Holiday Rush

Five days before Christmas and we haven't bought any gifts yet. We thought people might understand that we're on austerity after all our tremendous expenditures this year. But exchanging gifts after dinner during Christmas eve has been a tradition by the Candazo's. Besides, nothing and nobody can really stop Christmas so as the essence of it which is giving.

So after a scanty planning for about twenty minutes of what to give to whom, we rush to buy the presents. We considered it a record breaking feat we've done so far. I used to shop one whole day just to buy a single item; a dress, shirt or jeans. But the pressure made us finish our task within the day. It's unimaginable but we made it. In fact, I still had the energy to wrap it up very nicely albeit the late hours.

I'm not sure what came to me today, it might be because I'm already off from work, or perhaps I'm excited and mad about celebrating Christmas with my Marvin and Bea =)

Go Krispy or Nuts on Donuts

We just had our first taste of America's most famous doughnut, Krispy Kreme, courtesy of Di (my pretty sis-in-law). She bought it from the first branch at The Fort Strip. Marv and I knew that they'll be opening a franchised branch here in the Philippines but we never expected it so soon. Very lucky for the owners of Max's Resto since they bagged the Krispy Kreme's franchise.

Though it's already too late and we've had our hearty dinner already, we didn't have second thoughts on getting one donut each to taste. Well, I can't really become a food critic since I'm so hard to please. I thought I'll be tasting a super-delicious-and-unique-tasting doughnut, I thought I just did, BUT.... it still taste as doughnuts.. hihihi.

When Go Nuts Donuts claimed that their donuts tasted like the Krispy Kreme of US, I was one of the many people who waited on long queues just to get a box of donuts. Since Go Nuts donuts' taste, flavors and texture were unique from the donuts of Mr Donut and Dunkin, I got very addicted. Marvin and I can eat three to four donuts at once. Not until we were fed up with too much sweetness, the after taste (especially after a burp) and the increasing price that eventually put an end to our addiction. As for Krispy Kreme, the taste and texture compared with Go Nuts is pretty much the same. Except that the former has volume on their dough, very soft, much less sweeter than the latter and the sugar coating somehow melts in your mouth. But it's too pricey at P30 each.

The box and label.

The tempting contents

Well, I might be lining up again for a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, not because I really love to eat it, but I want to join the craze and go on stargazing (read here). I have to join the fad once in a while, it may die soon afterall.

Focus

“This year is definitely not a good year for you. You’ve got a great amount of plans in your mind that you’re dying to do but none of them materialized and so you’ve been struggling a lot”, my bestfriend’s vietnamese mom’s fortune-teller-friend told me. “You must decide on what you really want to achieve”, she added. Me and Marvin, devout catholics, skeptic on fortune telling, who never rely our luck on superstitions just put on blank faces on her statements.

The encounter with someone who can somehow read our minds and predict our future was indeed an experience that opened our minds into a new dimension of thinking. Though we’re really skeptic on the process that we went through that day, it somehow made us reflect on the one thing that we lack or lost to say the least and that is focus. We’re about to fail and lose our plans because we tend to do and achieve everything.

Fifteen years ago, my mind was set to one thing and that is to be self-sufficient. It indeed happened after graduating from college and immediately landed on my aimed job. I was doing perfectly well at work so promotion came very easily. With my earnings that provided me more than enough for my needs, I was able to send a couple of my siblings to college and paid off our amortized house in the province. It was beyond what I thought I could do. To add up to my goals, with some wishes coupled with fervent prayers, I aimed to give birth to my own child and have a family by the age of 30. And so Marvin and Bea came to my life in His perfect time, in sync to my plans.

There may be a lot of reasons why I lost track on my goals. I know for one that my being such a control freak had something to do with it coz getting into marriage put me into some realm where my manipulative nature bumped into certain temporary boundaries I need to live with. Also, perhaps I no longer plan for myself but for the future of our family which caused my mind to clutter.

