Everything Happens for A Reason

Dedicated to Camille Prats Linsangan

Everthing happens for a reason. This was what my boss told me when I once talked to her about my difficulty of impregnation. I have already considered this as one of my quotes in life and ever since I have always believe in it.

I'm inspired to write the following article even though I know it's already very late because I think I can't let this pass because I feel it's one of those that fits "Everything Happens for a Reason".

Having read the latest story about the demise of Camille Prat's husband, it immediately came to my mind why Camille got pregnant too early of her life and eventually got married. I can still remember that her mother really cried (nanghihinayang) upon learning that she was pregnant. There was still a plan for Camille to study abroad but unexpectedly circumstances lead her to a detour.

Certainly only God knows why there are unexpected and mostly unlikely things happened in our lives. It has been said that God must have other plans.

Just like Camille's, God must have wanted her husband to experience one of the great things in life and that is to have a lovely family. They just found out about her husband's illness three months after their wedding. So even for just the remaining period of her husband's life, he had her and their son by his side in all his struggles. But indeed, only God knows everything and the reason it happened.

RIP Anthony Linsangan

What Jaiden Said

One of the little joy and surprises in life is when you hear your baby utter words or syllables. The feeling of joy is different. A simple word pronouncement or anything you least expect to hear from him is like a big deal of a story ringing in your ears and if not that too much, you want the whole world to know.

Just last week, my father commented that he was amazed by his apo's (grandson) brilliancy when he heard him spoke the word "rain". Indeed it rained that very moment when he heard him uttered the word. Mama and I were elated upon learning about it because without me knowing just like what I usually do, mama sings to our baby Jaiden the song Rain Rain Go Away every time it rains. In fact when we sang it that night even though there was no rain he automatically wanted to go near the window to look for the rain outside. Now, that's awesome! Isn't it nice to know that your baby learned the word "rain"? 

Yesterday, when his papa wore on his t-shirt (getting ready for work) with an embroidered letters "adidas" in front of it, me carrying him facing his papa, he playfully pointed to the letter "a" before the letter "s" of the brand name "adidas" and uttered "ey". At that moment, we were really caught by surprise and immediately cheered on him. Wooaahhh!!! our baby spoke of letter "a" of the alphabet! Now obviously that was one of those good things in our lives that started our days.

p/s Our baby is 1yr. and 2 mos. old.

What Jaiden Did (2)

This is my second time around writing about Jaiden's actions/mind developments. My title has an enclosed no.2 because my first writing was the Shoe Incident. I was supposed to write this last night. Because it happened supposed to be yesterday (if I was able to write this down last night) but now it's already the other day, September 6, 2011. Jaiden had his two good sets of sleep yesterday, a more than an hour in the morning and a more than two hours in the afternoon. So last night he had lots of energy to drain. The antihistamine of having him his 1ml of Allerta med for his runny nose-allergy didn't seem to put him to bed early. He was so energetic, bouncing in our bed here and there, running to and fro and sometimes founding himself watching intently (our regular night time) the youtube-learning-videos very close to my laptop's monitor to the extent of tinkering the keyboards because he couldn't control his excitement. I think one also of the reason was that his cousin Kuya Josh was around with him, playing and watching with him the videos. So, he finally went to sleep around an hour before midnight. Haaayyy! how could you have the extra energy to write this down? By my intro itself it's already long! hahahahha!!! This is what I told you, spontaneous writing! So much for my intro, let me start writing my very reason of inserting this in my good sleep.

This will be in no particular order because all these were just told by my mother. Again, it happened the other day, September 6, 2011. Let me remind you that Jaiden is now one year and two months old. :)

1) He slept very long in the morning, from 10 to past 12. Within that sleep it's impossible that he made it into a straight sleep. He must had have awaken himself from time to time because it was just obviously a nap. Mama told me that he did and she was surprised of him getting up, picking up his bottled water, lying back in bed and putting it  in his mouth, drinking. Then he went back to sleep. Good thing mama wasn't able to cover tightly his bottled water. So, he managed to got up and drink on his own. Other than drinking his milk, Jaiden regularly drinks water. Now, tending to his body needs - wasn't that amazing?

2) Papa, his grandpa, was doing something very important but stopped himself when his cellphone rang. It appeared on the screen of his phone that my mama was calling him. So, he answered his phone immediately thinking it was an emergency call. To his surprise (when he finally answered) nobody answered on the phone but a mere blank or hanging. He could hear my mama's voice on the background, but not talking to him . Later on, a baby talk made an answer. Haahahhahah!!!! It was our baby Jaiden calling him! Jaiden must had accidentally pressed my papa's cellphone number resulting to that call. Wasn't that funny? Mama's load was all used up!

3) Jaiden has this behavior of hiding or inserting anything on his hand he found interesting in a tight places - tiny horizontal opening he thinks a good place to insert something. His favorite was the small space in between our fridge's basement stand and the floor (this is what I mean horizontal opening or space in between). All my hubby's collectible magnetic maps of US (during his travel there) where I bet in there. Even Josh's Pogs are also there. One time my mama was looking for the Jollibee magnetic calendar. I told her that it was very sure its underneath the fridge. And indeed, it was there. So the other day, Jaiden managed to get mostly all the silver-metallic screw covering of the glass below-side-part of our cabinet-divider in our sala. He put it all again underneath our fridge. Mama, old already to bend on the floor to see underneath (the fridge) and get it, just tolerated it to be there. However, I told her that night right then and there when she told me of the incident that it must be get because other than the uncovered screws are pointed, there would be possibilities that the the glass walls will fall when the screws are loose. It would be very hazardous and we wouldn't want that for sure to happen. So, mama did get the screw-covering underneath. hehehhheeh...

So, just until here for now. I hope to have the time in the near future to put into black and white all Jaiden's surprising baby actions. Now, I don't know if I can still go back to sleep.  

Shoe Incident

I think I shouldn't let what Jaiden did the other day, September 2, 2011, pass without putting it on record. I don't know if it's already normal of his age.

As of that day and now, he is 1year and 2months old. What happened was, he stood in our front yard just very near our door (he didn't even reach the gate's door) with his one shoe on. Probably, he unintentionally let go of the other one. Our neighbor noticed it and commented on him saying "hala, usa ra mna imng shoes" (oh, you only have 1 shoes). My mother inside our house heard what she said. Then just after that, she saw Jaiden went inside picking up the loose shoe on the floor and hurriedly get back to our neighbor with the shoe in his hand. He must had wanted our neighbor to see the other shoe she was expecting him to wear but poor baby of mine, our neighbor was already gone (hehehehhe!). Mama just told him that "hala, wala nmn diha baby" (oh! she's no longer outside baby"). Jaiden just said nothing nor had minded at all. He continued doing what he usually does every day, playing.

It was a very big deal for me for his brain development because I found it unusual for such a young age to understand conversations like that.

You

It was you who made my first ever hospital confinement,
                                 my first ever experience of unfathomable pain.
Though we lost you but you'll always have a place in our hearts.
We love you our little angel!
We know you'll always be watching your twin.

Both of you made me had my first ever unfathomable happiness of success and of my ultimate experience of God's answered prayer.

Then, we have finally you.
It is you who made us child again.
It is you
     and a never ending reasons of how inspired and happy we are to go on with our everyday lives.

Your innocent smiles coupled with your smiling-almost-gone eyes and hearty laughter, change our lives.
You are our bundle of joy but we know you're more than just it.
You're a survivor!
      and you bring us double happiness!

Finally, In The Office

So far since we'd transferred, I finally felt I'm working. Though we're just two but somehow I no longer felt isolated. I found myself belonged though in reality not. Every time I went down usually to answer a call of nature, I saw them there. I felt again the normal aura of an office where people are silently working. Maybe then and I think for sure this is our last stop. And maybe then, our Christmas would be different.

Jaiden's First Birthday Bash!

Whew! that was how I felt when the party ended. It was exhausting but fun and memorable. I hope the kids and the adult guests felt the same way minus the exhaustion. hehehehehehehe.....

