The one with celebrating 9 months

Yes, I've carried her for a little more than nine months and after nine months since she came to our lives, here she is now, more than what we hoped and prayed for.


At Max's, she has learned her "bye-bye" sign already. cuteness!


feeling comfy on her high chair


candid shot i got from them...well, since my baby is a photo addict, she still looked. haha.


"me, a princess?!?!?!" bought wands and crowns at richwell sale, i can use them for simone's bday and now she's practicing. although forgive her not so smiling attitude, she just came from colds and slight fever.

love you Francesca Simone!

The one with SM Taytay

Went to the new mall last Nov. 18 (sunday) ng mabinyagan naman ang bagong mall ng rizal. hahaha. in fairness, i love the interior and the stores. very sosyal. it consists of two buildings, one for the stores and the other one for cinema and other recreation thingy. it was another gimmick night for simone since we just came to the mall so simon can at least say he had a weekend to spend since he was so busy he can't even enjoy his weekends with us.


christmas colors pala kme with baby on my sling...really love it!


mommy and baby moment...at the department store. hahaha.


"pa-order!" while waiting for our order at pizza hut

Computer intruder

I was shocked to find early this week that my ads in the site had adult photos which were not supposed to be posted at all. I was supposed to cancel the ads and erase it from my blog but it was gone the following day. I wish I had a popup blocker that could easily detect any spam or destroy pop-up advertising that are not needed at all.

The one with fruits of my labor

Eight pounds...the fruits of my labor, the gain of my pain! hahaha. I weighed in the other night and found out that I already shed 8 lbs in a month. Not bad! I was scared to even try to weigh coz I might be disappointed of finding out if I did'nt lose a pound. Good thing, I lost naman kahit papano. And I'm back with eating veggies which hopefully would make me do it for two more months.

~0~
Simone is 9 months already! She had her regular check-up last Nov. 21 and had her measles shot. She has three teeth already with one more coming out. She can do her "bye-bye" sign already which we confuse with her "close-open" sign. haha. she makes faces and she adores Jollibee so much, and Barney also.

To celebrate, we went to eat out at Max's and she had her first Starbucks experience when I met up with my former officemates. haha. cute baby! laboy talaga!

Of course, the traditional cake will never be forgotten. although a little late this time since we joined it with our monthsary, she still had her cake. we had a Dexter's chocolate chip cake which was not that good by the way. haha.

~0~
I love surprises...and Simon knows this. Last night, he surprised me with this...


Proteus Cycle Magnetic Bike (he got the silver one for me)

I'm sooo touched! see, I'm really trying to be serious on this trimming down and he's very supportive to buy me this! super shocked talaga ako. actually, he claims that this is my monthsary/christmas/new year gift already. hahaha. he told me he was supposed to enroll me in a gym but he hesitated since he knew that I might not have enough "push" to go to the gym regularly. hehe. love you beh and thanks!

~0~
Simone had a return of the comeback allergic rhinitis the other day. huhuhu. and a slight fever came along with it last night. For two nights, I had half-wide awake sleeps since simone was kinda clingy and needy when she's sleeping. now, she's more okay. she has less colds, and no fever already. thank God.

Concert tickets

We love watching concerts and it's too bad we missed the Beyonce concert since we were'nt able to plan it very well. See, we've spent already for our much-awaited Bangkok trip and we hope we'd be able to fly this month, but since our schedules would'nt allow it, we'd have to rebook it and it means additional charges. Not seeing Beyonce was the same feeling we had when we were'nt able to get Hannah Montana tickets. Oh well, I'm sure there'll be a next time for everything.

The one with the Rule of 8

Thanks Maybelle for the tag! napaisip tuloy ako ng random facts about myself. haha.

THE RULES

* write 8 facts about yourself

* in the 8 facts, you share 8 things that your readers don't know about you. at the end, you tag as much other bloggers to keep the fun going. each blogger must post these rules first

* each blogger starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves

* at the end of the post, a blogger needs to choose as much people to get tagged and list their names.

* don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they're tagged and to read your blog

8 random facts about jacque:

1. I have a complete collection of FRIENDS VCD. I love it so much that I still watch it everyday, to the point that I already know the script. The addiction that comes along with it is a purchase of a collector's item of Friends book. haha. That is why all my posts start with "The one with..."

2. I'am into dieting now. It's one month already and 90% of what I eat compose of vegetables and fruits. I really need to trim down. It's a surprise that I was able to go thry the 21-day formation of habit that they say. But sadly, I'm starting to get bored with eating just salad. hehe. need my support system!

3. I'm a BS Psych graduate but working background is purely in Marketing. did'nt even get a chance to practice Psychology.

