Goodbye, Year of the Snake

The Snake Year 2013 had left me with one living remembrance.  I gave life to our precious daughter this year. To say that the snake year was a year of struggle for us was an understatement.  After being hospitalized for ten days, I was rushed to the Delivery Room for an emergency ceasarian operation since my doctor can't control my blood pressure and they found out that my baby has been suffering in my womb because of my hypertension.  I delivered her prematurely at 32 weeks.  She was so tiny but she is a warrior.  She fought for her dear life and stayed at the NICU of the hospital for two months. She battled Pneumonia, Neonatal Sepsis, Jaundice and Necrotizing Enterocolitis. She undergone four blood transfusions.  On the other hand, we were battling with ballooning medical expenses because of this.  Friends and families helped us to live through our problems and because of that I will forever be indebted to these people.  Life is indeed a precious blessing, that's my biggest lesson for this year.  And because of this 2013 will always be a year etched in my heart forever.

Twelve Lessons from our Twelve Years of Marriage

Being married for twelve years is not an easy feat, specially in today's world. I am proud that we surpassed all the shortcomings of the last twelve years. Twelve years ago we only have each other to hold on to, but now we have our son, and soon our daughter to see us through each day. Everyday is a chance to learn something in a marriage. I am glad to share twelve lessons we learned from our twelve year of being married.

1. The reason for marriage should always be because you cannot live without the other person. I always advise would-be-couples to ask themselves why they want to jump into marriage. Mostly, I hear the same response; "I love him/her.", seldom do I hear " I want to spend the rest of my life with him". Young lovers nowadays always equate marriage to love ALONE. But what if the love is gone? The Philippines does not have a divorce law, so they either go to the tedious and super-expensive annulment process or live a broken family. Love is not just a noun, it is a verb that needs to be acted on. It is a decision that needs to be done daily.

2. A marriage is the union of two very good forgivers. Early in our marriage, Hubby calls me a historian. Why? because I always bring back past misunderstandings when we argue on a new one. It was a good thing that Hubby is such a good forgiver and I learned to be like him over time.

3. You cannot always win in an argument. I have always been the hardheaded girl but soon in our marriage, I learned that there is just no way that you can always be the winner. Sometimes, you have to give in to your partner.

4. The person that you married will mature and so are you. But this does not mean that you can no longer be a child at heart. Both Hubby and I still enjoys the arcade, the occasional kiddie games with our son and even the carnivals. But there will come a time that you will see it in your partner's face that they had gone old, perhaps balding or with a few wrinkles here and there. Aging is a natural process, you just have to accept it and be happy with it because others are not given the ability to grow old because they die young.

5. You have to choose to love your spouse everyday even when in days that they are not lovable. Admit it or not, there are days that a person does not seem to be lovable. Talk about PMSing women or lying men. But again, love is a choice that needs to be made everyday. We have to choose to love them as they are, even at their most unlovable state.

6. Never underestimate the power of a hug. At the start of our marriage, Hubby is not the type who woo whenever we had an argument. But he learned that a hug can do wonders. Sometimes, I don't have to win an argument,all I need is just a hug and I will eventually give in to his desires.

7. Kids are always a happy addition to a marriage. A positive pregnancy test came in early in our marriage. We were both worried then but we were also extremely happy as we were not expecting a child to be added in our marriage this early. I know some married couple who does not want a child early on in their lives. Isn't procreation one of the purpose of marriage? A child will not only make your union happy but believe me, it will also strengthen your bond as you will get to see how your spouse will transform into someone you might not expect him to become.

8. For the wives: Sometimes, you will have to spoil your partner. Yeah, ladies, we have to be the spoiler sometimes and not the one always being spoiled. Men are easy to please, a back massage, a foot rub or just good old home cooked meals are enough to make them smile.

9. For the husbands: Never forget important dates. And with dates I mean, birthdays, anniversaries and special holidays that has to be remembered. We do not need grandiose gifts, just knowing that you remember those dates are more than enough to make us happy. A simple SMS, a call or perhaps an early morning greeting on that day will make it extra special for us.

10. Spend sometime alone. Sometimes, all you need to bring the romance back is a time alone with your spouse. You don't have to go to some fancy place, you just have to be together, just the two of you. Admittedly, for couples with chidren, we always look at our spouses as the better half of the parenting process and not as the person we exchanged vows with when we got married. A movie date, a dinner or just a walk on the park with your spouse alone will definitely spark the romance back to your union.