Since there was no mass in the Basilica del Sto. Nino in the afternoon of yesterday, June 28, 2011 we were contented to have just visited the church and said our little prayer of thanks for having our first baby's birthday.

We were already almost inside the Sto. Nino's sacred place of adoration when suddenly Jaiden let out a small cry when he observed and looked around the place. His face looked like he didn't feel comfortable. I think it must had been the cave-like structure inside or whatever it was. So I immediately went out of the place before my birthday boy would be hysterical. At the outside of the church, we had a lady "sinug" (a dancing-ritual prayer to the Sto. Nino thanking Him for his natal day and for everything) in dedication to his birthday. Then, a few pictorials.

We arrived an hour and a half earlier to the party venue. Jaiden was already sleepy because it was already his usual napping time. I was just hoping that he would take a short nap on my shoulder which he did, wake up just in time for his party and be in good mood (despite his small nap) when his party would start.

I was surprised when I saw the balloon decorations were beautiful than I expected. I suddenly realized that the some of the decorations weren't what I believed to have paid for in the package. There were lots of flower-shaped balloons in the ceiling. There were also plant-shaped balloons on the tables. What I know was that I only ordered a pair  of pillar balloons with a character topper to be put in front of the stage. But the extra decorations? I know that these were the expensive balloon decoration package Sparkles Balloon has. So I was thinking that maybe those are already the balloons I paid for the Balloon Maker package? Though I know that the Balloon Maker as I understood wasn't for the decoration but for literally making different shapes of balloons to be given away to children guests. So I asked the Sparkles' employee about it and voila! He said that it was a "pakapin!" (extra decorations for free) because GMA's Isyu Karon would feature Sparkles Balloons. Wow! weren't we that lucky?

Just when the party was about to start, I was told that a certain young lady asked permission from my mom that they would get a little video of the party. My mom thinking that they were a video-for-hire business didn't entertain her and informed her to seek the permission from my hubby who was just within the vicinity. Unfortunately my hubby also thought the same, hence their request was immediately declined. However, further explanation from them led to positive approval. Just a sidenote: by this time Jaiden already dozed off on my shoulder.


Unluckily Jaiden was still asleep when the party started. I had no choice but to go in front with a sleeping-beauty baby when the host called up to have the celebrant be introduced and at the same time be sang in (children's) chorus his first (typical melody) birthday song. The singing and the loud microphone sound and music in the background awoke him by surprise. At least he didn't whine. He watched his surroundings and saw a crowd of boys and girls. He was at least remained composed. Then the first game of the party started with the Boat is Sinking. When the host would raised his voice when at times the game was at its climax, Jaiden suddenly jolted which I thought due to the harsh loud sound of the host's voice in the microphone. He jolted for several times until he couldn't take it anymore. He started to cry. I immediately got out of the scene and find some place to calm him. Good because his crying stopped immediately when we comforted him. So that was how his party started. :)


The rest of the party was greeting the long-not-in-touched relatives. It was some sort of a little reunion in both my hubby's family and mine. Thus, it was meeting strangers for Jaiden. I felt some kind of  exhaustion - of smiling and chit-chatting a little. Thus, no wonder it was for our baby also. Almost the whole period of the party, Jaiden was in my comforting ( a shield for him) arms and shoulders. He wasn't his usual energetic self, I think partly because he was a bit sleepy and the crowd and strangers were just too much for him to take with an exception though to children strangers. He blended well with his guests - boys and girls and  the children like him.


By the way we also got a Puppet Show which has helped lightened the mood of our birthday celebrant. He's already used to seeing puppets in Youtube's Skidamarink by SuperSimple Learning. So seeing the puppets of Winne the Pooh and his friends entertained him and so are the kids. They didn't mind that the puppets were thin than should be.


Then came the eating time. Well, I don't like to talk about it here but I think it wasn't that pleasant experience for some? I don't know. It wasn't for me either. However, we managed to keep back on track.


From hearsay, invited children had fun and adults were in awe of the preparation. As to the details of their awedeness? - this I still have to know. :)


Generally, it was indeed a Happy, Happy, Birthday Celebration!!!!!


Happy Birthday baby Jaiden! Mama and Papa loves you so much!!!!!!


Jaiden a derivation of the name Jaidon meaning heard by God. Indeed, God has heard our prayer. Thank you so much Lord!





P/S Please don't forget to watch Isyu Karon of GMA 7 this coming Saturday, July 2, 2011, Saturday at 7:30 A.M. I think my baby and I will be seen there.  :) We might as well be discovered as a new talent (of what?) hehehhehhe

Blogging

I guess, I would  say that my blogging days are almost over. Why? because I hardly have the time to do it after office because my baby demands more of me. I can no longer do it at the office which is okay because as unbelievable as it is, I think it was one of the reason why I am now so deep in the pit of my backlog works. I don't know now how will I be able to do or finish all my backlogs. For the first time in my entire work under my current employer, I am literally backlog of my work! I don't know where to start or what to do first. And again, partly because of my blogging. I was so obsessed with my blogging that any idea or thing that sprung to my mind, I wrote it. You can see that in the past months I was able to make lots of blogs. However, this month it's getting few.

My relationship with this blog site now is I think getting vague as my baby grows and as long as I'm not able to cope up with my job backlog.. wwhhheeewww!!!!!! I don't know. I love to blog and write stuff and all those things that comes to my mind but it's just that I have no control of everything. Well....

Exhausted and Damaging Sunday

We attended our Sunday mass in the Sto. Nino since we planned to go to SM to buy our baby new clothes for his birthday which we planned for him to wear in his pictorial that'll be used in his birthday invitation..

My hubby was right that it's not an always good idea to go to SM if you don't have much money to spare because it has always been proven that we ended up going home buying something unplanned which usually are expensive.

We were able to buy our baby his clothings in a total of P3T+. Quite high huh? Yes, because we bought him two sets of church attire and three sets of house clothings. The unplanned something that we bought is the Vtec's First step walker which Jaiden really enjoyed much testing the toy around the store. He was really showing much enjoyment of the toy, as in! So we bought it at a price of almost 3T. Gosh! I don't know what's next for our baby!

I'm very much exhausted because the stroller is of no use to us in the mall except as his sleeping comfort when he doze off for about thirty minutes. Jaiden wants me to carry him around which I eagerly did. No matter how I know that my body would surely feel all the aches after malling, I couldn't trade the physical bonding I have with my baby. So I carried him around from the near the Flawless clinic area of North Wing to the Otto boutique area and then to Junrex (to see somebody) area then back to near the Flawless area to meet my hubby. It seems just so easy to picture out based in my writing here but believe me I'm physically tired. However, I still took the time to write this blog because this Sunday is an another financially-damaging Sunday but again for our baby - anything is possible as long as we can take it.

Unfinished Blogs

It's barely more than weeks now and my baby's birthday is fast approaching. I have made lots of blogs and promised myself to make one about my the ever challenging and memorable happenings of my life before my baby came to this world. The blog will be a sort of an anniversary tribute of one of the best things that ever happened to my life. But somehow, for reasons I can't seem to figure out yet, I just can't finish it. In fact I've already made two drafts and they're almost in their finishing or wrap up stage.

Maybe it has got to do with one of the facts that I now have very short time to write because my baby now demands more of my time. The moment I arrived from office, I even can't change my clothings because he wants me to carry or cuddle him immediately to the extent that he would cry if I would just pass by him to my room. Now, you don't like that to happen! I wouldn't want him to feel that I'm not excited as he is to see him or that I don't miss him (though it's just hours we're apart). So I really have to scoop him up and cuddle him immediately the moment I step foot of our home. I even have to carry him upstairs to our room then put him down in his crib so that I'll be able to change. Then a waiting baby is staring up at me hoping for me to pick him again immediately. Then we can do our usual things for about two hours.

After I put my baby to sleep, I already find myself exhausted of the playing activities I did with him. So I think this is one of those reasons why I can't seem to finish my said blog.I don't know. I think I just have to tell my baby personally about it.

