my son’s profile

here’s the profile of my son at 21 weeks yup, it’s a a boy!

my little peanut is growing so fast with each passing day. he’s been punching and kicking mommy since he turned 15 weeks, now he has more fatty buildup under his skin and is looking more like what he will be when he comes out. i can’t wait to see my son in less than 3 months. i pray that the Good Lord keeps us safe all the time.

my baby at 13 weeks

And since…

Yes.. and since, we have decided to push through with the wedding only a year later than expected, I am posting here my wedding shoes that would walk with me to my husband, who would be waiting for me at the altar of The National Shrine of Mt. Carmel in New Manila, QC.

What a Christmas gift from Santa.. eeerr.. from God!

It was, of course, a quiet Christmas morning. Chicago was clothed with a foot or so of snow again. White Christmas, indeed! Hubby woke me up with a kiss; I’m a light sleeper so I opened my eyes instantly. Hubby confessed that he bought EPTs the day before; reasons were obvious. I was telling him, I’m not pregnant but since he bought it, then might as well use it just to confirm. First urine in the morning gives the most accurate result so I went ahead to the bathroom… what happened next would change our lives, our plans, and our future…

I was confounded by the result. It came out positive. I called out hubby’s name to my surprise. We were both shocked with what our eyes were seeing. Yes, we are expecting… we are going to be parents soon. Too soon! We didn’t “expect” it. It just left us perplexed and speechless for a moment. It didn’t sink into our thoughts yet.

Happiness is on its way. I have no symptoms yet. I went to see a doctor for proper prenatal care and medical advice. She said I’m in my early pregnancy, which I believe. I counted it.

I’m a bit nervous, but my husband is so supportive of me. He prepares breakfast and dinner for me and his child - our child. He is just so wonderful that he watches over me when I take naps and runs to me when I would complain of cramps. I could feel he’s nervous and excited at the same time. Although, we didn’t plan it, we thought God planned it for us. My loving husband and my baby are the most precious gifts I’ve ever received on Christmas day.

Thank you, Lord.

Happy 117th!

It’s supposed to be Christmas eve but I guess this is really what it’s supposed to be. I came home early from work. I was too tired, cold, exhausted; so much that as soon as I got home, I fell asleep for 2 hours. My husband was beside me watching me sleep. I woke up with a bad headache timely with the bad weather outside - blizzard on Christmas eve. Okay, that was fun… NOT! Heck, no! Who’s going to be happy on a quiet Christmas eve, when all you see on facebook were happy noche buena photos from family and friends We miss Pinas terribly…

❤ ❤ ❤

when my hubby went on vacation in pinas, internet and bbm were our only way to communicate. i was feeling alone, of course, and one of the sweetest chat threads we had was this.

what could be more heart melting than a message from a hubby who loves you tenderly… 

❤ overstated? yeah! and i’m loving it! ❤

Meet One Of My Maids/Matrons-of-Honor

My beautiful maid/matron-of-honor is celebrating her birthday today!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Mary Rose! Welcome to the 27th Year Club! hahaha!

**pasensya na’t busy ang bekla kaya wala masyado laman ang post LOL! have a blast**

the looks i like

My would-be-veil

I like a simple veil so that my gown will stand out - for focus, that is!

My would-be-hair-do

Isn’t this one so lovely?

Wedding garters and tossing garters  

**credits to the original photographers** 

His Nanay’s and My Mommy’s

Nanay’s dress 

Mommy’s dress   

A Lonesome Heart

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

I am alone; feeling cold in this basement. For the next three weeks, this will be a routine; and I should get used to it. Loneliness was never my friend nor have I ever befriended it. A company or two is just right. Should I really be doleful? I keep telling myself, “You have to be strong. Three weeks will pass without you noticing it”. Is it true? I don’t know. I can’t tell. I have to figure that out. I feel like my soul has been detached from my body – lifeless. Now, I realize why Depression is a common illness in this land; why it has become a disorder, because someone is, without a doubt, solitary.

