After Christmas Sales

This is one of those times when I wished I was in the States to avail of the clearance sale and after Christmas sales. I was searching for things last Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and there are a lot of great deals.

Deals are the same with the Black Friday on the following stores:

ToysRUs less than 5 dollars
Dora Doll

rainbow house
Kitty dog toy

Bath and Body Works 3 for 15 dollars

Black raspberry vanilla

lush orchid tote 5 dollars

What did you do on Christmas day?

1. I had a self-pedicure while putting Kiara to sleep ( sa duyan).
2. I created a scrap book aka baby book for Kiara
3. We went to my parent's house
4. I placed my teaching materials in a clear book for easy reading
5. Ate baked mac, barbeque, ham for breakfast and sinigang for lunch and hamonado at dinner ( my parents house na ang dinner)
6. Sent out text messages to my friends.

Wow Christmas is over, though this is the first time we will be celebrating Christmas with a baby we were not excited or it really became an ordinary day for us. I listed the things I did yesterday and it's Christmas. There is nothing extraordinary. (except for the pedicure, that was extraordinary) Kiara is receiving gifts even if it is not Christmas, we can eat delicious and special food even if it is not Christmas. We can go to our parent's house even if it is not Christmas.

We went to mass last December 24 at Dusit and Irwin had a sour temper. We had to wake the sleeping babies just to go to Dusit and attend the mass. He said we could have attended the mass in a nearby church and we have to attend it in Dusit pa. Irwin's sister went there, turned out she ordered our Noche buena feast of barbeque and baked mac. Plus, we had to bring her baby so the baby could get the gifts from his ninong and ninang. Hitting two birds with one stone. Ayan tuloy lalong nagkasakit si baby he couldn't sleep because of his cough and cold. Kiara got her cold when I brough her to our Christmas party and she didn't sleep the whole day, that's why di siya naka-rest, nagkasakit tuloy.
Anyways, how can we make Christmas special? Do anyone feel the same sentiments?

Kiara is Six Months Old

Kiara turned six months last Saturday, December 13, 2008. I only have one line for her... ISN'T SHE LOVELY?

For her sixth month this songs keeps on poking my mind. A reminisce of old video viewing from Jason Magbanua. This song is from Stevie Wonder and written by Frank Sinatra. Both men dedicated this song to the birth of their daughter. A gift from God. Babies are gift from God. This Christmas is a blessing for me and Irwin to have Kiara with us this Christmas.

Isnt She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Isnt she lovely
Isnt she wonderfull
Isnt she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love wed be
Making one as lovely as she
But isnt she lovely made from love

Isnt she pretty
Truly the angels best
Boy, Im so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I cant believe what God has done
Through us hes given life to one
But isnt she lovely made from love

Isnt she lovely
Life and love are the same
Life is aisha
The meaning of her name
Londie, it could have not been done
Without you who conceived the one
Thats so very lovely made from love

Busy Mommy

Can't wait for the Christmas vacation, I am so tired already, wala na akong energy. Monday, Tuesday and Friday I have graduate school to attend. ang work ko from 9am to 4:30 then I have to rush to Boni for the graduate school. I have work pa on Saturday, 8 am to 4:30. Minsan puyat pa kay Kiara. Wala akong pasok ng Wednesday pero this is my checkup time sa Medical or time to do errands. May kelangan pa akong i-compute na assignment namin sa Statistics. May dalawang thesis pa ako na ihahandle, me as their adviser. Patay na talaga! As in I even dreamed na patay na ako, in my dream multo ako. Kasi yung last na subject na binigay sa akin pandagdag talagang sinabi ko, "papatayin nyo yata ako sa pagod eh". So that night, I had a dream. Haay, sana nga bakasyon na.

Kiara is Sick with Cold and Fever

Kiara got sick because of the cold weather. This is the first time that she got sick. She has a fever and cold. Now her fever is gone but she still has the cold. We do not have any supplemental vitamins for her but will ask her pedia this saturday. I checked at Babycenter.com and found out that it is not good to rub alcohol if a child has a fever.

According to their article:

Never try to reduce a fever by sponging down your baby with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol can be absorbed into your baby's bloodstream through the skin. It can also cool him too quickly, which can actually raise his temperature.

This is the whole article to read: here.

We always had a misconception that rubbing alcohol if you have a fever can actually make the temperature go down but it is not true. Parang ice cream, sabi lalamigin ka pag kumain ka but it can actually make yo feel warm.

Sandy's Pizza at Little Baguio

Finally, napuntahan na rin namin ang Sandy's Pizza sa San Juan. Walang kainan dun kundi dalawang maliliit na table para lang sa mga naghihintay ng orders. Ang tagal ng waiting time nila, may ale nagagalit na sa kahihintay ang technique is to order and dun and pick it up after mga 30 minutes. Pero it is worth the wait dahil super sarap ng pizza nila, maybe because we ate it there na, bagong luto, i am not sure how it tastes if it is delivered.

Here is a link to their site in case you want to order:

sandy's pizza

We ordered the combination, pepperoni, white pizza, all meat and veggie. ang sarap!

mura lang din.

Christmas Cookies

I like cookies especially Mrs. Fields cookies and Famous Amos. On the local side, I like chocolate chip cookies and raisin cookies. I like cookies that are crisp on the outside and chewy inside. I also like nutty cookies and with oatmeal.

I thought of making cookies as a give away for Christmas. So I tried searching for cookie recipes. Last year, I tried making ( not baking) a no bake cookies and it turned out sticky. Sometimes the available instant cookie is so hard to do or make it right. I found this recipe No bake cookie recipe and from the instructions this is very easy to do. It only has three instructions. All I need is some sugar, unsweetened cocoa and some nuts, mix them and it is almost ready.

