updates...

Pregnancy-wise, I'm now on my 35th week! The back pains, which used to be tolerable, is now becoming harder and harder to shake off. I would almost always have to put a hot pad on my back to temporarily relieve me of the pain. This is just a sign that delivery day is nearing already. During my last check up with my OB, she was telling me, "malapit na". Indeed, as early as in 2 weeks time, it's possible for me to deliver and our JB is considered not premature anymore. But I'm still hoping that I get to deliver near my due date (March 31, 2008) para hindi macount yung 2 days ng holy week as part of my maternity leave! Sayang ang holiday if counted sha dun e. Hehe.. =)

Nwy, we're almost complete with the baby things. The major thing we're lacking right now are those needed for feeding. I've been researching heavily about feeding bottles for the past weeks (last month I was obsessing about clothe diapers). I was initially bent on getting Avent brand for the feeding bottles. However, recent studies in the US showed that there's a high amount of Bisphenol-A (aka BPA) in those bottles which can be harmful for the baby. O diba, meron ng ganun? So I'm now switching my search on BPA-free bottles that are also anti-colic. Yeah. I know. Some words may seem gibberish here in my post. What can I say, my maternal side is kicking in somehow! =) I didn't know having a baby can be this complicated nowadays! Before, I used to think that you can get by with some blankets, feeding bottles, diapers and then you're all set. But there are just so many brands...so many to choose from and you'd have to research to weigh which ones you think are the best for your kid. I'm not complaining though. I'm glad to do all these mommy-chores for our brat. =)

It's funny that just about this same time last year, I've already lined up my summer activities. My google-search before is just all about travel, the beach, and the latest airline promos. To say that this year is different is an understatement. When I go online now, I go straight to the mommy forums where they talk about the latest "trends" in feeding bottles, diapers, breastfeeding, etc. Whenever I go to the mall, I'd go straight to the infant's section and scout for other things our baby needs. I don't even go to Kamiseta, Bayo and Forme anymore (something that used to be routinary.). Having a child indeed changes ones life. The girl who used to be kiti-kiti, is now a homebody. And will probably be a homebody for the next 3 months or so. Or up until my baby is strong enough to come with mommy on her travel adventures (like going to daddy's camp. haha!).

Staying at home most of the time meant being best buds with our TV. I've been updated on the latest happenings on the telenovelas on both Channel 2 and 7. Haha. And of course, the news which is starting to get irritating. The never ending saga of the ZTE scandal is becoming more of an extended soap opera with so many characters popping from out of nowhere. Enough with the drama already. Let's get to the point please. Show the evidence and pinpoint all the masterminds involved in this fiasco, sue them and then let's get on with our lives and really start showing the world that we're not just about rallies and booting our presidents from their post. Naumay na rin ako sa People Power concept. Haven't we all learned that it has gotten us nowhere. Sometimes I can't help but think that an authoritarian government is just what we need because we do not know how to be responsible with this freedom that we claimed 22 years ago from a dictator. Sorry, I got carried away.

On to non-political topics. I know I promised to post my latest lay out but my digiscrapping career was temporary halted since the laptop is with hubby right now. His current duties demand him to make powerpoint presentations. Kakaiba no? Typical military men carries big guns but my hubby carries a laptop. Haha. I don't want to give details about his current assignment though, as I might get sued for giving too much information. =)

1st video!

You've seen JB's first pic. Take a look at his first video! =)

JB's 4D part 1

JB's 4D part 2

1st pic!

J was able to come home last Tuesday night so we were finally able to do that "thing" we wanted to do since I turned 28 weeks. That is, a 3D4D ultrasound of our JB! I took a leave from office yesterday. So here are the adorable first pictures of our dear son.

cute cute smile!

masikip yata sa loob ng tummy ni mommy...

naiirita na ang anak namin

ayan umiyak na talaga!

The experience of seeing your baby up close is indeed an amazing experience. At first, his hands were covering most of his face. The sonologist did some shaking (which she told me is still safe for the baby because he's protected) to wake him up, he finally removed his hand from his face and he let daddy and mommy see him. He began crying shortly thereafter maybe because we disturbed his sleep. But after a while, after some pep talk from both me and the sonologist, he finally graced us with his smile and yawn! Aliw sobra! Even the sonologist was having a great time taking pictures of our boy. She told us that it's rare for her patients to have a really clear view of their baby. She was mentioning about more water that's why the pictures were clearer. Usually, she takes around only 40 images of the babies, but since naaliw sha kay JB, she took 95 pictures which made picking 7 pictures for print out a very hard ordeal. The sonologist was repeatedly telling us ang ganda ng baby namin. =) Well, what can I say. Hindi pa pinapanganak ang anak namin, marunong ng mag-pose sa camera. I wonder who he inherited this from? :P

We're now waiting for the DVD and the 2 colored pictures of the ultrasound. Hopefully, we can get it by next week so we can show the colored pictures to J's foster mom and dad when we head to Baguio. I will also upload the video in my multiply account once we get it.