My conscience told me, “You did a wonderful job! You made a lot of people happy”. Did I really? I guess so. God was very delighted with what I’ve done. It is, for Him, a selfless love. My 3-week sorrow is another group’s joy. I love him undeniably. He is the weirdest person I know. He was in high spirits upon hearing that he can go on vacation to the Philippines. It has been two long years. Then again he felt silently gloomy when he laid his eyes on me. Perhaps, grasping reality that I will be left alone, all by myself, in a new job in Chicago, the largest city in the Midwest. I am neither a poet nor a sonnetist. I am an illustrator, who can’t illustrate. I just can’t contain this melancholy…

21 more days to supreme happiness again. 20 more days in solitude.

Finalmente! Before God Almighty - credits to original photographers

Hear ye! Hear ye! Mark thy calendar! 03.24.2012 is the date we will renew our vows. This time it will be before the Lord!

Checklist:

Wedding Date ✓

Time

Motif ✓

this is the color that I want for my wedding - deep blue sky and baker’s chocolate. My husband wanted Spring green with Brown, though. Hehe!

Partial List of Wedding Entourage ✓

Church ✓        

Immaculate Concepcion Parish, Marikina City. This is where my husband was baptized. **credits to them**

Officiant

Wedding Reception -

Possible venue at the Water Nymph Resort, Concepcion II Marikina City.   

Bridal Gown ✓ 

Veil ✓

Wedding Shoes

Wedding Favors ✓    

I do have a sweet tooth and these are the ones I would like to have for wedding favors.

Wedding Songs ✓

Wedding Invitation and RSVP

Photographer ✓

Videographer

Florist

Baker / Cake   

This is a new cake design…have to change the original because I found out it looked so much like the wedding cake of our college classmate, who got married 2 weeks ago. I compared this one to the original and asked my husband which one is prettier. And, he chose the one in the picture. It is, indeed! My husband still wanted an 11-tiered cake… but we have to talk about it first because a 3-tiered cake already costs P15,000 at the least. ahaha!

Caterer

Weddings Vows

Bridesmais Dresses ✓   

I would like my Bridesmaids to wear this kind of dress.

Veil-Cord-Candles Ladies’ Dresses ✓   

But of course, my ladies who are gonna be the media to bind us one, to clothe us one, and to light our path together would be wearing this kind of dress. Isn’t it gorgeous? Simply beautiful!

Maid of Honor Dress ✓   

I would like my Maid of Honor to wear this dress on my wedding. Notice a different shade of sash on this one - it symbolizes my Maid of Honor’s singlehood. hahaha!

Matron of Honor Dress ✓  

My Matron of Honor, who is my cousin in NJ, will wear a chocolate brown, gathered up skirt gown with a blue sash - symbolizing that she is already married.

Flower Girl Dresses ✓   

The little girls, who are gonna shower the aisle with flowers are gonna wear this dress! Gathered up skirt, it is!

Flower Girl baskets and Pillow for rings ✓   

I like them on a white base.

Groomsmen Suit

Arrhae

Wedding Rings - Same ✓

We would, of course, be wearing the same rings we have on, and they are the ones in these pictures.

Candles

Bible

I will be posting more when I get the time, anyway, we have 1 year and 5 months of preparation

Secrets… NOT!

And so since my pretty friend, Mei, already flattered me with her blog post, I’m posting some of the products I used to have when I was in Pinas.

I grew up a boyish kid. I thought I was a boy just like my brothers and I got confused when I would receive Christmas presents, such as Barbie dolls and stuffed animals dressed in luxurious gowns matched with pearl necklaces and earrings. I didn’t hope for those… I never asked for toys but I would always hope for Lego blocks, Transformer robots, and toy cars that doors and hoods can be opened. My Ghostbusters action figures would be the protagonists and my beheaded Barbie dolls would be the antagonists of my fantasy world. Oh I just miss those days. Anyhow, I grew up simple, my eyebrows all over the place, and didn’t know how to be presentable.

