Happy thoughts!

Janna's first photo shoot: 

We availed two packages: We got the Silk - Package D which was P1,595 and the Silk - 12pcs (3R) which was P1770. Their packages were very affordable and worth it. You will also automatically become a Pic-A-Boo member as soon as reach P3,000 worth of any of their packages. You may combine packages if you wish. 

So if you're also interested to have a fun pictorial for your little ones, you may check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/picaboostudio

xx

Janna's second month.

I can't believe how time flies, we celebrated Janna's second month yesterday. She's growing up so fast and every day she never fails to surprise me. I am one lucky mom. :) 

(I had to use my creativity for Janna's cake. Haha TADA! :D)

xx

How I delivered my miracle and the things I learned.

If you have read my previous posts, you would know that it took some time before I finally gave birth to Janna, we waited several weeks before we decided that it was time for plan B. I was really pushing for a normal/natural delivery but time did not permit me to do so. I was already on my 40th week but my cervix has not dilated and I was not progressing at all. I even took supplements and walked everyday to help bring in the contractions but all were ineffective. 

So on my last check up, my OB advised me that since I'm already on my 40th week and still have not progressed, I can already undergo an induced labor procedure, though there was no guarantee that my cervix will open and if that happened, I would need to undergo a c-section. It seemed like I was running out of time so right then and there, Miguel and I agreed for me to skip the whole labor drama and just be operated via a cesarean section.  

And that was it, that night, the 27th of August, my OB called in the hospital and gave instructions that I will be admitted by 7PM and will be operated by 9AM the next day. Oh-EM-GEE! Can you just imagine how scared I was? Haha! I have never had any major operation in my entire life, Not to mention all the articles that I've read about the whole procedure! Hay! It also felt like I was cheating the whole experience of becoming a mother. 

To ease my tension, before I was admitted to the hospital, Miguel and I dropped by megamall to shop for some of Janna's things. We also attended mass to of course pray for my safe delivery. By 8:30, we arrived at the hospital and went straight to the labor room. 

LABOR ROOM EXPERIENCE

Well, basically, nothing much happened here. My labor was not induced so they just checked if I progressed and to my surprise, I did. My cervix was 1 cm dilated but Janna was still so active and I was not having any contractions at all. Two resident doctors interviewed me for my medical history and I was brought to my room after. 

( Note: In the whole duration of my pregnancy, I did not want my photo to be taken because I knew that I really did not look good. HAHA But since it was my last night of being pregnant, I said, WHAT THE HECK? CLICK!")

To a Best friend.

Last night was one of the funniest and craziest conversation I had with a friend ever since I can remember. We basically talked about how our lives turned out, how we used to do all things together and of course how our friendship seemed to have taken it's down fall. 

It was funny because time passed by so quickly that so many things have happened, we both went on different directions but after all these years, it turned out that we were still the same people. We were still the crazy girls, we once were. 

You see, we met when we were twelve. Well I was twelve and she was thirteen. It was our first year in high school, she became my seatmate and we just started talking about the most random things and never stopped. We became best friends ever since. We would always do things together, go on random adventures to a place we've never been to just for the heck of it, fight our battles together, we always had each other's back. We even planned to enroll in the same college but I was too lazy to process my college applications, so I ended up enrolling to a different university. 

On our high school graduation, we promised to stay in touch despite our different schools but this did not happen. Over some silly and shallow reason, we fought and just stopped talking to each other. And that's how I lost my best friend.

Take a vacation from worries.

Going a different direction. 

I was supposed to write about how I want to take a different direction and how anxious I am that it's already October and I only have a month left 'til I go back to work but I received an automated email from an app that I registered in and here's what I got: 

Take this moment to conjure up a fond memory. A time in your life when you were content and happy. Dwell on that moment for a while, let those feelings of contentment permeate your soul. Today is a good day to be content, so take a vacation from your worries.

Upon reading this, I came to a realization that, I've been thinking of the same things everyday and it just seem to make me anxious all the time. So why not give myself a break?

I have decided not to think of anything today and just enjoy the rest of the day without any worries.Yes, there may be things that are beyond of our control but I have faith that God will grace me with wisdom, just in time for when I will truly need it.

What about you? What's on your mind? Are you also willing to take a vacation from your worries today? 

xx

My Janna is a month old!

20130928

xx

A quick pause.

