My New Year's Resolutions

I do not usually make any resolutions but I am changing it this time around.

First and foremost, my new year's resolution is to keep all my other resolutions. Second, I will try to become a better mom.  Third, I plan to curb my temper. Fourth, I hope to earn more at home. Yeah! I have been lax in this area for this year. Hopefully, next year I will back on track.  Fifth, I will take care of myself more.  Sixth, I will give the same amount of attention to both of my daughters. Seventh, I will try to save more. Eight, I will be more prayerful and try to make my faith stronger. I am thinking of going back to where I really belong. Ninth, I will be more attentive to blog updates. Tenth, I will be keeping to myself for year 2011. So I plan to be absent to most family gatherings and whathaveyous.  I just thought of an eleventh resolution, I plan to keep in touch with my friends more for the year 2011.  So I have 11 resolutions for the year 2011. Hehehe!

What are yours?

Stress

My eldest just got into a fight now with one of her cousins. Hay! Talk about stress! I do not need this stress not now... please! I guess I should be thankful that I do not have to deal with any illness such as accutane or any lawsuit such as an Accutane Lawsuit. I guess I should be thankful that all my love ones are healthy and happy. So I have no reason to complain right? Think only of positive things because the negative issues no longer matter in the long run anyways. Eventually, maybe the negative issues and feelings that come with it will come away soon. 

Christmas Year 2010 Family Picture

Our family picture year 2010. Hehehe! Actually, there are many versions of this because my family loves to take pictures.  This was before we left for my in-laws to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Based on the picture, I do look like my eldest and my husband looks like my youngest. I guess things have evened out when it comes to the looks category. Hehehe!

Goodbye 2010! Hello 2011!

I am so excited because one of the things that is in store for me in the coming year is a new home. Well, if you base that in one of the applications in facebook. Ha! Ha! I am already looking forward to it and we do not have any concrete plans yet. So anyways, just to keep the ball rolling, even if it is almost New Year's Eve, I am surfing around for Mortgage Rates especially First Time Buyer Mortgages.Who knows? Maybe if I keep doing this, my dream, this particular dream will become a reality.  They say that if you do it on New Year's Eve, it will come true. As a child, we were encouraged to jump once the clock points at 12 so we will grow taller.  We did, didn't we?! Haha! So maybe if I keep on searching and comparing Mortgages for First Time Buyers, I will be able to make this come true. 

Ya, I super duper love New Year's Eve because it symbolizes a fresh start. No matter how bad things get in the previous year, it would not matter anymore.. not in the coming year.

4th Month And Counting

My youngest celebrated her 4th month last week.  It was a busy day for us and she almost did not have a cake to commemorate the occasion.  We came home so late! Good thing Goldilocks closed later than usual. So we brought her the standard chocolate chiffon cake that they offer.

Here are the pics!

Making It My Business

I have two girls. Yeah so I guess I should make it my business to know about beauty so I do not have to rush to a salon each and every time they need their hair and make-up done. I can probably show them a trick or two. If only we have Regency Beauty Institute in this country, I will probably get a short course or something. Maybe after a few years, it will be possible because they are continuously expanding, so they might open another school here. I am sure a lot of people, even those who are already experts in this area, will clamor for a slot.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 10217 North Metro Parkway West – Phoenix, AZ 85051

My Baby At 4 Months and 1 Week

From babycenter.com:

Beginning to understand the role of language

Researchers believe that your baby can now understand all the basic sounds that make up his native language. Between this time and 6 months of age, your baby will develop the ability to make some vocal sounds, which means you may hear the words you've been dreaming about, namely "ma-ma" or "da-da." While child development experts say it's too early for your baby to connect those sounds with you and your partner, that won't make hearing them any less exciting.

You can encourage your baby's attempts at communication by mirroring or imitating his expressions and sounds. He may try to imitate you now, too. Say "baa" and he may try to say it back.

Reacting when your baby makes noises or tries to say something will help your baby learn the importance of language. It'll also help him better understand cause and effect. It's great for his self-esteem, too. He'll begin to realize that what he says makes a difference.

Expand on what your baby says and try to give it meaning. For example, you can say, "Yes, that is a ball!" Soon, his "ba" will become "ball."

Time for solid food?

For the first four to six months of life, your baby gets all the nutrients he needs from breast milk or formula. Still, parents are often eager to start their babies on solid food.

