Friday, December 31, 2010

Living life a lot better

At times, I remember those working days back in the Philippines. Not that I miss going back to work, hehe. I think my life being a housewife and a new mom right now is something that I would like to enjoy. But yeah, looking back, I think payday advances would have helped if it were applicable in our company back then. It may sound crazy but it’s a common thing to stretch our budget even a week before our next payday comes. Literally, living from paycheck to paycheck. It worked fine back then since I was single and responsible of no one. But it just made me compare how different my life back then than here in the U.S.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Knowing where to look for

We were given a newspaper with the baby’s footprints as souvenir at the hospital where I gave birth. I think it was cool and I’m going to keep that to remind me of what’s happening on other parts of the world when my little one was born. As I was browsing through the paper, I saw a brochure inserted that looks like a medical resume and a hospital directory in our town which list a number of physicians from all different kinds of fields. I thought that was pretty handy. In case we need a medical professional in the future, I don't have to look anywhere else but at that list. Good.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Our new bundle of joy


After 9 long months of having him in my tummy, we were able to finally meet him at last! On December 8, 2010 at 7:56 a.m., I gave birth via an elective C-section to a healthy baby boy at Baxter Regional Medical Center. The surgery was a tough ordeal for me, Jeff and my family. If I had a choice, I would have wanted a normal vaginal birth. So why elective, you might ask? It was an informative wise option presented to us by our doctor. I didn't jump at it right away since I didn't want surgery in the first place. My younger sister and some friends went through that and I know how hard it can be to take care of a newborn then recuperate from a major abdominal surgery at the same time. But the situation presented at that time was not favorable. I was a few days past my due date. I was not showing any signs of labor. My pelvis is narrow, I was not dilating and still carrying the baby very high. The doctor knew from experience that I was going to have a big baby. Induction of labor of course was also part of the option but my cervix was unripe to break the bag of water and if we opted to go for induction, 85% chance that I would still go through a cesarian section, not to mention the stress of labor I and the baby will have to go through only to find out in the end that I still won't be able to deliver him vaginally. We were given some time to decide. We didn't feel pressured by our physician but we knew what was at stake then. With Jeff and my family's support, we went for a planned surgery. Indeed, the baby was big! He was 8 lbs. 4 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long with a head diameter of 14 1/8 inches. The surgery didn't take long but the recovery will be. My sister and a family friend drove from Illinois to be with me at the hospital. I was so thankful she was there. She's my only family here and it was a great comfort to have her there knowing she too had gone through the same experience as mine though hers was an emergency c-section.

The first time they had me walk to the bathroom with assistance on the second day of my hospital stay, it was hell for me. It felt like all my guts would fall off. The incision was throbbing but they say I had to do it because it will help with my speedy recovery. It has been almost 2 weeks since the surgery. I can say I feel better as far as pain from the incision is concerned. I am trying to breastfeed right now and it has been a challenge because of the operation. But I'm managing it pretty well I guess. I am losing weight which I think is awesome, hehe! I am no longer taking pain meds. I can walk with no assistance now. I haven't healed perfectly yet but with God's help and time, I'll get back to my normal self. After everything that I've been through, I'm just so thankful that the surgery was a success and that I was rewarded with the joy of seeing our little boy.

Friday, December 10, 2010

A small gadget that has it all

Like most of us, I love taking pictures. Not necessarily for art or a hobby but just to keep remembrance of the things that matters and people I care about. With the influx of different kinds of smart phones in the market, people were saying the very handy and convenient point and shoot digital cameras are in danger nowadays. I can understand that. Fancy cellphones like IPhone has a nice camera feature so why would IPhone users bother to carry another item when in fact they can have it all in one small powerful gadget. But I would say it depends on the user actually. Some people might still prefer the reliable digital cameras than cellphones, but they better be justified with a difference in prices to say the least, otherwise digital cams might be off the competition.

Monday, December 6, 2010

The baby's room

One of the things that keeps us busy lately is getting the nursery room done. Jeff and I had fun putting up all those Winnie the Pooh and Friends stickers and plush hangings on the wall. We tried to keep it simple but cute. We painted those wooden letters ourselves instead of buying pre-decorated hanging letters online which could be a little bit pricier. I have ordered some coordinating wall border stickers from Amazon but it hasn't arrived yet. Since we bought a new king-size bed in our bedroom a couple of months ago, we thought of moving this old queen-size bed of ours in the baby's room which I think is a great idea. The baby can stay in his crib while we sleep in the same bedroom with him. It will be convenient if we stay close with the baby especially since we have yet to establish some routine in taking care of him. Everything is all set and ready. We're just waiting for the little bundle of joy to arrive.










Sunday, December 5, 2010

Our annoying neighbor

Now that winter is here and the cold weather is out to destroy the grass and leaves in the front and back yards, I thought I would get a break from the whirring sounds of high-powered lawn mowers in the neighbor’s yard. But I thought wrong! Even with practically nothing to mow, I swear this old guy across from us still ride on his mower at least 3 times a week every morning. It drives me nuts. Those things use powerful ATV Tires and engine so it’s almost impossible to drown the sound out especially when you’re trying to sleep in in the morning. Oh well, he's retired and he's got nothing better to do but to keep his place looking neat and tidy, hehe!

Friday, December 3, 2010

A lesson learned

I made a terrible mistake when I once filled out an online form inquiring about auto insurance quotes. Immediately, we were bombarded with ads, mails, letters, brochures, invitations, quotes and phone calls from telemarketers. At first, it was just fine since we asked for it anyway. But it’s just annoying when people don’t take NO for an answer. We weighed the pros and cons and we made a decision so there's really no need to send in more offers and quotes. It's just a waste of time, effort, and paper, hehe! But anyway, that's how they sustain their business. I'm just glad that we can block unwanted calls and paper ads go straight to the garbage without even opening them.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

House Hunters

HGTV’s House Hunters is one of the TV shows that I’d like to watch when I have the chance. Jeff hates it though, lol! He thought most if not all, that were featured in that program are filthy rich and not really middle class for them to be able to afford some of the ridiculously-priced houses that are for sale. He’s probably afraid that if I keep on watching that show, my standards in looking for a house would be difficult for him to afford, hehe! But, of course, it’s far from the truth. I just enjoy getting a glimpse of the pretty houses in the suburbs but I'm still realistic when it comes to setting a budget range. I hate it though when the buyers turn out to be overly critical on small things. Like even a door knob wouldn't be spared from their scrutiny. On the other hand, I understand that since they are gonna be investing that much, they have to pay attention to every detail or probably they are just like that because they know they are on camera, lol!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

A short Christmas list

I was amazed on how selfless I was when I did my Thanksgiving shopping last week. I did both mall and online shopping in different stores during that week. Would you believe I didn’t buy even one item for myself? Haha. I shopped for Jeff for his birthday, some for my sister and her family and most stuff are basically for my unborn baby, lol! But my personal Santa asks me what I want for Christmas and that’s when I started thinking that I should make a wishlist now. I actually have just two items on my list this Christmas. And I wouldn’t even be heartbroken if I don’t get them because I really don’t need them at all, hehe. Gosh, I find it hard to believe it’s me talking like this. But anyway, I’m just probably too excited with the future baby that I can’t really think about Christmas gifts and stuff. But yeah, just for the heck of having something to put on my list, I have asked for an IPod dock speakers and a Nokia C3 prepaid GoPhone unit. It's not something I can't live without really but I can't think of anything to ask for Christmas.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A bit frustrated!

