Monday, July 22, 2013

Brink

Well, here I am. I am one week shy of entering my third trimester and no, I will NEVER post photos of my pregnant belly because that's just not me. Time is flying by so fast. I am still working from home and I will continue to do so until I give birth in November. I'm due in mid-November - around the 13th - but I won't be going on maternity leave until I am huffing and puffing and having about-to-deliver contractions. I mean, that's the plan, at least.

I delivered Kaelana eight years ago by finishing training (I was still a trainer that time) for my last class on a Friday, then giving birth on a Wednesday the week immediately after. The timing was impeccable. I only had to wait for five days. I shudder at stories of other women going on maternity leave too early and having to wait for weeks until they actually give birth. The time wastage is heartbreaking, especially in this country where maternity leaves only last for two months. Those precious weeks of waiting for D-Day (delivery day) could have been spent with your precious newborn. Since I work from home, I'll try my best to stick to the plan.

Another item we had to agree on is our stay arrangements. In our home, there's just the Husband, me, and Kaelana. That's why, as we're nearing my due date, we'll start staying over at my folks'. Their house is much nearer the hospital where I want to give birth - the same facility where I gave birth to Kaelana. It would be much safer for me, in general. I mean, what will I do when I get contractions while the Husband is at work and I'm alone in the house? I'd feel much safer with my family with me. Even if Cyrus is at work, I'll have my brothers, my mom and my sister to take me there, when push comes to shove (no pun intended). I guess what's left for me to do are: take care of what to bring to the hospital, settle giving-birth paper work (insurance stuff and government forms), and be in the best shape and state possible so we can welcome this little bundle of joy into the outside world with flying colors!

Three more months, Kalila Francine. We're ready when you are.





Saturday, June 22, 2013

My Best Friend


"A son is a son until he gets a wife,
but a daughter is a daughter all her life."

I was 18 weeks pregnant and was eating gelato with my Kaelana when her daddy snapped this photo.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Phenomenal

I believe that I am at a point in my life where I just want to really slow down, keep a low profile and live peacefully. I don't think I just woke up one day with this realization. Instead, I know that I took purposeful and deliberate steps to get to where I am now. Getting our own little home, tightening my circle of friends, being more introspective, letting go of the negative... I made sure I was creating a life away from toxic competition, away from things that waste precious time, away from circumstances and situations that did not make me grow and most importantly, away from things I know, if I'm lying on my death bed, aren't really important.

Sure, a fancier job title, a larger paycheck, a place in the spotlight, a better figure, a nicer pair of shoes, are awesome, but at what expense? Lesser time with my adorable and precocious daughter? Superficial 'friendships'? A strained marriage? Stretched finances? No, I'll pass.

Now don't think I've lost my drive, my zest for excellence, my exuberance, my sense of adventure, my excitement for the unknown. I didn't settle. I just decided to start, oh around two to three years ago, to re-calibrate my life, to find out what truly mattered to me.

I got sick late last year. I had a wound that got badly infected which required surgery. I had to stay in the hospital for a week. I had to be medicated with really strong antibiotics. Then, last December, while on vacation in beautiful Boracay, I broke my wrist. I had to wear a wrist splint. It was uncomfortable and extremely painful. Just putting on my undergarments required maximum effort. I had to ask The Husband for help, as if I were a toddler. I was miserable. But in the midst of all the bad stuff, I found out who my real friends were, and I discovered who truly cared. It hit me: life was really short and what a shame if I were to waste it on things and people that were fleeting and shallow.

My wants have indeed changed. My goals and priorities are different now.

I want more stamps on our passports.
I want a masters degree.
I want a career in the academe.
I want more time with my family - my husband, our daughter and her upcoming sibling, my parents, my brothers, my sister and our relatives.
I want more time with my friends.
I want to read more, laugh more, eat more, dream more.
I want to make our home more beautiful.
Heck, I even want to blog more.
Also, don't laugh.
I want to make a difference.

I also want more ice cream. Ice cream rights a lot of wrongs, y'know.

Happy Friday, loves.


photo from weheartit.com


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sugar and Spice?

