Apples and Plastic bags

I was going through my feeds this afternoon and I stumbled upon a question:

What's your favorite Christmas memory?

So I pondered.

I remember hanging plastic bags by the window after dinner on the 24th. We cannot even afford to buy Christmas stockings. We would then go to sleep and the parents will wake us up for the Aguinaldo mass. By the time we're back from the church, our plastic bags would be filled with an apple each, and something else we didn't ask for. Back then, apples were only available during December. We were nice kids all year long but Santa never gave us what we wished for. And yet we never questioned why our cousins got better gifts (we used to live in the same compound as our maternal relatives). Plus our Christmases were always uber happy sans the perfect gifts.

How about you, what's your favorite Christmas memory?

ps. When we moved to a new home, Santa stopped coming over because our house had window grills and we didn't have a chimney. LOL!

It's been good.

December has been good to me -- financially wise. Maybe because I actually took the time to hunt for opportunities. I'm happy because I am able to offer hubby some help in buying Baby Dot's stuff (since I was also able to stop myself from too much online shopping). For that I am very thankful. The downside of it all, though, is that I seem to have zeroed-out my energy for entry writing. I've reached the point of burn-out. I've experienced this before so I'm sure this is just a phase. I just don't know when it will pass, hehe.

Must be the hormones, again.

On a sunny note, all things are looking up! The year 2009 is looming over us and I'm excited. I wonder what the new year will offer us. Aside from welcoming our first-born, will I continue with this little "online business"? Will I grab a small business opportunity? Will I get accepted to a post I applied at a this company? Or will I stay at home while the Princess is still a baby? Only time can tell.

Whatever the Heavens will send my way...

Home Alone

As I said in my previous post, the husband is out. He is with his parents at Nurture Spa, Batangas for Jon and Len's wedding. Hubby is the Best Man while my in-laws are both Principal Sponsors. I would have gone with them (I love weddings!!) but my OB allowed me to go on three conditions, that:

1. I take Duvadilan before the trip to relax my tummy and avoid contractions;
2. We don't get stuck in traffic jam for too long; and
   
3. I should be able to take the weather and not get sick.

Number one is easy, I just need to pop the pill, right? But the next two are beyond my control. We could leave early and avoid the jam but I definitely cannot say I won't get sick from the sudden change in temperatures (I heard it's windy over there). I wouldn't risk getting sick when 35 weeks pregnant (I hated the feeling when I got sick a few weeks ago).

So yeah, I am home alone. It makes me paranoid that I have no one to bring me to the hospital in case of emergency. My brothers are in QC and my parents are in Bulacan (about 15 minutes away from here) but I'm not sure if they're home at the moment. All I can do is pray that I won't have an emrgency. :)

I'm still backing up files, that's relaxing enough. But then the neighbors are too noisy (too loud a music and kids screaming here and there), sigh...So much for a relaxing afternoon. I knew the band practice this morning was a bad sign, ugh.

Backing up

After all these months, I finally got the chance to back up the files in my external hard drive. And I'm blogging now while waiting for the copying and the burning to finish. I have lots to burn to CD's today, having about two year's worth of data just saved in my ExHDD and our PC here at home. Bad practice, I know. It's like delaying getting a mortgage life insurance. The analogy sucks, yeah, but I am quite sure I would have died if I lost all of my files, LOL!

I was literally pushed to back up today because just this week, I realized my ExHDD only have about 700mb free space! I couldn't even save a new layout, hah! And I got to sit down on it only today because I can monopolize the PC, now that Ane is out and won't be back until this evening, hehe. Screw Cabal, LOL!

Why I am home alone, I will share in the next post :) I'll just set-up the next burning session...

Happy Holidays!

Credits here.

I've lost the energy to blog. Blog burn-out? Probably. I just find myself too tired to write entries. I have a pregnancy update (and other things) to share though. So while I'm declaring a blog holiday (for now), I just might drop by again before the year ends, especially that I will be left home alone on Dec27.

Enjoy the long break, guys, and the feast/s (eat for me , okay?!!?). And pray and be thankful! See you around!

All set?

I'm currently on my 33rd week (34 tomorrow! And it's my OB visit too!) and I'd like to think we're all set, well almost. We'll just have to buy some basic toiletries for the hospital and found out just last night that we need to buy crib mattresses! Last Thursday, we bought some stuff for Baby Dot, particularly long-sleeved shirts as it's gonna be really cold come January-February, and some sheets for the cribs. And another going-home outfit since the one we bought is too big. Gotta wash those new purchases soon! We're done with the documents that we might need for the hospital, we're just waiting for January to request for Ane's updated Philhealth contribution certificate.

Over the weekend, we did some house cleaning. Like Chikai, maybe I'm nesting too! The purchase of the cabinets probably triggered it as I've been really lazy I'm dragging my fat ass around. I needed a lot of help because now, it's hard for me to bend over and pick up stuff &/or wipe things/floors. I'm just glad that I was able to ask Ane to stop playing Cabal for once! LOL! He willingly obliged 'coz he knows he'll never hear the end of it! So this is how our little pad (sleeping area) in Malabon now looks like:


We moved things around to make space for the cabinet. I put notes on the picture in my Flickr, click here to look. We didn't rotate the bed since the space is small we have to knock it down just to move it. Nice to look at when it's like this, huh? I wish we can keep it this way! LOL! And while we're at it, I'm sharing the other side of the picture above, our 'work area':


I also have notes. You know the drill :) I need to re-organize this side soon! Before we left for QC on Saturday, we accumulated a really large bag of trash, mostly boxes.

And then on Sunday, while Ane was at work, I took care of our room in QC with the help of the ward of course! We also moved things around and was able to throw two large bags of junk (where the h@#l did those come from?!?). No picture of the room this time because by the time I was done, I was already too tired and we had a 6pm mass to attend. Dot's cabinet is still downstairs because I'm letting the "factory" smell wear off first.

Overall, I had a very productive weekend (and tiring too!). The last few days, I've been catching up on rest because I know I will hardly get enough sleep when Dot arrives, hehe. Until my next mommy update! :)

Looking back...

I have a long post about our weekend but decided to take a break first (I haven't even started writing it, and I'm sure I'm gonna cut the story short out of laziness, LOL!). I'm looking at old pictures and came across the photos of where we used to live in Sta. Mesa back in college.

I can't imagine how we fit in the small space, LOL! The computer area shares the space with the dining area, below the loft stairs. Imagine, liit noh? And I remember at that time, I was "introduced" to online Scrabble where I met The Wonderful man I now call Ane, and also the chatting. I remember my chat sessions with a US Navy man named Edward through ICQ. We used to correspond via emails. LOL! Maybe I can recommend the site to my single friends because I really think meeting people from other countries will widen their horizon, if you catch my drift. Hehe.

The search is over...

We started the search for the kiddie cabinet weeks ago but never really took it seriously. So on Thursday, after Ane's work, we went to SM North to check out if the cabinet we initially saw was still available. The cabinet was still on display so we asked someone if there are still stocks available. The guy was kinda hesitant to accommodate us saying the person in charge is not around at that time. I didn't take that as an excuse (syemps, the customer is always right, ayt?) so he had no choice but to find out himself. The guy was gone for about ten minutes only to inform us that the person in charge is not available so he's not sure if the cabinets are readily available too. I almost threw a tantrum because 1) He could have gotten a better answer than that and 2) Why would the person in charge be unavailable when it was only 630pm and still hours before the store closes? I was ready to call the supervisor but Ane stopped me as he started to walk away.

After I calmed down a bit, Ane made a deal with me: That we will check-out the stores in Caloocan the next day (Friday) and if we don't find anything we like, we'll go back to SM over the weekend to insist they order for us. Hehe.

And the search ended on Friday morning, after less than an hour of store-hopping on Maypajo Street :) Here's what we got, exactly the same design we found in SM:


We got two cabinets, for P800 less than the price at SM! And free "same day" delivery, too! That's P1600 savings! Steal!

