itchy palms

when the daddy is at work.... the mommy gets to play!


no matter how exhausting it is lug around a stroller and a 5 month old baby, it was still worth it just to get my shop on :)

the damage for today's therapy session? $300
the good it did for this certain mommy's disposition? PRICELESS

little man = little mack

At an appointment yesterday for a quick check on his week-old cough, the little man was highly praised by an overzealous receptionist and our uber nice family doctor.

Cough and phlegm be damned, he wooed the ladies with his toothless grins and heart-melting smiles as they lavished him with much attention.

My son just got labelled a "FLIRT", thank you very much.

And this is one very proud momma right here.

tickled pink

I have a new best friend. One I intend to cherish for the next few years. (Sorry Wenny, you have been temporarily replaced on this end of the pedestal... give it a few weeks to wear off!)

Meet Koshi, my new Toshiba Satellite A350-02T

Thanks to the hubby and baby for indulging me on this very early birthday present.

best day of your life

For the hubby's birthday back in '07, I hosted a dinner party for him and a slew of our friends and relatives. On top of this, I scored some Canucks tickets from work, purchased the Rock Band as a present and not to mention that for Christmas (his birthday falls four days after said event), he received a PS3 from me.

We've always had the conversation that this was the best day of his life. He received everything he has ever wanted and nothing can top it... ever.

Fast forward to today, Father's Day.

We were in the car on the way home and I asked the hubby if today would top his most favourite day of all. After thirty seconds of non-reply, he looked at me through the rear view mirror and said...

"No... nothing will beat January 30"

I looked out the window and smiled when the knowledge hit me that his son's birth has taken precedence as the 'Best Day of His Life'.

this one is for the men...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to two generations of men in my life...

The hubby, who is celebrating his very first of many Father's Day. Words are superfluous when it comes to describing how much both Dylan and I love you. You are everything to us.

And to my papa, who is the epitome of the perfect father... no amount of love is greater than that of a father to his children. I will always love you from the bottom of my heart.

From our house to yours.... a Happy Father's Day to those celebrating this special occassion!!!

BBQ Season

There's something about the smell of BBQ that gets me drooling.

I just love BBQ's! The grill, the tents, the tables... it's the whole atmosphere of it! If only my little man was born in the summer time, I would be hosting a Birthday Fiesta for him complete with pinata's, picnic blankets, Mexican hats and roast pig!

Hmmmm ---- maybe we can schedule Baby #2 as a summer baby?

Now that's a thought!

longa --- what?!?

LONGANISA
A filipino sausage. Made of pork. It's red and sweet and chubby looking.

The better comparison --- it looks like my little man's feet.

Hence, LONGANISA FEET.

Welcome to my new blog!

white christmas

1998 was the last year vancouver had a white christmas.  it is a beautiful site to behold when you look out at christmas morn and you see nothing but white outside.  i've always been very thankful that my parents have decided to uproot us to canada or we never would've had the chance to experience so many other aspects of life that needless to say, we never would have come across if we stayed in manila.

as i sit with a mug of hot chocolate looking out my parents window at the white scene in front of me and the silver and gold of the tree ornaments glittering in the corner of my eye, i ponder the life i would've led if we called manila home still. 

would i be married now?  on the family way?  working a secured job?  happy with my life?  would i have two dogs and two cars?  would i have the great friends i have today?  then i realize, that Christmas is not a time for pondering these things but a time to be thankful for all that i have. 

and i have so much to be thankful for.  so much more than i can even possibly think of.

so i bow my head and closed my eyes in a silent prayer of thanks to Him who has blessed me with so much.

and on a side note...

Wishing all of you and your families the Merriest of Christmas

quack, quack

i have just entered my 34th week of pregnancy today and i am suddenly feeling overly huge and heavy.  the baby is now taking it's toll on me as i am constantly feeling the aches and pains that mommyhood is bringing forth.  seriously, i do not mind the huge and heavy part.   what i do mind is the part where i am now, thanks to a dropping baby, waddling like a duck.

my apologies for those reading this who thinks that i am giving too much info but my lower groin feels like it's being stretched slowly.  my pelvic area is sore and everytime i get up to walk, i have this constant need to take both my hands and put it under my tummy to support a baby who feels like he's going to fall out anytime soon.

i am on a constant decline now.  i just hope i don't start making the "quack, quack" sounds as i walk the hallways here at work.

all over again

i have always been an avid blogger but found myself wavering after the novelty of starting a blog wears off.  i was a xanga alumni for three years when my loyalty faltered, curiosity took over and i switched to a different blog (which, i have to say, i am seriously dissappointed with).

nontheless, i am back and willing to give this a third (or is a fourth?) time and hopefully, this time around, i am able to pursue my love of writing without having any time constraints or the dash of laziness attack me.

so here i go again, starting anew.  wish me luck!

the lazy baby

another ultrasound was done yesterday at 9:45am to check on the progress baby shrimp has been making. normally, an ultrasound can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes to take the baby's measurements, check the heart rate and see the developments. ours took 45 minutes.

why, you ask? because i have one stubborn and lazy kid floating about me.

even after massive amounts of prodding, poking and shaking my tummy, baby shrimp would not move his hands in order for us to see certain portions of his growth and nor will he move his legs (spread eagle, please...) for us to confirm what we've always known. the tech tried coaxing him to "move please" and even though she tried shaking my tummy more than enough times, he still was cocooned in there probably snoring away.