4. I never thought I'd resign from a fulfilling work to be with my baby more. And I never regret my decision. It's one of the best decisions I've made. Although, honestly, I don't know if this is permanent. As of now, we're looking at this set-up until Simone is a year old.

5. If I have the money, I'd love to travel and explore other countries.

6. I love cheesecakes!!! Always a fan!

7. I'm a lefty at handwriting but was right-handed when I was five years old. My aunt taught me to write on my left and I loved it more. haha.

8. I was elected Muse when I was in Grade 5 and my competitor was no less than Ara Mina who was Hazel Reyes then. hahaha. Im not pretty but you know how it is when you were younger when everything is barkada system so since i've lot of friends...I won! hahaha.

there, im tagging pinky, and jacq!

Online shopping

Been contemplating for a while whether to do some online shopping for some of our christmast gifts or not. Some of the items are just so hard to resist since they are all discounted at very nice rates. And now that I can't easily go out since I'm always with my baby, I find it more practical to do some of this online.

I'm thinking of getting gap coupons for our dads. At least, they'll be the one to check which ones will fit. For our mommies, was thinking of giving them old navy coupons since they've recently launched nice mommy shirts that will go well with them

I'll think of the other items next. In the meantime, I might have to purchase this already.

Enjoying her ride

I just have to post this coz she really looks nice in her walker. she loves it so much, she walks fast already. and we can easily put her there while we do some household chores. here are some cutie pics! pardon her hairdo, she just got out of the bed there.




showing off her "just came out tooth"


"mommy, this is my mataray look!"

Specific budget

Just when we have started planning this birthday, Simon already gave me a very specific budget for the special occasion. I need to make it feasible. Even when we were preparing for our wedding, I never used the word tight budget. It's always specific or practical. It's because I know we are blessed to be able to celebrate her birthday with needed resources, we just have to practically allot something that will not make it look like it's her debut already. hahaha. so, there, a simple birthday will do.

so, simon opened a checking account where we can put our savings for Simone's birthday and just issue checks when we pay suppliers. That way, I don't have carry cash all the time and be tempted to buy unnecessary items for her. haha. typical me.

The one with here we go again

And so the birthday preparations has started. I've met with Emily last Thursday to discuss Simone's cake. We got excited. This time we'll do cupcakes with different princess-themed designs. We'll have cupcakes with shoes, gowns, disney princesses, and castles as designs. I asked her to use solid colors, the darker ones and not the babyish kind. hehe. i want it to be really colorful and use the colors of the disney princesses gowns. :) sooo excited. she asked me about the venue...i had nothing to answer. hahaha. i think at the back of my mind, i have CVJ to book just in case I dont find something i like (read: budget)

~0~
As part of my surfing for simone's birthday needs, I found these nice-to-haves items for her birthday, which I hope to find in Divi when i go shopping. :)


cake plates..nice noh?!


mylar balloons which im sure id have to order somewhere.


love this! im sure I can DIY this. :)


loot chests??? whoa!

there, more ideas to come. oh i really hope i'd get to do some of these. hehe. but first, i gave myself next week to book the venue so we can start working on the invitations already. DIY syempre! :)

all for you baby...

Information overload

I could'nt believe it that my 1G external hard drive was already full. I was in a meeting last monday and was supposed to transfer a file for our reference. Was surprised to see that she can't save it to my drive since no space is available. It's either 1G is just a small memory already or we really have a lot of files. Aside from that, Simon has one too with 50G memory. I might just transfer some of my files to his.

With all the projects we have at hand, I need this all the time.

The one with Aliya's dedication

Last saturday, Nov. 10 was Simone's first time to attend a dedication and our first time to host one. haha. caught there by surprise but all for Aliya, it was nothing. We usually host weddings or church events, but first time for a child dedication. Welcome to the christian world aliya!


Cora neighbors, Unit J before, Unit A, and Unit C!


the Lam sisters...pati si belle may baby na rin?! ang laki agad!


Pastor Ed Bacani officiating the ceremony

Office room

We had to declutter the other room to give room for our computer set-up and Simon's keyboard set-up, so when we had to do rush projects, we can work simultaneously and not wait for each other's turn. So what we did was bought an HDMI splitter so we can connect both out cables there and be able to work together. It was pretty pricey but we thought it was the only practical thing to do, and we're right.

The one with Lan-Lan's wedding

Last sunday, Nov. 11 was the wedding of a good friend Lan-lan. See, he's been a close friend since we were teens and specially with the Tans, he's more like an adopted son to them. So seeing him marrying last sunday was pretty emotional for all of us. We were happy that he's settling down to a lady whom he's been with for a long time already. And I got emotional coz when I looked at him that day, he was really tense and nervous. But when he saw his bride, it's as i f everything was okay already, like he was waiting for her to come and be by his side. It was precious, i could'nt help it. Jasper, the bride, is a dear friend too. One thing I love about weddings is how the couple, amidst the program and the guests around them, can act as if they're the only two people in the world. they don't really care nor worry, just to be with each other is the only thing they wanted. haayy... here are a couple of pictures.


