Is It Christmas Yet?

Every year, mi esposo and I prepares a 3-item wish list. We then grant 1 item from the opposing list which will turn as our gift for the other. This year was a bit different, we had an unplanned Christmas shopping and brought each other gifts even before the list was jotted. We also bought a shared gift for the kiddos, which I really, really like. Super early as it is, it is expected that someone will be itchy to open his present, guess who he was.. 

 

 

No other than, the youngest (at heart), mi esposo himself. Every day he peeks at his present and tells me how excited he is to finally opening it. After 2 weeks of abstinence, he really cannot control it and finally gave-in to his hunger and begged me to let him open his unwrapped present. He wore it on the same day.

 

Hay, kids are really impatient with things like this, they can’t wait.         

His' is the Best

There are times when I feel God doesn’t hear my prayer. There’s this typical afternoon.. okay, let me first define what's typical afternoon for me is – it is the time of the day wherein my kiddos are having their mid-day nap and I am free to do the not-taking-care-of-kids-related things like washing of feeding bottles, cooking, washing baby’s cloths, ironing and cleaning (we’re maid-less remember?) within the timeframe of their naptime.

 

So, on to my story, there’s this typical afternoon where my mind was bombarded with piled-up chores, I incessantly prayed to have it all done and have the luxury of at least 10 minutes rest before 1 of the kiddos wakes up. I was on the middle of the last task when suddenly Dos awakes. I took him and proceeded to the same corner of the bed, our usual feeding spot, only now with cloths ready to be ironed on it. Feeling upset knowing that I will not be able to finish the ironing and will have no time to stretch a bit, I knew I had an unanswered prayer. Staring at the cloths in front of me, I realized I was so relaxed. It was the most comforting feeding time ever. Dos immediately went back to sleep after he finished his milk and I was able to finish my work plus a bonus of 30 minutes break before Uno wakes up.

 

Sure God did not answer my prayer but He gave me better – an in-between break plus a culminating rest. How could I? Of course, His plan is always better than mine.   

Stress-Free December

I learned that the company I previously worked for had their Christmas party already. As I was browsing their uploaded photos over Facebook, I can’t help but be nostalgic of my days as an accountant. Yes, I am an accountant before I served the government and be the President’s typist. lol Going back, I know December is a busy month for us in the Finance Department, this is the time where the Book of Accounts are closed and the start of preparation of year-end financial reports for its submission to BIR. We almost always talk about taxes and irs form and other accounting "technical" terms. Hah, so tiring and stressful, I’m glad they already had their party and had fun before their 24-hour shift kicks-in. I’m also glad I won’t need to spend overnights in the office as well just to beat a deadline. Well, I guess being a typist has its perks too. Hehe

As to my present employer, I was touched to receive an sms invite for our Yuletide Party. It was so nice of them to remember me and asks my presence even though I’m on leave. They said I am welcome to tag my kiddos along which made me more excited. I just hope we could attend.

Reward System

December is the most rewarding month of the year, money wise. It is where the bonus and extra bonuses are expected to be received. My employer (who happened to be the Philippine Government) is about to implement a new basis in giving extra bonus next year. It will be a performance-based bonuses which can range from P5000-P35,000 per employee. I am not sure of how the new productivity assessment will work but I am sure it would be a cause of arguments between co-employees once it is implemented. I mean, can you really say that there’s good, better, best office in 1 organization? I still believe that every office must be working together to achieve the mandate of the agency as a whole and should not compete with each other for the sake of getting the “best” reward. Oh, but it was carefully deliberated by genius minds, I am sure my judgement is wrong and the plan would turn out to be beneficial to all ends.

 

Well, that’s for 2013, for the meantime I think I must collect all the TimothySkykes updates I can get and be able to put my best penny stocks online so that I don’t need to rely on whatever monetary assessment my employer will give me.

10 Days After...

My birthday and my surgery I was able to go out by force again. Although it is not advisable for my condition to travel far, I took a chance and gave mi esposo a nod knowing he was planning for it the whole time. It was so sweet of him to prepare some sort of a reward for my successful delivery (and my birthday as well) and who am I to refuse such offer. But going out means being away from my newborn which gave me a mixed feeling of excitement and the lack of it. But if there’s one good thing from the said time out, well aside from the sumptuous Corniche Lunch Buffet experience, was that it led us to individual insights and newer prospective, pretty petty but yes beneficial for us.

After our lunch, we headed to scout for a 7-seater vehicle, finally. The one we have right now is a 5-seater sedan which can only accommodate the 4 of us (think of a 2 spacious car seats) and no room for any other passengers like the nannies. I was telling mi esposo the need to replace it since time immemorial but it’s only now that he figured it out and became eager to meet his growing family’s demand. We are actually selling our present car (2009 Honda Civic 1.8s) to meet this need, if interested and for complete specification you can leave a comment.

As for me, I just realized I need to start losing my pregnancy belly. They say it will not lose until you wear a binder which I am refusing until that day. But since I figured none of my clothes fit my tummy still, I need to do something about it or else I’ll need to spend the precious family income to buy new set. 

