under rehabilitation. It's good to know that there are certain institutions who really make their patients feel special despite and inspite of what they're going through. They serve really good meals, they provide really nice rooms, and since it's situated just in front of Malibu beach, the view is spectacular. I'm sure everyone who wil be treated there will have a quick recovery.

I hope there's one here in the Philippines.

Home Improvement

Christmas is in the air and every Christmas, we put up our decors early. Last year, we installed our lights in October and this year, we plan to put up before this month ends. When decoring the house, it's important that you consider good lighting. It depicts the mood you want to convey. Depending on the kinds of lights to install, how many and hoy big will determine the atmosphere of it. Of course, location is as important. We made sure that we bought also the original-made christmas lights to ensure safety as well. We put lights on the windows, around the wooden angel I just bought, on the Christmas tree and at the staircase. wow, this is our first Christmas as a family and I'm just so excited! I think this cost for a Christmas postcard! haha.

The one with half a year

I just want to show some pictures of Simone now that she's 6 months already.

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Some scenes are not suitable for very young age. Infant guidance is a must!

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Meet the General... ma'am yes ma'am!

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her very first feeding experience...August 21, 2007, 6:30 am

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minsan...nakakakilabot ang pagkakamukha nila. hahaha.

The one with blow-up

We were blown-up! haha. this is our skin shot at Blow-up babies, Gateway branch. we had fun with the shoot, it's just that the prints are really expensive, we were able to print this shot only. But I plan to have the others printed as well in the future. The egg shot is really nice, although we picked out this one coz Simone had a very unique pose we cant resist...we call it the Angelina Jolie look.

blow-up babies
please dont mind how big my arms are...hahaha.

The one with a child in him

Simon, my husband, at his age of 27 has some hobbies and stuff from his childhood that he cant get outgrow with. Among these are video games and RC cars. He's always telling me that when he was younger, he did'nt have one, thus, the fixated liking to this. Admittedly, it's nice to see him collect these. And whenever he plays with them and cleans them, I get amused as to how he is still into something that you think only young ones can enjoy. And then I've learned that this has become a collection for some men. They even have the gas-functioned ones and they are willing to buy those expensive cars.

Well, I may never understand their passion for toys for the big boys but they will also never understand out passion to shop.

The one with payperposting

I have recently added blog advertising as one of my resources and one of this is payperpost. What I like most about payperpost is that the topics will vary according to things that you want to talk about. In short, you have the liberty to reserve or reject an open opportunity, depending if you can give justice to the topic. After joining payperpost, my website's traffic generation increased and opened me to new opportunities. I have also learned about so many topics that vary from travelling, hotels, and hobbies. In the short time that I'm a member, I have earned an extra income enough to pay for my bills. I plan to save the money I get from blog advertising so I'd appreciate more of what I do. Being a stay-at-home mother, it gives me a great sense of fulfillment to still earn while working at home and payperpost does that for me.

So if you have blogs and you consider yourself an addict to it, I encourage you to make money out of it. It's fun and educational at the same time.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

The one with marrying Vegas

Whenever I hear about weddings and casino, only one place sticks to my mind. and that's Vegas baby! I've never been there and don't know if i'll ever be so just for the fun of it, I tried searching some Las Vegas Luxury Homes and find out somehow how it's like living there. The homes vary from custom homes, condominiums, retirement communities and even gold and country clubs. Locations can be chosen among Henderson, North Vegas and Summerlin which vary according to population and sceneries found.

We'll never know, If I become a millionaire I'll let you know how's life really is in Vegas. haha.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The one with updates

It's been a while since I've blogged about updates on my life. First things first, sorry if my posts lately are all about blog advertising. It's really cool and i'm kinda getting the hang of it. That's why I made this post, just so I could make this more of a personal blog again. haha. Anyway, been busy lately. I did'nt know that running errands can take you a whole day and more. It's also fun having to have more control of my time. I feel like I can schedule my appointments more and I'm more organized now. But of course, there are times that I'd feel I'm not being productive. Let's say, if I don't have to go out and I'll just stay at home, I feel like I did'nt do anything productive. And suddenly I'd realize that hey, being a mom is a very productive role and having to take care of simone for the whole day is an adventure itself. Now that she's more sociable, I love it when we just lie down on our bed and I read stories to her. She loves Disney Princesses. She also loves hearts. I have this pillow with hearts on it and every morning, she'd look at it and smile. She nows tries to get things by attempting to crawl. and if there are times that she can't crawl, she'd roll. She loves her bath even more. We let her sit on her tub and play with the water while I bathe her. And to top it off, "sumasama na sya". The one when you'd sign the carry sign, she'd extend her arms and would want to be carried already even if she's being carried by someone else. Oh and her first banana experience (first solid food) was not so good. She had it last Sept. 4. She loved the food and ate so much. Unfortunately, she had allergic reactions to it which appeared the day after. weird coz bananas are the safest baby food ever. anyway, I immediately stopped giving her banana and will try squash tomorrow. Simone is not a picky-eater. She even drinks her vitamins straight up without mixing it with her milk. when it's feeding time and she saw her food being prepared, she get really excited and her eyes light up literally. and she jumps as if wanting to start to eat already. Whoever is feeding her will pray for the food and she loves it when I say "yummy" while she's eating. It excited her to eat more. and she always asks for more! hahaha. simone's built is not the chubby type. she's more on the lean type but she really is so heavy. haha. i just love every part of her.

pictures to follow...as usual.