Another thing is, I realized that it's hard to write about your pasts specially when it happened more than a year already. It seems hard to recall and hard to compress the events in a way that you don't end up writing a book already about your life. I think spontaneous blogging is easy. Writing down immediately if something comes up in your mind and without interruption allows you to finish it on the spot. What I've done about writing my worst and bad experiences during my journey to our baby was writing it in staggered which I think could also be the reason why I'm now lazy to finish it. I don't know yet if I would have the interest. I'm just tired.   

Movie Watching Indulgence

Well, it has been days since I've treated myself to watching numerous movies and setting aside my goal to finish my blog not later than our baby's big day. Hmmm.... let me think..... I have, just more than a month to finish it.... and here I am again, blogging about other things..... well, I think I just can't let this pass.

If I remember it right, I think I had started my movie-watching indulgence last Friday night. I had started with Burlesque starring Cristina Aguillera. The movie was just like Moulin Rouge except that the former has a better story. I find Cristina's acting O.A. but I love his love-interest partner there. While the movie was on-going, the back of mind was saying, "crap! I'm wasting my time!". And as if somebody has heard me, the movie stopped in the middle part. I realized that I was watching a CD copy only and that the downloaded movie wasn't complete. The time was already 11PM and I could just turn off my laptop to sleep but I somehow felt compelled to finish it even though the ending of the movie was too predictable but I don't know, I just finished it. How? well.... the beauty of internet and the Google search engine. I foundnd sites that allowed the movie to be played through internet streaming. So that was it, I finished it! However, still I regretted wasting my time watching it. Crazy me, huh?

I wasn't able to continue my indulgence momentum the following night as my baby didn't allow me to do so. So I had it on the afternoon of the following day. I watched.... hhmmm...... I forgot....wait for a sec...oh yeah! I remember it now. Just like the movie is unforgettable, no wonder I find it hard to remember now. I watched The Last Song movie of Miley Cyrus. Yikes! I don't like her! I don't like watching her crooked teeth (oooppsss!!! heheheh sorry!!!). I don't like watching her trying to act as a tough teen. She came out trying too hard to act.  However, the movie made me feel as a teen again.. hahahahha!!!! I miss those times!!!

That same night, since my baby slept earlier than usual, I was able to watch Eat Pray and Love by Julia Roberts. The movie run approximately 2hours which just made me sleep late, again! It was just okay. I think the movie fits for those established single women who are at a loss of their track. Maybe this movie will enlighten them. It's a simple, complicated thinking movie. It opens you to a world of a person who has it's unique complex problem when on the other side of the world there are just people who simply are having problems of transversing their everyday lives and of having difficulty making their ends meet. It just made you realize that everyone has it's own purpose on this world, that nobody's perfect and that every person has its own puzzle to solve.

Last night and I hope that was the end of my indulgence, I watched Remember Me of Robert Pattinson. I guess, I have made a good choice of choosing that movie as a closing of  my movie-watching spree because I was moved by it. I was kind of expecting a light-romantic-drama movie considering Rob is there but I was wrong. The story's conflicts are deep and I have to say that Rob did a good job in acting his role. I conclude that the movie is nice. Oh, by the way! the way Robert acted his drinking of the beer and carrying his cigarette smoking, I kinda have a feeling that he's a smoker in real life? because he seems to act it naturally. Anyways, that was it my movie-watching spree.

Diet Guilt

What could be guiltier than  forgetting your diet! Yes, I grossly forgot my diet-watch tonight. It started  with eating Julie's Spanish bread just a few minutes before taking my supper. I just so miss the taste of Spanish bread and was hoping it would be like that of Charito's (back then in Labogon) though it was still delicious but it wasn't what I had expected.

Then I ate creamy mongoes soup with pork and I think I ate more than a cup of rice with it.

Jaiden and I went to the basketball court in our subdivision for his wobbly-walking enjoyment. there were many children playing because their guardians were waiting to attend the Novena Mass for our upcoming patron saint's fiesta. Mama followed suit and brought our Abaniko fan since it was very humid. Then I remember mama said that she likes to eat Cornetto so I asked her to get some money to buy as my treat. However, it was me who bought it and I was tempted to eat but they only had Magnolia drumstick - a P33 compared to Cornetto's only P20. So I only bought one and bought Josh and myself their fruit-salad-iced-candy instead . Jaiden obviously has no diet regimen so he gobbled almost half of mama's drumstick ice cream. Mama was just okay with it because she likes vanilla but I bought a chocolate flavor. Jaiden wasn't able to consume it all, so I ended up finishing it. Gosh!!! I had too much sweets for the night!!!

When I weighed myself, disappointingly I am 112 lbs. AGAIN!!!!   HHHaaayyyysssttt.........

The Journey - to A Breakthrough?

Other than my hubby and I are the most concerned persons when it comes to our baby, my mother is also. Perhaps among us in the house, she is the most concerned after all. I know that she takes care of our baby like her own, that she wants our baby to be beautiful and as much as possible be flawless when he grows up. Like, it was she who initiated the wearing of socks of all time so that our baby's feet wouldn't be calloused and most of all to have his feet be good-as-newborn-like. These are one of those of my mother's care gestures. With this I'm very lucky and forever grateful to her.

What she's most concerned of is our baby's constipation. It's undeniable that she's the forefront witness of our baby's agony whenever he disposes his wastes. It's my mother who's now the direct caretaker of our baby almost all the time. She spends eight to nine hours a day six days a week with our baby. So somehow her suggestions does matter regarding our baby's welfare most and if not some of the time. We already had our baby regularly take Lactulose lilac as laxative to help ease his constipation. Though our baby can dispose but he still passes a clay-like mixture - still not a soft stool. Out of desperation, my mother suggested that we try rice porridge since it alleviated (per our neighbor but I doubt it)our neighbor's baby's constipation. Since we always want the best for our baby, per my research, brown rice porridge is better than white rice porridge. So I asked my hubby to buy the brown.

I believe that department store groceries won't sell for just a one-fourth kilo, so my hubby bought two kilos for a price almost two times higher than the ordinary rice. I was excited for the outcome of our baby's waste and I believe my mother is much more excited. However, we were just disappointed because our baby didn't eat the porridge. Even though my mother mixed it with Gerber exotic fruit mixtures (our baby's favorite) but still our baby didn't eat it. Actually, after cooking it to make it into a creamy, yummy porridge, we crushed it further in the blender to make a better smoothie. Yet, our baby didn't like it. I can just imagine how disappointed my mother was. But you really can't force an already-hungry-whining baby. Hence, my mother ended up letting him eat his favorite Cerelac. Personally, I didn't think that the rice porridge would ease our baby's constipation but it is what my mother suggested so I gave in after all there's no harm in trying and I think that it's high time also for our baby to be exposed to different kinds of food.

With the failure rice porridge, my mother later suggested to change our baby's milk which my hubby and I had been considering also. So we sort of made a decision in unison last week to buy another brand of milk. However, we were in for a much disappointment (it has been featured here).  I feel it's a much disappointment because the costly-brand new milk (though Similac is costlier) is just put to waste. However, my cost-conscious mother thought of  finding ways to let our baby consume it though it'll be a very slow consumption. Well, I guess it's really part of the cost of having a baby. Anyways, the papa/my hubby was just no-comment and didn't have any disturbing reaction of what had just unfolded. It's that  how he loves so much our baby - anything for our baby!!

My hubby also bought ripe papayas when he bought the brown rice. He was hoping to have it mixed with the brown rice porridge but my mother wasn't able to do it because the papayas weren't that over ripe to mix. Somehow, it was a good thing it wasn't included in the waste brown rice porridge. When the papayas were that in good ripeness, my mother little by little introduced the fruit to our baby. Still my baby doesn't like it. I noticed that whenever any of us eat something like a bread, chicos or tambis our baby would grab the food for a bite. He would try to swallow it with delight and with a happy-feeling-part-of-the-group face. He isn't choosy then. So I came into realization that maybe somebody has to eat the papaya so that our baby would also be delighted to eat it. So that was what we did and our baby did eat. However, he won't eat it when it's being spoon-feed to him. I think it's all in his mind. He has this notion that when it's a spoon-feed he expects a food to be that tasty like his favorite Cerelac but is just disappointed to learn that it's a papaya. So he won't eat the papaya then. But lately, my mother forced him to take the papaya and my mother was able to let him eat five teaspoonful of pure ripe papaya.