I was kinda frustrated when we went to see the doctor yesterday. I was hoping he would tell me something new. I don’t know maybe I was hoping he’d tell me I could have the baby that day or something, lol! The waiting is killing me! The closer I am to my due date, with no signs of labor besides the irregular contractions every once in a while, cervix has not dilated nor effaced, baby is still riding up high and being told every time that my narrow frame/pelvis might not be able to accommodate a big baby, I am quite certain that I may have to take the CS route. I don’t like it of course, but whatever, lol! I just want some developments in this pregnancy. It feels like I’ve been pregnant forever. I want to see and hold my baby already. Anyway, he told us to come back in his office on Friday. So until then I really don’t know what could happen. To take my mind off the stress of anticipation, we went to Walmart right after the appointment and bought more baby stuff. I need a messenger type diaper bag and I saw one in Walmart that I like at an affordable price. We got some more baby wipes, diapers, Aveeno baby wash and fragrance-free Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion. I stopped by the skin care section and saw all different kinds of acne body wash and facial products but had to remind myself that I don't need them anymore since my face is actually clearing up on its own.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Uniforms don't have to be plain and boring

I may just be the only one among us three siblings that hasn’t worn scrubs and probably wouldn't ever have the chance to. Our youngest sister is in 4th year Nursing now and she has been wearing nursing uniforms since freshman. It won't be long before she'll start wearing nursing scrubs, God-willing. My other sister who's currently in the dental field has been wearing dental scrubs as her everyday get up for work. I find that some scrubs have cute designs and fit that would actually make it less boring to wear them.

Many would go for cheap scrub sets, which I think seems practical. But some are more concerned with the fitting and style so they wanted a set that would make them feel good about themselves while wearing them on a day to day basis. Well, BlueSkyScrubs is the perfect place to look for both. They sell all different kinds of medical scrubs for all different types of health care profession. So if you're looking for cheap but great looking scrubs, check out their website and enjoy the variety of attractive and colorful looking medical scrubs in the market today.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

No tree for this year

Christmas is just around the corner. Many have started setting up their artificial christmas tree to create a festive and holiday spirit at home. On my first Christmas here in the U.S., hubby suggested to get a real tree and decorate it to our liking. But I liked the idea of an artificial tree better so we ended up getting a 7-foot Christmas tree instead. We had fun decorating it. This year, I am not that eager to put up a tree since it takes effort to do it and as you all know, I’m ready to pop anytime now and we’ll be so busy attending to our newborn by the time Christmas comes. But hubby insisted that we should still put up the tree and he will decorate it himself, hehe. Hmm, I’m not really sure about that! I still think it will be easier on us both if we skip decorating this year.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

It's not the end of it all

In the past, I had a long time struggle with keeping my acne problems at bay. Just when I quit caring about it because I can no longer use chemicals when I got pregnant, a little miracle happens. My face started to clear up on its own. I’m sure there are more people out there who are dealing with all types of skin issues besides acne, like eczema for example. I don’t have enough knowledge about this skin disease but I had a cousin who suffered from it before. It made her life miserable. So even back when I was at the height of my own acne problems, I still felt lucky that I didn't have to go through what she went through with her eczema problems. But thankfully, every problem has a solution. Eventually, she found the perfect cure and now is enjoying a life free from skin troubles.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Another First: Making our own Thanksgiving memories together.

Since any day now I could possibly go into labor, we decided not to spend Thanksgiving dinner with Jeff's dad and relatives. For the past 2 years, we've always celebrated Thanksgiving with them. I find it convenient since we didn't have to cook or prepare anything which was cool, hehe! It was a long drive to their place though which I really didn't mind at all back then since we love road trips. But that has changed because of my condition. I am now 39 weeks far along and we couldn't risk taking a 4-hour drive. So we thought of just making our first Thanksgiving memories together in our home. We didn't have guests but still we prepared a little something for us to enjoy together. We have so much to thank for this year. A grand wedding of my dreams was made into reality on the early part this year. I went back to the PI for the first time and see my family again after 2 long years of being away from them. Apart from all the material things that we get to enjoy, the most precious gift of all is having our future bundle of joy in the next few days or so. Life has been really treating us well and I thank God for that. The cooking and baking part was kinda tiring but it was a whole new experience for me and we had fun spending some time together in the kitchen. The kitchen was a mess after the preparation but it was all worth it. We had another wonderful "us" memory that we could look back as we get older. Happy Thanksgiving!!!





Thursday, November 25, 2010

Let them take care of your leaf and limb problems

Trees do not only provide beauty, shade, a feeling of tranquility and serenity to people and environment, but they also provide environmental benefits by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water and harboring wildlife. There are so many different tree species that are native to the U.S. As a matter of fact, I always find it a pleasure to visit arboretums whenever we travel to other states. While most people like to have trees in their back and front yards, some might find it more of a nuisance than an asset.

Some trees need care. Proper trimming and pruning are essential to increasing a tree’s health and strength. That’s why in North Carolina, there are companies which provide great tree services for everyone to enjoy. One good example is tree service Durham NC, which basically offer trimming, pruning, or even stump removal and grinding. Like some states, North Carolina experiences a wide variety of damages from varying inclement weather conditions so it might be a wise decision to acquire professional tree removal Raleigh NC services to avoid the nasty possibility of a tree falling down in your yard, or on your car. If you live in Cary, NC, don't you fret none because you can also get an equally efficient tree removal Cary NC service from the same reputable company. I know tasks like these are time consuming and requires skills and expertise, but there's nothing to worry anymore. You don't have to do it yourself, hire someone whose an expert. It will give you some peace of mind.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Surprise visit from friends

I remember somebody told me before that wherever you are in the U.S., you can always find a Filipina. This is true! For the past 3 years, we've lived in small towns with a population of 3,000 or less. I was so sure back then that I'd be the only Pinay in our area but I was wrong. Filipinos are everywhere. I'm glad that I have my own circle of friends here in our area and most of them are Bisaya. Cool!

Last month, they gave me a surprise visit at home. They brought lots of food and some baby stuff. Hubby and I thought it was so nice of them to do that for me. We actually don't entertain much because both of us are shy so they are the first group of friends that we've had in the house. I was quite nervous but I really had a great time. We ate, chatted a lot and watched a Tagalog movie. I've met and bonded with them before and I feel like we've grown much closer after the visit. I am happy to have found a group of Pinays that get along well.

Pinobre style na kaon...gutom na kaau ug mga hitsura ay, hehe!

Pasensya na, unsaon gamay ra kaau amo payag, hehe!