The one with helping out

Last night, I got to talk to one of my former colleagues and she mentioned to me that her brother will be admitted again for a drug rehabilitation. I know this topic is a little sensitive but I just wonder why some people, despite of their economic status (whether rich or poor) and family support can still utter to throw their lives away for drugs. What benefits will they get? Will the addiction to it satisfy or even compensate for the number of days shortened in their lives? Will they ever give up drugs once addicted to it? I just hope and pray that those who have been victims of drugs will survive this and will never come back to using it.

The one with your donations badly needed

In my former e-group at w@w, one of my batchmates who got married last december 2005 gave birth to a baby girl last august 14, 2007. her name is Hannah (the baby). By the way, the parents names are Joan and Carlo. When she was born at Asian Hospital, they found out that the baby's lungs are full of mucus and had pneumonia. Unfortunately, even when the pneumonia was treated already, the baby still had difficulty breathing on her own, so she's in a respirator and in Asian Hospital's ICU. Until now, the baby's still in the hospital and her condition is very rare, like it might be even the first case in the Philippines. Our only wish and prayers are that baby Hannah will improve and get well, and that Joan & Carlo would just hang on and be strong.

Doctors found out that what Hannah is experiencing is a Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), also known as Ondine's Curse. She has difficulty breating when she's awake, so she has a ventilator. When she's asleep, she totally can't breathe on her own. According to the doctors, Hannah might be the first case in the Philippines. CCHS is a lifelong disease and no cure yet.

For Hannah to breathe, a tube was inserted through her mouth. But now they performed an operation called tracheostomy, wherein an incision was made on her neck so that the tube can pass through there.

They are now in need of help. Their savings are all gone. Approximate total hospital bill now excludes the doctors' fee, and Hannah has 8 doctors. Hospital expenses in Asian Hospital is around 20k/day. They will be transferring to another hospital maybe within the week, after Hannah's operation has healed. Daily expenses there would be around 6k/day. Their bill amounted to over half a million already, excluding the CS delivery she had.

They are now sending letters to institutions for help, for assistance. If their requests are approved, then they can put tin cans in stores wherein people can put donations. If you see those tin cans around, please help them. If any of you are willing to give additional help, you can contact me for the meantime.

Please, please, please. Let's offer a prayer for the baby and the family. Everything has a purpose and reason greater than we can imagine so I'm blogging this to ask for your prayers to this baby. And God is speaking to you right now to share your blessings, you can leave a note so I can get back to you.

Thank you so much and God bless! I hope I could share more but this is all I know so far. As a mom, it's painful to see your baby suffer like that and you'd wish over and over that it would be you instead of her. So let's share some love and comfort to this family.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The one with a lawyer

Up until I got into college, I was'nt aware that there are different kinds of lawyers, the same with doctors. My friend who is in New York shared her story about her being a robbery victim. They were robbed and apparently, just as the time that the robber would escape, he fell and it was a really bad fall. The ironic part of it was the robber sued them and my friend had to get a lawyer just so they could counter the allegations set by the robber. It was really horrific. Fortunately, they won and they also sued another case on the robber.

Just a story I dont want to miss sharing.

The one with a new set-up

As you can see, I have a lot of new entries that you might be surprised with. I have recently joined Blog Advertising to get a new look for my blog. I wanted my viewers to get more information by reading my blog and by doing this, I hope I get to share more aside from my own experiences as a mother and as a wife. My liking to join this has evolved when i resigned from work and realized that the blog addict in me needs to get paid while doing what I want most. haha. seriously, when i learned about this, I said to myself that finally someone will pay me for my being a blog addict.

I hope you'd also try this and see if it suits you.

The one with an ultimate dream

I'd always see in a movie, whenever something romantic would come up, it's either the couple is having a star-gazing by the beach or enjoying a stroll by the shore as the sun sets. It would always have to include a beach. and so i wonder, does it really feel ropmantic having to have a vacation on the outer banks? I mean, we've managed to have our honeymoon in boracay but staying in a nice beach resthouse on your own is something to look forward to. I think I can stay there forever if i can (just make sure that there's a mall near the beach..haha) seriously, if we all can afford it, why not have a one-month vacation on a nice beachfront house. That's an ultimate dream waiting to become a reality.

The one with the vehicle

Finally! we already have a car. well, it's just a second-hand car but we're satisfied with it already. We just need it to and from the office, to run errands and to transport simone whenever she will be going to her grandparents' house. We bought a sedan and Simon and I are planning what auto accessories should we buy for the car. We want to put a nice seat cover for it, car matting, a bigger rear view mirror, and put have it installed with all-power lock for the doors. i hope budget will permit us to do it.

Friday, September 07, 2007

The one with blogging

I started blogging when I was preparing for our wedding back in 2005. I was amazed on how I became addicted in blogging that this has been my online journal since then. I will always update whenever something new came up. And part of blogging, you would always have to bloghop to other blogger friends and get to know what's new with their life.

