First Glimpse

Join me as i journey thru another milestone in my life... motherhood...

http://momyax2be.blogspot.com

Diner Dash 2

The one hour downloadable preview from yahoo games just wasn't enough... we thought we'd easily find the crack over the net (just like part 1) but we couldn't find any... must be because the game's still relatively new... i was so frustrated and i kept on pestering jon to search the net and annoyed him to the point of getting me the game... heheh... hey, it was mother's day after all, and whether or not i am already eligible for a mother's day gift, i got the game i wanted... and now, i'm hooked!!! hihihi.

*also currently addicted to tumblebugs and cake mania. somebody stop me!!! =)

Changes...

So i've not been blogging for more than a month... blame it on my raging pregnancy hormones. i'm too sick.., too tired.., or too lazy most of the time. So there. =)

But i promise to make up for it by making this reaally long post which i hope will not bore u to death... hahaha! :D

~*~*~

After the announcement that we were pregnant, of course, blow-outs and celebrations followed. We treated some friends, officemates, and family members (in separate occasions of course) soon after. I guess we just couldn't contain our happiness and excitement that we just had to share it to the world...

..And special thanks goes out to everyone who prayed for us, congratulated us and even gave sound advices and tips... you're all a blessing!

~*~*~

Remember my wedding coordination stint which was supposed to be this august? I had to let go of it...

It was an inevitable decision but i had no regrets whatsoever. Right now, my priority is this baby and the stress that i know comes with the job has got to go. Fortunately, the bride to be, was very understanding and even very supportive. Thanks, jez. I can only wish her a successful and a beautiful wedding. I know the coordinator i recommended will do a great job... =)

Speaking of letting go.., the Boracay trip with Aion and Yna won't be pushing thru this Sept. We had to cancel our reservations (Cebu Pacific P10 fare) upon learning that i was pregnant. At first, i still wanted to go... but as i picture myself in a two-piece with a big stomach bulge, somehow, it just didn't appeal to me... hahah! Next year guys... ;)

~*~*~

I'm on a three-month leave from work.

This was actually suggested by my mother in law and my mommy because at the start of the pregnancy, i had this frequent abdominal pain which, i've read from my pregnancy books, were danger signs. It was scary... but luckily, after a couple of weeks of complete rest, the pain finally disappeared.

So now, i'm on vacation but sadly, not enjoying it to the fullest... well, these pregnancy symptoms sometimes gets the better of me and leaves me feeling miserable... :( and can anyone take this summer heat??? arrrghhhh!!!

~*~*~

Jon's 27th birthday. No surprises this time. Yep, too lazy. heheh!

I just got him a bass stand and a guitar strap and spent an entire day cooking for the twins' bday celeb here at home (a few days before their actual natal day)... some of the dishes i prepared: hardinera, suzi wong (like cordon bleu), asparagus with bacon, spicy wings, fried chix... Man, was it tiring!!! But the compliments i received that night more than made up for it. =)

Jon n I stayed at Astoria Plaza in Ortigas for 3d2n (the first night was another gift) and had a very relaxing time. Buhay-baboy was a more appropriate term.

We came back home Thursday afternoon and met up with Aion and Yna for Visita Iglesia that evening. We completed the 14 stations of the cross but only got to visit 7 churches around Manila (we were done at past 12 midnight already). For the past two or three years, Jon and i were not able to do this coz we were always out-of-town so this was a welcome change... and yes, the visita merienda was delish... ryt, guys? ;) bwahahaha!

~*~*~

So what else happened?

...i was ninang to cousin in law's son;

...i had my first transV ultrasound at the request of my OB last apr 17... this deserves a separate post, but to sum it up, the feeling that i experienced was nothing compared to anything i've ever felt before... all the uncomfortable symptoms, the large increase in the scales,.. all those were forgotten as i caught sight of my baby inside my womb. It was a miracle indeed...

...i'll be a matron of honor at my sister's wedding on july 15. - we had measurement taking last apr 23 and of course i had to stress that i'll be gaining weight for sure so my dress should better have room for major adjustments!

...fun party with my pamangkins!

...i've been missing out on a lot of things at the office... grrr. the Zambales outing, the team-building in Antipolo, the volleyball games... haay... maybe i need another ultasound... ;)

back with a vengeance...part 3...(the BIG surprise)

u may probably have a hint by now, but here's my story... =)

*~*~*

When I was brought to the hospital Thursday afternoon because of an upset stomach, I was worried because i might be given medication that is not good for an expectant mother... And i suspect i AM one...

I was 5 days delayed.

And so i asked to have a pregnancy test and thank God!!! it confirmed that i am pregnant and i was ecstatic!!!

*~*~*

Of course I didn't tell Jon right away... even if i wanted to. I wanted to see the look on his face when i finally tell him.