The Mrs. Fields cookie is a must try recipe. I am so glad it is here because I love this cookie. This sells around 75 pesos for a 5 pieces cookie. This is yummy, every time I have this I will go to a corner and eat it by myself. Yes, I am selfish when it comes to Mrs. Fields cookie.

Another recipe that I want to try out is the Diabetic cookie recipe. They used Equal as a substitute for sugar. I have a lot of person in mind to give this cookie to. My parents, my in-laws, my co-teachers, my husband! This is also an easy recipe because I have all the ingredients available.


Before trying to make cookies be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Always prepare the ingredients prior to cooking. Preheat the oven, use butter not margarine if that is the requirement. Do not use substitutes unless you are an experienced cook who can experiment with the cooking. Most importantly, when you are cooking, do it with love, imagine the person eating the cookie and the look on his or her face at the first bite of your cookie.

I will try to post actual pictures before giving out the cookies. Hopefully, this project will be done before Christmas. Hehehehe. Absolutely.

A Story of a Friend's Cheating Husband

Two weeks ago I've met with my college friends from UST because we have a balikbayan friend abroad. Our stories revolved around one thing. My friend's cheating husband. How did she know? Nakita nya sa cellphone ng husband niya na may picture ng ibang girl. The girl happens to be an office mate of the husband. My friend was ok naman, pretty and we never expected it from her or sa husband niya na gagawin iyon.

I feel pity for my friend. The experienced changed her a lot. First, wala na raw siyang trust sa husband niya, kahit na anong gawin or panunuyo all are covered with doubt. She started checking the cellphone kapag tulog daw ang asawa niya, or she would check the pants for any receipts. Ayaw raw niya ng ganun, yung mga ginagawa niya but she can't help it. Everytime na makaka-rinig sya ng ringing tone, message or text, na-pra-praning siya. Iisipin niya galing sa girl.

Because she was angry may episodes pa raw siya na gusto niyang ubusin lahat ng savings nila ang she would spend it on make up, slimming pills, magpapa-marie france raw siya para magi siyang sexy. Naisip pa niyang magpa-rhinoplasty. Para lang siyang maging maganda.

Now, personally, when I heard that story kaya pala yung mga unhappy wives na mayaman ang asawa walang magawa sa pera nila. Minsan yung iba panay ang renovate ng house, tour around the world, maybe it is a defense mechanism or coping skills nila because of their cheating husband.

My friend was devastated. She was in pain and still hurting. Umiiyak paminsan-minsan, natutulala, hindi nya alam kung kanino sasabihin, baka raw kasi mag-worry ang parents niya kung sasabihin niya sa parents niya. Ayaw pa nga niyang ikuwento sa amin kasi baka raw hindi na mag-asawa yung mga single naming friends.

Now as a student of Psychology let me analyze the behavior. Wives who were cheated by their husbands can experience a great deal of stress and emotional breakdown. They will often think what went wrong. They will think or attribute it to themselves either they will say na may kulang sa kanila, napabayaan ang sarili, busy and a lot of reason. Wives who are contented or secured by their marriage partner and suddenly may incidence na ganito will have a lot to do for themselves. They have given their full trust to a person, siguro half or whole, pero kung whole, this is devastating, the wife has to start all over again to trust someone. Kung naka-recover siya, she might think of getting back or avenging herself, magpapaganda muna sila and then they too will look for partners to compensate the loss of love (maybe) from the husband. (Napanood ko sa Bad couple, korean series).

If trust is missing in a relationship, this may not work out unless there is a lot of sacrifices and undoing. If a wife naman is dependent on the husband, walang work, maraming anak, hirap sa buhay, eto yung mga nag-stay sa marriage dahil hindi nila kayang buhayin ang anak nila na wala ang asawa. The behavior of cheating will be tolerated or ignored.

May kilala nga ako eh, maraming naging anak sa labas ang asawa niya, pag naka buntis ang asawa niya kinukuha niya sa kanya ang mga anak ng asawa niya. siya ang nagpapalaki, para raw hindi na balikan ng asawa niya yung mga babae.

That is true, kaya lang siguro bumabalk ang mga cheating husbands dun sa mga babae nila is because maybe they want to see their children or gusto ng free sex.

Eh paano naman ang portrayal ng cheating husband sa movies or books? Parang tolerated pa nga eh or sometimes parang macho symbol pa pag may ibang babae ang husband and they will always blame it on the wife. Kawawa naman talaga ang mga babae.

So tama rin kaya ang theory ng iba na they really have to pass this stage? I would rather not agree. I still want to preserve my idea of true love, kagaya nila Romeo and Juliet,yung character sa movie na The Notebook at may mga iba pang wagas na pag-ibig..

Gingersnap Sale- Nov. 17 start

Start na ulet ng sale sa Gingersnap Warehouse at Armal Compound sa may San Miguel, Pasig City. Can't wait. Sana magaganda ang i-sale nila. This will run Nov. 17 to December 29, 2008. Ilang days na lang pasko na. Hmm. Dun na lang ako bibili sa mga inaanak ko.

For directions on how to get there:

Coming from Megamall go to Julia Vargas, U turn going to Eastwood direction and look for Eagle street, that is on the right side, you will pass by Mom and Tina's, Good Burger then immediately make a right turn, you will pass by Sandoval Bridge, turn right at the end of the bridge, that is Dr. Sixto Antonio St., look for Stella Maris on the left side, on the right is the Maybunga Barangay Hall, turn left to Stella Maris, at the end of the street turn right that is the C. Raymundo St., When you see the Mercury Drug on the left, turn left and that is Mercedes Ave, when you see rustan's turn left and you will pass by a chinese school then turn right, this is Eusebio Drive. Go straight ahead until you reach Armal Compound. They usually hang a banner outside.