11. Compliment each other often.. Okay, this does not mean that you have to lie to your spouse. It's more on looking for something good in them and complimenting them even for the slightest good in them. This does not only make your spouse happy but it also makes you see the good in them, no matter how small they may seem.

12. Lastly, never forget to be sexually intimate with each other. This is a usual mistake of the wives. Early on in the marriage, we are so into each other but then time flies and we get too preoccupied with all the hullabaloos of the day-to-day lives that we forget intimacy with our spouses. Or perhaps the wives are too shy to start on being intimate. Just a tip though ladies, just dress the part and your husbands will definitely pick it up from there.

Our marriage is not something that merits a trophy or an award but we are taking it one day at a time. We do have our times of disagreements, times when we would want to call it quits but again at the end of the day, keeping a marriage in tact is a choice that we make daily.

Dada, Happy 12th wedding anniversary and here's to twelve dozens more of years together!

Guidelines for a Good Life

When my Mom was still alive, we normally have conversations while in bed, mostly after we woke up from our afternoon nap.  Those are the times that I really miss now.  I did not understood it then but she was always giving me small advices during those small talks.  When she passed away, it was then that I came to realize the lessons she was slowly teaching me.

Summarizing those lessons, I realized that Mom was giving me guidelines to live my life with.

1. Goodness begets goodness.  Mama was the type of person who alaways sees the goodness in other. There are even times that we tend to disagree with her, she makes us realize that if we plant goodness, sooner these goodness will be given back to us.  True enough, we witnessed how her goodness was generously given back not just to her but to us, as her family, when she was sick and even when she passed away.  Relatives' and friends' support kept on coming, in the all sorts of form.  Mama might not know it then but it was the law of karma that she was teaching us.

2.  Give, even if sometimes it hurts.  I only understood the essence of true giving when I became a Mom myself.  Becoming a Mom entails a lot of giving, and yes most of the times it hurts.  It starts when you get pregnant.  Pregnancy is indeed a happy journey, but most moms would agree that there are also unpleasant experiences along the way.  Just think about the morning sickness, the nausea, the backpains and actual delivery itself.  But it is a process women had to endure to give life to her offspring and to give happiness to her husband.  And delivery is not the end of it all.  We continue to give while breastfeeding and while we let our kids take the most part of us, we sometimes forget about ourselves.  

3.  Let Go and Let God.  This is the best lesson that Mom taught me by being a true example.  When she got sick (she died of Bone Cancer), I have seen how she let go of every worries and let God to take care of her.  She did not let her sickness to win over her body.  While she was sick, she continued serving God and the church, in her ways.  She prayed for her recovery, yes, but she also asked God to help us if in case she won't make it.  And make it, she did.  She might not have won the battle over Cancer but she showed us that if we stay together, we can work wonders.

Mom may be gone forever but her lessons linger.  I promised myself to passed on these lessons to my kids and even hopes that others will also be benefited from these guidelines.

 

Back to Normal

The fifth of January is mostly back to normal schedule for most of the moms. Our kids are now back to school and we are either left to tend to household chores or are back to work as well. My household is not yet through with the holiday buzz. This day is the 37th wedding anniversary of my mom and dad. If Mama was alive, the house could be filled with visitors once again. But since Mama is no longer around, a simple prayer will do. We will just light a candle for her and ask her to still guide us through this new year. The kitchen is still going to be bursting with the aroma of good food. I plan to cook something special for the family dinner. I will also bake something since tomorrow is my uncle's 63rd birthday and I promise to deliver some desserts for the party. Perhaps some cupcakes would be good especially if they will be frosted. Soon, I will have plenty of time for blogging as this year marks my return to being a work-at-home mom.

Cooking Up a Party

Yes, I was born during the time where acronyms seems to be a phenomenon. Back during the 70's (oh, well I believe it was until the 80's), people seem to look at acronyms as the easiest way to remember a name of an organization or even an entire phrase or paragraph. It was so "in" that even teachers were using it to teach kids how to memorize meanings of words or steps in a scientific process. It was because of this fame (or infame), that most of barkadahans during those times have names concocted using the first initials of the members of the group. Ours was different though, we call our group, the Fruit Salad. We thought of baptizing the group that name after thinking that each member is different but just like those fruits in the fruit salad, you tend to look for them when they are not present.