It’s funny how I would get questions from guys like, “Anung sikreto mo bat amputi mo?” or “Anung ina-apply mo sa face mo bat ang kinis?” For the first question, I’d answer, “lahi po namin… thanks to my paternal folks for my skin!” For the second question, I’d say, “di nga?” I was glad that people appreciated how I look, though I didn’t buy those most of the time. I thought to myself, ‘wooh simpleng diskarte pa ‘to..mukha mo huy!’  I simply just didn’t believe them. But now, I’m finally revealing the plain secrets of my closet.

My Facial Wash. As a growing teenager, at first I only used water to clean my face. 100 splashes of water, literally, I count them. It hurt my back though from leaning towards the sink. But water isn’t enough since oil would build up on your face. And, we all learnt from Chemistry class that oil and water does not mix because of 2 reasons: 1) Oil and water have very different dipole moments, and 2) has something to do with buoyancy. So I needed to find something that would wash the oil and dirt away. Consequently, I found Ivory soap bar. I would rinse my face with water, make lather out of the soap, and apply it onto my face in upward circular strokes. Mild soaps won’t hurt your skin. When commercials say, “soap dries your skin,” don’t trust in it right away. They want to make money. It only dries your skin if you wash your face too often, and if you use sulfur-based soaps like Dr. Kauffman and Dr. Wong. Twice is enough. Remember that our skin produces its natural oils because of millions of sebaceous glands in our dermal skin layer, particularly within the reticular region.. They were there for a purpose so it just boils down to that one golden axiom – “Too Much Is Dangerous.”

My Toner. Facial toners keep your pores tiny and invisible; and Pinas has the best toner you could imagine. It’s cheap and readily available. What am I referring to? Nothing else but Calamansi! Since third year high school, the age where teenage girls would be ultimately conscious about themselves, I’ve used calamansi. With a scientific name Citrofortunella microcarpa, calamansi are, for me, the best facial toner ever created by God. I never found anything like it; even lemons never did the trick. I would cut 2 pieces of calamansi fruits into half and extract their juices into a small dish or saucer. Using my fingers, I would gently massage the fruit extract on my face starting from the T zone and moving my fingertips in small upward circular strokes. If you want to try this, expect that it will sting. This can be done at least once a day and make sure that you wash your hands right before application. Results, though, may be seen after 6-8weeks since this is all natural. You have to have enormous patience if you want to try this. This technique is not something I’ve read about but something I personally thought of and tried. It worked for me. A few years later, I saw an interview with a dermatologist on TV. She recommended calamansi but the recommendation came with a warning, “Never expose your skin under the sun because UV rays can cause skin darkening, especially when you use calamansi” Ouch! I thought, “does it, really?” It could be true… ‘ika nga ni Dr. Pepper, “trust me, I’m a doctor…”

My Moisturizer. A thin layer of Petroleum jelly! However, I only used this a few times. I have a combination skin type, so it’s hard for me to find a perfect moisturizer. I need two, a light and a heavy one. Have you ever asked yourselves why some acne treatments come in two solutions – gel and cream? Again, it’s all about chemistry. Gel solutions are best to be used by those, whose skins are oily; and cream solutions are for those, whose skins are so dry. The same principle goes with moisturizers. If you have an oily skin, use a very light oil-free moisturizer and if you have a dry skin, go for a cream-based moisturizer to further rehydrate your skin. Anyway, since mine is a combination of both oily and dry, I use both solution types for a moisturizer. A light one I use during the day; a heavy one I put on at night before I sleep.

There you go! Those were part my then regimen. Hay… if only I could bring back time…

By the way, here are the commercial products I’ve tried:

Pond’s Clear Solutions – THE ONE and THE ONLY Ponds product that my skin ever loved. I was a little reluctant to use products from Ponds because I had a bad experience with them. I was 12 when I tried washing my face with one of their facial cleansers. The following day, I noticed tiny zits on my forehead. I hate hate hate hate it! So it took me awhile to finally give it a shot one more time. I had a change of heart after using Clear solutions!

Nivea Crème – this is my nocturnal moisturizer.

Myra E Facial Moisturizer – this one is my sunup moisturizer.