It's true that your baby's digestive tract is more developed now and his tongue-thrust reflex is starting to fade, so it seems a logical time to start feeding him some solids, such as pureed baby food or cereal. But there are good reasons to wait, too.

Starting solids later may cut down on possible allergic reactions, and ensures that breast milk or formula won't get crowded out of your baby's diet. And if you're hoping that eating solids will help your baby sleep through the night, studies have shown that you can't count on that happening.

The debate over when to start solids continues. If you're unsure about when to introduce them to your baby, talk to his doctor.

There was a time last week when I heard her say .. ma. I do not know if she was calling me or it was just a coincidence but I know what I heard so maybe she did say it. Hehehe!  I guess now I know what I should do to encourage her.  When it comes to starting solids, I do not know about that especially at this stage of her life. My baby has to wait until she is 6 months or more.

Spreading The Christmas Cheer

Isn't this house nice? It is situated near where we live.  This house was actually featured in one of the morning tv shows. 

In the morning, you will not really notice this house but it transforms at night as you can see. In fact, I think it has become a tourist attraction as many vehicles stopped by and parked just like we did to have their pictures taken.  The owners of the house did their share when it comes to spreading the Christmas cheer.

More Christmas Pictures

My daughter has a lot of Christmas pictures this year. It would seem that she likes to have her picture every chance she gets.  We are just happy to oblige her though the next time she wants to have her picture taken, she can use my old camera.

Moments such as these are priceless. Though I sometimes get lost in the moment because I seem to be concerned or preoccupied with other things such as taking care of my baby.  So there are times when it was just her and her dad and looking at these pictures taken by her dad make me sad because I was there but I was not with her to share her moment.  I must make a mental note to myself regarding this.  Moments such as these are just like when you get to buy gold bullion. There are times when the chances  are there but we let these moments to invest pass us by. Such a regret!

Missing Wheels

They were born on the same year so I always treat them as my twins even if Eli is my sister's son. hehhehe! I have always wanted to have twins and I guess my dream is always being answered because every time I give birth I always have a sister who gives birth on the same year.  It is so sad that we won't be spending Christmas with you Eli. Hehe! Chengks  misses you already.

So anyways, this picture was taken at McDonald's CnB Mall.

It Is Time For Website Optimization

The end of the year is near and so we must think of ways to make ourselves better, even in just one aspect of our lives. That is one thing that I have noticed with thinkbigsites.com, they have improved their website.  It is bigger and better.  If they can do it, so should I.  Since I have been dormant when it came to earning this year. I plan to be more proactive when it comes to earning financially next year. Hehehe! Besides, I want so many things! This is the reason why I want to vamp my sites.  I want to get the services of ThinkBIGsites.com for website optimization and organic search engine optimization. It is time to step up or else I will be left behind. It is a good thing that think big has SEO packages that I can consider.

Wise people have said that if you should dream, you should dream big. So let us all think of what we want to have and do but this time make it bigger and better.  By doing so, it will inspire you (me) to work hard for it.  Just think of it this way, if other people can do it, so can you.   I can go back to the bandwagon of earning big via the world wide web! I have done it before, I can do it again.  Go! Go! Go!

At Peace

Like what I said in one of my previous posts.. I am so thankful I have them because they make my life easier as a mom who exclusively breastfeeds the baby.  As proof, here I am wearing my nursing mom cover and my saya baby carrier at the same time.  As you can see I was able to finish my dinner at Mr. Choi's in peace. Hehehe!

Incomplete On Christmas

I am so sad. I just learned that my sister, her husband and baby will be spending Christmas Eve at Cavite (where her in-laws are).  This is the most incomplete Christmas ever.  I wonder if we should also spend our Christmas eve with my in-laws since we are always rushing back and forth during Christmas Eve. There was even a year when I just stayed at home because I haven't finished wrapping those gifts yet. This made my sister-in-law a little disappointed because she really value these family gatherings. Sometimes what my in-laws do is celebrate in advance so we are included in the celebration. Maybe this year is the year when we can make up for our absences in the past years.

But what about my mom and those who are left behind.  What if we just leave my mom and my sisters, who will be left to spend Christmas by themselves, merlot wine or champagne? Will it make-up for our absence? Hehe! I cannot drink anyways since I am breastfeeding but they sure can. I hope that my mom will not feel too bad about it. I know she loves wines. In fact, I have seen her check out Tidingsmag.com for the wine reviews.  It is a food and wine magazine. In fact you can make your own white wine and red wine because it has recipes for wines too.  These wine will taste like it came direct from napa valley. A very useful site for food and wine lovers. Anyways, I still have a few days to think about our schedule for Christmas eve and discuss it with hubby.

