25 Random Things

started..12:59AM....

1. Since giving birth, my sleeping schedule has been from 1pm to 8pm
2. I love coffee, and I get headaches if I don't drink at least 1 cup. I haven't had coffee since I was pregnant.
3. i spend a lot on magazines and books.
4. i have more bags than shoes.
5. I love the smell of betadine.
6. I wanted to be a New Yorker.
7. i tend to dislike some people even before talking to them.
8. I've had the same hairstyle since college.
9. i love music but hate singing.
10. i used to play the piano. I should have pursued it. :(
11. i learned to swim at 26.
12. I only have a few good friends.
13. I can't remember the last time I went to the beach to swim.
14. I hope to travel around Asia with my family.
15.I hate cockroaches, ants, flies, snakes & spiders.
16. I also love the smell of freshly baked bread.
17. I hate being criticized. You wanna go there???
18. I don't like being around negative people. Life is short!
19. The first album that I bought was Aerosmith's Get A Grip. I was in 5th grade.
20. My memory sucks.
21. If I can afford it, I'd hire my own makeup artist. :)
22. I don't mind watching a movie alone, but I don't like to eat alone in a restaurant.
23. i can be a bit protective.
24. I dream of being a work-at-home-mom.
25. I'm a bit kuripot but if I really like something, nobody can talk me out of buying it.

2:44 AM...done!!!

New picture...

...of Jacob. Taken by her Aunt Astrid, a photography hobbyist. I myself am trying to learn photography but with the little one in our lives now, my hobbies will have to wait :). I still plan to practice though, I just hope my son is a more willing model. :) I will post the unedited version soon.

Thank You For This Day...

I'm also grateful for:

1. My son Jacob, for continuing to inspire me everyday, and for making me want to be a better person, especially a good mother. Since I had you, all the plans I had for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I do wish and hope for you to grow up to be like your Dad; strong, intelligent, sensitive, loving, and God fearing.


2. My husband Ron, also for inspiring me, calming me, for making me feel secure and protected, and for loving me. Your smile never fails to brighten my day.


3. My parents for being so supportive and understanding. And for being very patient.


4. My wonderful parents in-law. For always making time for us.

What are you thankful for?

Our Son, Jacob

Birthday

January 2: I certainly wasn't expecting it to be that day. I was bleeding, but not heavily. And I was experiencing light menstrual-like pains, which I expected would grow more intense as the time approaches. We even went to the Ob-gyne for my weekly checkup. We had an IE and I was already(!) 3-4cms. dilated. I asked the doctor if I was due anytime soon, she said definitely the weekend, which is like a day away. After our appointment I even had a pedicure, and we had lunch at Honeybear. Come afternoon, and I noticed the intervals were getting closer together and the pain definitely noticeable. We went to San Pedro Hospital where my cousin Kathy was waiting, to assist and to support us (so sweet). At the admitting section, Ron filled up the necessary forms and I was rushed to an assessment area where they will monitor the interval and intensity of my contractions, and also to check the baby's heartbeat. Thankfully, even though I was alone there, the nurses were warm and comforting, so that made the tension quite bearable. Shortly after being set up for observation, my Ob-gyne arrived and performed another IE, now i was definitely 4cms. But do I get admitted? Nope. We were advised to go home for the night (whaaat?). Sorry kid, it won't be tonight. You won't have the same birthday as your great Grandfather.

January 3: I wasn't able to sleep. The contractions were 5-8 min. apart, and it was PAINFUL. It was true what other women said, like dysmenorrhea, only 10-20 times worse. We endured the night and decided at 3:30AM to go back to the hospital. We went through the motions again, this time it was just the 2 of us, Ron and I. I even forgot to kiss my husband as the aide brought me back to the assessment area. I must admit, it was nerve-wracking to go back thinking that it was THE time, and I was all alone and nobody was there to help me through it, just a bunch of nurses and doctors. The resident Ob-gyne performed an IE and I was already 6cms dilated. I was thinking of giving birth the natural way sans epidural. But if I couldn't take the pain at this stage, what hope is left for me? So at 7cms, I finally decided that I will NEED the epidural.

After that, everything was a blur. They kept telling me to go to sleep, to rest, save my energy for later. It was still early. At around 8:30 A.M., my OB-Gyne arrived. She then proceeded to ask me how I was, am I comfortable (duh!), and then she was coaching me. I was really sleepy. But the baby has to come out some time or I'll be out cold! Then at 9:00AM, I was already 10 cms., it was time.

After seeing my son for the first time, all I could remember feeling was love, relief, anticipation, and wanting to sleep. Happy birthday Jacob Alan Carlos H. Reyes!

Christmas party / Baby shower

My highschool friends and I have this tradition of always having an annual Christmas party. Half of the group may now live elsewhere, even abroad, but the rest of us will always strive to make this event happen. We may not celebrate our birthdays every year, but we will always look forward to the Christmas party. Chie decided, since I am bound to give birth anytime soon, we should make this year different and do it together with the baby shower (convenient really). Of course I'm game, any excuse to get free stuff for baby Jacob!

A Woman should have, & know...

