(Trying to) Blog Again

Reading my previous post - almost 3 years ago (!) - life indeed got insanely busy.  Moving to another country and back has proved to be both challenging and enriching. So much stories to tell, yet I do not know where to begin.

When 2014 came, I do not know why I suddenly had the urge to reopen my blog and write again.  I guess the many experiences as a mother of a growing boy nudged me to share most of those experiences for other parents to learn a thing or two from them - or at least be entertained. Haha!

And so, I am blogging again...

It's been an insanely busy month. No, months.  Organized a family reunion (one year in the making) of 50plus relatives coming from different parts of the globe.  It's was quite stressful (nothing compared to organizing a company outing!), but the success of the event and the bonding time we all had was all worth it.

The last of the mohi-clan flew out last Friday and suddenly it's so quiet.  I miss them all.  Sigh.

Life is slowly going back to regular programming...

It's the kapitan's year-end program soon! Can't believe he has finished  a school year already!  So many changes has happened and many more to come....

Resolutions

Yeah, yeah, it's that time of year when people make resolutions that they will eventually break. Haha! I believe, whether you keep one or none of what you have in your list, having resolutions make you feel you are off to a fresh start, nonetheless.

I've never gotten the habit of literally making a list.  It's just a mental list of around 3 things I plan (or hope!) in the coming months.

I declare this year to be my ME YEAR.  A year to put more focus on myself and what I want to do (the past 2 years have been all about the kapitan and everything else have been taken a backseat - no regrets, but it's time to move forward):

*I resolve to be fit (aka keep the pounds away and build stamina to keep up with a growing toddler).  I am proud to say that I've had a head start and started going to the gym regularly beginning last quarter of last year.

*I want to learn something new this year.  Still figuring out what that would be --- an new language, a sport, a skill.  Whatever it is, I am looking forward to it.

*I will feed my soul again and revive my passion for teaching.  I don't know how, but I will.  I have some ideas already. :)

There you go.  I hope to look back to this post and be able to say 2 out of 3 is not bad. :)

Happy 2011!

Oh and I hope to start taking baby steps in being able to travel with my hubby again, without the kapitan in tow.  Kahit sa Tagaytay lang. Haha!

Cord Banking

Should you or shouldn't you?

I was interviewed about cord blood banking and was asked why we did it and would we recommend it.  I said, if you can afford it, go for it.  Look at it as a life insurance --- something you wish you will never need but something you hope you have in case you need it.  

It's an investment we decided to make.  Now more than ever, I am glad that we made that decision.  My 6month old niece will undergo a heart surgery and she has a VERY rare blood type.  We have tapped all our resources for blood donors but found just one.  In fact, her blood type is so rare in the Philippines that she's even lucky to get one donor.  

I do not wish that my son will go through a similar ordeal, but I am thankful that if he does (or even us, his parents) we only have to call our blood bank.   

Anyway, please pray for a successful procedure and speedy recovery of my niece.  I believe it's a blessing that her heart surgery is scheduled on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. :)

Christmas is Here

At home, that is.  

When we moved into our place 5 years ago, we didn't have a Christmas tree.  Every year, I'd always say, I'll get one after the holiday season (coz it'll be cheaper then) for use the next year.  Never got to.  

When I became pregnant, I promised myself to get a tree in time for my child's first Christmas.  I kept delaying the purchase because the prices continued to dissuade me. I continued to search. I knew there was a tree out there that would be perfect for our home that we can afford. God must have seen how desperate and determined I was to find the perfect one that he gave me one!  Through the kindness of my boss/friend who luckily (for me) had an extra Christmas tree that she wanted to dispose of!  And, believe it or not, it was exactly the kind I was looking for.  (Well, I would've gone for something a bit smaller, but who am I to complain?!)

And so, I used the budget for the tree to splurge at little on decors to spruce the tree up.  I went for traditional decors --- balls, snowflakes, ribbons, stars, etc. During Tiago's first Christmas --- he was 5months, he absolutely enjoyed staring in awe at the Christmas lights.  Last year,  at 1.5yo, he still enjoyed the lights, but had more fun trying to pick the balls out of the tree and bounced them around!  I ended up moving most of the decors to the upper part of the tree where he can't reach them. 

So this year, I decided to make our tree more kid friendly but keeping the tradition Christmas colors of red and green.  Now, we have teddy bears, gingerbread men and angels donning our tree.Not only does Tiago like the decors, he can also touch and play with them without me getting a heart attack from worrying he might hurt himself. 