A Bonne Spa Milk Salt – I started using this in 2005, months before our Oath taking. I dredged up falling in love with its milky scent I wanted to drink it. Haha! It makes your skin so soft and supple; a guy would not stop touching your skin.

Rica’s Deepest Secret – how I love this soap. I don’t know if it’s still out in the market but this one’s a really good buy. I used this to even the skin tone at the back of my shoulders because when I was a PT Intern, I had an acne breakout on my shoulders due to stress from rotation in the clinics. I was not supposed to buy this but it caught my attention – Calamansi. I think it was fairly new then. It was actually a whitening soap as it said on the box. It worked wonders on my shoulders!  Suddenly, I didn’t see the product anymore… I wondered.

I met face powder when I turned 23, when young ladies my age would already be wearing heavy makeup. And yeah, I would say my gorgeous friend was right! Just give me face powder and eyebrow pencil [because I have terrible eyebrows], and I’ll be good to go!

So, there you have it; my plain and simple routine. Remember three things: cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. And, if you wear makeup every day, don’t forget to use a makeup remover to remove those deep seated dirt. Find the ones that suit your skins’ needs! Drink plenty of water and exercise daily! [Sana narinig ko sarili ko LOLs]

Q’s

I caught my hubby…

It’s no doubt that my husband’s really missing Pinas hahaha!

I caught him singing…

Manila

I keep coming back to Manila

Simply no place like Manila

Manila, I’m coming home…

Rainbow

24 of July 2010. I did not quite get a good sleep last night because of two reasons. One, it was pouring so hard that you could hear the wind blowing against the glass windows, with all the lightning and the loud thunder. And two, I was too uneasy knowing that when I wake up the next morning, I’ll be taking the road test.

It’s been raining since yesterday afternoon but the temperature is still as hot as the summer heat. Actually, it is still summer. The State of IL has four seasons; and it’s just about a month since it officially turned summer. Unlike in Pinas, where summer means scant of rain; it’s totally different here. Summer means hot weather, regardless of whether it rains or not. Anyway, during the summer season, there are high chances of tornado formation. The people are more on the ball because some tornadoes may come without a warning… Or if it does, it’s already too late. So, this kind of weather really shouldn’t be underestimated.

I woke up at 6:30 am. It was still pouring outside. I turned the TV on and switched to TFC. That’s our morning indulgence. Wowowee. Oh crap! I thought to myself… I was expecting that Showtime is already on at this hour. Well, I thought maybe Wowowee extended their hour of showing and there’s nothing I could do but wait for that it to end. I glanced at the wall clock from time to time; glanced at the light coming in from the window and started thinking again. Why has the sun not come out yet? If Showtime starts at 6:20 am, Wowowee has extended from it’s usual time slot, and the clock’s moving, then why is it still dark outside? I know it’s raining but… Holy crap!!! I was wrong! I thought I woke up at 6:30am, but NO… I woke up an hour earlier! what was wrong with my eyes?! Aaarrghhh! Now I can’t go back to sleep! I’ve wasted my time then watching that super lame show…

And so it was 6:30am..the real one, that is. Made coffee for hubby and me, then took a nice warm bath. My husband was so anxious that we won’t get at DMV office on time. He’s always like that! When it involves me, he’s always anxious and he stresses me out! Haha! I said, “Please!!! It’s only 7:30, DMV won’t open until 8am, pano tayo male-late?!!” And oh yeah, I was right. 8am DMV opens, people gathered inside and were already forming lines.

