Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010...

2009.. a year that was.. a year full of extreme emotions and realizations..

Yes, it is indeed a year that was. Another set of chapters in our lives that we can't go back to and change. It is something that we now just have to cherish and be thankful for.

Honestly, this year has been a roller coaster ride for me in terms of my emotions. It actually brought me a lot of tears and pain, and it is just one but HUGE incident. Losing our 'Angel' really made me brokenhearted and devastated. At some point, I felt that this is the end of all... That I don't want to go through life after that happened. I even have fears of getting pregnant again (more of trauma) until now. It was really the 'darkest hours' of my life. The first few weeks were agonizing. I don't want to see and talk to someone else besides Mon and my Nanay. It took me a while to be ready to talk to my closest friends about it. I guess I don't want them to see that I am too fragile and vulnerable that time.

But despite of isolating myself to them, I was still really blessed that God gave me a circle of very supportive family and friends. They understood what I have been going through and gave me the space I need. Though there were a few times that I felt some friends were a bit insensitive (imho), I know it is unintentional and they just want to share what good new (life is not just about me just because that painful thing happened of course). Also, I think it is just God lending His hand for me to get over this pain and bitterness inside me -- fast. Don't get me wrong or magtampo of some sort, I just want to share what I felt during those times and I completely understand it. I still am and forever thankful for all the help. :)

Amidst this traumatic experience, Mon never left my side. He was also in pain (and cried numerous times too) but he endured and absorbed everything just for me. He's my shield, my protector, my sanity. I'm super glad that it made our relationship more rock solid.

Oh well, for the other good ones, 2009 made me feel rich and abundant. I am so rich with love from family and friends, rich with experiences that has made me a better person (I think). I felt abundant because I have provided more to my family in 2009 than the years before (not just monetary but emotional support as well). I have never felt more attached to my family than before. :)

It's also a good year for me work-wise because even though the global economy is weak, I didn't lose my job nor we had pay cuts. Our company really did their best to give those things despite the slump.

Some more realizations:

- Life is short, time is gold. Those are cliches but is so darn true. Life has to be maximized to the fullest, else regrets come after.

- No man is an island. Life is great with your families and friends by your side. Changes in life is inevitable but NEVER, EVER abandon your family/friends because of that change. In the end, it's them who will pull you up in times of trouble.

- Save money for the future but never forget the present. The NOW has to be enjoyed also. Mahirap naman na marami ngang pera, hindi naman magawa ang mga gustong gawin kasi physically weak na.

- It is fun and refreshing to reminisce and look back on the old times. Makes you appreciate the people in your inner circle more. Makes you very thankful to God for giving you those people.

- Prayers really do wonders especially when it is done together. :)

2010.. a year to look forward to.. a year to make a positive difference.. a year of more love in our hearts..

Let's keep and treasure the good things in 2009 and throw away the bad ones. This year, I am hoping and praying that this will be the year of more love, happiness and satisfaction in life and better relationship with people. Hard as it may seem, our lives must focus more on appreciation and positivity. Help some more. Smile some more. Laugh some more. Hug some more. Respect some more. :)

Happy new year everyone! Hope this year will be great for all of us! Cheers!

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Funny Funny...

Just one of the mababaw but fun(ny) times with Mon...

While watching the tongue twister segment of Banana Split, I asked Mon to repeat this "Ang relo ni Leroy ay Rolex". He said it right twice but the third time made me laugh -- "Ang relo ni Leroy ay Rolek.. Ang..." Hahaha.. I told him, fake ang relo nya! Rolek! Hahaha.. Nagsa-'Starbuck' din kaya si Leroy pag kulang na lang mag-'collap' sya sa pagod or gusto nyang mag-'relak'? LOL!

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On Laundry and Pails...

I don't know if it's one sign of OC-ness or what. :p I'm a laundry addict. I always have to make sure that the laundry basket is empty. As in if I notice that it's half-full, I HAVE TO DO THE LAUNDRY. And.. And whenever I do our laundry, I want to finish it all in one go (of course with the color, type sorting and all hehe).

There were unavoidable circumstances where I have no choice but to leave something in the basket. The feeling is really weird! As in, it sorts of irritate me and the image of the laundry basket having some clothes i stucked in my head. Praning! hahahaha..

There's one more thing that makes me think if I am more OC than I think I am. It's with the pail (balde). This one is the opposite. I don't want it to be empty, as in dapat full naman sya. I can't really explain the feeling.

Thinking about it, maybe I just want to make sure we have plenty of clean clothes to wear and that doing it in one go really saves me weekends for myself and Mon (tipong relax relax lang). For the water in the pail, this one is tricky. I dunno. Maybe the reason I want it to be always full kasi for me a container full of water is a sign of abundance?!

Ah ewan.. Basta I feel like a weirdo. Hahaha.. But on second thought, I think everyone of us has some weirdness in our systems. :p Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillll.. hehehe...

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Avatar in 3D

Watched it... Loved it! To the bones... haha..

James Cameron is a genius and he did a great job for writing and directing this film. A very wonderful comeback after a long time (FYI: Titanic was the last movie he directed). I'm pretty sure this movie will reap awards. Oh, and I read somewhere that there will be two more sequels for this film. I can't wait!

Read more of my sort-of mini-review here.

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3rd Year Anniv Celebration: Part 2, The Quincy

(WARNING: Truckloads of images ahead..)