The first time I learned about Payperpost is through my close friend in the net, Mai. when i first read her entries, I was wondering why she was advertising something and why all of a sudden, her blog is frequently visited. Practicing her word of mouth ethics, then i found out that she just joined payperpost and she's very much loving it. she told me that she has already earned a lot just by posting topics that interest her. then i told myself, finally someone will pay us for being blogger addicts!

so, i tried my chances and sent the my information and my URL. luckily, my blog passed and was introduced to a lot of opportunities that i can talk about. Simply, you'd only have to blog about the topic you choose and make sure that you follow the rules or the specifications they want you to include. Submit your post and wait until it gets approved. It is that simple.

I started to get serious with payperpost since I'am really looking for extra income that might come in handy. I just resigned from work because I wanted to work at home and spend more time with my daughter. That being the case, I wanted to explore more money-making opportunities with things I'd like to do and this is the best choice so far.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

The one with the hotel visit

When we stayed at Richmonde Hotel last month, I had a difficult time making our reservations, despite the corporate rate we have at the hotel. Then, I chanced upon this:


HotelReservations.com offers easy booking of hotel reservations with just a click away...literally. I looked at the rates offered and found out that it was cheaper than the room we got at a corporate rate. Plus, to add to it, you have an endless choice of hotels, from 5-star to 3-star hotels, they all have it. They will even show you their rating on every hotel to guide you what hotels will fit your needs and each hotel consists of a description on its services, location and other facts that can also guide the guest.

In order to get you started, all you need to do is enter the dates you plan to check in and out of the hotel, number of guests to check in (children included) and tick the specifications you want in a hotel (e.g., fitness center, pool, bar, and the like) This information will be used to be able to sort out hotels to suit your needs and make your stay more pleasant.

Aside from the hotel bookings, you can also check out flight schedules and book them should you need to, check out car reservations for easy transport especially if you're a tourist, and other vacation rentals aside from hotels. You can also avail their vacation packages which are very customized accordingly: 1) a hotel, flight and car; 2) flight and hotel 3) hotel and car 4) flight and car.

All these can be done by simply clicking via their site. you can also be a member if you want to avail more discounts and freebies. pretty cool huh?

So the next trip we're planning is in Bangkok, this time I will make sure that I'll log in first at Hotelreservations.com. It's always much fun if we can make our lives a little easier and im sure this will come in handy. Happy booking!

The one with the next project

Simon and I have also been planning, among other things, our desire to have our own home. We have been renting for a year and a half already and we really want to have our own home so the rent pay will be put into a better use. We've consulted a few real estate agents already and we're still trying to look for something that will be within our budget. We actually don't know if we can already afford it but we can a least explore the options. And after meeting with the agents, I pretty have an idea what of the ins and outs of buying a property. Also, it's important that they are very patient with you, they will give you more options and will also entertain your endless questions. Buying a house is not buying a toy, it's something that should be thought over and over...of course, prayed for even more.

The one with first week

Tomorrow is exactly a week after my last day at work. and what do i feel? happiness! Here's what kept me busy for the last week:

1) set-up an internet connection for my part-time online job
2) last-minute to do's in the office (transferring corporate phone line to personal, settling savings fund in the office, updating SSS, and others)
3) we've been spending three days trying to look for a nice second-hand car. we can't afford pa a brand new e, so 2nd hand muna. pero man, ang hirap maghanap ha especially if you have this much only for your budget.
4) de-clutter our place. haha and im not yet halfway there. we have soo many things, I always think we'd always need more cabinets.
5) take care of simone - she just had her first banana experience yesterday. too bad, she had allergies that we found out in the morning. i'll try squash after four days.
6) settle bills
7) cook - was able to cook seafood pesto again! yey! yummy!

as soon as we get a 'new' car, here's what i've lined up under my things to do:
1) inquire at MTC
2) get our pictures at blow-up babies
3) update SSS and get my driver's license
4) deposit my cheque which the bank will not do unless i have my IDs updated. haha, after almost two long years, this is the only time i can do my updating. :)
5) set appointments for potential clients of our music studio

simply things to do at home:
1) start part-time online job
2) make a neat budget chart and list
3) update profile of music studio
4) photocopy fliers
5) make a calling card for myself under Studio 22
6) scrapbook my baby

of course, all above items will be on a scheduled basis so I'll have more time for simone or else, I might end up being semi-employed. haha. Simon loves our new set-up. I remember him texting me the other day how much he's so happy right now at our set-up. It inspires him to work double-time for our family. and honestly, i love giving him that feeling. the feeling of him being the head of the family and the sole provider. (and me spending the money, bwahaha)

but to tell you the truth, we are all adjusting. simon has to adjust going to and from work alone, i have to adjust waking up late (haha) and being more domesticated (but with style), simone has to adjust to not go to her lola's house early in the morning. I saw her on my second day at home when she gave me her signatured wondering look when i fed her. It was like, "mommy, it's lunch time. why are you here?" hahaha. and she kept on looking at our car, as if she'd want to ride on it already since it's time to go to lola's already. man, she really is smart!

all is well. i'd update you more soon. :)

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

The one with finally a SAHM

Yes, after seven long years of being employed to the first company that I have ever worked for (accenture employment for two months not counted), I have filed my resignation last August 31 effective september 1. Being an employee to one of the best, or probably the best Filipino employer in the country might make you wonder, 'why does she have to leave?' 'is she crazy?!' i had those remarks smacked on to my face already and i perfectly understand them. one of my friends even told me that many people would love to be in my employment shoes. well, don't get me wrong. I love working for my company. I have already imagined myself retiring there and I cannot ask for more. aside from the fringe benefits and a good compensation package, more importantly, i love working with my co-employees and our bosses. compared to other companies, ours was more low profile that let us be more transparent and easy to get along with.

