When we went out last Saturday to do some errands, this is what the little girl wore.

She looked so cute that a foreigner that we coincided with in the grocery couldn't resist telling me how lovely Zoe was (ears clapping!!!).

:-)

I almost forgot to blog about how I am enjoying this new laptop that I got recently (thanks Hun!). I was actually so busy at work this week that I kept resisting opening it every time I get home from work. Most of the time, I get very tired and stressed already by the end of the day that I don't have the energy anymore to surf the net or to enjoy and play multiplayer games,8c1.net.http://www.8c1.net.

Good thing we got to do our errands for today all in the morning. We woke up early today to go to mass. Then we headed to the bank to make a downpayment for Zoe's first semester at Kindermusik. After that, we went to the grocery for our regular weekly wet and dry marketing. Whew! It was a trying morning but it was fun.

Anyway, I now have to time to bond with new my laptop and it's a good feeling.

The little girl obviously had lots of fun in school. She already sings along quite well with the songs and even remembers the "small details" that T. Jeannie has taught them like doing the salute or saying "March, march!"

Story-telling time (Row, Row, Row Your Boat):

Last weekend, I bought a mini-stroller for Zoe's talking baby doll (which is a gift from my aunt from Chicago). I thought it would be the perfect way to orient her about the coming of her baby brother in 3 months' time....and IT WAS!

Zoe liked pushing the stroller and taking care of the baby so much that it was practically the only thing she did the whole morning! She just wouldn't let 'her' baby out of her sight.

She even wanted to use an umbrella so that the "baby wouldn't get wet in the rain". :-)

My husband and I had a post-birthday dinner celebration on Monday night at Conti's. The weather was kind of perfect. It was a cold night because it was drizzling a bit. We walked towards the restaurant with hands together under our small umbrella which I thought was so romantic. :-)

We ordered our usual favorites: mango royale salad, baked salmon and lengua estofado. It was so yummy that not a single bit of food was left on our plates. Our conversation during dinner revolved mostly on domestic matters: Zoe, baby boy, housekeeping...you know, that kind of thing.

We talked and talked about the present as well as the future. For example, we both agreed to get Conti's again as our caterer on baby boy's baptism which wouldn't be a long time from now (we plan to have the baptism by 1st week of October) just like we did during Zoe's own baptism three years ago. We also discussed the baby boy's name...yes, we're definitely getting there soon! I hope we will get to decide on the name very, very soon!

Anyway, we also talked about our plan to have a house renovation. I told my husband that I would love to re-design our dining room. I pointed out to him the nice mirror wall in Conti's and told him that I want to have something like that done to our huge dining room wall. I also told him that I've been looking at some Cheap Rugs online because I plan to place several Area Rugs both in the dining and living room. My plan is to put complementary rugs which would give the house a sort of theme. Rugs are the perfect thing to put coordination in the color-themes amongst the rooms in the house. My husband just had to agree with me (why wouldn't he?).

Oh last Monday night was one of those perfect nights!

My sweetheart turned a year old yesterday.

For his birthday gift, I got him something that looks like this (with smaller lenses) ~

I wish we could go on a foreign trip this year. But all our energies are focused now on the coming of the second baby that we have no time to plan something out, even if it's only a short getaway.

Among the places we want to go is in Europe. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to travel to Europe and see the beautiful places in Italy, Spain and France. This time around, I wish my family and I could go to places we all have never been before like Germany, England and Portugal. I've got several cousins and relatives in different places in Germany and I would love to see them again. In UK, we have a good friend who is working there whom we have been aching to see too! As for Portugal, I have never been there and the country really looks so inviting. Maybe we could make a holiday vacation to Algarve. I have actually started to look at several other hotels and destinations. I even have found cheap car hire faro airport which we can rent to enable us to travel en route to Algarve. Anyway, to get there, you need to land at the Faro airport first and the hire the reliable 121 car hire portugal to take you to the places you want to go. Faro is actually a leading low cost stop for business travelers. It is Portugal's second leading international airport and is often used a gateway to get to major vacation attractions. Sounds so interesting, right?

So we had to back out from our post-summer outing to Tanay. Tsk. Tsk. Good thing everyone who decided to go went back to Manila that same day before the evening set. Most of them headed to our house to celebrate my husband's birthday that night. And oh, did we have FUN!!!

Oh, I'm drooling over this beautiful Office Furniture especially designed for a home office. I found this piece at Spacify.com and I think it's perfect for me. I have been telling my husband lately that I really want to have my own work table. As a student, I was used to having my own study table where I did my homework and studying. I have since left that wooden study table in my old room (the one that I used when I was still single and which is now the nanny's room -- oh lucky her!).

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck with a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day

A way!

We were planning to have a swimming cum outing tomorrow...

But with the rains and winds now, I'm no longer sure if it's safe to go out tomorrow...

It's so sayang 'coz Zoe and (all of us) are all so excited to go tommorow...

If only the SUN WILL COME OUT TOMORROW!

I saw my friend today and she was surprised to know that I was on the family way. She told me that she also wants to have a second child already since her son, like my dear Zoe, is already turning three years old this September. She touched my tummy and asked me my secret to getting pregnant naturally. Apparently, she and her husband have been trying to conceive for months already but have yet to gain positive results.

