checking in

Halu, halu! Singit blog amidst this crazy busy holiday! I got back from Iligan last December 26. Lots of stories there. =) We did a lot of errands when we got back and then got quite busy again with the business community Create Abundance (I'm now a core team member! Yipee!). Check out our online community here , you'll find my face in their front page. haha. Nag-plug pa noh? I'm now in for a really exciting journey towards financial freedom through this community. Na-eexcite na ko sa dami ng mga free books and audiobooks and our gatherings and all the learnings I'll acquire from my mentors there. I've blogged before that in 15 years time, we might actually be earning our first million. After I joined the community, I'm quite sure I'd be able to achieve this in 2 years time...or less!!! Exciting! My family is my greatest motivation for this. Husband is sharing my excitement as well. If you wish to be part of this great community, just let me know. You can text me at 0916-5316580 or 0923-6363614. =)

So there, we just got back today from a wedding of an officemate and we'll be waking up early morning tomorrow for another friend's wedding in Greenhills. There's also another wedding on Saturday, Jan 3. So, wedding marathon na talaga ito! hehe. New Year lang ang pahinga. =)

How's your holiday so far? =)

vacation mode

I'm very much feeling the holidays! Every weekend is hectic and we almost always start the day very very early. The past 3 days have been extra special. Will post about it in my multiply account tomorrow. Hehe. Pasuspense pa noh?

I only have to go to work until Friday and then I'm officially on vacation until January 2. Yey! Saturday will be spent on giving gifts to our relatives and godchildren because we're flying early Sunday morning to Mindanao. We will be back here in Manila on the 26th and then the days following will be busy with weddings we have to attend to (I still need to find a suit for J).

Bakasyon na naman. Happy Holidays! :)

my 5 success

Part of what I learned in my seminar last night (I'm finished with module 3 of the wealthcourse! yey!) is to list down your 5 successes everyday. That way, your successes will be more glaring than your failures. Being successful is a habit, as what my mentor told me. So let me share to you the things I consider as my successes for this day.

1. Touching words from a friend who reads my blog. Thanks Jackie. =)
2. Crocs orders. Yey!
3. An insightful discussion with husband this morning.
4. I have finally released that proposal letter that has been in draft mode for so long.
5. Finishing module 3 (well, this was late last night's success. hihi.)

Crocs for Sale!

I'm selling crocs for only 1,000 pesos! Any design! They are authentic crocs but are export overruns that's why they're cheaper than those sold in malls. Guaranteed no defects. You can view the items here. There are available designs for women, men and kids!!

For orders, you can send me a friendster message or testimonial or you can email me at the following email addresses berna.gutierrez@gmail.com or bernagutierrez@yahoo.com. Happy shopping!

come fly with me

It's confirmed. We're flying again to Iligan to celebrate Christmas with J's family. I'm excited but a bit sad. This will be my first Christmas away from home. Huhu.

I sure hope we get to go white water rafting in CDO this time and I would love to see more falls! hihi.

fruitful weekend

Saturday, i dragged the husband to our early morning appointment in Ortigas. We were to attend the Cashflow 101 workshop conducted by Create Abundance Community . I so wanted to get J involved with this, for him to get a glimpse of what I've been up to for the past weeks and for him to personally see that this could actually change our lives. I told him it was going to be fun. After all, we are only going to play a board game! This game was designed based on the best-seller book by Robert Kiyosaki and the main goal is to raise one's financial IQ. And so we headed off 8 am on a Saturday to Pearl Drive in Ortigas despite the resistance in my husband (gusto pa nyang matulog).

The game lasted for about 3 hours and yet I didn't feel it was that long. I was so caught up in the game, I even wanted to play longer. I was clueless on what to do at the start. There were opportunities being presented to me but I didn't know if it's a good opportunity or not. Not until I experienced some losses and gains was I able to learn how to really play it. Our facilitator also mentioned some points during the middle of the game which helped us decide on the opportunities. The goal of the game is to get out the rat race (which I'm in right now. my life seem to be only within the cycle of paycheck-paying bills-paycheck-paying bills). During the start of the game, all of was wanted to land in the "paycheck" box wherein we receive money from the bank. This was our salary. And then later on, when we knew better, we're all disappointed if we landed there. All we want is to land on the opportunities.

I learned a lot. And so did the husband. Now both of us has increased our financial literacy. I'm definitely playing this game again. I need to play 3 times before I can qualify for the Cashflow 202 game. If you're thinking that I just buy the boardgame, it costs a freakin' P15,000! Mahal no? If you're also interested to play this game, let me know. =) The fee is only P200 (includes lunch and bottomless iced tea while you're playing) and I promise you it will be money well spent.

Saturday was spent on raising our financial IQ, Sunday was spent for shopping. Haha. We took advantage of the Pacquiao game early Sunday morning and headed off to the Richwell Trading Center Sale in Libis. I got this information from blogger friend Mai. Since we haven't shopped gifts for our nieces,nephews and godchildren and we don't have the EQ to go to Divisoria, we decided to just buy all the toys in the Richwell Sale. As expected, the place wasn't crowded. And, again, as expected there were a lot of good items on sale! Imagine a barbie doll worth only P400! At ang ganda pa ng lalagyan. The only problem we had was the ventilation. After about 30 minutes inside the building, hubby and I were kinda nauseous already. But since I was hell-bent on completing the gifts, I shrugged off the queasiness and proceeded to rummage through the items. In less than 2 hours, we were done shopping! Hubby was extra surprised when our bill totalled to only P2,500. We bought 9 toys. All were really nice and affordable!

There were a lot of good finds there. I was amazed at the affordable Baby 1st items especially the bath tub seat I've been eyeing since time immemorial. Hubby wanted the Chicco stroller and the car seat. Educational toys were everywhere. We were so tempted to get all those for our JB but maybe due to our Saturday workshop, we had the discipline to stop ourselves from doing so. Haha. Wala sa budget ang magshopping for JB dun e. We've shopped for him already. Maybe if we'll have an extra budget towards the later part of December, we can probably drop by in the warehouse again. I figured, everything will be at rock-bottom prices on its last day (Dec 23 I think) because I noticed the salesladies further slashing the prices in half in some of the items.

After our Libis adventure, we headed to Landmark Trinoma to buy clothes for our not-so-young nieces, nephews and godchildren. Again, few people in the mall. Parking is hard though! In an hour, we were done! It's really so easy when you're not competing with a lot of people. The salesladies attended to us well.

We got home just in time for the 2pm delayed telecast! Isn't that good time management or what? hehe.. =)

me, the entrepreneur

I've been busy the past 2 weeks with this online business community which aims to teach their members to achieve financial freedom. I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur. In fact, I even enrolled myself in an MBA program before (which I still have to finish btw). When I got married and when I had JB, all the more that I felt the need to have my own business. I don't want to be a corporate slave for the rest of my life. I may have climbed up the ladder but the price I have to pay for this is very high: my time. And time with my family is very important to me especially since JB is still young (I'm hoping that I can homeschool him when he's 3) and I have to be available on the few times that the husband is home (and this sometimes doesn't necessarily mean weekends).