The whole Tan family


nakalimutan kong mag-inhale dito ha. hahaha

The one with the same gown???

Hahaha...I just have to post about this since this is my first time to wear an entourage gown twice. First time when I was 6.5months pregnant and second was just last sunday. Thanks to my ever-reliable MIL, she had to redo the gown and alter it twice to fit my size. naks! feeling payat na. haha.


first time to wear the gown..grabe, soo preggy!


siguro naman may difference noh?! hahaha. kasi kung wala, im gonna die! drama!

The one with a tag

This one came from Rhea. thanks rhea, nakalikot ko rin wallet ko and realized how much trash i have inside it. hahaha.


A worn out Mango wallet i bought from my friend


some of the pics inside and a Starbucks planner promo

What's inside:
Cards (for security purposes, didnt post it na lang..hehe, feeling!)
~ Old and new company IDs, ATM card, 2 credit cards (1 active and 1 display purpose lang), driver's license, Shell fleet card, Insurance card of me and Simon's, SM Advantage card, Laking National Card, Sta. Lucia Discount Card, RCBC promo card
~ lots and lots of receipts
~ lots of calling cards from clients
~ Starbucks promo card for planner 2008
~ Bank transaction slips
~ NBI clearance receipts

literally no cash inside...hahaha...just coins! Alms, alms, alms, spare me a piece of bread... bwahaha

It's your turn hot mommas, I'm tagging Lea, Mec, and Cathy.

Christmas feel

Since it's starting to get colder now and we can enjoy longer nights, I decided to check out some clothes for the season. I went to my haven clothes shop so we can have nice outfits for Christmas. I saw this nice North Face jacket and thought of buying it for Simon. It's a good buy since it's almost 80% off from the prices you see at their shops, although I did'nt buy it since the material is really thick and best only for really winter places.

Might try again on other shops this weekend. Happy christmas shopping!

The one with two front teeth

Took this pic just this morning. Her two front teeth are really out and her upper incising tooth is also coming out...all at the same time! whoa! and I'm proud of my baby coz she did'nt get sick. She got a little cranky specially when her gums are really swollen but only when she's sleeping did she get cranky. When she's up, she does'nt care at all. haha.


Congrats Simone!

The one with almost a month now

I'm on my third week of eating just leaves. hahaha. but i'm so happy people are noticing the results. i have'nt checked my scale yet, but just the same i can feel that i lost weight. Bulges at my back kinda thinned, I have more waist now and I feel like my face got a little smaller. When my friends whom i have'nt seen for a while finally see me, they noticed that I'm back to my pre-preg weight daw and that no one will ever think that I have a daughter. naks! how i wish di lang sila mangungutang sa ken at totoo lahat yun. hahaha.

But whether true or not, I'm just happy that I've accomplished something great. Being able to discipline myself for almost a month is something Im proud of. I really like to eat but now, I'm really decided to get serious with slimming down. haha. so for those interested to know my regimen, here it is.

Breakfast:
1 hard-boiled egg
salad all you want (lettuce, cucumber, grated carrots, lots of cheese, kernel corn and caesar dressing)
*if you dont have hard-boiled egg, you can try bread or crackers.
coffee

Lunch:
Cereal
Salad

Dinner
Salad

yes...walang kamatayang salad it is. haha. but if i'm really getting bored with what i eat, i just drink iced tea or eat something else...except for rice or anything sweet. no junk food, iced tea na ang pinaka-sweet ko.

Every Sunday...it's my rest day. i can eat anything i want as much as i want to. but apparently, i dont eat much pa rin, tama lang. but if i want ice cream or cake, this is the best time to indulge. hehe.

i'm not saying that im slim na ha, i just lost weight and maybe you might want to try it. :)

The one with panic mode

It's only four months until Simone's first birthday and I'm kinda in a panic mode already...but still manageable. Simon and I have decided to work on a Disney Princesses theme so we'd easily get the paraphernalia we need, we can use a lot of elements like cinderella, snow white, ariel and more. I got pretty much excited when we came up with the theme. I was choosing between that and Sesame Street actually but we love the Disney princess more. (although i love elmo!)