A probable breakthrough because our baby disposed a just-enough-softness waste. My mother was sure it's because of the papaya because she said she can smell the papaya in our baby's waste. Take note my mother has a sinusitis so she can't smell that easily. So the smell of the papaya in our baby's waste must've been that significant for her to recognize it.

We already know that papaya should have been the cure from the start but our baby won't really eat it. I guess it was the confidence of having him take the laxative drug and the hope that maybe his constipation would ease up when he'll come of age. However, now that he's already ten months old and the situation hasn't lighten up, we believe that we need to do more. And this  is when my mother said she has to forced our baby to eat at least five teaspoonfuls of ripe papayas.  Our baby is also battling his taste buds to swallow the fruit. There'll be lots of coercion but this will be my mama's formula in battling our baby's constipation- could this now be our breakthrough? Let's see!!!! fingers crossed!!! 

Changing His Milk

 We bought a new formula milk for the reason that it might be the culprit of his unceasing constipation (it was mentioned here).  I didn't expect he wouldn't like the taste because Enfapro A+  has a better taste than that of Similac HW or Nan2 HW. The former tastes creamy while the two latter brands are just bland and has a bitter after-taste. However, our baby really knows what he's used to. He really wouldn't take the milk  despite his sleepiness no matter how hard we tried coaxing him. He ended up whining and fell asleep with an empty tummy because his papa is still driving on his way to Robinson's Talisay to buy his usual milk (Similac HW). About thirty minutes after, he half-awake due to his probably growling tummy just in time to fed for his (just prepared) much-awaited milk.

I don't know how do we go about with his constipation, much more with the Enfapro A+ we've bought.

Tenth-Month Old

Our baby has just turned ten months old yesterday. At this stage he has already quite a lot of milestone developments. He:

1) claps every time he's doing something that amuses him - like when he watches several favorite segments of Brainy Baby, when he watches Itsy Bitsy Spider of Supersimple learning songs or when he's really happy of any activity he sees.

2) does Close-Open his hands at times when you provoke him. Now we're trying to develop him doing Ba-bye actions.

3) can stand for a few seconds on his own confident that he can hold on anytime to the side of his crib whenever he feels like falling. Also, he attempts several instances in crossing crosswise distance of his crib. There's a probability that he might be able to walk on his own already when he'll celebrate his first birthday.

4) he can now really sit on his own without support but dives automatically  to any pillows or stuff toys whenever he feels tired or sleepy. Hence, he better do this on our mattress for a better cushion or else he'll end up hurting himself.

5) can be entertained easily or be amused to any funny acts you do in front of him and pays you a very infectious laughter. In other words, he's now very playful.

6) really now loves to do walking (of course) with an aid than by just putting him inside his walker. Letting him do his walking is I think gives him the liberty to go to areas he can't reach compared to when he's in walker, just like climbing up and down our stairs. The cons? the aid of his wobbly walking ends up having a back ache and perspires more than him.

7) loves to seriously scrutinize any new things around - like our t.v. or dvd remote controls (the funny thing we noticed is that whenever he gets hold of it, he would hold it in front of him as if he's pointing it onto something just like exactly using it), like his Kuya Josh's toy cars (he loves to spin the wheels), also like his Kuya Josh's blade (like that of kasing) toy et al. In short, there's that much curiosity in him now.

8) imitates playing POGS.

9) loves to answer our landline phone. Then looks at the ear piece part after listening to the voice of the caller.

He is certainly learning new things and gradually having lots of milestone developments but the sad part of his now being a ten-month old baby is his not vanishing constipation. He's still having it. It's really a pity showing him slightly raising his other leg in an attempt to release his waste only to produce a tiny (size smaller than that of a Chicos seed) feces. He's already regularly taking Lactulose lilac as a laxative but still not giving him a promising result. Maybe it has got to do with his milk? Now we'll have him Enfapro instead of Similac HW or Nan HW. Hopefully, this will vanquish his plight.

Holy Week : Family Bonding Holidays

Though we have to observed the season, as was supposed to be, to be holy but sadly we weren't able to do what a devout Catholic should do except I think preparing binignit. Having binignit last Good Friday had at least made us "in".

4.21.11    Holy Thursday
I started the day doing Jaiden's morning routine: assisted him in walking with his new pair of sole-sounding shoes on, had him take his vitamins plus the Lactulose lilac while he was watching one of those Brainy Baby CD to keep him still on his high chair, then had him his Gerber vegetable mix and Cerelac wheat and milk as his morning food  (after a while of eating pure Gerber vegetable mix, he puke.), then had him took his usual  bath. After an hour of wobbly walking and climbing up the stairs, Jaiden fell asleep for an hour and a half in our couch. That was a record of his morning sleep. His mamala said that he just usually slept for only half an hour but in his stroller. The rest of the days was spent with Jaiden, with his papa all along and with my laptop. Nothing much had happened except that there were more physically exhausting-laughter and amused-entertaining moments with our baby.

4.22.11    Good Friday
Manang Laling prepared for our breakfast our binignit. I was surprised when she told me the cost of the grated coconut. It was twenty-five pesos!!! Shocks!!! Nowadays, you really can no longer make a delicious binignit for just having a fifty-peso budget.

The rest of the day was just normal except that I finished already summarizing all the soft copy pics for printing. That night I watched Slumdog Millionaire. It's a very good movie and it deserved to won the 2010 Oscars. Then I fell to my goodnight sleep and I awoke past midnight to feed our baby and later on found myself writing this.

4.23.11   Black Saturday
Two days of staying at home doing the normal routine. In the past when we were just a couple, those two days would already been so boring. It would seem that we would have to go out somewhere to kill the boredom. However, this time it is different because everyday is an exciting and joyous moments with our baby. By just hearing his hearty, innocent laughter and shrieking are just more than enough to make my day and I believe his papa also. Thus, that Saturday was different.

Manang Laling went home for her day off. So inevitably either my hubby or I had to do the basic household chores but I ended doing it all  :-) which I think worsened my already destroyed no-longer-shiny fingernail-colors.

In less than an hour for lunch my mother-in-law arrived with his first grandson. She and hubby cooked bihon-based meal with the main ingredient that of a canned mushroom and pork leg. I forgot what was the name of that canned meat and mushroom (hubby dear, care for help?). I think the cooked bihon was sumptuous. It was very delicious that made me again forgot of my diet. Sidenote: I am now 110lbs. (yehey!!!).

While baby took his afternoon nap, mother-in-law (I think almost the whole afternoon) did telebabad (talking over the phone with a friend for more than an hour) while his first grandson enjoyed playing Plants vs. Zombies. Hubby and I stayed upstairs in our room with our baby. He played his computer games while I watched The King's Speech (such a very nice movie, again). The rest of the day that happened was usual - playing with our baby after his regular nightly routines.

4.24.11  Easter Sunday
While most of the devotees are up very early in the wee hours to witness the "Sugat" (reenactment of Jesus' risen from the dead with the accolades of the angels). I can't describe much about how the Sugat is reenacted and its incidental activities because (poor me!) since birth I haven't witnessed one. Maybe I'm just that sleepy head then and still, at present. Now that we already have our baby to care, I doubt if I can ever witness one but I think I will, someday, in God's time.

Our baby awoke as early as six plus in the morning. So I had him practice his walking within our house' vicinity. Our neighbors were busy getting themselves ready for their beach outing - the traditional (Pinoy?) activity during Easter. Watching them suddenly gave me a jolt festive feeling. So I thought to myself that before we would fetch my mama in Labogon we would have to drop by SM. I'm sure that our baby would enjoy strolling as much as I would enjoy myself too and to see him happy.

When I told my hubby about it, at first he agreed. Then later, he changed his mind not to side trip to SM for the reason that we have nothing to do there and I half-agreed. Moments later I realized that it was what I really wanted to do. I had been hoping to stroll the mall for quite some time already. Hence, we need to go there and hubby agreed for he has no choice at all.

