our wedding coordinator (and now n@wie sis), Clarice (thanks again Clarice for sharing), shared in our n@w yahoogroups about this beautiful book that she reads to her baby Jia every night. the book is entitled “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch, and it is about a parent’s unconditional love. Clarice posted it in her blog..and i’m re-posting it to share to whoever reads my blog  i requested my officemate to buy me a copy also when she buys one, because Wilson didn’t find a copy at SM Manila (Booksale and National Bookstore). i’m so excited that Agie was able to buy yesterday from NB in SM San Lazaro (thanks Agie)…so excited to get my copy and read it to Jared too (I also do read books for him before going to sleep, though not every night).
Here is the full text of the book:
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be. The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother’s watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, “this kid is driving me CRAZY!” But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be. The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo! But at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be. The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes the mother felt like she was in a zoo! But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be. That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son’s house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be. Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, “You’d better come see me because I’m very old and sick.” So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always… But she couldn’t finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my Mommy you’ll be. When the son came home that night, he stood for a long time at the top of the stairs. Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her he sang: I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be. finally! i’m posting/sharing my (long overdue) birthing story…here’s what happened starting from few days before (this story was written and shared to my n@w yahoogroups about a week after giving birth…inedit ko lang ng konti, medyo mas inayos ko yung pagka-kwento..medyo lang haha!)… my EDD was supposed to be aug.18 (tuesday)… aug.15 (saturday) during my checkup, i was still 1cm dilated (2wks or more than 2wks na ata akong 1cm) and sabi ng OB ko 'mataas' pa din daw si baby di pa bumababa. kahit palagi na kong puro lakad sa mall since 35wks ata ako eh ambagal nyang bumaba. sabi ng OB ko she's giving me until aug24 (monday), pag di pa ko naglabor nun iinduce na nya ko. kahit daw pwede max of 2wks after edd yung pwede, di nya ko palalagpasin ng more than 1wk overdue. sinabi nya din kung ano yun mga things to watch out for aside from regular contractions. aug.17 (monday) naka-maternity leave na ako. araw-araw akong nageexercise since aug15 (walking sa grocery, sa paligid ng bahay namin, akyat-baba sa hagdan, linis ng room, saka yun tailor-sitting ba yun na exercise for easier labor). the night of aug17 feeling ko malabo nga ako manganak ng edd ko, wala ako nararamdaman na contractions eh, sobrang kakainip yun paghihintay. aug18&19 came, wala pa din signs! aug.20 (thurs) around 10am nagising ako at nag-cr, nagulat ako may spot ng blood sa undies ko, parang 1st day ng mens..nung nagising at nag-cr ako ng 7am wala pa yun. pagkakita ko nun kinabahan ako and at the same time naexcite (thinking na 'this is it')...i tried to be calm, and nagprepare na para pumunta sa OB ko after lunch. hinatid ako ng bro ko sa hosp/clinic (overseas kasi si hubby) and ready na din kami just in case i-aadmit na ko (i was really hoping then). nung nag-IE yung OB ko 1cm pa din daw at mataas pa din daw! pero numipis na daw cervix ko. so umuwi pa din kami. aug22 (sat) madaling-araw ilang beses akong nagising kasi sumasakit puson ko, parang meron o magkakaroon ako. pero di pa regular yun interval nung contractions, so dinedma ko