I hope everything materializes in no time, hopefully lesser than 10 days after this posting.

Domesticated Gods

I gave birth a week ago (October 26 to be exact, a day before my birthday) to a bouncing baby boy (ultrasounds are accurate after all.lol). Mi esposo, myself and so as bebe uno cannot be more blissful with this new addition to our family. I am so glad with the reception uno is giving dos, she does not show jealousy or whatever. She’s so loving and attentive with his needs and provides him affection that she can give. I am also thankful that I am recovering faster as compared to my 1st surgery. I didn’t endure the pain longer than the usual and can perform my normal routine just few days after. Unfortunately, mi esposo cannot enjoy his 2 weeks paternity leave as planned. Our househelp left us unexpectedly a week before my delivery which left him with no choice but to be the domesticated gods.

Having mi esposo during these times is like having a stock simulator. You can entrust him with everything yet you’ll still get a service with a smile. I especially admire him during this trying time because he gets the full load and still has the guts to be enduring and uncomplaining. He’s even more patient now with uno’s tantrums and is very sensitive to her feelings.

 

His paternity leave is about to expire and it will be my time to be the goddess, I can do it of course, it’s all about WallStreetSurvivor if you’d ask me. The only problem is the kids and I are going to miss him and I cannot help but be emotional every time I think of that.

 

I just hope he’s not excited to report for work just so he can avoid the chores.lol

Oh, How to Do? What to Do?

I’m back! Not literally though, I was never gone (yet) anyway, it’s just that I made some reconsiderations yesterday and now back to my old cramming style. I have decided since last year that I will not throw a party for mi bebe’s 2nd birthday but with a little sun kiss from mi esposo’s lunch blowout, I changed my mind and in a snap wanted to give her one now. In less than 2 weeks of preparation and with my present condition (about to give birth next week), I feel so positively helpless. Positive because my mind is still in proper order to instruct and decide while helpless because I need a dummy to do things for me. This is obtainable I still believe, the only problem I am seeing is that nobody matches my good taste (ehem), I’ll just have to remind myself to be forgiving and be lesser OC. Hehe

Warning to all possible attendees: this would not be as grand-fabulous as her 1st birthday because 1) budget constraints – I am giving birth remember?, and it’s by CS session which is more costly; 2) I do not have my hands on it; and 3) limited preparation time. Good thing mi esposo okayed my proposal but with the condition of: it must entail lesser work for me (being in the recovery stage) and for him (being the doting caregiver). That leads me to 4) expect a generic fast food chain party, when I say generic it means everything is fast food chain bought items (from food, prizes, loot bag, mascot and decors) and 5) it would be near our house which is in Bulacan.   

So tomorrow we are to scout on nearby fast food chains and inquire about their party packages then we’ll decide on what theme we’ll have for her, so far her current fascinations are Spongebob, Dora and Hello Kitty we will be sticking to one of those. Since me and esposo already agreed, I just hope to get a thumbs up from our dear budget as well (that one would be the hardest to convince).

His Time of the Year

                 “I distinctly remember your birthday was last year” - Mother Gothel
            “That’s the thing with birthdays Mother, it’s an annual thing” - Rapunzel 

                                                                                                     from the movie Tangled

It’s his birthday once again, mi esposo that is. Let's rather not talk about his age, not that he is concealing it or his in the state of denial but I think it is irrelevant. What’s important is he’s still as playful as a 7 year old boy, charming as a 4 year old child, stand like a 16 year old guy and thinks and speaks like a 45 year old gentleman. That will give you more or else an idea of his age, his 72 (total of all those numbers. lol). Kidding aside, his young and vigorous and proud to be 34 today. 

 

Birthdays are supposedly fun and happy milestone, isn't it? So let's skip the drama, don’t expect a dramatic post for him full of cheesy words, we’re not that kind of couple, we’d rather tease each other and laugh with our hearts content than display publicly our affection. We can always save our sweet talks inside the bedroom anyway (don’t think green, it’s our only place of solitude (or go ahead, you can think green. lol)). 

 

What I really would like to say is, I’m glad I married a child, a boy, a guy and a gentleman in one person. With him I have a confidant, a lover, a funnyman and a human fountain of youth – all I’m praying for in a husband (being my driver, runner, houseboy, handyman and nagging-absorber were a bonus). Such a lucky girl I am.   

 

I know I said I would not say anything cheesy, but please excuse this thought of mine, it's his birthday anyway (since he’s into biking nowadays, let me stick to that): 

               Me: If I was a bike I wouldn’t mind crushing..
               Him: Why?
               Me: Because I don’t want us to break. Boom!  

 

Happy birthday Ba, my labs, my better-half. Be happy and enjoy life. I love you so much.

Nesting Instinct

Have you heard of such term? It denotes the urge of pregnant women to clean and organize their house in advance of their baby’s birth. I was not aware of such pregnancy trait until I personally experienced it with bebe uno. We started organizing her nursery 2 months before my due date and in 3 weeks’ time (5 weeks before the due), it was all set - ready and waiting for her to come. And true enough, I gave birth through an emergency CS the week after. She was only 36 weeks basing on the ultrasound, but thankfully the Pedia who was with us during the delivery affirmed that her actual age was already 38 weeks, it was really her time to say hello.