WHAT A LAZY BABY. and i have to sadly admit, that he takes after his mommy too well.

the good news though? that as of yesterday, he weights 2 lbs and 15 oz. and an even better news? is that he definitely is a HE!!!

got 11 more weeks to go!

counting down

as of today, i am 26 weeks and 2 days pregnant leaving me with 96 more days until i meet the little shrimp.

in short, that's...

13 weeks and 6 days or;
2,304 hours or;
138,240 minutes or;
497,664,000 seconds

time just stood still all of a sudden.

update

it was quite the thanksgiving when the hubby finally felt baby shrimp's uber powerful kicks. we were lying in bed half asleep when i had him put his hand between my belly and the bed and there goes two kicks that had him yelping and opening his eyes in shock.

and when i say kick, i mean REALLY KICK. shrimp's been active since last saturday and it felt like he hasn't stopped since. but don't worry. i'm not complaining.

on the bright side, i was at the doctor's yesterday when she hooked me up on her ultrasound machine and there was shrimp opening and closing his mouth. what a sight to behold. i was so in awe of seeing him move his mouth... and to think he's only 24 weeks old!!! i really can't wait until he is out!

here's the pics from the doc yesterday... sorry it's not too bright but it's the only thing i have.

24 weeks old
october 14, 2008

better this, than none at all.

i have a certain love affair with a sultry, sexy dark fellow that piques my senses every chance i get to have him.

it has been months since i've tasted the likes of him... countless weeks since i've felt the overwhelming sensations of having him that thoughts of him constantly overtake me.

last weekend, the husband finally agreed that my love affair can continue on with his knowledge... better than having me tell lies to his face.

there was a condition though.

just one tiny bit of condition that i agreed with.

i have to take him Decaf.

mommy, i'm here!!!

hello my little love,

yesterday was quite a milestone for us, wasn't it? you just turned 21 weeks and four days and i was sitting in front of the tv when i started to feel the tugs and jerks in my tummy. i dismissed it, of course, thinking that mommy needed to make a bathroom run a little later but you were insistent and wanted mommy to know you're really in there.

so you kept at it. until i finally realized that those were no longer the air bubbles i used to feel but actual tugs and most probably kicks that you were throwing my way. and boy, can you kick. you were constantly moving in there for thirty minutes... yes, i timed you.

i told daddy you were kicking and him wanting to be a part of it, placed his hand on my tummy to try to feel you. but i think right now, this is just between you and me as he cannot feel your tiny movements as of yet.

and here i am, sitting at work trying to do my job and you seem wide awake again. i can feel the tug in there every few minutes or so and i can't seem to concentrate now after the ruckus you're causing in there.

i can't wait to see you, love. but you better stay there for as long as you can.

love,
mommy

the terror of it all

imagine walking into your physician's office and requesting to hear your baby's heartbeat.

she let's you lie down on the hard surface of the examining table, lifts your dress, covers your bottom half and proceeds to pour cold jelly on you.

then she spends the next five minutes poking your belly and all you hear coming out of this device is static.

after some panic moments, she lets you up and says "i think i heard the baby's heartbeat".

___________________________

like, SHIT.

can you get any more clearer than that?

luckily, my OB GYN was super nice and let me come in today to do a quick check.

baby shrimp is doing fine and well... floating about doing some acrobatics in there.

THANK GOD.

all pooped out

i never realized how exhausting baby shopping can be. we hit the road on saturday with the specific purpose of purchasing some new items for me due to my ever-growing belly. by the time we hit my all time favourite one stop shop, Ross, i suddenly found myself pawing through baby clothes, socks, hats, toys, towels and whatever else i could get my hands on!

a solid hour and a half was spent at the store purchasing some goodies for my little boy and when the bill came, kady had to seriously gasp because:

a.) i only spent $12 on myself
b.) i did not purchase any shoes
c.) he spent more money at the end of the day than i did!

i do have to say that the variety of baby clothes we purchased is enough to stock the baby up for a little while :)

on the other hand, today (sunday) came along and i woke up wanting to hit tulalip this time around. i asked kady if we could go and he figured that since this is the first time we've splurged on shopping for a LONG time, that he will definitely be taking me.

so off we go to the outlet stores where he made me promise to buy myself a little something... or more. least to say, nothing came out of hitting the stores as i never did purchase anything from there. we dropped by at walmart where i was able to pick up a few more baby clothes and finally, made a quick stop at another Ross location where i was finally able to pick up some shoes and a few dresses for me... plus more baby clothes!

i think i'm done shopping for the next few months as i never want to see another shop again.

elation

it was the most profound of feelings when the doctor last friday announced to kady and i that we are having a BABY BOY.

a girl would have been just as great a news... but both our prayers have been answered this time around and we were granted the boy that we both wanted as a first child.

along with the great news came the first time that we heard the baby's heartbeat. to hear it, to actually hear another human's heartbeat in me sent a wave of emotions that i myself cannot even describe. it still feels so surreal and yet i know that in four short months, i will be giving birth to a child who i am madly in love with now. what more when i see him?