lang. the whole day ng saturday pinapakiramdaman ko lang sya...mga 6pm nagstart ako magtime, around 10-20 mins yung interval (sabi ng OB ko pag mga 10mins na lang interval tawagan ko sya at punta na ko hospital). around 10pm umaabot pa din ng almost 20mins interval, minsan nag-30mins pa. nung past 11pm na, around 7-10 mins na..so nagdecide na ko punta na kami hosp kasama bro ko at maid (nasa work kasi parents ko, sumunod na lang sila nung umaga). katext ko si wilson nun sabi ko manganganak na ata ako, pati sya nate-tense na wala naman sya magawa kasi nasa malayo nga. past 12am na kami umalis papunta medical center manila (UN ave). mga 1am diretso ako sa area ng delivery room para macheck ng resident OB. for 30mins minonitor muna nila interval ng contractions. then ni-IE ako, 6-7cm na daw! nagulat ako nun kasi iniisip ko baka 3cm pa lang. habang nag-IE pati, pumutok na waterbag ko (not sure kung pinutok na sadya pero parang kusa atang pumutok). after prepping me up, nilipat na ko agad sa labor room, kinabitan nung straps sa tyan for the fetal monitoring. parang ang bilis na ng mga pangyayari that time, di ko na nabilinan yung bro ko tungkol sa pagkuha ng room (buti na lang semi-private ang kinuha). di din ako makatext kasi wala sa akin ang phone ko, pagpasok ko pa lang sa may delivery area bawal na ang kasama at pati gamit/bag ko pinaiwan. ni hindi ko nakuha yung camera at videocam ko nakalimutan ko dahil sa nerbyos, wala tuloy pics sa delivery room. from 1:30-4:30am minumonitor yung contractions ko and si baby sa tyan ko, habang iniinterview. nung nasa labor room na ko dun ko na nararamdaman na tumitindi yung pain at mangiyak-ngiyak na ko, gusto ko sumigaw pero nahihiya ako hehehe! pabulong lang halos na puro "ang sakit!"…ngayong nirerecall ko mga nangyari, feeling ko mukha akong nakakaawa that time. dumating yung anaesthesiogist ko around 3am ata, nung nasaksakan na ko ng epidural ok na ko..hehe! wala na kong nararamdaman at pwede na kong makatulog, kaso dinadaldal/interview pa ako ng nurse ata yun o intern. 4am ata dumating yung reliever ng OB ko, di daw kasi makapunta OB ko nahihilo ata, basta di maganda pakiramdam. gustuhin ko man sya magpaanak sa akin wala ako magagawa, kesa naman pilitin nya kahit di kaya eh baka kung ano pa mangyari sa amin ng baby ko. nung nag-IE yung OB around 4:30, 7cm pa din ako. tapos based dun sa monitor na nakakabit sa akin, everytime may contractions ako bumababa yung heart rate ng baby, nahihirapan/nai-stress daw...ina-update naman nila OB ko thru phone...bandang huli nagdecide sila na kelangan ako i-emergency CS kasi nga nahihirapan yung baby eh mas titindi pa yung contractions pag papalapit na manganak, meaning mas mahihirapan si baby. sa isip-isip ko "huwaaat!?!?! after kong mapraning kakahintay ng ilang araw, at ngayong ilang oras na ko nahihirapan maglabor, i-c-CS din pala ako!!"...well, ayaw ko man ma-cs wala naman ako magagawa, kelangan eh..kesa naman kung ano pa mangyari sa baby ko. so by 5am nasa delivery room na ako...nagpiprepare na sila at sinaksakan na ko uli ng anaesthesia. groggy na ko nun pero all throughout the procedure dinadaldal ako ng anaesthesiologist mamya na daw nya ko patutulugin pag nakalabas na baby ko. nung nilalabas na baby ko (William Jared was born at 5:35am of aug.23, 5days after my EDD) sinabi nya na 'ayan na lumabas na baby mo, lilinisin lang nila tapos makikita mo na'...pero di ko pa agad narinig na umiyak pagkalabas nya... nasa left side ko lang yun cleaning area pero di ko makita kasi nakaharang yun mga nurse na naglilinis..dun ko narinig umiyak yung baby. super groggy na talaga ko as in nahihilo na ko, pero pinipigilan ko makatulog. nung nalinis na, itinabi sa akin ng nurse, tapos ni-kiss ko lang si jared..grabe di ko maexplain yung feeling pagkakita ko sa kanya, naiiyak ako pero di ako naiyak talaga, epekto ata ng sobrang pagkagroggy...that was the last thing na naalala ko, nakatulog na ko agad. ni hindi ko sure kung inalis nila si baby sa tabi ko before or after ako nakatulog. nagising ulit ako ng 7am ata yun nasusuka ako, andun pa din ako sa DR, kakatapos lang ata tahiin, nililinis na lang yun tyan ko..andun at dinaldal uli ako ng anaesthesiologist, sabi ba naman "pano, next year ulit?"