Thank God it's Negative.

Since Nathan was born, the only trip to the pedia is his monthly vaccinations and other minor concerns, nothing with regards to a virus or bacteria. Nathan's never been sick, well, except for the few times he got colds, which lasted a day lang for him.

Anyway, this afternoon, we brought Nathan to his pedia coz his stool has been watery for days in a row. We had two suspects: his marie biscuits and the 'boiled water' we used to prepare his milk since we ran out of his Wilkins water. Tita Doc asked us to do a fecalysis for Nathan so she would know if there's any bacteria and pinpoint the reason of the watery feces. I swear, it was so watery you could mistake it for weewee.

Ang hirap pala kunan ng stool sample ang baby! The nurse placed a weebag on his butt to 'catch' the poop but it failed. So we had to wait for Nathan to poop again and this time, we didn't put a diaper on him, talagang bantay sarado ang pwet ni Nathan! Hehe!

I'm so glad that when the results came out, everything was negative. No blood, no parasites, no bacteria. Nathan's poop -- despite the consistency -- was normal. Tita Doc gave him some medicines still, to be on the safe side.

I'm just so glad he's okay.

Super Dudad

Bob is the most humble person I know on earth. Never the type to brag about his accomplishments even when his friends (the conceited ones) are going non-stop in brag galore. I swear, my ears bleed when I hear them yak about what they do.

So, in the end, I'm the one bragging about him, and why not? I'm so much of a proud wife and I'm just giving him the recognition he deserves. :p

Like when he designs something, he'll just do his usual stuff, and then when I glance at his computer and see what company he's designing for, I'm usually "WHAT THE?? You're designing their website???" and Bob would look at me strangely and say, "Yes. Why?" like it's nothing special.

He's done websites for US Politicians, Iphone App designs, now even android. He designs websites of government offices, Billboards of companies, bus designs and so many more. To him, it's all the same -- doing what he loves most, designing.

#Proud.

Think before you post.

There was a time when I hated logging into Facebook because my friends kept re-posting a disturbing picture of a child, a lady or something really "off" in my point of view. The contents may be something useful, but the pictures, Oh God. I wanted to tell them that there are things you can never 'unsee'.

Lately though, it's not just about the pictures anymore. There are false information being passed on from a Facebook friend to another, and it keeps reappearing in my news feed. It's about a girl who passed away because she ate shrimps after taking Vitamin C which resulted to internal bleeding and died immediately after.

With all the 'facts' presented on the photo caption, one would easily believe it. But one quick search on google gave me these:

•  Shrimps, Vitamin C And Arsenic Make For A Fishy Hoax


• http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/shrimp.asp


• Consuming Vitamin-C and Shrimp Together Will Cause Death-Fiction!

To date, it shows that more than 19,000 people have liked the post and it has been shared more than 75,000 times.

Let's just be more careful in sharing stuff like these on the net.

Adarna House Christmas Sale

Adarna House Christmas Sale

Oohh this is perfect! I have several books which we use for our Project 20 outreach pero I want more books for Nathan naman. Last year, I was able to score big books for 100 pesos instead of the usual price na 200-300 and the kids in Zambales (where we did our Christmas Outreach) loved it! Makaladkad nga si Dudad one of these days. :)

I wish there’s a way to disable Ctrl + A and Delete on my keyboard whenever I try to start a blog post. Perhaps your dashboards will be flooded with posts about me and all the what-nots I do everyday. But I guess it’s there for a reason, noh? :)

Life is still ah-mazing as usual, and I say that because I feel that every morning is a blessing. I wake up and see my little angel, Nathan right beside me and then I turn around and there’s my other (not so) angel Bob, and that snore I’ve grown to love throughout the years we’ve been together.

This is my life right now, domestic yet fulfilled. I treasure every minute I am with my two boys, and thanking God that I have everything I need and want within arm’s reach. Nathan continues to be a wonderful reminder of how much God loves us and how much trust he has placed on our shoulders. I couldn’t be more thankful for all these.

Life is wonderful.

I'm Yours, Mraz.

Last night, you sang with your heart and we felt it. You were right, the love inside Araneta last night was overflowing, and it’s all because of you. When you sang “Lucky”, I really felt it, and all I could do was hold my husband’s hand and be thankful that yes, I am in love with my best friend.

And though I was hoping until the very last minute that you’re going to sing Geek in the Pink, okay na rin coz you did so much more than I expected. It was a great show from start to finish.  Not a minute wasted, all thanks to you.

Please have another concert here. Geek in the Pink, don’t forget. :)

Full-time.

I’ve posted a blog before on how I really want to switch to cloth diapers for number of good reasons. Unfortunately, I’ve failed for the first few months and just settled for the easy way — disposables.

But then, Nathan started having rashes again, and it really bothers me kasi I know the reason why he’s having rashes, and I can do something about it pero sinukuan ko lang. So, I ordered few pieces of really good cloth diapers from Bamboo Dappy, very unlike my Chino Pino’s na one weewee palit agad, these are waterproof and has linings para maabsorb yung weewee.

I’m so happy to say na we’re 90% on cloth diapers now. It’s hard, but it’s all worth it when I see Nathan’s butt na so makinis and walang rashes. Hehe! I’m still learning, grabe sa dami ng research talaga to know if I’m doing it right or if there’s anything else I can do para malessen ang gastos. (Read:DIY) Ang mahal kaya ng cloth diapers! Haha.

I’m definitely looking forward to being 100% CD Mom, kahit night time or kahit aalis, naka cloth diapers. That’s gonna take a lot of practice for sure pero ok lang, kakayanin! :)

—Edit /October 26, 2011—

I’m so proud! We haven’t used a single disposable diaper for 5 days already. Karir kung karir! Although ang problem ko nalang ngayon is how to budget yung paglalaba. Right now, since konti palang yung stash namin, everyday ako naglalaba. Handwashed pa yan, kasi takot ako masira yung diapers — ang mahal kaya! Pero since supportive si Dudad, order pa daw ako para masatisfy yung stash ko para daw di ako everyday naglalaba. Haha!

Nathan’s bum is so makinis na, nakakatuwa!

Concerts, concerts!

I honestly can’t wait for the 30th. 

As a bonus for Bob’s hard work, our friend and partner, John, gave us free tickets to Jason Mraz’ concert! He gave us funds to buy Patron seats, but boy, ang bilis nasold out yung patron seats! Imagine our faces when the lady told us only Upper Box B and General Admission tickets were being sold. 

But on the other hand, okay na yun noh! We will go there to hear him sing Live naman e. Bonus na yung makita siyang upfront. Bob and I are so excited na talaga. Bob’s been playing his songs nonstop para daw memorized na namin pagdating ng concert. Kumusta naman yun, kahit memorized as if naman makakasabay sa beat ni Mraz! Hehe!

Tapos Train naman kasunod on December 7. Bob and I have  a list of performers na pag pumunta dito eh hindi namin palalagpasin yung concert, and Train is among that list! It’s too close so I don’t know if we can afford the tickets, parang sobrang nakakaguilty manood ng concert magkasunod, sayang ang pera! Pero, hayy we’ll never know! Hehe!