I just had to quote the phrase "same day" because they failed to deliver on Friday afternoon. Turned out they only had one unit in stock left and they had to order for the manufacturer for another before they deliver. We spent our Saturday just waiting for the delivery, and was even worried they will not turn up. We got some preaching from my MIL, telling us why we paid in full, etc etc.

The cabinets came around 4pm and while being assembled, the delivery guy realized one of the panels of one of the cabinets is damaged. Argh. We couldn't do anything but just let them come back for another panel. But one of the cabinets was properly assembled, we were able to bring it to QC. And that's the one pictured above. The other cabinet was done the next day, before lunch.

Yes, there were problems with the delivery but I guess all is well that ends well, right? :)

Holidays are coming...It's Christmas!

I am having an LSS moment. I am singing the Coke Christmas Jingle in my head...Holidays are coming, holidays are coming, nananana...It's Christmas! Hehe. I don't know what got me but I'm not really into Christmas this year (I'm not into the season but I so feel the Reason though). Maybe because I am more excited for the arrival of the Baby after the season :)

I am happy though that with reunions and get-togethers here and there, I am not restricted to eat! While others already think about what diet pill to take after the food-tripping, my OB allowed me to eat to my heart's desire! Yesiree!! :) Need to watch the sugar intake though. Doesn't matter, I still get to E.A.T!!!!

Holidays are coming, holidays are coming, nananana...It's Christmas!

The Moon 13 Dec 08

I don't know if you noticed the Moon last Saturday. It looked so much like the image here. It was so beautiful, so full that I regret not having a camera with us.

We were on our way to Ane's badminton games in Battledore when I looked ahead and saw the amazing Moon.

Then on Monday, while watching the news, I heard that a lot of people flocked to the Pag-asa conservatory on Saturday to Moon-watch and wait for meteor showers. Pag-asa reported that the Moon was so near Earth at that time that it was really visible and big even without the telescopes! That explains it :) Hay sayang talaga, wala kaming dalang camera.

Slow yet productive morning

My Monday morning seemed to drag by. I woke up before 5am but was still very sleepy. I cannot imagine how I was able to prepare breakfast and Ane's lunch with my eyes practically closed. LOL! I did manage to stay up though, because the ward requested that I research something for her homework. She asked me to list down at least twenty drugs, who discovered each and write what each drug is for. Boring, I know. So while my tabs are loading, I decided to check out a friend's multiply site where she posted their recent trip photos -- what hotel in las vegas they stayed at, the food they ate, etc. Anyway, I thought the task of completing the list would be easy, but I was wrong. I gave up at number 13, LOL! Bahala na si Batman, it's her homework anyway, hehehe.

And then it was time to do bank errands with my brother (after bringing Mom to work). We went to four banks, and then a quick trip to pay bro's mobile bill and a meet-up with a buyer. I was hoping the bank trips would be a breeze, but no. Let's just say I got tired and even more sleepy waiting in line.

We got back home before noon and I decided to have lunch right away so I could rest. Now I'm blogging just to let you guys know that I'm still here. Hehe. My last post was on Wednesday and I had a very long weekend. I have so much to share! But I'll do that later. I need to catch up on some Zzzzzz's...Dot's kicking asking me to lie down already!

Laters!!! :D

What's with me?

Yesterday, I was discussing with Ane the money I saved from my online "business". Then suddenly, he goes, "Go buy yourself a new laptop", in a very serious tone. Hhhuwaaatt?!?! Are you kidding me? If he told me that when I wasn't pregnant yet, then I would have asked him to accompany me to actually buy one TODAY. Hubby knows me too well. He knows I won't splurge that easily and that I will think things over before I decide on a huge purchase. I guess this is what motherhood has made me -- thinking of my Baby before my own.

That's a good thing, right? :)

Yen's QOTW 43

1. Do you like to read a book that is in movie format before you view the movie, or afterwards? It depends on which one I am able to catch first, but usually, I get to read the book first before I see the movie version.
2. Have you ever had a dream about being in a place you’ve never been, and days or years later, you end up there? Yep!
3. How do you dream… in black-and-white or color? In vivid color!
4. How many personal ‘fantasy worlds’ exist in your head? A lot! I daydream a lot, LOL!
5. What would you like to learn more about? Photography, Digiscrapping and Writing better.
6. What was the last family event you attended? I'm being anti-social, I don't remember the last big event! But Ane and I had lunch with my in-laws for their wedding anniversary about two weeks ago.
7. Have you told your Mom and Dad, lately, how much you love and appreciate them? Nope.
8. Too much to do, what do you do? Make a checklist according to priority.
9. Do you like to save ‘the best for last’? Yes, especially when it comes to food! Hehe.
10. Pick an online friend. Only ONE. Tell me something about her. A link to her blog/site so we can take a peek! I'd pick MAE, although I know her personally, we've been corresponding via the internet since she left for the US in September. I enjoy reading her blog entries and I like her writing style.

Join and read the rest here.

A few $$ richer :)

I received some moolah in my Paypal this morning for a year of "service". Of course it made my day! And guess what came to my mind after I have confirmed the transfer?!!? Shopping!!! Not for me but for Baby Dot. Since learning of her gender, I was itching to shop for cutie stuff for her already. So I went online and browsed some stores:

Image from Gymboree. Ain't that a cutie pink girly dress? :D

And this one I found in Etsy, an owl onsie/romper paired with a cute mary janes!

But I can only look and not buy a this point. :D I need Ane's go-signal first! My sister is sending over a small box for Baby Dot (no idea when), so shipping would have been easy. I need to wait. I need to wait. Patience is a virtue. Breathe.

Anyway, we are going to the mall this Thursday so I'll probably be able to ease the shopping itch! For now, I need to stop browsing. Hubby is on his way home and I don't want him giving me "the look". Hehe. Ciao!

Why Edward is the perfect guy...

Got this from Reeyah (Hi gurl! Nice meeting you last Thursday!). I took the liberty to re-post it because of the Edward-fever, which hit me too! LOL! Swoon, ladies, swoon!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Few reasons why a lot of girls love Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.

A normal guy would say:
"I love you, baby!"

Edward would say:
"You are my life now."



As you leave the house, a normal guy would say:
"Bye. See ya!"

Edward would say:
"Hurry back to me."


While you've gone far away, a normal guy would say:
"I miss you."

Edward would say:
"It's like you've taken half myself with you."


If you died, a normal guy would find another.
Edward would kill himself because life without you isn't worth living.

Dot is a good Baby :)

I'm currently on my 32nd week. We went to my OB for the check-up. We left the house later than planned. We had to drop by TMC first to get an LOE from Maxicare. By the time we got to my OB's clinic around 930am, I was already fourth in line and Dra. A hasn't arrived yet (she was doing her rounds in the hospital). We were attended to a little past noon already. I actually fell asleep waiting, I'll tell you why in a bit.

Me, so far. I gained 3lbs from the last check-up three weeks ago, about 2olbs since pre-pregnancy weight.
Although the weight I gained is the prescribed weight gain, Dra. A said I should eat more (the healthy stuff, of course) because Baby's weight is now below average :( My tummy also got bigger faster, fundal height is now 31in. Dra. A also said it's nice I haven't developed stretchmarks yet, yay! But I noticed some small kamot marks below the navel, uh-oh.

I was advised to continue with Obimin and twice a day Anmun milk. And added a new vitamin, Iberet, an iron supplement.

We were also able to discuss "money matters" with her which actually relieved me since money talks make me uneasy. :)

Baby Dot, now. My prayers (and others' prayers) were heard because we found out today that Dot has spun to cephalic position (the music and penlight sessions worked!). Now, I am more excited to give birth knowing that everything is in place. Just hoping Dot won't spin again! We also confirmed that Dot is a GIRL! Dot is a Hamburger and not a hotdawg, as my OB puts it, LOL! I'm not running a guess-the-gender contest anymore, since Dot took this long to show, it seems anti-climactic already hehe. She's now about 4lbs and heartbeat is 140bpm.

Last night, I slept a little because her kicks were getting stronger. I was hurt and wanted to cry already. That's why I was so sleepy while waiting for Doc this morning. My mom said, it's better to feel her moving rather than not. She has a point right?