I'm not really sure though who JB looks like, my mom and dad told us that he looks like J's mom and dad combined. But I say, he got his lips from J and the nose from me! Haha!

still here

I've been on blog hiatus for almost 3 weeks! But I've been online. I've just been hooked to a lot of forums regarding pregnancy, baby stuffs and what nots. Everything that concerns our precious JB. Since I'm a first time mom, I've been heavily researching on new born stuffs that needs to be purchased. J & I have actually started buying some of JB's things. We bought a crib 2 weeks ago and some basic clothing. When we tried to set up the crib in our room, I was more anxious than ever to hold our precious brat. Hehe. I really felt like a mom already! We still have a LOT of things to buy. I've already prepared a list of the things we need before JB comes out. It's quite tempting to purchase all the cute clothes that I see. But I have to stop myself and be practical that these clothes will be easily outgrown by our little boy. There are more important things to splurge on than clothes and those nice-to-have things.

I'm on my 32nd week and my boy is becoming more active than ever. Feeling ko lagi shang gising! J told me our baby is probably practicing taekwondo as early as now. Well, these taekwondo kicks are hurting mommy sometimes. Hehe. I've been staying at home most of the time because it's getting harder for me to move because of the heavy tummy. But I do hope to get a go signal from my OB to proceed with our Baguio plans next week. Ang tapang noh? Going on a 6-hour trip on my 33rd week! This might be the last out of town vacay I'll be having before JB's arrival.

As for my digiscrapping career. I think I'm making progress. I finished my 2nd LO using the tutorial from this website
. It's so helpful, I tell you. I've been learning a lot about Photoshop! Will post my latest LO on my next post.

I guess that's just about it. Will try to update as often as I can. =)

due to a broken TV

The tv in our room broke last Sunday and I was left with nothing to do but to tinker with my laptop and just go online. I've already chanced upon digiscrappers websites before and was interested to try it but found little time to really concentrate on learning the craft. Last Sunday, however, I had so much time in my hands. J wasn't able to come home since most of the officers in their batallion are on break.

After around 2 hours of reading and researching, I purchased my first ever digiscrapping kit online. I used the earnings in my Paypal account to pay for this. I spent another 2 hours trying to quickly learn the basics of photoshop. And so I'm presenting my first ever lay out...


credits: Brown bags & calico kit by Meryl Bartho

Pang-beginner pa lang. Hehe. But I'm quite happy with the result. Sorry for the cheesy title, after looong hours of doing this I felt like labor of love na talaga to! Picture pa talaga ng asawa ko ang una kong ginamit. =)

I still have a loooooong way to go in learning this craft. I've seen a lot of other people's works and it amazes me! I just wish I'd be able to do as good as they are in the future. Right now, I'm stocking up on free kits I saw online.

I'm planning to make a 2008 calendar using pictures from our wedding. It's a bit too late for this pero January pa lang naman. =) Also, I'm thinking of digiscrapping our son's baptismal invitation! O diba, may mga naka-line up ng projects. I just hope I'd be able to make time for this in the coming weeks before our baby gets out. =)

If you guys want to try, you can start with this website. http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/ They have useful tutorials for newbies like me. Happy scrapping! =)

28 weeks and baby story

I'm finally on the last leg of my pregnancy. I never thought nakakainip pa lang magbuntis. Haha. I'm really eager to have JB (we finally agreed on a name! nickname nga lang! haha) in my arms already!

I have to say, our son is a real trooper. The first few months of my pregnancy are all stress-filled with all the preparations we did for the wedding. Despite that, he remained healthy and we are so blessed that we didn't have any near miscarriage incidents. I had a couple of trips to the ER but these were not that threatening to the pregnancy.

Going to the 3rd trimester, I must say, some of the discomforts of pregnancy is finally kicking in. I'm finding it hard to have long walks as I get tired easily. There was a time during the holiday season that J had to massage my feet the whole night and the morning after just to relieve the pain. I've been gaining weight bit by bit and I'm happy to say that I'm right on track! During the 2nd trimester, pregnant women are supposed to gain 1 lb every week and as of my check up yesterday, I've already gained 13 lbs! Hopefully, everything will be normal (including the delivery!) until JB is born.

During the 2nd trimester, his movements were not that often and not that strong but lately I could always feel him and it's as if he's always doing a one-two punch inside my belly! It can really get uncomfortable and painful at times. But knowing that he's kicking--which means he is doing fine inside my tummy--is enough to make me endure the occassional discomfort and pain.