Indeed, we just seemed to smell the mall for an hour. However, we were able to visit the Sparkles Balloons' stall and saw what their postcard invitation look like. Also, we went to the SM toy department to see a not so costly Winnie the Pooh stuff toy to hopefully buy it for our baby so that he would be acquainted with the character for his later on special day. Unfortunately upon seeing the toy, either his sleepy mood made him not amuse of it or he just loves his Edie  so much that he doesn't like Edie to have a competition of his affection. With this, we decided not to buy yet.  Oh! by the way, we had the photos below as our souvenir.

Arriving in Labogon seems like something new to our baby though he was able to visit there already more than once. He was in all excitement mood that when he saw the faces of my cousins he didn't hesitate to smile at them for a few seconds then stopped for a moment to look at them intently - my signal that he is about to scrutinize the unfamiliar faces and probably would have again his stranger anxiety. So I didn't wait for him to feel the anxiety. Hence, I abruptly ended the meeting and proceeded to my premarital home. He seemed not to mind the unfamiliar house upon seeing the familiar faces of his mamala, his papalo and his dear-playmate-cousin. He immediately felt at home that he automatically made his wobbly walking through and through the house. Still not enough, I had him practiced his walking in the uneven ground outside our house where there are lots of eroded stones. These stones are something new to him as he is used to the do walking exercise in the cemented ground in our subdivision. So he really enjoyed stepping on those stones and I had inevitably had a short work out (by just merely assisting him). I think we did it for about thirty minutes, then head back inside to have his supper. We bought with us his necessary things - his Cerelac, his dishes, his soap for his nightly bath et al.

Bath time was such messier than  usual because the house just had a small basin. So just imagine the result; the floor was about to be totally wet and we had to hold the basin so as not to tumble it. Later on we decided to put him inside the pail since he very much liked to get inside of it. Thus for his rinsing, I had to get the water directly from the faucet. So he was kind of surprised to felt the water cold.  With all the inconveniences we had caused, at least we were able to established his normal routine as much as possible. With this, we are and in behalf of our baby, thankful to my mama and papa for being patient and understanding to us.

After a few minutes, our baby fell asleep. I believe he was just so tired because he hadn't have his usual two hours nap in the afternoon and he had his wobbly walking in SM and in the grounds of our Labogon house. Even in our car when we were going home already, he was still asleep. He just woke up for a while then fell back again to sleep. We arrived safely in our residence. Then regular life is about to unfold.

We may not have been able to do what a Catholic would've done but I'm very sure that by those serene family moments we had made us closer to each other and by our own ways made us recollect and reflect our lives as Christians.

You've Changed

For more than a decade, I never thought we would come to this point of our lives. I had always been proud that you had stuck with me all through out. Back then you were so sweet and I thought you had full of care. Now I'm beginning to have second thought.

 I was always the one who walked out whenever I couldn't stand it and remember? you were the one who made it a rule to always finish it no matter how tiring and how late it would take us.

Everything changed when He gave us our ultimate joy. I thought it was the stress and the situation. However, last night I told you how I felt about it. Now it pained me to realize that you seemed not to care. I thought I just have to keep it to myself. I don't know why it seems very hard now to do the thing we have very much struggled to worked out in the past. The thing that made us strong and is our very core foundation until lately. I really don't know why.

After this, I'll talk to you for the last time. I'm afraid that this will all build up within me and in fairness to you because if I don't do it now, it might be late for you to do anything about it.

I thought it would be fitting to borrow Carrie Bradshaw's line in Sex and the City 2 though it's not exactly the situation we are in. She said, " we were perfectly happy before we decided to live happily ever after". I hope this isn't the case we have now.

Your Purpose

As a deep, analytical thinker as my friend said it, here I am again pondering. In the Purpose Driven Life book, it said that before we were born and even before we were formed inside our mom's tummy, God already imprinted us in his record or knows what our life would be. He already set for us our purpose in this world. He has already his master plan for each one of us. And I guess as I pondered on about your life, I'm beginning to think that we are indeed created by God for a purpose.

I have watched you grow.

 I have witnessed everything. 

We were playmates.

 I protected you at my very young, fragile body not to let you fall. 

So innocent as I am, I was there in front of your head, in front of the stairs doing all my might, all ounces of my energy not to let you fall. 

Maybe then I am born to protect or help you and you be the helpless and be the instrument that would remind us that there is God.

Your life had been challenged to death, as young as before your first birthday. 

Helpless as you are, I know it wasn't your choice. 

At that time, I know they were in their deepest pit of their lives. 

Though they wouldn't tell me but I felt the sorrow, the hardships and the struggle they were in. 

But yours was the hardest. 

You were in the most pain a baby can ever have. 

You'd fought for your life as much as they did their best to put you out of your misery. 

 That was then one of those turning point of their lives.

As the situation seemed bleak,

they have turned to God and they made it through.

We had grown up. 

We dreamed of beautiful simple lives. 

We worked hard for it while they did their best to make our ends met. 

Everyday was a challenge for us,

but it was very much for them, emotionally and financially.

We went on and on hoping that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

We were so busy working our heart out,

 that we tend to forget Him. 

He then let us came to our senses. 

Something unexpected happened,

a wake up call reminding us all that He is the ultimate architect.

The tunnel then, still had to be journeyed

and was yet far from the end.

As a new life was about to unfold, 

ours was unfolding to an unimaginable detour. 

It was so hard to accept it. 

It devastated us all,

 though I know that you felt the guilt. 

I know you never meant to hurt us. 

But with God, there's always a way. 

He made his ways. 

Resources had been there to helped you through it.

My boss once told me that "everything happens for a reason".

Maybe it indeed happened for reasons only Him knew.

One thing was for sure,

it brought us back closer to Him.

God was so good. 

In just a matter of time, 

He made your life backed on track. 

You were happy and excited but at the same time sad. 

Sad because as you get to know your new found love, 

you were also about to distance yourself to your first priceless love. 

I knew you were torn. 

But then again, God is everywhere and you re-found Him there. 

I believe it was your most pillar in trying your best to live in that unfamiliar place, 

now you learned to call home. 

Again, I, together with my other half, was God's instrument for your rising. 

I know that God is always good. 

Every thing just fell to places.

The tidal wave just eased. 

For quite some time now, the sea has been calm.

I wish time would stood still.

I know I'm dreaming the impossible.

Now you awaken me.

Life indeed is a roller coaster. 

This time it's different.

I know you can handle it.

Though it'll affect all our lives, 

I know that there'll always be a way.

With Him nothing is impossible.

Always remember the song, Footprints in the Sand;

"During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you".

Robin Padilla and Mariel Rodriguez Planned June Catholic Church Wedding

Robin Padilla and Mariel Rodriguez facing hindrances to their planned June wedding | PEP.ph: The Number One Site for Philippine Showbiz

Hahahahyyy!!!! why do Mariel wants to be married to a Catholic church with Robin anyway? She had been married in a Muslim ceremony in Taj Mahal, right? So why the fuss of doing another wedding? So far, they're the only couple I've known to have been married in different religion. First they were married in an Igorot ceremony (http://www.pep.ph/news/26815/Robin-Padilla-and-Mariel-Rodriguez-married-twice-in-Baguio-City-on-September-13) as the people said but vehemently denied by them (Robin and Mariel). Then in Taj Mahal.

I would like to ask them these, specially Mariel, isn't it just for publicity's sake? or to go with the norm that it's every woman's dream to walk the aisle in a very nice wedding gown? They said that it is for her family's sake but I found it to be lame. Are they that famous and financially able that they think that everything is possible for them? Gosh! you two come to your senses!

Robin said that Mariel has been crying that their Catholic church wedding might not push through (http://www.pep.ph/news/29094/Robin-Padilla-and-Mariel-Rodriguez-facing-hindrances-to-their-planned-June-wedding).

