Elise is almost 6 months old!

This cutie's turning 6 months on March 9!

Our lovely Elise is turning 6 months old in just a couple of weeks!  I can't believe how time just flies like that.  I literally stand in awe of her whenever she's on her tummy, trying to crawl her way to her toys.  She used to be so teeny-tiny, and now she's so big and pudgy already!

Because her 6th month is her half birthday, I'm planning to prepare a mini celebration for her.  What I have in mind right now is a half birthday cake!

Literally a half cake!

I might cook some pasta, too, and prepare other foods she can start eating!  Hello, solids! :)

The Beauty of Giving Birth Naturally

Yes, it's been months since my last post, but instead of explaining why I haven't blogged for quite some time, let me just share my life at present.

So I gave birth last September 9 to a beautiful baby girl at 5:05am in the morning at the Birthing Clinic of the Cathedral of the King.  It was around 1am, early Sunday morning, when I felt like going to the bathroom to make #2.  I felt constipated but got through it anyway after a few attempts.  Right after that, I felt a heavy pressure on my lower back--something very similar to what I felt when I went into labor with Caitlin.  I told my husband, "Hon, parang malapit na ako.  I'm feeling what I felt with Caitlin last year."  So we went back to bed, and because Caitlin woke up, I nursed her lying down.  I was feeling contractions already getting stronger by the minute.  I suddenly felt the urge to stand up, then I felt something trickling down my legs.  I couldn't see what it was because it was dark.  When my husband turned on the light, it was blood!  The contractions were very strong then and so we called Mama Chato right away.  She told  us to prepare already and she will see us at the birthing clinic.  We got there at 2:30am...

Many thanks to Mama Chato Flores, a registered midwife, for her anointing!  It was my first time to give birth naturally... as in no medicine, no anesthesia, nothing at all!  Just God's grace and favor upon me and my baby.  I couldn't thank my husband, Mon, even more, for being there with me all the way.  I couldn't have done it without his strength guiding me and supporting me.

Yep, that's me and Catherine Elise just minutes after giving birth.  Such an ecstatic feeling I had at this time--yes, there was pain, but the beauty of seeing your baby and getting to hold her right away is incomparable to anything else in this world!

That's our Catherine Elise!  All glory to God! :)

The Surprise Breakfast Meeting

This week has been quite special for me because I got to go out of the house at least three times!  Yey!  Before you think I'm a loser, here are a few valid reasons why I almost never go out:

1. I am pregnant with baby #2 and I was advised by my midwife to lessen activities (that obviously includes outdoor activities).
2. I have a 6-month old baby, which makes it less easy for me to go to some place any time I want.
3. I am a work-from-home mom.

So before I sound defensive, I'll end there.  But they do sound valid, don't they?

Anyways, I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day.  While my husband and I never really celebrated it, it was quite special this year.  Well, he made it special. :)


Last Monday night, he told me that he will be having an early breakfast meeting at BGC with his former classmate.  He even told me how bizarre it was for him to meet this old classmate of his at our favorite supermarket--of all places.  His name was Rommel Diaz, a rich entrepreneur who used to live in Caloocan but moved to Pasig with his family; and now he's interested in Mon's business, and so the breakfast meeting.


I was excited for him and he told me that Caitlin and I should come along because he wants to introduce us to this Rommel guy.  And so I agreed.  Leave at 7am to meet old classmate at BGC at 8am.

Well, that night, Caitlin didn't let us sleep until 4am.  No need to go into detail, but that's pretty much what happened.  We woke up at about 9am already--so much for our original plan.  Well, Rommel didn't text yet anyway so I thought it was okay.  We left at about 10:15am already and headed to BGC.  Mon said Rommel was on his way.


I was starving by then and I was picturing a hearty breakfast meal.  That's the time Mon said, "Krispy Kreme daw."  Uh-oh.  I wasn't up for any sweets then; in fact, I did not want to eat any sweets that time.  I wanted eggs, chicken, sausages, rice--something like that.


And so we were walking already to Bonifacio High Street when he led me to the direction away from Krispy Kreme.  I knew he was up to something by then.  Well, turns out, it was a surprise breakfast meeting with me at Pancake House.  Aww.


Might sound too simple, but these are the reasons why the surprise made me extra happy that day:

1. My husband has not surprised me in a loooong time.  I think the last one was on my birthday in 2007.
2. He despises Pancake House.  0% chance--of all the many times I have asked him for us to eat there.

Well, I ordered my favorites: Pan-fried chicken and Best Taco in Town!  Definitely a hearty breakfast with my hubby and baby! :)


Too bad we weren't able to bring the camera!

Baby's on the Way!

Had to do a "double-look" to check if I was just seeing double

February 5, 2011. Woke up lazily on a Saturday morning. Husband was not around because of Men's Mass in church. Was thinking of the things to do on that day... eat breakfast, cook lunch, transcribe last Wednesday's homily... and oh yeah, use the pregnancy test I asked Mon to buy the night before.

Around 9am. Was in the bathroom and about to use the PT. The whole time, I was just thinking, "Okay, here we go again..."--thinking that it would be just like the previous times I've tested. So there, I don't think I have to put into detail how I did the PT, but of course, I dropped my urine samples in the space provided. I was too eager that I put in about 6 drops (ideally, it should just be 2-3 drops) that it kind of just filled up the space and it wasn't moving to the test space. I was thinking, "Oh no, what did I do? Did I just waste P120?" (PTs are not cheap) So I had to tilt it to the right for it to come up with results.  At first glance, it was just one line. And I said to myself, "Yeah, just like the old times...", but then when I glanced again, I saw another line fading in.  I literally had to do a "double-look" to check if I was just seeing double.  Well, apparently, I was not.  The PT showed 2 of the most beautiful lines I have ever seen in my life.  I was finally pregnant!!!

I stormed out of the bathroom with tears in my eyes. When I went out, I had to go back in just to check if it's really 2 lines. I still could not believe it. Well, the two lines were definitely staying because God has fulfilled the desire of my heart to have a baby :)

I surprised my husband by wrapping the positive PT in special green paper, with a gold ribbon (leftovers from Christmas). I put a note on it: "For my dear and loving husband MON".  I changed the bedsheets and put the small present on top of 2 pillows, pretty sure that he wouldn't miss it.

When he got home, I just wanted to burst but I didn't want to spoil my surprise.  So he just went on blabbing about stuff in church and other matters, which really didn't register in my head because I was dwelling too much on the surprise.  So finally, he went up to the room to dress up. Yes excited I was. He stormed downstairs but with no reaction.  I'm guessing he missed it.  So I asked him to get something from upstairs that was close to the present. He hurried upstairs and went down bringing it, still with no reaction. So he missed it again. Darn.

I couldn't help it, so I asked him, "Hindi mo ba nakita yung gift ko sayo sa taas?" Then he said, "Ah para sakin ba yun?" HELLO! "Oo kaya! Letter yun eh!" I said that so he wouldn't assume that it was the PT.  So he stormed upstairs and after about 3-4 minutes, he went downstairs with that big smile on his face. He hugged me so tight and we were just there embracing each other, basking in God's faithfulness in our lives. I had tears in my eyes because I was just too happy.

Thank You, Lord. Indeed, God's promises are true. :)