Something New

Time really goes by so fast.  A lot of new things going on.

First of all, we now have a new automated Hematology machine in the clinic.  Patient diagnosis has never been easier.  We were fortunate to have acquired this machine during our holiday trip back to Manila.  It is a big investment but it is worth it. We are slowly reaping the benefits.  Busy is always good when you have your own clinic. 

Second, the kids are finally enrolled!  Tomorrow is their first day of formal class.  We have brought them to the school several times just to get them acquainted with the place, the teachers and the other kids as well.  I am so glad they like to come back.  We had fun shopping for their school supplies, with them having a choice of what they want.  All things are labeled and neatly arranged, even their clothes are ready.  I think I am more excited than my boys.  I hope they would have a really good schooling experience. 

Holiday Rant

November has gone really fast.  Went back to Manila to escort a patient.  I was so happy to be home even for just 5 days.  It was swift and busy, not a moment wasted. 


Then came December, slow December.  I've always been excited during the holiday season.  Now that I'm working, I dread it. Holiday means no income.  To top it off, I think Papua New Guinea has the most lazy government.  Every little thing is celebrated and declared a non-working Holiday.  I am feeling the crunch of paying my employees' undeserved holiday pay.  Imagine, they get to have 10 days of paid non-working holiday, while I on the other hand, lose income.  It's not good from my standpoint.  I'd rather work!  Never thought of myself as a workaholic, but when you need to pay the bills, the more patients the better.

The only thing that excites me this holiday is to see the look on my kids' faces when they open up their presents.  Other than that, I wish it were January already.

!@*?":P

Feels like ranting but I couldn't release what I want to say. The past few days just pushed me off the edge.  I'm just irritated, tired, and mad as hell. I'm running out of patience. That's all I can say.  Now, I'm getting home sick.  Wish my dad and mom were here.

Adios, Mi Abuela Julia

My Apo Julia was laid to rest today.  She was 95 years old.  Apo is the best grandmother one can ever have.  She was caring, thoughtful and very loving to her kids, grand kids and great grand kids. I am her youngest grandchild, and my dad is her youngest son.  We were spoiled rotten by her.  I remember she once told me that she wouldn't go to rest until she sees me give birth.  She did not only wait for me to give birth but she was able to see my kids too.  Even though she already had senile dementia and could not really recognize people that are even close to her, she still knows and seek for my kids.  It's unfortunate that I was not there to bring her to her final destination.  I will surely miss her and all the things she has done for us.  I will always keep you in my heart, Apo.  Rest in peace +

A hard habit to break

I'm officially hooked to online shopping!
Living in Papua New Guinea, there isn't much here in terms of shopping.  In fact there's nothing here!
For the past few years, for us to get a decent piece of clothing, we had to buy our things whenever we go home to the Philippines.  From clothes, shoes, toys and the ever important underwear, we had to get from somewhere else.  So imagine my happiness when finally, I was able to order "the necessities" from the internet.  It opened a whole new world for us.  It made living in PNG more pleasant and comfortable.
Now, I'm thinking of making a business out of this compulsion.  I would love to be someone else's personal shopper.  Doing what I do best and getting paid for it?...Not bad at all.   

Down and out

I miss blogging. Things have been busy lately that I rarely find time to organize my thoughts...much more put it into writing. The stress is too much lately.  I've been down with Malaria two times in a months time.  As if I haven't had enough, Flu came in next.  What's going on?  Is my body telling me to slow down, or perhaps de-stress a little? 
Anyway, I am well now.  Thank God for that!  I miss playing with my kids and doing my daily routine.  I wouldn't want to stay sick forever.

My Bestfriend's Wedding

I have waited a long time for this moment to arrive so imagine the excitement when my best friend, Joy told me about it.  I was literally jumping and screaming with delight.  I haven't seen her in a long time and I don't really know much about her anymore.  For her to ask me to be her Matron of Honor, still is a big deal for me.  I know that she already have some new set of close friends that could probably relate to her more...but best friends will always be best friends no matter what the distance.