Besides, i already made him believe that i already had my period while there in Cebu. U see, he was keeping track of my cycle and my first day, supposedly, fell on the day i was to leave for Cebu (Sunday).

He asked me Monday night. I didn't respond. He just assumed. I didn't correct him.., instead i made use of my acting skills all throughout. That way, even if i did have my period, he wouldn't be disappointed again.

And this time, i was happy that i will NOT anymore..

*~*~*

Seeing Jon again at the airport made me want to blurt out the surprise then and there... but i tried my best to contain myself a little longer until we were home. Instead, we had dinner at Plato Platina to "celebrate" (together again eh... heheh).

There were times I just couldn't help but smile to myself and when he notices this and asks me, I just make up some silly excuse which of course, he believes... He really doesn't even have a tiny bit of a clue... hihihi.

Even when my kulit sister texts him often which says "Yes! Yes! Yahoo!" (She had an excuse too... we were going to Canyon Woods in Tagaytay that Sunday to claim our free 3d2n stay and she says she's just excited when asked)...

Anyway, as soon as we got back home and we took care of our business (hehehe), i immediately put my plan to action...

"hun, u want to see the results of my stool exam? Eto oh... "(I gave him the results from the hospital, the first page contained the stool exam, and the other one, the pregnancy test...)

He was taking so long and examining every bit of information there is... I was getting impatient na so...

look at the other page hun... meron pa yan... (while readying my videocam)

He turned the page and there it was...

after awhile, i slipped the piece of paper i prepared and planted a kiss...

The video i have of him will show it all... but he asked me not to share it... too shy i guess, sorry. :D

But let me just describe it to u... First, he was laughing and smiling, and then, he was staring at the papers in front of him, teary eyed, in shock and disbelief... and then afterwards, he was jumping and acting like crazy!!! "Magiging tatay na ko!!!"

*~*~*

The seemingly long wait for us to conceive is now over... but the journey has just begun... =)

back with a vengeance... part 2... (the weeks leading to...)

backtracking...

Feb. 25 (Sat)
After gimmick with friends, i came home at 2am to this:

This was something i requested from Jon a few weeks back but i had no idea how he would do it... so just imagine my surprise when i saw this in our bedroom! I was happy like a child playing house... hehehe ;)

In return, i cooked buffalo wings and shepherd's pie (potato and meat casserole) for him that night and we stayed inside our room all night long. It was my O, after all, and we've been planning for this holiday... ;)

Mar. 1 (Wed)
The National Women's Month Celebration kick-off program at Amoranto Sports Complex in QC. Alay lakad, Unang Hirit (saw Drew and Regine), programme, tiangge, lunch at Max's c/o FSI, and most impt part, half-day!!! :D (which meant free from all meetings and a chance to rest! whew!)

Mar. 3 (Fri)
Red Box with ofcmates to celebrate Dionne's bday. Jon, Lu, Jera, Bon n I had a sumptuous dinner at ___ before heading to our room at Red Box where we sang and danced all our stress away!

Mar.4 (Sat)
While the boys had a night-out, Yna and I had some serious girl-bonding!!! :) Starting with some shopping, dinner at a Japanese resto, then 2 fun games of bowling, and afterwards, some coffee and dessert... all the while sharing our innermost secrets and having the grandest time... =)

Met our boys afterwards of course to take us home... hihihi.

Mar.10 (Fri)
FSI Bowling games. I'm glad i chose to join these games coz i needed a break from all the work re interfaith. But despite the practice i've had with Yna the other week, i still sucked big time. heheh. I had fun for a while but had to go back to the ofc for more OT work in time for our flight that Sun morning... oh well.

~*~*~

what's the surprise, u ask? .. it's comin' up... :D

back with a vengeance...(the Cebu trip)

it has been a month-looong blogging hiatus for me... and i'm glad to be back! Work has been hell to say the least.. OTs were alien to me before but these past couple of weeks found me slaving away at the office til 10 pm and even a Saturday OT! All these because of the Interfaith Dialogue held in Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu last week which was participated by almost 200 delegates from 15 countries in the Asia Pacific. I'm just so glad it's over... and i'm also mighty proud of the excellent work we've done there.

I was pretty miserable on my first two days (Sun-Mon) in Cebu because i was missing Jon terribly and i was tired all the time. Non-stop work, skipped meals, work til one a.m, lack of sleep... Luckily, on the third night, we got off from work a little earlier that usual and went back to our suite in Hilton. While 2 of my officemates decided to have dinner outside, i opted to just enjoy the time alone and ordered room service, plopped myself on the sofa, and watched American Idol on tv. I had enough sleep afterwards which accounted for the good mood i felt the next day. That Wednesday night, we tried the Sutukil and saw the Mactan Shrine beside it.

