new home

hey everyone!

new updates are here from now on.

:)

Magazine for kids

I grew up reading my mom's subscriptions to The Economist, TIME, Newsweek, and Reader's Digest. Upon graduating elementary school, I had my own: National Geographic Magazine. You can say that if sort of influenced my career path.

Now I'm glad Hiro has one for his own: the National Geographic Kids. I placed an order right after my mom told me about this new product. Hiro loves animals, and loves reading books as well. I knew that this will be the right reading material for him. Parents will love the articles, as the kiddies will love the pictures. It also features a "Family Project" page that everybody will enjoy :)

Happy Birthday My Dahrling!

Thank you for the best 3 years of my life.....and looking forward to the years ahead :)

Kids and the television

There are a lot of advocates out there who say television is bad for kids blah blah blah.

I don't think I'll ever find myself preventing Hiro from watch television.

Monitoring. That's what parents are there for. It's training the kids to watch the appropriate shows.

My little boy grew up watching The Discovery Channel and The Animal Planet. Little by little we started introducing him to cartoons popular to his generation. Presently, he loves watching these shows (in any order):

Blues Clues



The Backyardigans


Wonder Pets


Mrs. Spider's Sunny Patch Friends


Firehouse Tales


Hi-5


The Animal Planet


and his favorite......


Thomas the Tank Engine

Happy Easter!!!!

from our home to yours.......



HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!!

Gossip Girl

When you have an active 2-year old kid who wants every second of your attention at home, you rarely get to watch your regular tv shows. Mine include(d): all 3 CSI, project runway, ANTM, iron chef, the apprentice, and a few more I have completely forgotten.

So when everyone started talking about Gossip Girl, I didn't understand what the fuss was all about.

Until Cindy gushed about it at work last week and lent me her DVD copy.

Since I was bored home with nothing to do or read, plus I couldn't play with Hiro, I decided to see what the fuss was all about.

Now I understand. Now I'm hooked.


(photo: Wikipedia)


Will the next season start now please.

:)

Home with the flue etcetera

Last Thursday I came home sick with a fever. It was a good thing I've earned quite a sum of sick leave (SL) credits and used one up for Friday.....I stayed home.....with a slight fever, a terrible sore throat, and clogged nose.

Since mommy was home, Hiro, naturally wanted to play with me everytime he had the chance. It was hard to stay away from him. Good thing my sister spent the weekend with us. Hiro totally forgets mommy when his tita Joy is around. Daddy arrived in Manila Sunday morning and since I was feeling better already, I drove my sister to her condo and brought Hiro and Hal with me. I know daddy missed his grandson. We stayed for an hour.

I put Hiro to sleep that night.

Monday, I still had the flu and a bit of sore throat but since I could handle it, i reported for work. When I woke up from lunchtime nap, symtoms of conjunctivitis (sore eyes) started appearing. At 2pm I went to the clinic and Dr. Manuel put some drops. The redness immediately disappeared so she said it might probably be just an infection. She told me to return at 4pm. Come 4pm, the redness and "muta" (what do you call it in english?) returned. I went back to the clinic and Dr. Manuel gave me the drops for conjunctivitis. By that time she said it looks like I have sore eyes and advised me that even if I continue with the medicine throughout the night and it still doesn't disappear, then I should not go to work.

Tuesday, I did not go to work. At night my OTHER eye caught up.

Wednesday (today), I'm still home.

That's three straight days of being away from my son. I cannot hug him. I cannot touch him. He send me flying kissed all the time, which is sweet. When someone at home is sick. He knows to stay away. But when he hears me, he starts shouting "Yehey! mommy's well already!". And that instantly breaks your heart.

I do not want to get him infected. I continue with my medicines as well as the eye drops. I constantly alcohol my hands to disinfect it whenever I go to the room. Hal puts him to sleep at night. I sleep in the living room. Alone.

So near yet so far.


P.S. However, if I do have sore eyes, why aren't they red? Today, they were just swollen with little "muta" (what do you really call it?)

EDSA traffic

After dropping off Hal to work, i braved EDSA alone for the second time. I didn't expect to see.....NO TRAFFIC!!!!!

There wasn't a bus anywhere!

So I sped off!!!! Daddy and mommy will freak out if they read this. hehehe They don't like me driving the streets of Manila either alone or with a driver.

Oh well, I'm safe in the office now. Although I hear that some of my officemates are having a hard time reporting today because of the transport strike. Some had to walk 3 miles just to get to the office. One of the secretaries had to go back home.

I didn't think it would be this bad.

A rare kind of yummy :)

WARNING! Not for the faint hearted!



up close......



These, my friends, are not larvae of caterpillars or what have you. These are what Ilocanos call "Bu-os" (spelling?). They are eggs of giant red ants and are very very delish! You saute them with ginger and tomatoes. Yum!