It was actually mama who made me realize this, she said that uno was excited to go out because her room was ready. Maybe that’s the reason why I am delaying the set-up of the new nursery this time around, that’s the reason why I don’t want to show my excitement, I want dos to be delivered exactly on cue. But can you actually delay his coming by not entertaining your instinct? I don’t think so.

My nesting instinct is starting to manifest. But my other instinct tells me to stock-up blog post (especially those that needs to be posted on a specific date). I may not be able to make an update when my maternity leave kicks-in. For sure I’ll be a super duper busy momma attending with kiddos left and right. Well, that’s 1 thing instinct need not tell me.        

So Much To Do, So Little Time

It’s getting near. In 2 hopeful weeks I’m going to deliver our bebe dos. I don’t want or cannot be excited (or at least say or show it) because I want him to come out on our chosen date. He might feel my fervour and decide to give his nanay the favor of popping out sooner than planned. Oh, no baby boy, don’t do that.

 

Honestly, we are not really that prepared yet, we are still in the process of converting the bedroom into a nursery room (again). Actually, we started reorganizing the room a month before my scheduled CS but stopped last week to give way for my baby shower. We’re still yet to buy newborn baby stuffs, those that cannot be handed down to him by his sister or his cousins. I also plan to pack our hospital bag. I’m hoping against hope to finish it all this weekend. No, my to-do list cannot be associated with cramming. I am not cramming, it was all part of my pregnancy timeline (or at least I want to believe it that way. lol).

 

It’s going to be a busy weekend for us in the house, I pity mi esposo, I’m sure he cannot go away with his demanding wife. tsk tsk tsk

 

TGIF!

My "Surprised" Baby Shower

It was held at my in-laws, actually I knew mi esposo was cooking-up something for me and bebe dos (he told me so it wasn't really a surprise party), but all the details of which was concealed from me. It was all his effort from the thoughtful coordination, listing of menu/guests, to marketing, down to the preparation of the food to feast on that night. I was forbidden to go out of the room but when it was time, oh boy I'm speechless!

Buffet table and decors. Everything was in perfect order.


The Program. It was Flo whom he assigned to prepare the program and host the party. It was hilarious. I kept on reminding myself to tone down my laughter or else I'll give birth right on the spot. 

 

 

Cakes. The diaper cake was a gift from my SILs Minnie and Ana, they made it from scratch. The edible cake was a gift from my friends.

 

Gifts. Dos was given useful gifts by his soon-to-be godparents and well wishers. I'm sure he'll like it as much as I did.     

 

 

Thanks to my friends who came and shared their precious night with us. I thank my PILs for opening their doors and my SILs for helping mi esposo out.  

 

 

This party would not be as memorable and fun without you.

 

 

Most especially, thank you mi lab for putting an effort in all this. I know this is something new to you, that you are not very good in pulling off a surprise but you did a terrific job. You made me and the little one inside my tummy so grateful. I congratulate you and thank you so much, I could not ask for anything more (except for the lazy boy I was telling you. lol). I love you so, so much. 

 

Buckle Up for Safety

I can’t remember when mi bebe started to assign herself in the passenger seat. At first, she wanted to seat beside her tatay so we allowed her especially if we’re going for a short trip only. But when we realized that it’s becoming her permanent spot, we decided to buy her a toddler car seat, although using car seat in Manila is not for strict compliance, we still felt the need to get one for her safety. I admire mi bebe for being a responsible passenger, she behaves well, stays still, doesn’t play with the various buttons in front of her and most of all she knows that she needs to wear seatbelt. So far, this set-up fits us right, especially for me and my baby bump. As a back seat passenger, I am free to move around, I can easily provide assistance both to her (giving her milk and/or her pillow) and her tatay (giving toll fees and whatnots) plus my tummy is safe from her accidental hits.

Last Friday, we brought her to office, we didn’t bring her car seat because I thought it’s better for her to seat beside me so she can sleep, but when she boarded instead of lying, she instantly asked for seatbelt. Then she noticed I was not wearing mine, she immediately said “nanay sibelt” although my tummy is not comfortable with it, I had no choice but to wear mine too. The funniest part was when I handed her stuffed toy for her to embrace, she said “no, piglet sibelt”. So there, all 3 of us wearing seatbelt, safe and sound. lol

 

photo courtesy of Ninang Flo

 

Do you Think I'll be Rich?

We usually hear from financial experts to not be dependent on a sole source of income, no matter how stable it may seem. They always say to look for opportunity to earn aside from your steady salary. I think it is a logical advice, but no matter how I tried, I really am not a risk taker when there’s money involved – not a criterion of a good business man. What I was thinking is to earn using my skill, talent or interest – which I am still clueless whether I have any of those. lol Being a Korean english tutor is one good option, but I am not sure if I’ll be an effective one. I don’t have formal training and exposure to this kind of profession.