LONG OVERDUE POST: Yes, we did 'spend' for our anniversary this time. The first two years is just the simple, dinner out and watch movie then head home.

We booked the Quincy hotel, the first week November. As new PRs, we got lucky as they have a promo. Booking for Singaporeans and PRs are on a discounted rate. :)

When we arrived, the front desk officer is a Filipina. And as always, is so accomodating and friendly. We were escorted to our room and to our suprise, it is accompanied by a bottle of red wine for us to enjoy.


We then explored the small but super nice room. I love love the king size bed esp its sheets and pillows. I bet the thread count is more than 350. :p


The toilet has a big tub and a chic sink. This makes it soo fab and comfortable, you may want to just stay there. :p The mini bar is consumable! Which made is extra nice. hehehe..


and oh, their toiletries is Molton Brown. Eyelovett! :p


I got a bit tired of taking pics of the room so the vain in me kicked in. One shot lang.


We went at the cafe to eat lunch. And what do you know, it's Modesto's. Niiiiiiiiiiiceee!. I blogged about loving Modesto's here.

Caesar Salad, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Seafood Fried Rice

Since this hotel is nearby the Paragon Mall, we decided to roam around. Orchard is known for its catchy decors during Christmas season. And good thing APEC Summit is held in Singapore that's why, they decorated earlier especially that there's a competition for the best decorated mall. :)

Paragon's theme is masquerade. Colors of red, purple, silver, gold and blue is seen all over the mall. In the middle, they showcased these 4 trees with other themes. Really nice. Maybe if I decide to change my theme next year, I can 'copy' one of these. hehehe..


Tired of walking, we went back to the hotel. It was also time for dinner. :D We had these sumptuous meal.

Carbonarra, Striploin Steak and the 'Embutido' Cake (forgot what it's called)

After dinner, Weng, Cel and Neil arrived. We just stayed at the hotel. Had some kwentuhan, photo ops, dessert. We also did movie watch hop (yeah, browsing through movies that Neil has in his vosonic as we really don't have an idea which movie we want to watch).. Then we just got back to the usual photo ops and kwentuhan. We then decided to drop by the pool area and gym. But so lucky of us! The pool area is under renovation!


The next day, I sneaked and prepared my surprise for Mon. It's all about him.. what he loves. I am in a hurry to prepare for I know Mon will be waking in a while. And he did! So caught up, I didn't have the chance to take pics. I'll take some pics of the items I prepared one of these days.

And guess what, all we did here is relax, eat, eat and eat! hahaha.. We had these for breakfast. Didn't get a chance to take a pic on what we ate for breakfast. But it is a buffet of fried rice, bacon, eggs, salad, hashbrowns, curry beef, congee, toasts, coffee and fruit juices. As usual, yum! :p

Got back on our room and just watched some movies. Then took lunch at around 130pm. Here is our ultra-spicy lunch:


We then headed back to orchard road and met up with Weng at the ION. Went to the shops for some window shopping. Uhhhmm, not exactly because when we went to Uniqlo, Weng and I both have a shopping bag with us. :p


We were dead tired so we went back to the hotel at around 530pm. We slept for about 1.5hrs then went again to the cafe for our dinner. Mon really loved the striploin steak so he ordered it again. I opted for a different one, grilled salmon. :) Dessert is the super-sour lime sorbet. See our faces when we ate the dessert. hehe..


After dinner, we went out again for our orchard road escapade. :) Mon was hoping that we can go as far as Plaza Singapura but I am really tired already from the afternoon lakwatsa so we opted to just roam around Tangs, Wheelock, Isetan, Lucky Plaza, Takasimaya, Wisma and ION.

Final day of stay at the Quincy, we had these for breakfast. :)


We enjoyed our stay at the quincy a lot. We're definitely coming back! :p

Btw, see Mon's short version...

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A Greeting for All of You..

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Little Big Boy

I just love seeing Mon playing with his toys esp the hybrid optimus prime that I gave him. Parang bata.. hehehe..

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Busy Christmas Season

I think I'm done with the Christmas shopping. I probably am excited already as I stayed late to wrap most gifts. See the pics here.. :p

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Today...

I cried again...

It's been a while but it's..

still painful..

still heartbreaking..

Mon and I were at the bus on our way home when it hit me again. Tears started to fall and I can't stop it. It felt like the time that dreadful thing happened.

God please help me heal faster..

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Swamped...

Yes.. December must be a wonderful time of the year to celebrate and just relax. But I can't! :p Unforeseen requirement changes (or should I say expected?) and email exchanges here and there dragged the schedule that made the start of the busiest month to December.

I have been with my company for 3 Decembers now, and I noticed that we pretty much start to get busy during December. Haayyysss...

It will really be fun to spend Decembers just thinking of gifts and celebrations with family/friends. Haaaaayyyys again.. I so yearn for a stress-free December come 2010.

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3rd Year Anniv Celebration: Part 1

(This is the first out of four parts of our anniv celeb series :p)

Since I have to work on the 19th, we decided to just celebrate at home. As I approach our unit, I was mesmerized by the mouth-watering scent. Mon cooked something for me! :) But little did he know that I dropped by the near grocery store on my way home to cook something for him! :p

We had these on our actual anniversary...

Cereal Prawn (by Me)

Sinigang na Ribs (by Mon)

:)

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I had a Free Starbucks Drink!