Similar to photography, it’s time to change lenses now and shoot targeted objects with clarity and perfection. =)

Memo

The incident that happened to me yesterday has got into my nerves but it stunned me when I even dreamt about it last night. So I decided to let it out via this writing.

I barely take my AM/lunch/PM breaks without getting my hands on my tasks. Perhaps I’ve got used to this kind of discipline in my 9 years of stay in the company I'm currently working with. Keeping myself busy rather than doing anything that don’t contribute to my skills and personal improvement. But something cropped up yesterday that changed my paradigm at work. This is the very first time that I received a verbal warning via email about the most trivial offense I’ve committed in lieu to our office policy on work schedule (break-time). That is brushing my teeth approximately an hour after our lunch break.

Now hear me out.

What is 3 minutes of brushing my teeth compared to:

- the summed up hours that I spent in the company for free coz we’re not allowed to file overtime in fractions of an hour. I’ve been doing this for 5 years now.

- the times I didn’t take my break coz I opt to continue with my work.

- spending a quarter of my life loyally working for this company.

And how about:

- those in the 23rd floor that can freely do what they like coz nobody seemed to see nor be bothered by their violations.

- those employees who also broke the work schedule policy on break-time but were not apprehended coz nobody from the HR staff caught them in the act?

- those people in position who are also guilty of this policy, one way or another, coz they seemed to be working, pretending to be busy the whole day in front of their monitors, when in fact, their activities don’t concern work.

I’m not against the person who issued me the memo. Not because she is my friend and kumare but I understand that she’s just doing her job. What boils me to anger is if such policy exists, then all those responsible for its implementation must execute it by all means. Apprehension shouldn’t be a game of chance.

The law must apply to all or none at all.

The First Time I Loved Forever

During our meeting with the band that will play on our wedding, I was caught unprepared on my assignment of coming up with a song for my wedding march. There were a lot of titles they sang and suggested, usual favorites of the bride they said. But I never liked any of them. I sometimes don't settle for what is common. I always wanted to be unique. So to somehow show respect for their effort, I picked up a song from their list, temporarily, until I come up with the song of my own liking.

After cramming on some CDs and a lot of MP3 files saved to our PC, I instantly fell in love with this song after I’ve completely heard and read its lyrics. I chose it without any doubts and I never regret chosing it at all. My entrance at the church was never any more grand because of this song. It was very unique, solemn, lovely, full of emotions and touching. Even I cannot describe the way I felt while marching in the aisle. I told myself not to cry but the song hit me deeply, but still, I was able to manage a smirk.

Read on... this song says it all. I dedicate this to the only man in my life, my beloved Marvin.



Lyrics by Melanie Safka
Music by Lee Holdridge
Sung byLisa Angelle
(From "Beauty and the Beast")
With excerpts from the poem “Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, Gladly” by the American poet E.E. Cummings

Poem:
“Somewhere I have never traveled
Gladly beyond any experience
Your eyes have their silence
And your most frail gesture of things
Which enclose me
But which I cannot touch
Because they are too near.”


The first time I loved forever
Was when you whispered my name
And I knew at once you loved me
For the me of who I am

The first time I loved forever
I cast all else aside
And I bid my heart to follow
Be there no more need to hide

And if wishes and dreams
Are merely for children
And if love's a tale for fools
I'll live the dream with you

Poem:
“oh, if your words be to close me
I, my life will shut, very beautifully
Suddenly, as when the heart of this flower
Imagines the snow carefully, everywhere
descending”.

For all my life and forever
There's a truth I will always know
When my world divides and shatters
Your love is where I'll go

Poem:
“I do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens. Only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses.
Nobody, not even the rain has such small hands.”

So long Rebong . . .

I'm posting this email as permitted by the writer, Jasper Roy L. Rebong, coz I find his last email from tspi.com.ph very amusing but with deeper meaning that will leave us pondering on our current work status.