 

Yes, if you notice, I have tones of excuses and yes I’m tad lazy. I’d rather spend my spare time relaxing than stretching a bone for that extra money. Don’t you think it’s more fun to spend than to work hard to earn? Just teasing (but seriously, it is. hehe). Well, I’m still praying for a typhoon of money or receive a huge inheritance from a multi-rich - unknown relative.

 

Oh well, at least there’s blogging for me, the closest way in earning extra.     

My Maternity Photo Shoot

Finally, here they are! Photo samplers from my Mafia Themed Maternity Photo Shoot courtesy of good friends from Pixel Pix and Xposure Factory. The shoot was initially planned in 2 locations: 1) rice field with my glamorous mafia mistress costume and 2) by the road side as a mafia girl. But the main photog, Fidel wanted to achieve a good yellow hue from the sky above the rice field and blueish black along the road so we waited a little later before we headed to our location, while killing time we did some practise shoots in the dining table (why in dining table? I’m not sure, Fidel liked our table I guess) wearing an impromptu costume. We didn’t anticipate a quicker sun down so we only had limited shoots along the road, I also forgot to wear my fedora hat, my knee-high stockings and my tie because they were hurrying me up to catch the sunset.

 

Pixel Pix charges P2,500 for 2hours of maternity photo shoot with unlimited shoots (location and theme of your choice) plus 11x14 blow-up of best chosen shoot in frame. I can say it is so worth it. Fidel was also easy to deal with and was always available (pre and post pictorial) for inquiries and brain storming. He knows his craft and produces a really quality outputs you’ll surely love and treasure.

 

Enjoy the pictures below! :-)

 

 

 

 

Borrowed Angel

What do you need to say to ease a mother’s sorrow? I say none. There is not a word to comfort her, not in her grieving times. You can always say the sweetest thing, give the soundest advice and provide the most comforting guidance but you still cannot stop her from weeping.

 

There is no greater love than the love she poured over it, the connection between them and the tie that bonded them even for that short span of time. Nobody felt its presence more than she did.

 

It’s in her, but you can never blame her for losing it. There is nothing or no one to be blamed in the 1st place. Not a worldly grasp can rationalize the reason of such fate. You can never even say it’s God’s will, God would never desire His child’s forlorn. I say not a mortal comprehension. 

 

Let her cry, let her grieve and let her weep, for at the end of the day, it’s still she who would heal herself. 

 

There is not a word you can say, but there is always one thing you can do. PRAY for her.

How's My Driving?

The whole agency where I work for was shocked by the news that one of the shuttle bus drivers (D1) got involved with a serious traffic accident. Apparently, he collided with a tricycle and it took its driver’s (D2) life. Investigation revealed that D1 was also a victim of the circumstance, it was D2 who counter flowed which made D1 impossible to avoid. But since there’s life involved the D1 surrendered himself to the police and took full responsibility of the accident. Good thing the lawyers from our Legal Office was there to offer assistance for D1 and were as diligent as the dwi Arizona lawyers. The next thing we knew D1 was out of police detention.

 

You really cannot trust drivers these days, that I am constantly telling mi esposo every time he holds the wheel. No matter how cautious you are, there are lots of crazy, irresponsible drivers on the loose that would really test your temper. The key I think is to always keep cool and be patient on the road. But I guess the government should really work hard in educating drivers of the traffic rules and reprimand them in case of violation. It is only the law enforcers who can discipline them and revoke their licenses if necessary. Anyway, driving is just a privilege and never a right.

Protective Instincts

Mi esposo and I took the day off yesterday to attend to some personal matters. Our bebe was the happiest, she was all smiles seeing me beside her when she woke up and knowing that her tatay was just in the living room. She was enthusiastic the whole day and made “pa-bibo” (antics) to the max. She was interacting with the characters from the Nick Jr. shows, singing their respective theme songs, counting with the Team Umizoomi, marching with Dora the Explorer and dancing with The Backyardigans. I bet no facebook smileys from www.myemoticons.com can match her ecstatic face yesterday. She even made a jingle out of own words using Dora’s song which goes something like this: “where are we going (clap, clap, clap) daddy’s house” (if you watch Dora I’m sure you’ll relate). She was so funny and so entertaining.

 

But what I find relatively funnier later that day was mi esposo. He was setting his bike in our backyards when mi bebe followed her. I was confident that she’s going to be safe there so I didn’t bother to come after her. When all of a sudden, she came crying back to me. We were clueless as to what happened but after our short talk, she told us she was bitten by ants. When she was calm I thought that was it, we just went on as usual. But mi esposo cannot let it pass just like that, he returned to us and told our bebe that the ants were already gone. He even murmured that he didn’t mind them when they bit him but biting his bebe was a different story.