It's gonna be another Merry Christmas.  I just know it. :)

Officially in my late 30s

Yeah. Before I know it, the big 4-0 will sneak up on me just like that.  It seems just yesterday when I blogged about being in my mid-30s. I'm not complaining, though. I honestly don't feel old. I don't look it either! In fact, oftentimes, people cannot believe that I am way older than I look! I feel great and my life is as perfect as I can possibly imagine. I cannot thank God enough for the wonderful life he has given me --- a life with 2 wonderful boys --- Myke and Tiago.

Thing is, when one is pushing 40, with one child who's 2 years old, it is quite inevitable to be asked when is baby number 2 coming.  Some would even flat out say, "Sundan na yan!".   Of course, I know they all mean well. And I understand where they are coming from --- biological clock is ticking, hard to be pregnant when you're older, so Tiago won't grow up to be spoiled, Tiago needs a sibling, it's fun to have more than one, etc. etc.

I know it's harder to be pregnant (even get pregnant) when one is older.  However, I believe, in this day and age, anything is possible.  It just takes a bit more preparation and effort, but it's possible.  A lot of my friends can attest to that.

Tiago is growing up to be a well-rounded child.  We can proudly say he is not spoiled (definitely not a brat) and he is such a happy child.   He seems to be doing fine by himself.  I've been doing my own research about the only child syndrome and it's been debunked by so many recent researches (my favorite is the one from TIME magazine).  My only child friends even say it's no big deal.

My husband and I really wanted 2 children.   Tiago, our first, was planned.  Having him in our life has been such a joy.  However, the challenges of raising a child had made me think twice whether I want another one. There are days I feel it would be good to have another one, and there are days when I say, one is enough.  Thankfully, my husband shares the same sentiments.

We are still undecided. We are definitely not ready for another one right now.  I am forever weighing the pros and cons of whatever decision we will make.  However, I am confident that the answer will come as a light bulb moment at the perfect time.  As perfect as my life is right now.

Hello, Blog!

I don't know what came over me that I suddenly remembered to check my long-ignored blog. Not that I expected to see comments saying to post more stories. Nor am I inspired to post something. I do have quite a lot of stories to share but just don't have enough time to write down my thoughts. It is true what they say --- being a stay at home mom is a full-time job! It's a 24/7 job! That's not a complaint! I say that with much pride. :)

Anyhow, maybe I'll be back to blogging more often. Heck, a post a year ain't that bad, right? Hahaha! I do have another blog where I try to chronicle my son's increasing list of remarks that's worth documenting so I can someday blackmail him with it. Hahahaha! Check it out! Kapitan Tiago Says... It is actually very entertaining.

Oh and my hubby also tries to blog about his life as a dad in GenX Daddy, Manila. It's quite funny, if I may say so. :)

Flash! Flash!

Since my photography professor taught me not to use the camera flash unless and I quote "you know what you're doing", most of the pictures I've taken are all flash-free (is there such a term?).

Lately, I've been using my point & shoot's flash to capture my kapitan's smiles. I don't know who taught him how to smile when we take his picture, but heck, he smiles so that's good. I have to use a flash to make sure I freeze the moment, otherwise, I'd end up with blurry pictures. Gee, does this mean I have to get a new lense and external flash for my DSLR already?

Ah well.

Anyway, take a look at how Kapitan flashes smiles to the camera flash. :)

Half-y Birthday, Tiago!

We never really celebrate Tiago's monthly mark. However, we decided to make his 6th month a little special. He is, after all, half a year old. So, we had a half round cake made with HAPPY 1/2 BIRTHDAY, TIAGO written on it. Hahaha. Trip lang. But cute, right?

So, to our little Kapitan, Half-y Birthday! 6 more months and you're already a year old!

The Waiting Game

During my last check-up, my OB said, "Well, all we have to do now is wait." She went on saying that this is actually the "longest" stage of pregnancy. She's right.

I have been going crazy trying to find things to do around the house just to keep myself busy -- cook (despite the unbearable heat), fix the nursery (there isn't really much to fix anymore, aside from a few more stuff, the only thing missing now is the baby :)), created a blog for our baby boy (sorry, it's by invitation only. leave me a message and your email address if you wish to view it. i must say, it's pretty cute!), reading up on labor, delivery, parenting & breastfeeding, print pictures and put them in an album, change the photos displayed in our place, etc., etc. I have even started packing my hospital bag with still a month of waiting to go! I even told a fellow pregnant friend/childbirth class classmate, that I might just start repainting our place any moment now.

You see, I have been on leave since May. After teaching summer class last April, the next class for me would be this June (the opening of the next school year), which obviously I can't do anymore. Imagine how much time I have but with very limited options of what I can do!