Yey! So glad that we have a Starbucks nearby our office. We got a free tall drink of our choice! What did I choose? Of course, toffee nut frapuccino with extra toffee nut sprinkles! Yum yum!

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Christmas Wishlist

Wishful thinking... :p In random order hahaha...

1) Magic Sing - Concerto 2009 Edition


2) Nooka Watch


3) Accessories Box


4) Little Miss Shirts


5) Marks and Spencer Cocoa Butter and Vanilla Lotion


6) Unique Bookends (something like this)


7) Spice Grinder Set


8) MP4 Player (Torn between Ipod Touch, Vosonic or Creative Zen X-Fi 2)

9) Nintendo wii

10) LCD TV (to compliment the Nintendo wii)

Uh-oh.. daming wish.. puro wish.. I'd probably be satisfied if I can get at least 2 big items from the list (calling Mon! hahaha...). I can take care of the small ones na hahaha.. Haaayyysss, if only I can splurge, splurge, splurge!!! haayyys

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Ultimate LSS

It's been 5 days.. haha.. and I haven't heard the song in weeks. Nggiii.. care to suggest a new LSS?! :-s


NOBODY by the Wondergirls

Click here for the official Wondergirls YouTube site

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The Sweetest Thing Ever...

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Hello December!

It's the first of December.. 25 more days to go and it's Christmas. It's sad that we won't be spending it with our loved ones back home again. We really miss them so much. I remember that we always have noche buena together, something that really excites me as the food are all yummy but more importantly, quality time is spent with our family.

Haaaayyyy, we will just make sure that Christmas 2010 will be spent with them. By hook or by crook! :p

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No to Blog Hiatus..

Time flies when you are having fun. Have to blog and upload pics on our recent 3rd year anniversary celebration at the Quincy and our long weekend Malacca, Malaysia trip.

I am determined to squeeze it in because now I have to work long hours to meet my unbelievable project sched. I don't mind working extra hours but I hope the sched can still be adjusted to be more realistic one. :( *sigh* *sigh* *sigh*

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Happy 3rd to US!

I love you.. More and more each day..

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Pepper Lunch Singapore

Eversince their Takashimaya branch closed, we were on 'Pepper Lunch Diet'. :p

Last Saturday, we went to Isetan along Orchard road to have a better view of the Christmas decors on the Orchard rd intersection. The transferred pepper lunch is there! Finally! After a few months, we were able to go pepper lunching. :)

I still liked the Takashimaya branch. It's more spacious and homey-looking. The Isetan branch is pretty small and situated on a seemingly odd corner of the mall. The place looks lonely and poorly lit.

I was mised emotions with their new set of menu. They had revised their set meal which now presents a variety of side dishes along with the main course and drinks. Mon was so sad that his super favorite japanese curry beef is not on the menu list anymore. :( I was happy to see more seafood dishes. Everytime I visit Pepper Lunch before, I kept answering their survey forms to suggest adding seafood in their menu. True enough, they now offer shrimp, unagi and scallops. :) Noticed more pasta dishes as well. :)

I still love their beef pepper rice. :)

See more from their website.

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ABS-CBN Christmas Station ID 2009

I love love love the current ABS-CBN's Christmas station ID. The lyrics provided a very heartwarming message to us especially that our country went through a lot of devastating typhoons for the past few months. It's very uplifting and touching that I had goosebumps all over when I first heard it. It even got me teary-eyed.

The music with its modern beat, it became very catchy and uplifting and enhanced the beauty of the lyrics as well.

I can listen to it over and over. It's so inspiring. Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko! :)

Here's the video and lyrics:

Kung kailan pinakamadilim
Mga tala ay mas nagniningning
Gaano man kakapal ang ulap
Sa likod nito ay may liwanag

Ang liwanag na ito'y nasa ating lahat
May sinag ang bawat pusong bukas
Sa init ng mga yakap
Maghihilom ang lahat ng sugat

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw, walang iba kung hindi Ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Tayo ang ilaw sa madilim na daan
Pagkakapit- bisig lalong higpitan
Dumaan man sa malakas na alon
Lahat tayo'y makakaahon

Ang liwanag na ito'y nasa ating lahat
May sinag ang bawat pusong bukas
Sa init ng mga yakap
Maghihilom ang lahat ng sugat

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw, walang iba kung hindi Ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Kikislap ang pagasa
Kahit kanino man
Dahil Ikaw Bro, dahil Ikaw Bro, dahil Ikaw Bro
Ang Star ng Pasko

Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw, walang iba kung hindi Ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw, walang iba kung hindi Ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo, muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Dahil Ikaw Bro,
Dahil Ikaw Bro,
Dahil Ikaw Bro
Ang Star ng pasko...

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Starbucks Toffee Nut Drink is back!

Super yey! One of my favorite drinks from Starbucks (aside from Java Chip and Green Tea). Ji mentioned that a friend told her a planner is up for grabs here. I checked the nearby Starbucks here at the office and the one at Paragon, but to no avail. Oh well...

Just happy that I can indulge (not super indulge as this is a calorie-hugging drink) -- until December. :p


Here's another shot from my other blog.