Robin said that it will create division in religion. He said let them be serve as an example. What? is he out of his mind? Let them be an example of a couple married to two different faith? I know that there's only one God but let us respect the different religion's beliefs. This couple should keep their feet on the ground. I think they're spoiled brat, specially Mariel. Gosh! paiyak-iyak (crying) pa si Mariel!

To Robin and Mariel, you can't just have the best of both worlds. This is the reality of life. 

Amanda Seyfried - Little House

I love this song.... and the movie... they have Amanda and Channing have nice chemistry.....

Caimito

The visibility of caimito (star apple) in fruit stands implies that summer is undeniably here. It has now been my third day of eating caimito as my lunch dessert. It could've been coincidence that the nangka (jackfruit) sold by my suki (regular vendor) wasn't of good aura that made me bought my first caimito for the year. Then I somehow make it now regularly.

Having this caimitos kind of remind me my childhood summer. My grandparents used to have lots of caimito trees. They had the green-colored and the purple-colored fruit of caimito variety. My male older cousins at that time would climb up the tree bringing with them the "kuhit" (long stick with a basket-like pouch attached) for getting those fruits that are at the tip of the weak branches which are of course hard to reach. Me, I just stayed on the ground and looked up at them busy clinging and transferring from branches to branches and sometimes they would ate up there. They would also bring with them basket with rope tied in it for storing the fruits they'd plucked. Once the basket is full, they would bring it to the ground through the rope. Since, us, apo (grandchildren), couldn't consume it all, my cousins would then sell it house to house for a very cheap price.

Another thing that reminds me are the caimito blossomed flowers which I think would happen when the it is about to bear its fruits. My cousins would then enjoy gathering the fallen flowers on the ground by inserting the tiny-middle whole of the flower with a single strand of "silhig lanot" (broom made of gebang palm) to make it into necklace or bracelet. It was just for the fun of it.

Back then it was just so simple. Caimito eating was just so priceless. Now, I have to buy it at P30 a kilo (maybe it's cheaper in flea market). I am devouring three pieces of it, the usual half-kilo quantity, every lunch time. Too many? no, I don't feel full after eating it. Maybe, one kilo of it will do. Shocks!!!! can I really do it? hhhmmmm..... well, I think there's  no harm in doing it. After all, it's a nutritious food.

The Ring

I have this pic as my FB profile. I happened to go over it as I made my summary of soft copy pics for printing. I like how my hand looked good with my ring on it so I uploaded it and made it my profile just yesterday. As I browsed FB today, well, guess what? somebody also made her hand, with her rings on it made it her profile pic. Coincidence? hmmmm..... maybe but at the back of my head says its not. Anyways, though she had two rings on it but my single engagement ring still looks beautiful than those hahahahah!!!!! so mean of me! heheheh.... at least I'm honest to myself. Peace to her! if you know who I mean or you know who you are anyway :P Have a nice day!!!!

gem: An Update of My Hopeful Loosing Weight Monitoring

gem: An Update of My Hopeful Loosing Weight Monitoring: "gem: gem: My Hopeful Weight Monitoring: 'gem: My Hopeful Weight Monitoring: 'gem: gem: gem: Reality Hits Me: Yay!!! it's a good sign. Within..."

Just when I thought all my hope is gone but it isn't. I'm now back on track. I checked my weight tonight just for the thought of checking it. Lo and behold, I was surprised that I'm already 112 to 113lbs!!! What a nice thing to know!!! I hope to be at least 107lbs. someday.

By the way, one thing I've learned in surfing the net about maintaining your decreased weight is that you have to monitor your weight as much as possible. I guess, I just have to do that. :)

An Update of My Hopeful Loosing Weight Monitoring

gem: gem: My Hopeful Weight Monitoring: "gem: My Hopeful Weight Monitoring: 'gem: gem: gem: Reality Hits Me: Yay!!! it's a good sign. Within a week I lost 1lb. So as of now, I'm 11..."

Well, it's been a while since I've talked about this goal of mine. I still do my morning cardiovascular exercise but I don't know why I'm still stuck in 118lbs.  :(   too bad. Yeah, I know! it's been quite a while now and I'm no longer loosing any weight. Maybe it has got to do with my diet? I just lessen my rice intake but the rest specially the meat, I haven't done much about it. Or maybe this is really now my normal or regular post-pregnancy weight ? The incidental pregnancy fat is already impossible to diminish? Mama told me that because I really had flabby stomach during my pre-pregnancy period then my pregnancy has contributed much to it. Hence, there'll be no wonder why I'm having a worst one now.

Sometimes I forgot about my goal and got tired of it, specially when I think that my weight has stuck in 118lbs. I'm sometimes discouraged of it because I can't sacrifice eating regular foods. Also, I sometimes forget the no-no kind of food to eat like the bread, the concentrated powdered juice, the soft drinks during weekend and just yesterday the most grave one was p-i-z-z-aaaa!!!!! weeewww!!!!!! I guess I just have to succumb to the fact that I have to say goodbye to my long-stored denims. Then buy a new one of my current size?

As of now, I just don't know. As in I DON'T KNOW!!!! sa bisaya pa - AMBOT LANG!!! 

Pacifier

While most babies consider pacifier as their comfort in going to sleep, my baby doesn't. My baby sucks his thumb whenever he's about to sleep. I take his sucking differently. I'm assuming that he's still not satiated or that he's already full and wants to burp but doesn't know how to deal with it so he takes comfort in sucking his thumb. When you try to get his thumb out of his mouth he would whine.

Last night, he fell asleep very early, as early as around six in the evening. By around eight he half awoke and automatically sucked his thumb, a very clear sign that he was hungry. So I bottle-fed him his formulated milk. After a while, he let go of the bottle, moved to his side and sucked his thumb. I tried feeding him again and he took the milk.. Then, he moved again to his other side and sucked again his thumb. When I tried feeding him again, this time he didn't take it and still continued to sucked his thumb. So, I scooped him up and carried him in my arms his head on my shoulder. I was actually hoping that he would burp and if not at least he would feel better because he might have been full already. After a while with sleepy eyes, I put him back to bed. He continued to sucked his thumb. Uncertain of what to do and afraid of the notion that his thumb-sucking might affect his teeth or that he might make it a habit, I resorted to his long-kept pacifier.

With his eyes half-closed, I inserted to his mouth the nipple of his pacifier. Instead of making him fall asleep, the pacifier made him awake. He wasn't comfortable falling asleep with it. He toyed it. Holding the ring attached to it, he bit the nipple like a teether. Now, his eyes were already wide open and was amused by the rubber nipple that made him kept biting it. Since he was still sleepy, he just lied still and scrutinized the pacifier, biting it once in  a while.

Pacifier isn't new to him. He had it during his newborn days. However, we set it aside the moment he showed no intention of using it. I can still remember an instance when I put the pacifier to his mouth, he immediately got it and throw it aside, as in literally throw it swiftly like telling me "I don't like it!". This is why his pacifier has long been set aside. From then on, I have been holding on to my understanding whenever he sucks his thumb. That's why when I gave it to him last night, he somehow considered it something new to him.

Back to my experience last night, the pacifier had kept him awoke for a while. When he was sleepy again, he let go of his pacifier and sucked again his thumb. I decided to let him do it until he would fall asleep then I would try to get out his thumb and bottle-fed him again. Who knows, my understanding of his thumb-sucking might still holds true. When your a mother, dealing with your baby would really have to be a trial and error method because every baby is unique. True enough, when he had fallen asleep with his thumb in his mouth, I replaced his thumb with the nipple of his bottled-milk and he took it. After a while, he moved to his side and fell deep asleep, this time without his thumb. Hence, he was already very much sated.

Well, with what happened  I can really say now that pacifier doesn't work with my baby. :-)

gem: Blue Valentine

gem: Blue Valentine: "Blue Valentine is a 2010 romantic drama film written and directed by Derek Cianfrance and starred by Michelle Willi..."

http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/gossip/michelle-williams-keeps-blue-valentine-ring-1.1051569

So they really got romantically involved huh! Well, who wouldn't in that steamy scenes they had and for a handsome guy like Ryan Gosling.