*thank you Lord, for granting us with the greatest gift..*

gurgle gurgle

i'm sitting quietly in the car on the drive to work this morning when i felt my stomach grumble. it happens for a few seconds then stops. five minutes later, it happens again and stops. i think maybe i'm hungry but i already ate breakfast. i close my eyes to focus on the feeling which on cue, started up again.

is that you baby shrimp??? i'm sure this mommy doesn't need to pass gas as i am not feeling the urge.

the gurgling comes again and a little smile passes my lips. you must be awake in there then and moving about. or maybe my skirt is too tight that it's squeezing you??? i hope not. mommy promises to change at lunchtime today.

i lean back in my seat to get comfortable and the happy little gurgling in my tummy proceeds again... this time, a little longer. i know you're trying to get attention now and i place my hand on my lower tummy, where you were lying the last time and give a little rub and think 'i cannot wait to meet you, little one'.

the happy little gurgling continues, seemingly in reply to my thoughts...

our journey

it was an uphill fight when the hubby and i first decided that a baby would solidify our marriage into a real family. a year and a half of trying left us feeling lost and confused as to why, after all this time, there was no little seed taking root in my womb. it was the most trying of times when we finally decided to one day see a doctor to see if we can prepare ourselves for a variety of tests that would hopefully shed some light into our condition.

we were within our first year or marriage when the calling for a small bundle came. i envied the women with the swollen tummies filled with promises of tomorrow. i found myself strolling through every baby section at the shops while daydreaming of the things i will someday provide my child. yet here i am, feeling barren... void... empty, because no matter how hard we tried, the promises of a bouncing, smiley little baby was seemingly getting further and further away.

the doctor we saw suggested that we "really try" to get pregnant for a year before we undergo any processes & procedures. it gave us a bit of hope when he mentioned that no one is declared "infertile" unless everything natural that can be done to get pregnant has been tried. no, i didn't bother counting days (how could i when i was irregular?), no ovulation kits were bought and no temparature taking was done. i think throughout his talk, it still hasn't sunk into us that we really have to try.

do not get me wrong, as much as we both wanted to have a child, it was something that we both knew was going to happen if it was meant to be. if it wasn't, there was always other options for us and we knew it was not going to end our marriage nor would it be the end of the world. we trusted enough in the friendship and love we share to know that these kinds of trials and tribulations in a marriage is sometimes faced and that we would surpass it all.

towards the end of last year, the baby thoughts was becoming a distant memory. we had planned to give up with the trying and just get on with the living. yes, we still wanted a child, but it wouldn't help either of us if we focused energy and time on something that would come on his or her own time. our time together became a priority. family, friends, our dogs, our jobs... those took precedence in this routine we like to call our life. by the end of the year, both kady and i were in the midst of new positions that that the thought of having a baby then would only halt the progress we were both making in our careers.

2008 rolled in and the baby, by this time, was fast becoming a dull shadow in our lives. the craving for a child no longer left me with that void. there were other things to take care of, other things to do, and so many dreams were starting to form in our heads that did not include a stroller, a car seat and a portable crib.

towards the end of May, we headed to Las Vegas for a much-needed vacation. we went trotting in Sin City for 6 days of not-so-relaxing sight seeing of the famed strip. there was little time to rest, enjoy our time together and the 'romping' sessions was reduced to a one-time-thing as we tend to hit the bed for one main reason... sleep.

we came back from vacation feeling re-energized (supposedly) and ready to hit the work scene again. a few weeks later, i was on a constant whine & complaint session with a co-worker about how exhausted i was, about these stupid little cramps i seem to get, and about how i never got my period and it's been god knows how long. after almost 2.5 months of trying to convince me to take a pregnancy test short of dragging me to the drugstore herself to buy me a test, i finally had the gutts to pee on a stick.

and it turned positive. and i didn't believe it.

and i went to the doctor. and i still didn't believe it.

then i went to another doctor. and it finally hit me.

WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A BABY.

it was so surreal. the baby was no longer part of our plans... for the long term, yes. but not for the short term. we wanted to go on a few more vacations, pay off some of our debts, be able to afford a little security and now, greece and rome is out the window. a $700 car has been scratched off the list and we are down to saving the last penny we can in preparation for next year's bundle.

but no regret ever entered my head. it was absolute joy in the purest of forms that overtook me and had me tearing up when it finally fully sank in that we are going to be parents.

i believe that baby's come on their own time.... not according to your plans, to your will, to your wishes and to your demands. i also had to learn to accept what is to be and what isn't. above all, i learned that patience really is a virtue... one that is now fully embedded in me.

and with those things i learned came the greatest of rewards. because now, no matter which way i look at it, i am one of those women i used to envy... with swollen bellies filled with promises of tomorrow.

my tomorrow finally came.