I can always have time if I quit my job but that would mean strain in our monthly income. So business is really the way to go. This way, I own my time and the possibility to earn is endless. So I have been racking my brain on what business to venture on. I guess the law of attraction is indeed true as I received an email one day from a fellow military wife inviting me to this business community called Create Abundance. I'm sharing this to you because on the two times that I attended their focus group discussions, I have learned a lot. We even made a major overhaul in our budgeting process because Create Abundance taught me a money management system that really works! I have already finished module 2 (the program is until module 3). There's an assignment after each module and right now, the task on hand is really testing my "diskarte" and creative abilities to the core. Still, I'm learning. It's like I'm in MBA again. Only this time, it's for free!!! I didn't have to shell out 20K per term. haha! I only have to pay for my starbucks drink everytime I meet up with the group for the discussions. This could be the start of something grand! =)

If you want to join, just click on this link. Joining will just take 5 minutes of your time and it's pretty much just like friendster, only it's a business community. You can also check their website for more info.

the sweetest words

For quite some time now, JB had been calling everybody with specific names. The only problem is, he calls everybody by how I call them. For example, he calls my dad - daddy, my mom - mommy, my tita - tita. Even his cousins, who he's supposed to call tito, he calls them kuya. The only thing he got right is how he calls his dad. And me, he doesn't address me by any name. Except for that one time when he called me "na". I suppose that was short for "berna".

Last night was monumental, I was about to leave the room to get something from the kitchen when all of a sudden JB called me "ma". And then I turned to him and saw him with a bit of frustration on his face (probably because I put him down in his crib), and then he said it again, this time it was more clear, "mama". It was the sweetest word anyone has ever said to me.

great 8!

Happy 8th month birthday baby! Mommy will be home with cake and pancit. Lola's bilin: Malimutan mo na ang cake, wag lang ang pancit. For long life daw. =)

At 8 months, you can now recognize the people around you and you now have preference as to who will carry you. You prefer daddy and lolo over everyone else, much to the delight of your dad (sha daw ang favorite mo). Everytime you'd see new faces, you won't cry, you'll just give them your killer stare. It's as if they've done something wrong. Buti na lang anak cute ka kaya hindi sila na-ooffend. haha.

You try to stand by yourself, without clinging to any object. Your favorite meals are potato and banana. You'd get mad at your lola if your lunch is just cerelac (which means lola didn't have time to cook your meals). You smile and jump everytime mommy comes home and you'd be restless until I carry you.

8 months flew by so fast. I guess I was so busy being amazed by you.

tired...and it's only monday!

It's the first day of the workweek and I already feel like it's Friday. Hubby left at 4 in the morning to head to Tarlac. Thanks to schooling, he's regularly home on weekends but I'm also constantly sleepy during Mondays. Zzzzz..

To add to my fatigue, I have a new role here in the office. This can be my time to shine, but I can also fail big time. My head is spinning with all the projects that I need to start. I need to f-o-c-u-s.

Hubby and I had a serious talk over money matters last weekend. We need to start sticking to our budget, seriously. We have had numerous spur-of-the-moment expenses which costs us a LOT. We also talked about the investments we have to make. Based on my computation and if statistics would not change for the next 15 years, we should have saved up our first million! Achieving this in less than 15 years would be fantastic. We just set a realistic timeline for us. This would entail a lot of discipline when it comes to our savings. Plus, we also want to live in our own home. This should be a reality 5 years from now. And just now, hubby texted me about a business plan that could bring us closer to our goals.

Just thinking about all these plans are making me tired already. Haha! Lack of sleep, my work, money management, plus a number of extra-curricular activities and trying to calendar all the activities for December are draining my energy. I need to go home. And sleep. And start tomorrow refreshed.

electric bills

Our last month's electric bill shoot up to a whopping Php 9,000! Considering that I don't use the aircon often and that we don't have that much appliances, I decided to take matters in my own hands and researched on how to compute for our electricity bill. All those computation in the billing statement just makes me woozy (even if I'm a math major). A colleague told me about Meralco Appliance Calculator. It's a user-friendly way of computing the cost of consumption for each appliance. It's a good indicator which of our appliances are causing the big bulk of our bill. They even have energy saving tips!

So did it work for me? I was able to account for the 7K of our bill. For the 2K, Meralco will hear from me. :P

P.S. This is not a paid post. :)

Enchanted Kingdom promo

To my friends from the military, here's good news for us all. =)

ENLISTED ENCHANTED

Promo period: October 16 to December 19, 2008

Mechanics:
1. This promotion is open to all officers, enlisted men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), as well as their civilian employees, who will be given a FREE Regular Day Pass upon presentation of a valid ID.

2. For every AFP or PNP ID presented, a maximum of five (5) of their dependents or family members can avail of Good-Same-Day Regular Day Passes at a discounted rate of Php 350.00.

3. The free tickets acquired under this promotion are non transferable, cannot be rebooked and cannot be resold. Transfer of tickets will result in confiscation, and will render them null and void.

4. This promotion cannot be used in combination with any other existing EK promotion.

5. The promo offer can be availed of at the EK Front Gate Ticket counters in Santa Rosa, Laguna and at EK Makati Sales Office.

Promo runs from October 16 to December 19, 2008.

You can visit their website for more details.

pedia visit

JB had his 3rd dose of pentaxim last Saturday. We're now 3K poorer but this is one expense that is on top of our priority list. We had a very long talk with his pedia. JB's tummy area had been dry for the past weeks and the pedia told us that this could be three things:

(1) allergy to soap
(2) allergy to chicken
(3) atopic dermatitis (aka skin asthma)

For number 1, the pedia decided to change his soap from J&J's top-to-toe wash to Cetaphil soap (300 pesos a bar!). She added in her prescription Cetaphil lotion (jaw-dropping 600 pesos!) to be applied on JB's tummy thrice a day. My mom was already suspecting that the arroz caldo we fed him might have caused the dryness so we stopped feeding him that since last week. It's a good thing, though, that the dry part doesn't seem to bother JB at all. He's not scratching it or anything and he's still his usual active self.

For number 3, the pedia asked us if there's history of asthma in the family. Unfortunately, I had asthma when I was young but my last attack was when I was still 9 and the attacks were not severe enough for me to be admitted to the hospital. Puros home medication lang ako. JB might have inherited this from me, so the pedia told me to pray that this would not lead to skin asthma. Although she told me that skin asthma starts on the arms, we should still be observing JB's condition for now.

Another thing we talked about is JB's runny nose during the night and early morning. Her diagnosis: Allergic rhinitis. She prescribed another medication for this if his colds persist during the night. Fortunately, the nights following our visit to the pedia, his colds didn't attack at all. Thank God! The prescribed meds remain untouched.

We're praying that there will be no more attacks of colds during the night and that the severe dryness of his skin is not skin asthma. I was already a bit sad after our last pedia visit because of what I learned. His condition is not severe but, just like any mother, I want my son to be COMPLETELY healthy.

My ABC

Tagged by Cee!