My Incomplete Family Year 2010

A few days ago, before my dad left for the USA, we had a pictorial session at home.  This is our incomplete Christmas family picture for the year 2010. Hehe!

A sample of one of our wacky shots. This picture was grabbed from my sister's fb account. I smile every time I look at this.

My sisters Bex and Che, my brothers Iggy and Jay (brother-in-law), my nephews Cai, Enzo, Aaron and Andrew were not present for it. Sayang!

Increase Website Traffic To My Blogs

Since I stopped doing online work this year, I plan to remedy that next year. I have so many plans and I need money to do them. Hehehe! I just wish that I can still be a stay-at-home mom and accomplish all my goals for the next couple of years. This is the reason why I am learning all I can about  increasing traffic, search engine optimization and all that.  These are all important especially if you want to direct traffic to your site. Why is this important? For money. More traffic equals more money.

So anyways, I can learn all that and be hired by a search engine optimization company especially if I am going to be good in it or I can make my own website, think of a theme or a small business and hire one to do it for me. The latter is the easy way and I am so glad I have that option because I really want to increase website traffic not only for my planned site but for my 3 blogs as well. It is time that I think big so I can accomplish big.

Thank God for thinkBigsites.com! They have all these ways to direct traffic to a website. You name it, they have it. In fact, they are experts when it comes to it, including organic search engine optimization.So am I really worried about next year and my plans for the coming years? Nah, it is because I can think Big with ThinkBIGsites.com.

With Mr. Potato Head

My daughter with Mr. Potato Head a couple of months ago. Cute noh?

Christmas Dinner

This is going to be the saddest Christmas ever because we will not be complete. I am already thinking of spending the eve of Christmas too at my in-laws so as not to feel the absence of those who will not be at the house on the 24th.  My eldest sister is already planning on drinking on the 24th. Heheh! I, on the other hand, am checking out cookie recipes and cake recipes. Though, I haven't even baked before. So I am wondering if now is the good time to start since only a few will get to taste it.  I guess not. I should leave baking to my mom. She knows how to bake and she does it really well.

However, even if I do not know how to bake, I should at least contribute even one viand. Thank God for tidingsmag.com because they have all kinds of recipes from all over the world ranging from very easy dinner recipes, easy dinner recipes to really difficult ones for the experts.   Or better yet, maybe I should just give money, as part of our contribution, so as not to ruin everybody's Christmas dinner. Heheh!

If we will not be complete come Christmas, we will be around 90% complete on New Year. This is okay with me.  Years ago, we make it a point to be around each other come Christmas time but spend New Year's at different places  (in-laws, etc.)  This year it will be the other way around. Although my dad will still be absent due to a business opportunity that he wants to check out at the USA and my nephews who will be spending their holidays with their dad.

My Christmas Gifts

Yey! I have already received my Christmas gifts from hubby! Lol! The first one is cash so I can buy myself anything that I wanted which I did. I bought my kids a lot of stuff. Hehe! Do not tell him because he wanted me to buy things for myself. I could not think of anything that I wanted and so I bought my kids stuff and shopping for them (like there is no tomorrow) made me really happy. The second one I received tonight. He got me a kodak easyshare camera.

Not the camera I really wanted but it will do for now. Hehe! My other camera (canon ixus), which he also he gave as a Christmas gift 2 (maybe 3) years ago I think,  is no longer in its prime condition but is still usable so I guess my daughter has her own camera now.

What can I say but thanks! Yey!

Food For Christmas Eve

There are only a few days left until Christmas. I wonder what my in-laws will prepare for the noche buena feast?  I wonder what are we going to contribute as well?  It is a known fact that I am limited when it comes to my cooking skills. This is the reason I am panicking as to what our contribution will be. I am already checking out several recipes on the world wide web, specifically at Tidingsmag.com, where they have several recipes including chicken recipes and healthy recipes which are perfect because my in-laws especially my mother-in-law and my father-in-law are quite concerned with the results of their recent doctor's check-up. Their numbers for  cholesterol and blood pressure are not what they expected, so they are keeping tabs on what they eat. I am really quite surprised because they always seem to have a healthy diet most of the time. They prefer veggies and fish over other things, which I admire, so this came as  a shock to me. 