By the way, Jasper is my classmate in college and we became officemates for 9 years until he resigned last month for a greener pasture in the land of the rising sun.

Enjoy reading =)


last words
from: jrebong@tspi.com.ph

What's the best thing about tsukiden?

Well, they gave me a break, allowed me to buy a car, the projects sharpened my c/c++ skills,I had new friends, meet new people, see japan, learned japanese.
To anyone and everyone who contributed to my growth -thank you. I hope I was able to contribute something to you too...

What's your most memorable experience during your stay here?

Here is my top six list (btw: most of them happened in japan)

6. I saw miss kimura smile.(btw: the smile was directed to Magsombol)

5. I ate sausages, and nothing but sausages for the whole week. I only stoped when my eyes started to go blind.

4. I tried to buy a prepaid card. I was explaining the concept to the store attendant, and after about 10 minutes of silently listening to my japanese explanation, he very slowly said (in english)- "oh, so you want to buy a prepaid card?"

3. I was PL of a very large project. Problem was, there were only 4 of us. The resulting bug list took5 minutes to open. The reset bugs alone numbered nearly into the hundreds..
After that project, the japanese manager was promptly re-assigned and was never heard of again..(I think he might have killed himself)
*So ye gads, please, please, always do proper estimates*

2. I passed an english document to a client, and some other japanese rose up and explained why the document's grammar was bad, etc.. etc.. I was boiling in anger inside and it was a good thing my manager was near me beacuse I was nearly tempted tosay "Oh, so you know english? I didnt think it was supposed tobe funny".

1. So I was sitting in my chair teaching an impressionable young engineer, when I felt the need to discharge some uh.. gases.. anyway, he resulting smell was so putrid I nearly fell off my chair.. But get this, the engineer pretended not to notice and decides to hide his disgust by pretending to scratch his nose. (I guess he didnt want to offend me. )If I look close enough, I can even see tears starting to form from his eyes. After that I excused myself and went to the bathroom to die in uncontrollable laughter..

Good Times!

btw: the engineer was not a "he" - it was a "she".

What's the worst thing about tsukiden?

Sing this in the parokya tune
Meron ba kayong position after manager?
-> wala
Meron ba kayong retirement plan?
-> wala rin po
Meron ba kayong car plan?
-> ubos na po

Okay, be serious...

Okay, before i say anythings, let me say that I have had my share of defects. I'm inherently lazy. I tend to just do the minimum requirements of the job and not much else. However with that said, there is one thing I'm not guilty of.

This -

Some engineers, PL, JS, S, EM go to work everyday, day after day after day, and show no noticable improvement. Neither in technical, nor in japanese, nor in management. Sometimes, not even in their interpersonal skills...
I mean c'mon, I'f youre doing something everyday for the last five years, wouldn't you at least become proficient in it? Its counter-intuitive, but it happens all the time.

To give a specific example, raise your hand if you
a.) Was able to pass level 3 or level 2
b.) Learn a new programming language
c.) Learned a new library, a new function call, maybe a new design pattern in the programming language he/she does know
d.) Learn and "applied" a new management technique
e.) Made a new friend?

I dont know - Maybe you think the good times wont change?Maybe layoffs and the likes wont happen. No? No chance of that happening? Really? Okkaayyy... but dont say I didnt try to warn you.. *whistles*

(Anyway, And this really gets to me - worst of all, you show nothing, zilch, zero, null, 0x0000h, maru, rei, nada. But you have the gall to expect promotion... As some of my lady friends used to say "The nerve...")

But anyway, to each his own i guess...

Why did I do it?

a) Its all about the benjamins(or in this case the hirohito's)
b) Prairie is too hard. I bailed out before the proverbial alien matter hits the fan.
c) I wanted to be be able to come back, wearing a white hat, unbuttoned flowery shirt, and yellow large necklaces. I will then proceed to say loudly "And init naman dito sa pinas", while wiping my forehead while my face is contorted in a picture of genuine disgust.