My daughter, Kaelana, is growing taller, brighter and more beautiful every day. Family, friends and even random strangers comment about how well-behaved she is, how socially adaptable, how friendly, how mature for her age, how NOT annoying (you know how some kids are; they push the cute envelope too far for far too long but hey, I'm not here to judge), how emotionally sensitive and how long and thick her eye lashes are. I smile proudly but deep inside, I still worry if we're raising her right, and if our parenting skills are good enough. The pretty eyes are genetic so that's something I just thank Mother Nature for.

Because of how polite, amiable and sunny Kaelana is, I also get comments from people how lucky I am to be raising a daughter and not a son. They say boys are a handful - that girls are generally easier to handle and  that Cyrus and I do not have to worry too much because Kaelana is pretty much the poster child for well-adjusted kids.

I beg to differ. Raising a daughter is not a walk in the park. And you know what, I worry most about her teenage years. The words rebellion, angst, heartbreak, body image and peer pressure come to mind. I went through the same things with my own mother. They say things have a way of coming back to haunt you, but for my daughter, I hope, with prayers and guidance, she won't have to go through very painful, life-altering (in a negative way) circumstances.

I pray fervently that Kaelana will not be a victim to nor a perpetrator of what I call "girl crimes": exclusion, vile gossip, and unnecessary drama (yes, I believe some drama is necessary). I will teach her to avoid toxic people and to walk away from situations that will make her compromise her values. I will teach her to say no. Most of all, I will teach her that what's most important is that she is happy with herself and her decisions. I hope she will  remember that I will always be there for her.



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Clueless

If we are friends on Facebook, then you must have come across two status messages I've posted about how people who I used to be friends with acted in ways I couldn't wrap my pretty little head around. Truth be told, I haven't been giving them much thought until they did those things they did because, like what I've mentioned, I've un-friended them in real life and on the internets as my way of leaving those relationships behind. For good. It just seems that they didn't get the memo.

With the upcoming baby and with more pressing matters to think about - like why Nancy Binay is almost officially a senator with the way the midterm election results are going -, I really just want to bask in nothing but good vibes.

Oh, and milk tea.

I just have four theories about these strange occurrences and I came up with these with the help of some of our mutual friends and the status message replies I've gotten on Facebook.

a. The events that led to the end of our friendship - mine and theirs - have nothing to do with The Husband. Meaning, their friendship - theirs and Cyrus' - is completely separate from ours. Therefore, yes, one of them thought it was perfectly okay to send him a message through Facebook about 'this awesome surf movie' that she just watched and that he must download himself. I should mention that The Husband has also clearly un-friended her and was totally bewildered why she messaged him out of the blue.

And yes, another one of them then thought it was absolutely fine to to greet him with an air kiss on the cheek when she bumped into him in the office pantry. She then went on to congratulate him on our pregnancy and was all chit-chatty, as if she didn't do anything wrong to me, when the proverbial crap hit the fan last year.

I must also mention that when everyone was still friends, they became my husband's friends through me. It's not like they were friends first and then I came along. No, it wasn't like that.

b. Their being friendly to him, my husband, an extension of me, is their way of making amends. To me.

Wow, even while typing that, I knew it sounded preposterous. Fine, it's a possibility, but even then, they should just forget it because when I leave friendships, I leave them for good. That's how I live without hang-ups and regrets. They should try it sometime.

c. Maybe they think they really did nothing to contribute to the ugly but inevitable demise of our friendship. Maybe they really think they are innocent.

Wow. Just wow.

Uhm, no. I could not have imagined everything, right? The way I was ostracized? The way she plotted and schemed against me? The way they'd say one thing and do another. No, I'm sorry but I'm not buying any of that. It's as real as a three-dollar bill.

d. They just want to spite me.

---

Anyway, whatever. I just want to say I graduated from playing mind games and girly drama charades way back in high school. They should too.


Nuff said.



Saturday, May 11, 2013

Little Girl

My princess stays at my parents' for most of the week. We recently lost her nanny - the one she had since November because she chose to work in a garment factory. We were able to secure a new one - this one much older and more experienced with taking care of children - but we still chose to have her spend most of her time at her grandparents'. After all, her bestest friend, her cousin and my nephew, Matt, is also at my parents' and her joy knows no bounds when they play together. They play tag, fly kites, make art and basically just make a colossal, happy mess at the house of their grandparents who spoil them silly.