Uh-oh... I suddenly missed my XiBake buddies. :(

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Our Christmas Tree

Had fun decorating our very first Christmas tree... I just looooooooooveee snowflakes. :D


Daytime
Nighttime

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Me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/m0nch3r1

(Update) There's a twitter gadget in blogger pala.. hehehe.. :p

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Negativities

I have always been more of a negative thinker, expectant of the worst. Sometimes it's probably because I don't want to be disappointed should things go not so well. Probably fear and insecurities enters the picture. Probably I get discourage with what was happening. Probably it is my way of protecting myself from getting hurt.

Thinking of it, being clouded with negative thoughts has done more not-so-nice effect on me than good. Having those thoughts have brought me (quite a lot of times) on the brink of helplessness, loneliness and exhaustion. There are times when I realized that I really have to get out of that way of thinking. There are times that hubby talks me out of it, telling me to try seeing more of the brighter side of things. Sure, I take some actions but relapse back to the old ways.

It is a hard habit to break, trust me. But now I know why I am relapsing.. Because I did not do the first and most important step to breaking it, COMMITMENT to CHANGE.

Having much thought and wanting not to run 'round in circles with negativism, I CHOOSE and DECIDE to focus more on positive feelings and thoughts. I know having positive thoughts will empower me more than I could think of. These thoughts will make me live my life the way I want it to be. It will make my relationships with people around me more harmonious. It will add more smile to my face everyday. In short, it will bring me to a life of serenity, happiness and fulfillment.

This is just the first step. This will be a long way to go. It'll be quite a struggle for me now, but I am sure that once I get used to inviting more positive energy on a daily basis, I won't even remember that I struggled a lot. :p This is a wonderful start for me, something so good to look forward to. A drive to kick the rest of my bad habits out to trash. :p

These really inspired me to act on it.. Thank God for letting me see it.

Though thinking does not make it so, thinking makes you make it so. What you think becomes what you live. -- Ralph Marston

Psalm 61:3-4 - "Take me to a safe refuge, for you are my protector, my strong defense against my enemies. Let me live in you sanctuary all my life, let me find safety under your wings."

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Excited..

Snowflakes.. Golden balls.. Ribbons.. Acorns.. Garlands.. Poinsettias.. Angel.. Wreaths.. Lights.. Pine Tree.. Yes! It's time to setup our Christmas tree!

Went to Paya Lebar with Tin and Cel to buy tree and ornaments. I wasn't able to think about the theme I want for our tree prior to going to the store though I had some ornaments bought by Nanay from Pinas. It took some time for me to decide the theme. I settled for an orange and gold theme this year but will be adorning the living area with snowflakes decorations. I have some pine garlands which will be decorated with orange poinsettias (I am not sure if I'd include the pink ones) and some more gold ornaments.

I still need to drop by Daiso and Ikea for some more ornaments but it shouldn't stop us from setting up the tree tomorrow, right? :p

(Update) Thinking about it, it will be our first ever Christmas tree! haha.. :p

(Update 2) The big boy was so excited to set up the tree that right after dinner, he started opening the tree box. :p A bit exhausting but we enjoyed it! :p

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Changing conditions

Very powerful words indeed... Makes me re-assess some things that changed. Read on..

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Accept, adjust, act and evaluate. It's a great strategy for successfully handling changing conditions.

When something that previously worked no longer works, accept the fact that things have changed. Embrace the new reality of what is, so you'll have the power to work with it.

Adjust your approach based on what you see. No matter what has happened to change things, there is always value to be found and always a way to utilize that value.

Go ahead and take action. Your new approach may or may not work, and the way to know for sure is to move forward with it.

Evaluate the results you get. Learn from what went wrong and from what went right.

The world is constantly changing, and new possibilities are being born every moment. Accept what has changed, adjust to it, take action, learn, and keep going until you get the results you seek.

-- Ralph Marston

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One More Week..

til it's work mode again. Though next week, my boss will be giving me some tasks that I need to work on from home. I have to get my groove back as the coming weeks are going to be very hectic. I just hope that even though it'll be busy months ahead, I still have a chance to go home early on some days specially that Christmas season is near (and our anniversary as well).

Thinking about it, we won't be home for Christmas.. again. :( This will be the third Christmas away from home. We always head back home during CNY. Hopefully this time, we can have a longer vacation probably 2 -3 weeks.

As for our anniversary, we're cooking a simple yet special celebration. It will be just a few days of R&R as we won't be able to travel even to nearby countries like Malaysia and Indonesia (though I am hoping we can still accomodate it early next year :p).

Oh well, I must make most out of the few more days of rest. Have to make a last minute list of to dos. :p

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Moving On..

Now, I'm ready to speak my mind... but still just a bit..

It has been a month since the most painful event in our life happened. 'twas Sept 23 when we lost our baby, Angela Marie. She's 21 weeks old in my tummy then.

I have been in a lot of pain for the past weeks. I initially had questions to God on why it has to happen. For weeks, I cried myself to sleep -- remembering seeing her via ultrasound during our checkups, the countless times that Mon and I talk to her, the nights we checked and heard her calming heartbeat, the bond that I had with her. It was and still is lingering in my mind.

It was equally difficult for Mon as well. He initially had a hard time expressing the pain he felt. But he endured everything for me. He has been very caring of me, comforting me and staying by my side at all times.

At first I cannot really understand God's purpose. But as days pass, I slowly began to see that this painful experience gave us more strength and bond as a couple. We're really thankful to Him because we never felt so loved by our respective families and friends. Along with God, they have been with us to provide guidance and support. There might be some more reasons I still haven't realized but I'm sure in time, God will let me see it. Now, I am surrendering it all up to Him.