Woah. I can't believe that it has been four weeks already since I gave birth and up until now, I have not shared my birth story. Well, as you all know, we have recently encountered back to back life changing events and we needed time for transition. 

It has been crazy for the past weeks! Can you believe that just eight days after I gave birth, we moved to our new house? Ha! Luckily, we did not have any hard time moving in since our families were kind enough to help us out. Of course, Miguel had to do all the "buhat" because I was not allowed to carry so much and share with the heavy work due to my recent c-section and besides, I was already tasked to carry the most important thing and that was our little girl. 

I have been really busy in taking care of Janna and so far she has not given me a hard time ever since day 1. Though, I admit, taking care of a newborn baby is not easy. It's really exhausting. Not to mention, that aside from taking care of her, I also need to clean the house, cook, do the laundry and of course to take care of my husband too. But despite all of these, I still feel very happy and blessed. Who would have thought that a spoiled brat like me can immediately switch in becoming a full time mommy?

The long wait is over!

More photos to come. :)

Never forget.

The BIG Move.

(Photo source: http://pinterest.com/pin/185562447116001206/)

Today is the 14th, I only have a day 'til my estimated due date and I'm still very pregnant. We are all very excited for the big day but it seems that our little one is taking time for her big debut. My OB prescribed me to take evening primrose  to help ripen my cervix. I was advised to take it for a week and we'll see if I will progress. She also re-computed my EDD and told us that we have until the 27th to wait. So that's it. We don't have any choice but to WAIT. 

On the other side of things, Miguel and I are up for a new challenge. Aside from expecting our first born, we have also decided to add some more spice in our married life. HA! We decided to find our own place. Well, it was really part of our plan already but not until 2015. We decided to move because we believe that now is also the perfect time for us to experience how it is to live on our own. If we are not going to be ready now? Then, when? So we sucked in our guts and started looking for a place. 

Thank you for all the pretty things.

I just had to post this. 

Tita Louie just sent me a photo of the new things she bought for Janna and I can't help but to feel kilig because of its cuteness. 

As always, thank you for your generosity, Tita. We love you. I'm sure Chuchay will love all of her new things. :)

xx

Day 1/60: On Leave and waiting.

(Photo source: http://pinterest.com/pin/257831147387667671/)

My doctor told me that we should expect the baby to come out anytime soon. I'm currently on my 38th week by LMP and 37th week basing on my 1st ultrasound. She advised me to walk as much as possible because it will be helpful for my labor but I really can't wait to see our baby and so far all I can say is that, Nakaka-inip mag antay! HAHA 

As much as I want to tell our baby to come out already (How I wish it was that easy! HAHA), I can't and I don't want to pressure or force her in any way, because I know that she will come out in her own time, In God's perfect time. 

I just really pray that I'll be able to safely deliver her into this world, despite the numerous pregnancy stories that I've heard. I know that it will be really painful and all, but I promised myself that I am willing to endure all the pain because I know that everything will be worth it. 

So for now, I have no choice but to wait and just prepare for the big day. Thank you family and friends for your continued prayers. :) 

xx

Do not Quit.

When things go wrong.

Disclaimer: I had to re-write this post because I did not want to involve any people that may be offended in any way. 

I only have two days 'til my maternity leave and I wanted everything to be in place, so I've been rushing to finish all my work before I go on leave for two months. But unfortunately, things seemed not to be going my way. Instead of finishing all my work on time, it turned out that I had to extend and re-arrange my timelines because of additional workload and as much as I want to finish all tasks at once, I can't, because I'm no wonder woman. 

The past few weeks have not been easy. I've had long and stressful days at work and last Thursday was by far the worst day of my life ever. I felt really tired and I just wanted to get out of the office and never come back. I knew that I was not supposed to feel this, knowing my condition and believe me, I tried everything to remove my mind from stress but I failed. 

I was in the verge of breaking down but I had to keep my composure because I did not want to make a scene and I did not want my colleagues to see that I was not okay. So I decided to call my husband instead because I knew that he can bring some sense into my head. As always, he did not fail me. I felt a bit better after our conversation. 

We attended mass at St. Pio Center after work and for the first time in the past chaotic weeks in the office, I felt peace. As the priest read on the gospel, it immediately struck me: 

It struck me because with all of what I experienced that day, it felt like the words were meant for me. Matthew 11: 28-30 was the complete description of what I felt and needed at that very moment. 

