tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80005173613105071152024-03-13T07:46:38.611-07:00Mi PensamientosMusings of a working mom about her husband, kids, and everything else under and beyond the sun.g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-76802414521226150422022-04-17T18:24:00.005-07:002022-04-17T19:03:30.710-07:00Two years of online schooling<p>Two years of online schooling and I am running on fumes. If only I can pull time to just finish this school year, I would. Good Lord, I am just so tired of online school. Our house was not designed to accommodate 3 school tables and 3 work tables -- everything looks so out of place. I am spread thinly trying to handle kids asynch activities on top of my full-time job. I am seriously considering transferring them to another school should their current school not offer F2F learning next school year. COVID sucks. This pandemic sucks. If all of us employees are being mandated to work in our offices, why can't school start opening up? If children are the least affected for COVID, why are schools still keeping them home?</p><p>This is just a rant from a Mom who is just so tired of dealing with product tasks, performance tasks, asynchronous activities for 2 years straight. And at what learning competency, minimum learning competency, right? And it shows with my 1st grade son, his reading, writing and speaking skills (especially in Filipino) is not even close to where his sisters' skill were at the same grade level with the benefit of F2F learning. Quality of education has suffered. I cannot even speak for modular learning in public schools but it can only be worse. Please, enough already. GET KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL!</p>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-50225605165286115242015-08-18T18:23:00.003-07:002015-08-18T18:23:40.026-07:00After 4 years...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank God I recalled the link to my blog! :) </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wait, so my last post was in 2011? That was 4 years ago!! And I can attest that A LOT can happen in just 4 years. So ano na nga ba ang mga kaganapan sa buhay ni Gladysmais?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Four years ago, I was enjoying my only child, Maia. Today, I have not one, not two but three children! In the semiconductor manufacturing setting, that is what they refer to as HVM or High Volume Manufacturing. In INTEL terms, I am at 150% VOLPAS and 100% LIPAS. Meet my kiddos -- Maia (6 years old), Leia (2 years old) and Caden (3 months old). Cute, aren't they? Good genes is all I can say. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. We finally got our house renovated. We now have 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (the master bath with multipoint heater and bathtub), a modular kitchen with granite counters (oh yeah!), and an empty bank account. So taking my inspiration from the 7 dwarves, "I owe, I owe. Its off to work I go!".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Carl also got me a new car for my birthday last year. How I wish it was my dream car but since we (ergo my husband) are practical Ilocanos, we got the Innova instead. It is a good purchase. The entire family --- Mom+Dad, kids, yayas, lolos and lola, titas and tito... Ay wait, ang dami. Dapat ata Jeep na lang binili namin. :) We are a growing family and on sane days, I'm really loving it! Kaya dream car RAV4, dream ka na lang muna. Makakamit din kita bago ako mag-Senior Citizen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. I am working at a new company! Still in Alabang and still in semiconductor and still blessed to be in a family-oriented company. Loving my Work-Life balance!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These are the major events in my life for the past 4 years. Hope to blog more in the coming days! Sana naman hindi abutin ng 4 years before I blog again. So, until then --- Ciao!</span></div>
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g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-35435041643371778172011-02-20T19:39:00.000-08:002011-02-20T20:02:54.657-08:00Back to bloggingIts been a while since I last updated this blog. A lot, as in A LOT, of things happened since then. After 32 hours in labor, I gave birth last July 23, 2009 via emergency CS to a beautiful baby girl we named Maia Celestyn. Maia's turning 19months soon and she is the sunshine of our home. We have moved in to our home last December 5, 2009 and completed the interior. There are still lots of improvement that needs to be done but we are taking our time. Saving up big bucks so home improvement will be a one-time, big-time deal.<div><br /></div><div>In as much as I would like to write down all our milestones for the past year, I'd have to settle on perhaps including a tidbit or two in my future posts. Maia's milestones alone would take up lots of space. That little dynamo just discovered twirling in place and we had a good laugh yesterday when she turned around and around several times, walked and fell on her butt in her puzzle mat. She had the audacity to be mad at her puzzle mat pa. Hahaha!</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night, my husband and I were musing on whether or not he accept a job offer in Singapore. It was a no-brainer decision if it was up to me. I'd say "No deal." My reason was simple: The salary offer is not worth the sacrifice. And also, we had an agreement before we got married that if one of us goes abroad -- the entire family should go. I really suck at separations that's why I insisted on that "rule". And also, I would like my daughter to grow up with both her father and mother. Expensive toys, a nice house, expensive tuition at an A+ school would not make up for the absence of one parent. I learned this the hard way with my mom. But then, that's another story. Anyway, back to that job offer abroad. Say for example, both of us will work abroad. It is possible, yes. We will be earning at least 3x what we are earning here, yes. But then -- will our quality time with Maia be affected? Did we just transfer to a "nicer" and "better" country but living expenses also increase 3x -- ergo savings will not be that significant? I have a feeling that the answers to these questions are not favorable to our family situation right now. So Singapore, maybe next time. :) Kung kakayod lang din naman ako, dito na lang sa Pilipinas. Shiyet! Am I hiding a nationalistic heart after all? Hahaha!</div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-12293803915289533882009-07-18T01:12:00.000-07:002009-07-20T01:50:27.748-07:00House UpdateI'm so happy to report that the basic finish of our house is complete! Yehey! So, we'll just have to wait for the sidewalks to be completed plus the connection to the electric and water utilities for unit turnover. We have also began talks with an architect for our home improvement. God-willing our house will be habitable by our first wedding anniversary. =) We are so excited!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQpUo6F7kI/AAAAAAAAAGM/EtbwYFB15n0/s1600-h/IMG_4213.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQpUo6F7kI/AAAAAAAAAGM/EtbwYFB15n0/s320/IMG_4213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360454891032931906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">See the yellow house? That's ours! =)</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQpVfXTjNI/AAAAAAAAAGc/NaLvUzc2lhM/s1600-h/IMG_4227.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQpVfXTjNI/AAAAAAAAAGc/NaLvUzc2lhM/s320/IMG_4227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360454905650973906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Front view</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQulj6bWlI/AAAAAAAAAG0/UT9IGdlgxss/s1600-h/IMG_4215.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQulj6bWlI/AAAAAAAAAG0/UT9IGdlgxss/s320/IMG_4215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360460679308073554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Side view</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQul2g3osI/AAAAAAAAAG8/FQAnEC2dfDo/s1600-h/IMG_4221.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQul2g3osI/AAAAAAAAAG8/FQAnEC2dfDo/s320/IMG_4221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360460684301148866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Back view</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">parang sinali sa beauty contest bahay namin, iba't ibang views! hehehe</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQpV8bZnaI/AAAAAAAAAGs/9R2BuZ_l2EY/s1600-h/IMG_4217.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQpV8bZnaI/AAAAAAAAAGs/9R2BuZ_l2EY/s320/IMG_4217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360454913452776866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Future dining and kitchen</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQumJk0O3I/AAAAAAAAAHE/v7gan1Yv_To/s1600-h/IMG_4218.