Loosing Another Loved One

It's November already and the time is fast approaching for my first born to come into this world. There are also so many things going on in between, like my online job, and a prospect client for a small business I'd like to venture into and my mom's coming over in the next two weeks.

Tonight I cried over one thing... my dog "Snicker". I'm excited that my mom is coming over to see her new grand baby but I'm not that happy to find out that my dog, "Snicker" who will be left behind in Cebu is something my brother does not want to take responsibility in taking care of. I just don't understand why he likes to play with dogs sometimes but does not really have compassion on our pets. He doesn't care about feeding them, and sometime when we were younger, there was a point where I saw him being cruel to animals.

My mom is going to stay here for a short period of time say a month or two to help me with my pregnancy recovery and teach me how to take care of an infant, but at least somebody has to adopt the dog, but since my mom told me last week over the phone that she is also looking into staying in Manila, with some of our relatives it would be better that my dog would either be sold or given away as she can't afford to take the dog with her.

I felt for my dog. After all she was my first baby. When"Snicker" was a puppy she almost died, of dehydration and not eating so I took her to the vet and all my work commission and bonus were spent to have her get well. She grew up and gave birth to six puppies and only two survived. She was the most loyal dog ever. She would even lie under the bed when she sees my father resting when he was sick then. My dog senses it when I'm about to arrive home 'coz my mom would tell me that she would get all excited at the door and she will be the first one to greet me when I arrive home.

I guess I cried because if ever my mom decides not to keep the dog and give it away, I will miss the dog. I already do since I left Cebu, that sometimes I wish she were here so I can play with her when Ive nobody to talk to here. I'm just glad I have a job to keep me busy. The reason why we did not bring her with us is because pet fares for the airplane is very expensive and we can't afford it and besides, snicker will keep my mom company as I will be gone away from her by virtue of marriage.

I don't know if my husband wants to have a dog since he seems like he doesn't want it, or he just doesn't want it yet. He's quite choosy when it comes to the breed of the dog we can take care in the house and my dog is a bit annoying to him as she is the kind who runs around and romps and play. I guess we just don't have the same sentiments about this issue, it may be the reason why nobody understands when I cry over a pet dog.

I guess I just simply love my dog. There are people who do tell me that their dog is better than my dog, because their dog is more behaved than mine or theirs has a nicer breed, their dog is more expensive blah, blah, blah.... but those dogs aren't my dog! Those dogs won't care for me as much as "Snicker" does, and she is loyal to her master.


Sometimes I would imagine her lying on the floor near my son's crib and would growl at anyone who would come near my son as a sign of her protection, like she does to my dad or me when I fall asleep but I guess I wouldn't see that anymore. I guess I'll just get a new puppy then, when my son will almost be a year old, I do intend to have another dog in the house.

I just hope whoever gets my dog will take care of her as much as I did with her then when she was in my care. For now, Bye Snicker, I'll miss you!

The Foods That We Eat and Adventures We Take

There are times where we eat staples and there are times where we are adventurous with our taste buds. I'm just posting pictures from the previous month and this month before the first month of the BER month ends.

 This one is taken at the Manila Temple grounds before attending a session. My belly is on it's 6th month of pregnancy in this photo.

 Sipping on a Rose Flavored Milk Drink at Orchard Garden. It has an interesting taste.

 Paul sipping on a Milo Overload kind of drink, we had Laksa (some kind of Malasian or Thai soup, it was yummy) and Beef and Pepper Rice topping food.

 One time at home, I made Chicken and Beef Enchiladas in tomato Sauce with lots of Cheese.

 During my birthday at Zapatas, Sept 8.

 We had platter of Enchiladas, Tacos, Mexican rice, Refried beans and soup and Quesadillas. Love Mexican Food!

 One time Paul made Sinigang Salmon heads for dinner. It was good.

 Last Saturday Paul and I went on a date at TGI Friday's. Paul ordered this humongous burger with fries.

 These drinks are non alcoholic. His was a cocktail of Green apple and Sprite, Mine is a strawberry and some lemon juices in them.

 I have to share with my husband some of the food in this platter of Mushroom Chicken and Mushroom with Rice Pilaf and Corn Cob. It was too big for me to finish.

 The Fountains look lovely at night. Taken by my hubby behind Marquee Mall.

 More fountain colors.They sure look like candies.