I still constantly ask Him to give us more strength and understanding. Though I still cry at times, I know Angel is in a better place now, watching over us. She has given us a lot of happiness and joy for the five months that she's with us. Her memory will forever be etched in our hearts. And that is a very very good reason for me to wear again my smile.

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PRAYER TO BLESSED MARY OF THE INCARNATION (for safe delivery for expectant mothers)

Thanks Patsy for sharing this! :)

Blessed Mary of the Incarnation,

through the great blessing,

which at the birth of all your children,

you received from God,

I ask you to obtain for me the grace

that I may be preserved from all danger,

and happily bring my child into the world.

Obtain for me through the ever Blessed Virgin Mary,

that no accident may befall on me,

but that my child may come safe and sound into the world.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus,

through the great power from your son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

obtain for me the help and blessing of God,

that I may happily survive the pains of delivery

and that my child may receive the grace of Holy Baptism.

AMEN.

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Going Through First Trimester

My nanay has been telling me even before how she goes through pregnancy. The first 4-5 months is very difficult for her. Most of the times, she cannot really get up. She vomits a lot. Her sensitivity to smell is unfathomable. She hates the smell of food, perfume, soap and a lot more but has no choice. She even mentioned that on one of her pregnancies, she hates seeing one of our neighbors 'cause she makes her vomit some more. She lost a lot of weight on those 4-5 months. But she also mentioned that when it's time to give birth, it's just a breeze for her. It's painful, yes, but once her water bag breaks, we easily come out.

Being pregnant for the first time, the past few weeks hasn't been that easy. I've been feeling like I'm riding a rollercoaster. Some days I'm okay but most days I'm not. The good thing about it is that I still can function well enough to go to work, unlike my nanay. I sometimes wake up having a bad headache. I sometimes feel as if I haven't got any sleep because I'm soooooooooooo tired. My hips ache quite a lot in the evenings. My stomach is acidic and painful the entire day. The acidity makes me don't want to eat that much, I just have to force myself to eat. I feel full really fast. Because of this, I lost 1.4kilos in a span of 6 days. Hard.

On the emotional side, I'd say I'm much better than the time I wasn't pregnant. :p I'm generally happier, more patient and understanding. I feel that I am more mabait with Mon (hope he notices too). THOUGH, I'm a bit matampuhin to him. And the funny thing, I easily cry when I feel that. As in tears are nonstop that I myself is wondering why tears won't stop even if I'm already okay once Mon says sorry. Weird.

I am actually really thankful to Mon for being really patient, understanding and caring. He does almost all things around the house. He takes care of me soooo well that I'm sure to be spoilt by him. His very frequent checks on me if I'm okay, if I feel weird, if I need something is very very sweet.

I have a lot of fears and questions but it's good that I am surrounded with people who gives me a lot of advices and tips on how I can ease up my moods and feelings each day. I can just give my nanay a call, I can just whine to Mon, I can ambush Cel with my never ending questions, I can complain to friends on what I feel. :)

It will still be a few more weeks until the first trimester ends. I've read that it is mostly difficult going through this trimester as the hormones soar up high to help develop the baby inside the tummy. As soon as the second trimester approaches, the baby is a bit stable enough to support itself and just rely on the nutrient intakes of the mom. And the morning sickness is just a thing of the past. :p

Despite of the weird things I am feeling, I still am so happy that our baby is holding on tight. We always pray to God to continue guiding us and making our baby strong enough. And I hope you include us in your prayers too.

Oh, here is the ultrasound scan of our baby. The black oblongish part is the pregnancy sac where the baby is. The circular circle inside it is where the baby gets the nutrients from me. The baby is somewhere beside it. Still too tiny to see. :)

It was taken during our first visit to my OB (recommended by Cel), who by the way is really accomodating especially that I have a lot of questions. :) Her assistant is ultra-nice and accomodating as well. Mon and I immediately felt at home and clearly won't be changing OBs. :) We're scheduled for the next visit next Saturday and we will be hearing our baby's heartbeat by then! So excited. :)

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On Pregnancy

Browsing the web, I saw this and made me feel more happy and inspired now that I am pregnant...

Pregnancy is the privilege of experiencing God's miracles on earth. "In my flesh I see the mark of God". Nowhere is this more apparent than in the experience of a pregnancy. Science has made it possible to witness the baby's growth on a sonogram. Once you see that, there's no turning back. Watching and feeling this little miracle grow inside you, knowing that one day you will hold this child in your hands is one of the greatest gifts that can be experienced.

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Updated: Ecstatic

Can't express enough..



I'm really thankful to God for giving our hearts' desire. He gave it to us just in time. We really pray that he continues to watch over us so we'll be safe and healthy all through out.

Our baby is just 6weeks + old (update: based on my last period but saw in the internet that average cycle days must also be considered especially that I have irreg periods, have to confirmed this with our OB) and the following weeks will be very crucial since I really have to make sure that our baby is super kapit na. I am trying to clear my mind of all the nega things and fears as it will not do any good. I just make sure to focus more on what I have to do to for my pregnancy to be okay. Please include us in your prayers. :)

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Project: Bahay Kubo

Eversince we moved to our own place sometime in December, I haven't really took time to take pics of our place. Probably because Mon and I haven't really focused much on sort of making it nicer. We just ensured that we're confortable enough to do our every stuff. :p

That's why recently, we both decided to make it nicer, cuter in our eyes. :p We actually just have to re-organize and add some more finishing touches to our place.