So on with the baby story. During the last week of July 2007, I'm already 1 week delayed of my period. This is not new since I've had this experience before but just for my peace of mind and to eliminate the thought of pregnancy, I took a pregnancy test. I was so sure I'm not pregnant since I'm on the pill (except for that one time na kitamaran kong uminom). I even told my friend (who accompanied me on buying the kit) that I'm sure the test will be negative. So the next morning when I took the test, I was caught dumbfounded when I saw the 2nd pink line appeared. "This can't be", I told myself. That "one time" that I neglected taking the pill proved to be life-changing. I was shaking and I felt cold rush through my body so I immediately went out of the washroom and headed to my room to call up J. He knew that I will be taking the test early that morning so he asked right away what the result was. I could not even utter the words "positive". There was a big big rock inside my throat that all I can utter are giberish words that he cannot understand. Then, I finally said it "buntis ako". After that, I found myself crying non-stop. However, J, on the other line, was celebrating. Needless to say, he was ready, I wasn't. The whole day, I couldn't concentrate on work. Everytime I'd have to tell a close friend about it, I'm almost always close to tears (if not crying like a baby already). All my plans for the future seemed to be blurry now. This baby is definitely not part of the immediate plans.

I went to Cabanatuan that weekend (I'm scheduled to go there anyway) and J and I talked about it. To my surprise, he was calm and mature about all these. While I, was whiny, incoherent and cries continuously! He was the one who laid out our options which at time was all blurry to me. Pregnancy has not sunk in yet. J just let me let out my frustrations for the night. I would find myself waking up every half an hour with teary eyes and a heavy heart. "I AM NOT READY" is the thought that is screaming in my head.

To verify the result of the pregnancy test, we tried searching for an OB-gyne in Cabanatuan but since it was already late in the afternoon on a Saturday, almost all clinics are already closed (some are until 12 noon only). So we decided to go back together to Manila to consult an OB-gyne and confirm if I was indeed pregnant. We went to Healthway in SM North and I had my first ever ultrasound. And there he was, as small as a peanut. Maybe due to an instant motherly instinct, I was able to spot him right away in the screen even before the doctor pointed where he is. Unlike before that I look at ultrasound pictures and I could not even locate where the baby was.

After the ultrasound, for the first time, it finally sunk in (partially). We're having a baby. And I can already sense that my life is going to be different from then on.

Before going to my house to tell my parents about it. We decided to tell his parents first. Surprisingly, they were really happy for us. They seem to be really excited for their first apo. His mom even gave me a few tips on how to take care of myself during the pregnancy.

On our way to my parents, J was silent. He's probably 10x more nervous than I was. He even told me that this is probably the hardest ordeal he has to go through. Harder than plebe days (the worst year in the Academy). Harder than hell week. But all these faded when we were finally able to talk to my parents. They were not that happy but they are not mad as well. I've already anticipated their disappointment. Me, being the only child. My mom immediately wanted us to get married... in church. I declined. I don't want to rush my wedding. I want a civil wedding first and then a church wedding when the baby is already born. But my mom refuses to budge. She's so firm in her decision that we should marry in Church already since she learned of our plans to marry in 2009. Dun din naman dw pupunta yun. Aagahan lang namin.

J understood my mom's point of view. After all, J's first option is we should marry in church right away. I was the one who suggested the civil rites.

After much thought and consultation from both sides of the family, they all got me agreeing on an October/November church wedding. And so here we are, almost 3 months of being husband and wife. We still have a long way to go but so far, so good. We're both anxious now to get hold of this precious miracle inside me.

It's not always sun-shiny mood though. There are times when I still get scared of being a mom and the responsibilities that come with the title. But I'm blessed with a loving husband, supportive parents and friends to help me refocus and help me see that there will be sacrifices but all these sacrifices are worth it. For our baby. =)

maybe the superstitions are true

She "caught" the bouquet on my wedding and she's gonna get married this year!!! So maybe, they have a basis for all these traditions thingie. =)



Congrats on your engagement Vinelle! =) Hope you're reading my blog though. Haha!

P.S. I was told by J that his mistah who "caught" the garter is also getting married this year! =)

welcome 2008!

I drafted my Xmas entry last week but decided to not publish it since it's old news already. Hehe.. So I'll just try and squeeze in Xmas and New Year stories in this entry. Well, Xmas was relatively relaxed. We maximized J's one-week break which started last Dec 21. It was his birthday last Dec 22 so we celebrated it with a church visit and a simple dinner at Trinoma. He slept the whole morning so I was able to give him my surprise discreetly while he was sleeping. He woke up with my gift staring at him. Hehe.

We spent Christmas Eve at home here in Quezon City. Before, we planned on going to Iligan so he can finally show me the place where he grew up. However, now that I'm pregnant, we decided to postpone this trip to September this year when his kuya arrives from Saudi. Excited pa naman sana ko sa famous falls ng Iligan. We almost slept through Christmas eve since we were tired the whole day. Good thing, mother-in-law called and greeted us Merry Xmas so that woke us up.