What excites me these days, is that in a few months time, we are going to have our annual get together. We always have one big get-together during Christmastime. As I have mentioned, we have become one big happy family . Now like all families we have our own reunions those times. It is something to look forward to as someone gets to be added in every now and then. A new wife, a new husband and yes a new baby, is always a happy addition. This year, I am entrusted to be the PR manager of sorts for the event. I am tasked to coordinate with the entire group which means I need to send email blasts and text blasts. But, it is something that I won't mind doing.

I am also on the lookout for games and activities for the entire day? Hmm, our own version of the famous Pinoy Henyo,perhaps? For the kids, I am going to prepare a cupcake tower and I am asking one of the ladies to bring in the chocolate fountain. For the male spouses, lots of food to eat (and booze, perhaps!). The girls, oh, I am sure they will be happy with all the stories and the foods and the gifts.

Let's talk favorites

The name of my top favorite product is BumbleBro, he is our ever trusted Honda Bravo who will turn five by January next year. He never lets us down and we can always trust him, be it a smooth ride or a rough one. He was named by my son after BumbleBee, the transformer robot-guardian of Sam Witwicky in the movie Transformers and we talked to him like a real person. I always asked him to take care of Hubby whenever he brings him to work. We always thanked him after bringing us all safe to home and Hubby ensures he gets his daily bath. He is also pampered by a weekly treat to the carwash. I would not be a hypocrite and say that I don't want to have a true BumbleBee (who would not want a Camaro, eh!?) but what I can assure BumbleBro is that I would not trade him for whatever car, he will always be our BumbleBro.

After BumbleBro, the laptop I am typing with comes next. I loved that it makes me connected with people from different locations and that I can journal my thoughts with it. It that he keeps all my files, photos and documents, intact.

Then, there comes Picasa, a software that allows not only photo storage but also photo editing. It is what I used to watermark my images. I have also edited some pictures though it. It is also nice that you can easily connect and upload to your online Picasa website with just some click of buttons on their interface.

Next, comes my wedges. Wedges are like my everyday shoes. You see, I was one of those ladies not really blessed with good height. I stand only 5 feet 2 inches tall. Hubby is beside me and is whispering don't lie, you're only 5 feet flat. And hence I needed something to make me look a little bit taller. After giving birth nine years ago, high heels and stiletto shoes became uncomfortable for me. Imagine a mom with a kid in tow and a big baby bag on her shoulders wearing a 3 inch shoes. That would be hurtful and a total inconvenience. Good thing that the wedges came to the rescue. Stilettos and high heels are just for, uhmm, formal occasions now. I now have 5 pairs of wedges and wanting to buy another one.

Hmm, I wonder what other mommies consider their favorite products.

MM : Food, Movies and Scrapblogs

I so love the theme of this month's Mommy Moments. Mommies will be talking about the least of the person they are concerned about, themselves. Admit it or not, mommies, in the course of taking care of their families,most often that not, forget about themselves. We normally drown ourselves with the needs of our family that a lot of times we forget that we are also in need of some pampering.

For this week, let us talk about our hobbies. Ever since I could remember, I have always been a foodie. I love to eat though a lot of those who know me personally says that my body is really good in not showing it. Apart from consuming food, I also love creating them. Yes, I love to cook and bake. If given the chance to study again, I would definitely love to go to a culinary school. Our kitchen is always busy especially during my restdays because that is my haven. It is where I find peace and I love the aroma of food from my own kitchen. I am so into cooking that I decided to devote my second blog to my second love. I hope you could drop by Mom from Manila Cooks.



Apart from food, other things that occupies my time are movies and TV series. Right now, I am so into the Vampire Diaries that even Hubby gets excited when I tell him that a new episode is about to be shown. I also love musicals so I easily got hook with Glee. When it comes to movies, we mostly watched sci-fi but when I am with Hubby, we both love romantic movies such as The Notebook, our fave of all-time. I am also always on the look out for new cooking shows or new episodes of the old ones. My personal favorite would be Chef Michael Smith's Chef at Home. Just recently, my attention was also caught by one local teleserye, 100 days.

I also love to do online scrapbooking. I really don't do this most of the time but it is one of my stress relievers. I feel so creative using this online scrapbooking tools. in the future, i wanna learn how to use photo editors like Gimp or Photoshop.