 

It was just ants, I cannot imagine more with boys who will make her cry (in the farther future). Lol

My Little Turn on the Catwalk

Thank goodness for a bright-sunny day yesterday, my maternity photoshoot pushed through finally. It was originally scheduled Sunday prior to yesterday, but due to the bad weather we decided to re-sched it the following weekend. The team of photographer was nothing new to me, they were the same people I spent my entire highschool life with, the same group I was telling here and the official photographers during mi bebe’s 1st birthday bash, they are my highschool best buds. Mi esposo was surprised with my guts and my confidence, he didn’t expect I was that “game” with my modelling stints (not to mention with my outfits and the location). Well, I just want to level the brilliance of the photographers, that’s why. I don’t want to be a nameless model who’s trying to be primadonna, I’m super professional you know (wait till I become famous. lol). But most of all, I really enjoyed the shoot and the people around me, it was such an experience. I have below some behind-the-scene shoots taken by mi esposo. He was just trying to capture and I just want to show how dedicated this team was, that we were serious about this as much as we enjoyed so much. I would tell you next time the details and show the photos of the actual shoot. But for the meantime, you can also check their other projects here and here.

 

When It Rains, It Pours

Funny how my officemates are trying hard to rearrange their tiny office spaces just to accommodate feng shui teaching. They even shop for what is thought to be lucky items and put it in their respective tables to attract good chi. I’m not sure if they have achieved their desired luck after two weeks of passionate following, I am not even sure what luck do they need. I am just glad the luck somewhat bounces to me, indirectly though. Lol

 

It’s actually mi esposo who’s been receiving blessing after the other these past days. It started when he attended a work related seminar where he won both a special prize and the grand prize, the latter was easily monetized the following day. Then the next day, I was surprized to receive a dinner package, I later found that it was intended for him (only coursed through me) as a gratitude for extending his IT expertise.

 

I didn’t know these things overwhelmed him, mi esposo admitted he is afraid of what might be the take-back of all these lucks. I assured him these were his blessings and not mere luck. It’s the reward for his goodness and is not something he needs to pay off soon. And after all, he has a pregnant esposa (oh, you know the saying).

 

Pouring blessings, I just hope the (literal) rain will stop this weekend. My scheduled maternity photoshoot must push through.            

Know What to Say

Please excuse my post for today, it’s not original but I just can’t let this short story past without sharing, it’s sort of related to my niche anyway. Every wife (okay let me not include other wives without their consent), let me rephrase - I as a wife sometimes thinks of the worst while mi esposo is out for a drink. It’s not about trust or the lack thereof, but you cannot ever trust alcohol, can you? Not to mention peer pressure which I think is scarier. Things like boys night out are unavoidable, there’s nothing I can do but to pray for his safety and to keep him sober enough to hold his values intact. I hope that this story is not just a fiction but a daily practice of every good family man, wasted or otherwise.         

 "The Hangover"

A husband wakes up at home with a huge hangover. He forces his eyes and first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table. He sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all cleaned and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order spotless and clean. The rest of the house is in equally good shape. He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table.

“Honey, breakfast is on the table. I left early to go grocery shopping. Love You!”

He is totally shocked by the loving note. He goes to the kitchen and there is a hot breakfast and morning newspaper ready for him. His son is eating at the table. He asks, “Son, what happened last night?”

His son says, “Well, you came home around 3 a.m. drunk, puked in the hall and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door”.

Confused, the man asks, “So why is everything in order and so clean? Why is there breakfast on the table waiting for me? I should expect to have a big quarrel with your mom!”

His son replies, “Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom and when she tried to take your clothes and shoes off, you said, “Lady Leave Me Alone! I’m Married!”

MORAL OF THE STORY:  Saying the right thing while drunk – “PRICELESS” J

Lucky 9! Lucky 13?

Chinese beliefs would tell you 13 is such an unlucky number and we as Filipinos, who are greatly influenced by them, embrace that philosophy as well. As much as we could, we avoid the association of this number in our endeavours (buildings do not have 13th floor, we never deal on the 13th, especially if it’s a Friday) for it is believed to bring bad luck. That was my exact thoughts at the night of September 13, 2003. It was then when he asked me to be his girl. I was hesitant to give my “yes” following that belief but who holds the future? Plus he was so persistent and determined to get a positive reply, so I agreed to give it a try and marked it as “our day”.

 

Unlike new couples, we didn’t have a smooth-sailing beginning. A week would not pass without us arguing over petty things. But what’s good about us was that we never gave-up. We both lived with the idea that it is unhealthy to get-back together once there is break-up, so we always talk about our conflicts and we compromise, until we get tired of fighting have adjusted with our differences and learned to give-and-take. That was how we lasted. Honesty, trust, loyalty, submission, open communication, patience and lots of patience are our key up to now.

 

Most of all, our 9 years of togetherness made me realize it wasn’t all about love. Every relationship needs divine intercession more than anything. It is true that you have to put God in the center of your relationship for a stronger foundation. That’s our secret, we always see to it to pray together before we go to sleep. We are thankful we lasted for 9 years amidst our inauspicious date. 

God is our best antidote for bad omen. We are luckier He gave us each other.

Not a Desperate Housewife

I am happy with how mi bebe is manifesting her intellect. As early as 22 months she can count to 10 without sweat. She can even recite a whole sentence from her favorite book. I am so pleased with it and inspires me to do better as a self-proclaimed educator.  