A. Attached or single ? — Attached.
B. Best Friend(s)? — Tuknene (HS classmates)
C. Cake or pie? — Cake
D. Day of choice? — Saturday
E. Essential item(s)? — Cellphone, wallet
F. Favorite color? — pink and brown. wedding motif!
G. Gummy Bears or Worms? — gummy bears
H. Hometown? — Cavite and Pangasinan
I. Favorite indulgence? — Pasta!
J. January or July? — January.
K. Kids? — One very active baby boy
L. Life isn’t complete without? — God in the center. -i have to agree Cee!
M. Marriage date? — October 26
N. Number of magazine subscriptions? - None.
O. Orange or apple? — Orange
P. Phobias? — flying cockroach
Q. Quotes? — Happiness is a choice.
R. Reasons to smile? — going home to my smiling son, hubby coming home on weekends, my mom's homecooked meals (she's a good cook, i tell you!), my dad fetching me from landmark (im his baby girl still), meet ups with my best buds.
S. Season of choice? — Summer
T. Tag 5 people - Lisa, Kiel, Kim, Leo Mar, Carol
U. Unknown fact about me? - Secret.
V. Vegetable(s)? — not much into veggies. unhealthy, i know.
W. Worst habit? — always late!
X. X-ray or ultrasound? - Ultrasound
Y. Your favorite food(s)? - Pasta
Z. Zodiac sign — Leo

finding people

I have a lot of contacts in my phonebook. I'm sure half of those numbers are not reachable anymore but for some reason I can't erase them. I'm still hoping that I'd be able to update their contact information. I chanced upon this site wherein they can track people using Reverse Phone Search in the US. You just use the person's old contact number and the site will automatically find the person and not only that, you get to see the person's most recent contact information. Cool eh! You can also have access to their address, other background information and even their family members. If only this service is available in the Philippines, I'd be able to update my phonebook in no time!

annoying phone calls

Don't you just hate it when right in the middle of work, your phone rings and just when you thought it's an important business call from a client, the person on the other line offers you a credit card? Irritating right? And I receive an average of 2 of these calls per day. It's a good thing there are sites where we can Report Phone Numbers and warn other people of these waste-of-time calls.

a peek into the future?

Our son, looking intently at the cadets in uniform in our 2008 calendar. Like father, like son? =)

lost opps

Since I had a lot of time in my hands today, I decided to hang out online. I decided to clean up my 1,000++ unread emails. Then I stumbled on 2 blog opportunities that could have resulted to extra moolah sana for me. This email dates back October 17, so I'm not really sure if these opps have expired already since when I checked my task list, the status was still "waiting for entry" and not "expired". I made an entry for one and then made a booboo of declining the 2nd opp. Sheesh. How reckless can I get. Sayang. Mataas pa naman ang conversion ng dollar to peso ngayon.

frustrated cook

Even before I got married, I have always wanted to try cooking. When I was young, I would always look at cookbooks and visualize myself cooking those recipes. However, due to time constraints, I wasn't able to do so. Now that I'm already married, I would really want to try my luck with cooking. Our kitchen is still not complete though, I would need to buy some more kitchen appliances which will make my cooking a whole lot easier.

For starters, a new Gas range is appropriate since what we have is already old and is in need of some serious fixing. Since I'm also a pasta lover, I would really want to try those Pasta Makers so I can whip up my favorite pastas at home. Just thinking about all the possible pasta that I can make is making me hungry as I write this.

I'm excited about this new project of mine. I do hope that I'd be able to come up with one or two dishes in time for Christmas!

Achoo!

Ugh! And i thought I have already escaped the flu bug. Last week, hubby and baby had been sneezing and coughing. Good thing JB didn't run a fever and was still active so the pedia advised to just increase fluid intake. With the two of them sick and I remain healthy, I was so sure I was protected of the virus (I take vit C everyday). Last friday, though, it was freezing cold in the office and that, I think, started everything. I was fighting this flu the whole weekend. JB and I even went to Pampanga to visit daddy. Last night, my body gave in. Aargh. Now I'm here at home nursing this flu. And I can't even kiss my baby. Huhu.

how we met

Everytime someone asks of how hubby and I met and I'm not pressed for time, I'd always have to start with "last Nov 2005..". You see, I was just a plain tourist in Baguio back then. Me and my friends (all broken-hearted then) decided to cool down in the Summer Capital. Since I've been to Baguio the past years and has already exhausted almost all of the tourists spots there, I thought that there must be some other places to go in Baguio. Armed with a map, we checked out the other places to see besides the usual Mansion, Burnham, John Hay. Hmm.. PMA. Interesting. "But it's in the far end of the map and it's out of the way", or so we said. Next thing we know, we're already flagging an fx going to Loakan Road.

You might think that this was when I met hubby. Guess again. We didn't meet until after a year when I first set foot in his Alma Mater. I did meet a couple of cadets though, which led us to have friends in PMA. April 2006, we went there again. Our cadet friends toured us. During the last part of the tour, my friend M and I saw this dashing young man. M asked who this man was and the cadet attending to her told her that this man is his Squad leader. This piece of information would be vital later on, specifically July 2006. I was at the height of my depression then as I was already tired of dating and tired of meeting the wrong ones (a**holes to be specific). I texted R, a cadet who is a good friend of mine and told him about my dilemma. His solution was to give me the "right one". Then the picture of that dashing young man last April 2006 flashed in my mind. I asked R right away if he knew who this squad leader was. Lo and behold! It was HIS squadleader. But he was confused which one because he has 2 squadleaders. I told him, "yung gwapo". To which he replied, "parehas na gwapo yun, hindi ako mapapahiya syo".

Only one of them has a friendster account and upon looking at the primary picture, I knew this was not the one I was referring to. So I told R he is not the one, probably the other guy. This other squadleader who doesn't have a friendster account happens to be J, my J. When I went to Baguio again in August 2006 to celebrate my birthday with friends, R introduced me to him. It didn't take a second glance for me to realize that he was NOT the squadleader I was referring to. Owell, I said. It's ok. I wasn't interested with cadets (who will eventually turn to soldiers) anyway.

One week after that said trip, I received a text from J. R still gave him my number. I was the lamest texter ever. I guess he sensed my disinterest as he eventually stopped texting. Not until another week has passed since his last text when I received another message from him. After a few exchanges of kamustahans and whereabouts, he asked me if I wanted to go to a formal dinner with him in PMA (it's called "hop" in their lingo). M, who has some knowledge of what goes on inside the academy, told me that this hop is special and it's meant for the cadets to sweep ladies off their feet. Really now. That's interesting. However, going to Baguio alone and spending a formal dinner with someone I barely know doesn't feel right to me. Besides, I might be bored to death if we will eventually find out that we don't have rapport whatsoever. So I didn't say yes.

But I didn't say no either. By some stroke of coincidence, they were bound for Manila the next week because of a field trip. A friend suggested to take this opportunity to know the guy at the very least before declining. Since I was already curious about this hop, I thought I'd take this chance. Maybe we'll have some sort of chemistry to make me say yes. We met in Gateway (both of us were accompanied by friends) and it was another affirmation for me that there are no sparks between us. He's shy and would only talk if asked. "How can I talk to this guy the whole night if I was to go to Baguio?". I cried when I got home. At this point, I was really dead tired of dating. I was even asking God, "How many more of these dates will I have to endure before You lead me to the one?". Little did I know that He already led me to him.

Because of the non-spark of our first date, I was about to say no. But some divine force made me say otherwise. Another friend was asked by his mistah (classmate) to go to the same dinner. Now, my initial dilemma of going there alone has been solved and if J wouldn't talk to me the whole night, at least my friend is with me.

September 2006, B (my friend) and I went to Baguio for this hop. We were both excited then as we get to redeem ourselves from the horrible dresses we wore during high school prom. And of course, we get to see Baguio again! I had very little expectations about that night. I was even checking out other cadets. Haha. The J I met in Manila was now a bit different. Maybe because this was his comfort zone. He's still shy but not as silent as when we first met. I did have fun. And our friendship blossomed from hereon.

The days and weeks following the hop night were full of sms exchanges until the wee hours of the morning. There were calls and video calls every now and then. We'd meet when he's on break and I would sometimes find myself making a lot of excuses to go to Baguio with my friends. My friends were telling me that I'm already falling for this guy. To which I will refute easily saying he's not my type.. at all. "Ayoko sa sundalo", "I'm not good with long distance relationship" were my frequent answers to their probing questions. If I don't receive a text from him in a day, I would easily rationalize my longingness for it as "classical conditioning". That since he texts me often, I am now programmed to expect a text from him always. And this longingness will easily disappear if I don't have expectations. That's how guarded I was with my heart then. I rationalize everything. Bawal gumamit ng puso.