Picture-picture dayon kay busog na man...

My favorites

Desserts

Never had this much vehicles in our driveway before, lol!


Below are some photos back when I first met them. Thank you so much guys for the wonderful friendship!!!




Friday, November 19, 2010

Advance holiday shopping

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? I think Thanksgiving weekend would be the perfect time to start looking for the perfect gift for your loved ones. Most stores have wonderful Black Friday deals and you can get huge discount savings on your favorite items such as ipods, laptops, video games and so much more. We want to do our shopping before Black Friday though. I don't want to join the huge crowd in the malls because of my condition so we're driving to Battlefield Mall in Springfield this weekend and do our shopping there. This might be my last mall shopping for a while as we will be taking care of a newborn real soon. So I should make the most out of this, besides I need the exercise, hehe!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Packing my hospital bag

I am really getting closer and closer to my due date. Wohoo! Today, I am 37 weeks pregnant. Yep, that's right. In 3 weeks (a week after Thanksgiving), we will be welcoming a precious addition to our household. We are very excited and nervous about it. There's so much to learn but I guess our parental instincts would just kick in once we have him in our lives. I know it's going to be a big change and we're willing to make sacrifices for the little one.

Anyway, the last few weeks will be spent preparing for his arrival. The baby's room is not quite done yet, although I'm pretty sure we're gonna have that covered in 2 weeks. We pretty much have everything ready. We just have to do a little bit more tweaking as far as arranging, getting rid of some stuff in the room and probably making the room a little bit more colorful. My sister recently purchased a very nice Graco baby swing for the baby and some diaper organizer depot and had it delivered site-to-store in our Walmart branch. Thanks a lot, sistah! Then last weekend, we finally bought a much-needed swivel glider for feeding times. We have enough newborn diapers that would last us at least a month. I know we need more but I want to compare first whether Pampers Swaddlers Dry Max is better than Huggies Little Snugglers with U-shaped umbilical cord opening. Both have earned very good reviews but still I wanted to test them on our baby as far as softness, comfort, less leakage are concerned and decide which one to buy more.

In addition to preparing for the baby's immediate needs, I am also trying to condition myself for the upcoming challenge of labor and birth. While I prefer vaginal delivery anytime, I try to be flexible and open-minded on the possibility of having a C-section. Considering the size discrepancy between mine and hubby's, my doctor always forewarns us of a possibility of a big baby. We're not gonna force a vaginal birth if it will put the baby's life and mine at risk. When crunch time comes, we trust that our doctor must use discretion to decide whether a caesarean is necessary. All I could do really is to hope and pray that everything is going to turn out fine. From our last week's appointment, doctor told us that I'm still carrying high and that the baby hasn't dropped yet which he said usually is a sign of a big baby. He has moved into the head down position though. Next Friday, he will conduct an ultrasound to check how much the baby weighs right now and see if everything looks healthy and normal.

I just recently packed our hospital bag. I should have done this a while back but I'm such a procrastinator, lol...so anyway, uncertain how many days will my hospital stay be, I packed a few sets of newborn clothes and receiving blankets. In our birthing class, we were told that the hospital will basically provide everything for the baby...from blankets, hospital gowns, diapers, clothes, disposable undies, sanitary pads and more, but I still wanted to bring my own just in case. I definitely would just use the hospital gowns because I don't want to bleed on my favorite night gowns and undies, but it wouldn't hurt to still bring my own stuff, hehe.

The empty side is for my personal stuff
(gowns, socks, robe, nursing bras and going home maternity clothes)

I'm having second thoughts about bringing these nice, striped comfy socks for fear of getting them dirty and tinged with blood, hehe, so I might just leave them home and bring those cheap white socks instead.

sanitary pads, disposable breast pads and
lanolin breast cream
(the hospital might provide for these but like I've said, it wouldn't hurt to bring my own stuff)

Fluffy pink slippers for walking during early stages of labor and my nursing pillow

All packed and ready to go!

I still have to pack a separate bag for Jeff (just a few set of clothes and essentials) and of course some toiletries. I might have to double check my hospital bag list, just to be sure that I got everything covered. And now...the real waiting game begins!!!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Finally I bid goodbye to acne

One of the good effects that this pregnancy had on me is an end to my seemingly futile battle against acne. I had acne problems pre-pregnancy and it even came to a point where I needed some aesthetic care intervention. I had tried all different kinds of acne products but to no avail. Although they had controlled mostly the problem area but they still keep coming back no matter what I did. I was amazed when I noticed that on my second trimester of pregnancy, my face started to clear up even when I had stopped using acne medication. Could it be the pre-natal vitamins I am taking or just simply the pregnancy hormones? I don’t know for certain but I am really glad that my face has taken some break from acne flare-ups. I hope this would be a permanent thing already because it sure feels wonderful not having to worry about constant breakouts anymore.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Locked myself out

Something crazy happened to me today. I went to check on our potted plants which I placed in the back of the house. These are not indoor plants and I figure they will eventually die anyway because of the cold weather. But still I wanted to see for myself, maybe I could water them a few more and help them survive for a few more days. But anyway what happened was, I locked myself out of the house. They use one of those cheap door lock accessories in the back screen door and for some reason, it just locked on its own leaving me stuck out in the cold. Grrr! I can’t use the front door either because we always keep that one locked as well. Then I thought about using our garage door opener inside our car which was parked in the driveway. It was a blessing in disguise that hubby forgot to lock the car doors the night before or else I would have been stuck outside until he comes home at 5:00 p.m. That would have been a disaster huh!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Make the most out of your iPhone

I must admit I don’t keep up with the cell phone technology. We have a very efficient landline with great features so I don’t see the need of paying monthly cell phone bills since I stay at home all the time. Hubby calls me from work during break times using landline. I communicate with friends and family through instant messaging, Facebook, and of course landline phones. So the only time that I would probably need a cell phone is when we travel. And for those few occasions when we have to leave home and go someplace else, I carry a prepaid cellphone with me. I bought it at Walmart at a very cheap price. I’ve been keeping it for 2 years now. I can only count with my fingers how many times I have put it to use but nonetheless, it had served the purpose when we’re away from home. I still have plenty of minutes left and to think it’s been like almost a year now since I bought a $25 dollar prepaid load, hehe! That’s why I really don’t care much about the fancy cell phone updates and stuff. But of course I have heard about Droids, iPhones, Blackberry and the like. To keep up with the stiff technology competition, they seem to have new product features and updates every single week. Okay, I’m probably just exaggerating but yeah it drives me insane watching all those fancy cellphone commercials. Recently, I have heard about this iphone recovery spy data stick. It looks like an ordinary USB flash drive that can recover deleted text messages, calls, contacts, appointments and pictures. At first glance, it seems promising but as I’ve read on, they talk about popularly using it to catch cheating spouses and monitoring other people’s cell phone activities. Whoa! Isn’t that scary? That’s completely invasion of privacy, right? But anyway, it probably depends on how a person uses it. Generally, I guess it’s another wonderful product feature that you can use on an iPhone.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Stop the junk mails please!