That's it for now. I need to rest now. I am just so elated Dot has been very good and that God is putting everything in place that my worries are slowly going away.

Ciao! :)

Lost and found

Ane "grounded" me because of what happened to my rings. So I was definitely disappointed that he did not allow me to join some of my fellow Bebots/Twittermates to an impromptu EB in Makati today. He just wouldn't budge, and I can't do anything since he was supposed to drive me there.

Although I was already tired and sleepy after the check-up (we waited for hours!), I was sulking on our way home to Malabon. Imagine my surprise when we got home...when I saw my precious rings lying on the coffee table!


We still haven't asked my MIL where they found it but maybe the labandera found 'em in one of my pockets! Super happy!! It's one of the good news that I received today.

The "punishment" is lifted, of course, albeit a little late, hmp. I hope I can join the Bebots in the next EB after Christmas.

~~~~~~~~~~~
@MEG, here's the answer to your comment, LOL!

Are you ready for Christmas?

But ready or not, the Holidays are coming up! :) We are kinda tight this year so we are not giving away presents (a.k.a. magtatago sa inaanak, LOL!). Some of my friends understand that we are preparing for the arrival of Dot, and we are actually expecting presents from them, LOL, just kidding! :)

And I see that a lot of houses are already decorated with lights and Christmas stuff (Did you know that you can save more if you use led light bulbs?). Our is really bare, I tell you. It's not that we're not excited or the spirit isn't among us. We don't have decorations, just because. We're all adults here and that's probably why there's no "alarming" need to decorate.

Next year will probably be different coz it's going to be Dot's first Christmas. And I would want that to be special. :)

Baby Stuff for Baby Dot

Ane and I were delaying the shopping for Baby Dot until we have confirmed the gender (that's tomorrow hopefully!). But while chatting with my mom about last week, she mentioned that when she was pregnant with us, she would already prepare the hospital bags by the time she's 7months on the way. I seriously panicked since I'm already 30weeks then. I just had to drag Ane to the mall on Friday and buy the necessary stuff for the hospital (which I haven't washed until now...was supposed to wash today but it rained!).

Here's what we bought (generic whites and unisex yellow colors):
- Diaper Bag
- a pack Disposable diapers
- 1 dozen Cloth Diapers
- 3pcs sleeveless tie shirts
- 3pcs tie shirts with sleeves
- 3pcs receiving blankets
- 2pcs hooded towels
- 3pairs of pajamas
- washcloths
- bibs
- mittens
- booties
- a pair of onesie
- 2 pairs of rompers
- diaper clips
- wipes

And then some that are on my list:
- Bottle basket
- Bottle brushes
- Washable nursing/bra pads
- Formula dispenser (in case I get no milk)
- Cycles detergent
- Bath tub

We're definitely not yet done shopping although we already have: the cribs, Playtex drop-ins, Steam sterilizer (thanks to the Tabernillas) and carseat (thanks to the Luises).

On Saturday, I met up with my college girlfriends for lunch. They planned a mini-baby shower for Baby Dot! And we were gifted with a nursing pillow and additional cloth diapers (because we can never have enough!) from the Gamoses, a grooming kit (yay!) from the Cortezes, and a cute Precious Moments Gift set from the Ongs. Thank you, thank you, girls! Love you all!

My preciouuuussssssss...

It's been a week.
I feel so naked.

At first I was okay, thinking that I just left 'em on my dresser in QC. But when we got here on Monday night, I confirmed a nightmare...

I misplaced both my Wedding and Engagement rings!!!

And I can't seem to find them anywhere I look. I know they're just symbols but the sentimental value of the two rings are priceless, right? (I remember the feeling when my diamond studs got stolen, the pair is from my childhood and I was keeping it for my first daughter!). And it sucks that between Ane and me, I'm the one who lost the wedding ring first! Argh.

I'm still not accepting that I've lost my rings forever. I'm still hoping.

Hubby officially grounded me. But I'm hoping he'd change his mind since this is the season to meet friends and I'm not sure I'll still be able to go out after giving birth.

Cullenified :)

Of course, this post is about the current raves about Twilight, the movie. As I said in the previous post, Hubby allowed me to watch it! Yay for me! :) So we trooped to the last full show at Promenade on Thursday night. (Yeah, yeah, a week ago!) I liked the movie, but I like the book better. But it's good that the names in the book are given faces, it's easier for me to imagine :)

The vampires aren't pale, they're ghostly white! (too much foundation and the too red lips? huh.) But then again, I swoon and I can say, "Bite me Edward, please!". The Cullens are so beautiful and perfect they don't need Zyporex at all. And Edward? Those piercing eyes and all that he is, wow. Rob Pattinson played the role so well, I wish I was Bella (lucky girl!).

There are some parts of the book that weren't there. And the details weren't the same (ie. I was expecting a better Cullen mansion; the obvious ad placements in the movie = an old computer vs an MacBook). But I guess time and budget got on the way, and I'm just being OC about the small details, teehee. So if asked if I'll watch the movie again, yes I would!

I'm actually hoping I could read all four books again (Papita, let me borrow J's books!). And I'm currently reading the draft pdf file of Midnight Sun, to understand Edward better. But please I hope I am spared of the nightmares this time around. :)

Long Weekend

It is indeed. It's not over yet as today is a holiday (and it's our monthsary, too!! :)) and I'm already deadbeat (tired is an understatement). I'll do bullets first and expound later on. I can't sit long 'coz I've been getting cramps on the legs from too much sitting!

Thursday:

• Late night movie with Ane and Brother R at the Promenade. We watched the LFS of Twilight and I'm glad the crowd is manageable for me :)
• Was home just before 1am and I had to do my night rituals before going to bed.

Friday:

• Woke up at 6am to prepare breakfast. It was Ane's restday so I got to wake up later than usual.
• Left the house around 830am, dropped my LBB at the MRT station and brought Mom to work.
• Was at SM North at 9am! had to wait for an hour before the gates opened.
• Was done baby stuff shopping just after 11am. TG for lists, although we were still confused finding some of the items. First time jitters? ;) We only got the most basic layette stuff for the hospital bags and some home necessities like baskets and containers and diaper bag and..you get the picture,
  
• Had lunch and looked for items in the "mommy list" but found nothing.
• Went home and realized I could do some BF Digi Shooping :) So instead of napping, I browsed the net! Ugh.
• Rotary meeting at night.

Saturday:

• Was on the road at 9am to meet my college girlfriends in Megamall by 11am. We opened the mall, again, coz we there before 10am ;)
• Lunch was care of our wedding Ninang Nana (Rissa's mom) at Dad's. Thanks!
  
• It turned out to be a mini baby shower for Baby Dot! Yay! :)
• What was supposed to be a lunch get-together extended until 5pm! Yeah, six hours of non-stop chatting. Was lotsa fun!
• We dropped by QC to get Ane's badminton gear and I went with him to Greenhills.
• I braved the crowds and got myself a new blouse and three house dresses I can use while in the hospital (yey, I can prepare THE bags now! after the stuff are washed though).
• Was done in thirty minutes and I just watched the games at the courts.
• We had late dinner with Mamita and Papita at Flapjacks in Theartermall (will do the review later) and a coffee cap-off (for them) at Starbucks afterwards.
• Was home by 1am (talk about abusing my body, eh?)

Sunday

• Ane allowed me to sleep longer. So he woke me just in time for lunch :)
• Lounged the entire day until, net browsed.
• Took a nap and then prepared self for 630pm mass.
• Dinner out (Jabi lang naman :)) because the in-laws weren't back yet from a reunion, so we didn't have food hehe.
• Ane and I were on 'autistic modes' after. He played online while I finished a scrap page.

Monday

• Started the day late again :)
• Lunch at North Park with the in-laws.
• Now blogging ;)
• Later, napping :)
• We're going back to QC after dinner tonight.
  

Investing in real estate

I read somewhere that that best time to invest in homes in the US is just about now. Although the sales of family homes have gone down remarkably, the Mortgage rates are going down according to USAToday. So a lot of families are looking into buying homes, rushing to get lower mortgages and getting their money's worth.

If you are looking for a new home Virginia, you might find hunthomes.com helpful in your search. Reviews say they are very professional and easy to deal with. They are even willing to help you find a new home with a short notice, painstakingly offering to tour you in all available sites. Not only will they help you look into Richmond new homes, they will also point you to Virginia home builders for renovations if you have to.