...sagot talaga ako "wag muna po!" hehehe!! nilipat na ko sa recovery room tapos tulog ulit ako, nagising ulit ako mga 9am, dadalhin na ko sa room ko nun. that afternoon akala ko iaakyat si jared sa akin, kaso naka-incubator pala for 24hrs dahil CS daw (mandatory daw yun incubator kahit walang problem). di din naman ako pwede pang bumaba sa NICU kasi bawal pa tumayo dahil sa opera, kaya kinabukasan (monday) ko na sya ulit nakita at nakasama nung nagpunta ako sa NICU para magbreastfeed (tinry pa lang pero wala pa milk). di ko na din sya naroom-in kahit gusto ko kasi di ko pa kaya, kala ko nung una pwede partial room-in, yung ibabalik din sa NICU at the end of the day, hindi pala. eh advice din ng OB ko, wag ko pilitin kung hirap pa ko, palakas daw muna ako kasi nga CS ako. nung monday na yun naglalakad-lakad na ko kahit hirap, at nakapupu na din...tuesday nakalabas na kami ng hospital. ang sarap ng feeling na kasama ko na baby ko, at the same time ang hirap mag-alaga lalo na pag 1st-time mom at CS pa, saka wala pa dito si hubby... puyatan blues talaga! but all the sleepless nights and days are worth it when i look at my baby :) 
 | 3 to go | May 25, '10 12:08 AM
for everyone |
i miss blogging!! it's been 9months since i last updated my blog! arghh!
just a quick & short post...
less than 3 months to go and my baby's turning 1. should i start preparing for his 1st birthday? as in prepare...and not just plan...currently i have some plans on what to do or what to have for his birthday. time is passing by quickly...i think i have to start preparing.. hehe..
| 30! | Aug 9, '09 11:30 AM
for everyone |
...not just for the baby...but for other things before the baby comes out...
i'm excited for the 'project' i am planning with some high school friends this june <RYE,wag ka muna maingay dito sa kung ano man un project na yun hehehe...secret muna>. plus, they are also planning to set up a baby shower for me on the same day ...sana matuloy pareho...2wks from now...yipeee!!
i'm still in the 'process' of choosing a name for our baby. wilson gave me the go signal to choose and decide on the name. around halfway into the pregnancy, i thought of some 'criteria' for the names. i want our baby to have 2 first names, starting with a W and a J. i wanted it to be a biblical name, or at least for it to have a nice meaning...so everytime a name pops into my head i search for it on the internet..hehe! i also do not want a very common name, nor a very unique and hard to remember one. i'm preparing for both boy and girl names, as i have yet to confirm the baby's gender thru ultrasound, probably by next week.
here are some of the names i am considering, and their meanings:
boy:
william (or will) > "strong-willed warrior"
jared > "descendant"
janssen > "son of jan"(ine..hehe!)
jeremiah > "the lord exalts"
johannes (or johan) > "the lord is gracious"
some other names suggested by friends:
willard > "brave, strong"
wilbert > "bright will"
wayne > "wagon builder or driver" (i like this one when i heard it paired with jeremiah <wayne jeremiah>, but i don't like the meaning of the name..hehe!)
girl:
winona (or wynona) > "first-born daughter"
justine > "fair"
jillian (or jill) > "youthful"
which do you think are nice combination:
william jared? (i really like this one)
will janssen?
willard janssen?
will jeremiah?
william johan?
wynona justine?
wynona jillian?
or any more suggestions???
i have less than 3 months to decide....
more than a month since my last post...2 down, 1 to go... i'm now on my 3rd (and last) trimester yey!! i'm so excited of course, and at the same time worried about many things..but trying my best not to worry too much...just praying for a normal & healthy baby and of course a safe delivery.