Dear Nathan,

Six months ka na today. I wish I can express in words just how happy you made us feel from Day 1. You never fail to amaze us, never fail to make us smile. I’m not afraid of having bad days now, isang tingin palang sayo, tanggal na lahat ng negative vibes, pano pa kung ngumiti ka? 

Everyday, we thank God for giving us you. We thank Him for trusting us, for believing that we are the right parents for you. 

Know that we love you so much, and that a lot of our family and friends love you too. You should see how our faces light up when you smile. You are well loved, anak. Much much more than words can say. 

Love,
Mameh

Choco Drink.

This evening, we gave a child vendor a hundred peso bill and told him to keep the change. Perhaps stunned, he looked at the bill for maybe five seconds and then looked back at us. Said thank you and then left with a smile. We caught him look at the bill again, as if checking if it were real. 

Then he went inside the nearby bakery, got himself a chocolate drink and settled happily on the bench outside.

Lord, thank you for our blessings. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share it with others. Bless that kid, Lord. Keep him safe and healthy. 

Damn Pork.

I think I will never eat pork again for as long as I live. 

The past two days have been so difficult for me and Bob. Culprit? Food poisoning. :( Kami lang kasi kumain nung left over na grilled pork from our Sunday get-together. I think nakadagdag yung hindi na namin ininit yung ulam. 

Ack, we were vomiting every hour ata. It went to the point that we were so weak to move already. Thank Goodness there’s Mama, Papa and Joy to take care of Nathan. As in I can’t even hold him dahil baka malaglag ko lang pag karga ko and masusuka na naman ako.

Worst two days of our lives. :((

BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.

If every birthday has a theme, I’d say this year’s title would be, “For a change”.

For the first time in so many years, I finally celebrated a birthday with all four of us together, under one roof. The last time I think was eight years ago. So when Mama went to our room yesterday and kissed me on the cheek then greeted me a happy birthday, I almost felt like I was dreaming. It was so surreal I almost cried.

I think this goes without mentioning, but to me, the biggest highlight of my birthday is that it’s the first birthday I had with a family of my own. Bob and Nathan, what more can I ask for? God entrusted me with two of his precious creations, naku naman, ano pang mas peperfect pa dito?

I didn’t make any plans at all for my birthday. I stopped making plans when I realized that it always rains on my birthday – walang mintis. And not just slight rain, talagang malakas and bumabaha. But then again, kahapon ng umaga, grabe walang ulan. The sun was up, at talagang mainit pa. I said to myself, “Aba, kakaiba to. Let’s go to MOA!” Hahaha! Ang tapang ko noh? Eh kasi Bob gave me a wonderful birthday present – budget! Hahaha!

So Joy texted Ryan so he can come with us. And while he was on his way, I prepared a little game for the family. We had Uno Stackos at home, I printed some phrases on a paper and then dinikit ko sa likod na part para hindi makita. I included a 1k peso prize, some 500’s and 100’s and then a lot of Waleys! Hahaha! Papa got around 700 pesos in cash prize, and everyone thought he’ll be the one to get the 1k major prize, but lo and behold, yung nangungulelat na si Joy with 20 pesos got the one thousand cash prize! It was really fun watching their reactions whenever they read, “Waley, bunot pa!”

We had so much fun we forgot to cook lunch. Haha! So kinain namin yung dala ni Ryan na cake from Red Ribbon and then prepared to go out. It was almost 1pm nung nakaalis kami ng bahay. I said to myself, “I know God always, always gives me signs on my birthday. Bring it.” Haha!

True enough, nung nagpa-gas palang kami, nakita ko yung matandang babae na pinakain namin ni Bob sa Jollibee one time. Without me asking to, tinawag ni Papa at Mama and binigyan nila ng alms. Yes naman, natuwa ako. I feel that we’re so blessed na it’s just right for us to share what God gave us. Malamang kasi yun ang reason bakit overflowing ang blessings, diba?

And then dahil nahihilo na kaming lahat sa gutom, instead of settling sa drive-thru, we opted to dine in sa bagong tayong Jollibee dun sa may bayan, on the way na e. Had one piece chicken each, since we said kailangang magpagutom para sulit yung dadayuhin pa naming sa MOA. Haha!

Ayun na, paglabas namin, may batang babae na nagaalok ng tinda niya. I stopped to ask her what it is, and she said, “Lumpiang Toge” daw for 7 pesos. I was full already, and I know everyone was, so I don’t think we can eat any more lumpias. But she was really asking us to buy, and nakita ko talaga na parang desperate na siya, so I told her, sige give me two pieces. Kasi yun lang yung nakita kong barya ko, 20 pesos. Then her little brother came and with happy eyes, he asked “Magkano na yun pag dalawa?” Then he used his hands for counting and said, “Ah! Fourteen! Edi magkano yung sukli?” I said, “Six pesos. Pero, itabi niyo na. Sa inyo na yung sukli.”

They smiled at me, tipong smile na sobrang thankful, and then the girl said, “Ate salamat, di pa po kasi kami kumakain.” I knew it was way past 2 pm already, ba’t di pa sila kumakain? I said, “Ganun ba? E kumain na kami, sa inyo nalang yung binili ko, kainin niyo ha?” Grabe, tuwang tuwa sila, thank you ng thank you. I can’t imagine pano yung feeling kung gutom na gutom ka na tapos pagkain yung tinda mo pero hindi mo pwede bawasan.

Nung paalis na kami, sinilip pa nila Joy if they really ate it. They did, and nagshare talaga silang magkapatid dun sa dalawang lumpia. I asked Papa to go back kaso lang wala na sila dun sa harap ng Jollibee. But I really do hope to see them again, siguradong matutuwa yun sa chicken joy. :P

Anyway, so yun nga. We went to MOA, window shopping and side-eating. We had frozen yoghurt na kami lang ni Joy ang kumakain kasi they all say it tastes panis na gatas. Haha! And then krispy kreme. Nagpapagutom kunwari para daw sulit talaga. By 6 pm, andun na kami sa dampa choosing Mama’s favorite sea foods.

In fairness, masarap ang luto dun sa kinainan namin. I don’t want to name them na, sayang publicity. It was all good, service was fine until they handed over the bill. Hahaha! Double sa expected namin, and we even calculated upfront ah. May charges dito, may charges duon. But anyway, okay lang. Nainis lang ako kasi they promised a 20% discount before we came in, tapos nung bayaran na nakalimutan na nila. But all is good, the food was great – ang dami! But I guess nag work yung pagpapagutom namin kasi I initially thought we wouldn’t be able to finish it sa sobrang dami, but we did. No take homes!

And then we all set to going home, pagod and busog, we left MOA with slight smiles on our faces. Haha. Then on our way home, I remembered we still have vouchers for a full body massage with ventosa therapy. It was around 9pm na so I called the spa and asked them if they’re still accepting clients. Unfortunately, fully booked na sila for that night (and for the coming days – sept 9 pa open!) so we decided to just stop by the nearest spa sa subdivision namin, since I’m really really craving for that full body massage. :)

10pm na when Bob and I got to the spa. Bob was so in to treating me, at talagang full two hours pa yung kinuhang package. Haha! Since nauna na naman sila Mama and Joy, there was no worrying for Nathan kasi for sure tulog na siya nung mga oras na yun. It was our first time dun sa spa na yun since bago palang, and boi did they exceed my expectations. Ang galing ng therapist, si Bob tulog na agad ilang minutes palang during the therapy. We had thai massage which was exactly what I needed – stretching galore.