The priest gave a very short and simple sermon, he just said that: 

If time comes that we become tired and exhausted, all we need to do is just accept God's invitation to follow him and that if we trust and offer everything to him, he promises to find rest and refreshment for our souls.

He said that we don't need to carry all our baggages on our own. We should never try to drag it, carry it on one shoulder, instead, we should embrace it. Like what Jesus did when he carried the cross. Each one of us has our own crosses to carry and he did not promise that if we embrace it, things will be easier but he can assure us that he will be on our sides, to help us carry it. 

Upon hearing these words, I felt relieved and I couldn't help but cry. Maybe it was also brought by my buntis hormones (pregnancy hormones) HAHA, but I was really emotional. It truly touched my heart because despite the long day, I knew that God found time to speak to me. I realized that despite all the troubles that I've been feeling for the past weeks, he has always been watching over me and this was the time for me to breathe and take a rest. I was reminded that no matter how difficult our day to day encounters may be, when things go wrong, he will always find a way to make things better.

It may be the worst day of my life but it was also one of those days that I would always be grateful for, because I was reminded that I am never alone in my daily battles. 

xx

The unspoken rants and raves!

xx

Checklist, gone wild.

I'm currently on my 35th week and I only have five weeks to complete everything on my checklist. I'm starting to get really anxious. Well, honestly, I'm not even sure whether I have the right checklist or not and it feels like I'm running out of time. A big thanks to my mom and our Tita Louie for helping us out with most of the things that our little one would need.  

I've been constantly searching for different sample checklists over the internet but it seems that I cannot find the perfect fit. Most of the search results came from the states, so it kind of did not help because I would just cross out most of the items since I feel that it won't be applicable here. I just want to get the exact things that I would need for me to make sure that I am ready. 

Here's what I got so far: 

(Photo source: http://pinterest.com/pin/476818679268068654/)

Aside from the fact that it's a very cute checklist, I think it's the closest from what I imagined. My mommy friends told me not to bring too many clothes since I would only be staying in the hospital for a day or two - of course depending on my type of delivery. So being open to the possibility that I might stay longer than expected in the hospital, I want to be prepared. 

I want my checklist to be practical as possible. I don't want to bring things that are really unnecessary because I don't want to over pack and over spend in buying things that I won't be able to use. So, after several searches, I finally found the best guide to finalize my checklist and thanks to Manila Mommy! You can view her checklist here. 

Do you think you can help me get a more practical list? Please feel free to shoot me an email or respond to this entry. Thanks for your help in advance! :) 

xx

On Horrible Bosses.

(Photo source: http://www.impawards.com/2011/horrible_bosses_ver7_xxlg.html)

Ever had this feeling? How you wished for your boss to just vanish and not come back. How you'd want to throw the stapler on his face just because he's really stressing you out and you just wanted to get even. I think yes, most of us would be guilty of feeling this at one point in our lives. 

As what you know, I started working really young. I was exposed to the real world pretty early which gave me the chance to deal with different bosses and I think I was already able to deal with the following:

Sometimes, I wonder how were they chosen to be in their position? How did they pass the qualifications? Well, their bosses might have their own reasons. 

In my whole six years of working experience, I only admired two bosses and they became my mentors. I admire their passion and dedication for work. They taught me all the things that I should learn. They were generous and did not have any insecurities about their positions. They will acknowledge your good work and at the same time, call you out if it was necessary. They will never scold at you if you failed to finish your tasks.There were no dramas.  I was treated as an adult and I can say that I got my best practices from them. 

Sometimes, even if I don't want to, I can't help but compare all the bosses that I've had because you will really see the difference. Generally, bosses (especially the young ones) now a days, have tendencies to power trip, slap their position in your face and worst over react. Instead of finding the root cause for each problem, they tend to blow things out of proportion. 

But from my experiences, I learned one thing and I guess this would also be one of the best lessons I learned from my husband. You never work for your boss. You are not required to share your personal stories. You don't even need to be friends. Some may think that it's better if you become friends with your boss but it has it's disadvantages, so might as well, just keep the boss-employee relationship. Remain, professional at all times. 