Anyways, I am thankful that I no longer have to look at several different sites just so I can come up with a healthy meal that can be eaten by all. Thanks Tidingsmag.com for making it easier for me. Hehehe! I love how you were able to categorize and compile the different recipes. I especially love the levels of difficulty because I can choose one of the very easy recipes, which is great for my skill level!  Yay!

Tsokolate

We sure do love our chocolates. Check out this hot chocolate drink

.... and this yummy chocolate cake slice.

yummy! It certainly cured my chocolate cravings for that day.

Things I Am Grateful For

There are a lot of baby things that I am so glad that we have to help make things easier for me and the baby.  I am  so thankful I have given birth in this generation because of them. They are the following:

• 1. my nursing cover from nursing mom (even if it is a little more expensive than the other brands, I am still thankful i have it. ... it made me physically decent at public places)
• 2. stroller -  for obvious reasons
• 3. my saya versatek baby carrier (especially during the times when my baby wants to be carried and when we are out. I can shop, browse around for things and eat even when I am carrying her.)  She loves it too.  Actually I do not really believe in "not" carrying the baby especially when he or she wants to be carried. Babies (as well as adults) need to be touched. Besides, babies do not stay as babies for long. Time flies by so fast that before you know it, your baby no longer wants to be carried.  Plus, a need met is a need fulfilled so why not fulfill a need at this stage of your baby's life.
• 4. swaddle blankets- swaddling the baby comforts her.  I remember there was this breastfeeding channel at MMC. We watched the channel almost every day when I was confined after I have given birth. It explained the benefits of swaddling and even gave tips on how to swaddle the baby.
• 5. infant car seat - So I do not have to leave her behind
• 6. manzanilla oil (to keep my baby's tummy and feet warm) - I always apply it to my baby after she has taken a bath. It prevents colic I think.

I remember, especially with the nursing cover, an older woman approached me while I was feeding the baby. She said that I am so lucky because during her time it did not exist so  I guess many women during her time did not breastfeed outside of their homes because of embarrassment or fear of being exposed to the world.

Sunday Stealing: The Ninja Meme Part 2

26. Whose responses to Stealing do you want to read the most? Buddy's

27. What color shirt are you wearing? peach

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? yes

29. Can you whistle? yes

30. Favorite colors(s)? pink, light blue, purple

31. Could you be a pirate? I think I can.

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? Just this morning, I sang the songs in Moulin Rouge.

33. Favorite girls name? Francesca, Keisha, Chloe, Bianca, Blair

34. Favorite boy’s name? Miguel, Joaquin

35. What’s in your pocket right now? I do not have any pockets now.

36. Last thing that made you laugh? The game that we played yesterday... it was funny seeing my girl teammates make their significant others laugh.

37. Best bed sheets as a child?  I do not really remember.

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had?  The worst? Hmmm. none.. all I had were normal bumps and bruises from being careless.  Do my cs injuries after the operation count? Haha! If it counts, then that would be it.

39. Do you love where you live? yeah.

40. How many TVs do you have in your house? How many HDTVs? 8 I think. HDTVs, 2.

41. Who is your loudest friend? Janet

42. How many dogs do you have?  I do not have any dogs. Although my mom has lots.

43. Does anyone have a crush on you? None

44. What are the most fun things you ever did? Shop, go to theme parks, etc.

45. What are your favorite books? Calvin and Hobbes comic book series, Garwood books, Mcnaught books, etc.

47. Favorite Team?  my team. hehe!

48. What songs do you want played at your funeral? Lay me down

49. What were you doing at 12 AM? last night? I think I was already sleeping.  I was super tired from yesterday's Christmas party at church.

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Is my baby hungry?

So Behind

I am so behind when it comes to my Christmas shopping.  I haven't bought any gifts yet except for my 2 kids. There were just too many things to do and I must admit that it is harder to go around and shop because I always have my 2 kids with me.  Since I am breastfeeding, I have to stop almost every hour. So that makes it physically impossible for me to line up at the cashier and the gift wrapping section.  Plus you can almost always find me at the section where there are no people so you can just imagine what they sell at those areas.  Hehehe! So anyways, if I could I would go out tomorrow and buy some of my relatives their gifts.  I plan to buy hubby's nephew one of those Stetson hats. They are so "in" these days. You can see them almost everywhere. There are different versions or designs but they are there especially at Christmas parties.  Do not tell my hubby that I wrote it down here but I saw him bring home one after attending one of their clients' party. Ha ha! Too bad I did not get to see him wear it. Lol!