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQumJk0O3I/AAAAAAAAAHE/v7gan1Yv_To/s320/IMG_4218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360460689417976690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">stairs to the bedrooms</span></span><br /><br />AND.....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQumtSUboI/AAAAAAAAAHM/JCw8x6YFhUg/s1600-h/tummy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQumtSUboI/AAAAAAAAAHM/JCw8x6YFhUg/s320/tummy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360460699004071554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Maia's home (until next week na lang!)<br />So excited to see you baby! =)</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-65320924264354401832009-07-08T23:58:00.000-07:002009-07-20T01:10:08.638-07:00Cocolife rant<span style="font-family: georgia;">Oh man... The last four days have been difficult to say the least. Thank God for my husband who is not the least bit squeamish and stood by his vow of "In sickness and in health" and to my sister for being there in our time of need. I was confined for 4 days due to acute gastroenteritis leading to dehydration. It all started innocently enough last Friday night but when my bathroom visits added up to 6 plus one vomiting episode, I knew I needed to go to the hospital ASAP. I was really worried for Maia but God watches over His children and the ultrasound and NST showed Maia was doing well despite the rumblings in my tummy and frequent bathroom visits. I just had to be hooked up to a dextrose (also with IV antibiotics) and keep myself hydrated by drinking hydrite solution and potassium tablets (since the potassium in my blood was borderline).</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQgw5tLJVI/AAAAAAAAAGE/fZ9e_qCoSHk/s1600-h/Image0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQgw5tLJVI/AAAAAAAAAGE/fZ9e_qCoSHk/s320/Image0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360445480973837650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Picture picture pa rin kahit na may sakit</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I also learned a new word from my father -- </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">MASIBA</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. I suppose you could hazard a guess at his theory why I ended up being hospitalized. Hehehe. =)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">HMOs are both boon and bane. I didn't have any complaints with Cocolife until now and I am extremely disappointed with how they handled my confinement last week. How on earth could they have possibly categorized acute gastroenteritis as maternity-related? It boggles the mind that my baby had anything to do with my LBM and vomiting. Now, I'm not in the medical field but common sense tells me that maternity related cases include pre- or post-eclampsia, pre-term labor, and gestational diabetes, among others. For Cocolife to immediately dismiss my case as maternity-related just because I'm pregnant is freakin' unfair! I would willingly shoulder the the tests needed to make sure my baby is okay but Cocolife should have the decency to recognize that gastroenteritis is NOT maternity-related. Its not my baby's fault that her mommy is matakaw. I'm going to fight tooth and nail for the reimbursement of my hospital expenses by Cocolife. I already have my two-page complaint/reimbursement request letter ready and a medical certificate from my doctor explicitly stating that my case is not maternity related. I hope to hear from them before I give birth. Wish me luck!</span><br /></div></div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-41650262282297168872009-07-03T01:22:00.000-07:002009-07-16T01:40:46.554-07:00A Surprise Baby Shower<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7kX_Tze1I/AAAAAAAAAFU/QWK4HYvlVpA/s1600-h/IMG_7486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7kX_Tze1I/AAAAAAAAAFU/QWK4HYvlVpA/s320/IMG_7486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358971707400092498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">One of the best perks of working at Microchip is having such wonderful officemates who took time out of their busy(?) schedules to throw this pregnant lady a surprise baby shower at the office. =)</span></span><h3 style="font-weight: normal;font-family:georgia;" class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span style="font-size:100%;">Sa mga nag-order ng food, nag-blow ng balloons at nag-organize ng games and mommy talks - maraming, maraming salamat! I'm so touched! You're the best ever! Mwaahhh! =)</span></h3><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><br />So huge at 36.5 weeks preggo</span></span><br /><br /><h3 style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7lBisiWYI/AAAAAAAAAFc/mi6hf7Ix7e8/s1600-h/IMG_7531.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 345px; height: 235px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7lBisiWYI/AAAAAAAAAFc/mi6hf7Ix7e8/s320/IMG_7531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358972421273704834" border="0" /></a></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sharing maternal wisdom - mommy talk by Ate Vi<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7lnY2ZD2I/AAAAAAAAAFk/WviZ4z317FY/s1600-h/IMG_7519.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7lnY2ZD2I/AAAAAAAAAFk/WviZ4z317FY/s320/IMG_7519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358973071465713506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Guess the belly size. Belly lang ha! Hindi kasama ang a$$!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7mWcDHKMI/AAAAAAAAAFs/gdCR2_9Cby8/s1600-h/IMG_7682-horz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7mWcDHKMI/AAAAAAAAAFs/gdCR2_9Cby8/s320/IMG_7682-horz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358973879778224322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Well wishes for baby Maia from bossing John</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7m0JsJR2I/AAAAAAAAAF0/_5J7h_NptTg/s1600-h/IMG_7675.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sl7m0JsJR2I/AAAAAAAAAF0/_5J7h_NptTg/s320/IMG_7675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358974390246131554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Group pic habang ang iba ay busy sa pagkuha ng food =)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">More photos in my facebook account. =)<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span></span></div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-39879386191359821102009-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:002009-06-29T00:17:23.809-07:00My OGTT experienceOral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), in my opinion, is by far the worst ever lab test that a pregnant woman should have to undergo. Imagine being in my shoes -- 8 months pregnant with a "healthy" appetite being told to fast (as in totally without food or drink) for 10hours. And if that is not difficult enough, the glucose drink prior the test gave me a sugar high followed shortly by a sugar crash that had me dozing off in the lobby of the Healthway clinic in Alabang. But wait, there's more to the fasting and "tulo-laway" episodes. Every hour, for four hours, blood and urine will be collected to check for glucose tolerance. On my second blood extraction, which was right after my sugar high, the med tech failed to pierce my vein on the first try so she moved the needle several times inside my arm looking for my vein until napa-aray ako. She tried on my other arm, same thing. Vein not pierced, needle poking around, pregnant lady says "Aray!". On the third try, again hindi pa rin natamaan vein ko. When she started poking the needle again, I swear nahilo ako then nandidilim na yung surroundings ko. I was on the verge of fainting!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Pregnant lady:</span> Miss, hihimatayin na ata ako.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MedTech:</span> Relax lang ma'am..<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Pregnant lady:</span> Pinag-papawisan na ako ng malamig. Nandidilim na rin paningin ko...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MedTech:</span> Sige po ma'am, i-out ko na ulit yung needle.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Pregnant lady</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">(thinking): Hay salamat! Ang sakit na kaya nun. Naku, mukhang matutumba na ako.. Buti na lang nakaupo ako. Wag lang ako matumba ng paharap..</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MedTech: </span>Okay lang po ba kayo ma'am? <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">(Sabay pahid ng vicks sa noo ko. May tinawagan din sya pero di ko na masyado rinig - my hearing was like I was underwater)</span><br /><br />Next thing I knew, someone was helping me to a wheelchair and I was brought to the Emergency Room of the clinic. I was made to lie down and in a few minutes the MedTech arrive and was successful in extracting the blood from the back of my hand. I was lying there for maybe 45minutes and got up only when I was sure I was okay. Hay naku.. Parusa talaga ang OGTT. Kahit baby ko mukhang nabigla sa fasting ko. It took two days before she was back to her usual malikot state in my tummy. Poor Maia..