On a per room basis..

Living Room

Already have the basics such as 4-seater sofa, an ottoman-like chair and center table. We have bought a long center table from Ikea and used it as the tv rack. Previously, the owner just used the shoe cabinet as the tv rack and I don't like it at all. :p We are thinking of putting some throw pillows and curtain or blinds to the window for a more softer look. I am also re-thinking the shoe rack and cabinet placements to accomodate the small mahogany table and chairs by the owner.

Dining Area

This is a very small place beside our living room, hence the term area. The owner did not provide a dining table and chair but has left two ikea computer tables. What we did was just buy some chairs and use one of the computer tables as a dining table since it will just be the two of us to eat most of the time. I think the area just lacks more lighting as the only lighting is near the living area. We are planning to re-negotiate with the owner to provide us with a 'proper' dining table (among other requests). *crossing fingers*

Kitchen

I think this is the most complete part of our place. :p I am so OC-OC with having a complete and nice utensils and kitchen tools. Anik-anik items from Daiso and Ikea, others from Carrefour and from the ever reliable stores near our place. We have initially re-organized and we've been happy about it. Though we haven't really maximized all the cabinets to make the kitchen counter clutter free. And maybe there's a need for more Daiso purchases haha!

Laundry and Sink Area

Both are quite ok now, have included it in our initial re-organization a couple of wks ago. Just a few more neat-packing and it's done.

Bathroom

I found our tiny bathroom nice already. We've put a shower curtain to separate the toilet and bath area. So OC-OC with the cleaning tools so we have inner bowl brush, outer bowl brush, 'escoba for the flooring, a generic brush for the floor na din aaannnnd toothbrush for the suloks hehehe.. This one's ok for us, so no change required na.

Common Bedroom

This is our sort of 'tambakan' of all sorts hehehe.. All spare umbrellas, extra day-to-day bags, luggages, vaccum cleaner and the stuffs I have bought on my numerous shopping sprees (:p) are there. This room needs a major re-org! We haven't utilized the built-in cabinet that much as well as our plastic boxes.

We are planning to put a blinds or curtains in the window. I have to sort out the things we won't be using anymore but will be useful for the people in Pinas. Then, we ave to put the 'pasalubongs and uwiables sa pinas' in a bigger box para sama-sama na. Hmmm.. makes me think if I have to call and get a box na from metrobox (have to consult Mon first). Also, I am hoping Weng will give me one more bag organizer (calling Weng! :p) 'cause one is not enough haha.

Master Bedroom

This is the biggest challenge of all. :p It's fine but we know we can still make it much comfy and nicer. For one, the owner has this cabinet with mirror that we cannot use. We've done the initial cleaning and odour removal stuffs but to no avail. Smells like 'luma' pa din.


I have done some research and some natural odour removal are charcoal, newspaper, white vinegar, ground dry coffee and baking soda. Charcoal has no effect when I tried it. So this wkend, I am planning to use all in full force. I'll just create a new post on the outcome. :)

We are also thinking of re-arranging the furnitures inside the room. We may need to plot a layout first before moving the furnitures to make sure we won't waste too much energy. :p

We'd need to re-arrange the clothes, distribute it amongst the drawers and big cabinet as soon as it is odour-free. We also have to sort and re-organize our documents. Buy some file storage stuffs so that everything will be more accessible and neater.

There are some more bedroom stuffs we'd want to request the owner as well. Just hoping that she'd be kind enough to give us what we'll ask. :p

Hayyy.. hopefully the weekends of June will be enough for us to complete the project. Will post pics on the final outcome hehe..

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Nostalgic

Yesterday, we were at Cel's place for a small handaan. Syempre hindi mawawala ang magic sing. Ayun, we (meaning me, Weng and Tin) suddenly felt nostalgic and sang songs from 80's and 90's. Inexhaust namin ang magic sing nina Cel.

It seems that it actually started when I selected the song "Careless Whisper" hahaha..

It's so nice to recall all the songs from way back. Brings back memories. We sang these songs as well:


- Electric Youth
- La la la.. Means I Love You
- Breakout
- Don't Turn Around
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun
- Brother Louie
- Venus
- Bette Davis' Eyes
- Funky Town

And we suddenly discovered we're all Madonna fans when we sang these:

- Holiday
- Material Girl
- Borderline
- Dress You Up
- Papa Don't Preach
- Las Isla Bonita
- Take A Bow

I know I've missed a few ones. Bottomline, we had a lot of fun singing these songs. And on defense mode, age is just a number. Hahaha..

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First of June

I woke up realizing it's already first of June. A few more weeks and the first half of the year will be over.

Can't help but look back on the past few months and share my thoughst as well as the life lessons I've picked up along the way.


These are very random. Nagnonotes ako these past few weeks about my thoughts as well as the life lessons na napupulot ko along the way. So random, may tagalog, may english. hehehe..

-- Do not expect that other people will help you the way you have helped them.

-- "Everybody lies". (House M.D.)

-- May mga bagay na hindi talaga para sa'yo at kahit pa magmukmok or maghuramentado ka, hindi talaga ito mapapasa-iyo.

-- No one can please everybody and no one should as it is super stressful to do. And ultimately, you will just be bounded to just sacrifice your own happiness.