J went back to camp dawn of December 28. We were still crossing our fingers then that he will be able to sneak out of camp on Dec 31 so we can spend New Year's together. However, when he went back they were on red alert so we decided that I'll just have to go there in N. Ecija to celebrate New Year's eve. It was indeed a different experience staying in their camp. Stripped off of distractions we have here in the city, I found their camp relaxing to stay to. Their batallion planned a small feast inside camp. There was even a chocolate fountain provided by a wife of a mistah. However, their ex o called them and asked them to hear mass by 10 pm because the commanding general of their division will be there too. And there will be medya noche served afterwards (still with the commanding general). And so I was dragged along to this "duty". Their celebration isn't that bad, I just missed all the loud firecrackers because it's not allowed inside camp.

We went back to the barracks at around 1 am. By this time, no one is in the mood to continue the batallion celebration anymore so we decided to hit the sack. The next day, J took me to Pahingahan. A place inside camp that has a lake. It was beautiful and the place of the name speaks for itself. I can practically stay there all day and just stare at the beautiful scenery. J said there used be jetskis for rent but for some reason, the place was not maintained anymore. I really don't mind. I liked the place without the jetski anyway. It would have ruined the calm of the lake.



So there goes my holiday. Ang bilis! Lech. Sana laging na lang bakasyon. =)

holiday fever

Ugh! I'm too lazy to work. Holiday season + Pregnancy = Laziness at its finest! Hahaha! So here I am blogging. I'm actually drafting my posts for our love story, wedding kwento and my baby stories. But I'm still not done so here I am posting random thoughts again.

We just had our annual Christmas party at Hotel Intercon last night and you know what they say about pregnant people--that we guys are lucky! Indeed, after 5 Christmas parties, I finally won a prize in the raffle (and a major one at that!). Hah! I won a Ps 4,000 worth of Sodexho gift certificate. Not bad for someone who's so unlucky at raffle draws. This gift certificate just came in time with all the purchases we need to do before our bundle of joy arrives. Only 3 more months to go and we have to start preparing his things bit by bit.

Besides winning the raffle last night, it was also the first Christmas party that I wasn't able to enjoy the party that much. Huhu. I couldn't drink, I couldn't dance! Waaah! It was plain torture. I usually get wasted during these times and I am also one of the last ones to leave the party. But last night, I was forced to just sit down while the band is playing great great music with my mango juice on my right hand. Sigh. Maybe this is the reason why I was given one of the major prizes in our raffle. Hehe.. Hopefully, next year... I get to party hard and I get to win too! Haha.

I will post pictures of the anime-themed christmas party in my multiply account as soon as my officemates start uploading the pix. I used to get by without a digicam since most of the people around me have their own cams already. Besides, not having your own digicam meant more pictures on other people's camera. Hehe. So I never felt the need to buy one. Except now that baby Roger is coming. I can't constantly borrow my friends' cameras when our little boy starts walking, eating, or does anything amusing. Camera has now become a necessity for us so it's also part of the budget for the "things to buy" before the baby gets out. Ang gastos!


Anyway, it's nearing 5 o'clock already and I'm planning to get out of Makati early because most probably there are LOTS of Xmas parties today and trafik will just get worse as the night progresses. I shall sign off now. Happy weekend everyone!

i am blaming hormones for this

I am a risk taker. The courage to take risks comes with the idea that I can always get myself out of a situation when things get a little too messy for me. I realized that as I grow older and as situations get different (and more complex), I can't easily disappear in oblivion. I can't just boot myself out of frustrating situations. Because doing so can cause pain to people who matter to me.

Every challenge that come my way has always empowered me. Until now. Because now I feel my actions are limited. I feel like I'm strapped. That I can't do anything. I cannot even go to the nearest haven and let the waves wash off my frustrations.

Most days I'm happy. But there will always be days like this when things just don't seem to fall in its right place. I'll get over this.

baby roger

After months of speculation and lots of opinion from people around us, we now know our baby's gender! We went to my OB for my 3rd ultrasound last saturday and...


image from www.doodlesanddots.com/images/its_a_boy.jpg

The doting father can't contain his happiness when the sonographer (o sonologist? hehe) confirmed to us that we're having a son! J's dreams of teaching our baby all the possible sports (mind you, kulang na lang ituro nya pati shot put!) he can teach will now become a reality.