No really, why did you do it?

I just have this wanderlust. This need to travel. To see the world, to read another page of the book so to speak.I want to wake up one morning and be able to say to my wife - "Come on baby, pack your bags,we're going to the bahamas". You know, that costs money.The only way I can do such a thing is if I cut my spending and save everything till I have enough - or I can try to find a job which will allow me to earn the money necessary to finance such activities.

Guess which way I chose?

Besides I really want to be able to say "Anginitnamanditosapinas".I've even registered a site for it.
Go check it out:www.anginitnamanditosapinas.com.ph

just joking guys (or am I?)

Anyway, I hope we see each other again.Some more than others.. haha..(just joking2x)

ja ne..

Happy Birthday Lolo Mario!

Today is the 60th birthday of Bea’s lolo (Marvin’s dad and my father-in-law). We’re supposed to have planned a celebration with catered food and a little party with the family, his co-workers and his friends. But lolo Mario doesn’t want to throw an extravagant party to celebrate his birthday as well as his retirement (he’s scheduled to retire at the end of August after 36 years of working in Meralco). Instead, we had a festive lunch with some close family members last Sunday.

Soft-spoken and a man with a few words he is, the only comment I’ve heard from him about his age is that he‘s now eligible to acquire the senior citizen’s card.

Happy birthday Lolo Mario! To good health and long life =)

When I Met You

Picking out a song for our wedding AVP is one of the stressful parts of the preparations since we don't listen much to music these days due to our busy schedule and we don't consider any theme song. So a music-listening marathon was set every night until we have settled and agreed on one song.

This song soon caught my attention upon hearing it thrice on air. The beat is just perfect, the message is lovely and the duration is long enough for AVP-editing worth. =)


Title : When I Met You
Sung by : Apo Hiking Society


There I was an empty piece of a shell,
Just mindin' my own world;
Without even knowin' what love and life were all about.

Then you came,
You brought me out of the shell;
You gave the world to me
And before I knew,
There I was so in love with you.

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.

I love the touch of your hair
And when I look in your eyes
I just know, I know I'm on to something good

And I'm sure my love for you will endure
Your love will light up my world;
And take all my cares away with the aching part of me.

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.

You taught me how to love,
You showed me how tomorrow and today
My life is diff'rent from the yesterday;
And you, you taught me how to love
And darling I will always cherish you
Today, tomorrow and forever.

And I'm sure when evening comes around
I know we'll be making love like never before;
My love, who could ask for more?

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.
When I met you.

You gave me a reason for my being
And I love what I'm feelin'
You gave me a meaning to my life,
Yes, I've gone beyond existing
And it all began when I met you.
When I met you.

Deeper Meaning

A lot of people were wondering and have been asking us why would we still need to be married in a church ceremony while we’re already married on a civil rite a year ago. My answer was it was really on our priority plans and the civil rite was just a prelude to that big event. Partly true, until we had our pre-cana seminar at the church yesterday where I had some realizations or should I say has been reminded of the real purpose of a church wedding.

I want to bring back again those times when people asked me the reason of our church wedding. I want to tell them that as devout Catholics, we want to acquire God’s blessings in our new state of life by receiving the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. That’s it, the true purpose of the pre-cana seminar, to remind us of the things we know since it was being taught ever since elementary but we seemed to forget it over time. I should’ve said the seminar already had served its purpose at the start since I’ve been knocked on my head about the things I’m supposed to know. I can’t stay long enough the whole day listening to the lecture. But it was a pre-requisite so endurance is a must =).