The music was so nice din, and then I just found myself praying to God. I thanked Him for what has been a very wonderful birthday. It never fails to amaze me how things changed for the last few years and how he intricately planned it all. There I was, on a massage bed, for the remaining two hours of my birthday. Ang sarap ng feeling, not just because of the massage, but knowing that Bob and I made this already. We are in that stage na we can afford a comfortable living. I can’t say luxurious pero okay na sakin yung comfortable. Compare that to what we had three years ago, when Bob’s computer table was a make-shift box, and all we had as furniture are a mattress and couple of kitchen utensils – sa first apartment namin. I’m so proud of what Bob has been for the years since we got together, he really worked hard, to get us to where we are right now. Ok na ko dito, I’m okay with all aspects. Happy ako we can do grocery shopping every week and not run out of stocks, happy that pag kalahati nalang yung gatas ni Nathan, may pambili na ng bago before it runs out. Secured, comfortable and we can afford little luxuries like that. A car and a house soon, jusko Lord, what have we done to deserve all these?

“This is THE life!” I remember myself saying before I dozed off to sleep last night. Thank you Lord for making all of this happen.

P.S.

For sure madaming typos and grammar error to, pagbigyan na. Too happy to edit. :D 

No-Left Turn.

Kagabi, pagkatapos namin sunduin si Mama sa airport, hinatid naman namin yung kasama niya sa Mandaluyong. Di kami pamilyar sa lugar kaya sobrang nangangapa talaga kami. Yung kasama namin, medyo familiar lang sa lugar so sa kanila kami nagrerely on directions.

Then they said, “kaliwa po dyan” so kumaliwa naman si Papa. Turns out NO-LEFT turn pala yun and syempre, hinarang kami ng mga traffic police. I was in shock kasi first they told us was “May namatay na po dito kaya sinarado ang left turn.” May three warning signs daw pero we didn’t notice it at all kasi walang reflector, and it was dark there. And ISA PA, yung police enforcer dun sa may kaliwaan SIGNALED to us to go left so we did. 

I was so impressed with the police officer coz when we finally get to the side of the street, he told us “Di baleng mahuli, wag lang maaksidente, tama po ba?” And he raised valid points, kaya amazed pa ako sa enforcer na ito. Then he went away for a while, tapos si Papa naman nagprepare ng pera. I told Papa, “NO! Wag mo bibigyan ng kotong yan, mukha namang hindi nanghihingi e. Baka maoffend pa yan, lalo ka pang maticket-an ng bribing!”

Sana the good stuff continues noh? Pero unfortunately, bigo kami — AGAIN!

When he got back, he said the lines I dread the most. “One thousand po talaga ang fee sa ganyang violation. Sa totoo lang di namin pwedeng sabihin kung magkano yung multa, pero sinabi ko sa inyo. Pero kung gusto niyo, pwede naman natin babaan. Iibahin ko lang yung violation niya. 500 nalang”

Ano to, bargain? 

Eh kung bargain pala, mas magaling ako tumawad — sa pagkakaalam ko. Sabi ko kay manong enforcer, “Kuya, maniwala ka’t sa hindi, for the rest of our lives hindi na kami ulit kakaliwa dyan sa street na yan.” I wanted to point fingers and question bakit kami sinenyasan na kumaliwa, or bakit hindi nakareflector yung no left turn signs, etc pero masyado na kaming pagod para makipagdebate pa.

Nakakapang-hina, to have this kind of conversation with a police enforcer. I wanted to tell him, “Sige na! I-ticket mo na yung 1k na original fee, kesa magpakababa ako ng level ko at pumatol sa kotong police.” Pero too late na.

Sabi niya, “Eto yung folder ko. Tatanggapin ko maski magkano ibibigay niyo, maraming salamat. Ibababa ko dyan sa manibela, kunin mo yung lisensya mo tapos iipit mo yung pera. May camera kasi dito.”

I swear — I wanted to get out of the car and lash out at that enforcer and just express how disgusted I am for his behavior. Pero, wala na. Pagod na lahat e. Mastranded ka ba naman ng 5 hours sa eroplano, papalag ka pa ba? Gusto nalang namin lahat makauwi.

Nakakapanghina. 

Please someone tell me may pag-asa pa ang batas dito sa Pilipinas.

Dengue Scare.

I’ve become obsessed with all kinds of anti-mosquito stuff ever since Dengue breakouts become an everyday piece on the news. It’s really scary, and would never wish for that to happen even to my worst enemy. It’s sad that most victims are kids. Hayy. 

So ayun nga, we have everything in the house. From baygon electric mosquito repellant to anti-mosquito patches, with varying degrees. May subtle lang amoy, meron namang sobrang tapang na kahit hindi lamok eh mahihilo na. And just this morning, our neighbor asked if we wanted to avail of the fumigation for 1k pesos, and siyempre pumayag kami. Better be safe than sorry, right? 

Hayy. I wish they come up with a vaccine or something. 

Thankful.

There are so many things I should be thankful for. God continues to provide us with abundant blessings, sometimes I think more than we deserve, but hey, God knows best. :) It’s been a blessing after the other, and it’s overwhelming talaga.

Pero mababaw lang talaga kaligayahan ko these days. I’m all smiles when at the end of the day, I get to hug Nathan to sleep and he’s okay, walang sakit, walang topak. :) Then Bob can join us and tuck Nathan to bed and we both say how much we love him, ayun na, happy Elay.

Thank you Lord. 

It is good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy.

It is good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy.
~George Lorimer~

Reblog if you love Harry Potter.

hellyeahharryfreakingpotter:

THE NOTES, GUYS. THE NOTES.

First time.

There’s always a first time for everything, right?

I’ve been invited to volunteer at AGAP/ABI’s Relief Delivery Mission at Subic tomorrow. The usual — while they do the relief distribution, I’ll be in charge of the kids of psychosocial therapy. The families were victims of the recent landslide, and most of them lost their homes. I saw it on the news when it happened, and most of the kids were emotional, they were crying because of what happened (who wouldn’t, right?).

It breaks my heart that this is the first time I’ll be away from Nathan. Technically, I have to leave today, spend the night at the headquarters in Pampanga, so we can leave by 6am tomorrow for Subic. I’m still contemplating of travelling in the wee hours of the morning, say 3am so I don’t have to spend the night there. Honestly, ako yung may separation anxiety, not Nathan. (I whispered to him last night that I have to go somewhere tomorrow, to help some of the kids and as if he understood, he smiled at me!)

It’s a good thing that Joy is here fulltime to take care of Nathan while I’m away. Parang ang tagal kong aalis noh? I’ll be there for just a day! Balik din ako agad after the RDO.