If I were in the US and is already financially stable, then I would be off talking to a broker, LOL!

Yen's QOTW #41

1.Does your age make you feel left out? Nope, I'm so used to mingling with people of all ages :)

2. How do people of the same gender as you but taller than yourself make you feel? Nothing, I've long accepted that I'm not tall at all ;)

3.When did you last scream? Why? Last week, when I found out the ward was lying about smoking, grrrr...

4. What do other people do that irritate you that you recognize it as a weakness in yourself? Simple things, like when my OCness kicks in, my patience is tested and I don't have a very long string of patience I tell you. Right now, the ward stresses me out (forgets to lock the door, doesn't use the rags for specific purposes, leaves the plates unwashed, things like that) and I hate that it's getting me.

5. Have you ever slipped on a banana peel? Nope.

6. Have you ever walked around someone else’s home barefoot? Yes, all the time unless they ask me not to.

7. What do you do when you are left home alone? I find that I have a lot of things to do and end up doing nothing at all, LOL!

8. When someone is vague or confusing, how do you process it? I ask and inquire further. If I don't like the person, I just pretend I understood and just let it pass LOL!

9. Typically, when someone says to you: “I’ll be five minutes”, how long do they actually take? An hour!!

10. For you, what is the best word in the English language? Respect. Because from that word stems all things nice like Love, Trust and Obedience :)

You can read the rest of the entries here :)

I scream for...COFFEE!!!!

We went to Megamall yesterday afternoon because my brother delivered some goods to a client and then we also went with him to Metrowalk for his meeting with his Webmaster (Btw, have you voted for his site yet?). We waited for Ane there who was coming from work. We hung-out at Starbucks. While waiting, my li'l bro ordered the new Dark Cherry Mocha frap! Wow, I was so envious! He said it tasted really good and will drop his favorite Toffee Nut anytime. Waaahhh! I miss drinking coffee, I still have about ten weeks before I can taste coffee once again (Hubby and OB both won't say yes, even to decaf)! And then Mom called to tell us to wait for her for an impromptu dinner out (She had to discuss some serious matters with us. We ended up in Pancake House.). So my agony became longer, having to sniff the coffee aroma of the shop! :( Sigh, I so miss coffee! Konti na lang!


ps. have you seen the new Starbucks planner? Last year's was so much better!!!

Am I? (a very timely quiz :))

You Are 76% Ready to Be a Parent

You are totally ready to be a parent. You pretty much have your life in order. In fact, there's a good chance you've been thinking about starting a family. You are financially and emotionally stable. You would provide a good home for a kid. It's also likely that you understand kids well. You've spent a fair amount of time around children. If you're already a parent, you are doing great! Keep it up. More kids wish they had parents like you.

Are You Ready to Be a Parent?

Thanksgiving.

Earlier this year, I was hoping we could go back to the US and experience the Thanksgiving holiday (and Black Friday sale!!!) and prolly spend Christmas with my Sister and her family. But since I got pregnant and we don't have enough funds to give birth there, the idea was totally scrapped. That can wait :)

My dream actually is to be able to visit as many states as we can. We can be adventurous and just depend on information we find on the net (like finding Denver Restaurants as compiled by Denver Magazine, there are other information available in the site that can prove to be really helpful!). That would be exciting, wouldn't it?

Saturday Special

From Yen through Mai :)

One Word To Start A Sentence Or Statement

1. Buying ________.
+ Buying Baby Dot's stuff is our top priority now.

2. Cooking ________.
+ Cooking tires me but makes me happy when the food is appreciated :)

3. Dinner ________.
+ Dinner is best enjoyed when the family eats together.

4. Invited ________.

+ Invited to a Nurture Spa wedding in December (Ane is the BestMan) but I won't be able to attend.

Happy Saturday!!!

43 things about me (part 2 of 2)

Do you use chapsticks? Nope.
What is your birthstone color? Blue, I'm a March baby :)

Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through? It depends if we're running late or not.

What’s your favorite number? One!
Do you have a dog? Yes, a shih-tzu named Keisuke.
Have you met anyone famous? Yeah.
Any plans today? Just to blog and finish tasks. One more to go!
Ever gone to college? Yup!

Do you dye your hair? Yes, but haven't recolored yet since I got pregnant.
Last song listened to? A Disney song together with Baby Dot.
Can you say the alphabet backwards? Nope, never tried.
Do you have a maid service clean your house? Yes in QC, no in Malabon.

Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? A pair of Keds but have been wearing my Havs now...

Are you jealous of anyone? Now? Nope, no reason to be.
Is anyone jealous of you? No idea.
Do you love someone? Of course!
Do any of your friends have children? Most of them.
What do you usually do during the day? Sleep. Cook. Eat. Babad in the net!
Do you hate anyone that you know right now? Yes (even if hate is such a strong word), someone very close to use swindled my mom.
Do you use the word ‘hello’ daily? Nope.
Do you like cats? Not exactly.

Getting your Degree online.

I have always wanted to study further, Masters in Child Psychology perhaps, or get another undergraduate degree. But I can't seem to decide on what to do. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do, actually. I am so not making sense here.

Anyway, should I decide to study again, an online university can make things possible for me. There's Capella University in Minneapolis that offers online education. I read you cannot go wrong with them since they are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (much like the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines). Maybe I can listen now to podcasts of interviews of professors and students so I may understand the system better.

Surely, the internet holds the future since one can do just about anything online nowadays, huh?

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Craving...

I'm way past the "lihi" stage, I actually didn't pass that stage. Ane is lucky, hehe. But I look for some food that I wanna eat once in a while. No deadlines, no pressures :) I miss eating some things since Hubby controlled my diet since I got pregnant. So if I get to eat these things, I'm a happy camper :)

1. Ice cream!!
2. A slice of cake.
3. Baked Macaroni (craving this for WEEKS now!).
4. Mom's Macaroni Salad.
5. Ginataang Bilu-bilo (hopefully tomorrow I can have some!).
6. Oysters!
7. Ginataang Mais or Munggo.
8. Puto Bumbong.
9. Putong Pulo, the red kind.
10. Pancit Bihon.
11. Chocolates.
12. V-cut (will have to wait after giving birth!)

I'm quite sure I have a longer list in my head, but these are the ones that I remember for now :)

43 things about me (part 1 of 2)

Snagged from Suzanne :)

What color is your toothbrush? Pink and white
Name one person that made you smile today? Mami Carms :)
What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Napping!
Have you ever been to a strip club? Yes, in Bangkok.
What is the last thing you said aloud? Tama! Watching Kakasa ka ba sa Grade 5 eh :)
What is the best ice cream flavor? Double Dutch!
What are you wearing right now? White Kamison ;)
What was the last thing you ate? A piece of Pan Americano.
What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Barbeque
Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on friendster? Kuya Jun for his birthday.
Do you take vitamins daily? Yes, Obimin for pregnant women.
Do you go to church every Sunday? I try to.
Do you like sweets? Very.
Do you like Chinese food better than pizza? Not at this time, I have my moments eh hehe.
Do you drink your soda with a straw? Yes, when were out.

What did your last text message say? A friend will reset a Christmas get-together because Hubby and I are not available on the initial date.

Are you someone’s best friend? Yes, I'd like to believe so.

What are you doing tomorrow? Hear mass and leave Malabon early to eat Ginataang Bilu-bilo at Ponciana's in Timog :)

Where is your dad? No idea, hehe.
What color is your watch? Red and White, and a brown. Both are hardly used though.
What do you think of when you think of Switzerland? Chocolates? ;)


part 2 coming up! :)

Let's Diet! :)

Nope I'm not talking about Diet Ocampo talks of leaving for the Kapuso Network, hehehe.

Two of my friends (hi Papita, hi Mami C!) decided to lose some weight to avoid further health complications. They're healthy (by my standards), fine, but they need to cut pounds because they know they're not getting any younger and that their families have histories of Diabetes and Hypertension. I would have suggested Leptovox, but they decided to do things "naturally".