In November, this little girl will be an only child no more. She will be a big sister. You know what they say about having children - about how your heart is walking around in another person's body? Well, there will be two little people carrying my heart soon.


13 weeks pregnant

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Rollercoaster

I'm sorry for being MIA these past few weeks. Things have been pretty hectic lately, to say the least. For one, we found out we're expecting Baby Number Two. We couldn't be more excited. As of this writing, I am entering my second trimester. You see, I have three siblings who mean the world to me, and it just seems off to not give Kaelana at least one best friend who share her flesh and blood. In my 30 years of existence, I have never felt alone because I know I will always have my brothers and my sister. To be truthful and candid, I was more than happy to settle with just one child but it seems God has more adventures and love and blessings in store for us.

I grew up attending reunions for both of my parents' sides and it just seems happier and livelier with more members. We're stopping at two kids, though, because that's really all we could handle. Kaelana and this little one will have a seven-year age gap - just like me and my sister. Also, we were really toying with the idea of conceiving our last child before I turned 31. Now that idea is a reality and I'm due to give birth in November.

So how am I REALLY doing? Well, if my blog title is any indication, I've had my ups and downs. My pregnancy's first trimester was plagued with really bad episodes of nausea, gastritis and even cardiac arrhythmia. My cardiologist had me go through tests, and everything came out okay, but my heart rate is slower and my blood pressure is lower than usual. I've been religiously taking my prenatal vitamins, drinking my milk, trying to get a lot of sleep and watching what I eat. My family, most especially The Husband, has been really supportive and every day, I pray for a safe, healthy and easy pregnancy and delivery.

The next few months will be awesome. I can feel it. There's nowhere to look but up.


Sunday, April 21, 2013

Youth

There are things I did in my teens that I will strongly caution my daughter against doing and trying herself.

Things like getting into cars with the designated driver friend having had two bottles of beer. Or things like spending the night with two friends sleeping in a parked car on a dark street because we got locked out of my friend's dorm - What if we got mugged??? Or, just for fun, lying down on the pavement of a street in the middle of the night and scrambling to the sidewalk at the first sign of oncoming headlights. Or, because it sounded cool at the time, jumping into the pool with all our clothes on with no visibility and no idea how deep the water was.

No, I didn't do drugs, I didn't smoke, I wasn't promiscuous, I didn't associate with shady characters and I hand sanitized religiously.

Still. That was 14 years ago. Things are different now.

I want my daughter to grow up without experiencing any of the bad stuff. I don't want her regretting things. I DO want her to live her life to the fullest but I don't want her broken or scarred or hurt in any way possible.

I'm turning 31 this year. My daughter will turn eight in August.

I have roughly ten more years to arm her with the values and convictions to enable her to go through her memorable teen years carefree-ly and not carelessly.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Get Real

"Do not, I stress, do not mourn 
the friendship you never valued." 

Believe me when I say that I am composing this blog entry with a smile on my face and with no other aspiration nor agenda but to say my (peaceful) piece. I have promised that this blog will be devoid of any ill feelings and negativity, and I have every intention to keep it that way.

Let me start by saying that I think it's been obvious that I removed people I used to be friends with from my life, and consequently, from my social networking sites' friends' lists. I did this quietly. My relationship with them - albeit short - merited that respect. I didn't make a big fuss about it. To make a big deal about unfriending/blocking them reeks of arrogance, and I may be a lot of things, but I'm not pompous and self-righteous. I also know there would be people who would be caught in the middle, and I didn't want them to take sides. It's not fun to be caught in the crossfires; I know the feeling. More importantly, I'm just not the type to rally mutual friends to my cause to paint these other people as the bad guys. To me, it's enough that they - our mutual friends - know what I went through and that they understand why I had to leave these friendships that I feel are no longer good for me.

Moreover, when I leave friendships, I sever the ties cleanly. I am a firm believer of how people that we meet always have roles in our lives. And when a relationship sours, or when circumstances reveal that their convictions and values do not align with mine, I respectfully let go and take comfort in the fact that this person's role in my life has been fulfilled.

That's why I do not understand when these same people say that they're sad/regretful/mournful/-insert negative feeling here- that they have lost my friendship. Well, in the first place, when we were still friends, I was a true friend. I was giving, I was honest, I opened up, I was encouraging, I was there for them. I just don't know if that was how they were to me, as well, because only they can say so. Our conscience is our guide, and I'm not here to pass judgement. Looking back, I have drawn conclusions on what kinds of 'friends' they were to me, but I don't want to really dwell on my thoughts nor elaborate.