currently thinking of baby names (for boy and girl just to be sure). i already have some in mind, will write a separate post about it.
in relation to the previous post, i am now looking and "canvassing" for baby stuff! exciting!!  a friend told me that it's still early to shop...but as i told her, i haven't started on my shopping yet, i'm just browsing thru baby stuff...i usually look for different items online, and i also check the prices at malls. i limit my "malling" to around 2hrs because i easily feel tired. i'm kinda shocked to discover the price of some items that i like...i plan to start my actual shopping for baby items on my 6th or 7th month (1 to 2months from now). right now, i'm just trying to look around before i decide which items (specifically which brands) to buy when the time comes. we also need to prepare the budget for that. i realized, from my research, that there are actually a LOT of items that need to be bought. i already have a list those items, but will finalize them when i am about to start shopping. here are some items that i like and plan to buy for our baby...
  these are samples of the crib/playpen that i want. it has a bassinet that can be removed when the baby is bigger and can be put in the playpen (the lower portion), plus it has a 'changing table' also. i found these pictures online, and i already found some playpens at baby company in SM dept.store. the cheapest graco playpen that i saw costs P10k!! i am not planning on buying that because i feel it's too much for a crib. i found some other brands just half its price, which i think is reasonable enough. i just need to find some more options that are within the budget but the quality is good.   these are electric sterilizers. the one on the right is an avent microwave sterilizer. it's only lately that i found out there are actually electric and microwave sterilizers...the only sterilizer that i know of before i got pregnant was the 'conventional' aluminum or stainless sterilzer..hehehe!! anyways, i'm still thinking if i would opt to buy an electric one or just the 'conventional' one. i still have a few months to decideand these are bpa-free bottles... i learned that i couldn't just buy any feeding bottle because of the recently(?) dis covered bpa (bisphenol A) on plastic bottles. it is said to be harmful to humans, most especially babies. thus, a major factor to consider now when buying feeding bottles is that they should be bpa-free. there are plastic bottles that are said and identified to be bpa-free (some of them are: playtex, bornfree, gerber, dr.brown's, etc..it is indicated in the packages if they are bpa-free). OR, just to be 100% sure(?), we could just buy glass bottles, plus silicon skins for protection (just like weego bottles, the pic on the right). cute, aren't they? ;) again, i still haven't decided on this. i'm not sure if it is advisable to use glass bottles. if ever, i will probably buy a combination of glass and bpa-free plastic bottles. anyway, either of the two types are kinda pricey... aside from these, there are still a lot of items that we need to buy, such as clothes (different types - onesies, sandos, short and long-sleeved shirts, pajamas, blankets, cloth diapers, bibs, etc)..toiletries, bath tub, etc...i have a looong list of those items... exciting!!
at 21weeks (turning 22wks on tuesday), i'm a little over halfway thru the pregnancy. yey!!:) the first trimester (1-13wks) experience was a bit difficult for me. being a first-time mom-to-be, it was a bit difficult to adjust to that kind of experience. i've been wanting to write about my experiences durng this pregnancy, but was always too tired and/or lazy to do so. it's just now that i finally found the 'energy' to do it...
at 9 weeks... 1 day after my OB checkup, i had lower abdominal pain even if i was lying on bed. i was then advised by my OB to be on bedrest for 1 week due to threatened abortion/miscarriage. after a week, i was told that i could go back to work, but needs to refrain from prolong walking and standing, and carrying heavy objects. that was the first, and hopefully the last, bedrest for me.
of course i experienced most, if not all, of the usual symptoms of pregnancy:
* nausea and vomiting (it was difficult) - it's not exactly a "morning" sickness, as it happens anytime of the day..