Ironically, it being Independence Day today, I find myself listing things that I miss doing (read: things I can't do or avoid doing) and SO long to do once the baby arrives (I wish.).

*I miss sleeping on my back and tummy. Heck, I miss having a good night's sleep!
*I miss travelling.
*I miss going on long weekend getaways.
*I miss going to school -- teaching and being with my kids and co-teacher.
*I miss eating oysters!!!
*I miss eating street food -- fish balls, squid balls, isaw, balut, etc.
*I miss drinking coffee!!! (Decaf isn't the same)
*I miss wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes -- especially my jeans!
*I miss wearing sneakers and closed shoes.
*I miss getting a massage (the real deal! not those meant for pregnant women.).
*I miss wearing my contact lenses (eyeglasses are just inconvenient).
*I miss (gasp!) driving!
*I miss swimming.
*I miss watching a movie without having to go on a bathroom break.
*I miss going to the beach!
*I miss having a flat tummy (uh. duh!).
*I miss talking walks without having to deal with sore feet and an aching back.
*I miss gorging on junkfood.
*I miss my occasional cigarette puffs.
*I miss playing Wii Sports!
*I miss feeling cool and breezy (summer and pregnancy just don't go together!).
*I miss watching concerts.

Sigh. I'm sure I can still add a lot more to this list. The good thing about thinking about this is that it takes my mind away from the anxiety of giving birth. Haha!

Food Frenzy

I think pregnancy has unleashed the foodie in me. Not only have I become a perpetual eating machine, I can't seem to stop thinking about food! Anything about food!

Aside from wanting to eat a different cuisine everytime, watching cooking shows, getting a certain food fix and satisfying a craving, I have started obsessing about cooking, that I have started collecting/clipping recipes and sticking them on a notebook given to me 2 years back!


My very first cooking scrapbook.

This obsession have crossed-over to my computer games! I recently got myself a Cooking Mama: Cook Off Wii game! It's virtual cooking right inside my bedroom. With lots of recipes to choose from! So fun!


(Virtual) Iron Chef right in your own home :)

David vs. David

That's my fearless forecast.

Admittedly, I have been rooting for Michaels Johns, sadly, Americans do not approve of a mixed-race idol (I believe this is why Carly is out and Sayesha and Jason are still around. Grrr.). I can't tell who among the Davids will bag the award, but personally, I like Cook because of his out of the box arrangements and renditions. I can say the same thing for Archuleta, but he tends to be boring at times.

Good luck to both Davids.

Read the Sign: "I AM PREGNANT"

I want to hang that sign around my neck.

After months of hiatus from the world, I am starting to have good days, and these good days are becoming more and more frequent (Thank God!), I take advantage of any chance I get to go out and see something more than just the 4 corners of our house (and for some fresh air and sunlight, too!).

The other day, I was finally able to go to the salon for a much needed haircut. The first thing my stylist told me "Tumaba ka!". Defensive me, I was quick to rebut "I'm pregnant!".

Last night, a friend joined us for dinner. He arrived mid-way through our dinner. As we were waiting for the bill, I stood up to go to the washroom. When I got back to our table, our friend said "You don't really look pregnant yet. You can just be a fat person". HUWAAAAAT?!?!?

Grrr, I hate to admit it, but our friend is right. More specifically, I look like someone with a big gut! Waaahhh!!!! (If you know me, you'd know how much effort I exert just to keep my tummy flat!) I'm too small to wear maternity clothes, but already big for my normal clothes. Not that I don't fit in them anymore, but my stomach is already spilling out of them!

I suppose every pregnant woman goes through this awkward stage. Something I have to go through before I can enjoy all the glory of being pregnant. Sigh.

So, if you bump into me, don't wonder anymore. Yes, I am pregnant.

Wii

I WANT.

Discoveries

Fresh Cherries -- call me ignorant, shallow or even pathetic, but I am raving about fresh cherries! I had a taste of them, for the first time, last weekend. They're soooo good! It tastes nothing like those preserved ones in bottles that you use to garnish a cocktail drink, nor does it taste anything like those mixed in canned fruit cocktail. It's like a mix of plum, grape & duhat. Delish! Now I wonder where they based the flavor of those psuedo cherries (including cherry-flavor cough syrup) because it's really far from the real deal. Oh, and whoever said you can "pop your cherry"? There is a pea-sized seed inside!

TimeZone Videoke Machine -- never mind that you need to swipe your card before each song. Never mind that the sound system doesn't make you sound like a pro. Never mind that you pick you songs from a song book. Never mind that they only allow a ratio of 5:1 (5 people per machine). It has High School Musical songs in it! That's good enough for me.