To be brutally honest, I know I had my faults too, however, the events that led to the demise of these relationships, to me, spoke loudly of how these people who used to be my friends put power and their personal gains ahead. I think it's easy and just plain convenient to say that Kiss was bitter, that I felt slighted, that my massive ego got in the way, that Kiss was just indubitably defiant, yadda, yadda. Whatever. I'm not here to defend myself. Most importantly, I'm not here to feign innocence and claim faultlessness. I don't like playing the victim.

I can present one million and one pieces of evidence that I was bullied and alienated. It's unnecessary for me to go into the details because, like I said, I'm not here to convince you of, well, anything. BUT here's what I did and didn't do, just to give you an idea.

I questioned decisions, not authority.
I challenged unfair arrangements; I didn't dispute hierarchy.
I followed protocol and raised valid issues using proper channels. I didn't wreak havoc by throwing SOP out the window.
Most importantly, I still did my job well, even if the cliquish and partisan ways of these so-called "friends" screamed inefficiency and ineffectiveness.
I didn't change. I didn't withhold information. I wasn't deliberately unfair.

As a person, I'm very introspective and self-aware. After deliberation and reflection, I know when to label something as a lost cause. And that's what I did. I knew there was nothing to save. How could there be? I had to walk away.

“Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit. 'Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost.”

I'm looking forward and living life without any regrets.
I hope they do the same.


photo from weheartit.com

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Random Memories Sept

- My older brother, Jhzryl, went to high school at Don Bosco. To my then seven-year-old self, it was an  overwhelmingly massive campus filled with boys who played sports and instruments, boys who served at Catholic Masses where loud, rock-ish music was played live, boys who created projects made from wood and electrical stuff, boys who were good at art and boys who called each other by their last names. We attended all of my brother's school events, and I remember playing at their playground wearing my "My brother is a Bosconian" shirt.

- My nanny used to make bubble solution from scratch. It had detergent, water and hibiscus extract. The bubbles it made were huge and didn't pop easily, unlike the store bought bubble solutions. Did anyone used to do this too? Can you tell me the measurements?

- The Husband and I found out we were pregnant on Valentine's Day. I kid you not. It turned out I had been pregnant since November.

- On the first day of college in UP Diliman, I had an entire entourage with me: my mom, her sister and her husband and their cousin who was a professor there. I am not ashamed to admit it. My family is just really supportive and the university campus was intimidatingly huge. We were given maps to navigate our way around. Funny story: My mom's brother-in-law, my Tito Biyo, was helping me find my classrooms. One subject's venue read TBA. We thought it was a real place. Good thing, my uncle was able to find out it meant 'To Be Announced' from a helpful upperclassman. My aunt, the professor, said that if it were I - the obvious freshman - who had asked, some upperclassmen would intentionally give misleading and incorrect answers like "It means, Teodoro Benigno Aquino hall. Just ride the Ikot and you won't miss it." Of course, no such hall exists which would equate to the hapless freshman riding the damn jeepney in circles. Shudder.

- We had sewing projects for Home Economics class in high school. I got low marks for an apron I made because the pockets I sewed on were askew. Oh well. I tried.

Lucid

There is a flood of introspection that comes with tending to a sick child. My little girl was febrile last Saturday night. The bouts were sporadic. And while I wasn't really THAT wrought with worry - because she didn't lose her appetite nor all of her energy - , my heart was heavy like lead while giving her her sponge baths. I monitored her temperature, gave her her medication, read to her... All these things I did while wishing it was me who was sick instead of her.

Thankfully, she is absolutely in the pink of health right now, and it seemed that all she needed was a dose of Mama TLC. Oh, her dad was there, too. The Husband is as doting on her, if not more so. Kaelana is an only child. We can't help but fawn and fuss over her ALL THE TIME.

We shut out the world when Kaelana is sick. We always make it an opportunity to pull together and regroup. We make sure that our attention is focused and not diverted. We zero in on getting her good health back. Our little family of three withdraws into our cocoon to nurse her back to a bouncing ball of energy.