And so my name was called. I had a lady rater. Her name’s Anna. She’s pretty and it seemed to me that she’s of Mexican-African descent. She spoke Spanish. We went out and walked to the car. She checked my signal lights, headlights, and break lights. I fixed my seat, rear view mirror, and side mirrors. She asked me to back up and start running. It was still sprinkling that morning. The wind was a bit cold. My hands are also a bit shaky. I was nervous, who wouldn’t? Speed limits are way different here. She asked me to turn right at the first traffic light. The road I turned to was having some repairs. The rater instructed me to change lanes because we were coming into a one lane roadway. I checked my left blind spot and there was a car. I signaled left and good thing the car slowed down for me. I quickly changed lanes so he won’t fall short. I panicked for a second there because I was running 35mph. I went on and saw a 30mph sign ahead. Woah! That quick! I had to ease up on the gas pedal to slow down, 5mph less. She then instructed me to turn right at the next corner; asked me to park at the road side going uphill; stopped at 4 stop signs; turned left and went on, speed limits changing at an instant; drove down a school zone at 20mph speed that felt like driving a funeral car; after the school zone, I speeded up again following the sign boards to 25mph -> 30mph. And there I encountered an uphill roadway again. My car slowed down! And Anna said, “you have to keep up to the speed limit”. I should be running 30 but when I checked my speedometer, lo and behold I was at 25mph! Oh shoot! Press on the gas, stupid! Argh! So I kept driving… I was asked to turn left at the alley after a church, stop after the walkway, then back up and drive straight past another stop sign. I stopped at the next stop sign, went on again, turned right and voila! The sign said 40mph. Then she asked me to turn right at the next traffic light. I stopped the car on a red light; checked my mirrors and saw a build up of 4 or 5 cars behind me. And then Anna said I can proceed right when it’s safe. The speed limit was 5mph faster on the next highway. Woooh! I was lucky to be driving on a wet road because very few cars were passing. I was asked to turn right on the next traffic light and we’re back at the DMV office. I was still shaking. I parked the car a few feet from the front of the building. Anna said, “You did wonderful!” I replied, “I don’t know… I just… Oh.. I don’t really know…” I didn’t know what to say… I had a feeling that I wouldn’t make it. But Anna was smiling at me; a very beautiful smile, as beautiful as her face. “You passed!” I was astonished! The only word that came out of my mouth was, “Seriously?!!!” “Yeah! You were able to keep up to the speed limit and that’s what’s important” With ice cold trembling hands, I shook her hand; I was grateful! We got out of the car and was still talking. I saw my husband in front of the DMV office, patiently waiting for me. He was looking at us as we approached the entrance door. He was thinking that I failed just as he did the first time he took the driving exam. But he heard the majic words from Anna, “Let’s go inside so they can take a photo of you…”

Well, as the goes, there’s a rainbow always after the rain….

Thank you, Lord…

Dear God,

As I celebrate another year on earth, I thank You. I thank you, Lord Almighty, for giving me strength each day. For every year that I have lived, there are so many things I am grateful for.

And they were when…

27 years ago, You let me breathe and cry.

26 years ago, You gave me my teeth to eat.

25 years ago, You gave me hand dominance to express my thougts.

24 years ago, You gave me a baby brother.

23 years ago, You gave me books to read.

22 years ago, You gave me a second home in Kindergarten.

21 years ago, You gave me a pencil to write.

20 years ago, You gave me another baby brother.

19 years ago, You gave me my favorite teacher.

18 years ago, You gave me my first best friend.

17 years ago, You gave me sensitivity to the feelings of others.

16 years ago, You gave me a taste of teenagehood.

15 years ago, You gave me my first graduation diploma.

14 years ago, You gave me my first scholarship.

13 years ago, You gave me my current best friend.

12 years ago, You gave me my first school play.

11 years ago, You gave me the best about high school life.

10 years ago, You gave me new faces to meet.

9 years ago, You gave me the other half of my heart.

8 years ago, You gave me a chance to experience what was in the PT proper.

7 years ago, You gave me the limelight, I know, most of them envy.

6 years ago, You gave me the appreciation of what I was about to become.

5 years ago, You gave me the privilege of being a professional.

4 years ago, You gave me hope of fulfilling the cliched American dream.

3 years ago, You gave me my first earning job.

2 years ago, You gave me a reason to keep fighting.

1 year ago, You gave me Heyprettymei, Dheyhanira, Kissylove, and BhebheQ, the epitome of extraordinary friendship.

And now, You gave me just about everyting my heart desires. I could never thank you enough, dear God.

I’m grateful for your unconditonal love.

Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Happy Tatay’s Day!

To my father, whom I got all these wonderful talents from, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

I love you, dad!