But on one particular December break which we spent in Puerto Galera, J managed to melt this guarded heart.

We had a lot of challenges back when he was a cadet and even bigger challenges when he became an officer. As I was about to give up then, I told the Lord to remove him from my life if this is bound to nowhere. God's answer to me was a proposal from J. To which I, of course, said yes. And then after a week, we learned that we were pregnant and decided to fast forward our 2009 initial wedding plans.

It has now been a year since we vowed in front of God our promise of forever. And we're still keeping that promise. Because although I cannot say it has been pure wedded bliss, I cannot imagine going through all these with anyone else.

To the labs of my life. Happy 1st anniversary! I'll see you later. :)

P.S. Labs, if you another version of our love story.. gawa ka ng blog mo. ehehe.. mwaaah!

the most odd sleeping position i've seen

Tinulugan na ang paglalaro. Pero tinanggal naman po namin siya agad sa posisyon na yan, right after some laugh trip and picture taking. =)

sideline

As I computed for our monthly budget for November, I realized we have very little (read: almost zero) budget for those little miscellaneous things. In short, saktong sakto lang ang budget namin. Bawal ang mga luho. I even computed for our budget for December and January and yet, with a lot of things to pay for, parang kulang pa rin. Hay. Times are tougher nowadays. Anyone who knows of any sideline?

viral linking tag

This tag is from Cee.
" Thank you for linking my page! "

{Start Copy Here}



Rules:
1. Copy paste from {Start Copy Here} to {End Copy Here}.
2. Please link back to the person who tagged you and PASS this tag to many of your friends.
3. If you have more than one Blog, please post this on all your Blogs, the more the merrier.
4. The use of NO FOLLOW on links is not allowed, let’s all be fair!
5. Remember to come back here at JENNY TALKS (Pls. don’t change this link) and leave the exact Post URL so I can add you to the Master List to help increase our rankings and improve our Technorati Authority.
6. Spread the virus.. oooopps I mean the VIRAL LINKING and Happy Blogging!

BLOGGERS: 1. Scraps & Shots 2. Simply Jen 3. This and That 4. Fab & Chic Finds 5. A Slice of Life 6. Jenny Talks 7. Tech Stuff Plus 8. Food on the Table 9. Aussie Talks 10. When Mom Talks 11. Moments of My Life 12. My Crossroads 13. A Life in Bloom 14. BLOGSILOG 15. Because Life is a Blessing 16. Digiscraptology 16. Buzzy Me 17. Fab Finds, Etc. 18. Thinking Out Loud 19. Wishing and Hoping 20. PRC Board Exam Results 21. Jobs Abroad 22. My Blog Portfolio17. Race Corner 18. Mommy Talks. 19. Home and Health 20. All Kinds of Me Stuff 21. Ink Baby Studios 22. The Salad Caper 23. Winding Creek Circle 24. Aggie Scraps 25. Momma Stuff 26. We Are Family 27. Gandacious 28. Busynessworld 29. Folcreative 30. Swanportraits 31. Rumination Under The Clouds 32. Consciously Think 33. Sprawt 34. Healthy Skinny 35. Geekyology 36. When Mom Speaks 37. Rumination 38. Etc Atbp 39. When Silence Speaks 40. When Sahmone Speaks 41. FunFierceFabulous 42. Ozzy's Mom 43. Kidd Designs 44. Me,Myself+2 45. My Life in this Wonderful World 46. My Online World 47. Living A' La Mode 48. Life is a constant journey 49. Your Blog Here

{End Copy Here}

Spreading the Viral Link to Jam, Kiel, Kim, Leo Mar, Mai, Maine, Nel.

smilestone

Barely 1 month after learning how to sit, look what our little brat can do.

Picture taken last October 9. Indeed, it was a smilestone moment for me (nakikigaya sa cerelac commercial). I was actually shocked as some mothers told me that babies who do not have a wooden crib will find it hard to learn to stand, so imagine my sweet surprise when he was able to do this. Now, masmahirap na siyang iwan sa crib. And all he wants to do is stand and sit, kahit halos pumipikit pikit na ang mata sa antok.

Trip number 2: Iligan

My long overdue post.

Yes, despite travel advisories regarding going to Mindanao, we headed down south to go to J's hometown in Iligan. We decided to go to Iligan when J's Kuya told us that he'll be coming back to Philippines come Sept 08. I haven't been to Iligan and my sister and brother in law there haven't seen JB since his birth so we decided this would be a great opportunity for the whole Moldez family to be together again.

I had a lot of things to be excited for about this trip.

(1) This will be my first time to fly again in ages!

(2) This will be JB's first flight.

(3) I will finally set foot in Mindanao.

(4) I'd finally get the chance to learn more about J's roots.

(5) I was also excited with the fact that all Cebu Pacific flights are now in NAIA 3. New airport! Weeee!

My bubble burst for item number 5 as soon as we checked in. NAIA 3's system sucks. You don't put ALL flights in ONE line and expect people to rave about it. If a flight is already on its last call and some people are still in line, they'd pull out those people and let them check-in in another counter. It's a good thing we arrived less than 1 hour before our flight as we didn't have to wait in line for long since the last call for Cagayan de Oro was aired in the PA system minutes after we queued. However, some people are so mad because they were in line for about 1 or so hours only to be pulled out during the last call. And this was just 3-past in the morning. Old MIA airport doesn't look great but at least I get to check in fast.

We took the first flight (4:25 in the morning) so we'd arrive in Iligan before lunch (from Cagayan de Oro, there's a 2-hour bus ride going to Iligan). The result: a very cranky JB. We had to wake him up at around 2 in the morning to dress him. He was crying profusely while we were getting him dressed. He managed to get some sleep on our way to the airport and he was still behaved when we were checking in. However, he got really irritable when we were already in the plane. We fed him during take-off, as advised by our pedia, to lessen the impact on his ears. He was about to doze off when he finished the bottle until a man who passed by brushed off against his head. He was awaken immediately and got really cranky from then on which can be irritating to some passengers since they were trying to catch up on sleep. J & I took turns in entertaining our little boy. I even had to sing to him for a whole 30 minutes just so he would behave (mahina lang, baka mas lalong mairita ang mga pasahero. haha). A passenger who got enamored with our son tried to play with him which proved to be life-saving for us since he stopped getting cranky and finally managed to doze off to sleep.

When we arrived in Cagayan de Oro, JB was still sleeping. We were waiting for our bags when it finally dawned on me that I was finally in Mindanao! Wow. My realization sank in deeper when I heard conversations in Bisaya. Oh no! It's like going to another country. Fortunately, Bisayan dialect is not that hard to learn or to understand. However, I still had to consult with J for interpretation.

J's mistah and Ninang Irene (wedding ninang) fetched us from the airport. This was my first time to meet her as she wasn't able to make it to our wedding. We had a sumptuous breakfast in her house and I had to say she's one cool person! She's already a mother of 3 and yet she can relate to us like she's our age. Being a military wife herself, she gave me a few tips on handling the military life. After some more chitchat, we headed to the bus terminal for the 2-hour bus ride going to Iligan. JB was asleep most of the time.

We arrived in Iligan to a very excited Lola and Tita. My dad and brother in law arrived lunch time and they were equally excited as well. The whole family is complete, finally!