Have you been getting junk mails in your mailbox on a regular basis? We have, and I’m too lazy to sort and toss the mails right away so I end up with a pile of paper crap cluttered either on our kitchen table or Jeff’s computer desk. I finally had the motivation to take care of them the other day, and I was surprised on how much paper junk mails we have accumulated for the last month or so. I am not an environmentalist or something but when I throw a whole bunch of paper junks like that, it made me think these businesses were just wasting their time and of course they’re not helping for a clean and green environment either by using so much paper and randomly sending them to people like us who sometimes never even bother to read what they are selling or advertising. Some advertisers get even fancier with their advertising by using door hangers which I must say look good but like what I’ve said, we don’t usually get sucked in by those product advertisements especially pre-approved credit card offers which we have been getting every week, so I think they are just wasting both their time and ours.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Three years of a blissful marriage

This was taken last October 27th at our 3rd Anniversary dinner date. Yes, we have been married for 3 wonderful years now. We've known each other for 5 years if we were to count the first time we've met online. It took 10 months before we finally met in person. Then he made 2 trips to the Philippines to see me before he proposed. And the rest, they say is history!

A lot of great things have happened since then. We were married twice. One wedding was a simple church wedding in the U.S. Two years after, my dream wedding was made into a reality when we had a grand Catholic church wedding in the Philippines. And now as we continue further on our journey together, we're expecting a baby boy! We feel so blessed and everything just seems to fall into place.

Marriage is a continuous adjustment process. You learn both good and bad things about your partner each day. But I think that's what makes the whole relationship exciting. It would have been so boring if both of you were created perfect, or if you share ALL the same interests in life. Of course we have some common interests and quite a few differences, but I'd say we're very much compatible which makes it so much easier to adjust to each other's individuality. As long as both parties are willing to put forth the effort to make the marriage work, there's no strong storm in life that you can't face. After all, you have God and each other to lean on and draw strength from.

I'll leave you some photos from our 2 weddings. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Auction sites for cigar users out there

I find it strange to talk about smoking on my blog for two reasons. First, because I don’t smoke and second is I am pregnant and it’s a definite no-no, but of course, I have known people that smoke. I’m not going to talk about the hazards of smoking because it’s really a personal preference. To each his own. It’s just that a friend of mine happened to mention that she sometimes visit cigar auction sites to find the best cigars in the market. She obviously likes to smoke and she’s into cigars lately. I bet cigars are more expensive than cigarettes. There must be a big difference between the two because she seems to like cigars better.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Her efforts yielded good results

When a person desires to lose weight, she would try anything possible in this world to achieve just that. Some are lucky with the type of fitness and diet regimen they’re using but others might find it hard to find the one that works for them. I have heard from people who get frustrated because there seems to be no effect on their battle against weight loss. I guess a friend of mine just got lucky because after just a year of using a certain pill, it had worked for her immediately. It probably takes more than just a pill though to achieve that but she was quite happy to share her diet secret. You can click here to learn more about it.

Great Christmas gift ideas

Looking for a perfect gift this Christmas? Check out some ncstar binoculars for sports, marine, and hunting enthusiasts. NcStar had been around for 12 years and has provided excellent optics options for a number of leading brands. Binoculars come in handy when you need superior depth effect, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects. There are a few important things to consider when you look for binoculars. Optic Sale website would be the perfect place for that.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Reunited with an old friend

Facebook is really a great social networking medium to reunite with old friends and relatives. Just recently, I found an old friend’s profile and added her to my friends’ list. It has been a while since we last kept in touch and it was really exciting to catch up and communicate again. I was totally surprised with how much different she looks right now though. She lost so much weight which actually made her look very sexy and good. Asked about her secret, she was quick to tell me she’s been using phentermine diet pills. Well, I’m glad it worked for her. She said she’s too lazy to exercise so she chose the easy way. I didn’t probe more since I’m not really interested with diet pills anyway, but it was really good to see her back.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

On stretch marks

While some people have acne and age spots as their skin concerns, I’d say mine right now are the nasty stretch marks. Yes, I have been getting them already. Mine are mostly on my sides. It doesn’t itch yet but it just looks unsightly. I know it’s quite normal for most pregnant women to have them. I’ve read that there are creams and oils available to make them fade at least. I’m thinking of trying some and see if it works. But if it won’t, then I guess it’s just alright. Anyway, I don’t wear two-piece bikinis or anything revealing since I don’t have a nice body to flaunt with in the first place, lol!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Not that convenient after all

Easy access to online shopping has its perks. But it could be stressful to a point especially if the items you’ve ordered weren’t really the way you expected them to be. Just recently, I have ordered winter maternity clothes since it’s almost impossible for me to go out in my summer outfits anymore, not in this weather. I have also gotten some flat winter boots from a friend online but to my dismay some of the clothes and the boots that I’ve ordered didn’t fit right, so I’ll have to return them by mail. Some have hassle-free return policy but others are just a pain in the buttocks to deal with. I hope I won’t need an anti wrinkle eye cream when this is over. I try not to be upset about it since it’s my decision in the first place to risk getting clothes and shoes online. I think I've learned my lesson well.

Friday, October 29, 2010

A cure to an imperfect skin

How are tea tree oil and eczema related? As we all know, eczema is associated with a common skin condition called atopic dermatitis. It is an inflammatory skin disorder and usually characterized with reddish, flaky, itchy, scaly, and painful skin. It can be a hereditary skin condition but it can also be caused by many irritants including feathers, metals, wool, plants and animal hair, soaps and detergents, bubble bath, cosmetics, fabric dyes, etc. Recent research shows that tea tree oil seems to be an effective option in the treatment of this skin disease. I have a cousin who used to suffer from this condition and I saw how bad it was affecting her social life. She's all better now, thanks to an excellent dermatologist in the PI.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

My night time visitor

I have not been getting enough sleep at night lately. At first, I blamed it on my short naps during the day. But if I don’t nap, I’d only get an average of 3 hours sleep every night. It bothers me to a point but I have read from pregnancy books that it is quite normal later in this pregnancy to experience insomnia. I have noticed the baby is quite active when I’m ready for bed. I mean he just keeps on doing somersaults, kicking me everywhere which sometimes puts some uncomfortable pressure on my bladder. I can feel and see my tummy doing some wavelike motions and it’s just amazing to look at. Braxton Hicks contractions happen frequently. It’s painless alright, but it sure is uncomfortable. Shifting positions and using lots of pillows sometimes help but I guess when the tummy gets this big, you hardly find a comfy sleeping position. Oh well, I've got only like 6 more weeks to go, so I guess I'll just have to be tough so I could make it to the most awaited moment of giving birth.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

It's not for everyone

Many people choose to stay at home and venture into some kind of small businesses. With the rise in popularity of social networking websites, these entrepreneurs find a medium to market their products and services. Some may just be a hobby and not really getting much from it, but there are actually the lucky ones who own successful home business and manage to take care of their family needs as well. Though I'm sure it takes more than just luck to make it big in the home business industry. It's a good venture to think about but I guess you'll have to be ready for its demands and possible outcome.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Create a mini-gym in your house