Arts 101: Needlework

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve embraced Arts like my own; I’d say the subject, Art, was one of my favorites. When I mean Arts, I mean handcrafts, drawing, painting, photography, needlework, and theatre. I can’t say that I’m artistic because I admit, I’m not. But I’d say I have an affinity to arts and crafts.

Lately, to get myself free from stress due to some issues at work, I started crocheting again after 15 years. It’s a nice feeling to be working with Single Crochet, Double Crochet, Treble Crochet, Picot, etc.. once more. I learned this needlework back in Sixth grade. I was not a big fan but I thought it’ll be fun to know how to do it. Right now, I’m into making glass cozies. Here’s what it looks like so far…

On the side, I also knit but I think I need more passion for it so I could finish one project. Cross stitching, on the other hand, is very aristocratic. I like it although it’s a bit expensive.

My husband and I were taking a stroll at Walmart when I passed by the school supplies alley. And boy, I went crazy! This is what I really like about the US — you can find anything and almost everything being sold in stores. Everything that a lazy person would look for is in the market. Very convenient!

Follow my next posts on:

Arts 201: Theatre

Arts 301: Photography

Arts 401: Drawing and Painting

na-LSS talaga ko…

click it

What is on your bed right now?
pillows

When was the last time you threw up?
can’t remember

What’s your favorite word or phrase?
there are three: Taray!, Sosyal!, ______ ka teh?!

Name 3 people who made you smile today?
my hubby, ate dith, and lana

What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
having breakfast

What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
went for a walk at the forest preserve with my hubby

What is your favorite holiday?
new year

Have you ever been to another country?
yes

What is the last thing you said aloud?
Hahaha!

What is the best ice cream flavor?
Baskin Robbins’ Jamoca Almond Fudge

What was the last thing you had to drink?
tubig

What are you wearing right now?
a pair of jogging pants, long sleeved shirt, 2 pairs of earrings, rings, undies hehehe

What was the last thing you ate?
trail mix

Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
nope

When was the last time you ran?
yesterday

What’s the last sporting event you watched?
NBA

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
New Zealand

Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on myspace?
don’t have a myspace account anymore

Ever go camping?
nope

Do you have a tan?
nope, and i don’t wish for one

Have you ever lost anything down a toilet?
nope, buti naman….

What is your guilty pleasure?
chocolates

Do you use smiley faces on the computer alot?
a little bit

Do you drink your soda from a straw?
yeah

What did your last text message say?
“sorry i missed your call”

Are you someone’s best friend?
Yes

What are you doing tomorrow?
uuuuhhhh, work..

Where is your mom right now?
sa pinas

Look to your left, what do you see?
a coin counter

What color is your watch?
mint green

What do you think of when you think of Australia?
uuuhhhh… kangaroos???

Ever ridden on a roller coaster?
sure!!! super fun!

What is your birthstone?
some say Pearl, others say Ruby…

Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive tthru?
go in..

Do you have any friends on myspace that you actually hate?
i don’t have myspace nga e…

Do you have a dog?
yup

Last person you talked to on the phone?
my cousin

Any plans today?
plan ko matulog ng maaga

Are you happy?
of course!!!!

Where are you right now?
in our room

Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
work!!!

Last song listened to?
Bathroom Dance by Gagang Lady hahaha!!!! kwela talaga!

Last movie you saw?
Miss You Like Crazy hehe

Are you allergic to anything?
dust and yosi smoke

Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
my nike free cross-trainers

Are you jealous of anyone?
no

Are you married?
Blissfully married! <3 <3 <3

Is anyone jealous of you?
I think so… LOL!!!

Do any of your friends have children?
yep! my best friend has one

Do you eat healthy?
no…

What do you usually do during the day?
work on weekdays..

Do you hate anyone right now?
so far.. no

Do you use the word ‘hello’ daily?
a little bit

How many kids do you want when you’re older?
Four

How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
Twenty Seventeen hahaha!

Have you ever been to Six Flags?
waaaaahhh!!! hopefully this summer! yipeeeee!!!

How did u get one of your scars?
i scratched it..too bad it takes months for me before they fade away..

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