My Daughters' Firsts

This is Ramiel's first pair of shoes.  This faded glory pair of white infant shoes were given to her by her Lola Jet. Just one of the things that she brought home to my baby.  You can say that I finally let the piles and piles of socks that look like shoes take a breather for awhile whenever we are out.

While this is Cheska's first time to drink this.

... what can I say she loved every sip of it.

On Christmas Break

I can finally take a breather. My daughter is on her Christmas vacation starting today. So I do not need to wake up early. I can sleep in until January 2.  Her first day of school for the year 2011 is January 3.  I promised myself I will take it easy this vacation.  No more school-related stress. Hehehe! How did she do for this quarter? I am not really sure. Maybe she did not do as well as last quarter but it's okay. Her lessons were really hard for their level.  I will be just as glad if she passed at all. Hahaha! I do not want to put pressure on her as early as now.  The fact that we studied for all of her exams is enough for me.  If I have all the money in the world I will reward her whether or not she got high grades. I will even buy gold bullions for her. As of now, we can only reward her if she did an excellent job on anything whether it is on academics or otherwise.

Happy Birthday Cai

I would like to give a shout-out to my nephew Cailers! Happy, happy birthday Cai! You are now 3 but you sure look like you are 5. Hehehe! Such a big boy. You take after your parents. You may be kulit but you sure are adorable. Nobody can resist you. In fact, you are everybody's favorite just like your mom. Be a good boy always ha. We love you very much.

Part-ee! Par-tee!

Sad Day

It is a sad day really and I do not know if I approve of the court's decision of the release of the accused rapists of Carmela Vizconde because nobody knows for sure whether or not they are guilty because the truth is no one is there (except for the rapists/killers and the victims) when it happened.  The only ones who can tell who they are, are already 6 feet under the ground. One thing I know is I do not want to be in the position of the father of Carmela.  It is like being back to the moment when he found out that his family was massacred.  What a sad, sad day.  I heard that he almost fainted when he heard about the release of the accused.  I am hoping there were people with him yesterday when he found out. I am also hoping he will not be left alone because I am sure this is extra hard to take. It can be compared to being stabbed again and again and again. I hope somebody gives him a medical alarm. So he will be able to get help when he needs it.  I heard that it has helped a lot of senior citizens live an independent life despite their age.  All they need to do is to press a button and help is automatically on its way which is what Mr. Vizconde needs..

Sunday Stealing: The Ninja Meme Part One

1. What do you add to your coffee? I do not drink coffee.

2. What are you reading now? None.  This blog. Hehe!

3. Do you own a gun? No.

4. Are you registered to vote? Yes.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Yummy

7. Favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night.. since my daughter seems to sing it all the time these days.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?  cold water

9. Can you do push ups? no. Even if I wanted to, I can't. You see I am not allowed.. I just had a major surgery so exercises are not yet allowed.

10. What was the name of your first boyfriend/girlfriend?  Bojie

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelery? these pair of diamond earrings that my mom gave a couple of years back.

12. Favorite hobby? window shopping

13. Do you work with people who idolize you? no

14. Do you have ADD? what's that

15. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself? I am too sensitive these past few weeks.

16. What’s your Middle name? my maiden name

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
                a). i should not answer question number 16 ( i do not really know who most of my readers are or if there are any. hehe).
                 b). i should read a bed time story to my eldest daughter now or else she will wake up late tomorrow morning.
                 c). my youngest daughter fell asleep on her own again. what a darling.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday.  I did not buy anything yesterday. Yey!


19. Name 3 beverages you regularly drink.  Water, coke and iced tea

20. Current worry right now?  our future

21. What side do you dress to? huh?!

22. Favorite place to be? mall (that do not have too many people in it)

23. How did you bring in the New Year?  with a smile on my face

24. Where would you like to go? disneyland with my kids but my youngest is still to young to travel

25. Name three people who will see today. since it is night time already, the people I will still get to see are my hubby, my eldest daughter and my youngest daughter.

Easy Days And Rough Days

There are good days and there are bad days. There are days when you think that it's all good but then you suddenly feel pain on your right arm for no reason at all.  So your good day turns into a bad day especially if the pain does not go away.  I have those days. I have them a lot. Maybe it is part of my post partum depression. Maybe it's part of me growing old. I do not know. What I know is there are tough days and there are easy days.  Hubby says I should have my arm checked because it is the one that is causing me pain these days.