* food cravings - at least no weird food cravings, some that i really loved eating then are ripe mangoes, pancakes (i craved for this for 1 day only), melon, ice cream, and some more food that i only ate one time and i was ok
* constipation
* bloating - i hate this feeling of being bloated even if i'm hungry. it was so uncomfortable
* fatigue / lack of energy - i always feel so tired
* frequent urination
at the start of the 2nd trimester (14wks), almost all of those mentioned above were gone, except for the last two. i feel better. there were actually times that i don't feel pregnant..i feel comfortable. though there are times that i still feel tired, my energy level has improved compared to the first 3 months. i am now driving again (i asked my OB during my 2nd month if it's ok and she said yes, i was just really too lazy to drive then). and oh, i can now feel my baby kicking.. :)
i'm not complaining at all, just trying to recall the 1st trimester that was. i can now say it's true that being a mother is really difficult, starting from the pregnancy, but it is of course a happy and enjoyable experience :) looking forward to the remaining weeks until my delivery :)
thursday...right after the last day of my 4-day CAMEL (not the animal..hehe!) training at the mandarin hotel last week, i attended a Lenten Recollection held at our office. the recollection lasted for almost 3 hours only (from 5:30pm until a little past 8pm). the talk was given by Bro. Arun Gogna (www.arungogna.com), entitled: "Blessed...Broken...Given Away".
summarized below are the main points (and the 'spiritual principles') he tackled during that talk:
- BLESSED...
- God blessed us so we can bless others..
- BROKEN...
- God breaks us, so that we can mend our ways..
- God breaks us so He can give us something better..
- God breaks us so we can heal our friends.. (by being able to share and help other friends who might have experienced what we had)
- GIVEN AWAY...
- God gives us away, because He created us to love..
| 7th soul | Mar 22, '09 8:15 PM
for everyone |
i've been planning to blog about this about a month ago but wasn't able to do so... the album of our friends, 7th soul, has been finally released! we bought copies of their album feb.23, the night before wilson left for work so he was able to bring a copy for himself. we're really happy for the band...we hope and pray for their success...and more albums below is an article about them from manila bulletin yesterday (thanks niño for the info):http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/199771/young-side-a-7th-soul
‘Young Side A’ in 7th Soul By YUGEL LOSORATA  L-R: deuel panganiban, leo casanas, elmer pascua, victor niño salazar, angelo manahan, bam santiago
In emerging act in the local gig scene is being dubbed by its audience as having the potential to become as successful as the veteran band behind the classics “Forevermore” and “Hold On.” The group 7th Soul has gotten the tag ‘Young Side A’ with their kind of music and performance, plus the truth they’re practically new. The release of a self-titled debut CD serves as the most significant accomplishment yet for a band comprising of experienced musicians who individually have gone abroad and played in sessions for the last ten years. “Sumikat man o hindi ang album, para sa akin isang malaking trophy ito,” says lead vocalist Elmer Pascua who describes his group’s debut single “Nananabik” as a Tagalog piece so easy to relate with considering its ‘torpe’ topic. Written by Bam Santiago, the group’s acoustic guitarist who’s an ex-member of now-defunct U-Turn, the radio song is just one among the almost dozen tracks 7th Soul recorded for their first album now distributed by Ivory Music. The connection to Side A is taken off 7th Soul’s strong capacity in attracting live audiences with their style of play that’s somehow associable to the former. The band, according to people regularly seeing them run through a set, offers the kind of energy only premier all-male show bands can deliver. Its repertoire, quite different from other pop acts, is usually filled up of pop 80s, radio-friendly 90s gems and even alternative rock music such as Vertical Horizon’s “Everything You Want,” Gin Blossoms’ “As Long As It Matters,” and Incubus’ “Drive.” Bam explains, “For most bands, malaki talaga ang struggle between doing covers and playing all-originals, though I can say we were formed because we wanted to record originals. The opportunity for gigs made us do covers which we liked as well.” Already getting attention from 80s music lovers, 7th Soul revived in their album Reo Speedwagon’s “In My Dreams,” along with “If Love Is Blind” which is also a song from another 80s star in teen hotshot Tiffany. Describing his songwriting contributions as ‘very close to my heart,’ Bam is also author to album tracks “One Wish” and “The Prince.” Keyboardist Victor Niño Salazar has his own share with opening track “Call My Name” and the penultimate piece “Be Still” being his creations. The six souls on board the ship, who closed their album with a likable cover of “Reminiscing,” see God as their seventh member on their sail and so they named themselves 7th Soul. “As much as possible, we play songs na sa palagay namin hindi tinutugtog ng Side A,” argues the glass-wearing Niño who’s also the musical director of the group. 7th Soul is a talent of Erickson Raymundo who’s handling the careers of established acts Sam Milby and Acel. Completing the band’s line-up are guitarist Angelo Manahan, bassist Leo Casanas, and drummer Deuel Panganiban. it's the start of SE (Singles Encounter) season once again for BLD (SE weekend is a special weekend encounter with: one's self, others, the community, and most esp., God). i have attended the SE (batch # 42) last april 2007 when i was still single. and has been part of the support team since the batch after us. every year, BLD holds 3 batches of SE, ours was the second for that year. last year, i've been quite active as support for all 3 batches (even though i'm already married then), especially since we were the sponsoring class of SE45. so i've been practically in all SE weekends since our batch 2 yrs ago, until last year.