So why the sudden change of heart? When you get to a certain situation that totally turns your whole life around literally, you tend to change your priorities in life, moreso, your decisions. And that certain situation came when I gave birth to Francesca Simone six months ago. Before I even got married, and even when i was only a student, I was a very, very hard-working person. I'd study overnight without any sleep, I'd work endlessly without overtime pay. hehe. I did'nt count my efforts because I like to see results with what i do and when it comes to work, I categorize myself as a workaholic and career-oriented person. I imagined myself being a boss someday and have the power to delegate and supervise work and make that change possible. But when I got pregnant, it was suddenly daunting me, without me knowing it, the passion for motherhood. My life is suddenly not 'just' about me or my husband's, but our child's as well. Knowing that every decision I'd have to make should be carefully given thought with, should be dealt with accordingly because at the end of the day, I have a child to take care of. Her life TOTALLY depends on me. and those things awed me...literally. I was overwhelmed with welcoming motherhood and I think spending the most quality time I can give to my baby is one of the priceless gifts I'd ever have to give.

Dont get me wrong, I'am not against working mothers and I will never be. In fact, I was raised by a working mom and I applaud my mom for raising us the way we were raised. My brothers and I share a very close bond and that I have to give credit to my mom. It's just that I realized that the 4 months I have worked after giving birth, I was looking for something else, something greater than what I'am doing at work. I wanted to try out something else, I wanted to explore other opportunities that I may have, I wanted to try a business and most importantly, I wanted to be more with my baby. All this can only be done if i leave my current company. And so, I filed my resignation and bid farewell to my close friends. I shared some tears with our boss whom I considered a dad to me. I felt the peace I was looking for, that finally I will be able to do the things I've wanted to do for the longest time.

So, what will I be doing now? While being a Stay-At-Home Mom, I decided to write a Life Plan for myself. At the top of my mind, here are some things I wanted to do first: 1) take care of the music studio - admin works, marketing efforts, promotions and getting more clients. from the time it was built, this business of ours has been neglected and i wanted to do more for this studio since this is our passion, music. 2) enroll in a training or seminar for wedding planning or accessory-making - people have been persuading me to try wedding planning as they totally envision me as such. I'll enroll first to a seminar and see where my feet will lead me. I've always known weddings have a special place in my heart. I just don't love them, I'm addicted to them for reasons I can't understand. haha. Maybe because wedding is a celebration of love blessed by God and to be a part of it is something worthwhile. 3) online money-making - we're not rich people and we also need extra income. i'm sure this will come in handy. 4) participate in Seeds of Hope ministry at our church - I have always had the burden to help these needy kids and I really wanted to make time for them and to help them out in whatever way i can. 5) be a full-pledged homemaker - for the couple of days after my resignation, it amazes me how time quickly flies even when you're at home. At the end of the day, I feel that I had so little time to do my chores or even my assignments for the day. haha. I still need some adjusting with this. i love finally having breakfast with simon on our dining table since we usually had our mobile (as in sa car) breakfast before 6) do whatever pleases me.

I cannot tell you how long this set-up will be. At the least, I have given myself six more months (until simone turns one) if this set-up will work. I do not even know if I'am meant to be a full-pledged homemaker. All I know is that at the moment, this is what I want. I know God has blessed our decision and He is pleased that we prioritize our family. I know God will provide and I know He will not forsake us. He has always been there, and He will always be.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

The one with the last getaway

Simon and I are planning to go to Bangkok this november and I hope it will push thru. anyway, im currently doing some canvassing on which luggage sets will be best for our trip. it will be just a short one, 4 days will be enough. I wanted to invest on a good brand and a more sturdy one so i'd have an easy gliding the luggage.

Our good friend norene will accommodate our stay at her pad and she will escort us to tours and what best places to go to. I'am so looking forward to it as this is our first out of the country experience and I'm sure it will be fun. The only downside to this trip is us leaving simone behind, that's why as early as now we are mindsetting ourselves that we won't be seeing our daughter for at least 3 days. sad but i guess that dreadful day will still come no matter what.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

The one with a souvenir

I remembered our 40th corporate anniversary and all the preparations we had to do. One of my assignments was to purchase souvenir pens. I thought it was a simple task but personalizing all of the pens to all the 250 guests in the event was not an easy job. I had to carefully check a hundred times if the names are all correct, whether the color of pen is for a male or a femal guest, and whether they want their full names or their pet names engraved.

Good thing, there are a lot of companies who do this nowadays and one of which is pensrus.com which i hope i ran into when i was still preparing for the event. My life would have been easier if i had them do it instead.