If you are coming from Quiapo or the south go to C5 then Bagong Ilog, pass by Rotonda, go to C. Raymundo Ave., that is the side of Arlington, then Mercedes Ave. and follow the directions above.

Travel with Ease and Style

We like to travel, since we've been together, Irwin and I made it a point to travel every year, last year we've been to Palawan with my whole family. The year before that we've been to Baguio for our CAS Team Building.We've been to Coron, Palawan for our honeymoon, been to Boracay three times already since it is our favorite destination. Next we plan to visit Bohol, Davao, Iloilo, Cebu and Ilocos.

Now that Kiara is an addition to our family, we've been thinking of travelling outside the country. Next year, his cousin from the USA will be having her 18th birthday on February. He will be a member of the 'Cotillion'. I hope we can all attend the party. What a very far party!

Hmm. That would be wishful thinking.

Okey, to make our plan very reasonable and attainable maybe we should just visit our friends in Singapore or make and Asian tour, maybe Hong Kong and visit Disneyland? Sayang, now that the dollar rate is up we should have tried to have a tour before.

We have another option, yearly the graduate school would visit partner universities in Asia. Two years ago, (sayang ulet) they've been to 5 countries in two weeks, kaya lang di kaya nakakapagod ang ginawa nila? They went to Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok and Malaysia and it only cost them around 15 thousand each. This is a group package kasi, some accommodations were sponsored by the partner university. In some city they stayed in a hotel. Kaya nga nag-aabang ako ng next na schedule pero parang wala naman next year. Our College dean told me to try and search for some group packages available in the net. Ok, sige gagawin ko.

So I guess I have to plan the travel na lang. We are not adventurers translated as pag nagpupunta kami sa isang lugar gusto namin ayos na ang lahat. We are not the type who goes to a place and dun pa lang hahanap ng accommodation or makikipagsapalaran. Preferably sana may hotel na, naka book na ang flight at ready to go na.

My friend who recently went to Vietnam recommended this site www.hotelscombined.com. I checked it out. I was surprised kasi ang galing, it is my first time to see a site ha hindi ka na mag-convert from dollar to peso. gulat nga ako eh. So eto mega hanap ako ng places to visit. List ko muna saka ko pa-approve kay bossing. Galing nitong site, nakita ko pa nga ang Dusit dito eh. My sister-in-law works here. This is a good site kasi they list all the hotels and their prices in your own currency.

Next, ang flight schedules! Sana meron ding ganito kaya lang dynamic kasi ang flight eh. Kaya mahirap din. I'll look for a good flight site na lang. Any recommendations?

Worried with Autism

I have a very lovely 5 month old baby, yes, as I've told you she sleeps through the night at one month old, she has a routine of sleeping and eating and eliminating. She plays with her toys but she would rather sleep. One time we went trick or treating at Parkwoods and we rode in a tricycle and she cried and cried and cried. We cannot console her she wouldn't stop. According to the folklore, baka "nabati" or "nausog".

I am worried because at 5 months she hardly smiles and laughs. Though, she knows her name and respond to you, she doesn't laugh as most babies do. Sabi nga nila " mahal ang ngiti ni Kaira". lalo na ang tawa... I cannot make her laugh, her caregiver can, my mother-in-law can but these are after several attempts.

I know it is still too early to know, but I am really worried.

Lola Kiara

My baby is a lola. She has a mind of her own, I remember that we cannot make her sleep unless she is sleepy.
You cannot make her do something that she doesn't like, she will definitely tell you in her cries, through her arms or eyes.
I read in a baby milestone that at six months the baby will learn to sleep through the night,
Kiara was sleeping through the night at week 4, we never had a problem with her waking up in the middle of the night. I wish I could make that excuse at work but she never did cost us any lack of sleep until now she is sleeping through the night compared to her cousin Miko who is 8 months old who wakes up at 3am and again at 5pm. Kiara sleeps between 7 to 8 and wakes up occasionally at night looking for my breast and then wakes up at 6am.

In a study on Asian babies, they sleep on the average of 9 hours and 45 minutes, Kiara's sleep is above average similar to the western babies. sleep is very important in a baby and the amount of sleep is related to a grumpy or happy baby during the day. Just like adults who lack sleep they wake up grumpy and irritated during the day.

I am so glad to have a baby like Kaira, she is an angel.

Sandy Concepcion's Pizza

I love pizza. Love it.Love it. I never get tired of it just like cream. Every time I discover a new pizza restaurant or new Italian restaurant I always ask Irwin to eat there. There is a rave for this new pizza, actually it is not new because I saw it in KC Concepcion's blog.

I just remember Irwin again telling me about this pizza. We were in San Juan last Sunday and we were actually looking for their address in Little Baguio but we were with Kiara we cannot stay long enough to look for it.

Anyway, Kiara's 4th month is next week so we might as well celebrate it with a pizza instead of the usual cake.

Or maybe I will still buy a cake for Kiara and pizza for us.
Teeheee... Nice.

My Favorite Kiara Pictures

This is my all time favorite look of Kiara, I don't know.. she really looks so happy and contented. A child is really a blessing and I thank the Lord everyday and for as long as I live for giving me my Kiara.

It's Kiara's Christening!

I created several invitations for Kiara's baptism but the storage was inaccessible. Nasira yung hard drive where we stored it. So eto na lang ang natira. Haay, Kiara's baptism was last Sunday, kasabay ng birthday ng MIL ko.