starting this year, i'll be missing the SE weekends... the first batch for this year was just held this weekend (march 6-8), and i was not able to come because i have to take care of myself and my pregnancy. bawal mapuyat at mapagod...and being part of the support team is kinda tiring, but super fulfilling. i was planning to go to the venue this morning and be there for the last day to witness the 'graduation' especially since i have 2 friends who attended the SE47, but i was not able to come... i really miss being there to serve...but i know He understands that i have to really take care of this pregnancy, after all, this is His gift. i just can't help but reminisce all the experiences, most especially being a part of the SE42 as candidates (then), and being part of the sponsoring class for SE45. those were 2 different experiences but both were totally unforgettable. i am so blessed to have experienced both (not all candidates/graduates were able to join their batches for the sponsorship).
 the whole SE42 right after graduation... SE42 as part of the support team for SE44 weekend
 the girls of SE42 at the registration table for SE45 our dear shepherds (kuya dante, ate marix, ate katrin)
 SE42 group pic during SE45
waahhh...i miss my SE42 family...hope to see u soon guys...
more pictures here
i don't know if it's just the pregnancy hormones...
i don't know if it's because i miss my hubby...
i don't know if it's just work-related stress...
i don't know if i'm right...
i don't know why......
but i feel that a lot around me has changed (people/things/situation).....
or maybe it's just me (who thinks and feels that way)...???
[nag-eemote lang]
i miss hubby... wilson left again for work this morning, we'll be away from each other for another 10months (hopefully it will just be 8 or 9). saying goodbye, even for less than a year, is never easy..and i guess it will never be. on the contrary, it seems becoming harder for us each time. when we were still bf-gf, it was not easy especially in the first few days/weeks/months...as months pass by, we're slowly getting used to the situation of being in a long distance relationship. when he left early january of last year, it was harder than the previous years because we'll be (physically) separated again after just 2 1/2 months of being married. it was really difficult for both of us. and now, it is more difficult than last year because as he said, "2 na kayong iiwan ko"  i'm trying my best not to be too sad because i know it will affect our baby in my womb. wilson and i were talking last night that for sure the next time(s) will be more and more difficult when the baby is already out. haaayyy...the sacrifice(s) that we have to make, for our family's future.. we're just praying for more strength and guidance.
despite the difficult situation we are in, we're trying to be more positive, at least we now have this great 15-week old blessing before he left. and we're expecting that wilson will be back again before Christmas. and we know that the Lord will be with us always..