Thankfully, the extra dose of affection worked. She is now back to her bright-eyed, bushy-tailed self. And I can't be any more grateful.

Here are some photos of her that I found. She was a few weeks shy of turning a year old. Enjoy your Saturday!


little teeth


pretty eyes


tickled pink


crawler


sweetie


curious


grinning


inchworm

Have a happy weekend, friends!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Exclamation Point

And just like that, it is March.

I'm glad I ended February with a fun, low-key dinner with my we-do-not-need-alcohol-and-videoke-ALL-THE-TIME friends, Arvy and Graeco.


L-R: me, Graeco and Arvy

We had dinner at Portos at Escario Central then capped the night off with a cupcake (Graeco's, as I was too stuffed) from The Cupcake Theory. Of course, everyone and their mother has heard about The Cupcake Theory at one point or another. If you haven't, you should check them out, pronto. Graeco likes the classic red velvet flavor, while I am torn between the cookies and cream and minty chocolate varieties.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun rehashing the recent Oscars and just catching up. What else did we talk about? I'll tell you in hash tags. #sosyproblemsLOL #thehuffingtonpost #pistorius #sethmacfarlane #iphone5 #shoppinginthebargainsectionaccordingtograeco #arvyandtheredmoon #hathahaters #ivolunteerastributegif 

My friends are hilarious.

We're having dinner together again on Tuesday next week.

In the meantime, enjoy the first weekend of March, fiends friends! Be good.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Everyone's a Critic

"I don't begrudge you of your choices. 
Why do you judge me for mine?"

On living with my in-laws for the first five years of our marriage:
First of all, we were invited by my in-laws to live there. We didn't tell them, "Hey, when we get married, we will live with you, okay?" We said we would rent, get a tiny apartment. His parents found the idea incredulous. Why???, they asked. We have a room to spare, we will help care for Kaelana, yadda yadda. So we agreed and said yes.

We lived with my parents the first six months after I gave birth. My mom helped me care for Kaelana. I didn't want to leave but I felt I had to, because Cyrus wanted to please his parents and I didn't want him to choose, so off we went. Needless to say, it wasn't the best idea. My good friends (and previous blog's stalkers) know the rest of this unpleasant tale. To make this long and unsavory story short, I've forgiven, but I haven't forgotten. So let's just say that whatever reconciliation, in whatever form, happens, it will happen in accordance to OUR terms. Not theirs.

Aaand, just to set the record straight, I never really had problems with the hosts. I only had major issues with the blood-sucking parasites. #figureitout #riddle

Why then did it take us five long, harrowing years before we moved out? Why did we wait that long?
Well, Cyrus and I pledged to each other that if we leave, we leave for good and never come back. We're such proud people, I guess. You can say we did suck it up while waiting, although I'm sure *they* will not agree. I maintain we did so, anyway. We promised that when the time came for us to truly try and make it on our own, we will not come crawling back. I'm glad to report it's been two years and we are very happy to have a little nest to call our own, with ownership papers to prove it.

On buying our own house:
Both the husband and I have been asked, Why don't you rent? Isn't it more practical to do so? Why buy a house that is so far? You can rent a house nearer to work.

Cyrus and I grew up in homes lovingly built through the blood, sweat and tears of our parents. Actually, Cyrus and his family rented when he was smaller, and so did my my family (although I have no recollection of it because I was too young; I only saw photos of me in a garden that wasn't our garden). However, for the most part, our memories have been in the homes our parents owned.

Like I mentioned, we initially wanted to rent, but those plans got scrapped. When we were living with his parents, and when things started to go awry, I brought up renting to him again. We did go on several excursions to look for places to rent, but upon looking at these rooms and apartments, these thoughts crossed our minds and hit us like a ton of bricks: We would be furnishing a place that will never be ours. We would be shelling out hard earned cash for something we will never legally own.

And that didn't sound pragmatic to us. It's akin to sprucing up a rented car.

Also, why did we choose a house that's so far?
Distance is relative. I grew up in a home in Mandaue City and my high school was in Cebu City. People thought that was far ten years ago but now, I don't think they still think that's extreme. Yes, Lapu-Lapu City, where we currently reside, is far. Far from the office, from Kaelana's school and uhm, from Ayala Center. But it's near the airport, it's near the beach, it's near uhm, the Gaisano Grand Mall. Haha! So, yes, distance is relative, and we have a car, anyway, so we get by. We need to get up earlier in the morning, we need to leave an hour earlier to catch the last full shows at Ayala Center's cinemas, and we had to get used to penciling in longer travel hours for appointments in Cebu City. These are things that we have come to embrace as part of living where we live.