It's nice to know the aftermath of the artists' life after a certain romantic movie.

Minglanilla Church's Right Wing

gem: Minglanilla Church's Left Wing: "We always stayed on the left wing area of the Minglanilla (proper) church because other than the place is airy, it has ample space left for ..."

In fairness to the church, I feel I need to write this.

Yesterday, out of nowhere, we just decided to sit in the right wing pew of the church. I think it has got to do with the place where we were able to park our car. We arrived earlier than usual, so were able to park in the upper right side of the church where there were nice shades of the trees.

In the right wing area, the voices of the celebrant priest and the readers were very much audible. I don't know what's the difference with that in the left wing. One thing's for sure is that we'll make it as much as possible to stay there the next time we hear our Sunday mass. =)

Thank You Lord!

Oh well! It's nice to learn that tomorrow is already Friday. Again! I often not able to realize that the week is about to end. So far, I'm very much happy with what I have now. Thank You Lord! that days have passed without my realization.

So far ever since our baby Jaiden's arrival, I'm really not able to keep track as to what day of the week is it already. It means I'm enjoying enough my everyday life. On the other hand, my nights are fun-filled with activities with our baby Jaiden. If not, I'm busy doing stuffs that lessens my things-to-do-list. Also, I haven't minded how busy my hubby is. I just have been able to find my own ways of entertaining myself.

Thank you, Lord!
       for all the blessings, for the happy moments and for our baby Jaiden.
And I especially thank you Lord, that I'm not able to keep track the days of the week
    because it means that I'm doing something great that feeds my body and soul.
And Yes! thank you that tomorrow is Friday again!

The Jackfruit Vendor

gem: Jackfruit as my Dessert: "Nangka in Cebuano Dialect One of the nice things having our office here in Lipata, Minglanilla are the reasonably priced fruits sold just ..."

It seems very obvious now that the jackfruit vendor already recognizes myself as her regular customer. Well, I admit it's really hard to resist not to shell out my P30 almost everyday for her nangka. My friend and I always go together when we buy our lunch viand. I regularly asked my friend's opinion if her nangka is good as if to confirm my judgement. So somehow the vendor already knows her also.

One time I wasn't feeling well, so I asked my friend to buy for me. When my friend passed by her stall she called onto her marketing her nangka. So when my friend went to her to buy, she asked where am I. My friend told her that the nangka was actually for me. Maybe this really confirmed her assumption that I'm the incessant nangka-eater.

However, what happened this afternoon somewhat surprised and amused me. I went to her stall alone because my friend went to Julie's bakeshop to buy Pan de Coco. As I was haggling for the price because her nangka's cut are lesser than the usual P30-cut I used to buy, my friend suddenly emerged by her side. Nangka-lover as I am, I had no choice but bought her lesser-cut thirty-peso nangka. After she put it in a plastic bag, she naturally gave it to my friend and, I think absent-mindedly, my friend accepted it also as if it were her own. The moment I saw it unfolding and realized what happened I was really amused.

As my friend and I walked on our way to our office, I was laughing as I talked to her about it. I told her  I was amused that the vendor considered her as my assistant. My friend, who was also laughing, said she didn't mind it and that the vendor must've been not in her normal self or in good focus state. I told my friend that no offense on her but the vendor viewed us as having a boss-assistant relationship. This isn't true though. Maybe my physical outlook looks like it but my friend and I are just the same humble employee.

On the other hand, the nangka I bought is really of lesser quantity because I gobbled it from the time I'm writing this blog until I finished this. Nevertheless, the nangka tastes so sweet. Indeed, so delicious.

Earth Hour: Enjoying It and Was it A Success?

People around the world were expected to turn off their lights last March 26, 2011 from 8:30 - 9:30 P.M. as an observance of the Earth Hour. However, I think it were only us (in our place) who knew about it or cared to observe it. As we turned off our lights, we watched over (in our upstair-windows) if our neighbors also did the same. Alas, all their lights were on.

As our lights were off we enjoyed ourselves. Hubby, baby and I had our playing bonding moments. Jaiden giggled his heart out as I tried to chase them (his papa carrying him) bringing his Eddie, doggie stuff toy, as if the dog is also chasing them. After which, we put Jaiden inside his crib. We were surprised to see him doing his best to stand alone (balancing his self)  for a few seconds and walked a few steps without holding to anything, then inevitably fell. With accompanying shrieking because he was enjoying what he was doing,he would try and try again .

While the above happened, Josh was enjoying playing PSP. Mama  was watching Culdesac, a Filipino indie film. It was her and I who watched the movie from the start but I left her to attend  to Jaiden. Josh who had enough of the PSP later on joined her but was too tired to completely watch the movie and fell to sleep. In the end, mama said that the movie is deep and intriguing. She has lots of things going in her mind about the movie. I told her that if that was the case then the movie is good and the writer is successful in boggling her mind.

As the 9:30 stroked, I turned on the light to prepare what needs to be done to have our good night sleep. As I watched over our window again, our front neighbor were busy doing their card games (baraha) oblivious I think of what was supposed to have happened. I just hope that our neighbors' non-participation was just an isolated case and that they haven't affected the percentage of success of the Earth Hour effort.

Minglanilla Church's Left Wing

We always stayed on the left wing area of the Minglanilla (proper) church because other than the place is airy, it has ample space left for Jaiden's stroller to be placed beside the pew (where we'll sit). We always bring with us our baby's stroller because the mass time we're attending is also Jaiden's morning napping time. So it's in the stroller that we put him to sleep properly until the end of the mass.

The problem with staying on the left wing of the church is that the voices of the priest and the readers are barely audible. I don't know if it has got to do with the Ramsa speaker located in the area or the voices itself of the above-mentioned people because the voice of the commentator is hearable. So in this case, the voices of the above-mentioned people are maybe low or the microphone's sensitivity isn't that good. On the other hand, the place is too open so the sound created wouldn't bounce back and forth within the area. This might also the contributor. I don't know if the right wing is also having the same problem. WE haven't tried it there yet.

Tomorrow, we'll be attending again Sunday mass in there. I still haven't found the solution yet to our/my problem. 

Preparation

Now that his big day is approaching, we're now making early preparations. There are lots of things to do. Deciding as to the venue, the food, et al. I salute those event coordinators because event preparation is a challenging task. It's really not easy juggling your budget while at the same time not compromising the quality of the outcome.

What we're doing now brings back memories of our wedding preparations six years ago. Well, I'm glad and I thank the Lord that this happy challenges that we have now is for our bundle of joy that we have earnestly asked Him.

Six years ago we were challenged by the preparation of Our Oneness with God. Now we're challenged by the preparation of the celebration of the First Natal Anniversary of the product of our LOVE. 

Worst Possible Scenario!

The Bible chapter below is an inspiring story that would remind us to stay calm and be strong whenever we are in the darkest pit of our lives.  We have to trust in the Lord for He will help us through it all.

Job 1:13-22

"He know the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job23:10) From this wise statement we can learn two valuable lessons: One is that what we dread most can be used to test our character and make us stronger. The other is that God will provide the strength and comfort to see us through.
       Cling to God. He has promised to work on our behalf, even in the worst possible scenario. - Dennis Fisher


                               God often sends me joy through pain,
                                    Through bitter loss, divinest gain;
                              Yet through it all - dark days or bright -
                              I know my Father leads aright    -----  Conklin






Daily Bible REading for today, Vol.17

Him and His EXes

I just had a nice chat with his recent (I believe) ex. She befriended me through FB though we were only introduced and met once. At first I found it unusual for her to befriend me because our first meeting was only for a brief moment . Nevertheless, we're now friends in FB.

For reasons I don't know, I usually ended up being friends, or so I think,of his ex-girlfriends if they're introduced to me. EXes because I have befriended two of his I think numerous ex-girlfriends. Maybe because they're just too good to end up being with him for good or they're being good ended them up in submission to his dominant character.