<br /><br />Anyway, thank God its over. I'm 35 weeks today and still bloated and waddling. Maia's kicks are getting stronger and it doesn't help that Carl plays with her every evening (at 10pm!) when I'm asleep already. Hon, playtime till 7pm lang - we might be starting a pattern na madala ni Maia when she's born. Baka 10pm na at gising na gising pa sya at naghahanap ng kalaro. =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-46729625130901851272009-06-18T02:53:00.000-07:002009-06-18T03:39:17.635-07:00While I am waiting...<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I can't believe how fast time flies. Today marks our eighth month as husband and wife & in 3 weeks time, Maia is just about ready to pop out of the oven (figuratively speaking, of course). As I sit here waiting for Carl to pick me up, I have decided to answer one of those surveys posted in a yahoo group that I'm a member of. The survey Q&A is about "Adjusting to Married Life". So here goes:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1. What was your major adjustment when you started living together after the wedding?</span><br /> I'll have to say it would be adjusting my way of thinking from "mine" to "ours". Its so easy to say during the first few weeks of our marriage, "Ako masusunod sa TV channel kasi akin ang TV." or "Pera ko naman to eh so I can buy anything I want." In the first few months, we ended up having a schedule for TV shows I want to watch and Carl's basketball games. When I think about it now, natatawa na lang ako. =) At the very least, we learned the value of compromise from that experience.<br /> I think Carl had a better grasp of the "ours" principle. When I asked him the same question last night, he said his biggest adjustment was calling my father "papa". Ako din naman hon eh - I also had some trouble adjusting to calling his parents "papa" and "mama". =)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2. What was the thing you like most/least about it?</span><br /> Like I said previously, the "ours" principle taught us the value of compromise.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3. Is there something you wish other married couples have told you beforehand? </span><br /> None that I can think of. I am blessed to have a husband that complements my character. Also, being together for six years before marrying helped us adjust to each others quirks and habits.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">4. Any tips for newlyweds living in their new home/with their in laws?</span><br /> In the start it might feel like you're just playing bahay-bahayan but it helps for the both of you to have a clear plan for your future. Whether it be to save up for a house, a car, have a baby... There are things that you have to prepare and plan for beyond your wedding. Sabi nga nila, the wedding is just for a day but your marriage will be a lifetime. So, it pays that you have a plan for your future as a couple/family.<br /></span></span><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";color:#000000;" ></span><span style=";font-size:10;color:#000000;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">**********</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wow... 34 weeks and 1 day... In a few weeks time this wriggly little baby in my tummy is going to say "Hello world!". =) I can't wait to hold my baby love. But while waiting for that day to come, I'll enjoy every minute of carrying her around and feeling her move inside me. As I lumber around in my huge swelling "hobbit"-like feet, I know she's safe and snug inside me --- and that is always a comforting thought. =)</span><br /></div></div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-13562320307856026232009-06-02T18:17:00.000-07:002009-06-02T19:07:26.051-07:00Baby StuffA lot of things have been going on since my last post. First, we transferred to our temporary apartment in Avida Sta. Catalina. Then, we started buying baby clothes and lastly, I had my 31weeks doctor's checkup yesterday.<br /><br />Moving to a new place at 7+ months pregnant is not easy. I was bone-tired even though Carl did almost all the packing and all the heavy lifting of our stuff. Added to this is the stress brought about by a miscommunication with the subdivision admin and the homeowner's association. The guards wouldn't let us in the front gate! It was late and way past my dinner time and we were stuck with the mini-truck at the front gate! Lumabas talaga sungay ko dahil dito and all I could do was yell at the guards when all I really wanted was to wring the necks of the admin and HOA secretary. When we finally got hold of the admin after numerous attempts at contacting her, it took all my willpower to handover the cellphone to Carl and not deliver a blistering tirade to the admin. Hay... Things like this are best forgotten. Anyway, on the brighter side. We are quite satisfied with our temporary home but we are still looking forward to moving in to our very own home by August/September (God-willing).<br /><br />Now on to the fun stuff. We started shopping for Maia! And boy oh boy, I got carried away! =) I just couldn't resist the pink baby dresses that were at 50% off in Babyland. I grabbed two of those. =) Of course, we also bought the practical stuff - receiving blankets, hooded towels, tie-side shirts and onesies, frogsuits, booties - mostly clothes. We are going to buy the crib and the bulkier stuff next. We haven't quite decided if we'd go with the sturdier wooden crib or get the portable Graco cribs. We're praying that a kind Ninong or Ninang will sponsor the crib. Hehehe. =)<br /><br />I had my checkup yesterday and at 31 weeks and 5 days pregnant, I weighed in at 155lbs. Yikes! I still have at least six weeks before Maia comes out so my OB advised me to limit my rice intake (huhuhu) and eliminate sweets in my diet (waaahhhhh!). Thank God its been raining lately and my cravings for the cold, sweet, sinful stuff (aka halo-halo) has subsided. I also had a spotting scare yesterday which turned out to be nothing more than hemorrhoids. Hehehe.<br /><br />So here's my bloated, sleepy-eyed pic at 31weeks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SiXZ2Vd2VvI/AAAAAAAAAEg/lm_iMnOJvus/s1600-h/IMG_4183.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SiXZ2Vd2VvI/AAAAAAAAAEg/lm_iMnOJvus/s320/IMG_4183.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342916060443465458" /></a>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-10989707236460583872009-05-18T23:51:00.000-07:002009-05-19T00:22:07.746-07:00Bahay-bahayanSeeing our almost complete house last Saturday made me realize all over again that I'm in a whole new phase in my life. I have left behind days of pancit canton dinners and spur-of-the-moment gimiks. I now have a baby on the way and a husband at my side -- and I couldn't be any happier. =)<br /><br />Seeing our house was like having a medal hung around our necks at graduation. This house is the tangible product of several years of hard work - sweat and tears (on my part) included. With guidance from our parents and blessings from the one Above -- this is finally it. Our very own home. =)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbYpZHV-I/AAAAAAAAAEA/RZE5tiYHk8s/s1600-h/IMG_4066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbYpZHV-I/AAAAAAAAAEA/RZE5tiYHk8s/s400/IMG_4066.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337428987373639650" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">House construction - January 2009</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbZPWRF8I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/CNDqMzZ-hOE/s1600-h/IMG_4164.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbZPWRF8I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/CNDqMzZ-hOE/s400/IMG_4164.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337428997562243010" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">House construction (side view) - April 2009</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbY6Gp_0I/AAAAAAAAAEI/Lx0E6hpZwZc/s1600-h/IMG_4175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbY6Gp_0I/AAAAAAAAAEI/Lx0E6hpZwZc/s400/IMG_4175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337428991859621698" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">House construction - April 2009</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbZYkc7UI/AAAAAAAAAEY/RkqYaCgz2VU/s1600-h/IMG_3581.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/ShJbZYkc7UI/AAAAAAAAAEY/RkqYaCgz2VU/s400/IMG_3581.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337429000037657922" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Model House</span>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-34632357399222249422009-05-12T23:03:00.000-07:002009-05-12T23:49:20.877-07:00My Pregnancy Weight GainI now realized that I should have kept better track of my weight since the start of this pregnancy. All I remember now is my pre-pregnancy weight (122lbs), my 24weeks weight (142lbs) and my most recent weight at 29weeks (150lbs). So far, I have gained 28lbs during my pregnancy. My OB tells me to keep my total weight gain at 25pounds. I'm actually 3pounds over my OB's limit but I have read in several books and websites that a weight gain between 25-35 pounds is expected for a woman with normal BMI. =) Here is a general pregnancy weight breakdown from http://www.parentingweekly.com/.