As my husband would tell me, bosses change, their likes change and if it comes to a point that you no longer like their management style, it will upset and disappoint you and your work will be affected. Unlike if you just work for yourself, despite the changes, you will always strive to be better. 

So my friends, if your boss is really horrible. Just let it go. Remember, we do not work for them. Just do your usual tasks and responsibilities and always try to exceed expectations. If you feel that your rights as an employee are being violated, then speak up. Instead of just ranting over social media, speak up and do something about it. For as long as your basis is objective and factual, I don't think there would be a problem. 

(Photo source: http://pinterest.com/pin/45810121181277129/)

xx

Working hard, one step at a time.

(Photo source: http://pinterest.com/pin/126945283219467852/)

Disclaimer: Please forgive me, as this post may be too long and wordy. :)

I started working really young, just right after I turned 18. I braved the real world and applied in a BPO company in Ortigas. I've always wanted to be independent, so when my friend asked me if I was interested, I immediately tried it out. 

I was in my third year in college when I started working. I stopped for one semester since I wanted to focus on my new found "career". My mom was really surprised when I told her that I found a  job and will start working by end of April and I was going to stop school for a while but made a deal and promised that I will go back as soon as I'm settled. She agreed and that's when my working life began. 

I was part of the pioneer batch of our account and was the youngest. Most of my colleagues had working experiences and I did not. I still remember how anxious I was during my final interview and how excited I was when I took my first call. Working in a call industry was really life changing. You get to meet all types of people, from different walks of life. You get to witness stories that you thought would only happen in movies or soap operas. It was liberating. 

I was on the phone for six months and tried my luck to apply for a higher position which was to become a floor coach wherein you get to assist your team members in the absence of your team leader. Luckily, I got the post and kept the role for a year until a new post opened. I applied as a Product Trainer. I've been wanting to be pre-school teacher, so I said, maybe this can serve as my practice. I got the position and I've never been happier. 

As promised, I went back to school after a year. I was a full time employee and at the same a full time student. Imagine how difficult it was, to only have 3 to 4 hours of sleep everyday and travel from Caloocan to Manila to Ortigas, sometimes, Mandaluyong. It was very exhausting but being able to pay for my own tuition and managed to work and study at the same time - I've never felt so fulfilled. 

After three years, I decided to leave my first company. It was heartbreaking since I had to leave my friends, trainees and the whole office that became my second home for three years, I practically grew up there. But then, I had to make a decision, I wanted change and development so I chose to leave my comfort zone.

Our simple wishlist

1. Graco - Pack 'n Play On the Go Playard - Forest Friends 

2. Pink Baby rocker

3. Pink Baby bather

4. Car seat/carrier 

Available in all SM Department Stores. :)

Challenging ultrasound: It's a GIRL!

It was on April 19, 2013 when I was scheduled to undergo a pelvic ultrasound to determine the baby's gender but unfortunately the sonologists were unable to confirm our baby's gender since she was lying sideways. Though, they said that it might be a girl because since I was on my 21st week already and if it was a boy, his penis would have already shown but they did not see anything. 

So they were only able to give me this:

21 weeks and 3 days (Ultrasound count - CSMC)

Since we were very excited to confirm the baby's gender. I decided to look for a 3D/4D Ultrasound center. They scheduled me on my 28th week since this would be the perfect time to acquire the baby's best facial images and determine the gender. 

It took us three attempts to capture her face. First trial was on a Friday, May 24, 2013, our baby was very active and she kept on moving which made it difficult for the sonologist to capture her face. Second trial was on a Monday, May 27, 2013 at 11 AM, she was covering her face and the sonologist seemed to be a bit impatient already and kept saying "Uncooperative talaga siya eh" , I think our baby did not like that remark, so every time that they will move the transducer off her face, she will remove her hand and will bring it back as soon as they try to capture her facial image again. (HAHA! Maldita na agad!)