It was a blast I guess, several people went to the reception, more than 170 according to the caterer. Eh ang food lang is good for 150 so sobrang dami talaga ng guests. We had it dito lang sa bahay.Kaya yung mga neighbors isang pamilya kung magpunta compared if you had it elsewhere. Anyways, naubos ang food which is good kasi suwerte raw, we are happy marami ang dumating to celebrate with Kiara.
It was also the 60th birthday of Lola Precy, mommy ni Irwin at mabait kong biyenan


Kiara's gown was a hand me down from her cousins sa side ni Irwin. All of her clothes were mostly hand me downs. We didn't buy any clothes for her except siguro yung 3 pieces na onesies from SM.
In good condition pa naman yung mga baby clothes na galing sa cousin ni Irwin saka branded sila that's why they kept it, pinapa-laundry pa nila.

We ordered these two cakes from Kitchen Kraft located at Samat cor. Calbayog, Mandaluyong City. The two cakes cost 5,000, Kiara's cake with the cupcakes were 3K and the other cake is 2K.

They have what they call lollies, these are cookies with different designs, other loliies are white chocolate, each costs 40 pesos.
The cupcakes cost 39 pesos each. It was a chocolate cake, masarap naman, there is a two-inch styro at the bottom to make the cake look tall.

Hindi na nga nai-display yung cake sa dami ng bisita wala nang table for the cake, nung umuwi na ang mga ilang guest at nagkaroon ng space saka lang naidisplaly. We also sang a birthday song for my MIL.

Charice Pempengco - Celine Dion Duet : Because You Loved Me

I remember this song when I was still working in Bayantel in 1998 and I was the secretary of Mr. Mario Carlo Nepomuceno, the VP for Human Resources.
We had a Christmas Party at ABS-CBN with the executives like Gabby Lopez, Federico Garcia, Mr. Cruz and Charo Santos.
There was a contest where you have to sing a song in a videoke and the person who got the highest score will win a price.

This is the song that I sang. I was nervous and so I sang out of tune. I was not the winner. Nevertheless, I made it till the last note. This was my favorite because I also like Celine Dion and the movie of Michelle Piffer and Robert Redford.

And hearing Charice sing this song at ka-duet pa niya si Celine Dion, wow! She must be in heaven.

Kiara's Smile

How important is a Yaya?

It's been a while since I wrote anything new in my blog. Kiara turned 2 months last August 13. I returned to work last August 5. I had a CS and had to go back to work before my two months. I do not have an SSS maternity leave filed because I am a government employee.

Kiara's yaya, Ate P quit her job two weeks ago. I think it is because she is fatigued and exhausted. She cleans the house, washes our clothes and still take care of Kiara. We live with Irwin's parent, I have a sis-in-law who also has a kid, she has a separate yaya cum helper just like Ate P, lets call her Ate A.

Ate A's role is like a mayordoma who decides who gets to do the job, Ate P or her. I am not at home all the time but I've been hearing that Ate P do most of the job. Ate A gets a higher salary than Ate P because Ate A's been serving their family for more than 10 years. She is a trusted and reliable helper.

The people who are left in the house consisted of my husband's cousin,the cousin of my SIL's husband, my SIL's husband, my SIL and the helpers.

To cut the story short, Ate P realized that she's been working really hard and was not compensated for her job. She was just a new helper so she should start at a basic salary right? She keeps on comparing her salary with Ate A and she's getting some encouragement from my SIL and all those people left in the house.

In the end, she left expecting we will raise her salary and deemed her important. Yes, her job is important but she has a bad working attitude. She is complaining to my SIL's husband's cousin and not to my Mother-in-law.

Last week I have no yaya, only Ate A looks after the two kids, and this week she was able to find a replacement for Ate P but again she left, we do not know why, basta na lang di sumipot. By the way, the helpers are stay out.

My MIL do not want any stay in helpers, marami raw kaming pakalat-kalat na bagay baka may mawala.

REally these days, it is hard to find a helper you could trust. Kaya if you have one already, better treat them well. ang hirap mawalan ng kasama.

You're My Number One - Sharon Sings NIDO

Being a new mother this commercial touches me so much. I remember the song as the old jingle of NIDO when I was a kid, and I am glad they revived it. This sums up the feelings and emotions I have for my daughter Kiara.


You're My Number One
Lyrics by: Sandy Sulit
Music by: Caloy Agawa
Performed by: Sharon Cuneta, with daughters Frankie and Miel Pangilinan



Look at me mom
Look at me mom
Shining like the sun
Bright as the day
You're my number one

And there's no treasure
That i will cherish like you

And when i smile
They all see you glow
And they all know
You're my number one

My one and only joy
Is to give you my love

(bridge)
My one love for you
I give through and through
I see you and the signs that bring joy
That all the world can see so clearly

Look at me mom
Shining like the sun
Bright as the day
You're my number one

Diaper Talk

ProKid and Drypers

Pampers and Huggies





Been using these three diapers for the last month, the two diapers, Huggies and Pampers Swaddlers are imported ( package from Auntie Naty) and the Prokids diapers are local. Being a first time mom, I rely on the wetness indicator in diapers, this is what I check if I need to change diapers, I do not check it between feedings, Pro Kids has a wetness indicator, Pampers local also has a wetness indicator.

The two imported diaper brands has no wetness indicator so I have to see if the diaper expanded, what I like about the imported diaper is that they are very soft, cottony, and slim especially the Pampers Swaddlers but the Pampers Swaddlers when I checked the linings instead of being dry it is still wet and you could feel it through the diaper especially if you are carrying your baby.

Huggies are Ok but still no wetness indicator.

Prokids is also OK, a little bulky and cheaper than the local Pampers

I added a fourth diaper which is Drypers, it looks like the cheap diaper sold at markets, maganda lang ng konti, I do not know how much it costs kasi sample lang ito f you get the Birth Certificate of Newborn sa Pasig City Hall may namimigay.