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br /> 7 - 9 pounds of baby<br /> 2 pounds of placenta<br /> 2 pounds of amniotic fluid<br /> 4 - 5 pounds of increased blood volume<br /> 2 pounds uterine enlargement<br /> 3 - 4 pounds of fluid in maternal tissue<br /> 1 pound of breast enlargement to prepare for breastfeeding<br /> Any remaining pounds are a general deposit of fat required by the body for <br /> breastfeeding and energy stores</span><br /><br />Wow! 1pound on the breasts.. =) Anyway, no worries. I feel that I'm still within normal range. I'll have to cut down on the halo-halo and sweets though.<br /><br />Very soon we will start shopping for baby stuff. I got my list prepared thanks to my officemate, mommy Paula. =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-46952222679373132122009-05-10T19:21:00.000-07:002009-05-11T00:17:01.054-07:00Mother's Day Thoughts<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" >It felt kind of weird to be the recipient of Mother's day greetings y</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" >esterday. I just feel like I don’t have sufficient “credentials” yet in order to carry the title of “Mother”. Carl tells me I’m just in denial. I think not. I just have a different definition of motherhood. For me, motherhood is when you play an active role in the growth of a child – teaching, caring, loving. By this definition, one need not necessarily carry the child for nine months to be considered a mother. In my life, I am very lucky and blessed to have two mothers. My beautiful & intelligent Mama Jo and my equally beautiful & intelligent Mamang Helen. By the example of these two, I am confident that I will be the best mom for Maia. Happy Mother’s Day to my Mama in heaven and to my Mamang in Zamboanga. You two are the best! </span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:Wingdings;font-size:100%;" ><span style="">=)</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SgfOZDL_fCI/AAAAAAAAADg/trvbSMmakrE/s1600-h/gladys+bday+party.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SgfOZDL_fCI/AAAAAAAAADg/trvbSMmakrE/s320/gladys+bday+party.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334459213391297570" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >First birthday with Papa and Mama</span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SgfOZb4_kJI/AAAAAAAAADo/qczDvaxqVCk/s1600-h/DSC_9092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SgfOZb4_kJI/AAAAAAAAADo/qczDvaxqVCk/s320/DSC_9092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334459220022497426" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wedding day with Papa and Mamang</span></span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" >Pregnancy update: I am now 28weeks and 4 days pregnant with our little girl Maia. Her hard kicks and acrobatics from the last month is now more of a yoga-like motion. I guess she’s running out of room in there. </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" ><span style="">=)</span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" > My heartburn is also less frequent but I still feel so bloated. I have stopped wearing my wedding ring on my finger for fear that I won’t be able to take it off anymore. I have also purchased new slippers (size 10 from a size 7!) and undergarments (XL panties and bra 40C). My change is cup size is just astounding! I was just 37B before pregnancy and they say it will be much bigger when I start breastfeeding! Sayang naman all my pre-pregnancy bras if I don’t get to wear them again… I’m still lazy. I just watch TV while Carl does the cooking and washing of dishes. I so, so spoiled. </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" ><span style="">=)</span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" > All I do at home is sleep and eat. I do some house chores too – like press the buttons on our automatic washing machine and let Carl take care of hanging the laundry out to dry. Hehehe. </span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" ><span style="">=)</span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:#000000;" > I’ll be having my monthly check-up this Tuesday and I guess my weight will be around 150 lbs. I will be really freaked out if I tip the scales at 160 lbs (Pleas</span><span style=";font-size:10;color:#000000;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">e God.. Not 160).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SgfQYlVMsfI/AAAAAAAAAD4/_DGc4IFYUWI/s1600-h/P4306457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SgfQYlVMsfI/AAAAAAAAAD4/_DGc4IFYUWI/s400/P4306457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334461404400103922" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:10;color:#000000;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">PTC Rainy Summer Outing at 27weeks pregnant</span></span><br /></span></span></p>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-18128745555963413862009-04-21T23:57:00.000-07:002009-04-22T00:40:15.030-07:00Meet our Maia =)<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">We are having a baby girl! =) Wee! I'm so excited to meet our little angel. =)</span><br /><br />We finally had our 4d ultrasound last Friday (April 17) on my 25th week of pregnancy. Many would say that I should have it much later - around 28-30 weeks - so the baby will have some "chub" and be cuter in the ultrasound. Oh well, I can't wait that long. ;-) As soon as we got our OB's go signal it was only a matter of time and choice of where to have the ultrasound. We eventually settled with having the ultrasound closer to home at the MV Santiago Medical Center in SM Dasmarinas. Apart from the convenience, it was also the cheapest 4d ultrasound that we were able to canvass. Although the package may not be as good as In My Womb, the price difference of P1,200 was our final deciding factor. 'Nuff said. Meet Maia, our sweet little girl. =)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Se7FpAKs2RI/AAAAAAAAADY/WXC6y3DchiY/s1600-h/maia1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 257px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Se7FpAKs2RI/AAAAAAAAADY/WXC6y3DchiY/s320/maia1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327412717436066066" border="0" /></a>Maia was very cooperative all throughout the ultrasound. I have been talking to her since morning, telling her to show her face and gender. She's a very good baby and she listened to mommy. =) She was facing front and was even doing poses during the video. I think she looks like her daddy but I bet she'll have my eyes. =)<br /><br />Then it was time to see the gender. The doctor had a difficult time catching a glimpse of the gender at first because of the umbilical cord blocking his view. He made me lie on my side to get a better picture and there it was - the three slits that showed our baby was a girl. =) Of course Carl had to go and say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Doc baka magbago pa yan paglabas ng baby.</span>" To which the doctor replied, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Hindi. Sure na girl na ito.</span>"<br /><br />Carl was understandably more nervous to have a girl, as he confided to me later on. "<span style="font-style: italic;">Hon, paano kung nagka-mens na sya?</span>", he asked. What a really strange thing to be worried about. I had to reassure him that I'll be the one taking care of all the female stuff and went on to say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Mag-alala ka na lang kung gusto na nyang magka-boyfriend. How old mo ba sya papayagan?</span>" He quickly replied, "<span style="font-style: italic;">21.</span>" Aba! Mukhang pinag-isipan na talaga ng hubby ko yung future ng baby namin. Hahaha!<br /><br />The next day, on our 6th month anniversary, my darling husband brought home two dozen roses. One dozen for me and one dozen for Maia - proudly saying that he is the first guy to give Maia flowers. Awww... How sweet! =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-51810521732367056962009-04-06T02:16:00.000-07:002009-04-12T23:11:59.987-07:00Light Welterweight ala Manny PacquiaoWe just had our monthly checkup last Saturday and guess what? I gained 10pounds in just a month! I tipped the scales at 142lbs! Ano ba yun!?! I was really shocked, to say the least. And I'm putting the blame on Chowking and Razon's halo-halo. Ang init kasi eh kaya tuloy payo sa akin ni Papa mag-ice water na lang daw ako. Huhuhu.