Anyway, so far, here are what's on my mind. With a very, very limited budget, I hope i can execute everything according to plan.
~ I was thinking of having a crown-shaped invitation or a wand-shaped one with fur on its sides. The front part will show the details and map at the back. OR I can also do a scroll-type invite but I don't think it's fun to do or colorful at least. haha.
~ Was also planning on going to Divi to sort some items for the party.
~ I also dream to have treasured chests for loot bags, instead of the usual bags. or bags shaped like chests. haha. my goodness, how will i be able to do all these?
~ Then, I like every table to be thematic, more like Cinderella table with bits and pieces of the elements (shoes, pumpkin, prince, etc) or Ariel table (little mermaid theme)
~ OR have corresponding areas for every disney princess. But I dont think I can do this. haha.
~ Cake of course will be done by emily uy.
~ i like drapes, red carpet, and crowns for the kids
~ i like them to do their own crowns, for the craft part. and they'd get to wear it during picture-taking or the whole event if they want to
~ theme songs of disney princesses "Someday my prince will come", "A whole new world", "Part of your world", etc. with some parts where simon will mix simone's babbling with it, as if she's singing the song. (just like the music mix he did. haha)
~ motiff, pink and purple is nice. :) but it's not yet final. parang dull tingnan e.

Oh well, so much so for my dream birthday party. But I hope I'd get to execute some of it. Wish me luck!

The one with leggings

She's a big girl na...this outfit was given to her by her grannies, momsy and popsy. haha. the blouse is soo nice with all the bling-blings on it and they bought her a nice pair of leggings (which is a little big pa but nice) and i matched it with her clear kikay sandals (which i've been wishing there's one my size)


"don't you wish you had the same sandals as well?!" soo nice!


nakabakat ang diaper, hehe. love her smiles!


i hope she got my feet...

~o~
Simone at her 8 months has been pretty amazing. To keep myself on-track, here are some of her developments:
~ Two weeks ago, she learned to clap! so cute! grabe! at first, she does'nt get to meet her hands at times but she knows the concept already. she claps when she's happy and when we show her to do so. But sometimes, she does'nt clap even if you do it in front of her. she has her own timing. swerte na lang if matyempuhan mo, haha. thus, it was difficult to video it. but i've managed to do one. unfortunately, i cant upload it in my PC. :(
~ i'm assuming she's also getting the baby sign language i've been teaching her. the catch is, im the only one doing it to her so she does'nt know how to sign it yet. It's the sign "more". and im not pressuring her to do it since i know she has a lot to learn pa from her surroundings.
~ She knows Jollibee already! Just the other day, Nov. 6, and she was on her yaya's lap, we stopped at Shell along c5 beside jollibee resto. while gassing up, my yaya and i noticed she was smiling at someone or something. then we looked back and saw the big Jollibee sign! hahaha. it was sooo cool! she giggled and shouted as if excited to see jollibee. We knew she was looking at jollibee coz i tried to drove around and really saw that she was staring at jollibee. haha. i think it's because of the tv ads and when we hear the theme song, we dance around her, so she got to know jollibee early. But she knows ronald as well. :-)
~ Two of our friends already told us that simone has this "nakakaloko smile". more like a "pilya smile".
~ She gets more active as days pass... as in!

Decorations

Just a while ago, I bought some stuff for Simone and just when I was about to pay, I saw a pile of Christmas decors just before the counter and ended up buying some for the house. They are so nice yet cheap.

I bought one silver christmas tree that I can hang on the door, two feather-style silver and white wreath that i can hang on the bedroom doors just beside the wall sconce. I think it will give more warmth in the hallway, better yet a nicer feel of Christmas at home.

I'am really excited for the holidays!

The one with the 22nd month

Last Oct. 22nd, we celebrated our 22nd month! yey, we are so happy that we are nearing our 2nd anniversary and that so much has happened this year. We are blessed with an 8-month old daughter who is now teething so much that she would always, always drool or put things in her mouth. haha. Simon is blessed with a work he loves dearly, we are blessed with a music studio that we've put up with. God is giving us projects for the business. And I'am blessed to be a mother, a wife and a business mom. Everything is good.

We had dinner at Cafe Mediterranean at Robinson's Galleria and we enjoyed the gyro plates we ordered and the salad, yummy! After that, we watched "Apat Dapat" hahaha...i know, but the story is different from other comedy films you've seen and the execution of the cast should really be recognized. they are all good, although you can't really help that filipino comedy films are sometimes corny, if not slapstick.

Happy monthsary Beh!

General cleaning

Yesterday, we had the luxury of time to clean the whole apartment, from our room to the living room. I realized just how much we have of so many things and how little our apartment is that we don't know where to put other things anymore. We don't have a garage but would'nt it be nice to have a garage storage that can accommodate Simon's tools and all other things that are car-related. We only store the tools on boxes and we pile them up and store them on a cabinet. I labeled every box so we'd know where we'd look for whatever we need.

I just wish we have a bigger place...or should I just wish that I can let go of the things that are less valuable anymore so we'd have more space?

The one with missing it?