After resting, J decided to give me a quick tour of Iligan. We headed to the church first then went around the city where J had lots of stories with each place we went to--something I've been doing with Manila for quite some time now :P. The place looks peaceful naman, unlike what the news implies. Except for policemen in battle gear attires, there's really no air of fear or terror (thank God!). Still, we didn't tag JB along on this city tour, just to be on the safe side. We also met up with some of J's high school friends. Of course, everyone was trying to speak in Tagalog so I can relate but I told them they can speak in their dialect and I'll just try to follow. Para na rin matuto ako diba?

Come Saturday, we headed to their famous pool there--much like the Splash Island in Laguna sans the giant waterslides. We thought JB would enjoy swimming in the pool because he sooo loves bath time. We were wrong. He was crying when daddy dipped him in the pool.

Food was overflowing as my parents-in-law brought some of the specialties of Mindanao. From the famous durian to the yummy lechon. This was also my first time to swim in a looong time! It felt really good. I still miss the beach though. However, J told me that there's not much beautiful beaches in Iligan but they are famous for their majestic waterfalls! So, the next day, I braced myself for a whole day of waterfalls hopping!

Sunday morning, we headed to Maria Cristina and Tinago falls. We left JB at home with his lolo and lola so they can spend more time with their apo, plus, the 500-step stairs in Tinago would be a very hard ordeal if we will bring JB along.

When we arrived in Maria Cristina falls, it was closed for viewing because of red alert. I was a bit disappointed but J and his friends told me that Tinago falls is just as beautiful, only smaller. And so we immediately headed to the smaller falls. The stairs going down to Tinago falls was, of course, pretty easy. But I was already dreading my way up. Hehe.

half-way down: nakakangiti pa kami

True to its name, Tinago falls was indeed "nakatago". We ate the lunch we brought and then immediately took a dip in the water. Btw, for dessert, we had marang. A fruit that can be found in Mindanao and Aurora (yes, in Luzon). If you have get the chance, try it. Yummy! Especially when chilled.

When we got bored swimming, we decided to take a closer look at the falls using a balsa.


This activity looked easy on picture. Pero sa actual, ang sakit sakit sa mata and J and the other guys bruised their hands sa kakahila ng tali. I wish I brought my goggles so I would have appreciated the falls up close. Of course, we had a grand time taking pictures of ourselves because of the beautiful view.








Before sunset, we packed our bags and I readied myself for the climb up. It was a wake up call to my already dormant muscles. :P

On our way back home, they all showed me the top view of the Maria Cristina falls. At least man lang daw yung tuktok makita ko. While we were taking pictures, we saw that there were some people taking pictures in the viewing deck of the falls. We thought that they are now allowing people to come in. We tried our luck again but the guard there told us that viewing is still not allowed. Since it's already our second time, J pulled some strings so we can get in. Luckily, we did! Yey! Finally. And i wasn't disappointed with what I saw.



They have so many plans to improve Maria Cristina. They are planning to include activities such as white water rafting, kayaking, zipline and cable cars so as to attract more tourist in that area. J and I were so excited with this plan. We initially wanted to go white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro but due to budget constraints, we weren't able to do so. Hopefully, this dream will become a reality on our next trip back to Iligan and hopefully, peace will finally settle in Mindanao so people will be enticed to go on vacation there. Sayang kasi talaga yung ganda ng lugar.

The next day, we were set to go back to Manila. We brought home lots of goodies from my MIL. During my stay, I really enjoyed their pinakurat na suka and so MIL gave us 3 bottles! Yey! Pinakurat na suka is my newfound favorite condiment. =)

Our 5-day vacation was packed with a lot of activities pero bitin pa rin. While waiting for our plane, J & I decided to extend our vacation to 15 days when we go back to Iligan next year. =) Maximize!

There, it took me 3 weeks to compose this very long post. Hehe. When things finally clear up in Mindanao, I encourage you all to consider Iligan as one of your vacation destination. Promise, it'll be money well spent. =)

More of our Iligan Vacation here!

to a dear colleague and friend...

You're still very much alive in our hearts and in our thoughts.

Your sweet smile will always be dearly remembered.

Thank you for the afternoon chitchats.

For the "suhol" whenever you need something from us.

For the back rubs to relieve us of the stress.

We are barely coping with your sudden departure.

We miss you, Caye.

First stop: Baguio

We decided on the last minute to push through with our Baguio plans. After all, we don't get to have this long leave often. So, off to Baguio we went where we stayed for 3 days. J & I had a hard time packing our things. We were kidding each other that this is a dry run for the more gruelling task of packing for trip number 2.

JB behaved for most of the trip except when we were in Pangasinan where he got really cranky. This is probably due to the long drive as he's used to travelling for just 1-2 hours.

Baguio was a bit different from when we were last there. There are a lot of one-way streets now due to the worsening traffic situation. Upon arriving, we rested for a while and then proceeded to SM Baguio to buy some of JB's feeding needs and to meet up with J's mistah. We had dinner with J's foster family where the guys exchanged views regarding current situation in Mindanao and us girls played with the little ones (J's foster sister has a 3-year old daughter).

Day 2 was all pasyal. I will let the pictures tell the story.

pink sisters

butterfly farm in camp john hay

dencio's at john hay

PMA with Abits and Dolomente

shempre kelangan may picture sa mansion

sa park sa tabi ng mansion

We were dead tired when we headed back to the apartment. JB behaved the whole day, except for that inconvenient moment when he decided to poop while we were taking a tour in PMA. We had no choice but to change nappies in one of the benches there which were not so baby friendly. J's underclass was kind enough to help us change JB's diapers. Ang kulit kasi ng bulinggit.

We were set to go home on Day 3 but not without taking a quick stop to Mines View for some photo opps with the little one and then headed to Good Sheperd as husband is craving for their hindi mapantayan ube jam.

mines view

good sheperd

Our trip was full-packed but we were still able to relax. Who wouldn't be? With pine trees surrounding us and that cool breeze that only Baguio can provide, our work-related stress vanished in an instant. And Baguio was twice as fun now with our little JB and his little antics keeping us amazed and made us adore him all the more!

More pictures of our Baguio escapade here!

pit stop

Just taking a quick stop here. I'm back in the office, but just for today. I'll be on leave again for the next 2 days. Hehe. No out of town plans though. Ubos na moolah sa dalawang linggong lakwatsa. =) I have to say this long break was just what we needed. Husband and I realized this is the only break we really fully enjoyed. The past 2 long leaves we had were all about adjustments. This time it was different. =)

I will post pictures next week.

bakasyon grande

I'll be on blog break for about 2 weeks. I'm off to a much-awaited and highly-anticipated vacation! We'll be heading far north and then down south. This will be JB's first time to fly. I...can't...wait!!!

I will be back with lotsa pictures and stories. *excited grin*

solid

Last saturday, during JB's well-baby check up (he was also given his 2nd dose of pentaxime), the pediatrician advised us to start him on solids at 5 1/2 months. Now, I have more time to prepare for this monumental event in our sons life. =) As I searched the net on tips on preparing solids for babies, I stumbled upon www.wholesomebabyfood.com (got this site from a gtalker in femalenetwork.com). Just what I need to guide me on feeding JB. They have recipes there on how to make homemade baby foods and it has helpful tips on what to give baby as he grows.

As another preparation, we were initially thinking of buying a high chair for him then I recently learned of this!

It's a sort of high chair that you can strap on to practically almost any chair. And it's portable, you can bring it along when you travel! My magic word. Good for travel. So off I go to the mall later to search for that perfect booster chair for my growing boy. =)

gloomy

My mood seems to be coinciding with the weather. I wanna curl up in bed and just sleep my way out of these negative vibes.

shoe tag

Thanks Ca!