 We headed to Fully Booked, after dinner and fountain watching.... In Cebu, I usually sit on the floor at Fully Booked, along with the other book lovers and spend my time there reading. Here in Pampanga, there's not a lot of People in the bookstore except for a few who came in and out, there are only.. more books.

Just us two, soon enough we'll be three.

Baby Boy! Three Months More To Go

Since I found out I was pregnant I always have a feeling that It's going to be a baby boy. Many friends and acquaintances have already made comments about my belly. Trying to guess what gender the unborn fetus is inside of me.

I've always anted a boy, maybe because I just feel like I don't want to be caught up in girl drama. I don't know why, girls use to be fine or me, but when I was on my first trimester, I just have a heavy feeling about putting on any make up and not even care about how I look. I would just put on clothes that I would feel comfortable in and that's it, I'm all set.

We had an ultrasound last week and the doctor who scanned me has confirmed that we were having a boy. I was happy and my husband was excited.

A few months before the ultra sound, I was be a bit apprehensive about it, maybe I am just not wanting to put my hopes too high of a baby boy if the result would end up having a girl. Looking at my round belly, many who tried to guess my baby's gender are just basing on the old wives tales way in determining whether we're having a boy or a girl. Well, old wives tales are never accurate.

Oh well, all I know is that the hard part during the first trimester is over and in the next three months will be an expectation of labors and pains of child bearing. 

We love our baby boy!

Acquaintances Becoming Friends

I was not much in the mood yesterday and stupidly posted it on facebook. Anyhow, I'm over it this morning so I think I can make it through the day and tomorrow. I just thought of posting some fun stuff that we did some weeks ago from our sight seeing trip to Subic when some friends from the US came to visit. They are couple Jordan and Megan Mendez. Here are a few pictures we had with them from their visit:

 

Here we are at Tree Tops in Subic from left: Dwaine Sanchez, Sheila Jane Jaranilla Sanchez, Me, Megan Mendez, an Jordan Mendez

 Megan and I Climbing a the stairs at "Tree Top," just wanting to see what people do with their falling off the tree activities.

 

 Paul took this shot, with some other friends who came with us. Sheila, Megan, Jordan, Me... at the back there's Dwain and Bong checking out the fishes, Mommy Adona looking after Alex.

My hubby and I with my bid belly, I'll be due 1st week of December.

I met Megan back in the States a few years ago, 6 weeks before I came back to the Philippines. She was single then. So when she emailed me some five months ago telling me she wants to come visit and asking if our husbands could meet. I was a bit apprehensive, since I thought I don't know her that much except for she belongs to my team in the zone.

But when we finally met again when w picked them up from the airport, we really had a fun time and we bonded like old sisters. She was interesting to talk with and I learned from her over our late night chats. He husband Jordan was cool too! they stayed in our house for two nights. We don't have overhead showers so hey too a shower using the ladle, rode on jeepneys and buses, ate together with us for breakfast and dinner.

I hope had enjoyed being with us just the same as we enjoyed having them.

Intimations of Immortality

A perfect little angel that just came into this world three weeks ago, thus the name "Cielo" for heaven in Spanish, but she only has to stay for a while with mommy and daddy. The doctor's have to operate her heart's severe condition which she was not able to bear. She went back to heaven. Her mortal probation has been fulfilled. 

 

Mommy Kitch and Baby Cielo

With her passing comes the momentary grief; but our Dear Father in Heaven's plan surpasses all our understanding about mortality. We are precious in His eyes and he wants us back in His arms. Baby Cielo, just has to be with Him again sooner that any of our family members, nor anybody else who are still living in this world right now.

This is a William Wordsworth ode, but today, I am dedicating it to baby Bennette Cielo Uy Mendoza, my husband's cousin's daughter: 

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
     Hath had elsewhere its setting,
          And cometh from afar:
     Not in entire forgetfulness,
     And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
     From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
     Upon the growing Boy (girl),
But He (she) beholds the light, and whence it flows,
     He(she) sees it in his(her) joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
     Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,
     And by the vision splendid
     Is on his(her) way attended;
At length the Man(woman) perceives it die away,

And fade into the light of common day.

I just want the family of baby Cielo to know that death is not the end. Heavenly Father sent us appointed living prophets to let us know, through His proclamation about the family that, "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally." This is a true statement and I leave this with my own testimony that families can be together forever because our Father in Heaven loves us.

Go to God little one, we'll see you again.