They look yucky, right?

That was my first impression. Would you believe, I have only eaten them FOR THE FIRST TIME last summer?!!!! And it has gotten me hooked! They taste good pala!

These things are seasonal and you have to be an expert in picking the right ones off the tree and in the market. They get spoiled too, so be careful.

Daddy was able to get me some from the farm when I went home last Thursday. I'm cooking a batch tonight :)

Lookie lookie here!

Look what caught my eye on the way to work last Thursday.....




revolting. tsk. tsk.

The operation

When: February 13, 2008
Where: Asian Hospital, Alabang
Time: 4pm
How long it lasted: 30 minutes

I will let these photos speak for themselves.....









Daddy and mommy flew in to give Hiro moral support.

The bandage came off the next day.

It was 4 microstitches.

Motherhood woes (part 2)

Hiro has been well the past 3 days already. Thank God! Last week we were able to get clearance from his pedia and the anesthesiology department. It was important that he didn't get sick at least three days before the operation, otherwise, they will have to give another set of clearance (read: lab exams, UGH!). So far so good. Tonight we will be "checking-in". The operation is an out-patient procedure but he will have to undergo 6 hours of fasting. We decided that he'll do the fasting at the hospital, meaning: I.V. :(

SIX HOURS?!!!!!! For a two-year-old, that's hard, especially with Hiro.

I hope all goes well. Please help us pray for a successful operation.

He was hospitalized for dengue before.

It's painful to have to go through this again......

Motherhood woes (part 1)

Hiro fell asleep while watching "A Bug's Life" last night. It was 10:30pm.

He has not been feeling well the past two days. Yesterday his poop was all watery and he had "kabag". We were worried he might get dehydrated so Hal bought Gatorade. Hiro doesn't like the taste of pedialyte, so his pedia suggested that Gatorade is just as good. He has no fever, no insect (mosquito) bites, so we don't know where this is coming from.

For his kabag I rubbed salt on Juthropa (Filipino term: Tuba-tuba) leaves, placed them in his stomach, and wrapped them up with a cloth diaper.

Traditional approach? Yeah, I'm up for it. Why not? I'm of Ilocano descent andeventhough my families are in the medical field, I still believe in these things. It worked for Hiro before. It may work again.

30 minutes later, he woke up and started fiddling around with his back. Apparently, the leaves and the salt irritated him I had to remove them. He woke up again at 2am complaining of a "painful tummy. mommy, massage. put oil please". So i massaged his stomach until he fell asleep only to wake up again wanting to poop.......he held my hand the whole time. As I sat beside him he said: : mommy, I hold your hand. I stay next to mommy".

That's what happened the whole night. Now, I'm back at work. Surprisingly, I don't feel tired or cranky. I just feel worried for my little boy. During times like this I want to be with him all day, hug him when he feels bad, kiss him when he cries, smile and laugh at his jokes. I want to hold his hand when he says "mommy come" or "mommy join". I want him to see me as he wakes from his nap. I just want to be there to show him that inspite of what he's feeling, everything's going to be fine.

Hay.

And to think next week will be his scheduled operation at Asian Hospital.

But that's another story.

Maternity Leave

I try to hide how I feel because life has to go on. But you can't help to think that there was once a little angel inside you, right? My last ultrasound showed that she's now really gone (yes, it was a "she" but don't ask me how I know because you'll laugh). She stayed with me for almost two months, you know.

Under our laws, miscarriage is covered by maternity/paternity leave as long as it is established that there was really a fetus, and not just a blighted ovum. There's a difference. At work I had to fill up the leave form and attach my last ultrasound report as proof in lieu of a medical certificate because it wasn't available yet. 2 weeks after, I submitted the required certificate. I also had to accomplished a page-long clearance. Since I wasn't here anymore, I asked a co-worker to have it signed for me.

As to the salary, I get paid every payday and still recieve the "extras" as usual. However, where I work, you can request for you 2-months worth of salary to be in a voucher so you can recieve it as a whole. You can use this bulk of cash to pay medical bills, etc.

'll be going back to work on the 29th of this month.

Heartbeat

I saw his little home.

I saw his head.

I saw his tiny tiny hands.

I saw his heart.

It had no sound.

I heard no heartbeat.........


:-(

Things you'll never understand (because you're an in-law)

The last time I lost someone was in 2000 when my grandmother died. That was a very long time ago and i cannot recall how I felt back then. All I know is that I was sad....

Today, I've just been told that "ate" is leaving at the end of the month.........

The house will be different.