Moreover, we chose to live here because we could afford it. We didn't want to buy (through Pag-IBIG) a house we couldn't afford just because it's nearer to the city central. We didn't want to be in over our heads.

The home we live in now is just the right size for us, is in a good neighborhood, is five minutes away from a hospital and allows our Kaelana to ride her bike to her little heart's content. We are very happy.

On being wife, mom and career woman in one:
Let me start by saying it's not easy. My family comes first, yes, but I also like the fulfillment that comes from growing my career, thriving in the cutthroat corporate jungle and most importantly, doing something I'm actually good at and getting paid for it. I shouldn't be punished for attempting to do a lot, for wearing different hats. So long as I know what my priorities are, I think I'm doing okay. I want my child to grow up with a multi-hyphenated supermom. I like how THE Daphne OseƱa Paez puts it: I'm there for you, but I'm also doing other things - and you can do it, too." My Kaelana knows I will drop everything and anything for her. No questions asked.

More than ever, I am grateful for the work I do, now that Kaelana's a school girl. She's out of the house for most of the day, so if I were to stay at home, what am I supposed to do?

I know that someday I will quit the corporate world and I will retire the opaque stockings and four-inch office pumps. For now, I enjoy my multi-hyphenated title : Kiss TaƱedo, wife-mother-corporate-trainer-instructional-designer.

Lastly,
On choosing NOT to judge the choices others make even if I don't agree with them:
People around me make choices I know I wouldn't make, but I don't and will never condemn them for it. I also do not extol my choices and say that they're better than yours. We live different lives and what may work for you, will not work for me. What also works for me will not work for you.

So go ahead, breastfeed your child until he is seven, home school him until he is in high school, feed him only organic stuff, don't let him believe in Santa Claus, whathaveyou.

So long as the choices we make are informed ones - and not just ones we make to rock the boat or go against the norm for the sake of doing so because you're hipster or a know-it-all like dut or you wanna impress people - then they are the RIGHT choices. Be happy.


photo from weheartit.com


Friday, February 22, 2013

Random Memories Six

- My friends and I used to spend so much time crafting creative requests to send to MTV Asia. We were in high school so MTV Asia back then was ruled by VJ royalties like Mike Kasem, Nadya Hutagalung, and Sonia Couling. We made elaborate collages and papier mache thingamajigs and wrote in requests for the latest Spice Girls/Janet Jackson/Backstreet Boys video. We wanted that MTV shirt so bad! We never got to see our requests read and shown on TV, though. I wonder why. But it's okay. It's all good.

- Believe it or not, when I was five years old, I had the brilliant idea of putting a small stone up my nostril. Yep, a stone. Uh-huh, up my nostril. Of course, I tried to take it out, but trying to do so only pushed it farther up my nasal cavity. I didn't say anything to my mom or my nanny but they noticed I had trouble breathing.  "DID YOU PUT A STONE IN YOUR NOSE?", my mom demanded. "A small one," came my meek reply. Of course, I had to be rushed to the ER where I kicked and screamed at the doctors who managed to take it out sans surgery. Phew. My mom kept the stone as a reminder of that fateful day.

- I used to like eating Milo. When I was a kid, I mixed it with rice sometimes. Yum.

- The infamous typhoon Ruping happened when I was in second grade. An art work I made for class was displayed on one of our bulletin boards in school. As the Philippines' seventh most destructive typhoon to date raged, I worried about my masterpiece by thinking thoughts like: Did the floods make it to our school? Did the winds blow our bulletin boards away? My eight-year-old self's priorities are very uhm, typical of an eight-year-old.

- I loved my Chong Hua Hospital-based pediatrician when I was a kid. I liked all the toys in his clinic and he let me play with them when my mom took me there for regular check-ups. I remember him telling us that I was healthy - that my asthma was just something that had to be vigilantly monitored. Whenever I'd get a clean bill of health, my mom would then take me for ice cream at Merry Mart. Merry Mart! Let me know if any of you here remembers that!