For some weird instincts, I always knew (way way before I got pregnant) that I'll be having a son for my firstborn. Hehe.. I guess my instincts were right. =)

More than our excitement on seeing our baby again, it was a relief knowing that all his body parts are complete and intact. We had a Congenital Anomaly Scan with the ultrasound and the doctor said that everything is pretty normal. Our son's estimated weight right now is around 1.3 lbs and the doctor said that it's the average weight for a baby on its 23rd week. Although, from what I've been reading, the baby should only be around 1 lb. So I'm really happy with how he's growing inside me. Also, baby roger has been really active lately especially at night. His movements can now be felt from outside unlike before that I was the only who can feel it.

I already have a name in mind for the baby but I'm not revealing it just yet because J is not that happy with it. I want a Spanish name for our baby but he wants a mix of Spanish and English name. Ang gusto ko kasi ung tipong parang haciendero ang dating ng pangalan ng anak ko! Kahit walang hacienda. Hahaha! Does anyone have any suggestions? =)

extra moolah

Just received the payments for my paid blogging services. They should have credited the money months before but there were some problems in payperpost so they just resent the money to my paypal account today. It's just $30 (supposed to be $32 but they charged a service fee), but considering that I only get to spend 10 minutes writing those entries and then I get paid, that I think is a lot already! Hehehe.. Di naman basta basta napupulot ang $30 sa daan. So, from now on, career na ito! Pambayad din ng credit card. =)

too good to be true

I knew it. It was just too good of a news to be true. J's 1 week training turned out to be a 3-month training which his "boss" didn't approve of. So now, he's ordered to go back to Nueva Ecija and join the rest of the batallion in their other training tomorrow. The location of which I can't reveal but it's far. They will be training there for 5 days lang naman. We're hoping the training would be for 3 days so he can still come home this weekend. Magpapa-ultrasound pa naman sana kami to know the baby's gender. Oh well! At least he had stayed 1 more day than the usual. =) I'm still grateful for that! Happy Monday everyone! I hope this week will be less stressful than what I had last week.

my gift for being a good girl

I'm getting an early Christmas gift. Santa was probably watching me and took pity that I've been staying in the office til after 7 pm this week, so I was rewarded for my hardwork. No, I'm not getting a raise or a promotion.. I'm getting something better! J will be spending the whole of next week here in Manila for a training in Fort Bonifacio! Hurray! I'm a weekend-wife no more! =) Although that would be for one week only, it's already considered a privilege for military wives like me. What a way to end this gruelling week!

P.S. I'm off to a surprise bridal shower for my officemate tonight! Let's parteeeeeh! =)

quick break

I'm taking a short breather before I jump to my next task.

I was browsing my multiply account when I saw my calendar (where I put my lakwatsa sked) saying "no upcoming events". Boohoo. Now that the wedding is done, the traveller in me is just itching to explore new places again! Sigh. My dream honeymoon before was to go out of the country. Sadly, that won't be possible right now because of hubby's work. Plus, I can't travel that much because of the baby. I swear, when the baby comes out and he/she is big enough to travel... magsasawa sa lakwatsa ang anak namin! =)

busy!

Haven't updated my blog. Work has been consuming most of my time. My partner in the department is having a difficult pregnancy. Doctor advised her to take bed rest for 2 more weeks. So I'm flying solo for now.

But I'm ok! And the baby's doing fine as well. I just felt him/her kick hard last night! I was so amazed! =) I just hope he/she will be this active when his/her daddy is here.

Ang dami kong utang na kwento! Hay! Will be back with regular programming as soon as the storm has passed here in the office.

wedding pix!

I just checked Ariel Javelosa's website and andun na ung pix namin! yey! Just click on this link.

Btw, I've already uploaded the photo slide show of the hotel preps and church ceremony shown during the reception sa multiply ko. Will still upload the onsite AVP (Ariel Javelosa's gift and surprise to us) when I get the DVD copy from their office.

Nakakamiss ang wedding preps! =)

brand new mrs!

I'm back! hahaha! Barely a week after the wedding and here I am blogging. I can't make this long though. Have to maximize hubby's vacation leave. I will post wedding kwentos and pictures soon. Ang masasabi ko lang, ang sarap magpakasal. Kakaiba ang feeling. We're still feeling the high from the wedding. We already got the raw pictures from our photographer. Ang dami! 3,500 pictures! Nalula kami sa kakatingin. Here's a sneak peek.



Catch you all again next time! =)

as the day draws near...

Ulk! I think I'm finally having the wedding jitters. I apologize if my last entries have been about mushiness, weddings and everything related to it. Well, it has consumed most of my time lately. And right now, it's all I can think about!

No, this feeling is not about commitment phobia or something to that effect. I'm very very sure of my decision to marry J. I'm so looking forward to the day I become Mrs. Bernadette G. Moldez. It's just that I feel like we still have a lot to do for the wedding! Aaargh! I don't know if I have covered everything already. I'm not an OC bride but I do wish to have a smooth-flowing and hassle free day come October 26.

I feel like we've already accomplished most of the aspects of the wedding but it seems like there are still some things missing.