As the wedding day drew near, I prepared myself and flew to Manila.  I am by the way living in Papua New Guinea now.  I'll only be in Manila for one short week and really have so many things to do.  First thing I did was to call her and ask if she needs me to do something for her.  She just asked me to go to the couturier and fit my gown for repair.  She also reminded me to prepare a speech for the party.  Now, this was harder than I thought.  Come wedding day, I went straight to the church where the ceremony would be.  Everybody they hold dear were there, and I was happy to be amongst the witnesses.  This was the first time I'll be meeting the groom.  I don't really know much about him.  When I saw Eric, he greeted me as if we have known each other forever.  That was a nice feeling, and I can sense some good vibes from him.  I can tell that he really is a good man, worthy of my best friend.
 

The entourage was already inside the church and getting ready to march, I still haven't seen Joy.  Finally, her car arrived and she peeped thru the slightly open window and called me.  When I saw her, my heart pounded really hard...this is the most beautiful she has ever been.  We hugged and got teary eyed, holding back tears just so we can save our make-ups.  Standing, waiting for her to make an entrance I keep telling myself that I will not cry.  But as I saw her coming near, I just couldn't help myself.  I let go of a river of tears...of happiness of course.  This was the day we have dreamed off and it turned out really well.

While we were all waiting for the newlyweds to arrive at the reception, I took the time to make my speech.  Yes, I only did it then when I had a year to prepare for it.  Anyway, I wasn't able to eat because I was anticipating that they'd call my name anytime for the speech.  A very bored crowd, two song numbers and five speeches later, they call me.  I had my piece written so I wouldn't choke but as soon as I took my place in the podium and looked at the couple, I started trembling.  I got so emotional that I was not able to read what I have prepared.  Damn those tears!  The best part though is when I was done with my speech, almost everyone was in tears and applauding.  So, I think I did a good job, and delivered a heartfelt message to them.    After all the crying comes party time! It truly was a lovely and memorable night.

 

It is time

I'm back! Remember the secret I've been keeping since January...here it is. You can see me on this months' issue of SMART PARENTING magazine. This was taken last January 5, 2007 when I was still 7 months pregnant with my twins. The bulge is gone now and I've already given birth last February 16, 2007, 1:09am and 1:10 am to two adorable boys.
It was around 10:30pm, I was watching Maging Sino Ka Man at home with my mom while munching on some peanuts when I felt the urge to urinate. I tried to slide out of the bed when my waterbag broke. At first I thought it was just urine but when I stood up, lots of water came gushing out. I told my mom, "Manganganak na yata ako." She started to panic, called my dad who started to panic too. I called my husband on his mobile phone and asked him to go home immediately for I might go into labor. Then we called my OB, she told us to proceed to the hospital and have myself admitted. It was not until 11pm that my husband arrived and we went to UST hospital. I was brought directly to the labor room, had my contractions monitored, had an UTZ and I.E.. Both are still in breech position. When the Anesthesiologist arrived, I got transferred to the O.R., and had a CS.
My baby boy Holiday got delivered at 1:09am followed by baby boy Hunter at 1:10am.
Finally, they're out and I was already put to sleep after taking a glance at them.

Counting down

I've been a little busy this past week doing what i do best, shopping! Funny how one's priorities change when you have a child to think about, more so if you're having two. With all the sale going on, I couldn't buy something for myself. I'm feeling guilty about spending. However, I feel like I'm in shopping heaven when I'm at the kids department buying things for my babies needs. I only have a few weeks to prepare for their arrival and when that time comes, I want to be ready. My dad has been so patient driving me around town. He's not much of a traveller and he definitely hates going to the mall. I know he's also as thrilled as I am that's why he gives in to my requests. Talk about emotional black mail.

Anyway, I met with my bestfriend yesterday. She's the first person I have on my list of Godmothers for the twins. Probably, the best one for the job. It's unfortunate that we didn't have the luxury of time to spend together this time. Nevertheless, I'm glad for the time we had however short it was.

Counting down, just 3 more weeks before J arrives, and 7 weeks to go before I give birth to my babies. I hope we make it to 37 weeks. Time flies.

P.S. I've got a little secret and it won't be out til April.

Welcome 2007

Happy New Year, everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful feast.
Having to celebrate the holidays without J was hard. Though I had my parents and his siblings to cheer me up, it's not the same without him. I tried to show I'm happy but the longing kept haunting me when I'm alone. Still, I'm doing my best to face each day with glee and excitement for my babies sake.
As for me, I started a countdown...
4 weeks until Jayson is back, 8 weeks until my babies come out!