| love day | Feb 12, '09 8:31 AM
for everyone |
thursday, 2 days before valentine's day... during lunchbreak, some of my officemates and I attended a 1-hr talk about LOVE (sponsored by a certain volunteer group of employees). the talk was entitled "heart and soul: what love is all about", facilitated by a couple from 'lampstand inspirations'. <i'll try to write a separate blog entry about the talk some other time>.  after the talk, a few minutes after 1pm, we were on our way to buy food for our late lunch. upon reaching the ground floor lobby, we saw someone about to deliver a bouquet of roses. rose and i both reacted "wow ang aga naman ng flowers!" ... after buying our take-out food from the canteen, we proceeded to our floor and work area...and...to my surprise, saw that bouquet of flowers on my desk! hahaha!! plus a pink teddy bear, which i didn't notice from the delivery boy earlier. i texted wilson and thanked him for the surprise. i didn't expect flowers to be delivered in the office for the second time (first was during our 1st yr wedding anniversary). as i mentioned in another post, he usually sends me flowers on special occasions, but those were delivered to our house (if he's overseas). when he's here (like now), he usually gives me flowers when he picks me up from the office, so i was really surprised
 HAPPY NEW YEAR! this is my first post for 2009 (after 2months of being 'silent')...
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some highlights of my last week of 2008 and early part of 2009 (sorry for the blurry pics, i took them using my mobile phone):
dec.24 - bought my first pregnancy kit (test) at mercury drugstore in tagaytay...
i bought it without my hubby's knowledge, i wanted to surprise him just in case. luckily, we had to stop over at mercury drug on our way to sm dasma because my mom asked me to buy a medicine for dad, and wilson was the one driving so i left them at the car and i was the only one to go inside the store (perfect for my plan to buy 'it' in secret hehe!). i was delayed for almost 2wks at this time. but i was not really expecting too much since it's kinda common for me to be delayed for 1wk or a little over it. plus i was really thinking that my period is about to 'arrive' anytime soon since i have the usual symptoms (mood swings, pimples!, etc..).dec.25 - had my first ever pregnancy test... binasa ko pang mabuti at paulit-ulit yung short instructions and did the test very carefully and made sure that i was doing it right. just after a few minutes (or seconds), the test result showed positive! i immedi ately showed it to wilson, and his first question was "ano yan?" hahaha!! i told him what it is and what it means (2 lines = postiive). of course he was very happy and was speechless...he just smiled and hugged me. we're having our first baby! after a few hours, i did a test again (i bought 2 pregnancy kits in case i mess up with the first test haha!) and it's really positive! :) i was just worried because earlier that day, i had some 'jump shots' with our friends after our breakfast in tagaytay, thank God i did not experience bleeding/spotting.
dec.26 - first gifts... 
wilson gave me a very good and helpful book about pregnancy 'what to expect wh en you're expecting'. one of the things i learned from the book is that some of the symptoms i thought were due to my 'coming period' are also symptoms of pregnancy (mood swings, pimples!, tender/achy breasts, fatigue, etc.). my bestfriend maruth gave us a cute pacifier as a very early gift for the baby :) <sorry sis i have no pic yet, di ko pati makunan ngayon di ko alam saan tinago ni wilson wala sya dito ngayon hehe! update ko na lang 'to>
jan.2 - had my first 'morning sickness'..
i vomited what i ate for breakfast we went to capitol medical center to check on an OB i read about at n@w (newlyweds@work) forum, but no clinic that day since it was a holiday.
jan.3 - had my first OB checkup and ultrasound...
we wanted to go to an OB since dec.27 (had to work whole day on dec26), but the OB recommended by my friend was on vacation and will be back by jan.5 (which is also my first day back at work for 2009). we tried to look for other OBs but almost all clinics that we checked were on holiday/vacation as well. plus i was too lazy to go out and just wanted to stay at home and SLEEP, always soooo sleeeeppppyyyy (talk about pregnancy symptoms haha!). anyways, on saturday, we were finally able to have a checkup at a clinic near our house. just wanted to have an initial checkup and we'll try the original OB recommended by our friend next week. i had an ultrasound (trans-v ultrasound/scan since it can provide a clearer image a this early stage). heartbeat was detected and a small image was seen, no clear shape yet of the baby since it's still early but we're really happy to see there's something inside :) based from the first day of my LMP (last menstrual period), i'm 8weeks pregnant, but it's not really the actual baby obviously since the count/computation started during my period. it's just how they compute it, according also to the book i'm reading ('what to expect...')... based from the ultrasound, i'm around 6weeks pregnant so happy and excited, but also worried about many things (it's part of the pregnancy)..we're praying a lot for a normal and healthy baby...
 expected due date (based from the pregnancy calculator i found on the internet):
* august 18,2009 *
a trip down memory lane...hehehe....