<br /><br />Aside from my weight fiasco and the occasional heartburn, my pregnancy is progressing very well. I have a definite bump showing -- not like my mini-bump of last month. We are also scheduling our gender ultrasound check this Wednesday. We are so excited. I'll be uploading photos as soon as I get them. =)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SeLWtx8lR4I/AAAAAAAAADQ/VDLd3uhQiQ4/s1600-h/IMG_4129.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SeLWtx8lR4I/AAAAAAAAADQ/VDLd3uhQiQ4/s320/IMG_4129.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324053791495243650" border="0" /></a>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-21128539710024003602009-03-09T19:59:00.000-07:002009-03-09T20:09:10.187-07:00Baby Gender QuizI must admit, I'm so excited for next month when we get to know if the baby is going to be a girl or a boy. And although I know that sex is determined by the X or Y chromosome in the winning sperm, I'm still addicted to those gender prediction online quizzes that's based on old wives tales. Here's one that I got from www.childbirth.org and my results:<br /><br /><i><span sans="" style="font-family:comic;font-size:+2;color:#0033ff;">You have a 47% chance of having a boy.<br /></span> <span sans="" style="font-family:comic;font-size:+2;color:#ff6699;"> And you have a 52% chance of having a girl.<br /><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size:+1;"><b>And Here's Why...</b></span><br />- You are carrying the extra weight around the hips and bottom, so it's a girl.<br />- The hair on your legs is growing faster during pregnancy, so it's a boy.<br />- Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.<br />- Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.<br />- Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.<br />- You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.<br />- Dad-to-be is gaining weight right along with Mom-to-be, which means that you'll have a boy.<br />- The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.<br />- You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.<br />- You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.<br />- Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.<br />- Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.<br />- A needle on a thread held over you belly moves from side-to-side, so it will be a girl.<br />- Your urine is a bright neon yellow color, so you will have a boy.<br />- You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.<br />- Your nose has been spreading, which indicates a boy.<br />- You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.<br />- Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.<br />- You must have orange juice every day, so it's a girl.<br />- You are not having headaches, so it's a girl.<br />- Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.<br />- You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.<br />- You use the handle, so it's a boy.</i><br /><br />It's a pretty close fight. =) And while Carl continues to cheer for a basketball player, I continue to cheer for one that will be in the WNBA. Hehehe. =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-89430817954453018962009-03-02T00:15:00.000-08:002009-03-09T00:04:00.293-07:00I'm baaaack!!I can't believe that its been a month since my last entry. If it wasn't for my husband's constant reminder for me to update my blog (and his constant refusal to write one of his own), I would have continued ignoring the urge to write down my thoughts.<br /><br />What has been going on last February? Well, there was Feb. 14 Valentine's Day -- which I think is getting too commercialized for it to hold any real significance.<hehe!> So instead, we celebrated our Valentine's day last Feb. 16 which also coincides with the 7th year of us as a couple. And of course, Carl turned 28 last Feb. 24. =) Happy birthday to the man who holds my heart, the man I married, my anchor, my honey, my one love forever. =)<br /><br />So that sums up February. Now on to March. =) I'm 19 weeks 5 days pregnant as of this writing and weighing in at 133lbs. I have gained 13lbs so far during my pregnancy. Here's photo of my 19 weeks bump. =)<br /><br /></hehe!><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SbS8rSmEy7I/AAAAAAAAACo/9wcfTqYHt5c/s1600-h/19w3d+bump1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SbS8rSmEy7I/AAAAAAAAACo/9wcfTqYHt5c/s320/19w3d+bump1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311077312488590258" border="0" /></a><hehe!>This was taken right before our doctor's appointment last Saturday. So, do I look preggy or just plain fat? As my husband would say, I'm increasing on the sides instead of infront. =)<br /><br /></hehe!>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-48946508463192976722009-02-04T18:33:00.001-08:002009-02-04T21:13:06.472-08:00Short TalkI have been delinquent in updating my blog lately and its all because those darn test patterns refuse to work! I have been swamped lately with creating characterization patterns for our test programs <<em>geek talk.. blah.. blahh.. bleeach</em>.>. Anyway, things should start settling down in two weeks time and I can get back to being the giddy mom-to-be.<br /><br />Our little darling is now 15weeks old and I have started to feel a bit of movement from him/her which I’m definitely sure is not just gas. =) In just a few weeks, Carl will be able to feel our baby too. He has been quite impatient with my tummy not getting bigger fast enough and I think he feels left out. Hehehe. =)<br /><br />Oh well, this is just about my shortest entry so far. I'll have more stories next time. =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-45501203688619520812009-01-26T22:12:00.000-08:002009-01-26T23:04:44.263-08:00Only in my DreamsI have been having these strange, vivid dreams in the past few days and incidentally all of them were about me back in my elementary school days at WMSU. I can’t recall the entire details of the dreams but I do remember the gist of it.<br /><br /><strong>Dream #1:</strong> <em>The whole Grade 6-T class was abuzz with news of exchange students coming from outside the country. I was curious too because they were going to be in my group, the Rainbow Kids. And here comes the exchange students, Amorn and Chaowarith from Thailand. Huh!?</em><br /><br />Amorn and Chaow are my Engineering counterparts in MTHAI. I wonder what event could have triggered them being showcased in my dreams?<br /><br /><strong>Dream #2:</strong> <em>I was back in Grade 6 but I was already 3months pregnant. My bestfriend in elem., Christine, was also pregnant with her second child. She already has a 2-year old baby girl running around playing while we were having lunch inside our classroom. When the child turns around and faces me, she looks like the exact carbon copy of my sister Miriam!<br /></em><br />It would not take a genius to figure out why I had this dream. Just the night before I was relating to Carl and Miriam some of the funny stories of Miriam when she was in her baby-toddler years. With a seven-year gap, I can clearly recall all the “nasty” things I was doing to my baby sister. =) From the eating her baby food episode <em>(one subo for Miriam, two subo for Ate. And my mother would always wonder why Miriam is still hungry after I feed her. Now you know. ;-))</em> to making takas in the afternoons so I can go play with my friends <em>(ayaw namin ng saling-pusa! Hehehe!)</em>. I can still remember how I could hear Miriam cry when she wakes up from her afternoon nap to find me gone. I’m such a bully but I do love my sister very much. She will always be our baby. =)<br /><br />Speaking of dreams, Carl is also having dreams of his own. He once told me of his dream where he was a chef and he was cooking chicken curry. <em>“Sayang hon, palpak yung luto ko”,</em> he said. Syempre naman, I had to “bait” him. <em>“Sige nga hon, magluto ka nga ng chicken curry.”,</em> I said. And he took my bait! =) We had chicken curry that evening and it tasted pretty good. My hubby is turning out to be a better cook than I am! Not that I’m complaining – I am always willing to be the dishwasher. =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-20065177781507767202009-01-18T22:28:00.000-08:002009-01-18T23:20:58.157-08:00Doldrums...It was another ordinary day in the office and there I was brushing my teeth after lunch when suddenly… Wait, there’s something different with my face… Hmmmm… I move closer to the mirror… My nose is BIGGER!!! Sometimes these physical changes that comes with pregnancy just gives me the doldrums. Yeah, yeah. Its all part and parcel of being pregnant and like Carl says, its my body’s way of preparing for our little one but c’mon! Honestly, how would you feel if all the while you thought that the bulge just below your belly button was your growing baby only to have your doctor place the Doppler not on that bulge but way down below it? The bulge is a bilbil not the baby! And I was so looking forward to taking pictures and document the size of my bump starting this month but I can just imagine future conversations with my kid…<br /><br />Child: <em>Mommy, is that me when I was at your tummy at 3 months?</em><br />Me: <em>No anak, that’s just mommy’s bilbil.