I prefer the local Pampers with the wetness indicator, slim and the price is reasonable.
I just have to keep on using the imported diaper so we could buy the local pampers, sayang naman kung di gagamitin kaya gamitin.

Feedback: Ang dami pang diaper na Pampers kaya lang maliit na yata kay Kiara so nag scratch sa skin niya, masikip na ata.

Breast feeding Struggle

When I was pregnant, I was hoping and praying that I would have breast milk. My SIL who recently gave birth had no milk and I was fearful I would also have no milk. I was lucky to have breast milk. it came on my third day at the hospital, I suddenly woke up with a painful and very big breast. It was really painful, it was hard to get up, turn side to side and face down. I tried to read some hospital material on breast feeding and learned it was called an engorged breast. I also tried to go to the breast feeding section of the hospital and tried to pump the milk out, I got almost 3 oz of colostrum.

The first time I went to the breast feeding section, I was a little shy to expose my breast but when I see all the mothers are relaxed and feeling like a proud cow, I was also feeling like a proud cow. I was there the second day at the breast feeding section and tried the electric pump even if I have no milk, Nada. Nothing came out. I thought if I pumped something will came out.

I had a total of 4 attempts to pump while in the hospital, each use of the pump costs 150. We paid 600 for that then I thought, that is equivalent to 2 cans of NAN milk. Whoa, I will just purchase my own manual pump.

Breast Pumps

I have a total of 4 breast pump, I saw a mother brought one in the BF section and asked Irwin to buy me the same thing, it was a chicco breast pump, I thought it was the old pump I saw my mother used to pump milk in the old days. Remember the glass one that looks like a trumpet? No one is selling that now I guess.
I cannot use the Chicco pump because it was not a regular breast pump but is used to pump out "old milk" from the breast and you are not suppose to feed the milk collected to your newborn.

Ok, so I tried to borrow the electric breast pump of my SIL, It was a Precious Moment breast pump, it works for me, but it was so, so, painful to pump. Next, I had a pigeon manual pump, since it is manual masakit sa kamay. Kasi medyo sira na rin siya, I also borrowed it from SIL, which she borrowed from her cousin.

The last pump was a manual pump similar to the "old" pump but this is made of plastic, Irwin bought it for me, he was so excited to show it to me, and I used it right away, yes, it works but needs a little pressing of the rubber for the suction. Then, the maid tried to clean it and maybe placed it in the sterilizer and the rubber can't pump milk anymore.

Why do you think I am pumping milk? because I have an inverted nipple, I cannot breastfeed because Kiara cannot tell where the nipple is? Mama even bought me a nipple puller and by the time I was able to pull the nipple out, Kiara is already crying loudly and if I offer her my breast she is already crying and would not take it.

We will just mix her formula.

But right now after 5 weeks going into my 6th, I can already breast feed her, my nipples came out and I have an abundant supply of milk, I still use the nipple puller. I knew a technique we offer her the bottle and then when my nipple is ready we will draw the bottle and offer her my breast. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Conclusion: ang chakit! minsan lalo na pag nakakagat ang nipple after mag pump, Aray! Aray! aray!

Used to be a Mom to a ...

bundle of puppies...


\


Now I am a real Mom.

Sharing the Love

Thanks Vina for sharing this award. This is a nice award after a long rest of blogging. I also enjoy reading your blog, sis!

“The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

As you may have recently seen on my side bar, I have finally created a custom blog award!! I have wanted to do this for a long time but never came up with something that “fit”. I didn’t want just anything. It had to be something that meant something to me. And what could mean more than Sharing the Love by giving you pieces of my heart?? So I created this award in Honor Of The Donor That Saved Noah’s Life. I share this award with those of you whose love and friendship have enriched my life and made my world a better place.

I hope by passing this award around the blogging world we can all help raise awareness of the need for Organ Donation.”

I want to pass this award to Jane, Alpha, Kaye, Con.

I like your blogs!

Cesarian Section at the Medical City (My birthing story)

I have been updating my blog on my condition, the wait for 36 weeks is over now and I didn't even reached the 36th week, Kiara was born 43 minutes shy of 36 weeks. I gave birth through CS last June 13 at 11:17 pm, Friday. I had my regular BPS checkup that Thursday, June 12 at Medical City and the results were again not good, so they already admitted me that day, they do not want me to go home, I might give birth anytime because they checked my cervix it was 1.81 cm dilated. I was scheduled to give birth on June 16, napaaga talaga. I cannot have an emergency CS because I need a prep of dosage of steroids before I give birth due to my auto immune thyroiditis.

I had a rest and the next day, June 13, when they checked me again for contraction through Non-Stress Test, there was one positive contraction, the resident OB checked my cervix again, it was closed daw, (ang sakit!) she reported it to my perinatologist and OB, they instructed her na STAT CS na ( what does that mean?) the resident told me " go back to your room and rest na lang" ( instead of June 16 they moved the sked to June 14, they cannot wait anymore).

Ayun pala mali ang instruction ng residente, I went back to my room and was starting to eat my dinner, isusubo ko na lang yung kakainin ko biglang pumasok si Dra. Velasco another resident at pinigil ang pagkain ko. Sabi i-sked na nila ako that night for a CS at 10pm. Bawal nang kumain. Patay my last meal was not a meal but snack. Kaya 10 pm kasi they asked me when was the last food intake.

Starbucks ang last food intake ko

So everybody thought I was going to give birth June 14 they were surprised when they visited me that night na may baby na. Tinawagan sila ni Irwin. My mother and my mother-in-law.