If you wanna know what other things we are best in doing apart from parenting, just head on to Mommy Chris' site.

Awareness about the Big C

I was blogwalking through other Mommy blogs and I came across another Pinay mom blogging about Cancer awareness. Now aside from breastfeeding, cancer awareness is another advocacy that I want to push through. Nine years ago, I came to realize that the Big C can actually creep into anybody's life. Our Mom was diagnosed with Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor, a rare type of cancer that attacks the nerves. Prior to her diagnosis, we never really know what Cancer was. All we know is that it exists and some are stricken and yes, I have to admit that I was thinking it was "sakit na pang-mayaman lang". But, no, that really is not the case. When Mom was diagnosed she was, I could about to enter the prime of her life. My youngest brother was about to graduate from college the following year, which for her, could mean, that she was also about to graduate from her responsibility of sending us to school. She could have enjoyed the life meant for her had it not been for the Big C. We have a lot of plans that never pushed through because the funds had to be diverted on her medical expenses. It was a painful experience specially for me, because I was the one that was tasked to look for other means to get additional assistance for her. I lined up in PCSO's office, the congress and yes I was the one who always talked with doctors. I educated myself regarding medical terms, and I was thankful that Google was already there to help me out. Now, apart from the burden of looking for additional assistance, I also appointed myself as my mom's personal caregiver. I was the one who bathe her, fed her and gave her medicines. For me, it was my way of showing my affection and it was my way of giving back all the attention that she had given the entire family. And yes, I was doing all these things while I was also taking care of my new bown baby then. Mama was never a hard patient to deal with. She would obliged drinking whatever medicines that she is given, eating all the foods she is told to consume. Cancer made us suffer financially, I would say. But, it was also Cancer that brought the bond of our family even closer. We learned how to say the rosary as a family. We learned to live life fully day in and day out. We learned to celebrate each milestone, however small it was. We learned that we can only depend on each one. And, in that in the end, we were able to realize how lucky we are for having Mama as our mother. We witnessed how other people loved her and how she was able to make a difference in those person's lives. Help came pouring in up until the time that she already passed away. Not necessarily financial help but prayers. And for us, for me, that was what we really need then.

Yes, Cancer could have taken her from us but the Big C did not took her memories with it. Her memories will remain forever. This is the reason why each time I know someone stricken with Cancer, I always tell them the story of my Mom, a story of a person who battled the disease for almost six years. The very reason why I am joining fellow bloggers for the Charity Blogging for Cancer Awareness. I would like people to know that it is indeed true that Cancer could take the people we dearly care about but it can be prevented. We just have to be aware of what we eat, our lifestyle and specially how we take care of our bodies.

Come December a whole day affair for for cancer patients and survivors. There will be freebies, contests and performances. To all Mommy bloggers out there, let us take time to help out cancer patients. Let us make use of our power to spread the word. Please go to Life and Fever to more about this upcoming event and how we can help.

Hello August!

August to the Chinese is their ghost month. They believe that it is on this month that deceased, including their ancestors, visit the world again. To our Muslim brothers, this year they are celebrating this month as their Ramadan, their Holy Month of Fasting. For my family, August is also a very special month. A lot of family members, are celebrating their birthdays this month. It also reminds me about the greatest mystery of my life, that is being a mother. You see, I gave birth to Jian on the 3rd of August, 2002. Yes, the kid is about to turn nine two days from now. He is no longer the little baby that I used to carry and fed from my bosom. He had grown to be the intelligent little guy that he is. August always reminds me that he was inside my womb for nine months. It also reminds me that I exclusively breastfed this little man for almost two years. If there was one thing I could be proud of being a mom, it would not be the times that I have been with him while he was growing up but it would be those breastfeeding sessions that I had had with him. I know that not all mothers can produce enough milk for his growing baby's need and I sure am one of those few who were able to do the job. That is something that I would always look back when he gets old. Nothing beats those bonding moments. So for those upcoming moms reading my words, I do hope you consider to feed your kids with your own milk. I can only assure you two things, a healthy kid and a happy mom. To those who were able to breastfeed their young ones, I salute you. Before I end, I would like to invite you all to come over to Mommy Milkshake Year 5 . It will be a family fun run for breastfeeding. Just click on the thumbnail image below for other details.