Halfway There

Thank God! I'm halfway through the pregnancy. The twins are doing well, growing right, and healthy. The OB-Sonologist said that we might be having two little boys but she hasn't confirmed it to us yet, not until the sixth month when we can see the organs more clearly. Nevertheless, we were happy to know of the possibility of having boys. So thrilled, I started buying some baby clothes in neutral colors.
Every week, my belly is getting an inch larger. I got my appetite back. I'm starting to feel those back pains and leg cramps and it's getting harder to sleep and breathe. I'm not complaining though. I love being pregnant!
Anyway, my husband, Jayson just left for Papua New Guinea yesterday. It wasn't an easy thing to go through especially with the hormones I'm battling with. Emotions ran high and I just couldn't stop crying. I miss him every second of the day. I'm so used to him by my side that I feel incomplete. I know that he'll do what he's supposed to do there. I just need to be strong for our babies sake. That's it for now.

It's good to be back!
I just had the longest three days of my life.
Spotting... bright red fresh blood. It scared the hell out of me...and the whole of our clans. There was a dark cloud that hung over us. Having these precious babies in mind, we sought medical help and was admitted for Threatened Abortion (intrauterine bleeding, with or without contractions, a closed cervix and no passage of products of conception). I had to stay at the hospital for two days for observation and complete bedrest (with no bathroom privileges).
At first, I thought the bleeding came from my urinary tract (assuming that I may have a small stone) but the urinalysis didn't confirm my hunch. Fortunately, the ultrasound showed that the twins are doing well, growing fast, very active, and there was no sign of bleeding from within. So, I had to take some medicine and had to be confined to the bedroom for two more months. I can't even go downstairs, much more go to the mall. The price I have to pay is high but I wouldn't want to risk having to lose my little ones. I don't think anybody would want that.
I thought something like this this won't happen to me but it did.
We're just glad that for the meantime, I'm feeling fine.
We're so grateful for the prayers and support that we've been getting from our family and friends. Most of all, I'm so thankful for having a husband like Jayson. I know he's tired but he never once complained.
Got to go and rest now. Til next time.

Love Times Two

Well, what do you know? We're having TWINS!
I'm still at loss for words.
Here they are, making their first appearance.

Credits:
La Vie D'amour kit by Michelle Bradley @ Shelby Digital Design Shoppe
Twine and glass freebie by Sara Carling

Sixth Week

I'm now on my 6th week of gestation. About two weeks ago, I had a hard time sleeping, wondering when my period will come. I've always had a longer than usual cycle (30-33 days) that's why we had to wait a while for us to assume that we're pregnant. The instance that I had the slightest hint was when I had an Implantation Bleeding (pinkish vaginal discharge). At day 35, I started feeling nauseous the whole day so we decided to take a home pregnancy test that night. My heart was pounding hard and fast, I couldn't bare to look as the two lines appeared on the test. I waited a few more minutes, trying to convince myself that this time it's true, it's positive. Slowly. I walked toward my husband to show him the result. I've never seen him that happy for a long while. Finally, we're having a baby! Not long after a few moments of celebrating, we told our parents. They were very joyful as they will be grandparents for the first time.

A week after that here I am, always craving for wanton noodles! Aside from the sore breasts, uncontrollable sleepiness, frequent trips to the lavatory and refrigerator , I'm doing fine. I guess the hormones haven't kicked in much yet. Being pregnant is the best thing that has happened to me so far. I've been informed that getting pregnant with PCOS isn't going to be easy. For a while I started to doubt the possibility. I've been bombarded with medicine just to have the slightest chance of conceiving. I still am under medication and I'm glad I was compliant or else, none of this would have happened.
My dear hubby is so supportive and attentive to my needs and wants. I couldn't ask for a better partner. Anyway, here's a very special thing I did entitled "Sweet Beginning". It's my first pregnancy layout.

Credits:
Hip Mommy Kit by Summer Simmons @ Sugar Giggles

By the way, thank you to everyone who wished us well. We really appreciate all the good things that you have to say. And before I forget, here's something that I want to pass on to other women who is desirous of conceiving a child. I've always said this Prayer for Motherhood before I go to sleep at night. All it needs is a little faith.

Credits:
Quiet Me Down Kit by Valerie Fowler @ The Digichick

Fresh

It's all goood, baby! I'm off to my first Prenatal Check-up.