So I didn't eat but tried to prep myself, I took a bath before ten and I was escorted to the labor room where they performed sets of standard procedure, I bough our camera Una yung sa bowel movement, where they filled your anus with fluid para mailabas ang extra something inside. Then the shaving, skin test and insertion of the IV. Kaya lang na-delay ng mg 30 minutes kasi di pa naayos yung steroid na ituturok sa akin. They started mga 10:30 na before they wheeled me to the operating room. Nakipagkwentuhan pa sa akin si Dra. Piramide. The anesthesiologist was also there na, Dr. Uson and Dra. Castor the perinatologist, Dra. Velasco was also there, fellow pala siya. They were all interested in my case, rare case kasi.

So when we were in the delivery room, ang lamig-lamig sobra, they start na with the spinal anesthesia, Dr. Uson and Dra. Piramide were the same doctors who performed D and C to me last August when I got a miscarriage. Kwento nga ni Dra. Piramide, puro pimples and likod ko sakto the area na insertan ng anesthesia ang tanging walang pimple. Parang sinadya.


Wait a minute, I do not remember anything after that... Hmm, let me remember. The resident anesthesiologist asked me if I am a photographer kasi SLR ang dala namin na camera. Then, I remember they moved my legs into a frog position and inserted the catheter which I know but do not feel. Next thing I remember, I could hear a suction sound yung parang sa dentist. Then, I heard a baby's cry, it is a wonderful sound, I can't explain it, girl na girl. ( Yung anak ng SIL ko, boy iba ang sound ng cry) so I was amazed by how she sound, I also remember hearing the doctors "kamukha ng tatay" then I remember na they took our picture together with the baby and they made her latch at my nipple sobrang sandali lang, they just let her lips touched my nipple. Para raw di ma-depress si baby. Then after that, I know they were sewing me up. After, that I remember being in the Recovery room and then after some hours I was back in our room.

All I did was sleep the whole day Saturday, I was groggy from the anesthesia and if I open my eyes, the scenes were multiple, parang wrong reception na channel sa TV. I was excited to see my baby pero nasa NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) pa siya. They found a toxic in her blood so they ran a series of blood test hanggang ma-release siya. She was also on PhotoTheraphy because of bilirubin, yung parang jaundice. Meron din siyang ultraviolet light exposure.

I was discharged ahead of her, I was discharged Wednesday siya naman Thursday, June 19. The news on TV was the kidnapping of Ces Drilon and her team. When we were discharged andun sa Medical City sila Ces Drilon, ang daming media, nakita pa namin si Charo Santos. Nag-brown-out pa, buti di kami nakasakay sa elevator.

The next day when Kiara was discharged kasi clear na ang toxic sa blood niya, may bloopers pa kami, nagalit pa saakin ang mama ko at si Irwin ang tagal ko raw sa loob ng Nursery. Almost 2 hours kaya akong tumambay sa breastfeeding room, akala ko kasi tatawagin nila ako para sa discharge ayun pala naghihintayan kami.



It is hard to have an auto immune disease this is also the cause kaya ang tagal ko rin nabuntis eto at may baby na kami, we cannot ask for anything more, well siguro good and healthy life for our baby.

My Blog as a Mood Monitor

This blog is a good indicator of my moods, prior to giving birth and waiting for the big day I was not always in a good mood. Being confined to the house because of bedrest, I was irritable, I am a person who really can't stand doing nothing especially it is still my vacation from school. That's one reason I had a bad case of Doppler study, I tried to clean the shoe closet which got me so tired and got me confined the next day.

I was always in a bad mood, I notice everything, from my friends behavior to the scholar's tuition fee to my mother's unsolicited advices.

Now that I already have Kiara, the mood does not improve, is this hormone or post partum depression, I guess I am not depressed, just irritable from lack of sleep and not taking a bath.

Meet Kiara Isabel Montalbo

Born on June 13, 2008 at 11:17 pm. Friday the 13th. Lucky day for us. We are lucky parents, isn't she adorable?

34 weeks and Counting

Yey! We passed the 34th week of my pregnancy now we are targeting the 36th week, two more weeks and I am going to be a mother. Irwin is going to be a father in time for Father's day. Pero sana my uterus is well enough to accommodate my baby for another week para kahit na 37 weeks siya. oks na.

Can't wait to see my baby whose got her father's mouth and my nose. Ang beauty naman ng anak ko!

It All Started With The Baby Shower

My present condition started with the baby shower, the last guest stayed overnight and left the next day. We went to bed around 3 am that morning, that night till morning they were still singing until morning. My father-in-law told us that we should already stop our guest from singing because everybody was already sleeping and we have a baby in the house and the neighbors were disturbed in their sleep. Of course we cannot sleep because that guest is still awake. So I already called her several times to sleep already. She was singing with my husband's cousins. So I told all of them that they should sleep already.

I do not want to blame her so I will just blame myself. I shouldn't have asked her to come at 10pm when all the guest were already leaving. She should have the consideration to think of my condition (pregnant) and should have gone home after eating and not stayed overnight at our place. (she is usually welcome to stay overnight before) Even when I was at the hospital she wants to visit me at 11 pm but now I told her that I need to rest.

I don't know, maybe if you really care about me, you should think of visiting me in the morning and not when it is convenient for you.

Really in times of trouble, you will know who your real friends are.
And in times when you are successful, you will also know your real friends because real friends should be happy with your accomplishments if they get sour, they are not your friends.

Having a Baby Makes Me Want to Make The World A Better Place

This is a title of an article in May issue of Good Housekeeping. I also felt myself being transformed from being a deadma person to a reactive sana pro-active one. I find myself talking back to passengers on jeepney who insist on unloading at a wrong zone. Tinatarayan ko talaga. Kakampi ko naman ang driver, walang disiplina na pasahero.