We had no choice but to go back in the afternoon since the baby was not in the mood to be photographed. At 2 PM we went back, good thing we met with a different sonologist already. Finally, our baby was in her best mood. We finally saw her face and they were able to confirm that she was a 100% GIRL! The second sonologist was very patient and was kind enough to explain everything we saw, maybe that'a also the reason why our baby became cooperative as well. HAHA. Here are her photos inside mommy's tummy: 

Janna Francesca at 28 weeks (EDD based aged - In My Womb)

Can you see her face and the thumbs up? :)

It's just really an amazing how fast she grew and developed. If you have read my previous blog post and saw her first photo, she was really tiny and now that I'am on my 34th week, she's already 29 centimeters long and approximately 5 pounds. We are all excited to meet her and I am sure that she feels the same. With all her flying kicks and acrobat moves, I'm sure she's so excited to go outside to meet all of us. 

xx

If you're looking for an affordable but credible 3D/4D ultrasound center, you can visit:

In my Womb

Address: SM Megamall, 5th level, Building B

Contact number: (632) 638.9629

You may view their services pricing here.

Our 2013 surprise!

Last January 8, 2013, Miguel and I discovered a news that both changed our lives - We found out that I was pregnant. 

Prior to the big revelation, he has been bugging me for weeks to take a pregnancy test and for no apparent reason, he kept on asking me if I was pregnant? I was very sure that I wasn't. Considering that I have irregular periods and I was diagnosed with a subseptate uterus (heart-shaped uterus) which as per the OB that I consulted before, it would be difficult for me to conceive a baby so I never entertained the thought that I might be pregnant. But to get over it, we bought the usual home pregnancy test kit and took the test.  

We got home in the afternoon and took the test, I was very relaxed, placed the test on the sink and did not even bother to look at it immediately since I was very sure that it would be negative but to my surprise, I saw these two distinct lines that made my heart beat very fast. 

I went out of the bathroom and called Miguel, I do not exactly remember what I told him, I just remember saying "Two lines. positive. OMG. I'm pregnant!" I felt indifferent, I slightly panicked but was really uncertain on what am I supposed to feel. 

Miguel was very happy when I showed him the test. He literally jumped! He then kissed and hugged me. After seeing his reaction, I felt relieved. I knew that I was not alone. I was not scared anymore but still speechless. So we immediately talked about our plans and decided to consult an OB-gyn to confirm the test. We went to Medical city that same afternoon and we were told that there was no doubt that I was pregnant. I was then advised to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound to determine the age of the baby and when my estimated due date would be. 

January 16, 2013 (8 weeks) - Baby's first official photo

We waited for three hours in the clinic until I was called for my turn. I was anxious at first but when the doctor showed me the monitor, I was in an awe. I immediately saw something flickering and asked the doctor if it was the baby's heartbeat and she said yes. I almost cried (buntis hormones, patawad!) It was an overwhelming feeling. 

Finally, let's talk about it.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” 

- Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

Year 2012 has given me a lot of things to be grateful for. I was able to accomplish most of what I've listed in my new year's resolution. I got to drive my own car, found a new job with a good pay, traveled with family and made the most life changing decision in my life and that was to be free. 

As I read my old blog posts, I can't help but laugh at myself and at the same time compare how I've changed. Well, maybe change is not the perfect word  to describe it but it's how much I've grown and matured. Most of my posts were about my usual rants and raves about the world, how insecure I was and how I've been wanting to find myself. Maybe because I was never given constant re-assurance that I was doing fine or at least for my age, If I was doing great or not. But with all of what I've experienced, I learned that no one can really give me that assurance, except for myself. I should have never tried hard to find myself because I was never lost. 

On May of last year, I ended my 6-year relationship. It was one of the most difficult decision I had to make that year because I knew that I was not just going to break someone's heart but because I also knew that people will try to judge my decision. Several people were surprised and tried to ask me what happened. Relatives, friends, colleagues and many more. Too many that some were so obvious that they just want to get something to talk about. But I never tried to explain to anyone because I felt and believed that I did not have to. Many have called me names (malandi,cheater), even some of my closest friends did not understand why I had to make that decision. He, himself bashed me over the internet but I kept mum. I thought, maybe it was his way of moving on. I did not speak. I did not even access the internet for a while or at least I tried not to visit any of my account that was visible to anyone who knew me, who knew US. I decided to leave the world where I was before. 

If you were to ask me before, what made me end that 6-year old relationship, I would have answered you, "I just wanted to do things on my own" or "I want to find myself" because I'm too much of a wuss and got really scared of being judged. But just like what I've mentioned earlier, I have matured (in a way), I guess. So if you were to ask me now, I'm no longer scared to give you a straight answer. So what happened?

If I were to pick a movie scene that would best fit my answer, it would be:

500 Days of Summer (2009)

Starting a NEW.