{Start Copy}

What’s your shoe size? Are your feet the same size as your mom’s feet? How about your sister’s feet? Can you borrow shoes from each other?Post a picture of your latest shoe buy. Tag the number of women of your shoe size, i.e. size 5 = tag 5 friends. Don’t forget to drop a line in this blog when you’re done.

{End Copy}

My shoe size is 5 or 5 1/2. I have small feet. It's sometimes an advantage during mall sale since size 6-7 are usually the ones sold first.

My mom's feet is almost the same size as mine. So when I buy her sandals, I usually end up using it.

My latest shoe buy was eons ago! That was when I went shoe shopping in Baguio for my aching feet. All my pre-pregnancy shoes have heels and so I had to shop for flat shoes then. The shoe is already worn out, it doesn't deserve to be seen in public anymore! hehe.

How about you, Cee, Maine and Mai, care to share your shoe size?

Preggy Tag

Thanks Cee for the tag.

{START HERE}

Moms Who Played Along: Mai / Yen /Eds / Vannie / Fun.Fierce.Fab / Bojoy / bonz / Pinaymama / Sheng / Carol / Cee /Berna / You

Preggy Facts:
1. Who did you first inform about your pregnancy and how? Hubby. Immediately called him early in the morning.
2. Maximum weight? 120 lbs.
3. Cravings? suha, spaghetti, crab, shrimp, squid, taho, ripe mango
4. Aversions? My husband. haha. His presence irritated me during the first 3 months of my pregnancy (I think this is the reason why JB is a splitting image of his dad). Food aversions: pork, oily foods.
5. Morning Sickness? Luckily, none.

D Day Facts:
1. Number of Kids/Deliveries? One
2. NSD or CS? NSD
3. Girl or Boy? Bouncing baby boy
4. AOG (age of gestation) on Birth? 39 weeks
5. How long in labor? 20 hours

{END COPY HERE}

Now it's your turn Jarvil and Nel to tell us your Preggy and Delivery Day Facts.

5 and 10

And I'm talking about monthsaries here. Yesterday marked our little JB's 5th month and today is J and I's 10th month of being husband and wife. 2 more months to go and we'll be celebrating our first year of married life and we still don't have our album and video yet. Yeah, I know I posted before that I have already sorted out our wedding pictures for the album but I'm still not finished with picking out songs for our wedding video--which is proving to be a more daunting task than choosing the pictures. From the way things are going, we'll be lucky if we can watch our wedding video on our anniversary. Hehe. I've been busy kasi! =)

Baby JB is thriving. As advised by his pedia, we can start him on solids on his 5th month. So, we unwrapped all his feeding essentials yesterday hoping that we can finally feed him mashed potato. However, the plan didn't push through since there was no time to cook. I want to be there when JB finally eats so we'd probably do this in the coming weekend. =)

Now, back to work!

shameless plug!

I'm selling my brand new and still sealed AVENT ISIS ON THE GO manual breastpump for as low as Php 4,000. Price in mall is at Php 7,400 and sellers in multiply sell it at Php 4,500 - 5,000.

photo from target.com

package includes:

1 Let-down Massage Cushion
2 4-oz. Avent Natural Feeding Bottles
2 9-oz. Avent Natural Feeding Bottles
2 Avent Anti-Colic Nipples with Newborn Flow Rates
4 sealing discs, 2 dome caps
8 disposable breast pads
2 cool packs
1 insulated micro-fiber tote

I'm also selling brand new Avent VIA breastmilk storage kit. It contains 10 cups with covers. Perfect for use with the Isis breast pump. I'm selling it for Php 800. Mall price is Php 1,200++ (i think).

photo from target.com

If you're interested (or if you know of someone who's interested) and for details on shipping/meet up/pick up/payment, please leave a message here in my blog or you can email me at berna.gutierrez@gmail.com

JB's favorite toy

Thanks Mai for this tag! Ngayon ko lang nagawa. Hehe. I took this picture last weekend lang. =)

{START COPY}

Here are the rules:

Post a photo of your baby with her/his first ever favorite/comfort toy. Write some details of your fondest memory of your baby and her toy. This will make a good moment when your baby grows up! Lastly, don’t forget to add the link to your website’s at the end of the page. I’m sure many moms would love to see your sites, too!

Amelie’s mom, RD and CN’s mom, savenathan, Great People Make us feel we can become great, Everything That has Breathe Praise The Lord, Surviving deployment, Simple Life, Simply Me, Asawa’s Love Book, Pinaymama’s Diary, Just Life…, A Mother’s Journal, Dion’s Mom(Jona), PinayWAHM, Loyna’s Life’s Endless Possibillities, Can of Thoughts, Designs By Vhiel, Anything and Everything in Between, D’ Cooking Mudra, My Life in This Wonderful World, My Precious, Just Me.. Eds, My Colorful World, Spin180 Wisdom City MY Happy Place IamDzoi ClikTrik I Love the Thirties My New Home All Things Me Because Life Is Fun Walk on Red When Mom Speaks Buhay Misis Kathycot Kathycot Cooks Love. Happiness. Us. The Scrapaholic Me Swept Away Life is a constant journey

{END COPY}

JB's first favorite toy is Moo. It produces a lullaby sound which our little one can easily sleep to. Everytime we go out, the daddy always makes sure that we bring Moo along just in case JB gets cranky. =)

peace in mindanao

I'm asking you, my dear readers, to please pray for improvement in mindanao's current chaotic situation. My in-laws are based in Iligan City, where the MILF are threatening to attack after they wreaked havoc in the 2 towns of Lanao del Norte last Monday. My in-laws have been assuring us that they are ok although they limit going out of the house now. We're really praying that the situation will improve there in down south. So many innocent lives have already been sacrificed in this inhuman acts of the MILF. The PNP and the AFP here in NCR are likewise on red alert since Monday for fear that there might be attacks here in Metro Manila. So please, let's all pray for peace.

resurrection

I'm finally back from my long hiatus from blogging. Things have been insanely busy the past few weeks, most especially last long weekend--my birthday weekend!!!

Aside from the heaps of work in the office, my weekends have been fully booked as well. 3 saturdays ago, hubby surprised me and came home unannounced. Prior to this, he hasn't been able to come home for a month since he wasn't allowed to leave camp. The next saturday, we fetched him in Pampanga and sneaked to Manila to meet J's bestfriend from Iligan who came to Manila for some business errands. Last Thursday (birthday eve), hubby again surprised me and came home for my birthday! He wasn't texting me all day and I was a little pissed but I came home to find my two boys together and they gave me this.

My favorite flower, stargazer! Sweet, eh? This birthday made up for the crappy birthday I had last year. As I turn 27, I can truly say that I've grown definitely wiser. The past year, I received endless downpour of blessings. I became a bride, a wife and a mom all in one year! There have been a few bumps (i.e. my post natal depression, financial crisis, adjusting to married life) but it proved to be obstacles that made me stronger and which I still consider blessings because there are lessons in each of these experiences.

Anyway, the three of us (my two J's and me) we're all over the city the whole day of my birthday doing a lot of errands. We had a simple lunch in Market! Market! were we met up with J's mistahs.

We came home early in the evening and enjoyed the pizza and the pancit malabon we bought on our way home. Amici pizza is the best, I tell you!

I also attended two weddings last weekend. One is J's mistahs (the couple are both from PMA) and the other is a former colleague who's now based in Dubai. I've been to a lot of weddings lately but I still can't hold my tears everytime I'd see the bride walking towards her groom. The ironic part is, I didn't even cry when it was my time to walk down the aisle! Weird noh?