Anyhoo- I need to prepare the things I need for tomorrow. Wish me luck. It feels like ages since I’ve last done a PSS. 

My Mind

is taking me places.

I had a series of weird dreams this week. Una, I dreamt we went to SRI LANKA for a promo fare but when we got there, we realized we didn’t have return tickets. So we had to apply for a job in order to get a ticket.

As if that was not weird enough, last night, I dreamt we went to MOSCOW and Hagrid (YEP! Hagrid of HP!) was our hotel’s usher. He showed us our room and we were disgusted at how it looked like so we asked him to bring us to other hotels nearby. The funny part? Sumakay kami sa motorbike niya going to the other hotel. AND IN MY DREAM, ganun parin ang pagsasalita niya. May accent talaga. :))

Today

I decided to deactivate my facebook account. 

I realized this after considering to “group” my contacts to friends, real friends, fb friends, game friends, etc. Pre-Facebook, I never had the need to group my friends like that, or felt unsafe to post something on fear that someone might use it for something nasty.

So there, good bye Facebook, and I hope never to see you again.

*EDIT*

Bob reactivated my facebook account yesterday. Oh well.

Pakidagdagan powz.

Bob and I — may soft spot kami sa matatanda na nasa kalye para mamalimos. Sobrang soft, in fact, na hindi talaga kami makakatiis pag may nakita kami, or may manghingi samin. I don’t know, maybe he misses his Lola and ako naman, as thanks na I still have both of my Lola’s with me until now. 

So last Saturday, habang nagpapa-gas si Papa, may nakita kaming matanda, and kumatok siya sa may bintana sa side ni Papa. Binigay ni Papa yung mga coins sa dashboard niya, maybe 20-30 pesos siguro yun. Then she went to the other cars in waiting, pero hindi siya pinansin.

Feeling sorry for her, I asked Bob if we can give her the spare 100 peso change. Bob immediately said yes, and I asked Papa to call her. Sabi ko, “Nay, galing po sa anak namin, si Nathan.” Then as if on cue, Nathan smiled at her! :)

There’s a certain delight on her face when she saw what we gave her, and even asked me if I’m really giving her a hundred peso. Her voice was coarse, and then she told us she’s begging for her medicines, which costs her at least 200 a day. She said her meds are a hundred peso per tablet, and she needs two each day. 

She proceeded to ask if we can add a hundred more para kumpleto na daw yung gamot niya. I still have a hundred from the change, so nakipag-eye contact nalang ako kay Bob and he seems to tell me, “Sige na, bigay mo na.” So I did. 

I really hope na she was able to buy medicines for that day, and may nagawang mabuti yung 200 pesos. I felt awkward when she asked for dagdag, it’s the first time we have been asked na ganun, but we reasoned out na maybe she was really desperate already, it was almost evening and if it’s true she needs two capsules for the day, late na siya.

Aahh. Life.

The Scary Mommy Manifesto

Please repeat after me:

• I shall maintain a sense of humor about all things motherhood, for without it, I recognize that I may end up institutionalized. Or, at the very least, completely miserable.

• I shall not judge the mother in the grocery store who, upon entering, hits the candy aisle and doles out M&Ms to her screaming toddler. It is simply a survival mechanism.

• I shall not compete with the mother who bakes from scratch, purees her own baby food, or fashions breathtaking costumes from tissue paper. Motherhood is not a competition. The only ones who lose are the ones who race the fastest.

• I shall shoot the parents of the screaming newborn on the airplane looks of compassion rather than resentment. I am fortunate to be able to ditch the kid upon landing. They, however, are not.

• I shall never ask any woman whether she is, in fact, expecting. Ever.

• I shall not question the mother who is wearing the same yoga pants, flip-flops and t-shirt she wore to school pickup the day before. She must have a very good reason.

• I shall never claim to know everything about any child but my own. (Who still remain a mystery to me.)

• I shall hold the new babies belonging to friends and family, so they may shower and nap, which is all any new mother really wants.

• I shall attempt to not pass down my own messed up body issues to my daughter. She deserves a mother who loves and respects herself; stretch marks, cellulite and all.

• I shall not preach the benefits of breastfeeding or circumcision or home schooling or organic food or co-sleeping or crying it out to a fellow mother who has not asked my opinion. It’s none of my damn business.

• I shall remember that no mother is perfect and my children will thrive because, and sometimes even in spite, of me.

onthe-radio:

“After a year-long investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific and the National Bureau of Investigations, police have now charged a Philippine couple with cruelty to animals and other crimes related to producing a series of pornographic videos in which young girls torture and kill animals.

WARNING: Graphic descriptions follow

The “crush” videos that the Ridons are believed to have produced show scantily clad 12-year-old girls as they stomp on live animals, a rabbit as he or she is skinned alive, other rabbits as they scream while their ears are cut off and they are set on fire, a dog as he or she is burned with a clothes iron, and a monkey who was repeatedly hit in the eye with the sharp end of a stiletto heel. There is more, including puppies crushed until they vomited their own internal organs. A bill currently in the Philippine Senate would criminalize the sale of such “crush videos,” already illegal in the U.S. and other countries.

Faced with the charges, suspects Dorma and Vic Ridon have fled. Warrants have been issued for them.”

wowfunniestposts:

nierry:

Featured on Wow Funniest Posts

Looking forward to the weekend, weekend!

I’m sooooo looking forward for my Spa day with Bob on Sunday. 

We bought a voucher for a 90-minute massage with Ventosa therapy. Hayy, this is what our bodies need from all that toxicity from last week. Bob’s been complaining of “lamig” on his back since Monday pa, so perfect na perfect talaga to.

Everything’s arranged already, Papa will drive for us, Joy will babysit Nathan and we’ll enjoy a nice dinner afterwards. 

I think this will become a weekly (hopefully!) thing kase lahat na ata ng spa deals sa discount sites, binili ko na. 

Hay, sana kasi yung naghohome service samin meron ding ventosa therapy or something to that effect, kaya lang tradiitonal hilot/swedish/etc massage lang sila e. 

Pay it forward.

You can call me sentimental. I keep the tiniest note from a friend and obviously, I blog — para balang araw, I have something to show Nathan and well, something to look back to.

This morning, Papa asked me if we can give Nathan’s old bottles sa kakilala niyang janitor sa badminton club na pinaglalaruan niya. Papa said na sobrang tuwa daw nung kakilala niya nung sinabi na baka pwede namin ibigay yung mga bote ni Nathan dahil sobrang dami nga. I think Nathan has around 20 bottles, coz the first month were all trial and error for us, trying to find the perfect bottle for him. Until we settled with Avent, and totally hindi na nagamit yung mga bote niya.

While Papa was packing the bottles, bigla kong naalala na there’s a stash of his old baby clothes on the drawer. Eh sabi ko nga, sentimental ako, I originally planned to keep all of those clothes para mapakita kay Nathan paglaki nya. But then naisip ko, mapapakita ko nga kay Nathan, ano naman yung silbi nun, for old times sake lang?