</em><br /><br />Ugh! I really should have gone into medicine to save myself all these ignorance and disappointments. Remind me again why I chose to be an engineer? Ah yes, because I thought my course was about COMMUNICATIONS ala Mass Communications not about antennas and semiconductors. And that’s another price I have to pay for my ignorance.<br /><br />Anyway, on the brighter side of my bilbil story, we got to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time last Saturday. It was going so fast! =) The doctor recorded it at 150bpm – that’s about twice the normal heartrate for adults! It was really fascinating and Carl got to hear it too! Yey! =) The doctor gave a lot of advise for us first-time parents. Let me see if I can recall all of them.<br /><br />1. Just buy 12 sets of baby clothes (4 sleeveless, 4 with sleeves, 4 longsleeves). The baby will outgrow them quickly. Choose white colors so that it can be used again for the next baby.<br />2. Start buying pampers dry or huggies dry when its sold at a discount. Get the M-L sizes because Carl is huge so our baby may also be big. Hehehe. =)<br />3. When bottle feeding, invest on the nipples – not the bottles.<br />4. Buy a wooden crib. Its more durable and hindi maalog.<br />5. Invest in a good quality, sturdy stroller. Pick the large one coz toddlers would still like to ride it.<br />6. Be financially ready. Prepare Php100,000 for childbirth – this will also cover emergencies. (Note: It only costs Php 7000 to give birth in the municipal lying-in clinics. A saleslady at Robinson’s told me.)<br />7. Have frequent sex on the 37th week of pregnancy. (Yes, its true.)<br /><br />We are due for another check-up next month and I have just graduated from taking folic acid vitamins to iron+folic acid vitamins. The doctor also gave me a long list of food to avoid – coffee, tea, softdrinks, too sweet, too salty. Remember to drink my meds and Anmum everyday. Also eat lots of fruits and vegetables. As for food cravings… Well, I think its okay as long as its in moderation. Just last week I had this intense craving for dinuguan and dilis. =) Thanks to my officemate from Batangas who was kind enough to send me some dinuguan from their fiesta handaan. I was in seventh heaven that day! =)<br /><br />My sis will be arriving from Zamboanga this Sunday and with her is my care package from Papa consisting of fresh fish – samaral, tanigue and yellow-fin tuna. =) Kainan na naman. Yahoo! =) Kaya naman pala lumalaki bilbil ko eh. Hahaha! =)g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-27129708160123106342009-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:002009-01-06T20:06:43.679-08:00Happy New Year from Laoag!<div><div><div><div>Its final. The next time we visit Laoag with our baby in tow, it will be by plane. I just can't seem to get the hang of sleeping in a moving (make that jarring) 9-hour bus trip to Ilocos. Arriving in Laoag in the early morning of the 28th made me feel like one of the zombies in the "Night of the Living Dead". Well, what else can be expected from a 2-months pregnant woman that just came from a 1.5hr plane trip from Zamboanga (which was delayed!) and a 9hr land trip north? All I could think about was bed and breakfast. Of course, I had to eat first -- our baby was hungry. =) (Its so nice being pregnant, I can say all of my food binges are for the baby. Hehehe.) Long story short, I was fast asleep (more like comatose) the entire morning and got up just in time for lunch. Again, I have to feed our baby so my internal body clock was working pretty well when it came to eating times. =)</div><div></div><br /><div>Coming from opposite ends of the Philippines do have its advantages. Number one advantage is food. While Carl and I stuffed ourselves with all the seafood in Zamboanga, in Laoag we are <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQgq9PKKYI/AAAAAAAAAAo/6tZiQiP-fSg/s1600-h/f1.JPG"></a>greeted with a whole set of different flavors. There's my #1 favorite the Ilocos orange empanada with papaya and egg filling served on a paper bag dripping with oil... Yum! Yum! Yum! I swear, pinaglihian ko talaga ito. =) And then there was all the food that was prepared for our "mini-reception" in Laoag. We had all the dishes you can prepare from goat - kilawin, papait and kaldereta, lechon, embotido, etc. etc. My Ilocano blood runs strong with my cravings for papait. I had 2 rounds of papait that evening and I had another round of papait for breakfast the next day. Sarap! =) </div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288397146872347394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQpL5qD-wI/AAAAAAAAACA/U1JwfevUmjw/s320/coll1.JPG" border="0" /> <div>Speaking of our mini-reception, I was really amazed at how "bongga" it turned out to be. We had lots of food, we prepared a slideshow of our wedding for the guests, we had games for the kids and adults, there was videoke and singing up to the early hours of the morning. Whew! Of course, it was all thanks to Papa C and Mama R for making it such a success. =) </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288397407626433618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQpbFCrlFI/AAAAAAAAACI/ZVT5jNkPTqE/s320/f9.JPG" border="0" /> <div>New Year in Laoag was noisy and smoky and fun, just what a New Year should be like. =) We went to church on the evening of Jan. 1 where I had to reign in one of the more embarassing "side effects" of pregnancy -- flatulence. I swear, its so embarrassing! There are days that I'm going at it every ten or fifteen minutes! Thank God, I'm successful at keeping it discreet when other people are around. But if its just me and Carl -- I have coached him to say "Music to my ears" and "Wonderful aroma" to soothe my embarrassed ego. Hehehe. =)</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288397741201020994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQpuftD2EI/AAAAAAAAACQ/uj-I6I1fb6Y/s320/DSCN0641.JPG" border="0" /> <div>May 2009 bring in more blessings to all! God bless!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288397966242747442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQp7mDMFDI/AAAAAAAAACY/anKI_QvSSRY/s320/IMG_4026_orig.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>P.S.</strong> I have originally intended to post this at Friendster blog but I got pissed off at how slow posting and uploading is there. My previous posts are still in Friendster but I'll try transferring them here.</span></em> </div></div></div></div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-39324955755023387452008-12-28T19:52:00.000-08:002009-06-19T00:20:29.998-07:00Merry Christmas from Zamboanga!<div><div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Originally posted in Friendster on Dec. 28, 2008.</span></em></div><div></div><br /><div>Carl and I had a blast spending our Christmas in my beloved city of Zamboanga. I was so, so spoiled with my Papa, Grandma and Tita giving me all my food requests. Some of the best treats that they had prepared for the “butete” (their endearment for the preggy me) includes steamed samaral, latu salad, ginataang puso ng saging, sweet and sour lapu-lapu, locon (huge shrimps) and crabs, crabs, crabs! =) There was also an abundance of fruits - mangos, bananas, pineapples, watermelons.. Yum! Yum!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288395323679153506" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQnhxu7nWI/AAAAAAAAABo/hpz51Lj3sfg/s320/IMG_3982.JPG" border="0" />When asked what we did in Zamboanga, the answer is simple. We ate and had a good time with family and friends. Thank you Lord for the abundance in food that You have blessed Zamboanga with and thank you for the great cooks in my family! =) Lucky me for not having morning sickness so I get to enjoy all the food this Christmas. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288395582327372898" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQnw1RePGI/AAAAAAAAABw/_ntbtMJa8uc/s320/IMG_3988.JPG" border="0" /> Yesterday before leaving Zamboanga, Papa, Carl and I woke up at 3am to buy crabs for pasalubong to the folks in Laoag. Papa’s suki owns the breeding farm and we get to pick the crabs we want to buy before it gets shipped to Manila. We bought 3 kilos male crabs, 2 kilos female crabs and a 1 kilo crab which is as large as a plate! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288395775009921314" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQn8DEkmSI/AAAAAAAAAB4/MBruKlvmk28/s320/IMG_3994.JPG" border="0" /> <div>We arrived Laoag this morning. I didn’t get much sleep on the way here.. It was a bit of a bumpy ride but I had a good rest afterwards so no worries. =) I’m looking forward to my New Year here in Laoag. I can hear the cries of the goat who is counting his last days. Mwahahahaha! =)</div></div></div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-33209932626199886912008-12-17T19:50:00.000-08:002009-06-19T00:19:59.360-07:00Boy or Girl?<div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Originally posted at Friendster on Dec. 17, 2008.