However, the seminar was not a total bore though. The first speaker was a San Miguel retiree and has been married for almost 40 years to an ADB retiree too. Both retired as executives from the country’s biggest companies so weren’t surprised that they live and now enjoy their lives inside Ayala Alabang. At first we thought he was a priest as we expect to conduct the seminar and a lot of couples greeted him “Good morning Father.” but he wasn’t.. hahaha =D He somehow did well in contributing and giving advice to soon-to-be-married couples based on his 40 years of marriage experience. The last speaker in the afternoon was a nun. Even she, questioned herself why she was giving such seminars where she hasn’t been married at all. But her topic which is catholic catechism find her in authority to discuss it.

Well, let me enumerate the things that we learned and recalled:

• Since Holy Matrimony is one of the 7 sacraments in our catholic faith, those who chose married life as their calling must receive it.
• There are two valid reasons a wife can deny her husband of sex
  - If the wife is praying to her God.
  (** The speaker joked about his wife becoming so prayerful..hehehe **)
  - If the wife is sick.
  The reason the subject here is the wife because husbands will have no reason at all to refuse once their “thing” is up.. hehehe
• We finally got a very valid answer on the infamous anecdote on whose to save in a drowning situation: your wife or your mother? Most answers I’ve heard (as well as mine) is to save our mother, because she’s our mother and we’re bloodline compared to our husband/wife. But marriage cleared out the haze and the answer is we must save our husband/wife because of the vows we exchanged, for better or for worse, ‘til death do us part. =)
• As written also in the bible that a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be united to his wife; and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). We therefore need to get our own house hopefully within next year. =)

Canonical Interview

Canonical is an adjective derived from canon. It essentially means “standard”, “generally accepted” or “part of the backstory”.

We felt anxious somehow on what are we going to do as our canonical interview day is getting very near. I texted our wedding coordinator the day before (that was Monday) on what to expect on the interview and she told us to relax coz it’s just for formality sake. We’ll just be asked on our family and educational background. Indeed she was correct.

We were given a questionnaire at first and the church coordinator told us to fill it up. We felt dumbfounded when we’re told to fill up everything including the spaces that are suppose to be filled up by our interviewer, the priest.

The priest who interviewed us was stiff. Since Marvin and I were products of catholic schools ever since elementary, he only asked us few questions. I regard those as comments and not questions coz everything was already written in the questionnaire. I didn’t agree on his comment that our church wedding will only be a validation coz we were already married on a civil rite last year. We did that because of the legal documents and we want to be married in the church to receive the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony. This is how we see it.

Anyways, we’re somehow glad that our canonical interview was not a lengthy one as compared to other couples who received an untimely sermon from their priest interviewers. We still had the time to stroll around the malls that we definitely miss when we’re still staying in Alabang.

Chasing time

Time flies so fast to a busy person. And that time really does fly when we’re having fun. Or at least, it flies when our attention is engaged.

Two months starting today, we are keeping all our fingers crossed that all our laid out plans will be perfectly executed. The places below will become one of the landmarks in our lives as we transformed them into beautiful and romantic venues to celebrate our love.

The church

The reception

The EXcounter

From the time we decided not to bring the car anymore on ordinary days but commute instead, my husband suspects that sooner or later, he and his ex-girlfriend’s paths would cross again since we’re just some blocks away from their residence and she also happen to work around the area within the vicinity of our office. Indeed it happened very soon.

The first encounter was a Friday night when we ate dinner first before going home since it’s already late. The three of us rode the same shuttle on our way home. =) I didn’t see her (or it’s because I already forgot how she looked like), my hubby did. It was only during halfway our ride when my hubby disclosed her to me and that’s the time I knew the reason why he’s very agitated from the moment we stepped into the shuttle. Immediately after the ride, we can’t help but to ask each other our thoughts and feelings. We had the same thought – “What was she thinking?” =)

The second meeting was prevented beforehand by my husband because he chose not to ride that shuttle. He saw her again at the front seat, I didn’t (as usual). We went home early that time so we opt to wait at the shuttle terminal just a block away in front of our office building. We thought we’ll not meet her there since it’s a bit far from where she work. She might be thinking the same too. All of us were wrong.