From an article in a local newspaper:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...one old love she can imagine going back to...and one who reminds her how far she has come
....enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to.
....a youth she's content to leave behind.
...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age.
...a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.
...one friend who always makes her laugh ... and one who lets her cry.
....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family.
....eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.
...a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...how to fall in love without losing herself..
...how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship..
...when to try harder ... and when to walk away.
...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents.
...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over.
...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more.
...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it.
....whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally.
...where to go ... be it to her best friend's kitchentable... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing.
...what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

Fu$%ed up politicians

http://vicissitude-decidido.blogspot.com/2008/12/world-is-fucked-up.html

What I did on Christmas Day

1. Woke up at around 11:30 A.M. Slept at 4 A.M.
2. Online all afternoon.
3. Made Angel Hair Pasta with Tuna Pesto sauce. It was ok, not too salty. Not bad, but not spectacular either.
4. Went to GMall with Ron & his parents. Had dinner at Gerry's Grill. I love the Dinakdakan, & the four seasons shake. We also ordered Chopsuey(more veggies please!), and chargrilled tuna belly.
5. Planning to go to the Ob-Gyne tomorrow, since I had mild spotting this afternoon. Didn't feel any pain yet whatsoever. Hopefully everything is ok.

Headline #1

I know it's a gruesome headline, and I don't mean to be insensitive, but I just couldn't help it.

Checkup today

I was especially anxious with my check-up with my Ob-Gyne today because I will have my first IE, to check the progress of my dilation. To my surprise, I'm already 2cm dilated. She asked me if I wanted to give birth earlier than my expected due date, and if so, she prescribed Eveprim caps to ripen my cervix. I don't know though, my mom told me to wait it out, since the baby's on-time anyway. I think a walkathon is better to speed up dilation :) Doc says it's ok, as long as there is someone to accompany me. And also, since i want to breastfeed she prescribed Prolacta capsules, & I should start taking these as early as now. Wish me luck!

The day that was...

1. Ron and I had Lunch with his parents at Hanoi, a local Vietnamese Restaurant, and also one of our favorite restaurants in Davao. Their fried spring roll is a must try. We also ordered crabs with garlic & butter sauce, sweet & sour lapu-lapu, steamed spring roll, and vegetables with noodles.

2. Ron had a busy day ahead of him so he dropped me off at my parents house after lunch.

3. My family & I went to Chimes Specialty Store in Gov. Sales St. I ended up buying my cousin, Janice's gift, and a tube of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion for myself. Power Hub already has their own shop beside Chimes. It's heaven for gadget geeks, especially Apple lovers, and those looking to dress up their gadgets.

4. Another item that caught my eye at Chimes is a T-shirt that had the text, "Friends don't let friends drink alone". hahaha

5. We had dinner at "Banana Leaf" with Adrian (my brother), and his girlfriend Aisha.

Greetings

To the sweetest, smartest, most adorable, & loving husband in the world! Happy Birthday Ron. Love you!!!

Midnight Sale Rush

And so began a very exhausting night of last minute gift shopping. Imagine a pregnant woman, all 180 lbs. of her & an additional 4 bags of gifts. But what actually hurt the most were my legs... Here I go again with all my complaining hahaha. It's my own fault that I didn't buy those gifts before I got huge. I'm really glad that it's all done (at least the gift search), I can't remember the last time I loathed shopping :). Hmmm I used to enjoy this activity immensely.

Anyway, Ron and I had dinner at Basti's Brew in Victoria Plaza. I have to admit, I really miss coffee. Instead, I had tuna pesto & strawbery shake(yummy), fuel for marathon gift hoarding. As usual I forgot to take pictures of the food and the place. I'm such a lousy blogger hahaha.

Christmas Wish List 2008 pt. 1

1. 2009 Moleskine planner

2. Mustela Newborn set (got good reviews from the girltalk forums & a bestseller at the babycenter website. Only available for pre-order online.)

3. Canon Selphy Printer (For the impatient shutterbug. Because I can't wait for my baby's pictures to be developed.)

4. Nokia E71, E63(not pictured) or E66 (Still undecided but gravitating towards the e71. My old phone needs to rest.). The difference between the e71 & E63 is that the latter only has 2MP while the e71 has 3.2MP. Also their bodies are different, e63 is made of plastic casing while the e71 has a light metal casing daw. Of course the E63 is cheaper than both the E71 & E66.



5. Canon Powershot G10 (14.7 megapixels! For family outings & trips, because my DSLR is sometimes just too big to fit in the diaper bag hehe. And the vintage look of this camera is quite charming.)




6. Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup( Also got good reviews from makeup artists. And they have a safe rating at the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety database website.I don't think it's available in Davao yet.)

Getting ready.

RestLess

Christmas is only a week away. I haven't bought any of my inaanaks' gifts! I haven't even thought about what to give my husband for his birthday! I don't think I can withstand being in a mall for too long to look for gifts :( You see, as DDay approaches, it gets more & more uncomfortable for me: leg cramps, numb & puffy feet & fingers, lower back pain, frequent kicking (I swear to God, this kid is a kickboxer in utero!), & the frequent visits to the loo. Aside from the lack of gifts to give and increasing discomfort, I'm still concerned over my replacement at the office (esp. for the payroll) since my maternity leave will take effect next week. OMG, I can't believe I might be giving birth sometime in the next 3 weeks! Did I mention that Christmas is only a week away?

32 things that change when you have a baby

A compilation from Babycenter.com:
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
16. You discover how much there is to say about one tooth.
17. You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth.
18. You now know where the sun comes from.
19. You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have.
20. You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers.
21. You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night.
22. Silence? What's that?
23. You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having.
24. You discover an inner strength you never thought you had.
25. You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule.
26. You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one.
27. Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog.
28. You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late.
29. You learn that taking a shower is a luxury.
30. You realize that you can love a complete stranger.
31. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place.
32. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do!

Rocking chair & Balcony

~This is our Lola's balcony & rocking chair. We miss her so much.~

Rant

I really hate it when the people who claim to care for you, always put you down and make you feel bad about yourself.