To add to my anxiety, my vacation next week is still not final. I initially planned on taking my leave on the 23rd (when Trixie's back from Aus) but my regional officer is suddenly flying in from Taiwan on 22 and will not be leaving until the 24th! Ack! Talk about a nice wedding gift! So I'm still not sure if my local boss will allow me to take my leave on 23. Wish me luck!

J, on the other hand, starts his leave today! Haha.. Officially, his leave starts on Saturday (Oct. 20) but he was allowed to come here in Manila today! Yipee! He was even telling me that his batallion commander and ex-o have been wondering why he's still there in camp when he should be taking a leave already! Ang bait! Napahaba tuloy ang bakasyon nya! =)

Another blessing for us is the loooooong vacation on the last week of October. Oct 29, Oct 31 (half day), Nov. 1 and 2 are all declared non-working holidays! That means, I don't have to leave without pay (because I've already consumed most of my vacation leaves during the first half of the year!).

I'm grateful for his extended vacation and my extra days off but I still can't shake off these anxiety attacks! Hay!

The major thing I have to accomplish today is our misallete! Ayayay! I've been putting it off for days! Now I have to cram!

Can you tell that I'm starting to be incoherent! Grrr... Good thing "baby roger" (our term of endearment for our baby) is cooperating pretty well lately. No more bouts of vomitting and food sensitivity! My appetite is back!! Woohoo! I'm trying to gain back all the pounds I've lost for the past week. I just hope I don't go overboard! Last time I had my gown fitted, it was a bit masikip na! Hehe..

Anyway, thanks for letting this jittery bride vent out her anxieties! Ganito naman yata talaga pag malapit ng ikasal! *breath in, breath out*

i'm engaged!

Hahaha! Ye. I know. It's 2 weeks before the wedding day and it's kinda late to be announcing our engagement. We'll, J & I have been engaged for almost 3 months already. But the usual engagement ring was not part of it.

To give you a backgrounder, J actually proposed while we were watching a movie. Ratatouille to be exact. Unconventional, I know! It was actually an informal proposal. He just asked me "Kung yayain kitang pakasal ngayon, papayag ka ba?". Wedding plans were part of our discussions before but we both agreed that it will still take a long time before we can actually save up for the wedding we wanted. And so I thought this was just part of the usual conversation. I told him "Akala ko ba mag-iipon muna tyo?". He told me that we should be saving up for it starting now. I said ok and I continued to concentrate on the movie. After around 3 minutes, he asked me again "Di ka ba masaya?". Then I faced him and it suddenly dawned on me that this was his proposal! I was kinda irritated at first because how the heck am I going to tell our grandchildren how their lolo proposed to me. In the moviehouse? I was ecstatic about the idea of us getting married but the proposal didn't excite me at all. That week, we started setting a target year for the wedding. 2009 was the year agreed upon.

A week later, we learned that I was pregnant. I'll write a separate entry for that story.

And so, with the baby on the way, we decided that this year was probably the year God wanted us to tie the knot. He gave us this wonderful blessing and who are we to decline it. Wedding preparations took place and here we are, 2 weeks before we actually walk down that aisle.

Little did I know that J was actually cooking up something. I've already accepted the fact that I won't get the usual proposal (with the kneeling drama and the usual will you marry me line). But today, J gave me my engagement ring! PMA graduates actually have their own version of the engagement ring. It's not the usual diamond ring but a mini version of their class ring.

He was supposed to be going back to Nueva Ecija today after dropping me in Makati for work. But he said that he'll be waiting for Glorietta to open to buy some stuffs. I myself was busy in the office that I didn't get to check on his whereabouts this morning. He texted me an hour before 12 pm asking me if I already have plans for lunch. I grabbed to opportunity to have lunch with him today before he goes to Nueva Ecija. I was even insisting that we eat somewhere near my office but he wanted to have lunch in Greenbelt. And it was unusual that he actually has a preferred place for lunch.

On my way to Landmark to meet him, I suddenly craved for Smoked Spareribs from French Baker. When I told him that I wanted to eat there, he sounded kinda disappointed but gave in to my request anyway. While we were having lunch, I noticed he was a bit jittery. He didn't have the appetite for lunch since he still full from breakfast. And I thought he was having stomach pains again. He was actually waiting for me to finish. And it was also unusual of him to be asking me if I'm already done with my food. During the last part of my meal, he was already holding my left hand and this was not unusual so I was still clueless at that time. When suddenly, he slipped the ring on my finger and I was really really surprised. I could have cried but there were too many people so I tried to stop my tears. The whole morning that I thought he was in Glorietta, he actually went to Manila to get the mini ring that he ordered since last month! =)

Afterwards, he told me about his initial plans on how to give me the ring. He wanted to eat in greenbelt so we can find a place where they serve ice cream and he'll put the ring on the ice cream. Haha! Not really unusual type of gimik but I find it really sweet! So when I told him I wanted to eat in French Baker he tried to find another way. We ordered soup at that time and guess what? Yep! He initially planned on putting the ring on the soup. He actually did but half way through our meal, he figured I won't be able to finish the soup anymore since I'm already somewhat full with my rice meal. So he discreetly scooped the ring out of the soup and sneaked in the bathroom to wash it. That's when he decided that he'll just slip it on my finger.