Sometimes I can deal with the pain.  But sometimes I need a stronger solution than just a firm resolve.  Yeah there are days when I take a painkiller. But most often than not I just let it go away on its own.  I remember during the first month of my pregnancy I wanted to drink this pill that was given to me during my last pregnancy.  It prevents miscarriages  but at that time I was given the prescription a little too late.  Since I already have a history of miscarriages I wanted to be extra careful this time around. I wanted to prevent  a bad thing from happening again. However, I have already forgotten what it was called. Though I had a couple of pills in my handbag that were for that purpose. I just was not aware which ones should I take. I needed a pill identifier.  I did not want to wait for the morning to come because it was midnight then. To be extra sure that I was taking the right medicine, I googled it and used this pill identifier site.  So anyways, to make the long story short when we got to the doctor the next day. She also prescribed to me the exact same medicines that I took the previous night. She ordered me to take the medicines 3x a day as a precautionary measure.

So at that time I was super grateful that I can rely on a pill identifier especially since I can no longer rely on my memory for details. You can be sure that I will be making use of it again especially when the occasion calls for it. Though it is always best to ask your doctor first before taking anything especially if you do not have any clue as to what you should take. 

Saturday 9: Reason To Believe

1. Has anyone asked you to believe in something that called for a huge leap of faith on your part? Yes

2. When is the last time you moved? Why did you move? Last year, we moved from one room to another room because it's bigger.

3. Malls? ..or one Internet? Are you doing more online shopping this year? The polls say we are, but I'm curious about what the real people are doing. Definitely the mall though there was a time last month when I almost shopped online. There wasn't any paypal payment option on the site which is the reason why I did not go through with it.

4. Do you remember the first meme you participated in and if so, what was it?I can no longer remember. There were a lot of memes before.

5. If you could invent something, what would it be? probably a device or a gadget that would make mommies with babies more mobile. Something that will make shopping or traveling easier for the mommies.

6. Are you finished with your shopping? Do you still a few things to go? What? Not even a game plan? ...or is there just one person you're having trouble finding something for?  I barely even started with my shopping.

7. What's left to do at your place (or where you are going)? Is the tree up? ...or maybe you're just happy you found the Christmas coffee mug and are calling that good? I plan to buy a Christmas coffee mug. Hehehe!

8. Is your life turning out the way you thought it would when you were a kid? If not, is it better or worse? Nope I have envisioned something else when I was a kid.  When I was a kid I have always thought that I would be dead by the year something something. So you be the judge if its better or worse.

9. Tell us about something you'll miss about 2010.  my pregnancy

Swimming Plans

Just right now I am thinking of the time when I can bring my youngest to a swimming pool preferably a warm one. There is this place near here where we can bring her. It is a water spa. But I just do not know when should that be. I should ask for a go-signal from her doctor just to be sure. My eldest is itching to go. She hasn't been to one for less than a year already and she wants to go. She likes water you see and she loves to swim so it has been a sacrifice to her not to go.

Actually, there are lots of places where we can bring them since there are a lot of resorts nearby but I like it there because of the cleanliness of the place. You can actually see how well-kept it is by their employees. Everybody who works there wears spa uniforms. The owner must be getting their stuff including uniform jackets at iDbyLandau.com because I have seen the exact same ones at the site. The reason why I noticed because I really like the different kinds of uniforms that they sell at iD by Landau. They even sell hotel uniforms. And we all know how nice and distinguished the people who work there. There was even a time when I considered working at a hotel as an HR Officer just because of the uniform.

A Bewildering Moment

I do not know if this is going to scare you or what... but the hand is back.......

This morning I was still in a half-asleep, half-awake state. So my eyes were half open and I saw my husband dressing up. Actually, he was already dressed. He was seated on the edge of our bed putting on his socks. I am usually awake but I was sleeping in because my eldest did not have school today. So anyways, I saw a wrinkled brown (dark brown) hand on his back. It was not just the hand but the hand and the arm. It looked like a tree branch. It was not connected to anything or anyone. It was just that.  It was on the left part of his back. It was positioned diagonally.  It was moving and tapping his back. I saw it for a second or two because I closed my eyes for a second because I could not believe it. When I opened my eyes it was gone. So I asked my husband if he had any back pains. He said he had back pains on the upper part of his back. He showed me where and it was the exact place where the hand was.  I do not know if it was coincidence or if the hand was a dream or what but I could not believe the coincidence.  I told him what I saw and you know what he did? He danced (to take the edge off most probably). He did a Michael Jackson dance.