Papa said pano daw pag nagkababy na kami ulit. I said, siguro naman mas may kaya kaming bumili ng bagong damit kesa dun sa kakilala niya. And I love the feeling na at Nathan’s age, marami na syang natulungan. Remember before, inayawan ni Nathan yung gatas niya, eh nakabili na kami ng dalawang malaking cans, yun pala may mas kailangan nung gatas na yun, naibigay namin.

Aside from his clothes, binigay na rin namin yung luma niyang blanket and pillows. Dahil si Nathan naman ay blessed with a lot of blankets from his Ninangs nun binyag na.

I have yet to hear from Papa kung ano ang reaction ng friend niya sa mga hand-me-downs ni Nathan. Sana makatulong kahit papano.

Anong petsa na?

I forgot the date.

Hindi yung ordinaryong nakalimutan ko what date it was. I forgot what month! I kept thinking anong month ngayon. Kakaiba ang pakiramdam ko, it’s like I’m forcing my brain to tell me what month it is.

I wouldn’t be bothered at all kung yung araw nakalimutan ko e, kaso buwan! I was scared, bakit wala akong maalala? Bakit parang walang logic yung utak ko? Bakit ganun, ang tagal ko talaga dun sa field ng date, hindi ko maisip talaga. Sa hiya ko (dahil kaharap ko ba naman President ng SPI Systems College), tumayo ako at lumapit kay Papa, sabay tanong, “Anong buwan ngayon Papa?”

I swear at that moment, gusto kong magpunta na sa hospital at magpacheck up. Dumadalas tong episodes ko na totally naba-blank yung utak ko. One time I forgot how Nathan ended up beside me eh karga karga ko siya sa dibdib ko. Scary diba? Bakit ganun?

Sabi nila dahil sa dami daw ng operations ko at sa dami ng anesthesia na nilagay sa katawan ko kaya ganun ako kakalimutin. Pero, ewan ko. Kanina talaga, I was scared sobra dahil parang nagstop yung utak ko. I was trying to remember the last time I wrote the date, ganun yung pag-iisip ko kanina.

Should I be concerned? Is this normal? I’m trying not to overreact and Google. Hahayy.

Love You Forever

A year ago, I exchanged emails with Bob Munsch (author of my favorite book, Love you Forever). I was an ordinary fan girl then, asking if he would sign a copy of his book (if ever makakita ako dito). Instead, he told me to give him my shipping address so he can send me a signed copy of the book. Oha! Back then, my thoughts were, pag nagkababy na ko, pagmamalaki ko sa kanya na ang  book na binabasa ko ay signed copy pa. Haha!

And syempre ngayon, I can’t wait to read this to Nathan. I’ve been singing him the song since Day 1, sometimes even inventing my own tune to the song para hindi nakakasawa. Hehe. But when he gets old enough, I’m sure maeenjoy niya yung colorful pictures and stuff.

Ay. You know what? Screw waiting. Basahin ko na ngayon sa kanya. Haha!

It ain't over till it's over.

I said I would switch to cloth diaper and I mean it. I’m lucky that I’m supported by my husband. Di lang yun, I have an amazing support system kay Papa and Joy. Si Papa na nga naglalaba nung mga lampin ni Nathan e, pag gising ko sa umaga nakasampay na. Sounds easy diba? Dapat sana. Kaso….

Ulan ng ulan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nakakainis!!! Ayan na nga e, todo lampin na nga po, kaso naman ulan ng ulan. Yung lampin, three layers yun, mahirap matuyo! Nung una handwashed nga e, ngayon washing machine na para madry ng husto, pero not enough parin. :(

/end of rant

So ngayon, medyo balik sa disposable si Nathan kasi nauubos yung tuyong lampin. Balik lampin lang pag meron na ulit tuyo. Iniisip ko nalang, at least di man 100%, nasa 60% naman kami at this rate.

60 is good, diba? Diba? Diba??

Reaching Out.

Kaninang umaga, nung pinapalitan ng diapers si Nathan sa kanyang crib, we noticed na tingin siya ng tingin sa mobile niya na Pooh (sorry, Shor!) and smile ng smile. So nilapit namin yung mobile sa diaper changing area niya (na mas mataas) and to our surprise, he started reaching out for Pooh! 

This is definitely the first time he did that, kaya naman nataranta kami kung sinong kukuha ng picture sa kanya. Haha!

According to my trusted book (What to Expect the First Year), may even be able to reach out for things ng 3 2/3 months. Yes naman, pasikat ang anak ko kasi 3 months and 1 week palang siya. Hehe! 

Nakakatuwa noh, simple things like these, grabe na yung delight namin. Haha! Exaggeration aside, iba talaga yung feeling na nakikita mo yung pagbabago — every minute detail of it dahil lahat ng attensyon nasa kanya.

Sarap!

P.S.

That EQ diaper stash on the background deserves another post na para sa kanya lang. Hayyy.

My Photoblog.

My Photoblog.

Finally, a photoblog where I’m free to spam all I want. Ha!

Sanay sa karga: Update

I posted a blog entry before about babywearing and how the elderly are commenting that Nathan is “sanay sa karga”. True naman, we always carry him whenever he’s crying and we really “hele” him at night so he can get to sleep.

I’m happy to report now that even though Nathan still cries sometimes — he can now fall asleep without the hele part. By hele I mean yung pa-dance dance pa kami para mapatulog siya. Now a simple tapik-tapik and hum ng lullaby can put him to sleep. Sometimes, he even fell asleep on his own! :)

Kung makablog kala mo napakalaking milestone eh noh? Hehe!

Pause. Rewind.

(Reposting a blog post from exactly a year ago)

***

Can you believe it’s been a month already since the wedding?

Today is exactly a month since I became Mrs. Sagun. I still get the “what’s the feeling?” question a lot of times, but it got topped over by the “when’s the baby” question recently.

But since I’m in the proper mood today, let’s answer both. :)

What’s the feeling?

Well, everyday you get to wake up each morning with your husband right beside you. It’s like having everything you need within arm’s reach. Happiness doesn’t have to be complicated now, a simple breakfast of toasted bread suddenly becomes a perfect ingredient for a perfect morning.

There’s a feeling of knowing he’s finally yours – forever. And now, forever is not that vague anymore. You know that no matter what happens, no matter what life brings you – you’ll have him. And the future is less scary now. You know that pretty soon you’ll have babies and the fact remains – YOU’LL NEVER BE ALONE ANYMORE.

Everyday, you get a look at your finger – and it’s not bare anymore. There, on your ring finger, lies the symbol of forever. You proudly show the wedding ring to anyone, and not because it’s a fine piece of jewelry, but because that piece of gold holds the promise you gave each other the day of the wedding – and no diamonds can ever top that feeling.

How does it feel to be a missus? It’s satisfying beyond words. It’s like you’ve became an updated version of yourself. Suddenly, a kitchen is not just a kitchen anymore. It becomes the place where you prepare special dishes for your family, it becomes your haven. Suddenly, a kiss is not just a kiss anymore, it’s beyond that – it’s magical.

Ahh.. I can put in a lot of adjectives to this feeling but it won’t make it any closer to what exactly I feel right now.