I happened to browse on Mec's blog regarding her updates on Yakee and all since she's not online that often anymore. And there I read how she had postpartum blues and how she was simply overwhelmed with all the events taking place.

And as i was reading on, I can't help but miss the younger months of Simone, when she used to be just as fragile and as babyish as yakee. She was so clingy to me that I can't even enjoy a nice long bath coz I myself dont want to 'leave' her. haha. true! and when all she can do before was shift her side sleeping position from left to right or barely lift her head.

Somehow I miss those days, I don't miss the sleepless nights but I miss the time that all she does is sleep, feeds from me, sleep again, cry, pee and poo. haha. now, she's still a baby of course. but she's more active now, she tries to tell us what she wants and tries to get the things she likes. She's trying to be more independent now and the endless exploring of things around her is boundless.

Oh well, I may never go back to her younger days but I'am so looking forward to more of her...

Shopping for myself...nah!

Yesterday, we had some time to spare for a little date. It's Simon's parents anniversary and we had our tripping in the afternoon. We left Simone for a while with them so we can buy some things at the mall. When we were about to park, just out of the blue, Simon gave me shopping money! haha, so happy! All for my whatever things I'd like to buy.

But then again, I really can't help but buy baby clothes for Simone...at least two. And buy some things that she needs. Haha. So it ended up with me buying one shirt and the rest for Simone. I don't know if I'm being too 'mommyish' that I always put her first, but I'm happy and I always take care of myself so no worries, I'm still one pretty-looking mom. haha. forgive the boost!

The one with pictures, pictures

I promised to upload some more pics...so here are bits and pieces...


move over Gretchen Barretto... (plains and prints original models)


her first time to sit on her booster chair (we forgot to tie it up on a chair and just laid it down on the floor. haha.)


giddily excited on her glider!


may candid pang nalalaman ha


where i belong...hahaha. bright lights kami lahat. a pic taken from our 22nd monthsary. :)

The one with hunting

As per my previous posts, we are currently sort of hunting for the right property for us. Just maybe, we can afford already to acquire one, we're open for what they can offer. And so, after the endless texts and constant invitation of our realtor, we decided to take a peek on the different properties that we might be interested on. We will go with a tripping tomorrow after church and I hope we'd get some ideas and great deals.

Survey anyone???

If you have the time to spare to answer my Fragrance survey, please do so! haha. I'm doing some marketing consultancy on the side for a group and this survey is a part of the business plan. thanks so much! you can send an email to dec_22_05@yahoo.com or just leave me a note so i can email the survey. It's a one-pager form, so no worries. thanks again!

On investment

Of course, investing on one's future is very important and I'd have to give birth first before I finally saw the importance of investing for your family. Investments comes in many forms and one of these is an insurance. My family works for several companies that caters to insurance and we are thinking what to get for Simone. We were thinking of a life insurance no exam policy but we don't have an idea of how to go about it. We are also thinking of just investing on funds or something that may equal the benefits of an insurance. we'll see. God provides.

The one with the iceberg

And the iceberg has finally come out. haha. her gums were already torn from teething and a whitish thing which of course is her tooth is starting to come out already! We found out last October 19. happy! we were all betting when it will totally come out. Simon bet Oct. 28, I'am for Nov. 5 while her yaya is Nov. 6. haha. She's starting to bite already. haha. and she's not cranky at daytime, only in the evening that she's a little needy. maybe she can feel her gums swollen or something. Go for it baby and congratulations!

~ o ~

When Simone turned 7 months last month, I think she started to show most of her developments at this time and up to now. We are amazed of her developments that I can't seem to track all of them. She now uses her walker which was a gift to her by her grannies (pictures to follow), of course we still "gabay" her as we want her not to get used so much with the walker. She has mastered "appear!" already and Eat Bulaga where she puts her face on a pillow to hide her face and lifts her face up when we say Bulaga! haha. she also now responds to one-task command and recognizes when we say 'no'. she also loooves hair product commercials, haha! (ironic, she does'nt have much hair e) she also responds when we talk to her or when we sing to her, as in sagutan ha. haha. she also responds to both her names, chesca and simone which is nice, at least, whichever people want it, she knows it's her. Simon tested it by calling her pokwang in between chesca and simone and she did'nt respond. haha. She also reaches for things that we hide, she knows where to look for it already.

When we are in front of our mirror (we clipped one picture of me and Simon there), we'd always ask "Where's mommy? Where's daddy?" and she'd instantly looked at the picture. galing!

She can also sit down by herself, although not too long since we don't want to pressure her with doing it. She's more of the standing up and the walking type of baby. She crawls also but she learned the walking and the standing up faster. We still hold her though to support her but people are amazed when they see her walking. too early daw for her age. hehe.

we are so proud of her, she's really growing up really fast. We love you baby!


told you, she can smile like a model!


see??? i can sit down!


balance, balance (forgive the quality of the pics...bad)


"im tired with sitting down...i need to eat...ahhh! my foot!


you like some, mom?


my best trainer...