Christmas and Holidays

Christmas and holidays are always the best time of the year where we can spend time visiting with family members and sharing dinners and gift giving. There was a point in my life when I thought Christmas was just for kids, because when after I turned 21, I was away from my family in a foreign land, and I was not able to spend Christmas nor holidays with them, I even slept all through the night during two Christmases and New Years back in 2004-2006, those years where the best part of my single life but it was just different being without your family in it. I once again spent Christmas and New Year with my family in 2006, when I went back home to Iloilo, but a year after... in November 2007, I moved to Cebu to find work, where I spent Christmas with my father's family friends. My parents soon moved to Cebu as well in 2008 but because of work demands, My Christmas and New Year was spent in the office with my colleagues and not my family.

My marriage in December 1 of 2010, brought me back to what Christmas Celebration is about, Paul invited my mom and my brother to come with me to Bacolod to spend Christmas. Here are some pictures we have of the memories:

 Pizza Party at Midnight of December 24th. Now, where in the picture is Coke?

Gift giving after breakfast on Christmas Day at The Reyes' ancestral house in Mansilingan.

 Sam and Kitchie announcing from whom and for whom each gift is to be given, as the little ones get excited while waiting for their gifts to be handed to them.

Oh, the stash of cash! even grown ups would love to receive some.

 Believe me, the dish containers were full before everybody has taken their first round of dinner on their plates.

 A photo with Lola Mamang, (Mama Annie's mom) after the Christmas Dinner.

 Salo-salo at the table. Now there's coke in the picture!

 An after church photo in Alijis meeting house. From left to right: Ding, My mom, me, Paul, Ging Frias, Sam

 Frias, Aie Reyes-Frias, Mama Annie, Papa Bon, (in front: Jon and Ian)

Coke, is spelled as Happiness!

After Christmas, my husband and I had to part since he was required to go back to his office, so we had to part for a while again. I spent the New year in Cebu with my mom and brother, then in January 8, 2011, my husband came back to Cebu, to pick me up and bring me here to Pampanga where we are at present staying. This year, I'll be spending Christmas here in Pampanga, Paul said that this Christmas, we'll have to be doing some Christmas decorations, since Mama Annie and Papa Bon, will be coming back from the mission for the holidays and Aie and her family will be here with their 2 little girls and Justin's family with their Little Bree, and our new baby which will be due on December 2, Jon and his wife Clarice and... Ian. My mom will also be here as I will need her assistance when I deliver the baby by then.

Just Pictures Part 2

My husband is the one who likes photography, he invested on a Nikon 40D long time ago, before we even began dating and is looking forward to invest on lenses, and flashes and a better camera sooner or later, for a more better effect on his pictures. If you ask me, all I know about cameras is: "when someone asks me to take a picture of them, I hold the camera right in front of my winking eye, look through the lens and click, that's it!" not complicated at all. Ok, so... the pictures I'm going to post in this entry are taken from my hubby's laptop, they feature the beautiful sights of the places we've been on our honeymoon, Dumaguete and Siquijor. I believe there's more pictures around in his flashcard. But here's what I can just share:

 The night we arrived in Dumaguete, taken at Don Atilano's restaurant.

 Breakfast morning at Coco Amigos, the foreigners at the back are travel tourists of the place. 

View of the Boulevard, where you can see Bethel Hotel from afar, the hotel where we stayed at for two nights.

 Arriving at Siquijor Port.

 Some French tourist taking a dip in Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor.

 ...and we did the jump, the water was about ten feet deep I think, glad we made it.

 Taking a sweet moment together.

 The beautiful white sand beach at Salandoong.

 The sea at twilight.

After this wonderful time, two weeks later, we spent Christmas in Bacolod together with my husband's mother's side family, it was a lot of fun, with all the food trip going on where my hubby and I did gain some weight for the holidays.

Just Pictures Part 1

Pictures tell stories, or you can look at the pics and make a story out of it, whatever you like, anyway, I just wanted to post pictures that may tell something about me and my family.

                                                               

 

Paul and I, when we were still dating.

One of our first date was going to the bird sanctuary in Olanggo.

 

My dog Snicker, in Cebu.

 

The Suba, in Olanggo.

 My brother Ding, Mama Annie (mother-in-law), Papa Bon (father-in-law), My mom Elena. Taken during the Cultural event prior to the Cebu temple dedication.

 

July 24, 2010 is the day my hubby proposed to be at the Cebu Temple grounds.

 

My engagement ring.

Our Wedding Day.

There you go, more pics to come on my next post.