</span></em></div><div><br />Bruttie sent me a lunar calendar which they say is about 90+% accurate in determining the sex of your baby. To use the lunar calendar and predict the gender of the baby, find the mother’s age at conception (across the top of the table) and then the month at which conception occured. The intersecting point between row and column will predict whether the baby is a boy (blue) or a girl (pink).<br /><a href="http://gladysmais.blog.friendster.com/files/lunar.jpg"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288394673002709058" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 218px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQm75xlAEI/AAAAAAAAABg/aMDeXNJAe1A/s320/lunar.JPG" border="0" /><br />This calendar is accurate with Carl’s side of the family however is not at all accurate for me and Miriam. I remember Carl in deep concentration counting back the days when we learned of our baby’s gestational age right after our ultrasound and he insists that its a boy. I think so too but just to be contrary, I’m betting that its a girl. =)<br /></div><br /><div>We’ll know by April who wins the bet. I already like the name Joshua for a boy and maybe Caitlin if its a girl. =)</div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-90731446473864744282008-12-15T19:44:00.000-08:002009-07-19T23:58:51.224-07:00Heartbeat Present!<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Originally posted at Friendster on Dec. 15, 2008.</span></em><div><br />It was our second ultrasound yesterday to check for our baby’s heartbeat — and there it was at 176 beats per minute! =) Our baby is now 7 weeks and 5 days along, 1.44cm long and is due by July 29, 2009.<br /><a href="http://gladysmais.blog.friendster.com/files/7weeks1.jpg"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393954221532290" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 242px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SWQmSEGypII/AAAAAAAAABY/6AfVucF1kVs/s320/7weeks.JPG" border="0" /><br />I can’t begin to describe the feeling when I saw that flickering spot in the ultrasound monitor that was our baby’s heart. Naiyak ako, promise. Even the grouchy ultrasonologist couldn’t dampen that feeling of excitement, gentleness and love I was experiencing. Sayang nga Dads were not allowed into the ultrasound room. Carl had to wait at the lobby where I just recounted to him my ultrasound experience. Next time we’ll have my ultrasound at a clinic were Carl can experience seeing the baby with me. =)</div><br /><div>I did mention that this was our second ultrasound. The first one was taken too early (due to over-excitement!) that only the gestational sac was visible. I remember too well my conversation with the nurse during the ultrasound:</div><div><br />Nurse: <em>Buntis po kayo Ma’am pero walang baby.</em><br /></div><br /><div>Me (Shocked): <em>Ano!? Bakit walang baby? Pero buntis ako?</em><br /></div><br /><div>Nurse: <em>Opo, buntis kayo. GS po meron. Doctor na lang po mag-eexplain.</em><br /></div><br /><div>I was really, really worried. Where was my baby? Why was this nurse telling me there was no baby? Hay naku, di lang pala kami nagkaintindihan. She should have said something like the baby is still too small to be seen.. Blah, blah, blah. But she had to say “Walang baby”. I’m pregnant and hormonal and no one can blame me if I take things out of context. Oh well, thank God for ultrasound picture charts in the Doc’s clinic where I get to know about GS (Gestational Sac) and the early stages of pregnancy. =)</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQVEmNDGOI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Qur-OZJUQPY/s1600-h/IMG_4207.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/SmQVEmNDGOI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Qur-OZJUQPY/s320/IMG_4207.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360432625196669154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Two lines = positive! =)</span></span><br /></div><br />Our baby is being very good to me. Aside from the occasional drowsiness, lightheadedness and bitter taste in my mouth, I feel right as rain. No morning sickness for me so far. =) Sana tuloy tuloy na to.<br /></div><div> </div><div>I can’t wait for the upcoming holidays. I swear I’m gonna indulge with all the fresh seafood I can get in Zamboanga. Just thinking about Samaral and latu already makes my mouth water. Seven more days and counting! =)</div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-27311298583145980332008-10-18T17:17:00.000-07:002009-06-19T00:18:44.368-07:00The Proposal<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >"The Proposal" was originally posted in our wedding <a href="http://carl-gladys.weddingannouncer.com/">website</a>.</span><br /><br /><div class="section" style="font-family:georgia;"> <div class="text"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;font-family:georgia;"><span style=""><strong>Date:</strong> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">September 29, 2007 </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;font-family:georgia;"><span style=""><strong>Place:</strong> <place st="><font color="></place> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Penang, Malaysia</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p> </span></div> </div> <div class="section" style="font-family:georgia;"> <div class="text"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> <span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style=""><span style=""><span style="">It was the second day of my vacation in the beautiful island of Penang and Carl & I just arrived in the hotel from an exhausting city tour. Carl remained full of energy and couldn't seem to stop talking about "The Ship", a restaurant where we will be having dinner that night. He kept on repeating that it was a very romantic restaurant and a perfect treat for my Penang farewell dinner. I was listening with half an ear and was taking cat naps until it was time for us to leave Batu Ferringhi. I was amazed when I saw the restaurant since it was shaped literally as a ship. So that's where it got its name. =)</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></div> </div> <div face="georgia" class="section"><div class="text"><span style="font-size:100%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> </span></div> <div style="text-align: center;" class="photo"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sjg2v3CQiAI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Ud6Cu0iq7GU/s1600-h/penangtrip004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sjg2v3CQiAI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Ud6Cu0iq7GU/s320/penangtrip004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348084753357637634" border="0" /></a></div> </div> <hr style="visibility: hidden; height: 3px;font-family:georgia;"> <div class="section" style="font-family:georgia;"><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Picture taken infront of "The Ship" the day after Carl proposed</span><br /></div><div class="text" style="font-family:georgia;"><p><span style="font-size:100%;">While having our dinner, Carl looked a bit agitated. When I asked him why, he said that the atmosphere in the restaurant was not exactly the “romantic” setting that he hoped it would be. With the song “Anak” playing in the background, I was inclined o agree. =) Don’t ask me why a Freddie Aguilar song is playing in a Malaysian restaurant ‘coz I’m as bewildered as you are. =) </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">To save our “romantic” dinner date, Carl invited me for a walk along the beach before we head back to the hotel. After a bit of strolling, we chanced upon a bench on the beach and decided to take a seat and just spend time together. We will be apart again by tomorrow and not see each other for another month so we wanted to spend quality time just being with each other. After a bit of chit-chat, Carl suddenly became silent then he took hold of my hand and began his speech. The minute he took my hand and started stroking my ring finger I thought “<em>Is he going to propose tonight!!???!!!</em>”. I was in a state of shock! My hands felt clammy and my heart was pounding in my ears. Too much pounding that I heard only bits and pieces of the fairly long speech that my normally shy and quiet boyfriend was saying. I heard the “<em>growing old together</em>” part and the “<em>I can see you as the mother of our children</em>” part then finally “<em>Gladys, will you marry me?</em>”. The pounding suddenly stopped. I felt light-headed and if not for Carl still holding on to my hand, I think I might have floated right up to heaven. As he pulled the ring out of his pocket, I knew deep in my heart that he is the one person that God intended me to share the rest of my life with. So, the answer to the question was easy. I said “<em>Yes</em>” to my honey, my hoody and my love forever.