My Lakbayan Grade: Pathetic.

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

I don't know the creator's basis for the grades that appear in the results of the survey, but I really thought I was going to get a higher grade! Really. Yes, I try to visit a new place as often as I could (at least once a year). I realize now that I've visited quite a few places, once too often not realizing that there are other places to explore! Geesh.

I really hope I can improve my grade. Soon.

"Happy Mother's Day!"

I received my first round of greetings last month. Now, before you get excited, I'm not pregnant. I received the greetings from parents of my students last year. "Being a teacher, you stand as the second mom to your students. So, happy mother's day, too!"

Hmm? I felt good to be appreciated for the job I do. And the same time, it got me thinking when will I start to receive greetings because I really am a mother already.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that, for me, parenthood is something you (and your spouse)really prepare for. Most people assumed that when I started teaching, I would get all excited about having my own kids. On the contrary, while IT IS fun being around them, I got to see the other side of that. I found how difficult it can get to discipline them, how physically exhausting it is being with them, how great a responsibility is it to make sure you impart proper values to them, how your patience can be tested, etc. I get a sneak peak into parenting for a couple of hours and it's no joke! I always tell people that I love my job so much, and I love my kids a lot, but I am just thankful that, at the end of the day, I can return them to their parents.

For the past months, my husband and I have been seriously talking about adding a new member to our household. Yes, we know we can afford it, we know we want it, but somehow talking about it gives us the jitters. Somehow, there was always something that made us take a step back and ask, "Are we really ready?".

Aside from the fact that I am not getting any younger, and that I want to grow up with my kids too, I've been thinking if I'm ready to give up my "freedom". Freedom to do what I want at a whim, freedom to pack up and travel to wherever, freedom to just be lazy and not do anything, freedom to go and stay out, freedom to act like a single person without a care in the world.

That's pretty much how our married life has been and bringing in a little one into such a lifestyle won't be easy.

And so, we've been praying and praying and praying about it and somehow "Happy Mother's Day!" is now music to my ears.

I guess the production process begins here. ;)

My Goodies (aka Bribe) from Singapore

My hubby flew to Singapore last Monday (2 Mondays ago, I mean) and as he landed, so did some bacteria in my system that has left me sick for almost 2 weeks now. I've been so sick that I'd be in the hospital if not for the appetite I managed to keep (which is very rare when I'm under the weather). To give you an idea of how sick I've been, I'm actually on my second round of antibiotics! Today is actually the first time I'm able to get out of bed and stay up for a long time (boy, my back hurts from all the lying down!).

To those who live alone, you can empathize with the feeling of being sick and alone. That's what happened to me the first few days of being sick. Pathetic but I tried to manage on my own without anyone's care and help until I decided to call my Mom already because it came to a point that I could barely get out of bed. (Thank God for mothers! I swear! No offense to my hubby, but nothing beats a mother's touch.)

While all this is happening, my poor helpless husband is in another country attending a seminar, partying every night (not to his liking, he claims.), calling every minute he can, calling every friend to check on me. I told him to come home only if I get confined. But at the back of my mind I was yearning for his presence.

To cut the long story short, after a looong week, he came home with all these goodies, to make up for his absence (yes bribes, hahaha!), that admittedly got me all excited, and to a certain extent made me glad he left. Hehehe.

And the goodies are:

New movies to enjoy at home!

My favorite instant Singapore dishes.

The best chocolate conconction, ever! HEAVEN!

And last but DEFINITELY not least.....

Yes! My own Canon EOS DSLR!!! Woohoo!

I can't wait to get well and start enjoying these goodies!!! Getting sick isn't so bad after all. Hehehe.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take my drugs now. Oh, of course I'm glad I'm starting to feel better and that my hubby is back home. ;-)

Break of Dawn

It's 4:34 a.m. The cabin lights are out. It's pitch dark. My eyesight, hazy. All I could see is the green lighted sign to the lavatory. I pull up my window shade, my eyes start to focus and I see the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. Hues of blue, orange and yellow, splashed across what seems like dark canvass. I am in awe. The movie "What Dreams May Come" comes to mind then a strong, strong feeling of God's presence surrounds me and a feeling of happiness overwhelmes me. Still in awe, I manage to (silently) utter "Thank you, God."

I know what I captured through my humble point-and-shoot camera doesn't give justice to what I saw but I hope I could share with you even just a tiny bit of what I felt when I saw this beautiful sight.

Look! Look!

I can't wait to wear it!

Oh, and I can't wait for episode 19!!!