You don’t have to go to the gym to keep fit and healthy. Now you can do it in the comforts of your own home. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to acquire exercising equipments these days since some places sell refurbished fitness equipment at a lower price. From elliptical trainers, treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, abs coasters, and other cardio equipments, you can get them at reasonable prices. Your dream to lose weight and become healthy is no longer out of reach. Toss away those non-working diet pills and stick to the proven, natural way of losing weight.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Caring one's skin has benefits

As we all know, the skin is the largest organ of our body. If we don’t take good care of it, we could get different kinds of skin diseases which may or may not be easy to treat. I was glad that my acne problem had stopped when I’ve reached my second trimester of pregnancy. I had so much trouble controlling them prior to pregnancy. Anyway, I’m thankful that I didn’t have to deal with other serious skin problems such as eczema. I remember a cousin of mine was feeling desperate to find an effective eczema treatment that will work for her. I’m sure it was a tough ordeal for her at that time. Her skin looks swollen, irritated and itchy. She eventually end up seeing a good dermatologist who was able to prescribe her an effective medicine.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Become an affiliate

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Friday, October 22, 2010

Trying to defeat the fear of the unknown

We’ve been going to childbirth classes lately. It runs for five weeks and it pretty much covers the most important aspects of 3rd trimester pregnancy, labor, delivery and taking care of a newborn. As first time parents, we were eager to go into these classes as it’s one way of knowing what to expect and how to deal with the challenging situation of childbirth. We may not come out as experts when the classes are over, but it sure helps to know in advance what could happen inside the labor, delivery, operating and recovery room. The OB Nurse who handles the class was very knowledgeable and tried to be thorough in sharing all the information that we need to know. We have been given access to a website that shows several informational videos, which I enjoyed the most. Some women shared about their weight loss success stories after giving birth just by breastfeeding. Next week, we’re going to take a tour of the hospital and look inside the actual OB and nursery rooms. I'm pretty excited about that. By the way, I am already 34 weeks far along. Belly is getting heavier and heavier each day. My doctor's appointment are done on a weekly basis now. Blood pressure and blood sugar level are monitored closely. My BP readings have not been that ideal lately but the doctor doesn't seem to be overly concerned about it as he sees no signs of toxemia on me. I try not to stress too much about it myself but will do my best to limit my salt intake. The weekly doctor's visits will help keep my mind at ease. The closer I get to my due date, the more excited I get but at the same time I feel scared and nervous. I guess it's just normal to feel this way. I just hope and pray that everything will come out just fine.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Is this different than the others out there?

It amazes me sometimes how a lot of people could come up with different kinds of ideas on how to supposedly get rid of unwanted fats and bad cholesterol. The latest I’ve come across is guggulsterones. My initial reaction? Weird name, lol! Based on an unfamiliar website, these are compounds derived from a traditional medicinal plant preparation in India, and they are supposed to be beneficial in decreasing fats as well as bad cholesterol level, and are now being used as a special compound on some diet pills in the market. Well, if you’ve been a regular on my blog, I’m sure you already know what’s my take on diet pills. I haven’t tried any and have no plans to start at all despite my desire to lose weight. I still prefer the natural way.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Form of entertainment

It’s almost the end of the year. Time really flies, doesn’t it? It’s probably the best time right now to start shopping Christmas gifts for loved ones. If you want to avoid the shopping madness rush, it might be a good idea to start gift shopping. I was actually thinking of doing that myself. I won’t have the energy and the time to do it if I wait too long since I am getting heavier each day. I don’t think I’ll have the time after I give birth as well since the baby is going to demand so much of our time and attention. So we might start hitting the stores for gifts next week. I remember last year, video console games were a hit. Lots of people have been getting xbox, playstation and WII as gifts. As a matter of fact, I got a WII and DS Lite from hubby that year. It’s one of those forms of entertainment for me especially now that I don’t work and is expecting. I can play hours and hours on WII. I’m currently crazy with Rune Factory Frontier right now. It's just so much fun. Have you thought of what to get for your kids this year yet?

Sunday, October 10, 2010

To have a boss or not

I have always heard the cliché from people that you can’t get rich if you’re only employed. That if you want to be successful and rich, you need to venture into feasible business opportunities. At some point, this could be true. Although at this present global economic crisis, most businesses might find it hard to prosper, let alone survive. Just the other day, a small hardware business in town has closed for good. Hubby wanted to get some stuff for his woodworking but was disappointed when he found out the only hardware store in town is out of business. I’d say the success of a business venture depends on a number of things. I find it safe to just be employed rather than run the risk of losing everything in a snap.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Movie date at home

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Friday, October 8, 2010

Hassle-free steel building kits

It’s a given, most women like to shop, while men love to tinker around the shop/garage. When hubby is not on the computer, he’s out in the garage keeping himself busy with small mechanical and woodworking stuff. It’s a hobby and I definitely support him on that all the way. As long as he still spends quality time with me, which he does, so I don’t see any problem if he spends some of his spare time enriching himself. I wish he has a real working place to work on though. The house comes with a shop but it’s not properly ventilated and lit, so we're using it as our storage shed and he's currently using a little space in our garage to do his thing. I know some places sell pre-engineered steel buildings for small shops, warehouse and even a garage, but we don't want to make house improvements since we're only renting the place right now. It's definitely something to consider though when we get to move in to our own house.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

No turning back

The thought of being a mom scares me sometimes. But ready or not, I guess in 8 weeks, I’m going to be an official “momma”, God-willing. Yes, I am excited with this new chapter of our lives, however, I have this nagging thought sometimes whether I'd be a good mom or not. I mean let’s face it, it’s going to be a tough job. It could be equally demanding when you compare it with the jobs outside the house. But I consider not having to work a blessing. I couldn’t imagine myself being a working mother, yet. Well, in a few years time maybe, but right now I feel very blessed that I didn’t have to work. At least, I get to concentrate on how to become an ideal mother for our future angel.

Monday, October 4, 2010

A totally whole new world to explore

One of the important things to decide on when expecting is whether to breastfeed or formula-feed the baby. I have decided, of course with hubby’s support, to give breastfeeding a try. I have heard from other nursing mothers that it can be tough so we thought it might help to know more about breastfeeding. So last night, hubby and I went to a breastfeeding class. It was a 2-hour class which basically talks about the basics of breastfeeding. There was a film clip shown. Small snacks and beverages were served. The place was cozy and homey. I noticed they were using matouk table linens on the kitchen table. The instructor, who was an OB nurse for 20 years was very nice and knowledgeable. They gave us handouts and an access to a website that has lots of useful tips, info, video, PDF files and such about breastfeeding. I would say it was worth it. I’m sure the real thing is not gonna be that easy but it’s better to learn the basics before dealing the real thing. I just hope and pray that it will work for me as well. There are tons of benefits of breastfeeding for the baby and me so I really hope everything will work out fine on my part.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Getting the house ready for his arrival

I guess I could say I’m nesting. As my due date approaches, I feel the need to make sure everything in the house is ready when the little one arrives. I have this surge of energy that prompts me to do some cleaning. But I know I should take it easy for the last thing I would want is to exhaust myself or get hurt or the baby so I sought for hubby’s assistance. He was more than willing to help. We decided to do general cleaning one room each weekend. We did the bathroom first. I took care of the sink and the floor while hubby was in charge of the hard to reach areas and of course, scrubbing the bathtub. I’ve always hated the tedious task of bathtub scrubbing so being pregnant lets me off the hook. Hubby did a pretty good job getting all the scum and grime off. I was impressed with his work so I told him if I can hire him to clean the tub all the time, hehe, and he replied I already have and made sniffing sounds, lol! I wonder if hot tub covers used at spas would help minimize the accumulation of dirt and soap scum. We have a daily clean shower spray but we're not very good at using it everyday.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Have you seen your baptism photos?