To put it simply, I guess – it’s like winning the lottery – when you didn’t even buy a ticket. ;)

For the next question, and I guess more complicated “When is the baby?” stuff.

I think it’s no secret, Bob and I wants to have a family of our own in the very near future.  Bob’s not getting any  younger, ahaha. But kidding aside, it’s been difficult for us. Mainly for me. I have a series of workups lined for me, and that’s not easy. For now, we stand by the thought that if it is God’s will, let his Will be done.

We’re taking this as a sign from God that we just have to enjoy each other’s company first before we spend sleepless nights caring for our little children. And that’s not a bad thing naman diba?

So soon, we’ll get to that.

But for now, everyday is a honeymoon. *wink*

You don’t just love me on my good days. On my pretty days, when I have makeup on and my hair looks decent. When I’m cheerful and witty and affectionate and feeling well. You love me when no one else possibly could. You love me when I’m pale and hollow, when I haven’t laughed for days and I’ve worn the same pajamas for a week. When I curl up in my little corner of the bed and try not to think about life. When I’m irritable and ugly and bitchy and I yell at you for stupid things. When my hair is greasy and I have bags under my eyes. Those are the times when with great patience and care, you brush my hair behind my ear, kiss my forehead, and tell me,’You’re beautiful and I love you.’ That’s how I know … that’s love.

You don’t just love me on my good days. On my pretty days, when I have makeup on and my hair looks decent. When I’m cheerful and witty and affectionate and feeling well. You love me when no one else possibly could. You love me when I’m pale and hollow, when I haven’t laughed for days and I’ve worn the same pajamas for a week. When I curl up in my little corner of the bed and try not to think about life. When I’m irritable and ugly and bitchy and I yell at you for stupid things. When my hair is greasy and I have bags under my eyes. Those are the times when with great patience and care, you brush my hair behind my ear, kiss my forehead, and tell me,’You’re beautiful and I love you.’ That’s how I know … that’s love.
Breanna (via lrck88)

The Switch.

In an attempt to save our wallets (and the environment), we have decided (well, I have) to switch Nathan to cloth diapers. I’ve been wanting to, but I felt like I wasn’t cut out for it, so I did more research about cloth diapers. Heck, para todo effort, I also researched on how to make your own reusable wipes.

According to my research, diapers take up to 200-500 years to breakdown within a landfill. So that means the nappies I used when I was a baby is still on a landfill, and that’s just 23 yrs. Ang tibay ng diapers ko pala, aabot pa hanggang apo sa tuhod ko? Wow.

I have to admit, napaka-daling gumamit nalang ng disposable diapers. Wala nang laba-laba, or plantsa. Pero I want to try this out. At least I can say na I’ve tried, kahit papano. Nathan’s current diaper is around 400 bucks for 40 pcs. I’m not thinking of that kasi if I do, I’d just switch to disposable that easily. “Ano ba naman yung 400 for ease of use?” I’m sure yan sasabihin ng boses sa utak ko. Haha!

Anyway, So last night, I told Nathan, “Anak, testing natin tong cloth diaper mo ah?” And boy he did. First thing he did was poop on the diaper. Juskopo. Pero I was victorious naman. Thank God may sprinkler kami sa CR. It was a big help. Haha.

I bought the cheap ones lang, Chino Pino which is 450 pesos for 6pcs. It’s not like Tushy-Wushy na hindi nagleleak, actually sa reviews na nabasa ko it leaks talaga. They complain of bed wetting pag nagwiwi si Baby. So I bought a diaper cover, each for 60 pesos ata? Which I have to put over the cloth diaper so it wont leak. It’s plastic inside, yes, but at least it’s reusable!

Anyway, wish me luck.

Hand me the remote, darling.

Yay, finally. Drop Dead Diva is back. I’m quite sad for the past few months since most all of my favorite series are on break. Pero ngayon, it’s okay coz I can watch two already - Pretty Little Liars and Drop Dead Diva.

Bob’s been raping the TV with National Geographic so it’s my turn na ulit. Hehe! Yes, sometimes Bob tells me about Mummys and Marcos and stuff he watched on Nat Geo and History Channel.

His latest addiction: Dog Whisperer.

Go Figure.

Akala ko it’s way too early to think about Big Schools for Nathan since he’s barely a year old. I was wrong. This early pala, kailangan na mag-compute ng kung magkano ang kailangang savings by the time Nathan hits 3 yrs old. Nalula lang ako sa presyo ng mga Big schools for Prep lang ah.

Some of the schools, for example:

• UP Child Development Center-  30,000, Progressive (Co-Ed)


• Rosehill Paref - 57,000 Traditional (Co-ED)


• La Salle Greenhills - 122,000 Traditional


• Don Bosco - 47,000 Traditional (All boys)


• Ateneo de Manila - 90,000, Traditional (All-boys)

Whoa.

And syempre there’s schools na halos lumuwa talaga mata ko upon seeing the tuition fee, like Brent’s International School for example, 6,000 USD (YES, DOLLARS!) plus 285, 936 misc fees.

Diyosko.

Privacy Issues.

I have moved most of the posts about Nathan to a password-protected blog (Dear Notnot). A recent discussion on an e-group I belong to made me think about the amount of personal info I post on this blog (Yes, I overshare!).

Eh imbis iwanan ko ang blogging altogether, gumawa nalang ako ng password protected blog where only selected friends and family members have access to it. At least sigurado ako dun na yung humingi ng password eh talagang gusto magbasa ng blog ko. Hehe!

The main reason naman talaga why I am blogging about Nathan ay para pag malaki na sya, he’s got something to read about sa childhood days niya. (Wish ko lang alive pa yung blog na yun by that time. Hello, tumblr.)

Ayun. I’m still trying to figure out how to send the password to my friends and family, for now, PM me nalang sa Facebook or Twitter for the password. ;)

Click Awesome.: To Nathan and Kyler

Click Awesome.: To Nathan and Kyler

yannafeliciano:

Boys, I haven’t met you yet but I would like to dedicate this to you.

You have great parents, my very good friends, you see.

Continue to be good as I know you already are and as they are to me.

I pray that you will enjoy your childhood and that you will learn with nature.

Start your..

Awww. Ninang! <3 I’ll make sure Nathan gets to read this someday.

I would, desperately, If I could.

Yesterday, we were eating at Libis when the woman across our table complimented us on how big Nathan is. Siyempre, I smiled at her and thanked her, then continued to ask how old her son is as well. Then she asked me, “Breastfed?” I said, “No, formula.” She smiled and with a prodding voice, she said, “Mag breastfeed ka.”

I just smiled at her.

I wanted to tell her, I would, God knows I would — with every inch of my will, if I could. I would breastfeed with every chance, if I could.

The bitter reality here is that when you become a mom, all eyes are on you. How you dress your child, how you feed him, how you discipline him and all others. You become a public figure without even wanting to. It’s harsh,  but really, I feel like that’s the case now.

I wanted to tell her that even if I don’t breastfeed, I make sure we give Nathan the proper care he deserves. I wanted to tell her that but I was caught so off-guard that all I managed was to fake a smile. I was hurting. I was offended.