I've known ate for 4 years. She was my husband's yaya and has been with his family for 20 years. Ate is a very quiet but diligent lady. She's about 50 years old now but still very strong. Although she's not as fast a worker as she was in her younger days, you can be assured that she gets EVERYTHING done. She also cooks so well that my dad and my in-laws' relatives borrow her for a day whenever they hold parties. My mom has also taken keen interest with ate. Not to mention my little boy. Hiro calls her "ate Blutz" and they are very close. Everytime we're away he always asks where his "ate Blutz" is. She's the first person he'll look for, and she's the first person he'd want to talk to on the phone. Ate has not become a housemaid. She has become family (although there are times I do not agree with how she is being treated, paid, etc. but that's another story in itself).

Perhaps you can say that I have become so "campante" with things I do everyday and have relied on her too much. I wake up in the morning, my hot water is waiting for me and my breakfast already prepared. I come home at night, dinner is waiting. I ask for some munchies, she prepares toast or a sandwich before she goes to bed. Then the cycle starts all over again.

I do not know why she is leaving them (us).

My husband told me not to ask why and to act like I do not know. Why? I want to know, why.

It is mil's house. It's her rules. So be it.

If I had my way, I'd ask. I want to ask. I want to know. I have become attached to her the same way my little boy is to her.

Christmas is near. New Year will follow.

It's a good thing we'll be at my parents place this Christmas season. But what about when we get back?

A mother's heart

I cry when you abuse.

I cry when you compare.

I cry when you gloat.

I cry, I can't say a word, so I just stare.



I cry for your selfishness.

I cry for your stubborness.

I cry when you use my time,

my everything down to the dime.



I cry because I can't do anything.

I cry because I have respect.

I cry because I feel sorry.

I cry because I always worry.



I cry because I count the days.

I cry because it's still too long.

I cry because I can see the sacrifice and agony.

I cry because I always have to act so phony.




I cry because he's your son.

I cry because I love my son.

I cry because it's my life.

I cry because I AM THE MOTHER and the wife.



I count the days 'til this will end.

My heart, by then, will mend.

A birthday dinner

One thing I like best is fine dining. So when my husband brought me to La Guernica (Adriatico circle) for Christmas in 2003 (we were still dating), I knew that were shared the same passion.

Fast track to our first wedding anniversary in 2006. He took me to The French Corner at Westgate Alabang for dinner. Immediately, we fell in love with the place. The service was exceptional and the food was very very very good! From that time on, we sort of made this restaurant "our" place.

(photo courtesy of dessertcomesfirst.com)

Tonight was our fourth visit. This time it was our birthday dinner. For starters Hal had the Prawn Bisque and mine was the Pumpkin-Carrot soup. I just love pumpkin soup. I really wanted to try this because it was the first time I've seen it in the menu. While waiting we were served with the complimentary bread basket with butter and the best salsa I've ever tasted! We didn't have to wait long for the food to be served. The soup was very very good. Hal says that his soup reminded him of the crab fat he abhors, but this one was cooked so well that he finished it all.

Next came our main course. Hal ordered the Lamb Rack "Herb de Provence", medium rare. I got the Marinated Lamb Chops. Since my last encounter with lamb in 1999 was terrible, I had mine medium well. I decided to finally face my fear of eating lamb meat after so many years.

They finally came.

Lamb Rack "Herb de Provence"
(photo courtesy of: dessertcomesfirst.com)

I waited for Hal to take the first bite.

He melted in his chair.

I asked: "How does it taste?".

He answers: "Like heaven! That's the first word that comes to me."

Then he goes: "It's like saying: Where have you been all my life, you lamb, you!".

So it's THAT good.

I try mine.

Marinated Lamb Chops

It's THAT good! Heaven.

The meat is very very tender and it still is very juicy. My order came with some mixed greens, and an herb rice, I think. I didn't concentrate on them too much because my attention was on the lamb. I can still taste its richness. I can still feel its tenderness. I'm not going to stray away from this meat from now on. Silence descends upon us as we finish our dinner. Across me I see a very satisfied face. Hal finishes off his plate as I am still half way through mine. His lamb rack came with baked potato and some mixed greens. He gave me a slice of the lamb but, for me, it was to herb-y (is there such a word?). He loved it though, and that's whats important.

We were too full to have dessert. We were about to ask for the bill when suddenly staff greets us with a "happy birthday" song. They placed the cake on the table. On top were two candles (pink and blue) and it was garnished with strawberry and sugared grapes. This was a chocolate mouse cake. Yummy! So we didn't leave yet. :)

our birthday cake

Hal and I have tried most of the fine dining restaurants in Manila. You can always say "to each his own" but I don't think there will ever be one as good as this.

The first time we were here, Hal told me that he's taking Hiro there when he grows up.

Will this be "their" restaurant the same way "La Guernica" was Hal and his dad's?

Only time will tell. Hopefully, it will be there when that time comes.

The Glorietta bast

I read this from a blog:

Good day everyone,

I wish I were writing under different circumstances.

I would like to inform you that my wife Leslie Cruz was part of the
casualties in the Glorietta 2 Mall bombing in Makati City, Philippines. She
was supposed to have a minor out patient surgery at Makati Medical Center at
230pm.