And the recent encounter was this morning on our way to the office while we were on queue waiting for a ride. She passed by us after disembarking from a jeepney since we’re in front of the queue. But this time my husband forewarned me about her presence that’s why I become aware. We doubted her lining up on a different queue. Perhaps to avoid the three of us riding the same shuttle again.

I only see scenes of encountering with an Ex on TV commercials. Never thought it can happen to us. It’s indeed such a small world.

Revived Throne

I can barely remember how I grew fond of bowling. All I can recall was I used to cheer Mama whenever she played duckpin bowling during our school's PTA sportsfest when we were still in elementary. I always ask her to play for my Grade level and not with my siblings (parents of grades 1 to 6 students will have a team that will compete for the championship) because she's very good at bowling and I wanted our Grade level to win. I can also remember watching my grandmother's brother joining the city's bowling tournament and the countless recognition he got from it. Perhaps it's with my early exposure on that sport that led me to it.

I started playing with duckpin when I was in highschool. My mother doesn't like me to be involved on that sport because of my very frail physique but I never heeded her advice because I love what I'm doing. The first time I experienced playing with tenpin bowling was when I was already working. It became our Friday or weekend pastime with friends and officemates. My hubby who was my boyfriend then insisted on me to get serious on bowling since he saw in me the potential to excel on that sport but I just simply turn my back on his comments because it never crossed my mind to join bowling clubs and tournaments. I just play for the love of playing bowling. Not soon enough, I bought my first and only second-hand bowling ball. Followed by the accessories (shoes, bags, wrist support, etc.) that my hubby bought for me to show his support. That was when I won in our company bowling tournaments.

From then on I strive hard to always be the best female bowler in our company’s annual bowling tournament. I can only remember three incidents where I was never awarded that title. The first one was due to some loopholes on the rules. But I was still happy because my bestfriend-officemate got the award. The second one was so unlucky for me. I got the highest score during the elimination round but someone beat it during the finals. My team was eliminated so I never had the chance to increase my score. The third time was due to my pregnancy that I wasn’t able to attend the tournament. But in reality, I never expected to grab the award again after two years of not striking the pins. My hubby and I practiced just a day before the tournament. Bowling is a muscle memory sport. We never expect to win or get some awards from the tournament because not being able to play for a couple of years already.

Sweet comeback. I got the best female bowler award and my husband's team were in the third place. =)

My winning pose  =)

The Christian World

After all the planning, preparations and not to mention the delays due to my husband's extension on his biz trip, the baptism of our darling little angel was done yesterday. The occassion went out very well. All our families, relatives, close friends and officemates were present to grace the affair.

This is the first spiritual milestone of our daughter. And we believe, it's our responsibility as parents to guide and teach her towards the enhancement on the spiritual aspect of her life. We do not only give her the basic needs for her physical growth but we have to develop her holistically so she can withstand with grace and wisdom all the things life has in store for her. I can't help to mention this - among the babies that were baptized that day, I think she was the only one attentively observing the ceremony. I wonder if she understood what the priest was saying. =)


The invitation I created and revised for the Nth time already. =) Made this while I was still on maternity leave and very addicted with digiscrapping.

Mi kumares -- delighted with their souvenirs and special goodies

There's a place. . .

My husband is supposed to return today from his business trip but very sad to say that their team is again extended for a week or so. We badly miss each other, he missed our daughter a lot. This is the longest separation we had ever since our relationship. Just comforting each other during our lengthly nightly chat. But the distance we have right now provided us a purpose to be intimate again with each other. Rekindle the love we are sharing during the past years. Our nightly chat gave us the freedom to tell and describe to each other our plans, desires on our careers, our family life, our future and even our deepest personal secrets. We also had a good time reminiscing our very beautiful and colorful pasts as well as the hideous ones (**hehehe**). I think we've become much closer now; nothing's hidden between us anymore; set an all-out honesty policy. This made us realized that there are still a lot of things to discover from each other. And this makes life more exciting on the days to come. =)

I remembered the above phrase I send to him everytime we are away. Created this digiscrapped picture to remind us always that no matter how far the distance between us, our love for each other will and still remains strong

DigiScrapping

I bumped into this new stuff which will definitely become my new hobby -- DigiScrapping, short for Digital Scrapbooking. I was searching out suppliers and materials from the net for the invitation of our baby's baptism. Having second thoughts if we'll have the vendors make it or I'll make it to save some bucks.