And the challenge goes on

On my fourth day already of trying to lose weight. In the morning, I ate one hard-boiled egg, one piece of hotdog (which I should'nt have) and the nesvita-like drink that my father in law gave me. and i think it worked, I never got hungry til 2pm. promise! hehe. and now, Im just eating salad with tuna chunks. really getting serious with this.

anyway, as i was again surfing for best diet programs and products, I chanced upon hoodia patch. I don't know if they have it here in the Philippines already and I don't intend to but it yet. I just find it interesting that by taking it, your brain will tell you that you're still full even if you're not. It seems psychological so that's the thing I'm a bit doubtful about, but would'nt hurt to know more about it, would it?

Surfing the world

Obviously, I'am what people call a computer addict. I've been blogging since 2005 and have used this medium as my online journal. And whilst surfing endlessly, I chanced upon Rio Las Vegas while looking for nice places in the US. When you talk about this city, words you associate it with are fun, lights, casino and entertainment. It's like there's no dull moment and everyone is just our to have fun (or gamble). It's not yet on my wish list but would'nt it be nice also to be able to go to the only place where anyone can get married over night. haha.

The one with Pay It Forward

This post is specially dedicated to Baby Hannah Ysabelle, one of the strongest babies I know and would love to meet in the future.

All of us moms have the same dreams, same aspirations and same desires for their unborn child...that h/she will be born as normal as any other person is, that s/he will be free from any disease or any physical abnormalities, and will be physically well-developed.

But God knows all things... He holds the masterplan of our lives. For things that we cannot understand, there He is in the midst. And for this instance that Baby Hannah Ysabelle was born with a case not known to most, if not all doctors, this condition is something that needs a lot of faith.

And with this, I ask you to visit this little angel's site at http://hannahysabelle.multiply.com and if God is speaking to your heart, please do so. Any amount will help her make it through another day. God bless everyone and it pays to pay it forward.

Determination

I decided to continue on my weight-loss program regimen...again. After attempting to start on it two weeks ago, I ate a lot again after a week. huhu. but now, I think I'm more determined to start eating right to lose weight. I really need to be more fit for the weddings we have to attend to and I'm really not used to having so many flabs all around. Since I already ran out of excuses of eating so much since I stopped breastfeeding already, I really need to do this right.

Anyway, I started with this exercise video which we bought from a bookstore. It's one of those as seen on tv products and I hope it'd work on me. As to eating habits, I don't eat rice anymore and I'm on my third day already. I only eat bread during lunch or salad and soup. Just today, I had soup for breakfast and two hard-boiled eggs. For lunch, I had salad and soup. For dinner, I still don't know yet.

I really hope I'd be up for this. I also gave myself Sundays as my rest day. I can eat anything every Sunday only. Yipee!

The one with Tagged

Thanks Peachy for the tag! I had fun answering it and I realized that I'm such a pakeelamera. haha.

1. Are there any babies in your family or circle of friends?

Simone is the first grandchild on both our families (me and simon's) but come december, she won't be the youngest anymore! She'll be an achie already to Justin, Jane's baby (my SIL). and we are all excited to meet the little boy!

2. Are you one of those people who use a high-pitched, sing-song voice when talking to babies and small children?

I can't say coz I have a malambing voice to start with. hahaha. but seriously, I love talking to babies but we dont baby talk simone. we talk on our normal voice so she can easily understand what we're trying to say, although mine is a little high-pitched so she'd pay attention always. (as i've read somewhere)

3. If you were standing in line next to a *very* pregnant stranger at the bank or grocery store, what would you say to her?

If we've exchanged smiles already and I'm with my baby, I might start a conversation by asking when she is due? I don't want to assume that she's near her due date already by asking "kabuwanan mo na?" that would be really annoying since that only means that she's really big for her term. haha. or I'd probaby just smile. I can talk to strangers but I also choose the ones I talk to.

4. Similarly, what do you say or do near babies in public?

I just smile. I rarely do Peek-a-boos. Most of the time, I ask the mommy how old her baby is. haha. Im so nosy. I dont know, maybe I want to compare her baby's height and weight with simone. haha.

5. When walking through a department store, are you the sort of person who can go by the baby clothes without even a glance or do you have to stop to ooh and ahh?

Never. I can go home without buying anything for myself but I'd always make sure that I've passed by the baby section of whatever mall. I usually check out clothes and what nots for babies. Since I have a girl, I love to dress her up, usually with all of us three on matching outfits. I also look for items on sale or any promos.