The one with stakes

Just for the sake of exploring, at the age of twenty-eight, i've never tried casinos before and if i were to try one, I think the best place to be is the Imperial Palace Las Vegas. With all the night life in the city, the hotel and casino is right at the heart of the Strip where all the action is. There are guestrooms that feature a relaxing atmosphere, hotel amenities that treat you like royalty, and gaming facilities that is all about rewarding the players. I've read somewhere that if you are a member of the club, you get to earn points and redeem these for cash back or other prizes...cool! Other facilities will also include dining, state of the art entertainment, shopping and fitness facilities.

Truly, the place to be for fun and a good vacation

The one with a business

I've read an email from my friend and she offered different types of home based business. I was happy to get an email and since I'am officially a housewife, I wanted to be entrepreneurial for myself. One of the things I have always wanted to do is make accessories and it's something that i want to explore more. I want to enroll in classes and when I'am up and about, I can do pieces on my own time and sell them online or to friends. I have always been fond of accessories and I want those foxy ones with unique styles. It doesn't have to be trendy, just something that will fit someone's personality. I hope I'll get to enroll in a class soon.

Friday, August 31, 2007

The one with the life ahead

One of the forms of our security is an insurance and now that we have a baby, it is very important that we secure our lives in order to secure hers as well. A way to do that is to get a term life insurance which guarantees to protect our family in the most unexpected moments. We need assurances, nothing can ever be permanent in this life and by applying an insurance, it is good to know that we are using our money to a good worth and cause.

To get a good deal for your insurance, compare those who give you offers and compute the better deal. Look for the offer which can cover the most number of benefits for you and your family. Both our parents work for insurance companies and according to them, it makes them feel good to help people realize the need for it, it's as if they're helping them to secure their lives. Of course, we offer everything to God and one way to do that is to put our hard-earned money in the best place it should ever be.

The one with decluttering

Ever since Simon and I got married, our trips to the mall will always include window shopping of home furniture. We are not interior designers and we definitely don't have the space to execute the dream house we've wanted -- as of now. But looking at the different kinds and styles of furnitures inspire us to work harder and better to achieve the dream home we've always wanted.

I just semi-decluttered our things to give way for Simone's new things and to prepare myself for the garage sale we just did last weekend. man! we have a lot of not-so-important things in the house that a garage sale is the only solution to it.(so i can have a reason to replace my old stuff)

Here are some things we wanted to have if we have the extra bucks: We love to have a new king-size bed, a bath tub, and a house with a roof top where we can have parties and 2 Lazy Boys just for us. hahaha, yeah right?!

oh well, by faith, i know we can have that dream home someday...

The one with a vacation

Now that i've decided to move forward with my life and take the plunge of the more 'domesticated' life i've always wanted, i made a list of what i dream about a more laid-back life, and one of them is a New York Bed and Breakfast. I have'nt been to New York and knowing that amidst the hustles and bustles of the city life, there is still a part of the city where tourists can see stunning mountains, and quiet lakes. Two of the featured bed and breakfasts i read are in Woodstock New York and Saratoga New York. I'm sure the list of activities you can do there is endless and it will be a very exciting experience should...I just hope we have the budget to make it a reality.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

The one with a triple celebration

Three special dates on our lives - 20th, my first birthday as a mom (28 btw); 21st, Simone's 6th month birthday and 22nd, our 1 year and 8th monthsary. haha, yeah we still celebrate that, why not?!

anyway, we were supposed to just check in since it's a long vacation. but since we also wanted our families to be there with us to celebrate the triple treat,we invited them to join us at Richmonde Hotel. nope, we're not that rich to pay for their hotel meals. what we did, we got a big room, 2br suite and prepared pasta and a viand good for 20+ people. my family, simon's and our bestest friends. we arrived at 3pm but we were able to check in at 5pm :( although, they gave us a temporary room since we were with simone, she might want to rest first. true enough, as soon as we entered the wash-up room, simone rolled and rolled in the bed. as if it were hers. hahaha. kakatuwa talaga! and she was all-smiles coz she was so happy staying in a hotel. my baby, royalty fits her. hahaha.

anyway, visitors came it at 530pm...and we had a food trip! my SIL brought tacos and salad, my friends brought desserts, my mom brought afritada as the main viand and I of course, prepared the bestseller dish of the day. haha. i cooked two kinds of pasta. seafood pesto and sun-dried tomato pasta! yummy! promise, they loved it. and it was my first time to cook such. madali lang pala. hahaha.

after eating, simon showed them the AVP he made... Simone's first months. nakaktuwa as all of them were like "awww", and "aaahhh". hahaha. tuwang-tuwa kay simone. she has always been the center of attention since she was born and she loves it. mana sa ken, papansin. hehe.

they left at around 10pm. my mom, yaya tin, and SIL skokie stayed for the night. syempre, kami ni simon stayed on the bigger room. Simone and mom stayed on the other room. in the morning, they woke us up at around 6am with donuts and candles lit up and bday song sang for me. :) after that, we slept again. hahaha.

we had breakfast around 8am. i wore simone on a sling which she loved. kakatuwa! then, we went for a swim, had a steam and sauna bath after. sarap, this is Life! hahaha.

we went home around 3pm and watched pa a last full show of Rush Hour 3. man, i cant stand last full shows anymore. i think i slept for like 3 times during the movie. bwehehe. well, the movie was not that good as well.

here are some pictures...

mommy wearing me
i love my sling!