 

Incidentally, I met with my former colleague last Friday night. We work together for the government for almost 2 years before she transferred to the private sector, now she’s a stay-at-home mom. I can still remember our chit-chat times where we shared our fascination of becoming full time housewives, we always dreamt of running the house ourselves and having lots of time in our respective kitchens. We wanted to be hands-on mothers, we wanted to be our kids’ very own tutors and see with our own eyes each milestones and achievements they make.

 

Her kids are now 6 and 4 years old, both in school and due for their periodical exams. She even made it as an excuse for being late that night. She said she reviewed her son first before leaving the house. She even admitted that she has a lot to (re)learn too. She needs to be updated with everything in order to be an effective tutor.  I’m happy she’s living her dream. I wish her luck.

 

As for me, I am yet to teach mi bebe the 26 letters of the alphabet. Or should I potty train her first?  

Just for a Night

Last Friday, our house help welcomed us with the news about some rare astronomical occurrence. Apparently, that day (August 31) was a blue moon. She was asking mi esposo what that means, I retorted “once in a blue moon” straightaway (that’s all I know, honestly). Everybody laughs but no one can give better answer. Upon research, I found out that it’s actually the 2nd full moon within the month (traditional definition states it’s the 4th full moon within a season) and usually happens every 2-3 years. That’s the technical definition, but what I want to know is the folklore behind it. After some indolent browsing I found an interesting one, it’s says “For pregnant, full moon brings on labor”, and on a relative note, “Saturday is the best day for giving birth”. I was lazy enough to stop from there.

Luckily, I didn’t labor on that day, not because it’s not Saturday but I am not yet due. What I found rather unusual that night was that I slept ahead of everybody. I usually am the last one to sleep taking mi bebe into consideration, I have to make sure that she is in her sweet slumber before I can make my own. Oh, but my beauty rest didn’t last that long, she woke me as if telling me she’s ready to sleep. At least I had an experience.      

Can You Bear Some More?

Our city government has yet started on a new concreting of road project last week. And yes, constructions (or concreting) such as this causes heavy traffic and burden to motorists and commuters. Everyone I know from our place rants about this new project, not that we are anti-progress but because we think that it is illogical to dig almost 50m length of road when all you have to fix is less than 10m long. But who are we to judge, we didn’t see the project plan, we are not construction engineers, there is nothing we can do but to endure month long (just 1 month please) of traffic jam.

 

But aside from the longer travel time, my main concern is the burden mi esposo has to withstand in driving. I can feel his exhaustion every time his dealing with jams like this. One time he even said he would teach me to drive once we acquired an automatic vehicle. As much as I would like to give him the credit for being the sole family driver, I didn’t argue and just agreed because I know it’s his way of telling me to help him.

 

But then again, it will surely be not at this time. I am yet to learn how to drive, pass the actual driving test and the written exam, I hope the dmvcheatsheets drivers test is applicable in the Philipines so I can review and surely pass the exam and get my driver’s license. And most importantly we need to acquire an automatic vehicle first, which I think will take longer than getting my license or even the concreting of our city’s main road.

Relationship that Lasts

My new PC was installed at my work station today, FINALLY, I have to emphasize the word because it took more than a year before our unserviceable units are replaced (I work in a government organization what do you expect?). I can say it’s worth the wait because according to the IT expert (who happened to be mi esposo) who installed our new PCs, ours has the best specifications so far. It has a DVD rom and multiple card reader slots – which was not available with the previous PC purchases. Our PCs also comes with 19” LCD monitor, optical mouse plus a 1:1 PC – printer ratio. It’s an HP Compaq with Windows 7 OS and i5 processor.

 

Those are the specs I heard he told my officemates a while ago. Honestly, I’m clueless about this. Ever since we got together, especially now that we work under one agency, I left all the technical stuffs to him, not that I’m not interested but more of my way of submitting to him. I just want to give him the spotlight and the proper self-worth he deserves. I don’t want to be a know-it-all kind of wife and wants to make him feel that I’m dependent with him on some aspect.

 

I believe that in every relationship you have to give your better-half a sense of pride for themselves. That you must make them feel you need them as much as you show you love them. In that way, it will help you live a healthy and lasting relationship.

 

Can I just say, I need my PC badly. Hope we’ll have a lasting relationship too.

The Next Big Fighter

I just want to share this cutie clip I videoed this morning. I was doing my office routine early on when this little one was unstoppably making a scene inside my tummy. I thought it was funny so I decided to capture it without disturbing him but I think he read my mind and stopped for a while until he regained his confidence and gamely showed his stunts in front of the camera again. Although it was some kind of a discomfort for me feeling that eeky movements inside I gladly tolerated him knowing that it a sign of his good health. I don’t have any idea on what he was doing, is he doing his morning exercise?, Is he too big thus pushing my organs away from him?, or is he training to be the next Manny Pacquiao?