Happy Friday!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Call Me Maybe?

So The Husband has been hinting that he was getting me something really fun and cool for no special reason since mid-January. I kind of already knew what it was, because he would forget to log off from the computer and I'd see he was looking at iPhone 5 reviews. Ha. He's not very good at hiding secrets, let's just say.

I had a functioning Nokia E71 - a phone I've had for almost three years. I loved that phone because it was the first one I owned that could go online, provided there was WiFi.


photo from gsmarena.com

Anyway, I wasn't really hankering for a new phone. Truth be told, technology scares me. Wait, it intimidates be. I've never been the kind to always acquire the latest gadgets and gizmos. You know why it intimidates me, like entering the Louis Vuitton store in Greenbelt? Because I knew I couldn't keep up with it - that it will always be several steps ahead of me. That's why I'm raising our daughter the way I am raising her. I don't want her to be one of those kids who are glued to their iPads and PSPs. Kaelana reads books; she just doesn't watch videos on the iPad. She plays outside and rides her bike; she doesn't just play games on a tablet. Anyway, I digress. We're really not a super techy family, except for Cyrus, but even so, we've always been practical. If it works and serves its purpose, it's good to go. If we can do without it, then we will. We won't get something just because everyone has it.

However, said E71 started acting up on me. I've been having problems with it since oh, last year. I've dropped that phone several times, see. But like a cat with nine lives, it always seems determined not to completely conk out on me. I'd sometimes get messages a day or two late. I'm not joking. The reception became super choppy. Worst of all, it would exhaust all battery life after being fully charged because I had made/received a  two-minute call! It was frustrating.

Anyway, so I kind of knew Cyrus was getting me the iPhone 5. I was mostly ecstatic, yet I was on the fence if I really needed it. Yeah, I'm like that. "But my E71 still worksssss", I'd reason out to him, stubbornly. He'd gotten to the point where he'd look me straight in the eye and say, "You need a new phone." Then I would say, "My phone just needs a new battery." He'd simply shake his head and firmly say, "We can afford this. Why are you being difficult?" Yes, ladies and gents, I'm one of the few people on the planet whose arm you'd have to twist to get me to say yes to something as beautiful as the iPhone 5.

So there. Our application got approved. I was getting my iPhone 5. I started getting eggzoited for it. This was a big deal. For me! For lil, old me! Yay!

Then my friend, Alveel, called. For someone expecting - she's pregnant -, she was talking really fast. Turned out, her sister didn't want her iPhone 5 anymore, that she wanted another phone and would I want to buy the iPhone 5 from her? Alveel and I talk (in person, through text or by calling) every day and she's one of my closest friends on the planet, and she really made me an offer I can't refuse. I was giggling while she was making her sales pitch of "You have to get this. It's practically brand new, and oh my gosh, do you know how difficult it is to hear you when we talk? Think about it. No more messages that arrive six hours after. Get this. You have to." The universe works in mysterious ways, indeed. I quickly made up my mind. I was getting that iPhone 5 so I can give it to Cyrus. Why should he get stuck with his two-year-old Samsung Galaxy when we can have matching phones? It was brilliant.

Alveel immediately had the phone sent over through courier with a sweet note attached to it that said: Cyrus, Kiss thinks you should get your own iPhone 5 because you're buying one for her. Pogi points to you!

Needless to say, he loves it! And I love mine too!


photo from applegazette.com

It's light! It's so clear! The apps are so fun! It's fast! And it's so darn pretty! Is it my favorite phone so far? Oh yes. YES!

My 2006-2009 pink Motorazr V3 comes in a close second.


photo from intomobile.com

Heh.



Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Christened

Our little girl was christened three months after she was born. She was baptized at the Sacred Heart Church's Chapel of the Transfiguration.


The chapel was being renovated at that time.
Now, the baptistry is in an an entirely different space.


She didn't cry when the water was poured on her tiny head.


Kaelana had quite a number of godmothers 
and only one godfather, who wasn't even present, which is all right.


Her white christening eyelet and lace gown is from Rustan's.
I was wearing a halter neck Esprit striped dress because I was already mixed feeding her - part breast milk and part formula. I had gone back to work a week or two before.