Both of them vowed to eat more healthily now. Read: avoiding too much desserts and coffee when we're (or they're) out! If you know our group, we enjoy eating a lot and that cutting some sweets and coffee from their routine is a big deal in itself. And they promised to play badminton more and be active again in some physical activities. Like Papita, who's back into riding his back, yay!

I'm cheering for both you! Go, go, go!!!

I'm free!

On Wednesday, Yen's question # 7 went: What did you have to learn “the hard way”? And I answered: Spending before earning...

See, I have five (5!!!) credit cards and all of them are maxed out. Talk about having no control over my spending, huh? Considering that I am not earning a regular income and my online "business" isn't that lucrative (yet, hehe). And can you believe I've maxed them out even before the financial crisis hit my family?!? Anyway, the expenses were more on months (or years) of groceries, petrol and dining-out.

And then the other night, I just could not sleep because I was thinking of all those debts! Well, at least those that I owe from Citibank (kakapraning sila mang-harass hah!). I was worried I'd get into jail for failing in my responsibilities (yeah, I was worrying ahead!) and worrying even more that Baby Dot just might loose the Momma (that's me!) for losing a legal battle. Paranoid? Yeah, that's me!

So the next day, I talked to my Mom and she agreed to one of my suggestions. Insert sigh of relief here.

Yesterday, I went to Makati and closed my Citibank dollar account. I figured I can just open another account when things become more manageable. And then I paid off ALL my dues in my two Citibank cards and had them TERMINATED. Remind me to call again on Monday to confirm the termination because I don't wanna receive bills from them anymore. Ever.

The net amount from this transaction was used to pay off some of the dues in my other cards. I'm planning to keep just one among the rest. And I chose my BPI express to keep for emergencies ONLY (because they're the nicest! ;)) And then the remaining two cards will be terminated as well. Soon, I hope.

So I'm free. At least from Citibank. Wahoooo!!

New Eyeglasses

I think I need to change my eyeglasses soon. My pair is so boring (well, I am boring, anyway heheh), I might look at having something more fun for my next pair. While browsing the net I saw this pair among the Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical:

Ain't that cute and girly?! :) You might also wanna check out the nice pairs they have there. The popular online eyeglasses shop, Zenni, is offering $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses. That's a steal, right?

Fill in!

Snagged from Rache :)

My roommate and I once: called our crushes anonymously :) (high school eh!)

Never in my life have I: done extreme sports (too chicken to even try!)
High school was: an eye opener for me, in a lot of ways.
When I’m nervous: my hands (and armpits, ewww!) sweat!

My hair: needs the stylist's attention, now na! :)
When I was 5: I had nothing serious to worry about.
When I turn my head left: I see clutter, hehehe.
I should be: listing what I need to buy for Baby Dot (I'm seriously panicking! 10 weeks to go!)

By this time next year: we will anticipting our first Christmas with Baby Dot.
My favorite aunt is: Mommy Ellen.
I have a hard time understanding: the British accent.
You know I like you if: I don't seem to get bored talking to you.
My ideal breakfast is: Plain rice, Fatless Tocino, Tomatoes and Sunny-Side-Up egg!

If you visit my home town: you can do the Fertility Dance :)
If you spend the night at my house: we'll make you comfortable.
The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: horses :)
I shouldn’t have been: too lazy heheh

Last night I: was at Metrowalk with Mom, Ane and brothers.
A better name for me would be: Mathilda (maldita ako eh heheh)
I’ve been told I look like: my Mom.
If I could have any car, it would be: a Toyota RAV4 (my dream car!)

ESP

That's my mom's initials. And it fits her well if not perfectly. She has that talent to feel and "foresee" something even before it happens. I would have called it a coincidence but it has happened several times already and I can't do but just be amazed :)

Case in point: We (brother R, my mom and I) were on our way to Galleria last night to buy some stuff. Then my other bro texted that he was already on his way home. So we told him to just go straight to Galleria and meet us there. Then my mom after a few minutes said we should call him or he just might miss his MRT stop which is Ortigas. I reasoned that it wasn't necessary to remind him at that moment since he would still be in LRT by then. So we forgot all about it.

And then my brother arrived at the supermarket, he said HE MISSED his stop because he fell asleep and ended up in Cubao (he just rode the MRT to Ortigas again). Mother's instinct? Not sure, but definitely ESP working again heheh.

Anyway, since we were already at the mall, I thought I could still look for some sexy lingerie for a friend who's getting married soon. But after the grocery and Mongolian dinner, I was already tired. Maybe I'll just do that when I have more energy.

Yen's QOTW (40)

1. What measures have you taken to cut back expenses?
Avoiding surfing online shops (!), less trips to the mall, movie nights at home instead of the theater :)

2. Have you ever bought a book and used the receipt as a bookmark?
Yes, when I'm too lazy to get one of my bookmarks, or sometimes too excited to read (I sometimes start reading the minute I check it out from the cashier!)

3. Can you recall any traumatic, embarrassing or troubling events as a child that you still remember vividly? If so, care to share?
Having a sister who is just 11 months older, the elders cannot help but make comparisons. You get the picture.

4. What is the strangest question you have ever been asked at a job interview?
I've never been to a lot of interviews, but I remember being asked why I had to re-schedule one time: I was stranded in our own house after out small Bulacan town got flooded. Hehe.

5. Does it make you uncomfortable if a woman is breastfeeding her baby in public?
Nope, as long as nothing is flashed accidentally hehe.

6. Do you know anyone who has an unpredictable temper? Who?
When you're surrounded by people with unpredictable temper, you somehow get used to it already, right? This is a hard question. But I'd say I have a terrible unpredictable temper that I surprise myself sometimes hehe.

7. What did you have to learn “the hard way”?
Spending before earning, 'nuff said.

8. Have you ever been dishonest about the origin of a bruise?
Nope, though I'm honest enough to say that I usually don't know where I get my bruises from. I'm such a clumsy klutz. LOL!

9. Have you ever gotten any kind of envelope in the mail without the senders return address? Did you found out who it was from?
Yes, just this weekend. A family friend, Tito Ces, sent me a thank you card for sharing sympathies with them when they lost Tita Pin.

10. It’s our 40th QOTW. I am giving away something. Can you tell me why should I give it to you? It’s just a little something to spice up this little Meme!
Give it to me, Yen! Because I am pregnant and I feel lucky! :D

You can find the rest here :)

Someone made a booboo this morning...

I've been up since 515am, and everything has been pretty okay. The usual, I prepared breakfast and packed lunch for Ane and Bro, and sent them out. I ate. Then, Mommy requested me to do some editing of the brochure she made. I said I'll do it later, because I'm still sleepy I could not think.

But since Ivy is already turned on, I decided to do the editing stuff, just to get over it. And then here comes my brother, telling me that Ane mistakenly brought his car keys when Ane switched cars this morning. LOL! Yes there is a duplicate but the remote is low on battery, we can't let Tisay's alarm activated or the neighbors will complain!

So Mom went to work in a cab, and someone isn't in the mood anymore he decided to go back to sleep, and another in the office laughing at his own embarrassing moment :D

As for me, I'm done with the publication, emailed it already and is ready to hit the sack again :) Later I have to go look for bathroom vanities inspirations.

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

One of those blog thingamagigs :D I was never really a fan of Philosophy and History.

There Are 2 Gaps in Your Knowledge

Where you have gaps in your knowledge: Philosophy History Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge: Religion Economics Literature Science Art

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

- RANDOM -

Snagged from the Meme Queen, Chikai :)

Q: Is there a person who is on your mind right now? Yep.
Q: Do you have any siblings? I have a sister and two brothers.
Q: Do you want children? I've always wanted to be a Mom, and I'm on my way there :)
Q: Do you smile often? Yes.