3D Movies

Who among you have not enjoyed watching a 3D movie? Movie houses had been packed to the roofs by fans trooping in to Who among you have not enjoyed watching a 3D movie? Movie houses had been packed to the roofs by fans trooping in to watch what was deemed to be the end to two great series of movies, Transformers and Harry Potter. I have very high regards to these two movies specially on the first one. And to be honest, it was really good! A very good ending indeed for a fine series. I hope I will be able to say the same for the other one but I haven't watched it yet. Jian had his monthly mastery exam on the day we were supposed to watch Harry Potter so we have to postpone it for this coming weekend. I was saddened that the Philippines have had our very first 3D movie but we were not able to catch it in theaters. I mean, we were able to watch it but not in 3D. RPG Metanoia was shown last Christmas as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival. I wonder if Star Cinema is not thinking of re-releasing them anytime soon?

Personalized Shirts

It is not everyday that birthdays are celebrated. For someone who is in the pink of health, it is a time to give thanks for the healthy year. For someone who is stricken with a terminal illness, it is a time to give thanks because you get to live another day or year for that matter. My mom's sickness taught us how to be thankful not just for birthdays but for each day we get to wake up alive. When she was sick, there were times that we celebrated birthdays in her hospital room. We would dress up the room and bring in all the food there. We would gladly share the food not just with the hospital's staff, but with other cancer patients as well. Not too long, we would see other families doing they same thing. Some families even exerted great effort making sure they are wearing breast cancer t shirts. It is a great way to show support and empathy to their patients. We were wondering then where they were getting those shirts. Not until recently, while checking out another friends' Facebook profile, I was able to bump into the Facebook page of a design your own shirt company, CafePress.com. The possibilities are endless when you create your own item. It made me think that if mom was still alive, she will be elated to see us wearing personalized shirts on her birthday. It would be nice to capture that moment on pictures, too. However, mom is no longer here. I will have to think of creating personalized shirt for another person, then.

I have been to a lot of Oncology Departments of different hospitals during the times that my mom herself was a cancer patient. She battled Primitive Neuro Ectodermal Tumor, a type of cancer that attacks the bones of the afflicted. She had been in and out those rooms in the UP-PGH Cancer Institute for almost six years. During those years, not only are we able to create good relationships with the hospital's staff and the doctors, but we also manage to make friends with other cancer inflicted patients and their families. I have seen how cancer makes their body weak, but not their souls and the will of these people. There were families that went to visit their patient wearing breast cancer t-shirts. Long before there have been statement shirts, they were already wearing shirts that echoed their support to their cancer stricken patients. We were wondering then where they were getting those shirts. Not until recently, while checking out another friends' Facebook profile, I was able to bump into the facebook page of a design your own shirt company, CafePress.com. The possibilities are endless when you create your own item. My son will be celebrating his birthday in two weeks time and I am thinking of giving him a unique item as a gift, something personalized. I am thinking of either a shirt or perhaps an apron, something that will show support on his love for cooking. I do hope it will get delivered on time. Knowing Hubby, he will surely ask me where I got the item from.

Happy 4th of July

A few years ago, 4th of July was celebrated all throughout the Philippines with a blast. Yes, it was originally celebrated as Independence Day until August 4, 1964 when historians urged that it be changed to June 12, 1898. looking back at our history, some may agree that it was indeed the correct date of our independence. The Spaniards never recognized that we are free from them when our flag was raised in Kawit, Cavite. They even transferred us as their colony to the Americans via the Treaty of Paris. To be honest, my mind has been bugged by our so called Independence even when I was just a kid. During my elementary grades, we were thought about how we won our freedom when the Katipuneros waved our flag to the tune of Marcha Filipina Magdalo (which later became Marcha Nacional Filipina). I was also taught then that July 4th is the Filipino-American Friendship Day. Is the United States really an ally of our country? Oh, this could perhaps launched a debate, but I will leave it up to your opinion. Personally, I have gained some blogging friends over the last week thru an online community called Voiceboks. Most of them are based in the US, so I could personally say that I have allies in the United States! (LOL!) Right now, I will just content myself in greeting Happy 4th of July day to everyone, whatever your opinions maybe. Anyway, everybody deserves a happy day not just on this day but everyday.

