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.