I got very excited. Downloaded lots of free samples from the net. Creative ideas overflowing from my mind. I've already created two samples which I gave to my bestfriends. Actually I pressured myself to create it because I've got nothing to give them on their birthday. Remember I'm still on maternity leave and cannot go out the house.

They were amazed on my masterpiece (**hehehe**) and want their photos to be digitally scrapbooked, if I have the time.

I'm suppose to mention all the people or sites whom I got these scrapbook materials, but they are too many to mention. Just refer to the links on the right I posted in this blog site. I'm not using this for business anyway. =)

Piercing

Alas! After a month of waiting, our little girl now have earrings. We went to the Health Center, where my mother-in-law (MIL) served as a resident doctor before she retired a couple of years ago, for the ear piercing service. I'm glad I still know how to drive the car =). My MIL see to it that there's nobody in the center so as not to contract virus or disease of some sort from patients.

I was somehow amazed on how the piercing is done nowadays. Very different indeed from the way it was before, during my childhood days where we have this white thread pre-soaked on the reddish merthiolate solution that served as our earrings. We can never have a decent earring at that time because our ears always get infected. This was due to the unsterile equipments used when our ears got pierced. It was only until college that that I wear original gold/silver earrings because they become very itchy everytime I put on a fancy one.



This is how our little 2-month old angel looked like after getting her first earrings =)

Gloomy Valentine

We've been through years of spending our Valentine's day together as boyfriend/girlfriend. Tagaytay is always our favorite getaway because it's not too long drive away from Alabang. Watching concerts and shows too is very memorable coz it never fails to remind us of a very tragic incident..(**hehehe **) And who would've thought we'd visited Baywalk Park just to see the Lovapalooza craze. Now our friends would know. But we weren't one of the kissing couple's, just an expectator. =) And the best part is hotel hopping, watching couples dine and feeling the very romantic ambiance of the place.

Sigh, I missed those crazy and extraordinary things we do during valentine's day. It's so sad to think that we're husband and wife now, our first time to celebrate this day after being married, we're apart from each other. =( Well, I just have to think that we have our whole lifetime to spend our Valentines anyway.

Visitors

Never experienced staying in the house for too long (approx 2.5 months) in my entire life without going out. My world is just evolving inside the house of the Candazo's where we are temporarily staying. My hubby's in Japan for a business trip for a couple of months or so. It's just me, our baby, my hubby's family and the househelps. I barely go out (just to nearby Mercury drugstore), I mean I can't go out (to stroll around) because I'm still recuperating from surgery. Also the fact that I'm not familiar with Marikina yet. Haven't tried going around the place riding PUVs, always with a car.

But my maternity leave wasn't very boring at all. Thanks to my close friends, families and relatives who paid me some visit even though we we're miles away from them. It relieved me of my loneliness somehow. My very dear uncle from US whom I've not seen for almost 5 years together with his wife visited me. Though for just a couple of hours of conversation over lunch, it made me feel at home again, together with my family and relatives. Not to forget to mention my bestfriends' (Phen and Ileen) visits. A very cheerful chit-chats over what's happening around. It somehow polished my guest-hosting which I've never practiced for so long now since I used to be a guest, always. =)

Away In The Land Of The Rising Sun

It will be a week this Saturday when my husband left for a 2-month business trip. I can still feel how sad we were when we exchanged our poignant goodbyes. Two weeks before his scheduled trip, I was the one who always cry because of sadness since he'll be leaving me and our baby very soon. He told me not to weep since the trip will be for our good financially and he's already ashamed to decline the project offer for the fifth time. But it really broke my heart when I saw him cry the dawn we see him off. We promised each other not to cry on the departure date. He broke it, I consoled him instead.