At the back of my mind, I want to believe she only meant well for Nathan. I want to believe she’s not judging or anything, but just means well for everyone. It’s nice of her to remind moms to breastfeed, I guess. Or maybe not.

See, it all boils down to respect. Not everyone is on the same path as  you are.

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn’t, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn’t, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.
~Monica Baldwin

Never again, Sierra Madre.

The view from Sierra Madre Resort, Tanay. Was it worth everything we went through, the lousy resort service and ugly rooms?

Sige na nga.

Sabi nga nila, you can’t have it all. After an amazing night and sumptuous dinner at Isdaan, Tarlac — we decided to take another roadtrip to Tanay, Sierra Madre Resort. I’ve been there before for Ate Tin and Kuya Mel’s prenup photoshoot. What can I say, the view was lovely - it deserved a second trip.

The only difference for this trip was that we decided to get a room and stay overnight. Ayun na — that’s when trouble began. With all honesty, sana nag picnic nalang kami sa labas instead of getting a room. Sobrang hassle.

Let me tell you how our 2,500 per night went.

First, they gave us “Henry Suite” which doesn’t look like a suite at all. We can forgive the lack of A/C since we know it’s gonna be cold in the evening. We can open the windows, baka manigas pa kami sa lamig, right? WRONG. You can’t open the windows coz there’s no screen! Di ko na maimagine just how many mosquitoes or other insects ang papasok sa room. Secondly, there was no TV or phone in the room. TV was forgivable, yet again — I just made a rationale that we were there to take a weekend off - so the absence of technology is a good start. But no phones installed in a room? Bakit?? What if there was an emergency and you need to call the frontdesk? You have to climb flights of stairs and walk to get to the entrance. What if there’s something you want to order? Sige, wag na order. Pero the emergencies! Di ba nila naisip yun?

So by mid-afternoon, we decided to go for a swim. The walk to the pool meant going up and down many flights of stairs, which signaled “HAZARD” for accident-prones like me. So we went to the front desk and asked them if there’s any more rooms located near the pool. They said there was none in the Sierra Madre Resort,  but there was one available in their sister resort, Spring Valley, which was located “Sa baba lang po”, —the exact words. I mentioned we have a baby na gusto namin kasama sa may poolside, picnic-style, pero masyadong dangerous ibaba-akyat sa hagdan nila.

So — they arranged for the transfer. They told us the pool was just right across the room so walang akyat-babang magaganap. What they failed to tell us was that the road was very steep, buwis-buhay, and it was so narrow it can only accommodate one vehicle. Imagine anong mangyari pag may kasalubong ka, sino magbibigay ng daan - yung paakyat o yung pababa? Either way, it’s WAYYYY too much dangerous for everyone.
And no, there wasn’t a SINGLE lamp post. Kahit make-shift lang. WALANG ILAW.

So to cut the story short — we were transferred to Spring Valley Resort. We were given a room, again without A/C and no screen. Pero this one was worse. Ina-anay na yung room! The room smelled like alimuom ba tawag dun? It smelled bad, the CR — omyGod I can’t even bring myself to describe it. It was stained yellow — the flooring was @#@!##$. And the ceiling looks like it can fall off anytime.

And I’m not even exaggerating, God I hope I am.

When Ian (the one who assisted the transfer, and by far the only decent staff they have) was about to leave, I asked him if the restaurant from Sierra Madre Resort can deliver food there. He said no, and we have to walk - WALK! from there to buy food and then walk back. I asked him if there’s any way that he could order for us, since meron siyang motorcycle and I’d just pay him extra for doing it. He said NO, his shift ends in an hour. There were two more motorbikes and I asked him who owns it so I can ask the favor from them, he said the same thing — leaving us with no choice but to really HIKE up just to buy food.

Diyos ko.

To calm the nerves, we decided to finally get that SWIM - which di naman pwede magtagal kasi we have to walk, este HIKE nga para bumili ng food. So thirty minutes swim ata yun and we prepared for the ultimate hike of our lives.

When I say buwis-buhay, eto na yun. We had to climb/hike the very steep road, na hindi kami pwede magbagal because the sun was setting already and baka abutin kami ng dilim sa daan so we hiked, as fast as we could. Believe me, I felt like I was going to faint already. My thoughts were “This has got to be worth it. The food must be worth it.”

Lo and behold, pati sa food - DISAPPOINTMENT sila. I ordered Crispy Pata, Pork Sinigang and Inihaw na Bangus. WALA NA DAW AVAILABLE. But it was written, well and nice sa menu board nila for the day. Wala bang nagkusa man lang na magbura ng hindi na pala available para naman hindi nakakadisappoint diba? We ended up buying Sinampalukang Manok, Liempo and Fried Bangus since it was all they have. While they were cooking, I asked them again, “Wala ba - in any way, na pwede maghatid samin sa kabilang resort?” I saw three or four services with their name on it, but then they said they have no shuttle or service to bring us to the other resort. “Delikado po kasi” was all the excuse they gave me. EH DELIKADO PALA, BAKIT PA KAYO NAGPAPAPUNTA NG GUESTS DUN????

Believe me, it took all my strength not to cause a scene in their lobby. Believe me when I say I haven’t felt so irritated, disappointed and mad like that before. Grabe sa pagiging lousy ang service nila. NOT ONE APOLOGY WAS GIVEN TO US FOR THE HASSLE. And the lady - Thank God I don’t know her name - she was so disrespectful! Walang kasympathy sympathy, it was like kasalanan namin bakit kami napunta dun at pinagdadaanan namin yun.

To cut the story short, our order was FINALLY served about an hour after. “Baka gabihin na sila” ang sabi pa nung isa. So they really know what danger yung pwedeng mangyari kung gabihin nga kami? So we walked, again. It was a lot easier since pababa, but all the while, I was trying not to think about what would happen if we miss a step and fall down. We were literally, in the middle of nowhere.

We had dinner, and by the time we were finished, we were too tired to take another dip in the pool. Then by 7pm, the family who was in the other room was preparing to leave already. That means we will be alone dun sa baba, wala nang ibang guests. If you’re there, you can imagine how scary the thought was for us. We were planning to leave na rin, but since there were no lights nga dun sa matarik na way pataas, we decided to sleep through the night and leave first thing in the morning.

Ang kasama lang namin dun sa baba ay ang caretaker — na umiinom ng beer at hindi na nahiya, niyaya pa sila Bob at Ryan. Gusto ko nang sumigaw at that time. Caretaker na naglalasing? Just how dangerous can this get??

I wasn’t able to sleep that night. I kept thinking, if something happens to us, walang way to contac the outside world. No cellphone signals, no landline phones. We were literally, in the middle of nowhere. I was so scared that I wasn’t able to appreciate the place. For me, it was the scariest place on earth at that time. I was constantly worried about Nathan and I vowed never to put him in that kind of danger, ever again - in my entire life. I was constanly saying sorry to my Baby, who — thank God was deep asleep during that time. Never again, Baby. Never again will Mommy bring you to a place like this. I’m sorry. That was going on in my mind, paulit ulit.