Expecting a baby can be one of the most exciting events in one’s life. There are so many things to look forward to and so many occasions to celebrate it with your little ones. One of the earliest special occasions to give to your baby is church baptism. I’ve been to a few in the past and I think it’s important to share this Christian celebration to your loved ones. Although the baby won’t remember any of it when they grow up, but there are always special photos, cute and lovely Baptism invitations, wonderful stories and happy memories that the parents could share with the little ones. Ironically, I don't have old photos of my baptism though. I think we lost all of them due to typhoons and moving from one place to another. Anyway, I'll just have to take my parents word for it, besides I have a good relationship with my godparents and I have my baptism certificate to prove that I was indeed baptized.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The medical answer to addiction

Drug addiction, sad to say, is quite common anywhere in the world. What might start out as a curiosity could lead into something grave and fatal. We’ve heard serious cases of substance abuse in rich and famous, local and international celebrities or even in just a typical teenager which happens to be a friend or a family member. Anyone could get stuck into this nightmarish predicament. Substance abuse can cause profound changes in brain and body chemistry, so sometimes an addicted person might find it physically overwhelming to withdraw. That’s when detox centers come into place. One of the priorities in recovery from addiction is to detoxify from toxic chemicals and their byproducts. If everything else seems to fail, seeking some professional help may be the only way out.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Removing those stains away

While a porcelain kitchen sink looks more attractive than stainless steel, it is quite more difficult to clean when it gets a stain. That’s my problem right now with our own sink. For some reason, some dark spots have settled on the floor of the sink and it looks dingy and dirty. I’ve missed the stainless sink we had back in our old place because I really didn’t have to exert much effort in keeping it tidy and clean. I have read that mixing some liquid dish washing detergent with liquid chlorine bleach and some white vinegar and just let it soak overnight will usually help remove the stains on porcelain sinks so I might try to do that and see if it works.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Autumn is in the air

I can tell autumn is just right around the corner. The temperature has started to cool down a bit here in our place. Early mornings and evenings are chilly, while temperature rises up to a comfortable low 70s during midday. It’s perfect for walks but I have not done that part yet, outside the house at least. But I’ve been walking on the treadmill at my own slow, comfortable pace lately. Air conditioning in the house is no longer running. I get chilly in the morning so I have been using heater for days now. It’s a pain going out because of the cold weather. I can’t wear any of my pre-pregnancy sweaters anymore since my tummy has ballooned so much lately. I’m currently on my 32 weeks (8 months) and baby is growing more and more as evidenced by my growing belly. I’m thinking of getting a huge sweatshirt, a coat or something for days when I’d like to go out to eat dinner with hubby and doctor's visits. I figure the weather is just gonna get cooler and cooler as I will be approaching my due date.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

A trip to the caverns


For the first time after I got pregnant, we took a mini-trip 2 hours away from home. The first trimester of my pregnancy was difficult so we really couldn't do out-of-town trips. They say the best time to travel, if you were to travel while pregnant is during the second trimester. But it was only at my 28 weeks that we got the chance to do something fun, so on Labor Day weekend, off we went to Springfield, Missouri and visit Fantastic Caverns. I don't want to do something stressful so I purposely chose this activity for I know it's not gonna be hard for me. Fantastic Caverns is the only ride-thru cave experience in the U.S. You get to explore the cave and take photos while riding on a tram. It was pretty interesting! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the place. Another one of the first new experiences that we get to do together. I also did some more maternity clothes and footwear shopping in the mall the day after. Of course I was exhausted from the walking but I figured I need the exercise anyway, plus shopping has always been a part of our mini-vacation itinerary, lol!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sleepless nights...just around the corner

Are you getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep each day? Different factors can affect your sleep pattern. I’ve been on Facebook most of the time and some of my friends always have shoutouts complaining about not being able to sleep at nights. Luckily, these people don’t have work the next day though, because I just couldn’t imagine having to go to work without sleep. As for me, I think it’s a good thing that I haven’t reached that part of my pregnancy yet when I find difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position. I know I’ll eventually get to that point, but hopefully it won’t be that bad that I need to have insomnia treatment. With a baby coming, I know for sure our lifestyle is going to change which includes sleep pattern changes.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Aromatic oils, herbs and spices on cigars?

It has always been one of my lifelong dreams to take a Carribean cruise with hubby. I don’t think it’s going to happen soon but the plan has always been there, though not a priority at the moment. Cuba, the largest island in the Carribean and perhaps the most fascinating, is one of the islands that I’d like to go to. I have a HS classmate who was there just recently and she loved the country’s extraordinary beauty, the amazing music, exotic foods, splendid white sand beaches, interesting people and different culture. I’ve heard Cuba is famous for the best cigars in the world. If you’re a fan of cigars, it might be fun to visit their tobacco fields as well. They might grow Acid cigars there too, which I’ve read are recently gaining popularity due to its botanical aromatic flavor.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Books, Games & Pregnancy Updates


I am currently 27 weeks far along. Still a long way to go but everything has been great so far. We went to the doctor today. I had another sugar routine check, I believe this has been the third time that they took out some blood sample to check for sugar in my bloodstream. All came back normal so everything has been cool so far. In 3 weeks, I think I'm going to have a glucose tolerance test. I believe that's when they give you something sweet to drink, wait for an hour or so then take some blood sample to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. I've been hearing not so good things about that test but if it's something I need to go through, then so be it, but I'm definitely not looking forward to it, lol. Anyway, the doctor said baby's heartbeat sounded great. I've been feeling some mild occasional cramps at nights but he said it's quite normal as long as there's no fluid or blood discharge. He advised me to take plenty of water though since dehydration could also cause more cramping. The most exciting update for me is feeling the baby move. I started feeling it since week 24. The first kick freaked me out at first, haha! But I have gotten used to it after a while. It worries me sometimes when I feel him less on some days. It puts a smile on my face or makes me giggle whenever I feel him move around. I can't believe there's actually somebody growing inside of me and actually moving. It's just an amazing feeling.