 

 

 

Accomplishment Report

August 2012 is a blessing to working parents, like us, and our kiddos. This year, we had 2 consecutive long weekends, which meant longer time to relax and spend together. But unlike most families there, mi familia decided to spend those 2 weekends inside the premises of our home, its more relaxing and convenient for the family members, no one needs to drive and no one needs to plan, budget and pack (of course the latter would surely be me), we just made sure to stock-up a lot of good movies and munchies that could go along with it. Mi esposo and I also thought it’s the best time to finish our longtime house-chore backlog, he to fix the cable reception inside bebe’s room while I to declutter our marital room. But 7 days of no work was not enough for me to… even start on it (I’ll try next weekend again..hehe). On the other hand, mi esposo was able to fix the cable reception while lying, hmmm that’s a little unfair, but finishing his task with no sweat gave him a lot of sweet moments with his bebe. Aren't they so sweet?

               

But our greatest achievement over the weekend was being able to try the most talked about doughnut in town. It was not an easy grab, for we lined for almost 2 hours just to get our precious 1 dozen. The doughnut was worth the sacrifice though, but I hope its patrons will not recourse to that tough challenge again, soon.

Thank You in Advance

I am still undecided whether to shower the arrival of bebe dos or not. Budget is one consideration (although nowadays, you do not need to spend on ink cartridges for the printing of invitations because you have the option to send it online or via text) but I think the bigger factor is the stress. Having a party, especially if the venue is your own home is so strenuous. It demands a lot of cleaning, decorating, cooking and after party cleaning. I am sure hosting a party will affect dos’ tranquil moment just like what happened to uno before.

To give you a clearer picture, my 40th week of pregnancy will fall on the 2nd week of November, but since I gave birth with uno via caesarean section, my OB advised me to schedule my delivery by the end of October (around my 38th week) to avoid labor. I still do not conform to her ideal date yet because I want to devote my full attention to uno on her birthday which will fall on the 2nd of November. I promised my OB I will not labor until I reached my preferred date. I know it’s an empty promise, I can never be “that” sure unless I help myself to relax and to be worry free.

Or unless someone will organize and worry for the party for me, why not?! I would gladly grace. =)

Hitting 2 Brains with 1 Book

I am hesitant whether I am giving mi bebe dos with proper nourishment he needs for his developing brain. I am aware that as early as his embryo stage he is already picking-up and learning almost everything that I feed him. That is why it is important to talk to him often, read educational materials and let him listen to soothing music as much as possible to boost his intelligence. But I am guilty of not doing it frequently. You see, I have bebe uno who is so demanding (and clingy) of my attention. The only time I can devote for dos is when I’m in the office - that is every break time – which he also shares with my lunch and power nap.      

But my hesitation was removed early this morning when I had a chit-chat with 1 of the parishioners of St. Jude Parish as I do my usual Thursday ritual. She guessed bebe dos' sex and proclaimed herself to be a fortuneteller, I was about to ask more prophesy when she laughed, of course she’s just joking, how could I? But she gave useful advice, she told me to prepare dos’ future profession as early as now. She told me if I want him to be a doctor I should tell him the parts of the body, if I want him to be a lawyer or president I should read him simple materials related to it. And it doesn’t have to be directed to him, I can say it out loud.

What a relief. Every night, I read books to uno, I review her with the parts of the body, I teach her to pray, we sing, we dance and we count ‘til 10, we mimic animal sounds and we identify colors, shapes and things. I didn’t know that as I teach uno, dos learns as well. Now he has lot of career options in the future.      

Confession of a Beaten Wife

My 4 years of marriage gave me the freedom of experimenting in the kitchen. I used to cook for my maiden family once in a while but am limited to the usual dishes because 1) I am lazy; 2) I don’t control the pantry and 3) I am not compelled. Now that I claim the opposite of those 3 (not sure of the #1 though) I have to do better. I scout for good recipes and tryout new dishes. I simply enjoy being in the kitchen and receiving compliments during meal from my only patron. But it seems a traitor is silently taking over my throne. Nowadays, I noticed his eagerness to learn the dishes I prepare. He would standby in the kitchen to watch me cook, he would even tell me to teach him the procedures because he wants to do it on his own. I should’ve not trusted that spy.

Yesterday, he came up with a very delish meal. It’s his own mind you, no recipe book, no coaching. Just pure love and hunger I guess? lol He cooked crab meat with shrimp in chili-garlic sauce, something I never dared to cook. It was the best! I forgot about my status and instantly gave him the throne together with the crown and the scepter. I’m dethroned by no less than mi own esposo!

Enough drama queen. lol I must confess I loved to be “beaten” like that.

"Japorms" of a Preggy

I miss dressing-up.  After almost 3 months of using the same old loose dresses, over- now undersized shirts in leggings and flats, I’ve come to get tired of it. I miss the days were putting a cloth-on has limitless option, I miss the days were I can dress according to my mood, my sense and my jive. I know my baby bump must not and should not be a hindrance in dressing, that even pregnant women can still be fashionable if not fabuloso. But I’m frugal, I don’t want to accumulate things that will only be deemed useful for less than 9 months so I don’t buy as much as others do. Actually, I only bought 1 piece during my 1^st pregnancy which I used only for the baby shower. I guess I can only do so because I’m lucky to have in-laws who get pregnant ahead of me and are willing to hand-down their sentimental collections - that applies with my 2 pregnancies. Don’t get me wrong, this boredom is not brought about by the cloth per se (I do not care if it’s 2nd hand as long as it provides comfort) but by the drawback of dressing in my present condition.      