So there. I think I just gave you a blow by blow account of what transpired today. Haha! Pagpasenshahan na. I still can't get this smile off my face. Even with the tons of work waiting for me here in the office, I don't really mind now. I'm just in cloud 9! =)

wedding to do's

With barely 3 weeks to go, panic button is already on for the wedding preps. There are still a lot of things to do and to purchase. Those little details that still require attention anyway. We've covered almost all the major aspects (church, venue, catering, photo and video) and we're like 60% done on distribution of the invites. The only ones that were left are those for my relatives in the province. But they've confirmed that they will come anyway. This will be a sorta reunion for both my mom and dad's side of the family.

Good thing that a long weekend is coming up so I have an extra day to do all the chores I need to do for the wedding. After almost 3 months of preparation, I actually want this wedding to happen already. More than my excitement for the wedding is my excitement for the marriage. After all these preparations, J & I can now finally spend our weekends for leisure. Not going from one supplier to another. We can now concentrate on our short-term and long-term plans. I can now go back to normal life. I can actually take my much-needed haircut (can't cut my hair so that the stylist would be able to do much on my hair come wedding day). I can go to the beach and not worry about getting dark. Haha. The simple pleasures. =) I miss going out with my friends. I miss bumming around.

I just pray that everything will be fine on the wedding day. That there will be no major obstacles that we'll encounter that day. =)

Btw, I still can't eat lunch and dinner. The only decent meal I can eat is breakfast. And I'm slowly losing weight! I don't want to look stick thin on the big day! Waaah! I'm now actually forcing myself to eat and doing every means to overcome this problem. Hay. Please pray for my full recovery.

..and i thought I've already recovered

Lunch and dinner seem to be quite a struggle the past days. I still can't eat solid foods without any urge to throw up. Hay! Nakakapagod na. Gusto ko ng kumain.

on motherhood

The past week that I was sick, my mom was the one taking care of me extensively. She would wake up in the middle of the night when I'm throwing up ready with hot water to ease the stomach pains. My mom took time off from her busy schedule to focus on me and make sure that I have everything I need all the time. If you know my mom, you know how busy she can get and how tight her schedule can be.

Almost every request, I always get immediately and without any hesitation or complaint from her. She even volunteered to sleep beside me so she can look after me throughout the night.

I was overwhelmed by all these. It's the first time in so many years that I was taken cared of like that again. It was like I was a kid all over again. Well, it's the first time actually that I had a case this sensitive ever since I started working.

I felt the unconditional love in its truest sense of the word from my mom. And I'm really really grateful for it. I'm actually teary-eyed right now just writing about it. Makes me think about me being a mother. Will I be able to give even half as much as what my mom gives me? Will I be able to give that unconditional love despite my child being a headache at times (well, a lot of times actually). Will I be that patient? I'm not really sure. Can I a be as superwoman as my mom? I'd be glad if I will be able to do even half of what she does.

on Luzon tour and my first time in ER

The past week have been quite busy for J and I. We headed to Nueva Ecija last saturday morning to supposedly meet his batallion commander to personally hand him our invitation because he is one of our ninongs. Unfortunately, he wasn't in camp when we arrived. So we proceeded to Baguio that afternoon to go to his foster parents to personally give the invitations as well. It was a welcomed "chore" for our wedding preps since I really miss going to Baguio. Just the thought of going to the Summer Capital makes me smile already. =) I don't have pictures. boohoo. As we didn't bring any camera (well, we don't actually have a camera to begin with! hehe). The pictures that we have are just those of our faces from J's phone cam and I don't want to bore you guys with that. =)

Anyway, we visited PMA of course. Chatted with some of his underclass. It was fun seeing J talk to his former schoolmates. Obviously, J missed his alma mater. Life as a cadet is really far easier as compared to the real world. My trip to Baguio will not be complete without going to Mines View and indulge in their pusit. Hehe.. I'm pretty sure pusit is available in some parts of Baguio but for some reason I keep going back to the stalls in Mines View. =) We didn't bother entering since it was really foggy and we don't really have that much time as we need to head back to Manila on Sunday night.