I do not know which is scarier. You be the judge. Lol!

Welcome Baby V!

Can I just welcome the newest addition to the family? Welcome to the family Baby Vincent! You are such a cutie! You are so precious! The long hours of labor is so worth it when you came out. I saw your mom after and she did not look at all like she had a hard time. It was because of you.  You are worth it. It is just like when a person gets to buy gold coins. You will never ever regret that you bought them and be quite glad that you have invested in them.

So anyways, I know that you will break a lot of hearts in the future just like your mom who broke a lot of hearts while she was growing up. Just don't break your  mommy's heart okay? Hehehe! I am really hoping that you and baby ramiel will be super close just like your cousins Eli and Cheska who were born on the same year too.

If ever, our nicks will sound the same, yours will be baby v, mine is tita b! Lol!

Welcome to the world baby vinci.

Friday Fill-Ins

So far, so good.. the day has turned out to be quite uneventful which is fine with me. It was a rough morning but after I have rationalized everything in my head, I am okay now.

1. I wish I am free of all my problems. Let me change that because that is not a nice wish. I wish I win the lotto. Hehehe!

2. Yeah...that's what I'm thinking.

3. Please bring me chocolates in any form because I really, really need it.

4. She is so amazing.

5. One of my fondest hopes is to grow old with my girls.

6. You know that I just wanted to say thank you.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to wrapping some of my daughter's Christmas presents for her classmates and teachers, tomorrow my plans include buying 2 more gifts for the teacher aides and the ingredients to the pasta dish that she is assigned to bring for the Christmas party next week and Sunday, I want to review my daughter for her periodical exams on Monday!

Good Luck J!

I would like to give a shout-out to my favorite niece, Julia. She is going to do something tomorrow and I want to wish her the best of luck or should I say break a leg?!  She knows what I mean. I really hope she does well because this is really what she wants. I hope that you and your family will wake up really early in time for it because you will still travel quite a distance to get to it. If all goes well, should we call any of the Moving Companies around your area? Hehehhe!  We all know that you will be physically separated from your parents especially for most parts of the week. So just like I said before, maybe your parents will be buying a house to be nearer to where you will be at.

Actually, she is already doing something now. She is performing at school as part of being a Glee Club Member. I was not able to come because there was something that I had to do. I promise I will be there next friday for your performance at the Shang.  Save me a seat huh or rather 3 seats.

Anyways, do you know that I really admire you because at such a young age you already know what you want? It is a good thing too that your parents have the means to support what you want to do. So do not forget to thank them for their love and support. Show them the proper respect that they deserve because that's all that they want from you. Though I know that you are already doing that. I just want to reiterate it. Hehehe!

Our little girl has grown up already. Though she is still childlike with some of her ways. She has these funny little dances that would shock all of us and bring out a chuckle in all of us.

Basta have fun and do your best! Good luck!

This is her with my baby Ramiel. Picture taken last weekend.

This is us. Picture taken the other day during my brother's birthday celebration. More on that later.

The Dwight Twiley Meme

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry? Despicable Me

2. The fictional character most like you? Hehehe! Secret!

3. The greatest album, ever?  Michael Jackson's album

4. Star Trek or Star Wars? Why? Star Wars because it is more interesting to me.

5. Your ideal brain food? chocolates and nuts

6. Everyone is proud of a certain accomplishment, which one for you?? being a mom to my 2 kids

7. You want to be remembered for ...? being a great mom

8. Let's talk about recording artists. Who do you find the most inspirational? hillsong

9. The creative masterpiece you wish bore your signature?  I do not really know.. any song that can inspire people to change for the better

10. Your hidden talents . . .? singing.. nyahaha!

11. The best piece of advice you actually followed? trust no one.

12. The best thing you ever bought, stole, or borrowed? as of now, my nursing cover and my saya baby carrier

13. What is the most comfortable clothes that you wear? shirt and pants

14. Your dinner guest at the Ritz would be? my hubby and my kids

15. Time travel: where, when and why? here, year 2000 or was it year 2001, secret

16. Stress management: hit man, spa vacation or Prozac? spa vacation

17. Essential to life: coffee, vodka, cigarettes, chocolate, or . . .? chocolate

18. Environment of choice: city or country, and where on the map? canada

19. What do you want to say to the leader of your country?  you are doing a good job so far. keep it up!

20. Last but certainly not least, what are you working on, now? this meme. heheh!

Keeping Ourselves Occupied

A lot of things have been happening off line that I  no longer have time to blog. Whenever I do, I sleep.    My youngest is getting to be quite a handful since she is awake for longer periods of time. My eldest needs me too because of her exams that do not seem to end. So she still has her periodicals for the subjects Language and Filipino.  Like what I have said before, you will not believe the topics that they are assigned with. Hay!