-- You can only do so much. Kaya hindi dapat pasanin ang daigdig. Mababaliw ka lang.

-- Bukod sa pamilya, mahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng malalapit na kaibigan. Sila kasi ang isa sa pinaka-epektibong 'sanity checker' sa mga bagy-bagay.

-- We are far more blessed than we thought.

-- Masarap yung feeling na you can swallow your pride and verbally say you're sorry sa taong nasaktan mo.

-- Everyday is an opportunity for us to express our affection to our loved ones. May it be a simple phone call, a simple 'pasalubong', a simple hug.

-- Sa ating lifetime, may makakasalamuha ka talagang feeling perfect, know-it-all, self-absorbed na tao. Ang malaking challenge ay pano mo ilalayo ang sarili mo sa ganitong tao dahil nakakastress!

-- One of the biggest challenge is picking up the pieces after a heartbreaking fall.

-- Namimiss ko na ang pagkanta! :p

-- It is extremely important to motivate yourself and not rely on others to do that for you.

-- Importante na i-make sure na you have enough for yourself kasi pano ka tutulong kung sarili mo hindi mo matulungan?

-- It is okay to make mistakes as long as you really learn from it and not make the same mistakes. Ang mahirap lang if with that mistake, you have unpurposedly hurt someone you love. It will be harder to cope.

-- Minsan talagang kailangan mong mapag-isa para mas makapag-isip isip.

-- A little prayer brings forth wonderful things we can ever imagine.

-- Ang sarap magshopping lalo na 'pag para sa mga taong importante sa'yo. (GSS na kasi haha)

-- It's really painful once you realized that the person you thought you knew is not the same person anymore. Not that there's nothing good out of it but it just ruined something.. something more precious than a diamond.

-- Pay yourself first.

-- At times, it may be difficult to see the brighter side of things but as soon as you have made it a part of you, it makes life much lighter and happier.

Ayan, ang mumunting anik-anik ng isip ko netong mga nagdaang buwan. :p Bow!

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Still Worried...

It's been 2 days since I heard "THE" bad news. Though a lot of people have been hearing the same bad news lately, still, it is very hard to take once you knew it reached somewhere very near you.

I wasn't able to concentrate at work last Friday, though I did manage to solve some bugs. That day was all about assumptions, speculations, stress, sadness and paranoia. I am just thankful that God has blessed me a lot and spared me from being directly hit by it.

But obviously, i'm still bothered by it. As starting last Friday, it has been more evident of tougher days ahead, full of uncertainties. Haaayyyyssss, I really hope and pray that there'll be no more bad news to hear. I need to move forward and face life with more strength.

Must.focus.

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Green With Envy

Yes, I'm green with envy. I finally bought Mon's birthday gift (2wks delayed), an Iphone 3G. It's so good 'cause it's all-in-one gadget. Especially that Mon doesn't like to carry so many things, so I guess it's THE ONE. :p

And what's soooooo nice is that here in Singapore, there are so many wi-fi hotspots that you can go to for free internet access. :p I'm so glad he liked my gift, but still green with envy. I have to start saving for my own Iphone 'cause I'm super inggits. haha..

Also, there's Skype application that will allow you to call from your Iphone to someone logged to skype! I can call my family for free haha! I can just imagine how I will be saving money in the long run. I practically call home everyday, usually before I go to work. Since the building near us has free wi-fi and we now have Starbucks nearby, I can just call anytime I want. :p

Or maybe, I am just making up reasons to justify my 'need' to buy one. haha.. In time, I'll have my own. Once they release the new version haha! :p

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Commercials I Love

Mon loves them too.. hehehe.. Blame it on TFC haha..

Worse, we suffer LSS after hearing them. :D And oh, we just adore the little girl in the Camella Homes commercial :D

Western Union



Camella Homes

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High (Lighthouse Family)

One of my favorite way back 90's.. Can never get tired of listening to this. Especially that the message is very inspiring. :)

I saw this instrumental version in youtube.. So feel free to sing along with the music.. hehehe.. (Cheesy ba? :p)



When youre close to tears remember
Some day itll all be over
One day were gonna get so high
And though its darker than december
Whats ahead is a different colour
One day were gonna get so high

And at
The end of the day
Well remember the days
We were close to the edge
And well wonder how we made it through
And at
The end of the day
Well remember the way
We stayed so close to till the end
Well remember it was me and you

cause we are gonna be forever you and me
Youll always keep me flying high in the sky of love

Dont you think its time you started
Doing what we always wanted
One day were gonna get so high
cause even the impossible is easy
When we got each other
One day were gonna get so high

And at
The end of the day
Well remember the days
We were close to the edge
And well wonder how we made it through
And at
The end of the day
Well remember the way
We stayed so close to till the end
Well remember it was me and you

cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You will always keep me flying high in the sky of love

High, high, high, high...

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Ka-inertia!

Haayyysss.. Ang aga-aga, nairita na agad ako. Dati kasi, malapit sakin yung copier sa office. Tapos one day, etong magaling naming hr, sinabihan ako na may tatawag daw sakin about the copier. Parang ako huh? Ano kinalaman ko sa copier. So sabi ko na lang, about what? Sabi nya about the reading. As in ganun ha.. walang please please, walang thank you. Na parang part ng job description ko ang asikasuhin ang copier na yan. Pero sige, ok lang, kasi hindi naman cguro araw-araw magmi-meter reading no. So tumawag na nga, at naku ha mejo masungit. Pero sige, kebs lang. Pagbigyan. Shrug off.