Q: Do you untie your shoes every time you take them off? Same with Chikai, hehe => NO. I just use the other foot to take the shoe off.

Q: Do you like your handwriting? Yes! Others think I have a neat handwriting. I need to practice writing more though.

Q: Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in? I'm not exactly comfortable sleeping in someone else's bed.

Q: What color shirt are you wearing right now? Grey.
Q: What were you doing at 7PM yesterday? Setting the table for dinner.

Q: What are you going to do tomorrow? Do online tasks and probably scrap (I hope!)

Q: Can't wait for what? Arrival of Baby Dot!
Q: What would you rather be called? My friends call me Tin or Kaje (pronounced as 'cage'), I also have a nick at home.
Q: When did you cry last? Hmmmm, last week? or a couple of weeks ago. Out of frustration.

Q: Are you a friendly person? I think I am. Others will have to go past the first impression though :)

11th PWA Semifinalist!

Guess who's sporting this badge in his website?!?! My brother Ryan!!! Please support http://www.MyGameCore.com by voting via email (online voting thru the PWA site) or via SMS from today until December 31, when they trim the entries to five finalists, all categories.

To vote type WEBBYS VOTE 38 and send to 2973 (Globe and Touch Mobile), vote as many times as you can. P2.50 per text (so cheap, so go go go!!! :D)

You can also vote online by registering at http://www.philippinewebawards.com/

Ysidro's Gamecore is under the the E-commerce Category.

Bring us to the Finals!!!! :D

Body image after giving birth...

I've been reading stuff since I got pregnant. A lot of women tend to change how they look at their bodies after giving birth. As early as now, I think I will be one of them. See, I've always been insecure about my body. I'm not fat or anything (as others think), it's just that my body is not well-proportioned, LOL! I can certainly loose some fat here or there heheh.

Anyway, yesterday, my Twitter friends were talking about swimsuits. I was just lurking (blame it on the colds, hehehe, not in the chatty mood) but it got me thinking. After I give birth, will I be able to "carry" a two-piece? I'm praying I won't need to undergo CS operation, but still, with the excess fat on the tummy, will I be brave enough to "showcase" what I have? LOL? So I went online and surfed for inspiration. TG for tankinis! :D Like that one on the image, I guess that will be a perfect beach companion, eh?

Or maybe I should just let go of my insecurities and flaunt my mothermarks?!? (Yeah, I invented that word, LOL!). Isn't it in the States or in other countries, they don't care? Hmmmmm....

Preggy Update - 29 weeks

The Check-up. Had my monthly check-up on Saturday. I hate scheduling OB visits on Saturdays because I have to wake really early lest we fall in line and wait for hours before our turn. But I had no choice, Ane had a Training on Friday. So we woke up early. We got to the clinic before 730am and we were already second in line (there's a list posted on the door)! My OB arrived a little after 8am, probably there were no new deliveries so she went straight to the clinic instead of doing rounds. I was just so glad. I didn't even finish reading the broadsheet from cover to cover! And since the first patient didn't arrive yet, Dra. A, called me in first. Yay! We were done before 9am! Double yay!

We decided to go straight to Trinoma to check-out stuff (so I could do some walking also, heheh) and miss the "sale" crowd. We did some grocery shopping (the Supermarket opens at 9am), then early lunch at Kenny Rogers. After lunch, we were off to look at baby things in Landmark. We ended up buying 2 cribs for Dot and some feeding bottles. We bought the Playtex Drop-in System gift set (3 8oz and 2 4oz bottles) and some liners. If the crowd didn't start to grow, then we would have stayed longer. We were outta there before 1pm.

The rest of the day was spent lazing around. I was starting to feel really sick already.

Me, so far. My OB worries that I caught some colds virus. There's nothing we could do but just depend on water therapy, and refrain from drinking fruit juices first (will worsen the scratchy throat). I gained 5lbs from the time of Congenital Anomaly scan (about 19lbs since the start of pregnancy. It seems like all that weight went directly to Baby Dot! :) Dra. A. commends my discipline, thanks to Ane who watches what I eat for me, heheh. with my progress, I am allowed to gain a pound or two more than the prescribed 1lb a week. I feel restless nowadays and is having a hard time getting a good sleep at night. My legs gets tired even for just a few minutes of walking. And don't ask me about the backpains! Argh! I'm lucky though that I haven't noticed stretchmarks coming out yet! Yay! I hope Lubriderm will keep working for me hehe.

Baby Dot, now. The baby's weight is about 3lbs and 2oz which is normal. The kicks are getting harder but I'm glad Dot is very active. We still cannot confirm the gender, Dot just won't cooperate! The baby is still in breech position, and I'm starting to worry since I'm already on my 7th month. Please help us pray that Dot will still spin to cephalic position soon. We don't wanna go CS, do we? Dra. A suggests we flash a penlight for 15 minutes everyday, just below my navel. And play music from the same area. She also asked Ane to talk to Dot from there and told me to stop singing to the Baby first because babies tend to move towards the mother's voice.

Our next check-up will be on December 5 :)

Veggies for you!!

I was looking at Ane's year 2001 pictures and the change in his body, weight-wise, is really noticeable. He's gained so much weight eversince and is having a hard time going back to his ideal weight. His only exercise is his games twice a week. I guess that's not enough.

Last night, my mom was talking to his mom about this. (See it has become a family concern, mwehehehe). My mom figured that if Ane only likes eating vegetables, then he wouldn't have a hard time dieting. My Mom believes that veggies are natural fat burners. But Ane simply detests eating veggies. No matter how I scare him that he is more prone to diseases unless he eats 'em, he won't budge! I wonder how I can convince him.

And then my mom realizes that she herself loves veggies and yet she can't control her weight. LOL! Nothing she can do but chuckle at herself :)

TAG! You're It!

Grabbed from Suzanne who got this from Chikai :)

> ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? Kalikutan!!
> WHAT IS ON THE WALL IN YOUR ROOM? None, we're boring hehehe.
> HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAY? Bad. Sick with a heavy head. :(
> WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO? None.
> DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? I need to check my certificate, LOL!

> WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? That Baby Dot will turn into cephalic position already, still breech at 7mos eh.

> WHAT DO YOU MISS? Coke and coffee hehe
> WHICH DO YOU PREFER HOTDOGS/BURGERS? Burgers!
> DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? Only when there's lightning and thunder!
> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE/PERFUME? Aqua Di Gio on Ane :)

> WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX? Black, light brown.

> COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS? Coffee
> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA? Four or three cheese on thin crust pizza.

> DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE? Just English and Filipino. I'd like to learn another one though.

> WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE GAVE YOU? Don't remember.

> WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS TAKEN? If I'm still single, I think so. But not to the point of breaking their relationship.

> WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? Agree with Zanne: Actions speak louder than words so show it!
> WHO IS THE PERSON YOU CALL OFTEN? My Husband.
> WHAT MAKES YOU SAD? When someone lies to me.
> YOUR WEAKNESSES? I'm too lazy hehehe.

> WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL? Squeal on and send "someone" to jail mwehehehe

> WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? No wishes as of this time (my birthday's in March).. I'll have to think about this hehehe

> DO YOU WISH ON STARS? Yes!

Starting the week right.

That's what I hoped for. But being sick and all, I had a major boo-boo this morning.

I set the alarm an hour later than I should!! I was wondering why the skies were already bright when I opened my eyes (I even snoozed my phone, hah!) and realized that the sun has risen!! It was already 555am!!

So I sent Ane and my Bro to work and school without breakfast and lunch baon. Well, they only had bread and water for breakfast. I felt so guilty. I still prepared breakfast for the rest of us, though. After eating, taking my Vitamins and drinking milk, I went back to bed and woke up just before lunch.