Thursday, the last day of the conference... we were in panic mode again because of things to wrap up and handouts and cds to produce... two hours before the conference culminates, all hell broke loose... i was having an upset stomach and together with my officemate who was also experiencing the same thing, we were brought to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment. Although it was nothing serious, we had to wait for almost 3 hours for the result and by the time we got back to Shang, some of the team members were already packing our things at the secretariat. A blessing in disguise??? hahah. To celebrate the success of the conference we ate buffet dinner by the beach at Shang but since my stomach was still acting up, i didn't get to enjoy it that much... I decided to go home early to rest at our beauiful suite.

Friday, our last day in Cebu... we had an early breakfast, went to the beach and the pool.. and by lunchtime, we were ready for check-out. We were again invited to lunch by the undersecretary of cebu at a shabu-shabu (the first night, we were treated by him at a chinese resto) and afterwards, had some pasalubong shopping. By 4pm, we were already at the VIP lounge at the airport waiting for our flight... and this was the time my ex-boss praised us for a job well done... with special mention of the 3 FSI girls of course. :)

At 6:30 pm... i was back in Manila and i was too excited to see Jon... after all, I have a BIG surprise for him... :)

some Cebu pics.

to be continued...

Valentine FEVAH! (part 2)

mooshy-mooshy post! ;-)

Hearts Day started by me waking Jon up with a surprise...

Before going to sleep the night before, i placed my bag just below my side of the bed (with my gift inside) for easy access. I was so excited that i even woke up ahead of my alarm that morning before going to work. I watched Jon sleep for a while before lifting his left arm very slowly and putting my gift on his wrist... He stirred up a little, I whispered "Happy Valentine!" into his ear, and he noticed the spanking-new watch for the first time... =)

Of course, i was elated that he loved my gift... Weeks before, his old watch's indiglo got broken and he mentioned that he needed a new everyday watch. But since it wasn't an immediate need, he never got to buying himself one... I was just happy to do it for him. =)

....

30 minutes before lunch time, I got a call from him inviting me for a lunch-out. I was a bit confused coz i knew he was cooking up something for that night but i just happily obliged. When i got in the van, he handed me this beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers. *sigh*

...and then he told me that his original plan was to go up to my office and deliver the flowers right to my table but he just couldn't find a parking space (he went around the area a few times already)... and that we really weren't supposed to have lunch-out talaga... haha! We just drove thru Jollibee Macapagal and ate lunch inside the van... that's when i had a clue that he was taking me out to something fancy that night.

When i got back to the office (bringing with me my flowers, of course), i got totally swamped with work and meetings that before i knew it, it was 6pm already... i even had to excuse myself on that last meeting just so i could have a quick change of clothes and made up my face in a hurry.

...

I was totally floored.

As soon as i stepped into the romantic ambience of the patio garden of Shangri-La Makati, i fell in love all over again. We were led to a corner table which had a beautiful centerpiece of candles, roses and calla lillies.., beside us a huge glass waterfall. Stars were few that night, but the full moon just above some of the buildings was a perfect finishing touch.

We had a gastronomic four-course dinner complemented by red wine and there was even a live band singing love songs which made the enchanted evening more memorable.

Just before ending the perfect night, a waiter handed Jon a single long-stemmed rose to give to me. =)

video and photos at my multiply site...

(from our cam-phones - which doesn't give it any justice, sorry!)

*~*~*

spreading the love...

Before going home, it was time to play cupid by doing a favor for Yna - a Valentine surprise. Read about it in Aion's blog. :)

Valentine FEVAH! (part 1)