The lunch reception was at Mooon Cafe. We had a buffet set up. Those are our good friends, Kaelana's godmother, Karen (and her husband, Mark) and Pam. Karen and Pam are my friends from high school in STC and were bridesmaids at my wedding.


My parents and sister are in the picture, together with our friends, 
Kaelana's godmother, Chiqui, and Coleen and Mahmet.


We love our friends! We're lucky they're always there for us.

Happy memories!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

So Far...

I may have rung in the new year with a fractured wrist, but that didn't stop me from holding my head high, praying fervently that all will turn out positively, and taking each day as it comes. I'm happy to realize that 2013 has been treating me well thus far.

Even my friends tell me I look happier. I'm not one to put my own self on a pedestal of righteousness and positiveness but most definitely, my thoughts are kinder now, my words gentler, and my demeanor, more pleasant.

I'm not saying that things are 100 % perfect for me. I am not the zen master. I still get frazzled over my work deliverables, I worry about how the little girl feels the pressure to be absolutely faultless with the things going on in school (I don't want to talk about it, really. I know this is something my daughter can overcome with our guidance and with God's grace but in a nutshell, she's being hard on herself because I swear to the heavens, she has such a type A personality, and she really has her plate full in school) and I have my share of the occasional estrogen-filled dramas perfect for daytime soap.

BUT... I always remind myself to take a deep breath - or ten deep breaths - and a step back.

I think that it helps immensely to immerse yourself in nothing but good vibes. It helps to believe in the infinite supply of wonderful and amazing things out there that are yours IF YOU CLAIM THEM.



It looks like 2013's water snake took a chill pill, and know what? I'm glad it did.


Monday, February 4, 2013

Well

I was leafing through my 2012 planner-slash-journal this morning. I came across memories, plans, thoughts, realizations, musings and whatnot. I scanned through its scruffy pages and was able to recount trips, get togethers, outings, dates, events.


All I can say, I'm not the same person I was last year. 

I've learned. 


I'll continue to learn. 

Friday, February 1, 2013

Heaven Sent

I am a godmother to exactly two boys - Lucas Matteo, my brother's son, and Justin, my dad's cousin's son- and now, six girls - Jaelyn, Ananda Celine or Andi, Atianna Xariah or Tingky, Sage Charlotte Erzulie or Charlie, Marile, and Luisa Isabel or Wyssa.

Every time a good friend or a relative asks me to be godmother to their child, I take the role seriously. My own little girl, Kaelana, is tremendously loved by her own godparents, and by loving my godchildren - even those I see rarely - I feel that all is right in the world.

Wyssa's baptism was last week, and we were happy to welcome another little one into the Christian fold.


Here's me and Mahmet, one of Wyssa's godfathers. He's The Husband's good friend and is a newlywed. He was also one of the groomsmen at our wedding.


And here's Wyssa, our darling. That's me with Wyssa's parents, our friends, Blue and Chiqui. Chiqui is Kaelana's godmother. That's Mahmet's wife, our friend, Coleen. Look at Wyssa yawning! Her christening gown is vintage, a family heirloom.

I'm wearing this year's it color: emerald.
OOTD: mini dress bought from my friend, black tights (I use Burlington) from the department store, Charles and Keith black and gray pumps #sonotfashionblogger

photos grabbed from Coleen's Facebook

Babies are truly heaven sent. Are you a godparent too? 





Tuesday, January 29, 2013

First Day in Play Group

I actually missed this precious milestone because I had to work. I felt bad at first, but The Husband was able to document it pretty well, so it's all good. We had signed up the little girl for summer play school in Woodridge School at two and a half years old.


getting ready!


Look at her lashes!


OOTD: set top and skirt from Gingersnaps and Snoopy sandals

#likeafashionblogger


going to school


cutiepie


early bird and she chose a seat in front


name tag


her class


her seat mates


raising her hand


exercising their hands for coloring


school tour: going to the library


holding up their art work


putting her things away


throwing her trash


lining up for a song


She was the youngest and smallest!


singing


Yay! Good job!


Snack time! And yes, Yakult is a staple in our home.


my love


a star on her first day!


my happy beauty


daddy's little miss

Ah, awesome memories.

This post is brought to you by the fact that Kaelana is on the honor roll for the third grading quarter. I just got her report card last Saturday.