Went to the ward's school to get her report card after lunch. The grades are still disappointing but she did better in some of the subjects anyway. One failure though. Tsk. I was also able to talk to the adviser about some concerns. We noticed kasi the ward is getting rebellious these past weeks and she stresses me out. I'm slowly learning to apply reverse psychology on her because we all think that suits her fine.

And then when we returned home, I checked my emails and got one that looks promising. I was told that my application to this one company was already filled-in and maybe I should just be patient and send another one for another department. Which I already did, before I started blogging today. It's not a position that will require us to relocate (thus no need for Rimowa luggages! :)), but I'm really crossing my fingers they will contact me. I would really love to work for them!! Someone will check my application in a month's time. Wish me luck! :)

Seems like the week is getting to a good start, anyway. :)

Sickie in the house!

Sickie = not cool. Pregnant Sickie = even less cool :(

Can't take meds! I'm relying on water therapy alone! My throat started to itch around Thursday. Yesterday, the itching was gone. I thought I was just having some allergy attacks. And then I started to have stuffy nose, then runny nose. Sigh. Heavy head! I'm still lucky I have no coughs.

Was offline the whole day yesterday, Sunday. I just had to rest.

I have so much to share. Personal posts up ahead! And I have tasks to finish. I wasn't able to meet the cut-off but I plan to finish 'em before the deadline. I hope I have enough energy, though.

TTFN!

How can you be so irresponsible?

Hi, you all! How's your weekend going so far? Me, I'm fully rested from our "retreat" in our Malabon home :D We just stayed indoors yesterday (and I was able to scrap, yay! will share that later), and just this afternoon, packed our things and clothes. We're now back in QC :) I thought we'd return here later tonight or early tomorrow but Ane suddenly decided he wants to play. So that's where he is right now, playing badminton.

Anyway, on our way here somewhere along EDSA, we were checking out this red Innova just in front of us. I noticed that the vehicle's color at the driver's side isn't shiny anymore (considering that it's new having a plate starting with ZH). Ane commented that maybe, it has met an accident and the dent was not properly fixed. So we let it go. A few meters later, the same car is beside us, and guess what I saw? There is a girl about age 3 ON THE LAP of the driver!!! Que horror! If the driver is the father, then how irresponsible can he get? He knows better than the kid, and he should know that isn't safe at all. Ane said, maybe that's why the vehicle has met an accident early on, because the driver doesn't care about road safety. Sigh. I can only shake my head in disbelief. Poor kid.

Enough ranting. I just wanted to blog about it. It's dinner time already. We're eating now. Later I will check out the net for some Festina watches , and then we're out for a movie! We're watching the new James Bond movie in Promenade. This is the first time Ane's allowing me in a movie theater since I got pregnant, so this is a big deal for me, hehe. TTFN!

Bedtime

A meme snagged from Mai.

1. What time do you usually go to bed on weekdays?

As early as 9pm and not later than midnight. I need to wake-up just before 5am to prepare breakfast and Ane and LBB's lunch baon.

2. Has anyone ever told you about bad habits you have during sleep? (Snoring, talking, kicking etc?)

I talk in my sleep. Sometimes I would stand up and talk nonsense. Ane sometimes need to hug me so I won't go anywhere, LOL! Nowadays when I need to pee in the middle of the night, he would ask me where I'm going just to make sure I'm awake!

3. Do you prefer your sleeping environment to be warm and snug, or cool and crisp?

Warm and snug! I need to have a blanket all the time lest I won't have a restful sleep (yep, even when I take a nap in the afternoons!!)

4. What was your favourite bedtime story as a child?
I don't remember being read to.

5. Is there anything unusual that you often do while in bed? (Unusual meaning something other than sleeping, reading, naughty fun etc.)

Play (Sudoku, phone games, IPod games). It relaxes me so I could sleep. I do the same thing when I wake up, because the activity perks me up. Weird noh?

On webhosting

When my hosting (for the creative blog) was nearing expiration in June, I was thinking of getting my own hosting and add a few more blogs under my wings. But since I got pregnant, I thought I won't have time to manage more than two blogs anymore. And considering that I will have to learn a few things here and there about having my own account, I guess I won't have much time for that too. Nevertheless, I just renewed my account with fellow Bebot Amore and will just decide again next year.

I've been reading web hosting tutorials to jumpstart my project. Our current host is Hostmonster, so I'm seriously considering this, too. We've never had any problems and my site is never down. I admit I have a lot to learn (I didn't study computers at all, I am just a mere mortal trying to learn by myself, hehe) especially when it comes to online security. Security is a very big deal for me!

Well. Let's see where this learning process will lead me :)

Friday Fill-Ins

Snagged from Chikai. I actually seriously thought yesterday was Friday and was looking forward to watching Angelina on Bubble Gang. LOL! And to think, just last night I was excited about The Amazing Race Asia (which is obviously shown on Thurdays, nyek). Anyway here goes:

1. Right now, I'm feeling LETHARGIC. Hubby was talking to me earlier and I was missing some of the things he was saying! I also have a headache, must be the chocolate overload from the Champorado.
2. HERE is where I want to be.
3. How does one GET MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A HOME-BASED JOB?
4. HUBBY keeps me on track. He reminds me of the things I should be doing instead, LOL!
5. Please don't MIND MY SENSELESS RANTING.
6. fills me with joy.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to JUST LOUNGING AROUND, tomorrow my plans include STILL JUST LAZING AROUND and Sunday, I want to GO TO ROCKWELL!

Are you building your house?

Or at least renovating your home? How I wish I can answer yes to either. We're far from doing that, LOL! Might take years, actually. All I can do for now is browse for inspirations online.

If you answered yes to my questions, maybe you would like to check out the lighting fixtures from Farreys. They have a wide selection of lighting stuff. I'm quite fixated with light as I've always believed that proper lighting makes a house a bit more homey.

If and when we build our own home, Ane and I both agree that we like something that is Contemporary and Asian fusion-inspired home. See that ceiling light in the image? I would like something like that in my house! :) So nice, noh?! Saw that Kimono lighting in the george kovacs collection. Some kichler lighting might work, too! Yay! Pretty, pretty stuff. It's free to dream, ayt? :)

I'm all that!

A tag by Chikai :)

The BEGINNING:

1) Raised in: Bulacan
2) Your name: Kaje
3) Your birthday: March 11
4) Have any siblings? Yup, three.
5) Oldest of them all? Nope, I'm the second child.
6) Hair color: Naturally black but since I got grey strands, I dye my hair to reddish brown. Now since I'm pregnant -- discolored! wahaha...
7) Hair length: Shoulder-length.
8) First school: Central School.
9) Eye color: a bit of Light brown.
10) Shoe size: 7 -7.5.
11) Mood: So-so.
12) School: Not schooling anymore.
13) Height: 5'1
14) Lefty/Righty: Righty.

LOVE LIFE:

1) Do you remember your first real relationship: Yeah! :D
2) Do you believe in love: Of Course!
3) Shortest relationship: hmmmm... a month? I consider that just a fling, though. 1year 2months if the real thing.
4) Have you ever been heartbroken? Yes.
5) Do you love someone right now? Hubby!!!
6) Have you ever fallen for a friend? Nope, that's dangerous!
7) Are you afraid of commitment: Not at all!
8) Do you believe in love at first sight? Yeah.

THIS OR THAT:

1) Love or Money: Love :D
2) Coffee or alcohol: Coffee!
3) One night stands or relationships: Relationships, definitely!
4) Television or Internet: Internet.
5) Pepsi or Coke? Coke
6) Long night out or romantic night in: Romantic night in.
7) Phone or in Person: in Person.

DO YOU:

1) Do you get depressed about things easily: unfortunately, yes.
2) Do you live life to the fullest? Can't really agree.
3) Are you comfortable with the way you look: Yes!
4) How do you dress? Comfortably.
5) Are you scared of growing old alone: Uh-huh.
6) What do you want to be when you grow up? A Mom (really!), I'm becoming one soon!
7) Favorite season: Rainy (as long as I get to stay indoors, LOL!)
8) Are you a vegetarian: Not exactly but I love veggies!

Caught in Politics (2)

I made a little boo-boo that I had to edit that last post...hmmmmm...Good thing I realized that right away. I hope my "boss" won't notice that lapse, LOL! sayang naman yung nasulat ko na kung hindi ko pa ibalik, so here goes...