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exactly 5 years ago, i had my very first surgery...a total thyroidectomy (total removal of the thyroid glands).
it all started during our APE (annual physical exam) around may or june of 2003...the doctor told me that there seems to be a lump/cyst in the left part of my neck. i was advised to see an endo (endocrinologist) at our company's main clinic. on the first checkup, it was confirmed that i had a cyst on my thyroid gland. i was required to have a needle biopsy (as in ininjection ako sa leeg para kumuha ng sample tissue..eewww!). the result of the first biopsy, and the second (yes, i was required to have regular checkup since then), was normal... 1 month after the 2nd one, my third biopsy (around august or sept) showed that the cyst has become cancerous. i was told by my endo that there's no need to worry much, it's good that it was detected that early, and we need to have it removed by surgery. it was not as if the surgery was really urgent, but it's best to have it done as early as possible. i had mixed feelings of shock, worry, fear..i could not really explain how i felt that time. plus, wilson was out of the country that time because of work and was scheduled to go home after about 2 months. we both wanted to wait until he comes home before having the operation, but i also wanted to have it as early as i could.
i was so nervous...it's a major operation...and my paranoia took the best of me...i got sick..had high fever..anxiety attacks..there were nights that i had difficulty breathing that i almost asked my dad to bring me to an ER during the wee hours of the morning....talk about paranoia (sorry praning talaga ko hahaha!!)...
finally, the operation was scheduled on nov.5,2003 (just like today, it was also a wednesday) at st.luke's medical center. i was admitted at the hospital the day before (nov.4)...the scheduled operation was 1pm. i can still remember the 'events' that morning until the time i was brought inside the operating room and was put to sleep...until the time i first woke up (around 7pm) at the recovery room..and around 9pm inside my hospital room...sobrang high pa ako nun dahil sa pampatulog and/or anaesthesia(?)..hahaha!!! i was told by the surgeon that they decided to remove my whole thyroid gland, instead of just the left part where i had the cyst... i was discharged friday at lunchtime.
just sooo happy and thankful to the Lord for taking really good care of me before, during and after that operation
i'm still taking medication...and still have regular check-ups (blood tests, and body scan once in a while as required by my endo) after the operation and the radio-active iodine treatment (which was done 1 month after the operation). the medicine i'm taking is already a lifetime maintenance (free, c/o the company)...it's a thyroid hormone supplement...which helps control the metabolism.
[i wanted to write a more detailed kwento on this experience, especially during my 4-day stay at the hospital (and another 5-day stay for the RAI treatment), but this post will be much much longer..hahaha!!]
| 1028 | Oct 28, '08 8:21 PM
for everyone |
time flies really fast..it's been one year since wilson and i got married..di ko masyadong naramdaman na 1 year na pala yun hehe! happy anniversary to us!!
i spent the day just like any other day, with lots of work! i wasn't able to attend mass, hopefully later.. after work, my officemates and i played badminton..
a few minutes past 12pm, there came a delivery of 1 dozen white roses and a cake at the office! wilson almost never fails to send me flowers on special occasions even if he's away (when he's here of course he gives them personally hehe), but it was the first time he sent them to my office! as expected, sobrang kantyaw inabot ko sa officemates, including some bosses haha! buti na lang lunchbreak na, di ganun karami tao sa 19/f..hehehe..
we ate half the cake during merienda...pinagsaluhan ng core pips hehe! sayang i forgot to take a picture of the cake when i opened it..anyway, it's a s'mores cake..yummy!
a few friends also remembered and texted me their greetings - our photographer/friend jayson a., my cousin trina, and the most unexpected text came from bam s. (i didn't really expect he will remember haha!)... thanks guys for remembering and for the greetings!
  
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