At 4am, I was able to sleep a bit. Nagising naman ako ng 5am sa lakas ng tunog ng kulog at lakas ng kidlat. We figured we can’t stay there and risk the chance of a heavy rain — baka mag landslide or maging malambot yung lupa, di kakayanin ng sasakyan. So we waited just for the sun to rise, kahit medyo madilim - we were already packing up.

And since di kakayanin ng sasakyan kung lahat kami nakasakay, Joy, Ryan, Bob and I walked, este hiked again.

When we reached the top, all of us safe - dun lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag. God is good kasi di niya pinatuloy yung ulan. Gusto ko na sanang umalis and leave our 1k balance behind kasi sobrang nanghihinayang ako na bayaran pa sila ng 1k for everything we went through, but we decided to pay parin. Ian (who lied na patapos na ang shift niya at uuwi siya), was there to greet us, obvious na kagigising lang.

He said, “Mam, ang aga niyo naman mag check out.”

Believe me, I almost said “Oo, sa pangit ng service niyo at sa lahat ng pinagdaanan namin, dapat lang mag early check out kami.” Instead, I just looked at him and nodded.

I think this is the longest blog I’ve made about a lousy service. Notice that I don’t have any photos coz it was way too disappointing to even bring out my camera and take photos of the place. Mas nagenjoy pa kami on the trip pauwi, dun lang ako nakapagshoot.

Babalik pa ba ako sa Sierra Madre Resort sa Tanay? NO. NEVER AGAIN. The view is nice and heavenly, but it’s not enough. Staff of that resort needs to know how to entertain guests properly. Heck, the resort needs renovation. Wag niyo naman pabayarin ng 2,500 per night ang guests niyo para sa room na ganun kapangit. Please have value on our money. 2,500 din yan — hindi yan maliit na halaga.

Kahit na money is the slightest issue here, yung experience — you can never just shut it off and forget how scared you were for your life. Yun yun e.

The view from Sierra Madre Resort, Tanay. Was it worth everything we went through, the lousy resort service and ugly rooms?

Sige na nga. This was the only consolation.

The Tacsiyapo Wall - also at Isdaan, Tarlac.

It’s throwing your stress (and fifteen pesos) away - literally. Buy a mug for 15 pesos and then throw it to the wall, smash it as hard as you can. Pang-alis stress daw. Hehe! Sabi Tacsyapo means something really nasty daw, I don’t know.

Went to this really awesome floating restaurant in Gerona, Tarlac. It’s a long five-hour drive from our place, but the scenery and ambiance is so worth it.

Will blog about it when I get the chance. :)

Sarap!

Reunion.

Reunion Ulit.

Binyag.

Reunion Padin.

First Wedding Anniversary.

Ahh. What a week. Friends, family, loved ones. Ano pa bang mahihiling mo diba?

Good Job!

Today, for the first time since we became SmartBro subscribers, I actually said “Thank you for a job well done” to a customer service representative named Jay.

Trust me, I’ve had a fair share of not-so-good experiences with Smartbro agents. Andyan yung almost 30 minutes na nakikinig sa nakakainis na background music while waiting for someone to answer, and then get disconnected within the first few minutes of the call. Andyan yung general phrases like, “We’ll forward this to technical support,” “We’ll make a note”, etc. I’ve been through it all.

Dahil naging agent din ako dati, I know how it works naman. We tell you in the nicest way possible how we can’t do anything about it, and when you insist, we find a way to work around it. Hehe.

Anyway, to Jay - I don’t know your last name and I don’t know kung uso ang customer appreciation dito sa Pinas, but thanks for doing a great job on our account. Thanks for acting fast and responding promptly when I told you na I’m using my prepaid sim and may get disconnected anytime. Thanks for doing the initiative to get my cellphone number and just call me after you’ve done the request.

Ganun sana lahat.

Numbers.

I know most married couples don’t celebrate monthsaries anymore. I know some people who DON’T celebrate monthsaries at all. But I like the thought of it. Just so you know, Bob and I are  4 years and 4 months today. :)

I won’t make this long. I’ll save the mushiness for later. 3 days for now we’ll be celebrating our first year WEDDING anniversary. Dun nalang ako babawi. Haha.

I saw this on twitter the other day and I was in tears after watchingit.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhl9MLno424?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0&w=400&h=300]

…people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck,something that maybe will descend upon you like fine weather if you’refortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is theconsequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insistupon it, and sometimes even travel the world looking for it. You haveto participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your ownblessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you mustnever become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort tokeep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on topof it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment. It’seasy enough to pray when you’re in distress but continuing to pray evenwhen your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping yoursoul hold tight to its good attainments.

…people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that maybe will descend upon you like fine weather if you’re fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment. It’s easy enough to pray when you’re in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments.
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray and Love (via quote-book)

If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first,and the house later. I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less.I would do less correcting and more connecting. I’d take my eyes off mywatch, and watch with my eyes. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through morefields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging.

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging and less tugging.
~Diane Loomans, from “If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again”

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decideforever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
 ~Elizabeth Stone

My First Mom's Day

Kahapon, I was greeted by family and friends a “Happy Mother’s Day”. It felt surreal nung una, until it got into me, “Wow, kasali na nga pala ako sa Mother’s Day!” Haha. I looked at Nathan and Bob, who were sleeping soundly beside me and said to myself, “Ano pa bang mahihiling ko?”

We originally planned to go out and eat somewhere, kahit sa malapit na Shakey’s nga lang. Kaso super lakas ng ulan so malabong makaalis. Bob woke up really late na, around 2pm kaya tampo pa ko kunwari. Then he went out to get the funds sent by Camacho for our Mother’s Day celebration, tapos we asked him na rin to take home a KFC bucket kasi di pa kami naglulunch. I know, bad. Late na kasi kami nagbreakfast.

Then when he got home, surprised naman ako na ang dala niya ay take-home food from Max’s. As in all of my favorite orders from that resto, yun yung binili niya. Di siya nagkulang dahil pati caramel bar, naisip niya. Haha! Nakakatuwa lang kasi it was raining hard yesterday and KFC was just beside MLhuiller, kung san siya kukuha ng pera, but still he made an effort to travel all the way to Max’s restaurant which was out of his way na. :)

Tapos I was asking him asan yung cake ko? Sabi niya, nakalimutan daw niya bilhin. Which is, yun pala tinago niya lang sa sala. Haha! May ganung effect pa talaga eh noh.

So that’s how we celebrated my first mother’s day. Although I kept thinking, the occasion isn’t really about eating out or having gifts, it’s something to celebrate the wonders of being a woman — being a mom. I don’t know what God’s thinking nung binigay niya si Nathan and placed him under my care. He must’ve seen something na I’m not able to see right now, but whatever it is, I still thank Him. Nathan is the best gift anyone could ever receive.

Andyan parin yung mga oras na nagdodoubt ako sa sarili ko, sa kakayanan kong maging Ina, but I know in my heart we can get through everything. I have all the love in the world for Nathan and Bob, and that’s enough for me to try and be the best that I could be in this field.

Motherhood is a never-ending learning process, sabi nga nila. Every day, there’s something new to learn, something new to experience. So, we’ll take it step by step. :)