Are you having a baby?
If you are, there's a new kit by Summer Simmons called Hip Mommy.
It's a funky kit with bright colors and lotsa elements.




You can get it Here.

Something to look forward to

I am NOT dead... at least not yet. I'm so ashamed of leaving my blog empty for a while. Not that I don't have something to tell, I just feel so lazy this past few days. I guess being broke and jobless really pumps out the energy in me. Anyway, I have some great news too.
The clinic inspection went well and is already approved by the PNG Medical Board. But the thing is, they still want us to expand the clinic to accomodate patients from neighbouring provincial hospitals. Wow! Isn't that just awesome news? Before we we're thinking whether we'll be able to have a number of patients. Now, I'm wondering if we could handle the volume. I guess it's better than having no work at all. At least, we have something to look forward to. It's just a matter of time before we get our working Visa which is long overdue. Fixing the requirements held us back for a year...a very long year! Sometimes I wish I could have gone into residency training just to kill time. On the other hand, if I've gone into training it would be harder for us to conceive and have the treatments. In line with that, I'm on my second month of taking 150 mg of Clomiphene Citrate. I must be responding to this dosage because I finally broke the cycle of having PCOS every other month. That alone is good news and if we'll be able to have a baby, that would be a great blessing.

* * *

In othe news, designer Michelle Bradley is having a birthday on the 4th of July! As a birthday treat, she is offering a freebie on her site at Shelby Design Shoppe. Grab it before its gone! It will only be available for a limited time.
Go here in the forum: http://www.shelbydesignshoppe.com/msgboard/index.php?topic=35.0
or Her blog: Shelby Digital Design Shoppe

Mari K is also having a 50% sale over at The Digichick in celebration of her daughter's 2nd birthday. Sale ends on June 30. Lots of great stuff and new kits up for grabs. Don't miss it!

That's it for now! Have a great weekend!

That's my dad!

It's father's day! Happy day to all the father's out there specially to my dad. I'm so broke I wasn't able to prepare something for him. I know he understands...he always does and I'm so grateful. When I was growing up, I wasn't able to see much of my dad. I just see him in the morning before I leave for school and in the evening when I'm about to sleep. He was a workaholic! Nevertheless, when he's not so busy tinkering with his car, he takes me out to go wherever I want. "Wherever" for him means anywhere in Makati. We'd go to church at Greenbelt Park where the chapel is surrounded by a pond. Afterwards, we'd go to Pancake House and order our favorite Taco. I've always known that I'm a spoiled child. I get whatever I want and enjoyed being a child...mostly because of how my dad treated me. I miss those times but right now, I'm enjoying every day that we are together.

Credits:

Super Dad kit by Mari Koegelenberg @ The Digichick

p.s. If you have time, you might want to check out her blog: Mari K Creations . You just might get lucky.

In other news, our clinic in Papua New Guinea has just been approved by the inspector from the medical board. All we need is documentation on their part so we could apply for a working visa. This is great news for us! Eventhough it took longer than we expected, at least there's some progress in that department. We're so excited to go and work our butts off. Then perhaps, there will be better days for us all.

It's My Party

...and I'll cry if I want to. Yep! Today is the day. I'm thirty one and I want to stop counting from here on.
When I was YOUNG-er, I was so excited about my birthday. I couldn't sleep waiting for midnight to come when all my friends would call me up and I'd be on the phone for hours. I used to be excited about a new birthday dress to wear, giddy about the celebration to come. Those were the days.
Today, I'm just happy to wake up to a new day! No birthday cards to read, no presents to open (except for that red envelope mom & dad gave), aside from that I know so well that there's nothing for me today. Dad woke me up with a greeting as I in turn greeted my mom a Happy Mother's Day. It doesn't bother me to share the limelight with all the mothers out there, coz if it weren't for them, there'll be no birthdays. I felt neglected somehow. Mom took off early to go to Pampanga and attend one of my cousin's wedding. Dad opted to stay home with us.
I went to Church early ( which is very rare) with my hubby just to thank the Lord for all the blessings He had showered upon me. I am not a deeply religious person but I know how to give back what God has given me.
Maybe we'll celebrate later. I'm glad Clomiphene hasn't started kicking in yet or else, I'd wind up a famished grouch. I'm feeling...Italian.
I have only one wish for my birthday... **********
I think you know it by now.

Have a great day everyone!
Happy Mother's Day!