But today, wash day Friday, I surprised everybody with my ensemble. I’m wearing a shirt (brought before I got pregnant), running shoes and how do you know – a denim pants! My officemates were amazed that a big bellied me can still afford to be in denim (it’s a maternity denim actually, one of those hand me down items). Now this is what “japorms” is all about. My skinny jean and stilleto can wait.

As Happy as She Can Be

Today is my mama’s birthday. It’s been a sibling’s tradition to chip in a more or less equal amount for her birthday present. What funny though is that our gifts are most likely what we want to have for the house rather than what mama really want or need for personal consumption, since it’s a gift she doesn’t have a choice but to accept it whole heartedly. haha But I think she appreciates very gift nonetheless, I think she acknowledges the fact that the house really needs that specific item, that’s why. It was always like that since I was in HS, I remember our 1st collaborated gift was a punch bowl, we really like to have a punch bowl ready in our kitchen, that time we just borrow our neighbor’s when the need arise, so ate and I decided to get it “for her”. As our buying capacity improves our gifts for her improve with it.

But this year mama outsmarts us and requested for a gas range before we even realize what the house needs. Ate and I (yes we always decide. ;-)) gave a nod and presented our own specifications. She wants it to have a rotisserie while I want spacious burners plus you cannot get a range without the hood so put them all together and my kuya gets a heart attack. Lol Unfortunately, he cannot argue further it’s for mama after all and it’s divided by 3, our little bro will shoulder the installation, fair enough.

It’s just a little something as compared to her huge contribution to our wellbeing. We just want to make mama happy.

Kitchen Make-Over

Our family decided to renovate my parental home to make new space for the kitchen. We thought that the existing does not serve its purpose well as designed. This time, we didn’t consult an architect, my brother and I just collaborated to come up with a suitable design to meet our (cooking) needs and the budget too. Of course the lesser labor force involved, the lesser cost it will take. But since we didn’t hire an architect (together with his whole entourage of workers), we are faced with the “who will work for us?” dilemma. Getting a reliable construction worker is so hard to find these days, especially in our side of town. How I wish there is something like installitdirect which will take care of this project just like in US where they have install-it-direct san diego synthetic turf, but I can only hope.

So far, my brother contacted a laborer to do the roofing, he is due to report today and start on the roofing, while the mason and his helper are due to report tomorrow. I hope they are true to their words because this renovation needs to hit its finishing stage before typhoon Helen makes a landfall this week.

As I said, I can only hope for the better. I promise to try-test this new kitchen as soon as it’s completed. Better start scouting for new recipes now.

Sex vs Gender

I remember an interesting comment thread on my Facebook wall some 2 years ago. I was just conceiving mi bebe then when a HS friend (A) asked me what my baby’s sex is. Fellow HS classmate (M) commented and said “sex talaga, pwede naman gender ah”. Of course everybody in the thread knows there was pun intended, A is openly gay and M, as I assume, intends to make a good laugh out of it. A could have been the laughing stock among us teaser friends, but he immediately responded before anyone could even hit the comment button, with intellect he said something like this: “Sex is the appropriate term, you know why? Because sex states the biological difference and gender is the social orientation”. I was stunned, I automatically consulted Wikipedia to verify and yes, "Sex is annotated as different from gender in the Oxford English Dictionary where it says sex "tends now to refer to biological differences, while . . . [gender] often refers to cultural or social ones" (underline supplied). In other words, sex is to male or female while gender is to masculine or feminine.

To be honest, I didn’t know there was such a distinction, I thought gender is just a civil way to say it (I guess M thought the same too), apparently, sex is politically and grammatically proper. Ooops, I forgot to tell that A was our batch salutatorian and a BS Bio graduate, he should have known better.

Oh well, all I wanted to say is... our bebe dos is a boy!

Mi Bebe @ 21

How time flies. Today mi bebe is already 21 months old. Every day, she demonstrates new progress which amazes, surprises, annoys, entertains, irritates, makes us laugh and make us proud. Some of her advancements include:

• She calls herself by her name. Recalls and calls familiar people by their names.
• She communicates better. She can say more words and understands a lot more.
• She responds to simple errands/instructions. She can throw trash in the bin, picks-up or get something when told, turn-on or off appliances (especially TV and electric fan) and wipes her face when needs to.
• She’s familiar with her routine. She brushes her teeth after meal, combs her hair and apply lotion every bath, knows where to seat and how to behave inside the car and gives us our indoor sleepers.
• She shows affection and concern. She taps someone’s chest when she hears them cough or choke, she calls everybody when its mealtime, she ask me to put rice on every plate even her yaya’s and hands me my pre-natal vitamins every after meal.
• She’s a drama queen. She plays pretend a lot, she cradles her baby doll to sleep, she shams her cry to get something and she holds the phone as if talking to someone most of the time.