Messy Go Round: Messy Mom

Messy Go Round is a meme that is the brainchild of Sweet Keanna. It features kids doing what they are very good at, being messy! LOL!

Hmm, but since it is Mothers' Day today, what if we put mom on center stage. I would like to share with you one incident when mom gets messy.



This was taken during our visit to Hongkong's Ocean Park last year. We were joyfully eating ice cream when Hubby stuck his ice cream on my face. i wonder if the kid is asking himself" So, who is messy now?".

A Mother's Love

Mothers' Day is here again. It seems that this special day for Moms has been tainted because of Pacquiao-Mosley boxing bout. Since Pacquiao won, can we say Mommy D is the happiest amongst all moms today? I guess not. I am happy because Hubby and Kid surprised me with a bouquet of red roses after the mass. I know, it was not as grand as the Hermes bag that Mommy D had or those Manolo Blahniks that she will be wearing on her birthday bash. But the flowers came from two important men in my life. I care not about the tag but more about the thought.

Our Mom makes us be this way. We were brought up to choose needs over wants. We were shown that we have to work hard to be able to get what we want in life. Life can be simple or grand , depending on how you choose life to be. Everything that we are right now, we all owe to this one very special lady.

Mama was there when I had to fight for my right to become the schools representative on a district wide quiz bee in grade one. Mama was there when I delivered my first poem in front of two classrooms full of onlookers, a lot of them I don't know. Mama witnessed how I tripped my way when I was dancing one night in high school. She was also there when I graduated in college. She was with me when I walked down the aisle and she was there during my own take on motherhood. She patiently gave me all the foods that I was craving for, making sure that I get what exactly I want. She might not be beside me when I was laboring for my kid but I know that on her room she was whispering a prayer for my safe delivery. She was there to teach me how to bathe my kid. I could still remember how she beams with pride holding on to her only apo. She was patient enough to call us each and every day when we were living far from them. She never fails to give hope and courage even during the times that she was already bedridden with cancer. She never makes it hard for us to live with her illness. Although she battled cancer for almost six years, we never saw the pain in her eyes until the very last hours. She may be gone now but her spirit remains. Whenever I see my kid and hug him, I now know how it feels to become a mother and I now know why she chooses to live longer. She chose to live longer even when she is silently in pain so she could be with us for a little more time. I guess it is true, that Angels cannot be everywhere, so He just created Mothers.



Mama, wherever you are please know that you are loved and that we are blessed having you as our Mom.

Happy Mothers Day!

A Different Way of Saying Happy Mother's Day

I was baking those cupcakes when the kid asked me about Mothers' Day and I replied that I need to be at the office on that day. He did not say anything and went back to his drawing board. After about 15 minutes, he went back to me and said that if I could take a leave on Mother's day. To which I answered No, because I have already filed a leave for mommy's death anniversary on the 14th and it will be too late for me to file for a leave for Mother's Day. He went back to with his stuff again and after about 15 more minutes went back to me and said, "Paglaki ko, magpe Presidente ako, tapos oorder ko na ang lahat ng Mommies , walang pasok pag Mother's Day. Bakit kaya di naiisip ng Presidente yun ngayon 'no Mama?". (When I grew up, I will be a President and I will make an order that Mommies dont have to go to work on Mother's Day. Why don't you think the President is not thinking about that?). I was stumped and to be honest I was about to burst into laughter and tears. I told him that the president could be thinking a lot to think about declaring Mother's Day an official holiday for Moms. We were about to sleep and he was kissing me goodnight when he said, "Mama, ayoko na pala maging Presidente, maraming problema yun eh. Mag business na lang tayo para di mo na kelangan pumasok pag Mother's day, tapos lahat ng mga nagtatrabaho sa tin na mommies wala rin pasok pag Mother's Day, pede ba yung ganun Mama?" (Mama, I no longer want to be a President because there are lots of problem that a President is worrying about. Let us just venture into a business so you don't have to go to work on Mother's day, then all those Mommies working on our business also do not have to go to work on Mother's day, would that be possible, Mama?). What an insight from an eight-year old kid! I guess, it is his way of saying that he wants me beside him on Mother's day. What a way to be greeted Happy Mother's Day!

To all mommies, nanays, mamas, inays or whatever you are being called; we may only be someone to a lot but for our kids we are everything (or at least during their younger years). So hug them always and let them know you care for them. And if you still have your Mom with you, don't forget to tell them how much you appreciate them.