We also headed to Laguna to visit JB's cousins from J's side. It was indeed a hectic long weekend. I didn't get to rest but it was an enjoyable weekend nevertheless.

waking up for daddy

Last week, J had some errands to do here in Manila and decided to take a short visit (read: 30 mins stay) so his troops can rest and for him to see JB and me (hehe) even for a short while. The time: 1 am in the morning. Naturally, our dear son is already sleeping by this time (e pati nga ako dapat tulog na rin nito). J hurriedly went to JB when he arrived and tried to wake him up. Half-asleep, JB stared at this uniformed man holding him and upon recognizing that it's daddy, gave him a faint smile. As usual, JB received tons of kisses from daddy and this probably fully woke him up. J showed our little one to his troops and being the entertainer that our son is, gave his sweetest smile to our guests. He didn't get cranky at all. He was so behaved and was even telling stories to daddy but it was obvious that he was sleepy as he was yawning in between smiles and blabs. As soon as J left, he went back to sleep. It was as if our son already understood what was happening. He made every moment of daddy's short visit worthwhile. On his way back to camp, J texted me that his down spirits were revived upon seeing me (hehe again) and our smiling son.

JB is turning out to be one affectionate kid. And tomorrow, he turns 4.

7 Facts about Me

Thanks Jarvil for this tag. Lately, puros tag na lang laman ng blog ko. Hehe.

Here’s the rules:
A. List these rules on your blog.
B. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
C. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
You’ll have to read on for my 7 facts and see who I tagged.

1. Unlike typical women, I don't have a collection of bags. I usually just use one bag in one year. I change it only if necessary (ie. sira na)
2. I've always wanted to travel the world for free.
3. I want to gain 6 lbs. Now!
4. The message counter in my cellphone reads 5,033 sent messages and 5,094 received. And I only bought this phone last May 22. Long distance relationship nga naman!
5. I was never the sleepyhead.
6. I absolutely don't have any budgeting skills and I need to work on this one ASAP!
7. I'm one hot momma (bawal kumontra! blog ko to)

Feel free to snag this.

Sweet Award (My First!)

Carol gave me this award. Thanks Ca! This is also my first.

Sweet Bloggers:1.) Janeth Vicy’s Life Journey 2.) My Precious 3.) Just ME.. Eds 4.) Eds Mommy Life 5.)FunFierceFabulous 6.)Me,Myself+2 7.)Supermodel Wannabe 8.) A Sweet Taste Of Life 9.) Mommyhood and Me 10.) Insights from the Grocery Cart 11.) Life is a constant journey 12.) YOUR BLOG HERE

I'm passing this sweet award to my sweet blogger friends Kim, Mai, and Marn.

Light a Candle

Thanks for this Carol!

Dear God,we pray for the quick recovery of all the sick and the dying especially those suffering from LUPUS and CANCER.

To those who will be tagged, all you have to do is keep this circulating. Even if it’s to only one person. In memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by a serious illness like Lupus or Cancer or is still living with it. A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.

Blogs who prayed: 1.) Eida’s Closet 2.) My Precious 3.) Just Me.. Eds 4.) Scribbles of My Life 5.)In This Game of Life 6.) Mind Bubbles 7.) Something Purple 8.) Vanity Kit 9.) Stripe&Yellow 10.) Em's Detour 11.) Changing Lanes 12.) Pit Stop 13.) Melisse's Domain 14. Seize the Day 15. Insights from the Grocery Cart 16. Life is a constant journey 17. YOUR BLOG HERE

Please Keep This Candle Going! There will be a cure soon. Continue to have Hope and continue to pray.

whew!

edited: with pictures

I'm stealing some office time to blog. =) My to-do list this morning is so long. Just looking at it makes me tired already. Fortunately, I was able to scratch off a lot of tasks in my list.

I've been neglecting this blog again. Blame it on the office internet. For some reason, posting pictures in blogger was disabled so everytime I'll post, I get discouraged since I can't post pictures.

Our little boy experienced a lot of firsts the past month. Since he's already baptized, we have been tagging him along everywhere we go. We already spent a 3-day weekend in daddy's camp (his first out-of-town trip).

He was able to go malling already.

We brought him in Ocean Park (although we're planning to go back again when he's much older so he can appreciate it).

He also experienced his first evacuation. Hehe. Frank made his presence felt as our house got flooded and we were forced to go to a friends house (JB's ninang). Fortunately, the flood subsided fast and we were able to go home that same day. On to some more of JB's milestones...he can already support his head and I think he's already teething (aga noh?) since he's so fond of putting his hands in his mouth with vigorous sucking involved. Hay. He's growing up so fast. He turned 3 months last week.

As for me, I have finally adjusted to my work life again. I've been bothered with some personal issues lately (i'm not dwelling into details and I'm not blaming this on hormones). On my way home yesterday, I was pondering on these issues again. I had so many questions in mind. As I entered the cab, I think God talked to me directly and told me the answers to my questions. The driver's radio was tuned in to some religious station. The preacher seemed like he's talking to me directly. Wow. I got teary-eyed while listening. Amazing how God works noh?

Anyway, I will try to edit this blog at home to insert pictures of JB's "firsts". Uwian na! =)

wedding peechures!

At long last! After 10 years of sifting through 3,500++ photos, I was finally able to pick out the ones I like best. Now I can submit this to our photographer so they can start making our wedding album. Pictures uploaded here.

Daddy-less weekend

When you're battling for time against your very own country, how can you compete?

Sometimes, getting used to being with him regularly on weekends also has its disadvantages. I keep on forgetting that when you're married to someone of his type, being together is the unusual and not the norm.

Bleh! Maybe I'm PMS-ing. hehe.

What I love most about being a mom.

Mai asked me this question. Thanks Mai!

If you've read my previous entries, you know that I had a rough start as a mom. But now that my hormones are finally settling back to it's normal state, I am finally starting to enjoy motherhood.

It's really hard to pinpoint just one thing that I love about this new role of mine. When JB came into my life, there was a big change in terms of my priorities and how I view life. I usually just think about myself and I don't actually plan for the future (I am a person who live for the moment). Now that JB is here, every plan that I come up with are designed primarily for him (and his future siblings). I must say that when I had JB, he made me a better person--this I think is what I am most thankful for and what I love most when I became a mom.

What comes in close second is that I now have a deeper and more meaningful bond with my husband. Going through the ups and downs of parenthood definitely made our relationship stronger.

Now, I'm asking you, Kiel and Kim.

JB is finally a Christian!

He was sleeping all throughout the ceremony. Even when Holy Water was poured on his head, it didn’t bother him at all. The priest told us, "Sanay maligo". =) We're happy that many of the guests made it to the church. After some photo ops, we headed to Sumthin' Fishy in Eastwood for the reception. We were surprised as to how the place was decorated. It was way beyond J and I's expectations. Thanks to Miss Babes (one of JB's ninangs) for making sure everything is in order during the reception. JB finally woke up when we arrived in Eastwood and he greeted the guests with his killer smile. =) We noticed that JB enjoys it when he’s surrounded with a lot of people. Gusto nasa limelight! The reception finished at around 4 pm. Miss Babes was kind enough to let us stay longer. One lesson I learned though, on JB’s next big event (his first birthday), I will make sure to save more so we can hire a photographer. Ang konti ng pictures ko. =( hahaha! Cam-whore mommy talaga! Pictures saved in my multiply account.

6 weird things

My long overdue tag from Kiel. =)

1. This game starts with 6 weird things about you.
2. People who got tagged need to write a blog entry of their own 6 weird things. (its fun promise:P)
3. They should as well state this rule clearly.
4. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.