The first (ex, my friend) is no question because we really know each other. It was from her that I know lots of things about him. I couldn't believe he has that attitude but coming from her who was sort of the oppressed, I wouldn't doubt it. There story was a love story that started out as sweet, gradually turned to sour and ended up bitter. I haven't seen her for quite some time now, now that were already having office here in a municipal place but I always know that whenever we would see each other we would still exchange our smiles, hi-hello and if time would permit, have our chikka.

The second one, is the recent "ex" that I know of. We're chat-friend actually. She's the one that I had just had a nice chat this afternoon. Gradually, I am getting to know her because she's open so I also gradually opened-up some info about myself to her. I learned of negative doings about him to her. I'm sort of enraged of what he has done to her. I couldn't let that happen to me. I could slap his face. He two-timed them in one instance. Also,imagine when you're being denied as a girlfriend, then you're just forced to make alibi and tell the other girl (third party at that moment in her point of view) that you're just friends so that the other girl wouldn't found out about your relationship? Gosh! it is so demeaning on your part. I think the other girl came late because he proposes to this ex (my friend) that they would live together before he would marry her (ano sya sinuswerte?). Who is he to impose such rule? Well, of course it would be up to the girl if she would agree. She's a no-brain if she would accept such a proposal. However indeed, there is such a girl who accepted it which resulted to my chat-friend being now one of his EXes.

I have learned so many things about his character which I doubt his brother and his mama know that he was capable of doing it. Well, it's his love life so nobody can just dare intrude to it. Also, his mama can't teach him how to go about it unless he would seek for advice and if he doesn't?

Now I know that there really is such a thing as karma as I found his current love life now.

An Undesirable Experience

Note: It's not my intention to hurt or offend anyone. I just want to say here how I felt about it and what's my take on it. Whenever I would say "their place" it would also mean my papa's current residing place or my childhood place. "Our place"  means the place where I currently resides now that I'm a married woman.


The event happened yesterday.

The unexpected call came around one in the afternoon from someone whom I considered has a good way of dealing people or has a nice PR and she is very consistent of it. She had invited us (I assumed) a family dinner.A feast for their younger sibling. Coming from her, I instantly didn't hesitate to half-answered her yes even though I know it will be a great effort on our part. My partner is in the city while I'm here in this far flung place. I had to asked papa to drive us from here to their place, my childhood place, using his vehicle. I just had to be the one to pay for the gasoline expenses since the place is really far. It's like from end to end location. Take note that papa has just arrived from his place to our place. So imagine when he has to drive us from our place to their place on the same day. It's literally going back and forth.

It made me think now what was the main reason why I didn't hesitate to go there when normally I would decline considering my baby in tow and that their place is significantly far from us and that it was a night time affair. I believe the answer is the appreciation in response to the invitation. The reason of the feast isn't usual and that I don't like to do to them what I don't like them to do to me. I'm really disappointed when I'm preparing something and that your expected guests can't come for lame reasons. Worst is when they would inform you, just hours after when you're expecting them to come, that they can't make it. That's why I really believe in RSVP.  So, it wasn't really for the banquet. I can eat those foods whenever I want. Just a side note, the weather wasn't cooperative considering I had to bring our eight months old baby but again, I deeply appreciated the invitation. The whole family went there.

As expected since it was a rush hour, we were stuck in traffic. My baby has fallen asleep so it was a good thing since he's being hyper (I think) is getting unmanageable. We arrived just in time for the usual dinner time. Before we could get inside their house, I was told not to say or ask anything. I actually wasn't able to comprehend the exact words I heard but I understood that they were up to something to surprise the celebrant. Little did I know that, that would be the reason of the delay of the dinner.

The foreigner, the celebrant's brother-in-law, was already there. I believe waiting also for the dinner to start. The foods were already waiting to be gobbled. I think the foreigner didn't know the reason of his waiting. Later on I learned that he made a comment that he would just go to sleep without eating (maybe he could no longer wait). While we were also waiting, our baby was acquainting himself of the place and the people. There were signs of his stranger and place anxiety behavior but he was able to managed it later. Since it has been a while already, mama informed me that she would go to our home (my premarital home - my home before I got married). My sister, my nephew, my baby and I decided to stay and wait there. To passed the time, my nephew played with his second degree cousin while my baby enjoyed watching them. Sometime I assisted my baby in his little walking here and there. It seems that he was already okay with the place. He was already smiling and back to his normal self. Time flied so fast and it was already almost an hour since we arrived and it was time for my baby to take his medication. So we informed her (the one who personally called me for the invitation) that we'll go to our home (premarital home).

In our home (my premarital home), I just realized that I was already hungry and the rest of the family echoed the same sentiments. It was already an hour and a half since we arrived and still our tummy were empty. It has reached the point where I decided that when my partner would arrive (we agreed that he would just come to the dinner after his work) we'll just eat in a fast food then head back to our place. However, my partner didn't arrive until later. On the other hand, I got my cellphone to check if my partner called me. I found missed calls from the dinner host and from my partner. But I just can't assume that we were already called for the dinner just because of that missed call (from the host). So we waited for a few minutes and discussed about the situation we were in. We were saying like, they couldn't have surprised the celebrant because the doer are also celebrants like her and they probably are also celebrating.

I realized that now we were just treated as a sideline guests. So this really bothered me. If my partner arrived on that moment of deliberation, I think we would have walked out already. I wouldn't care what they would say. They treated us unfairly. Didn't they realized that we came all the way from our place to their place at that time of the night with my baby in tow?

Fifteen or twenty minutes later our land line phone rang for the waited-dinner. I really wasn't able to contain myself. I blurted out to the host (the one who invited us) our predicament but still with a light mood. She said that she had been calling my cellphone and that she was also hungry already. But she just called a few minutes after we went out of their house, hence still the same damage. Minutes later she was in our doorstep, sort of escorting us back to their place. I think she was touched by my true, unpretentious statements that made her got us personally when she could've been just contented by my mere saying "yes" in our land line phone conversation.

As I had already expected, my baby had again his stranger anxiety. There were too many people, the place was again new to him and that strangers would want to get hold of him. Mama, papa and Josh were already busy getting their food, so somehow they were not in his sight, hence he felt alone and felt left in all those strange faces. Next thing, he was already hysterically crying. It didn't comfort him to see me nor my mama (his mamala) within his reach. I think it was the environment. So I went back to our home (premarital home) and in there he mellowed and stopped crying. A while after, mama arrived with a platter of food for me. Few minutes after his papa arrived. He requested that I get him also a platter of food. So I did.

After eating, we prepared ourselves to went home. I bid adieu to the the hosts, said our thank you and congratulated the celebrant as my baby and I passed by their house. Just a few steps to where our car was parked, the host (the one who invited me) called me up and gave me a jar of fruit salad. (I always emphasized "the one who invited me" because I think it was her and her siblings who contributed to all the expenses incurred for that dinner. It could be that the one who contributed the most has the say to all instructions.) She said that she really set the fruit salad aside, for me. I told her that I really appreciated it and it was really nice of her. As always, she was really consistent of her personality. Or it could be her way to amend for the recent unlikely event that happened? Anyway, of all her siblings, I think she's the best cousin I got.

I couldn't blame nor question them if dinner was allowed to be eat late but they couldn't blame me also for writing this and if in case worst happened, for going back to our place and just eat in the fast food outside. We were really extremely hungry already. I don't know if there'll be next time. All I know now is that, what happened was an unforgettable and an undesirable experience.

Jaiden Eating Marie While Watching Skidamarink

This is the first video I took tonight. Notice that the Marie is still big and he ate it with much gusto. Skidamarink is also one of his favorite video from Super Simple Learning, watching it in Youtube.

p/s I don't know the video isn't that vivid when in my digicam it's very clear. Maybe Youtube had it compressed?

Jaiden, Marie and Uh-huh Uh Huh!

This is the second video I did tonight, watching the Uh-huh,Uh-huh video in Youtube. Lately this is Jaiden's favorite. In fact he unexpectedly clapped his hands. He's very much amused watching it, specially the fast paced version. Notice also that he's still holding the Marie he's eating but is almost invisible since it's already almost covered by his fingers.

p/s Probably Youtube compressed my video because in my digicam (I used) this video is very clear.