Tapos ngayon tumawag na naman. At sabi ko, hindi na malapit saken yung copier. Baka pwedeng tawagan na lang nya hr namin para masabi sa kanya kung kanino na pwede magpa-meter reading. Hindi daw nya alam ang number. Eh hindi ko din alam yung direct line (at wala sa outlook namin yung info) so sabi ko tawag na lang sa trunkline at magpaconnect. Pa-dismiss ba naman ang sagot. ok, sige na daw. Grrr... Hindi nag-thank you! Napaka-gracious. Winner.

Haayyyzzz.. ang buhay nga naman..

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Bawang Anyone???

Saw this at Watson's.. Initially, nde ko maatim na gamitin dahil sa name. Lalo na nung I tried smelling it.. hahaha.. Sayang si Jackie Chan pa naman ang endorser. :p Would you use it?

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Rainy Days and Some Kwento

It's been raining since yesterday and I don't like it that much. Hours before the rain, it's really really hot. Lightning and thunders are very frightening. It looks like it's already 7pm when it is just 11AM since it is very dark. If you're going outside, for sure you'd be wet. What makes me not like it that much is that it makes my mood gloomy. Oh well..

And now (12:20pm), just as I am about to go out and buy lunch, the sound of a very loud thunder shocked me. Looking outside (can't see the windows in my place), it again looks like 7PM. :( Haaayyzz... My growling tummy made me fo outside though it's already raining. Worse, the queue at Subway is sooo long (due to their 5.90sgd promo hehe..) So cge na nga, no complains na.. hehe..

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Yesterday, I didn't have work. It was in lieu of last Saturday's holiday here in Singapore called Vesak Day. Until now, I don't know what that is. hehehe..

Good thing that it was Mon's first day of no work, we spent time together. :D We planned on going to Marina Square before lunch time 'cause I need to buy clothes for a friend's wedding this weekend. Then it rained hard but the persistent us still went outside and just thought of hailing a cab so we can go straight to Marina. But outside, it was difficult to get a cab and in a matter of seconds, we're already soaking wet. The umbrella is not much of a help as the wind is blowing in all directions. The next thing we know, we were running back to our place and just waited until the rain subsided. (tungengeks di ba? haha)

Anyways, we just spent probably an hour and a half for shopping. I bought 2 tops and leggings. So happy sa mga nabili ko... I still have to try everything together this evening though. :)

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Since Thursday last week, I was restless. Mostly because I am taking mental notes of what I want to do... Eh ang dami hehehe.. ayun, kagulo what should be done first. Until now pa din actually. Probably I should list them down na talaga.

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Just now (2:30pm), I felt soooooooo sleepy.. Can't afford na antukin for long so timpla na naman ng coffee. Kainis.. it meant that my aim for complete coffee withdrawal at work is a bit impossible. Basta less sugar na lang for now. hehehe...

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8 Things...

Just snagged this from Jane's. Feel free to create your own if you want to.. :)

8 Things I’m Looking Forward To

1. Great Singapore Sale! hahaha...
2. My friends' SG trip this July and November
3. Completing my blog layout update
4. Month of June (no weekend work for Mon)
5. A wedding this weekend
6. Seeing Cel, David and Daniel (by now, they should be here in SG)
7. New season of Heroes
8. Trip back home

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Updated 'the' budget
2. Cooked lunch
3. Played Pet Society in FB :p
4. Went to Marina Square with Mon and bought some clothes for the upcoming wedding :D
5. Watered Mr. Basil
6. Organized the kitchen cabinets
7. Blog, blog, blog!
8. Chit chat with Monching :)

8 Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Travel the world with Mon and my family (esp Europe)
2. LOSE WEIGHT!!!
3. Retire early, having truckloads of funds to finance any business and luho hehe
4. Reverse bungee jump
5. Learn and be very good at one(or more) of my interests
6. Sing again..
7. Keep my loved ones and me from getting sick
8. Be the best wife, mom and daughter that I could be
   

8 Shows I Watch

1. House, M.D.
2. Heroes
3. Gossip Girl
4. Chuck
5. Friends
6. Samantha Who
7. Monk
8. CSI (Las Vegas, NY, Miami)

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New Look... (Updated)

Finally, after months of procrastination, I've changed my blog's layout. Yiiipiiieee! This is still a work in progress as I haven't really adjusted the layout to what I really want. In the next few days, I SHOULD have:

• changed the font styles
• adjusted the width of all columns and make blog posts column bigger
• resized the my profile picture to fit the new column width
• added some more widgets
• selected a header picture from the shots I've taken using DiXie (Yes Weng, we changed the name na haha.. Mon came up with this. :D)

I think this change will make me want to write some more here. These are the times that my mind can't seem to coordinate with my urge to write. A lot of things have happened/been happening and still, no updates. Oh well.. the items I have listed above should keep me going.. :)

[Update] Just found out that via Firefox, the third column of the main page is not aligned with the rest of the columns. It is displayed below the other ones. Haayyyzzz.. Seems that it'll be more work than what I imagined. :(

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1 Corinthians 13:4-10

One of the many favorite passages from the bible... :)

Love is patient and kind;

Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude



Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right



Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things



Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away;
as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away
For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect;
but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away..

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