Triple celebration 038
close-up family pic

i love my sling
Breakfast on a sling

ang cute namin ni daddy
daddy and daughter look-alike

first elevator ride...in hotel
the blue family in an elevator

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

The one with Simone at 5 months

She has unique and 'nintelligible' syllables already. when she cries, she goes like this, "aaahhh hooooo mummmmuuumaaaamamama" or "ahh hooo bababababa" we dont know if we can't count it as 'real' syllables already pero nakakaaliw lang. she now crawls forward, hahaha. dati kasi paatras lang e. she rolls endlessly and cries when she can't roll anymore coz she has reached the other side of the bed. haha. she's getting to look more and more like her dad. she always, always eats her hand, or lampin, or her dress, or whatever she can get hold on to. pag matagal na, we will take it off her mouth na kasi baka naman mamaga na gums nya. we let her thumbsuck or handsuck naman kasi we know she's exploring parts of her body so it's a good sign, but not overdo it. she touches her pipay for reasons we dont know, we assume she's exploring pa rin. when she's not wearing socks, she rubs her feet together, a sign of her foot fettish she got from her dad. hay naku, another one to crumple the bed sheet. the other night lang, nakita ko si simone rubbing her feet sa towel! oh no! manang-mana sa daddy! simon kasi. just to get a good sleep, would always, take off part of his bed sheet and rubs his feet sa mattress covering the foam which is a little magaspang. haaayyy... mana-mana lang yan.

here are some of her pictures. :)

mestizas
she looks like a big girl na diba?!

with mommy just woke up2
one morning, we just cant get out of bed...

look at me sit up
simone sitting down...see how her foot is rubbed on my pants?!

gums showing
all-gums smile

love daddy's chest
sarap humiga kay daddy...

The one with one more month

In my previous post, I was supposed to have my exit interview with our GM. I talked to him last week with the intention to gracefully leave the company. He was honest enough to tell me everything and to ask me to give my new position a try. For one month, we will see if everything will work better.

Honestly, I had a mix of emotions about the decision of accepting it. I respect my boss and I did it because he's my boss. so much so, he's like a dad to me. BUT, my mind was really set on doing the things id love to do. at the back of my mind, i was thinking the plans i set and the goals i want to achieve, provided that i'am not employed anymore. On the other hand, I was happy not to leave my friends, have a stable job, and get to enjoy the benefits it offers.

I will still pray for everything and hopefully, everything will be alright and will be according to God's will.

The one with a first gimmick

Last friday, Simon had a concert which he directed. it's a concert of Larrie Ilaga, a Papuri singer-friend. the concert was held at Greenhills Christian Fellowship. the only regret i had was not inviting our friends to watch it. ang ganda eh and inspirational, sayang. ewan ko ba?! di namin naisip pareho e. na-realize ko na lang 30 minutes before the show. haaayyy..anyway, it was a blast. his bandmates were good and larrie's performance was great. the lower part of the auditorium was filled up. and the highlight of it all was when Jungee Marcelo, a known figure in music industry and mentor of Larrie Ilagan, approached them and commended their performance. ang asawa ko, kilig na kilig. haha. he even asked for simon's number. umikot tuloy brief nya! hahaha. and having been recognized by jungee made his night. thanks to God for his talent.

Saturday, Simone went to Shangri-la for the first time. we had our baby shower for yakee and here are some of our pictures...

baby shower for yakee
group pic with joaquin on the side...sleeping as usual

mommy and me
all-smile si mommy

daddy's girl
naks! kamusta naman ang candid?! thanks jojo for the shot!

tans and arevalos
baby book for yakee, from the Tans

tita mec with babies2
Tita Mec with the babies, Simone, Joaquin and Yakee

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

The one with not giving up, just moving on

Last week, I made a major decision in my career life. I decided not to sign up anymore for the company i was working for. We were offered an early retirement package with the promise that we will all be rehired, but with a slightly different package. but then, i don't want to be rehired. i want to explore other opportunities na pwede for me. parang i think i've maxed out myself already in my current job that i want to do something else. believe me, if this is the quarterlife crisis they're talking about...im definitely getting some. hehehe. but it's not a crisis, it's more of an adventure.

we've prayed for it and simon and i talked about it already. we have peace thinking about it and soo looking forward for things to come. i get to spend time with simone more, i'll be able to do the things that i've always wanted to do and find out where i will best excel. plus, i can always go back to work whenever i want to. im glad my husband and my family support me with this. finally, i'm out of my comfort zone and i know God has better plans for me and im excited to know what those are.

will kwento in details soon. in the meantime, i'll have the exit interviews muna with the bosses. haha, di pa pala ako nagpapaalam! hehehe

Saturday, July 28, 2007

The one with Simone at 5 months

She just turned 5 months last Saturday. she was sleeping the whole time of celebration. hehe.