I am not really a big fan of politics but I wanted to witness something that can be written in history books (like the time a new Pope was proclaimed, but that's another story heheh). I wasn't rooting for any candidate at all but I personally felt that Barack Obama will win. And he did. By January 20, 2009, Obama (and his VP, Biden) will swear the oath of office -- he is the 44th US President and the first African-American President in history.

Kudos to McCain for accepting defeat even telling his supporters: It is not your failure, it is mine. So gracious, noh?

2009 will mark the Change Americans was looking for. Obama didn't promise he can implement it in one year or one term but he siad, with the help of his fellow Americans: "Yes, we can!" And his daughters just earned a new puppy to be brought with them to the White House, heheh (cute!).

Enough politics for me for now. Mom will probably discuss this again anyway, later during dinner.

Stuck in News

I was supposed to blog earlier. But as early as 6am, I was stuck at CNN watching the news, watching as US history unfolds.

But I'm not gonna talk about that yet, LOL!

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On a lighter totally-unrelated-to-politics note, 2009 will mark the opening of the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando. Ane and I are actually excited about this (been excited since we heard of it in 2006!). The question is, will we be able to go? I am excited just thinking about canvassing for Orlando vacations, even if by next year Baby Dot will be around. Or maybe we can do that when Dot is older. Here's wishing that we are financially capable by then hehehe...

Weekend Round-up (Oct 31 - Nov2)

Nakikigaya...hehehe

Oct 31 - It's Ane's day-off!! I woke up later than usual at 6am to prepare breakfast because he won't go to work anyway, and my LBB has no classes on Fridays too. By 8am, Ane and I were off to Makati to do an errand for my parents, a 9am appointment. It had to be us since the transaction is under Ane's name and we have a deadline to do it. It's been a while since the last time I went to Makati! Glad traffic wasn't that terrible. We found the building and was able to park at 840am (that's a breeze of a travel coming from QC, huh). We photocopied some documents first and bought pineapple juice from Jollibee 'coz I felt I needed some sugar-rush.

We went to the building and got to our floor at exactly 9am. Guess what? There was no receptionist in sight! Gah! And when she came, she wasn't even smiling! And the person we needed to talk to didn't come out for about ten (felt like more than ten to me) minutes. I was getting annoyed, really. But you know what? Being pregnant made me more patient. Ask my husband! :D Our transaction didn't last five minutes (but we have to return in a week) and we were out of Makati less than an hour after we went in. Lugi sa parking fee and diesel, hehehe.

Then we went to Puregold San Juan to pick up some grocery stuff I forgot to buy the other day. We already knew what we needed so that didn't take time too.

We were back home at 1030 and I immediately fell asleep. Woke up for Lunch at 1230. I'm so glad I went for a nap earlier because I wasn't able to rest anymore for the entire day. Lounged a bit after lunch while watching "Made of Honor". Then while watching I started marinating the porkchops for dinner and cooking the munggo beans for ginisa. Just before the movie ended, the guard called to say that my Aunt and cousins are already at the gate! It was just a bit after 2pm! So we all scrambled to get ready and be presentable heheh (I was still in my jammies!).

So happy to see them visit! We invited them over so Tori can experience her first Halloween party and Trick or Treat. Mommy Ellen helped me make some banana-Q and camote-Q. Yum-yum! The boys played Rockband while the girls, of course had fun chatting :D By 5pm, Tori, our Princess Mumu, was ready for the party to we went out to the clubhouse and joined the fun. There were games and prizes and some food. Afterwards, the kids went around to ask for candies. Even if it was raining, the kids were all so hyper going house-hopping.

We went back home and saw that Mom and Mom Ellen weren't done yet preparing dinner so we decided to check out Tori's loot. Man, she got a lot! We joked that having dentists as parents, we all doubted she would be able to eat all that stuff, LOL! And then dinner was served.

Tori kwento: I am so amazed by this little girl who's about 20months old. She eats veggies! She even loved eating munggo even if it was her first time to eat some! Her mom says, Tori eats even ampalaya and just about any veggie! And she looks forward to her teeth brushing routine! She was supposed to take some meds for coughs too, and her parents didn't have a hard time making her take it. She even said "more!more!" after she has taken her dosage. Amazing! I wish I can train Dot like that :D

After dinner, we prayed the rosary together. And then we were on the road for home. I was too tired by then but I wanted to watch Bubble Gang so I tried to stay up. It was a long day that ended around 1am!

Nov1 - Ane let me sleep in until 1230pm! Yay! But I still felt tired and bored and lazy (bad combination, I know!)! Refer to the previous post, I needed to do an assignment so I was able to blog that time hehe :D When Ane left around 5pm for the cemetery I got even more bored! I just read the Yes! magazine I borrowed from MIL and tried my best to finish the layout I started days ago. Here it is. Afterwards, I just sat in front of Ivy refreshing my browser every now (and not getting anything!) and then until Ane was back (Oh I had dinner alone pala!). Pathetic, I know. Slept around midnight.

Nov2 - Ane filed for VL today. We woke up just after 8am. We were scheduled to hear mass at 9am. When we went back, we realized my FIL is going to use Espee. So he just brought us to the church and left us there. Since we were commuting anyway, and we were already hungry, Ane and I decided to go to the nearby Jollibee to grab some food after the mass. He also got me my vitamins from Mercury. By this time, my mom was corresponding, asking us what time we are to go back to QC (she had a 2pm appointment with my brothers). I said we still didn't know because we had no idea what time FIL will return. We decided to stay home all day. I was getting ready for my nap at 1130 when we realized FIL was already home! So I called my mom telling her that we can travel earlier. And she agreed to ride with us. The problem was, I was still not done fixing the house! Our laundry was all-over the place and my MIL sent us lunch. I had to fix everything in less than an hour!

We got to QC just before 2pm. Ane and I decided to join them in watching the V-league at The Arena. The games were scheduled as: 2pm - Benilde vs. FEU, 4pm Adamson vs. UST. The first game was so-so, FEU won. The second game has more action, though. Adamson won 3sets to 1. Even if the stadium was roaring with fans, I was too sleepy to enjoy the game.

We got home around 630pm, had dinner. And would you believe I was already snoozing on the bed by 830pm?!?!? That's how tired I was. It was a tiring weekend (yeah, even doing nothing tires me!!).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This turned out to be a long entry. I just kept on typing! If you're still reading, thank you! I'm sure I bored you!

It's Monday! I hope it's gonna be a better week!

ps. Did you notice I didn't shop even if it's the Digital Scrapbooking weekend?!?! Yay to me!

Today, November 1.

I'll do this in bullets. I'm not feeling really well. Woke up past noon. Sheesh. Maybe I'll elaborate when I'm feeling better.

• I'm staying home (Malabon) all day today. We already prayed for our dead relatives last night before my Aunt and cousins went home.
  
• They (Aunt and cousins) went to QC to attend the Halloween party and Trick or Treat, the first for my niece Tori. She had a blast being "Princess Mumu", more like Black Bride to me because they did not put make-up on her anymore :) I still think she should have won the best costume award, hmp. Will look at and post some pictures later.
• It's good that the weather is cooperating. Not too hot, neither too cold. It's always like this every year at this time on this part of the world. (side: Our friend Mae is experiencing her first winter season, rather early snow in Fall, in NJ. Hey girl, you ready with your UGG Boots, yet?)
• We had Kare-kare for lunch, courtesy of MIL. Yum.
• Today is our monthsary -- as Hunnies and married couple. I already stopped counting the number of months, LOL! We count annually na (yata). Nothing special to do. We're both stuck sitting in front of the PC (him) and Ivy (me), not even talking LOL! I hope he'll bring me home ice cream later, hehe..
• He's going to the cemetery later with his parents to visit their dead relatives' graves. Won't go with them anymore cos they might stay late outside and it might rain.
• Today is Digital Scrapbooking Day. I'm trying to snub the digiworldwide sales this weekend. I need to save. I just bought a grab bag (which includes a gorgeous kit, no regrets!) the other day. Shhhhhhhh...
• I wanna scrap!!!

TTFN, I'm trying to clear my head...