I've tagged Con, Lea, Cathy, and Kathy. Enjoy motherhood!

Favorites

Back in the late 90's, the first animated film shown in cinema was the one with the Circle of Life theme song. I still remember when we got the Lion King tickets and watched the film with my family. It is a really family-oriented film. The moral lesson is for everyone, not just for kids and I can still remember the scene where the King talked to Simba while they were walking and was sharing a very beautiful life lesson. It's definitely one of the best movies ever.

The one with 8 months

It was a double celebration this time. It was my mom's birthday celebration and Simone's 8th month bday as well. We had it at Jack's Loft in Eastwood, Libis. Since it was an early dinner, more like 630pm, we used their sofas which happened to be a smoking area pero no customers yet since early pa nga so clean pa ang air. haha. then, we immediately ordered food since all of us are hungry. I ate..hmmm, what did i order?? i seem to forget...wait, I ordered, ahhh! Beef in Mushroom with gravy on bread, we had paninis, lasagna, stir-fry which is good, penne, and grilled chiken plus calamares and chicken fingers as starters. then we ordered their famous fishbowl iced teas which were apparently effortless to my two brothers to finish.

Simone slept on the first half of our gimmick. She was tired since she did'nt sleep the whole day. We woke up early for church, headed to Simon's parents to have lunch and stayed there til afternoon. So it was pretty much hectic. Here are some pics.


di naman nagpapasabi...ang puti ng baby ko! hehe. (with my brother, tito mike who celebrated his bday as well last oct. 20!)


the two bokals of my life...


with tito mike


"mom, i told you, im not used to lights!"--simone carrying her I declair cake from Jack's loft


lambot ni lola


the fermins (with me as the photographer...as usual)


the best picture of them all...very nice! she looks like 2 here. haha. (with her grannies)


It's always fun to be with a family and I'll always love them.

The one with updates

I have a lot to blog about but since I'm at an internet cafe right now, I won't have the luxury of time to blog all about it...plus I want to put them in detail, on separate posts. But just to give you a gist, we pretty much had a hectic yet wonderful weekend. Simone's grannies bought her a walker already, we celebrated with naan at Holiday Inn Galleria for her birthday, we had dinner last sunday with the fermins to celebrate my mom's 56th birthday and Simone's 8th month bday. haha. then, yesterday we celebrated our 22nd monthsary! nice! will kwento soon and pictures really soon!

Christmas gift

As a lady, I've always been fond of accessories, but would'nt it be nice to have a nice set of jewelry that's a little pricey and elegant. Something that you can actually wear on formal occasions and something that's of real worth. The only pieces I wear everyday are my wedding ring and my engagement ring. Since I don't do corporate meetings anymore and only go out for errands and informal meetings, I want something that you can wear everyday but will not go out of style during formal occasions as well.

Simon promised to get me an eternity ring...I just forgot to ask when he will give it to me. hahaha.

The one with the advocate???

I'm sorry but this post is not intended to judge someone or any organization's mission for that matter. I've been wanting to post about this for the longest time pero i keep on forgetting. Anyway, I saw on the news last week about a celebrity who is a new mom and since she's going back to work, she'd had to lose all the post-pregnancy fats and underwent an operation. She also had a bust reduction which eventually led to her not being able to breastfeed her baby anymore. I'm okay with that since she had her reasons but one thing i was not comfortable when i saw the interview was that she had a breastfeeding advocate who will donate breastmilk for her baby. i mean, my first reaction was, "There are more babies in need of breastmilk than her baby?!" Her reasons for the bust reduction was medical reasons but hey, being an advocate, i think it's more important to look into the welfare of those who are in need more than you are. and if the donated breastmilk will be given to other babies whose mothers really ran out of milk or those who are in need of appropriate nutrients, then the world will be a much happier place.

There are only a few breastfeeding advocates here in the country and there are a lot of babies in need of breastmilk. I think it would have been much nicer if she just did'nt accept a donor.

Just my two cents worth.

Trick or treat or trip?

Yesterday, Simon and I had the afternoon to ourselves. We went out since Simone is with my parents' custody. haha. And as we were shopping for some clothes for simone, i chanced upon this animal costume which is really cute! I wanted to buy it for simone in time for halloween. I know we don't celebrate those occasions but would'nt it be nice for her first halloween?! Simon disagreed big time and so I did'nt buy it anymore. and it's a baby costume so im sure it'd fit simone just right. oh well...too much for spending a lot. haha.