at five months, simone can now socialize more. she can sit na sa sofa pero basta nakasandal ha. hehe. she always, always makes dapa and crawl. hehe. she still does'nt have much hair, hahaha. she talks to people already (using her own language...ehehe) and she has this "tili" factor pag natutuwa and pag nakikipag-usap. super lakas ha in fairness.

she reaches for her bottles already when feeding time. when it's time for milk, she looks at the bottle and smiles and reaches for it. she can hold her bottle firmly, although at times, she plays with it kaya we still help her a little. kakatuwa, she really grasps things na and pag nagpapatawa, she laughs endlessly na. as in, the kind na pang-matanda. hahaha.

haaayyy...pictures to follow. promise!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The one with pains of a working parent

These are the words of my colleague while we were exchanging gtalk mails. He had a hard time leaving his daughter at home while he goes to office for work today, that’s after four whole days of not seeing his 10-month old baby because of our conference in Boracay held last week.

I had a more serious need for damage control! We went ahead of the whole group since we were the organizing committee. I kept on excusing myself for the “advance party” coz I really wanted to be left behind so I can have more time for my baby. Unfortunately, they needed all the help they can get. I joined them and went there last Wednesday. As soon as I brought her to her grandparents and got back to my seat in the car, I cried whilst driving. Simon kept asking me if I’m feeling ill or if there’s a problem. I just told him that I miss Simone already. I cannot believe it! As in, I already miss her and cannot actually imagine how it would be not being with her for five freaking days!

I know she’ll be alright, I know she will be well taken cared of and she will get everything that she needs. It just pains to accept the fact that because of my work, I’d have to leave her behind.

Every night, whenever I looked at her pictures, I cried. Overacting to some, pero that’s how I felt and I can’t force myself to get over it and feel fine about it coz I simply don’t. Pero come Sunday, I was sooo excited to go home and see her. When I landed manila, I had a mixed emotion of fear and excitement. Fear that Simone might not remember me na and excitement to see her again. That fear ended when I saw her finally and she smiled at me after a few minutes. She just woke up so I knew she was still half asleep when she first saw me, thus, the blank stare. Haha.

But man, she really grew up! It’s as if I did’nt see her for a year. She’s sooo big already, and she has a different cry now. She shouts whenever she wants to say something and extends her hands when she wants to be carried. She’s loving the “habulan” game already.

Haaayyy…if I can only stay at home and take care of Simone…super dream ko yun right now…to be able to be a hands-on mom to my baby. The pains of a working parent nga naman!

I want to be there when she utters her first word, when she attempts to do her first clap and when she tries to crawl and walk. I want to be the first to witness everything! when her lola tells stories of her development that i wasn't able to witness first, i just smile and feel happy that she's doing so much progress. pero at the back of my mind, i always wish na that was me in their position, telling stories of how she's growing up. haaayyy...

Monday, July 16, 2007

The one with information overload

I got hooked with reading books on parenting. currently, im reading "What to expect the first year" and "You and your child". The former is informative but the "What to expect when you're expecting" was more useful to me than this one. Eto kasi is a case-to-case basis so i just choose the ones applicable to me and simone. the latter naman was bought by simon and it's up to five years of age. okay din pero masyado summarized.

and yesterday, i just bought 2 more books, "Idiot's guide to baby sign language" and "How to have a smarter baby". information overload!!! the sign language intrigued me and super interested me to try it on simone. i hope we get to do effective sign languages soon. oh and the book is very entertaining. as in! i can't seem to put it down...while driving! yikes! the other one, have'nt opened yet pero pocketbook style sya and got good feedbacks on the book so i bought it.

will let you know more soon about these two books and i'll share any information that maybe useful to parents like me.

The one with just before she turned 5 months

I'd like to show some pics of Simone when she turned 4 months. At four months, she showed a lot of developments. This is the time she was able to balance her head well, she learned to make dapa and attempted to crawl, thus, the Arthro move. She developed a different cry, one that's really loud and kakaawa. She makes "hikbi" after crying and akala mo kawawang-kawawa. hehe. she has given attention to her gym already, unlike when she was just 3 months where she did'nt give any attention with it. now, she's really grabbing and reaching for the objects, she can also turn the wheels and stare at the mirror nung gym nya. basta, sulit na now yung gym nya. thanks to her ninong! hehe. when carried upfront, she likes to stand kahit hindi pa nya kaya. she loves it when i wear her esp. the kangaroo carry. kakatuwa!

she also responds to you when you call her name and shouts when talking to you. she loves to laugh with the peek-a-boo game or eat bulaga game and gives a smile as part of her response when you make lambing to her and she gets tickled. she also does a lot of her things with her lips now. the other day lang, (july 13) she can tuck them na, make a lipstick move (the one where you fold your lips), and can create sounds using her lips. nag-gugumming na cguro kasi that's why. she imitates people around her by watching the way our lips move. like for example, she attempts to do the "muah" thing by making a "tsup" sound. cute!

she'll turn five months on saturday. we plan to take her to camera shake to get really nice shots before we have her ears pierced. haaayyy...i can't wait to see more of her in the coming months. thank you Lord. :D

a mom and daughter moment
a mom and daughter moment

what a smile! dimples and everything!
dimples kung dimples! sana hindi mawala when she grows up.

big girl holding her bottle
"big girl nako eh" (pardon us, we just love her in yellow kaya lagi nya suot to)

one of her first attempts to lift her head
one of her firsts...

super cute ko!
super cute pic!

model pose
she's a natural, ain't she?! and mind you, pose talaga yan...not the candid one na natyempuhan lang...hahaha.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

The one with the Arthro move

Last weekend, we are so happy Simone is making so much progress. Dumadapa na sya and nag-aattempt gumapang. the thing is, paatras ang gapang nya. hahaha. thus, the Arthro move! as in, ang cute tingnan na super trying hard talaga sya to crawl pero instead of pushing her legs, yung arms nya yung nagdadala kaya paatras. nyahaha.