hey, hey, hey! :) ...i'm back!!! 'ope everyone had a nice V-day celeb! ..coz this hopeless romantic sure did... :) ...still pretty much hung over about the whole thing, actually... happy happy joy joy!!

~~~

Jon and I had a blast when we visited BOHOL for the first time for our early Valentine escapade last week...

We arrived at Tagbilaran airport early Thursday morning and even the downcast skies and the slight drizzle didn't dampen our spirits. We easily saw our chauffeur and immediately took us to the resort where we are staying for 3 days (Panglao Island Nature Resort). The place was really beeyootiful!!! Especially our bungalow with jacuzzi... i would have to say that this really beats our Bora accommodation last year (Fridays - except for the four-poster bed... heheh). Really, it was the ideal honeymoon place (which is precisely why we chose this over the other resorts in Panglao)!

After a few hours rest, we headed to the resort's restaurant which was a minute walk from our room and had lunch there. Right after, a resort's staff was kind enough to tour us around the place... we saw the garden, the resort's expansion project at the other side, and we even went inside their very own cave, the Cambagat Cave which was really well-maintained and also a good place for swimming. Manong was our driver, our tour guide, and even our photographer. Sobrang bait. :) He dropped us off at our bungalow... we took a nap til it was time to go to the BQ Mall (service from the resort)...

We bought some pasalubong at the mall and had dinner at a Mongolian BBQ resto before we headed back to PINR. Back in our place, we tried the jacuzzi and it was pure bliss. ;)

Since there was no night life in the place, we were ready for bed as early as 10pm... and we had enough time for more relaxing... Jon watched TV while I read the book "Memoirs of a Geisha"..

2nd day, we headed to the beach before breakfast. I would have wanted to swim right then and there if not for the Bohol trip we scheduled for the day...

Our chauffeur was a few minutes early but we were glad to start the tour sooner...

• Blood Compact Shrine
• Tarsier
• Loboc River Cruise
• Man-made forest
• Chocolate Hills
• Floating resto for a late lunch
• Baclayon Church and Museum
• Pasalubong shopping!

We went back to the resort to change and drop off our things and took a dip in the infinity pool... it was really getting cold already so we made our way back to our jacuzzi. ;) We ordered room service and ate dinner inside our room.

We had an early big breakfast the following day and went straight to the beach and the man-made islet. More picture taking, swimming - which we continued in the infinity pool and our jacuzzi before we got ready for check-out.

Since our flight is hours away, the resort made us stay in their comfy lobby where we had our late lunch and i was able to finish reading my book MOAG (can't wait for the movie)...

Back in Manila, we waited for our sundo --> Yna and Aion at the airport (super thanks again, guys!), then we had dinner, watched movie, and had coffee afterwards. =)

some of the Bohol pics here

to be continued...

finally! a reason to CELEBRATE

(nope... i'm not yet pregnant. )

woohoo!!! finally!!! the much-awaited transfer of my boss to another department materialized early this week and i am finally out of her claws! bwahahaha! i am freeeee!!!

Ay... not entirely free pala. She still included me in the Interfaith Dialogue (hosted this year by RP, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia) which will happen at Cebu on March. Hay. I haven't been to Cebu yet, and i would have loved to go there, but under the circumstances, i think enjoying my stay there for almost a week will be out of the question... and of course, without Jon there, I know i'll be miserable... waaaah!!! :(

But then again... she's outta here... and the Dialogue will take place in more than a month pa... still more than enough reason to celebrate!!! yahooo!

...

and celebrate, i did! =D I took a much-needed rest from work for two whole days. I read a book (Digital Fortress by Dan Brown), surfed the net, watched videos, ate, and slept.

Jon and I also went to Tiendesitas at Ortigas Wednesday afternoon to check out this new shopping place i've been hearing about... only to get a little disappointed.

From afar, Tiendesitas looks promising. It sort of looks like a resort, really. The place was nice, in fairness...(nice for a photoshoot even)... And i found the "village" concept appealing since each village is devoted to a certain theme (food, handicrafts, pet, fashion, toys, etc) so one would know exactly where to go for that item one is looking for. BUT (shopping-wise), the place is super hot (no airconditioning)!!! It made us really uncomfortable while shopping and to think that there still weren't a lot of people there! Also, prices were a bit steeper and the range of choices were not that many. =(

But I did enjoy looking at the pets at the (wherelse?) "pet village", we also tried some of the native delicacies available there (u gotta try Tita Lynn's flavored suman!), and bought some abubots... so it wasn't entirely an unproductive trip... =)

Bummer weekend and another Wedding

I was sooo drained and sooo damn tired last week at work that i was just really anticipating the weekend... But i guess all that stress caught up with me coz i had "sumpong" during those days... and i think that may have ruined it altogether... :( Jon and I had another silly serious silly fight that lasted the entire weekend before we kissed and made out up. ;)

oh well... the *toot* more than made up for it naman... bwarharharhar!!

a little side story...

I was surfing the net Sunday morning when i saw this on top of our PC...

i was still so pissed so i separated "us"

later on... i found this... (i just had to laugh out loud..hahah!)

so anyway, this is "us" moments later... nyahahaha!

~*~*~

Anyway, i've got some BIG news! I wasn't able to blog about it last week coz of work but now that i've got the chance...

my mom's getting married again!

now, isn't that exciting??? :D

Talked to my mommy via YM the other day (she left for Australia last Jan 15 after Ray stayed here during the holidays - she'll be back before Valentine's Day), hoping to get more juicy details but she refused to give any. She said to wait until Ray comes back on summer and we'll talk then... hmmmmm, mamamanhikan??? ;)

oooh... and get this. i'll get to coordinate two more weddings in the family ( my younger sister Kate is the other one ) at a discounted rate, of course... nyahahaha! ;)