1. I have 4 sim cards (globe, smart, sun and touch mobile). I use each one for different purposes. =) I think the only sim I don't have is that of talk 'n text.
2. One of my most favorite mommy chore is changing my son's nappies due to poop.
3. When I was young, I used to think people wearing eyeglasses can't have children.
4. Also, when I was young, I don't like to get married unless my husband's surname is the same as mine. Hehe. Mahal na mahal ko ang apelyido ko. =)
5. Smileys in text messages are very important to me to the point that I would sometimes pick a fight with my husband if his texts don't include it.
6. I brush my hair just once a day, after taking a bath. I just use my hands to fix it for the rest of the day. Tamad e! =)


I'm tagging YOU!

zzzzzzzz...

It's my third day back at work. I'm finding it really hard to get in the groove of working again. As one of my colleagues told me, I'm still floating. Hehe. And JB is not making the transition easier. This week, his sleeping pattern did a big turn around. From awake all afternoon to awake all night. He refuses to sleep from 11PM to 6AM. And he doesn't want to be left alone the whole time. I need to talk to him, carry him once in a while so he won't get cranky. If not for the willing grandparents who takes over by 4AM, I would have had no sleep at all. So for 2 consecutive nights now, I am just averaging 2 hours of peaceful slumber. Zzzzzz.......

Ack!

Reason for the title: I only have one more week of maternity leave and I'm back in the office!!! =( I will miss my JB!

Not only that, I have tons of things to do for this week that I won't be able to do when I start work again.

1. Need to go to SSS to claim my card.
2. Go to LTO to get student's permit.
3. Finish JB's baptismal invitation.
4. Distribute the invitations (mostly via email) and confirm attendance.
5. Scout for souvenirs and gift favors for his godparents.
6. Finalize the pictures for our wedding album. (Waah! Long overdue na to! As in! Apparently, having too many pictures has some disadvantages as well. Hehe)
7. Pick out the songs for our wedding video. (Sabi naman senyo, I'm a chronic procrastinator!)

Hay ang dami! And I want to finish all these by Wednesday so I can take Thursday off and go to Pampanga to visit hubby. I was there for about 6 hours yesterday because he's missing me badly. Hahaha! The short hours are worthwhile but of course, it's not enough especially since we haven't seen each other for 2 weeks already. (Weekend leaves have been hard to come by lately.) He's also missing his "mini me" so much but I can't bring him along since he hasn't been baptized yet.

I just hope I'll have more than enough energy (and time!) to do all of the above in 3 days!

confessions of a new mom

A little over a month ago, I gave birth to our dear JB. I have been meaning to give birth especially during the latter part of my pregnancy because of all the discomforts of a bulging tummy. I was telling myself that life would probably be easier when I’ve given birth already. Little did I know that my complaints before are nowhere near to what I will go through after I give birth.

My pregnancy was relatively easy. Delivery day wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it would be. Everything was well within what we hoped for (i.e. I had a normal delivery to our healthy baby boy). The hospital was a happy place for me as friends and family visited everyday. Everybody was happy for J and I. J proved to be the responsible husband and new father as he took care of everything and took good care of me when I can’t even lift myself up from the bed. I went home 2 days after giving birth while JB was left in the hospital to recuperate. On his 4^th day, we were finally able to bring him home…and things started to get tough for me from then on.

FEELING TRAPPED

The every 2-hour feedings, diaper changing, sleepless nights and figuring out what this little one needs took its toll on me. I would find myself crying for a lot of different reasons. That I will be all alone in taking care of JB when J goes back to camp, that I can never travel again without worrying how my baby is doing, that I will never be the spontaneous girl I was before. I feel like I was losing my identity from the overwhelming responsibility of motherhood. You see, I was never the domesticated type. And I thought that when our baby comes out, it would bring out the homemaker in me. But it didn’t.

There was a time, I was nursing JB and my mind was tracing my steps as to how I was led into this situation. Why with just one wrong decision, I now have to give up my comfortable life before. I felt guilty. To even think this way when this baby is a blessing to us. When a lot of people are praying for their own child and I can’t even appreciate mine. I was afraid to admit it at first until I got tired pretending… loving JB didn’t come easy for me. I was feeling more of a prisoner than that of a mother. Our room seemed more like jail to me and JB as the big ball and chain on my feet. I am blaming baby powder and diaper commercials for my high expectations.

I hit rock bottom when JB had one week of crying fits from 12MN to 5am. On the 7^th night, I was feeling dizzy and out of breath. As if I was drowning. It was probably combination of fatigue, lack of sleep and my extreme sadness that bottomed me out. As I searched the net the following day, “depression” found a whole new meaning for me. Except for the “thoughts of harming the baby and oneself” and “has suicidal tendencies”, I pretty much have all the symptoms of post partum depression (PPD). I learned that what I had on the 7^th night was a case of panic attack.

With the newfound knowledge of my symptoms, days that followed aren’t exactly easy but at least I have a clearer understanding of what I’m going through and whenever I sense a panic attack on its way, I take necessary actions to somehow get me through it.

THE ROAD TO HEALING

I don’t know if it was the first time that I went out of the house and was away for a couple of hours with a friend or when one morning, JB was staring at me and suddenly gave me a big smile that I started to feel good again. I realized there were less difficult days and I regained the energy I lost during the first month. I was getting to know JB more. He is no longer the unsettled, unresponsive, cranky little man.

My medical condition needed medical attention, but my therapy was way way better than any psychologist could give me. I have a very strong support system from my family and my friends. Every time I’d start feeling low again, there’s always somebody whom I can talk to about my emotions. Close friends visited the house every so often which helped a lot in my recovery. According to my research, little alone time should be spent when dealing with PPD.

There are still difficult days but I take comfort in knowing that it will also end. I’ve come to realize that having JB is not a roadblock for me to do the things I enjoy and to reach for my dreams. He is now my inspiration to achieve more in my life. I can still travel and continue with my adventures. It will actually be more exciting now since I have my baby with me to experience it. Mala-Dyan Castillejo ang drama ko nito. =)

When I look at my baby now, I no longer feel trapped. My love for him finally came and I can now truly say that I’m enjoying motherhood...every moment of it. =)

Random 10

Got tagged by Ivy.

* Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose ten people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I used to climb mountains for fun.
2. I hate flying cockroaches. I think they are the most empowered insect.
3. I've never been to Mindanao (where my husband's hometown is)
4. I learned how to swim just 2 years ago.
5. Back when I was in high school, I was so addicted to PBA player Franz Pumaren that I was actually open to the idea of being his mistress. hehe!
6. I wanted to take up Psychology when I was in college but ended up being a Math major.
7. I really want to try sky diving (kelan kaya matutupad ang pangarap na ito?)
8. I used to have asthma when I was young.
9. I hate, hate, hate horror movies. Last horror movie I saw was Sixth Sense and I wasn't able to sleep well for one week!
10. Did I say I hate horror movies?

I'm tagging Kharol, May, Anna, Mai, Roger, Kiel, Faith, Maine, Reish,

Wow!

Salamat sa lahat ng bumati. My cellphone's been busy since this morning with mother's day greetings. Feeling ko birthday ko! Hehe.. =) To all the moms out there, smile! It's our day! And to my mom..as cliche as this may sound, I now have a deeper understanding of how much sacrifice you've done for me. Thank you! I love you ma!

bad day

For this week, this is my first difficult day. And I'm summoning every inch of energy I have in my body to stay calm and composed. Good luck to me.

JB's faces

Trigger happy si mommy. Click lang ng click. =) Enjoy!