I'm unhappy knowing that this is our first child and he can't be with her during her first months. Not to mention that I am still recovering from a surgical delivery and I need him badly beside me. But life has to move on for us. I'm just very grateful that I'm very well taken cared of by my in-laws. All the support and care that I can never imagine. For now I have to be contented with the nightly chat with my hubby. I wish I could be there with him, to cook his food, prepare his clothes and simply take care of him.

Four years in relationship and months of marriage, we still hate being away from each other. He had numerous business trips before and every separation is painful. And like his every homecoming, I'm now counting the days of that blissful moment.

Giving Birth

The day was December 27, 2005. It was just a normal day for my routine pre-natal check-up but arrived in the hospital at 3cm already without any pains, symptoms or whatsoever. We were ready though coz we already brought all the things needed in case I'll be induced by my OB because our baby is growing large at 38 weeks. I was prepared by all the nurses, midwives and interns for the labor, checking on all my vital signs, contractions and cleaning my body. I'm keeping myself brave with prayers while I was in the pre-labor room.

My OB came and directed an induced labor by giving Oxytocin to rupture my water bag. I waited in the labor room. An intern named Andrea closely monitored the contractions, baby movements and vital signs. After an hour of being induced, she found out my baby's position was no longer cephalic but oblique, turning I think about 20-30 degrees to my right. It was a crucial moment since she seemed can't contact my OB which was very busy at that time and my bag could rupture anytime. While waiting for about 30 minutes, I prayed very hard for my baby to turn for normal delivery but it never happened. As soon as they got in touch with my OB, I was ordered for stat CS, meaning I can no longer proceed with normal delivery but had to undergo CS operation immediately.

There were many thoughts running inside my mind. I don't want my first childbirth to be a cesarean. I've been tediously preparing my body and myself for the pain of normal delivery. There was a moment in the labor room, though afraid to, I asked God why this happened at the last minute. But still, I told Him I'll surrender everything to His will for me and our baby.

I was immediately brought to the operating room after being cleaned for the second time. The OR's very cold, I'm merely wearing a sheer hospital gown. The anesthesiologist came with his sidekick and I chatted with them to calm myself. The OR team passed the time chatting while waiting for my OB while I'm praying very hard until I drowsed to sleep. The OB came an hour and a half after and the room became very busy.

I still remember all the sequence of events. I was given a spinal block, my lower body became numb and they cleaned it again for the last time, the anesthesiologist was standing beside my head and kept talking to me perhaps to check on my consciousness, equipments were counted twice, my OB ordered the blades (there were two). Though I can barely see my abdomen via the OR lamp's reflection, I didn't do it because of fear. Not until I heard a cry and the first thing I saw was the hairy head of my baby. The OR was filled with my baby's cry until she was brought out to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The last sight I saw on my abdomen was an aluminum bowl full of bloody stuffs. They might be cleaning the mess at that time.

Although I've questioned God's will for me in some way, I realized that His plan is always perfect. My baby turned oblique at the last minute and had to be delivered surgically because of short cord, meconium (she pooed inside) and she's plainly too big for a normal delivery (at 8.3 lbs).

Giving birth to my baby took me only 6 hours from the time I was admitted to the pre-labor room. I even didn't experience much pains from what I've expected. Perhaps my prayers worked anyhow. What's keeping me strong during the process was I always bear in mind that all the pains I have to undergo in the delivery is nothing compared to all the physical and emotional sufferings Jesus went through the cross for our salvation.

I made it! I'm a certified mother now, ready to raise another child of God.