</span></span></p></div></div><hr style="visibility: hidden; height: 3px; font-family: georgia;"> <div style="font-family: georgia;" class="section"> <div class="text"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sjg3o5oqwQI/AAAAAAAAAFM/u2aFDnzwqQ0/s1600-h/penangtrip018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 140px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sjg3o5oqwQI/AAAAAAAAAFM/u2aFDnzwqQ0/s320/penangtrip018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348085733308154114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><strong>Trivia:</strong></em> The reason why Carl was stroking my ring finger was because he was worried that the ring might not fit.... It was a perfect fit. =)</span></div> </div>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8000517361310507115.post-67461623537605484562008-10-18T16:59:00.000-07:002009-06-19T00:18:02.224-07:00Our Story<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >"Our Story" was originally posted in our wedding <a href="http://carl-gladys.weddingannouncer.com/">website</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >What follows is an account of how we met. =)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Carl</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />How I met my future wife? Our story started in our dormitory back in UP, Yakal Residence Hall. Although we were in the same dormitory, our paths never crossed until the latter part of her stay in the dorm. In fact, we were never introduced to each other.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sjg1XfawCZI/AAAAAAAAAE8/tucstH7OMmM/s1600-h/IMG_2196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GqgGJuVzRyk/Sjg1XfawCZI/AAAAAAAAAE8/tucstH7OMmM/s320/IMG_2196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348083235189426578" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Yakal Residence Hall</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >I was residing at the first floor west wing part of the dormitory living a low-profile life while Gladys was on the other side of the dormitory, known as Piper, one of the heartthrobs in Yakal. Who would have thought that I will be ending up marrying one of the heartthrobs in the dormitory? =)<br /><br />Why Piper? Gladys was known as Piper in the dormitory because she looks like the actress who plays the character Piper in the TV series “Charmed.” I was very curious if she really looks like “Piper.” So I decided to watch “Charmed” one night and see for my self the one they call “Piper.”<br /><br />“Di naman e…” was my first reaction. She does not look like Piper. “Siya pala si Gladys…” Honestly, it was not love at first sight (Sorry honey! =)). Maybe because, if I remember it right she wore eye glasses back then. Her beauty was hidden by those eye glasses. I wondered what she would look like without those eye glasses.<br /><br />Days, weeks, months passed and I hardly notice her in the dormitory until she started wearing contact lenses. “Maganda pala siya!” At that time, I was only limited to appreciating her beauty from afar. I started watching Charmed regularly just to see her. Also, since my room is right beside the walkway and every time I hear voices of people speaking in Bisaya at lunch time, I knew it is her group passing by, so I would peek out the window and there I get a glimpse of Gladys, always radiant and her smiling eyes makes her glow even more.<br /><br />Sometime, Q4 of 2000, Gladys was my classmate in Physics…<br /><br />One day, when Ronnie and I went to the dormitory to get some stuff for our project, I saw Gladys, sitting at the lobby, alone, waiting for her friends I think. I don’t know what prompted me to ask her about some “fabricated” Physics assignment.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Gladys</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />I was sitting in the lobby of the Yakal Dormitory one evening waiting for my friends to come down for dinner when…<br /><br />Carl: Uh… excuse me. May assignment ba tayo sa Physics?<br /><br />Me (medyo nagulat kasi di kaagad napansin na may lumapit dahil medyo mahina ang boses): Wala naman tayong assignment.<br /><br />Carl: Okay, thanks.<br /><br />Me (thinking): Classmate ko ba yun?<br /><br />So, in the next Physics 103 class I noticed him sitting in the third row. Buti napansin ko pa given the very large class size of Physics 103 in UP. I asked Kenen (my forever seatmate in that class) if he knew that guy in the third row. Kenen told me that he was Carl Saturnino a resident of West Wing 1 of Yakal. Naglalaro din daw ng basketball. I wasn’t really an avid fan of basketball since chess was the only game I played during dorm sportsfest. Anyway, after that I will always start noticing him around the dorm and in my other classes.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Carl</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Our first meeting in the Yakal lobby was without the usual introductions, “Hi I’m Carl! And you are?” It was the first and last “significant” meeting until December 2001. I got up late for class that morning and while waiting for an IKOT jeep and still groggy, I saw her coming out from the dormitory in her usual glowing self and cute walk. =) I knew she was going to class at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) building.<br /><br />“Si Gladys, papasok rin, sana sumakay siya ng jeep… Sana kami lang dalawa sa jeep, para makausap ko…”<br /><br />It was my lucky day after all! Gladys also took the IKOT jeepney in going to class and we were the only people that were on that jeepney during the ride to EEE building. I will have the chance to talk to her and finally introduce myself.<br /><br />In my mind, I was playing with different introductory phrases to start the conversation. How will start? What will I say to her? “How is your project in COE 115 going?” No. “What is your class this morning?” No. “Do we have an assignment?” Not again! The Physics pickup line was not effective. (Unknowingly, it was effective after all!) Will I talk to her? She is now smiling at me. Is there something on my face?<br /><br />Sa tagal ko mag-isip, nakarating na kami sa EEE building, I haven’t uttered a single word, not even a “Hi!” or “Good Morning!”. I wasted 15-20 minutes alone with Gladys (minus the driver of course). I had the chance to finally talk to her and introduce my self but I didn’t. Torpe? Ako? Hindi, puyat lang!!! =)<br /><br />I told to myself, “Next time I’ll talk to her.”<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Gladys</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />After a few months of seeing Carl around the dorm and the EEE building, I told my friends. “Hey, guess what. May bago akong crush sa dorm. Itago na lang natin sya sa pangalang Coolking.” Coolking comes from the name of my fave halohalo stand in SM North at that time. =)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Carl</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />December arrived and I was planning to invite Gladys to go and watch the UP Diliman Annual Lantern Parade and probably ask her out to dinner. Unfortunately, it was the day of the Lantern Parade when her whole family went to Baguio for a vacation. Another missed opportunity… But because I was really eager to talk to her that day, I got her number from a friend. I sent her a TXT message but I didn’t get a reply from her.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Gladys</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />In December 2001, I was one of the first residents of Yakal to go on Christmas vacation. My whole family was going on vacation in Baguio then spend Christmas in Abra (hometown of Papa). While in the bus on the way to Baguio , biglang may nag-txt na unknown number. Hahaha! Si Coolking pala! And so began our txt exchanges during the holiday season.<br /><br />We went out on our first date in January 2002 – dinner lang at Tokyo-Tokyo. Mura pa yung Sumo Pork Tonkatsu nun! It was a feast for us who were living on a student’s allowance. =) In February, and several dates later, he asked me out for a Valentines date. Unfortunately, I already had plans for that night with my friends so we decided to have the date on February 15 instead.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Carl</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />I was all dressed up in polo and slacks for my “Valentine’s” date with Gladys but when Gladys came down from the Girl’s wing, she was wearing jeans and shirt. I felt overdressed but it was too late to change! Anyway, we proceeded to Angelino’s for dinner and afterwards went to the UP Fair. There was a lot of people inside the fair area so we decided to listen to the band from the “banks” of the Sunken Garden near Vinzon’s Hall. It was past midnight by then. We listened to the band for a while, talked for a while, and then I held her hand. And the rest is history. =)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Gladys</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Five years later and with our love for each other growing in leaps and bounds since that first night we held hands, we are now taking the next step in our relationship. That of husband and wife. =)</span>g_saturnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10616563745088964231noreply@blogger.com0