I just wish I can go back to Baguio again with no other agenda but to RELAX! =)

************************

Last wednesday, I had my first experience of ER. I've been vomitting like crazy since Wednesday night. Come Thursday morning, my mom decided to take me to the ER. Doctors told me that it must be something I ate. They can't give me any medications because of my "case" (more on that soon!). So they just advised me to take a no-fat diet. The only food I'm allowed to eat are crackers and fruits. Waaah! We headed straight home but come Friday, I'm still throwing up everything I take. So we headed back to my doctor in Capitol Medical Center and advised me to melt ice in my mouth whenever I feel like throwing up. If my vomitting continues, I will be confined. We headed back home again. Tried to eat again and fortunately, I didn't throw up. I was able to recover fully only today. I was able to eat solid foods again! Yipee! But I'm still being cautious about the oily foods.

We're blaming this on the burger we ate last Wednesday because J had a similar case as mine when he went back to Nueva Ecija. His case was diarrhea naman. He, on the other hand, has not fully recovered yet. But he is getting better everyday with the help of gatorade. Hehe.. If his sickness will continue, he'll be consulting a doctor already. Gusto pa kasi mag-self medicate muna bago magpatingin dw!

I'm sorry if my story grossed you out! Hehe.. Just sharing my very busy and sickly week. Hope we will be better next week and the weeks to come. Only 3 weeks to go before the big day and we don't want to be walking down the aisle unhealthy. =)

anti-climactic

This is one of our pre-nup pix.

So if there's a "pre-nup", then there must be a "nup".

Yep! I'm getting married! This has been my long overdue announcement. I have to make sure everything is settled (read: distribute the invitation to my officemates) before I make this big announcement.

One more month to go! =)

what might have been

Today, I could have been in paradise doing this right now...



Due to certain circumstances, we cannot push through with our trip to Palawan. I'm more than happy with the reasons why we can't go on this trip but it finally dawned on me that this is one aspect of my life that I would have to temporarily leave for now. But I will be back. With a vengeance! Palawan, I will see you next time!

UP Fight!

I can't believe I missed watching this year's cheerdance competition! To think I've been religiously following it for the past 5 or so years. Funny that I was only able to learn about it while I was in Seattle's Best last Sunday. There were a bunch of people talking about it on the other table.

UP WON FIRST PLACE!!!

Yahooo! I admit I'm a die-hard fan of the pep squad before. Eversince I've been watching the UAAP gamee, I'm really impressed with how unique and smooth the UP pep squad perform their half time cheers! And every year, people are expecting something new from the squad since they were the ones who revolutionized cheerdance here in the Philippines.

UP last won 1st place in 2001. It was a actually their 3rd consecutive win at that time but for the past 5 years, The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe have been the reigning champion.

Sorry I don't have pictures to post! I just can't seem to find pictures of the recent competition (or hindi lang ako marunong maghanap!). I found one video in youtube but the quality is not that good since I think it was just taken from a phone cam. Anyway, I'm sure somebody will post the cheer (as seen on tv!) some time soon!

Congrats to the UP pep squad!! UP FIGHT!!!

BER na!

On my way home yesterday, I heard one of the saddest songs ever written. "Pasko na Sinta Ko" by Gary V. Yep. Just the melody of this song is just plain..sad. Anyway, my point is Christmas is coming soon! Yey!



I just love, love the holiday season. Mainly because everybody seems to be on a light mood and people tend to be kinder to each other. Except for taxi drivers who turns extra greedy and extra picky during the mad rush for Xmas shopping.

Xmas will be very different this year. I kinda want to celebrate it away from the city. As much as city celebration is colorful with all the lights, this time I want to take it slow and not jump from one party to another. Hopefully, J & I can spend xmas in J's hometown in Iligan. If his commander permits him to take a leave by then.

I'm excited on this holiday season. My gut is telling me that this will be one very meaningful Christmas. =) Let the countdown begin!

blog overhaul

Once again, I'm trying to change my blog template. I've been trying since time imemorial to change this template. This time, I'm successful. Partly. Because, successful as I was in incorporating the new template, I lost my tagboard, the payperpost logo and my multiply badge. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I will now try to figure out how to edit the html code to be able to insert the code for those 3 items that I lost. Whew! Kapagod ha! =)

feeling nostalgic

I so miss these guys! I chanced upon an old blog by a long lost friend (papang! nasan ka na ba? huling kita natin 2 months ago, di pa tyo nakapagkwentuhan!). When I read again the story of the group that made me look forward to weekends and the same group that made me appreciate going on trips with no planning, I suddenly slipped to nostalgic mode. We always had fun. We always go on out of town trips with no hotel/resort reservations or even a map. Just our instincts and the company of each other.

I'm still friends with them although I don't get to see them that much. Mga once every quarter na lang. Huhu. I miss them. Things have indeed changed. For all us. Payat pa kami noon! Haha. But I'm still glad that I have beautiful memories to look back to. Sana lang maulit ang mga ganitong pangyayari. =)