MM: Preggy Tales

My first pregnancy was a delight , I would say. I had always had irregularities with my menses eversince I could remember. I even told Hubby prior to getting married that it could be difficult for us to be pregnant because of my menstrual irregularities He said he is marrying me because he loves me and that it is no big deal if we can be pregnant or not. We were pretty surprised when just after six months of being married, we have been blessed. Surprised and Delighted were understatement. I did not have any problems on my first three trimesters. the only problem was I dreaded the smell of sauteing dishes and that I want to eat certain types of foods (my Mom was always there to rescue Hubby on my cravings and so are my Titas). The kid was the first grandchild on my side of the family and you could imagine the excitement he has created on the family. Things go differently when I entered my third trimester. The kid on my tummy was very active and he was kicking and dancing inside my womb. The kickings and dancings started to create contractions. On my sixth and a half month of pregnancy, my cervix is already 1cm dilated. This worried my OB GYNE and eventually ordered me on bed rest and on Duvadilan every eight hours. I was nervous and I kept on talking to the kid inside me. I asked him to stay quiet or Mama might be rushed to the delivery room making it hard for both of us. I guess, the kid inside listened and I was able to carry him to full term. I gave birth to a healthy 2.745 kgs. baby boy (that looks like a girl). Regrets? I was not able to capture the pregnancy in pictures. Those few images that I had when I was pregnant were gone with Ondoy.

Last March 26 , 2009, I had the same delighted feeling when I tested positive after 3 years of trying-to-conceive. But the feeling was shortlived, we lost the baby at almost nine weeks. The only thing that left the pregnancy was the image that i kept in my Facebook profile til now.

I am very happy that God gave me a shot at being a mom. It completed the woman in me. I would greatly appreciate though if He will give me another shot at being a Mom, and I am praying that it will be soon.

Good Old Filipino Games

The months of April and May are synonymous to fiestas to us Filipinos. Fiestas nowadays appear to be more of a political fare than a religious one. A few decades back, these days are celebrated to thank God (or the barrio's patron saint) for a bountiful harvest and it is also a time for people to pray for a good rainy season for the next planting season. Nowadays, it has become an event for politicians to show off their faces on banners and to sponsor a lot of beauty pageants so their name will be mentioned on stage. Gone are the usual games and stuffs. Its as if it has been replaced by dance contests and gay pageants. This is the same reason why I got really surprised when last Easter Sunday, we saw a typical fiesta game that seems to have been forgotten.



Youngsters are climbing up a pole greased with well what else but grease to get their prize. And yes, since the pole had been greased it was really a hard way up. People viewing the game was telling that the game had been going on for hours and no one can even touch the top of the rope. Until this boy came.




Yes, it could be a hard way up but it was worth playing (and watching). Hmm, makes me wanna go to the province so i can enjoy viewing and perhaps playing more Filipino games like this. I even promised the kid that we will be playing sungka on my restdays. Care to join?

Osama Bin Laden Now a History

The death of Osama Bin Laden is all over the news. Even non-Americans are exalted about the event. Well, who could ever forget the tragedy that was 9/11. The thousands of victims who suffered an untimely death, just because one terrorist leader wants to send a signal that they should be frightened. Bin Laden's terrorist group the AlQaeda is said to be funding countless terrorist groups all over the world. They were also linked to a local terrorists group, the Abu Sayyaf. It is said that the Al Qaeda was funding the Abu Sayyaf. If there was something that we could thank for the death of Bin Laden, it would be that we get to see a peaceful world, at least for sometime. Why do I say for sometime? Let us take the fact that only Bin Laden is dead, he still have his followers. And let us hope that the followers will now have their spirits crushed that they would not think about a counter attack soon.

Mommy Moments: Black and White

"It's Black, It's White It's Tough For You To Get By". I've got MJ's best songs playing on my background as I write this. Nice; especially because this week's theme of Mommy Moments is Black and White. I would like to share these images from two special occassions last December.

These are taken during his school's foundation day last December. They danced to the tune of America's latest hiphop tunes. It's nice to see him really enjoy the day with his classmates.

These were taken during their first communion. He was having a really good time with his friends in school.



Wanna see more black and white images of kids and mommies, then head on to Mommy Moments of Mommy Chris.