On a different note, I've been inefficient dealing with time lately. I mean I understand I'm already physically limited to do stuff around the house but it makes me feel kinda' bored at times. Hubby understands and sympathizes with me so as what he always does, he's quick to respond to my needs, hehe. He would always take me out for dinner, drive me to shopping stores on weekends, buy me some plants from nurseries that I've enjoyed watering everyday, hehe, and just recently he got me some video games from Amazon for my WII and DS and also some books for us to read together at night. We've started reading "The Baby Book" together and it's kinda neat to learn stuff together about having a baby. On the other hand, I've been keeping myself busy on weekdays by playing WII. I love Rune Factory: Frontier. It's my first time to try simulation/role playing video game and I enjoyed the stuff you can do in that game. You can grow crops and then sell them, defeat and befriend monsters in dungeons and turn them into pets if you wish to, mine for metals and minerals, go fishing, spend money and material to buy a variety of upgrades for the house, weapons, and tools or even meet somebody that you can start a family with. It's a cool and unique game and I find myself easily spend hours playing it. It's better than sleeping all the time which was what I have done in the past.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Closet space dilemma

Shopping for clothes is one of the things that I enjoy doing. I’m more into comfortable, good quality and a little trendy but not out of this world type of outfits. I don’t own urban clothing anymore. I used to wear those back in the PI when I was so much younger but I don’t think I can pull off an outfit like that anymore. As much as possible, I try to be reasonable and low key with my choice of clothing. When you live in the U.S., you have to dress according to the weather, so we have at least 2 sets of clothing for the warm and cold season, which eventually leads to the problem of limited closet space. We have 2 decent-sized closets and a big dresser/chest drawer in the house but I’ve used all of the available space there is to separate our summer and winter outfits. Now that we are expecting a little guy to join the family, I think I might need more closet space. I might have to go through our clothes and see if there are some that we don’t really need and just ship it to the Philippines to free up some space. Gosh, I wish we have a huge walk-in closet!

Friday, August 20, 2010

What is his name for the week?

In a way, it frustrates me that until now we haven't come up with a final name for our baby boy. Sometimes I would take it against Jeff that we don't have a name yet, hehe! Like it's his fault that we couldn't agree on one. Blame it on the pregnancy hormones or something, haha! I have a long list of names to consider so Jeff suggested that we should use one name for a few days or weeks and see if it grows on us. So we started using Timmy (Timothy) for weeks, but it hadn't really grown on me, especially when my family in the Philippines wasn't wild about it either. Then I thought it's time to try a different name after that. We've tried Mickie (Michael) for a few days, but I inadvertently kept on reverting back to using Timmy because I couldn't get used to saying it. I know I had to try another one this time. I fell in love with the name Dominic for a while. I thought I'd nicknamed him Nico, but I got discouraged when some people said it can be a girl's name. Whaat! I thought Dominique is the girl version of the name. Then there's the fact that Jeff doesn't like it very much either because he couldn't pronounced it well, haha! For some reason, he pronounced it more like "Domi-neek" instead of Domi-nik". So I told him just call him Nico, but he said he wants to be able to say his full name with authority when he's in trouble or something, and definitely he doesn't like to stutter during these moments, lol! (which I understand) I completely lost interest in it when my sister in the PI pointed out that he could be teased in school by calling him Domino, huhu! So I moved on to another one on my list. My mom suggested Nathan, Noah and Laurence among other names but I'm sorry, no offense meant to people with these names but it just didn't click on me. Then we've tried Liam, Ronan, Evan, Cole and Finley for days. It's funny because we had used so many names that sometimes we forget what's his name for the week so we just call him "boy", lol! Today, on our way home from the furniture store, Jeff got inspired from a song he heard over the radio and he went, "What about Jeremy?" Hmm, I paused for a second, then I thought it's not a bad idea at all. So for this week until further notice, hehe, we'd be using Jeremy. I don't know for how long this name will last, but I sure do hope before he pops out, we'd have a definite name by then. (*sigh) The joy of first time parents!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Preparation is the key

Have you thought about getting into law school? Well, I know it’s not for everyone but if you think you’re interested, it might be helpful to know that one has to pass a standardized admission test which basically covers reading and verbal reasoning skills before you’re even allowed to take up law. Pre-Law students often report that lsat prep is one of the most stressful experiences in their academic lives. However, it’s not something to fear, but rather a stepping stone that will get you into law school you’ve been hoping for. Plenty of valuable resources will help you prepare for the test. As a matter of fact, lsat prep courses are now offered online to best cater to the changing needs of many individuals today.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A mom could dream

If I had not been pregnant, we would have gone to Florida in October to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. But I wasn’t heartbroken in the least, because having our first little angel is truly a blessing. It will be a wonderful anniversary gift for both of us. I’ll just have to set aside my desire to visit Florida temporarily. The reason I wanted to see Florida is because of its beautiful white sand beaches. However, since we have a little boy to look forward to, it’s tempting to check out Disney vacation packages as early as now. I know it's going to be expensive but we still have a few years to save up for that. At least even just once in our little boy's lifetime, he was able to visit Disney World.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Cheap doesn't necessarily mean better

Jeff has been using Progressive for our auto insurance for years. But when we bought the car, I thought of looking into some other companies that offer discount auto insurance policies. It's not because we are dissatisfied with Progressive, but I just thought maybe there are better offers out there, so I asked for quotes from 4 other insurance companies. To my surprise, all of the other 4 companies offer cheaper insurance premium than what we've been paying for currently. But we're reluctant to switch for a number of reasons. There's no assurance that they are better than our present policy. We try to read customer service reviews and not a lot of people have good things to say with those companies. Jeff never had problems in the past with Progressive as far as accident claims are concerned. So we decided to stay with our present insurance company.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Eyeing for a great glider

We have been using our new king-sized bed and mattress for almost a month now. I love how comfortable and huge it is. Although hubby finds it too big for just the two of us, I just told him when our little boy comes along, he can sleep with us on the bed, hehe. Anyway, because of its size, I was able to use my body pillow, one memory foam pillow on my back, and 2 king-sized pillows to support my head and neck without having to worry whether hubby still has room on his side of the bed. Literally, I’ve been surrounded with pillows, lol! The downside of it is I have to toss away one or two of them so I could scoot down the bed during bathroom trips, hehe. But other than that, I’ve been feeling comfortable and heavenly in our new bed. I’m not quite sure if I can still say this when I’ll be on my 8th and 9th month of pregnancy though. When the tummy grows that big, I have a feeling, no comfortable bed would ever make one feel comfortable and restful at nights.

Thanks to my sister who gave us lots of necessary things for the baby, we crashed out the crib, mattress, play pen, dresser/changing table, car seat, stroller, walker, bath tub, bouncy chair from our "To Buy" list. That saved us a lot of money. I still need one furniture though so this weekend, we’re going to look for another piece of furniture for our baby’s room. We were thinking of getting a nice glider for baby feeding times. I enjoy looking around at furniture stores even if we don’t necessarily buy anything right away. I love to look at contemporary furniture displays, though I must admit I’m still into traditional and casual designs. I saw some gliders at Walmart but hubby doesn't trust the quality of furnitures at this store. He said he'd rather spend a couple of hundreds more to ensure we'll get a furniture that would last much longer than spend a little over one hundred dollars and get something that would break after a few months. I agree with him so we're thinking of getting it at the same furniture store where we got our bed from.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

My family in Illinois

To all my friends and fellow bloggers who have been wanting to see a preggy photo of me, here it is. I have posted a few on Facebook but I figured not all of my blogging friends are on my FB friends' list so if you're interested to see a preggy Jenn, just read on...