Other passengers would just look away and pretend nothing is happening. Other people are really nakakaasar, as if they do not know how to read and especially if you are riding an FX, passengers would want to go down at the exact spot where they want to go down. Eh trapik na nga, ilang minuto nang nakahinto tapos pagtakbo ng driver, biglang papara.Kaka-asar. Hindi na lang bumababa nung nakahinto eh ang lapit na!

One time, I rode a tricycle, sabi ko sa palengke, sinakay naman ako, tapos di ako binaba sa palengke, binaba ako kung saan kelangan ko pang magbayad ulet para makarating sa palengke. binigyan ko nga siya ng 7.00 tapos sinisingil ako ng 8.00 sabi ko, "Eh sasakay pa ako papuntang palengke di mo naman ako binaba dun", kung anu-ano ang sinabi, sabi niya magtaxi raw ako. sabi ko sa kanya "pangit, pangit, pangit" I was shaking with anger.

Ewan, nagigi akong war freak! Masarap din palang mang-away noh.

Ranting Ranting Ranting

We all know how hard it is to live these days with the current oil price hike, commodity price hike, PUV fare increase and the upcoming enrollment for those who have kids.

Me and my friends are sponsoring college students (scholars) in my school, my friends are living in Singapore so they send me money for the scholars. It's our second year to sponsor the same students who are now graduating.

One scholar is a male, balut vendor by night who manages to stay in school and get high grades which could make him qualify for a cum laude when he graduate.

The other one, a female, has a sibling who is also graduating, meaning her mother cannot support her two children to school. This student worked as a cashier in SM Supermarket and worked as a contractual which ended this April.

Now why am I ranting?

Last Christmas, one of my friends gave them 1 thousand each as a Christmas gift for them. That is a lot of money to give especially to them, I was really hoping that they will save this money in case there is a delay in our funding. They were also earning from their extra work so they have a lot of EXTRA money at Christmas.

Now it is enrollment time once again and I have to enroll them, there is a delay because I was hospitalized and can't contact the benefactors but now that we have the fund I am ready to enroll them.

I informed them that they should borrow money and I will just reimburse the money to them. Now they are texting me that they are not enrolled yet. Last year, first sem, I reimbursed the money for their tuition, meaning they were already enrolled (where did they get the money and what did they do with the money I paid them?)

We only pay for the tuition fee not the miscellaneous fee, I asked one of them, how much is your tuition fee? She said, 3,800 and the misc fee is 1,075. She said she has no money to pay for the miscellaneous fee. I said we only pay the tuition fee.

I asked her, "wala ka bang naipon sa sweldo mo?" she said "wala po".

Grrr. Grrr. Why am I angry? When she was not working, they were able to live and survive even without our support. NOw that she earned some money, where did all the money go? I visited this student's house, they live with their grandmother, uncles etc. They do not rent, their grandmother owned the house. Their house is bigger than our house. They can manage their lives with the little money that they have. Her mother works part time is a sewing shop, her wage is not stable. She sells Avon products as a sideline.

This student was earning around four thousand a month as a cashier for five months that would be 20 thousand minus the travel expenses she would have 15 thousand savings or maybe even 5 thousand savings. But she did not save a single centavo.

Waaaaaa! I want to help people who help themselves. Are we helping parasites? How many people in the Philippines think like this? How many families that we see on television, who are recipient of help from different TV stations are actually managing their finances? How many families are thinking of their future or who actually saves???

If you give money to these people, they will not save it, they will indulge themselves temporarily and then go back to their old lives.

Do you actually believe that if you give a sari-sari store business to a poor family they can make it grow? No, of course not, they will get their food from the store, tapos yung mga kapitbahay nila, uutangan lang sila. They do not have a capital, why are they not making follow ups on what happen to those recipients?

How about the winners of the contest? If you have 50 thousand pesos what will you do?
Baka ilibre mo pa ang mga kapitbahay mo hanggang maubos.

I sound so bad and cynical. Ibinigay ko na nga ang pera sa kanila, di ba dapat wala na akong paki-alam dun? I do not want it to go to waste. I want to help them but they are not helping themselves.

Imagine, one of the sponsor for scholars in our school is Victoria Caruncho, the owner of Victoria Court, did you know that if you have a foundation, you have a lot of tax shield or tax exemptions? That is why some companies has a foundation so part of the tax of the company will go to the foundation. That is also why Arroyo also has a foundation, they can put money there and pretend they have a beneficiaries.
GMA and Channel 2 also has foundations.

I spoke with the scholarship head in our office and according to her, in her four years of being the head, not even ONE scholar went back to appreciate or sponsor another student. Each year we have at least a thousand scholars, Dodot Jaworski has at least 500 scholars when he was the Congressman. Half of our schools population are scholars. There were at least 4 thousand scholars who graduate and not even one of them give something back.

Maybe they got married, cannot find a job, a bum or do not have spare money.

My friends from Singapore are exceptions, they want to help because they too experienced being poor, going to school with an empty stomach, problems of getting money for their tuition, walking to school because they have no money, wearing and washing the same clothes, wearing worn out shoes. But they were able to graduate and help others when they can.

Our family also has financial problems when we were studying. I never experienced wearing new shoes, even uniforms, my white blouse are almost see through so I have to wear sando inside. My mother bought me a new shoes when I graduated from college but the heels were high I do not like to wear them. When I got a job, I really tried to save, I was able to buy a computer, a stereo and even paid for our house renovation. I do not have a boyfriend yet but I was already saving for my wedding dress.

I can sacrifice so I can get something better in the future.

But how can we really help these people? Giving them money will definitely NOT help them, is it their attitude and values that needs an overhaul?

Gloria Arroyo has a big, big problem.