I had taken a leave from work to accompany her there. We dropped off our
daughter, Amber, at my parents place in QC to babysit at around 10am. We
then proceeded to Makati and was there at 1230pm. Since she had been fasting
in preparation for her procedure, she wanted to move around and listen to
some music while I grabbed a bite to eat. We parked at the basement of Park
Square 2, and headed for the Glorietta 2 entrance. We parted at the top of
the escalator, she turned right towards Filbar's while I went left towards
the restaurants. That was the last time I would see her.

Around 120pm, she had called me so that we can meet at the Glorietta 2 exit
just in time to make her appointment. As I made my way there from Glorietta
1 through the connecting hallways, and was about to turn the corner, I heard
2 deep thumps and the shock-wave from the blast hit me. At that moment my
heart dropped as I knew that the origin of the blast came from the same
place where we were supposed to meet. I tried getting to where my wife was,
but the dust was too much and it was as if I was staring at a white wall.

I still tried to convince myself that she was able to make it out, and that
after ringing her mobile without a response only meant that she dropped it
in the confusion. After 6 hours of searching from Makati Med. to Ospital ng
Makati, the blast site, and back again to MMC - with the help of all the
people I could get hold of, that I was able to get confirmation in what the
state of my wife was.

My Dad and Uncle signaled me in from the ER of MMC. My Uncle (who's a
doctor) asked me to describe Leslie's appearance to another group of
doctors. I saw in the eyes of one that the description made sense. Instead
of confirming it to me, they huddled together, then brought me to a small
examination room. It was only through a digital camera that I was able to
confirm (and deny) that she was indeed gone.

I have so many regrets. I should have met her sooner. I should have ran
instead of a brisk walk. I should have not chose to park where I did. I
should have braved the dust and went in the blast site. I should have ...

Today's the 4th day. It is still terribly difficult to breathe, let alone
wake up realizing that your source of strength, your best friend doesn't lie
beside you on your bed. That my deepest worry is when Amber starts asking
for her Mama.

I am glad that Amber's too young to understand the loss and pain. In time I
would like to tell her the details of how her mother died, but more
importantly I would like to raise her as how her mother lived - a loving
person, strong willed, decisive, caring, and nurturing. She has always cared
for her family and friends, and sacrfied her career for being a full time
mom and home maker.

As with all couples we had our ups and downs - none of which I regret not
going through. The sweet is never as sweet without the sour. For almost 4
years of marriage, we've finally hit our balance in life only to be taken
away in an instant. I have no regrets about our marriage. She has loved me
and Amber beyond her capacity. I will always love her.

It is my first time to write to egroup as I've lurked and watched emails
being sent to and fro. All I want now is that for each of the couples here
is to cherish each moment that we spend with our loved ones. Pretty simple
to say, very easy to take for granted.

Thank you all for the prayers. I would still like to ask you to please
include Leslie in them until her 40th day so that the path to God's kingdom
is well lit and she is no longer in the dark.

Sincerely,

Carlo Cruz

:(

Green-eyed monster at Friendster

Omigod. O-M-I-G-O-D.

I rarely open my Friendster account, and when I do, I am always greeted by the warm smiley faces of people from high school, college, law school and plain acquiantances. Thanks to Friendster, we finally meet up once more. Then there are these groups from school, clubs, etc. who want to be your friend. So you know, AND understand that when you see someone you haven't seen or talked to in a while, you get so excited to send them a message and do the regular pleasantries of "how are you?", "what have you been up to?" and things like that.

So when I saw that my ex's (he's one of my contacts from way back 2003) profile was updated with pictures of a baby girl, I got so excited that I sent him a message congratulating him and his wife (?) and how happy I am for him to be finally out of his I-want-to-be-single-and-experience-all-the-boy-stuff stage. This was a sincere congratulatory-i'm-so-happy-for-you message and no other. That was like, a couple of months ago. So ex responded, of course and we exchanged mommyhood and daddyhood stories over two months with just about 3 message exchanges. Approximately 3. So I wasn't surprised that when I openned my Inbox this morning, there was a message from his account. And get this. This message was:

"Stop annoying us Bitch."

O-kay.

So there's no question who that message came from. Geez. How was I supposed to know that wifey was the jealous type?!!!? Okay, I understand that it's always the inital reaction of a girl when the ex keeps in touch, but hey, my profile shows that I'm married, my photos are all that of my darling little boy. And besides, the message exchange was all about "how are you" and "congratulations" things. I didn't expect this as another ex also keeps in touch once in a while and I don't get the same treatment from his wife.

Good god woman! I'm a happily married wife and mother and professional and I've got everything going for me.

That's insulting!

Talk about insecurity.


P.S.

I already deleted ex from my list of contacts.