These were taken during my sister's visit from Illinois. As I've mentioned before, they brought a lot of baby stuff for our future lil boy. It's been 6 months since we've seen each other back in the PI at my wedding and it feels good to see them again. It sure was a long drive for them and I was so grateful they made it all the way to Lakeview safe and sound. They didn't stay very long though for she has work but we were able to bond a little bit. My nephew Bren has grown more and has been sweeter and gentler with me for we told him I have a small baby in my tummy, hehe.

Me with Bren

My sis Jingle

Preggo Me (6 months far along)

Me with my younger sister

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Check out Buy.com's weekly deals

Have you ever heard of the site buy.com? Well, I came across with it while I was helping my friend find great netbook deals online. They seem to have great selection of gadgets and other stuff at a discounted price. They even have weekly deals that cover pretty much everything, from books, office supplies, jewelries, make-up, clothing, toys, electronics, and even computers. Though they don't seem to be as popular as Amazon but it sure looks like it works like Amazon. You might want to check it out!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

An afternoon chit-chat

I got a surprise visit from my Filipina neighbor and friend the other day. She brought me some apples, green beans, tomato and peaches from her garden. And oh, she also got me some pork sinigang, too. Yum, yum! It’s been a while since we last talked. We talked a lot about baby stuff and her medical condition. She’s already on her 60’s, though I must say she doesn’t look that old to me. She takes really good care of herself. She’s trying to live a healthy lifestyle as well. For the past year or so, she’s enrolled in a special diet program quite similar to HCG weight loss Austin. Unfortunately, she recently hurt her back so she had to limit her physical activity and could not exercise very often like she used to, and I think she was advised to quit the program temporarily since diet without exercise won’t be that effective. Too bad!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Serves its purpose

Our first and still functioning Canon camera is a Power Shot S2 IS. Jeff bought it 4 years ago before he went over to the Philippines to visit me the first time. As a young bachelor that moves out a lot, he didn’t use to own much stuff including a camera. But he invested on one when we decided to meet in person because we want to have souvenirs and photo memories from our dates. He had no idea which camera to buy. But after some research, he was convinced of the durability and functionality of the zoom Canon camera. It's nothing fancy actually, it’s not even a DSLR which I’d like to own someday, but I love our old camera. It has excellent zooming quality and takes clear and crisp photos. It has never let me down so far. I always get compliments on how nice our camera is whenever I take it out to family and friends’ gatherings. And the most important thing, I love the quality of the photos our old Canon takes. If we need to upgrade in the near future, we're thinking to stick to Canon.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

U-hauled their way to Lakeview

My sister in Illinois with her family paid us a visit last week. The drive from Bradley, IL to our place was supposed to be 8 hours but they had to stop in St. Louis, Missouri to spend the night in a hotel. Unfortunately, there was a sporting event held in St. Louis that day, so all the decent places to stay in the area were occupied. They drove a little further down and found a vacant room but according to my sister, it’s the worst place she’s ever stayed. The first thing that I’d always make sure whenever we stay in hotels is to check whether the doors have secured and safety locks. She said the deadbolt locks in that room was not even working. She had to set her alarm every 2 hours, just to be sure they won’t sleep soundly, that way they’ll stay alert and vigilant for suspicious sounds or people. I could imagine it had been stressful for her. But anyway, they survived and made it all the way to Arkansas safely. We’re thankful for they brought with them Bren’s stuff that our future baby boy could use like crib, dresser, mattress, bedding sets, playpen, walker, stroller, car seat, bouncy chair, baby tub, few toys, and plenty of still very nice hand-me-down baby clothing. My sister was very good in keeping these stuff in good condition because we had anticipated that sooner or later I’m gonna be a mom too and it’s a big help to have these things available to us for free. Newborns grow fast and I'm glad I don't have to buy much newborn clothing that our baby will just outgrow in weeks time. However, even with all those things she gave us, I still need so much more for the nursery. I made a list of the things we still need and approximately, it would still cost us hundreds or even thousands (if I'm not careful) to buy these things. Surely, it's expensive to have a baby but I would imagine the joy our little boy would bring to our lives when he comes out soon. We have started setting up the baby's room and we're very excited to have everything ready before the little angel comes along.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Capture, save them and show them off!

I love taking pictures. I didn’t use to like being photographed before. But that changed when I met hubby back in 2005. Ever since we met in person, he always makes me feel like I’m worth photographing for, lol! I’m his favorite subject, so he’d say, hehe. Cheesy, huh! But yeah, he had turned me into a camera addict, lol. I’d like to capture every place and event in our lives through photos. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who loves to take pictures of just about everything in their lives. I mean it’s a great way to save wonderful memories and look back at them and share them with your friends and loved ones. I don’t print them often enough to put it in an album though. Most of our photos are stored in our computer’s hard drive, disk, USB, social networking sites and my own personal blog. Sometimes I find it hard to share everything because of bandwidth and album capacity limits so I’d usually make a slide show and share it on my personal sites. A lot of websites allow you to customize your slide show with fancy backgrounds and cute animations and stuff. When I feel bored, I take the time to view them again and it reminds me a lot of wonderful memories when those photos were taken.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

My First Car

...is a used 2006 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE. We bought this 2 months ago as the need for a second vehicle arises. Jeff owns a Chevy S10 truck and with our little Timmy on the way, we thought it would be necessary to own another vehicle that we can put a car seat on. We went to several used car dealers in the area and this was my top choice. It has a powerful V6 engine, upscale interior and catchy "Four-Door Sports Car" feel. I liked it right away when I had first set my eyes on it. Then we did some "test driving" and Jeff thought it's an awesome car. It runs so smooth that makes cruising on the highway so effortless and has some very interesting features. It has great gas mileage which matters to us. We both particularly like the cruise control feature which we didn't have with our old truck. I love to listen to music while on the road so the 6-cd player/cassette player/AM/FM station with (8) speakers & illuminated steering wheel audio controls was sweet. It may not be the top of the line vehicle but I love my first car. It is just what I need. Since I'm pregnant and out of work, I don't use it everyday, but whenever I feel like going out to breathe in some fresh air, do some shopping or even just enjoy sight-seeing, I take it out on the road and just bask in the exhilaration of the independent feeling of having to drive my own car alone. I have here some photos to share. It was drizzling when I took these photos so the car's exterior may look grainy and wet.

Front

Side

At a different angle

Driver's and Passenger's Seats

Little LCD display

Pretty Sky-view Roof

Spacious and comfortable rear bucket seats

Roomy cargo hold