The one with check, check!

m reading this book (among other books pa) "What to expect the first year" and it gave me joy having to tick almost all of a child's development at this age. here are some that simone has been doing already or can do already:

Accdg to the book, by the end of this month, your baby should be able to:
1. feed self a cracker -- CHECK! (she's learned this for some time now)
2. bear some weight on legs when held upright -- CHECK! (actually, ginagabay na namin sya)
3. sit without support -- CHECK! (but not that long pa)
4. object if you try to take a toy away -- CHECK!
5. work to get a toy out of reach -- CHECK! she'd roll going to the toy or reach for it or even crawl
6. pass a cube or other object from one hand to other --CHECK!
7. look for a dropped object -- CHECK!
8. rake a raisin and pick it up in fist -- CHECK! although in her case, she picks up my earrings and plays with it (or pull them from my ears)
9. turn in the direction of a voice -- CHECK! has been doing this since she was 6 months or earlier pa. galing! musikera!
10. babble -- SUPER CHECK!
11. play peek-aboo -- CHECK! she already knows the concept of eat bulaga na nagtatransfer ng side. kunwari tatago sa likod tapos sa left magpapakita, mamaya titingnan nya sa right, hanapin nya dun yung kalaro nya. hehe.

she's growing up really fast...

The one with meeting Jollibee

While everyone was preparing for Pacquiao's big fight, we had a quick lunch at Jollibee Makro so we dont have to cook anymore, since Tin is on her day off. anyway, it simone's first time to meet Jollibee and okay lang naman pero she was happier meeting Ronald Mc Donald. hehe.




si daddy photogrpaher namin. hehe.


I'm Beary Cute!

Timeless time

When you talk about watches, I'am someone who does'nt own a lot but I would love to have a nice piece that's a little expensive. The most expensive piece I have is a Tissot ladies watch which was offered to me by my ninang mares. I bought it three years ago and now that it's asking for a partner to switch places with it, I'm thinking if an Audemars Piguet will fit me. Would'nt it be nice to own something that's really expensive but useful at the same time. You can also have it as an heirloom. very nice.

Although by the time I can afford it, I should be rich first and have a Jaguar. haha.

The one with the weekend that was 2

Sunday came, we went to church early. and went to Ever mall (how sosi!) to buy gifts for the joint bday celeb of jane and oliver at greenland. and of course, our rush baby shower for justin. haha. i really dont like rush preparations. nonetheless, we bought a musical mobile for justin, something that he will surely like.


my baby's first time to wear her osh kosh green shirt. fit na sa kanya! (with her titas jane and jenny)


and so the OC in me reigns again. di ako papayag na sila lang ang terno so i changed my outfit immediately. haha. really love this shorts on her...best buy talaga!

so many food, they had baked lasagna, morcon, pork with mushroom, shrimp (yum!) and a chocolate cake made from scratch by chef popi (the best sa kape!)

we did'nt have anymore pics kasi na lobat batteries. dang!

The one with Moving out?

Ninang Celia emailed simon that the house we wanted before will be ready for rent next month and she offered it to us first before she can offer it to others. we wanted it so badly before since it's a big house and all our stuff will easily fit. Now that it's vacant again, I'm weighing things if i want to get it or not. First, it's an additional rent expense of P1,500.00 although 7k rent for a house is practically cheap but since it's farther from where we live, gas expense will be higher of course and everything else. Second, when I move in to another house, I want it to be our own already. But since we're still saving for the down-payment and honestly, we have'nt found the "IT" house yet so we can't possibly process our pag-ibig loan. On the other hand, I want to move in there for the ff. reasons: first, our car will have its own garage finally and will save it from rust. second, it's nice to have a place where you can roam around, have an attic where you can use it as a mini-studio or art room. third, it's near the new SM city taytay! as in, just beside the village so we can go there if we want to and save aircon! hahaha. (but im serious)

we're praying for it...and help us be enlightened. what do you think?

Timeless time

When you talk about watches, I'am someone who does'nt own a lot but I would love to have a nice piece that's a little expensive. The most expensive piece I have is a Tissot ladies watch which was offered to me by my ninang mares. I bought it three years ago and now that it's asking for a partner to switch places with it, I'm thinking if an Audemars Piguet will fit me. Would'nt it be nice to own something that's really expensive but useful at the same time. You can also have it as an heirloom. very nice.

Although by the time I can afford it, I might be buying a Jaguar as well.

Furniture galore

If we will be moving in to the house that was offered to us before, I think we will be in need of more furnitures since our furnitures before were chosen because of the size of the apartment. Now that we have a bigger place, we might consider purchasing a dining room furniture. This will easily go along with their white dining area and the dining furniture will easily help us put simone on her booster chair. For this house, a formal dining room furniture can be considered but a lighter use of light wood and simple design might be better. We go for modern designs more and since it suits our age and lifestyle, we want the contemporary dining room furniture for the house. I think it speaks more of us.

Aside from this, we'd also have to consider buying more cabinets and a nice living room furniture. and the spending goes on... haha.