I am also proud to say that she is quite a good reader now. Even my older sister commends her on her reading. Yey! She loves to read so I buy her books whenever we go out. I also buy my youngest baby her set of books but of course "ate" reads them to her.

This picture was taken last week while waiting for our food.

Actually, we were not only waiting for the food but the daddy too who was coming to meet us straight from the office.  Since the food and hubby took longer than I expected, I was so glad that my eldest can entertain my youngest while being entertained and occupied at the same time.  I kept myself occupied too by reading some things online via my phone (since the mall offers free wi-fi). So I was able to update myself on celebrity gossip especially this famous actress who apparently needs  a couple of Houston DWI lawyers to help bail her out of her "special situation".  She should be thankful that there are lawyers such as these.  Anyways, my reading had to stop because my youngest needed me.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. The best thing about a birthday celebration is being able to celebrate it with friends and family.

2. Watch out for the passage of time.

3. I went shopping recently and the most interesting thing I bought was this body suit that has a pajama and a bib, It was the most interesting because it was so cheap!  You will not believe how much it cost. I was not able to resist it.

4. Have you tried a child's game lately.

5. The reason is nonsensical.

6. Wishing for snow and cold.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting, tomorrow my plans include reviewing my daughter for her exams next week and Sunday, I want to buy these items that my daughter needs to bring to school on Monday!

Web Hosting Needs For Small To Medium Sized Businesses

A friend of mine has been asking  me about blogging and having one's own domain. What are the advantages and disadvantages and what are the benefits of having one instead of using one that is free.  I told her there are a lot of benefits of having one. In fact one can even go as far as web hosting. It is  not that hard since one can always rely on www.superb.net for hosting needs. You can expect many services from managed hosting to colocation.  It is really advisable to go to superb.net especially if you are not that familiar with web hosting and you would like to get into it. 

Personally I am thinking of putting up my own small business and I plan to use the world wide web as a back-up to promote it.  So yeah you could say that I am looking into superb.net too especially since it will make everything easier.

Stressful Month

You will not believe my eldest daughter's schedule for the month of December. All of her school days comprise of long tests and quarterly tests for this month. Just for today she is scheduled to take her long test or what they call unit test 2 for the subjects Reading and Math.  Tomorrow she has Language and Filipino.  On Friday, the quarterly tests will commence with CLE or Christian Living Education. Hmm.  I forgot what subjects are scheduled on the days after that. Talk about s.t.r.e.s.s. What I can remember is the Christmas party will be on the 15th and the Christmas vacation will start on the 16th so she will be able to rest for a couple of weeks.  I guess I will have to start wrapping her Christmas gifts for her classmates. I already bought them a couple of weeks before I gave birth because I knew I will not be able to buy gifts after I have given birth. But before  I wrap, I should prepare my daughter's reviewer for her exams tomorrow before she gets home today.

Spreading The Love On The 1st Day of December

It is the start of the month and I want to give positive vibes to everybody out there even if I am not feeling it myself. I do not know what it is but I do not think I am the only one who is feeling this way. It must be in the air. It must be because Christmas is already near and we all have our issues to deal with. I do not want to spread more pain and despair. But instead I want to spread peace and joy to all mankind. Haha! That's what we are supposed to do even if we do not really feel it.  So Merry Christmas everyone!

Anyways, what I plan to do today is to start the month right by paying off my credit card debt, at least for this month anyways.  I really need to have a Debt Management Plan so I can be free from any financial obligations when it comes to my cards. I must admit that I have been using them again because of all the cutesy stuff that I have been seeing in the mall. I cannot help buying stuff not only for my youngest daughter but for all the other babies too.  So I think I went a little overboard. Hehe! This is the reason why I need Free Debt Advice. I never needed it before but I think I do now. I am so glad I can get IVA information from justclearmydebts.com.

Talk about ending my year right and starting the year 2011 right too.