She also drools na and loves to put her hands in her mouth, pati lampin nya nilalagay nya sa mouth nya. pag tinanggal mo, magagalit and iiyak. must be the gums. nagbabadya na ang mga ngipin nya. hehe.

The other night, around 230 am, nagising ako coz she was crying and would want to drink milk. taka ko, she does'nt want my milk. when i held her, medyo mainit sya. when we checked her temp, goodness 37.8. shocking asia! naloka kme! may sinat si simone. can you believe nagkakasakit din pala baby ko?! hehe. so binigyan ko sya ng tempra (oops, not unilab brand lagot!) and observe namin in the morning. super ayaw magpababa nun kaya napuyat naman ako kasi mas okay na yung tulog sya kesa di sya makatulog. her eyes were watery and parang may sipon din. when she woke up in the morning, ganun pa din. so we went to her pedia. pag dating sa pedia nya, wala na! pati sipon, wala na rin. pero her doctor still advised her to give biogesic paracetamol in case mag-sinat ulit. whew! viral daw eh and the sinat might have been triggered by the sipon. kaya nung naagapan, wala na rin ang sinat. i observed her the whole day yesterday kaya nag-leave ako bigla. syempre, kahit gano naman ako ka-busy sa office, mas important pa rin sa ken baby ko.

the fever must also be caused by her hand-sucking and lampin sucking. kaya her pedia advised us to buy teething biscuits for her. my baby, magbibiscuits na?! wow!!! ang saya!!! hehe. kaya im trying to look for the gerber biscuits that she mentioned. ayaw nya pag-teether si simone eh kasi the plastic material might not be safe for babies. hmmm....

yun lang, first time sya nagkasakit and i glad it was just overnight. praise God!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The one with mag-ama

Here's one of her latest pictures together with her dad. of course, the ever mommy took this picture and you know what made her smile? "Deal or No Deal!" hahaha. as in everytime sasabihin ko yun, lagi tumatawa. i think it's with how i say it, not on the exact words talaga...as if naman naiintindihan nya ang Deal or No Deal?! hahaha.

Dad and Simone smiling
sayang lang nga, walang shirt ang daddy! haha. pero can you see her gretchen baretto birthmark?! cute noh!? she has everything i wanted, dimples on both cheeks, cleft chin, and the tweetie de leon dimples (di lang ata halata dyan kasi lo-res pic)

here's another one just before she turned 4 months. dami may gusto nito coz terno sila naka-red. hehehe.

Dad and simone2
Simon holding the wondering red cow...

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

The one with 2nd trimester

Simone has entered her second trimester already. At 4 months, she's close to 15lbs, and height is 73cm. duringher last check-up, her pedia told us that she's growing more in height rather than weight now, but she still gained weight, mas obvious lang yung sa height kaya mukha rin syang pumayat. hehe.

at four months, when nakadapa, she can lift her head at 90 deg. and turn from one side to the other. she can support her body with her arms. when lying down, she loves to kick and bend her legs in a semi "indian seat" position, meeting both soles of feet. kaya feeling namin malapit na umabot yung feet nya sa mouth nya. hahaha.

she always holds her two hands together, as in pag nagdedede, pag tulog, laging prim and proper na magkahawak ang kamay, parang nagpe-pray. haha. she always watches us when we eat and everytime she sees us, parang nagtatakam. according to the book What to expect the first year, it's an initial sign that she will soon would want to eat solid foods na. awwww, my baby eating solids na. hahaha. siguro not in another 2 months pa.

i still breastfeed specially at night. since she sleeps beside us, it's easy for me to breastfeed her. i just lift my shirt when it's time and we can both sleep na rin agad after feeding.

she looovveeesss to smile and make pa-cute specially in the morning. super pa-cute talaga! hindi sya yung paggising iyak, sya as in didilat lang ng eyes then smile na kung sinong kausap nya. she loves to talk even if we can't understand her. as in, dami nya ng sounds na alam.

haaayyy...the gift of God talaga, ang galing! pictures to follow promise!!!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The one with OMG!

Oh My Gosh!!! i cannot believe it!!! after 2 months of no blogging coz i forgot my password (blame it on the anesthesia), i finally got back here!!! yahoo!!! i just signed up under the google account! im soooo happy!!!

super namiss ko blogging. i've tried multiply already. well, di naman sila totally magka-level ng blog so i'll still go there and update! yahoo!!!

i'am super back and would love to share pictures of our baby simone and our adventures on parenting...wohoo!!!