Gingersnap Warehouse Sale May 15 - June 30

Oh well, it's sale time once again for gingersnap at their warehouse located at Armal Compound in Pasig City. I can't go, I've been trying to create a plan to go there without getting caught by Irwin. Sayang talaga, now that I know that our baby is a girl, it is really really nice to buy a lot of baby clothes at Gingersnap at a lower price.

So for anyone reading this, punta na kayo sa sale.

Countdown to 36 weeks

After being discharged from the hospital a typical week for me would be like this:

Monday - rest the whole day
Tuesday - Non-Stress Test at Medical City Fetal Monitoring where they checked the heartbeat and any contractions
Wednesday - Consultation with Immunologist at Manila Doctors
Thursday - Bio Physical Screening at Medical City
Friday - rest day
Saturday - Doppler Studies at Medical City

I have four doctors, an Immunologist, OB, Perinatologist and an Endocrinologist
at the day I will give birth through CS all four doctors will be present.

Last Monday, I even went to a specialist in Infectious Disease because they found a bacteria which might contribute to the early contractions, results showed that it is a common bacteria found in every human.

Now my baby has not gained weight and today if after the BPS and she has not gained, I will give birth today.
Hopefully, she did gain some weight and we are glad we do not want her yet to appear prematurely. She will have to be incubated pa.

Now, I have to eat a lot, as in a lot to help the baby gain weight, Normal birth is not an option anymore. So I must let her stay inside me and feed her to gain muscles and fats.

I really thank God, she is Ok.

Early Contractions and Confinement

I was confined in the hospital last May 8, that's why I cannot update my blog, I had an early contractions which should not happen because my baby is only 32 weeks old and she should not make the appearance yet.
I was discharged 4 days after several tests and bed rest ultrasound, I can't tell everything I have a time limit to sit up because I should be lying down.

So maybe my next entry would be the day I will give birth to baby Chiara,

Let's see.

Baby Shower Pictures and Gifts

Our baby shower was held last Saturday, May 3 instead of April 26 because my parents were unavailable at that time. May 2, my maternal grandmother died, I was worried if I have to postpone it again and go to my grandmother's wake but of course I can't because of my condition.

So we decided to stick with the plan and continue the baby shower. My friends and Irwin's went to the baby shower and by the looks of it, they enjoyed the shower. My family also went to the party and they went to my grandmother's wake that night, it was in Pangasinan.

We had mechado, blue marlin, dinuguan, barbeque, kikiam, shomai, maki, peachy-peach and fruit salad. We even bought a dome cake from Purple Oven. We even had a game with a mother-father pair where the father would try to dress up a baby doll and put diaper and the mother should remove it. We have two groups with 3 pairs, the group has equal number of mothers and the "father" are all inexperienced.
I was with the group of Irwin's cousin and we lost the in the game. I never though putting a diaper and dressing a baby could be that hard. We could hear the baby doll's head banging on both teams. Hahahaha! The price is a Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen and based from the pictures, the winners liked their prices.

The guests left at around 10pm and my friend stayed and sang videoke with my relatives until 3am. So we slept around 3am. It was a fun and enjoyable party!

Iron Man is Robert Downey Jr.

So what did you do yesterday? Me? We watched Iron Man at Eastwood Cinema, seems that we are not the only one who is excited to watch this new superhero film by Marvel. There was a long line to buy the tickets, good thing we were an hour early so we can get a seat on the next show.

The movie is fantastic! I enjoyed watching it, Robert Downey is a little similar with Johnny Depp in his actions and behavior. I can see some similarity. There was never a dull moment in the movie, no explanations that require lengthy conversation on how it started everything is action. It was fast-paced and the romance part is just a little hint on Pepper Potts and Mr. Tony Stark. I didn't realized that Jeff Bridges was the villain in the movie. He already looked so old.

Recommended for all ages. Watch it Now!

A Friend's Family Dilemma

I have a friend who is a graduate of Nursing and she will take the board exam this June, currently she is reviewing for her exam. Her father died of electrocution from fishing and her elder brother is the only witness to her father's death. Her brother developed depression and post traumatic disorder and is currently under psychological treatment. He was being blamed for the father's death. Her father died when they were still young.

Her mother used to be an OFW, but right now she is out of job. Her eldest brother is married with two babies, one newborn and another one is almost two years old. He has no work and has never work ever since, his eldest brother is 25 years old.

She was able to go to college through the help of her Aunts from her mother side. her family is living in Pampanga, with their maternal grandmother. Her family depends on the pension of their maternal grandmother who's husband is a war veteran. They used up all of their grandmother's money to pay for the diapers, milk and household expenses. No one wants to help her family because they are still young and out of job, in short they are very lazy. They sit around all day watching the television without stretching a single muscle or bone yet they were able to eat and live.

Now this is what she asked me:

1. If ever she gets married is she going to support her family?
2. How can she teach her family especially her eldest brother to look for a job?
3. Can she just neglect them after she passed the board exam and get a job?

Where to go in Tagaytay

CONTACT NO: TITA ANGIE PUZON 09204007695

The next time you visit Tagaytay try to visit Tita Angie's place, it is a sort of bed-and-breakfast resort where you can swim, relax, meditate, bond with friends or family or simply laze around.

The resort is spacious it is more than one hectare of trees and plants. The house has 6 rooms, with kitchen and dining area.

You can bring your own food, cook it there or ask Tita Angie to prepare something for you.

The resort is good for company outing, friends and familiy outing, balikbayans or those who are having their wedding in Tagaytay and need a place to stay for the whole family and relatives.

The place is still new, it only opened last week and rates are still in promo.

Tita Angie Puzon is an Irish woman married to a Filipino doctor based in the States. She knows Tagalog and a lot of Filipino dialect because she lives here for a long time.