I immediately told her about this ebook that I think is a must-read for trying-to-conceive couples. The book is entitled "Personal Path To Pregnancy" by Beth Riley. By reading this book, you will get to know interesting facts and tips on how to be pregnant naturally, that is, without those invasive treatments that usually cost a fortune. I told my friend that it's worth giving a try.

Actually, I had it more as an appetizer than a main course (I still have my reliable "baon" to complement it, hahaha).

The verdict: It's ok but I think it's a little small for my usual serving size...and it looks so much better in the picture. :-)

During my latest trip to the salon last Sunday, the lady who did my pedicure asked me if I wanted to wax the hair in my lower legs. So making sure that it's alright to have this procedure done even if I'm pregnant, we went to this enclosed room and she waxed my lower leg. After a few minutes, viola! My legs were hair-free and what a confident-booster it was for me!

Actually, unlike me, my friends often undergo body hair treatments. They have been urging me even before to join them and have laser hair removal in chicago. They tell me that if you go to a certified dermatologist, they can perform modern laser procedure to properly remove all your unsightly body hairs in the legs, underarms, arms, etc.. And what's great about laser procedures is that hair doesn't come back for a longer period of time compared to other procedures such as shaving and waxing. For example, Lakeview Dermatology offers modern skin treatment procedures which will surely make you feel beautiful, without the pain.

Now I think I'll have that laser treatment right after I give birth. :-)

My cousin Nina sent this picture of Zoe last week ~~~ and I'm loving it to bits (hmm...except for the fact that my growing nose is also peeping here... shucks).

This was taken in Tagaytay during our family reunion. So pa-cute no? Anyway, I hope she'll stay as cute and charming as she is now.

For some time now, I really have been aching to go to Greenhills again.

Blame in on the past days of rain. Why? It's because I have vivid memories as a teenager of spending cold rainy days in Greenhills. I would go with some friends and we would eat at the McDonald's there, enjoying a hot pack of french fries and a hot fudge sundae to go with it. We would stroll in Virra Mall and try out several funky outfits. We would also go to the Gift Gate shop and buy some Hello Kitty stationery and stickers to add to our collection. Then would cap the day with a game or two at the bowling center. After that, it was going home time once again. Oh, that was the LIFE!

Greenhills now (unfortunately or fortunately) isn't the same Greenhills I used to know. It's now, well, different. Of course, there are more choices now when it comes to clothes and shoes. Now, there are lots and lots of restaurants and fast food chains there too. There are even good cellphone and computer shops at the second floor. There are also rows and rows of shops selling great accesories, jewelries and other items that are associated with Feng shui for wealth and prosperity. (I heard that my friend now often goes there to buy several feng shui items to invite good "vibes" when it comes to health, wealth and money.)

Anyway, change is good. But whether Greenhill's charm is still there for me or not, that's another issue. But at least I'm glad that it's still standing.

I have always be struck by the prayer for priests that is regularly recited at the EDSA Shrine. It speaks about how we should pray for those priests who have touched our lives in some way: the priest who baptized us, who heard our confession, gave us communion, etc. It also says that we need to pray for those priests who are young, who are old, who are dying.

Whenever I hear this prayer, one of the priests that always come to my mind is this kind and very wise priest whom I really look up to. I was only fifteenish when my sister "dragged" me (hahaha) to the center in Examiner for me to talk to this certain priest. My sister only had high praises for him so I gamely went inside the confession booth to talk to him. I still remember being very engrossed in my conversation with the priest that my sister literally had to knock on the confession door to tell me to come out already. I didn't notice that an hour had passed already! Hahaha. It was a very memorable first time for me. Normally, knowing myself, I wouldn't last 5 minutes in the confession. In this case, it was an utterly good first time that I kept coming back to the sacrament of reconciliation and spiritual direction ever since.

I am forever thankful to God for leading me to this holy priest. His advices to me really contributed a lot in helping me find and realize my vocation - a gift that I may never ever have discovered if I had not let my sister "drag" me to that place on that fateful day. :-)

So to you Father Guzman, thank you and see you in Heaven. I'm pretty sure you are there.

For the past few days, I have been extra careful on how we spend our valuable money. It is because the reality is, if you have limited resources, then you have a limited capacity to spend. The money you earn has a limit, thus you also have to spend within that limit. Going over that limit is equal to incurring debt. So really, the best way to stop more debts is either to stop spending over what you can afford in cash or earn more money.

Unfortunately for some people and companies, they do not control their budget spending and many times this translates to the non-payment of loans and other related financial problems. But fortunately for those in need of loan restructuring, you can actually get better terms by getting Loan Modification Leads for yourself through a good consulting firm.

I'm so looking forward to next week's post-summer outing with my college friends.

Our last outing was still last December in Baguio:

This time, we will be heading to Tanay where one of our friend's family has a resort. So it'll be from cold (Baguio) to hot (Tanay). It may be rainy too, depending on the weather. Yay! Nevertheless, I'm excited.

We had a very busy schedule last weekend. First, my hubby and I took our leaves on Friday in order to have ample time to wait and fall in line at the OB doctor's clinic in Cardinal Santos. Normally, our check-ups would be at M-Tech in Makati but M-Tech is temporarily closed until further notice. Thus, we needed to drag ourselves to Cardinal to have our monthly check-up. After our check-up (and after being given a "lonely" dessert and softdrink ban by the doctor), we headed to meet my Dad at the mall for lunch. It was a fun time for the Lolo and the little girl. My Dad gave Zoe a cutesy pig stuff toy which she has been hugging every single night since then.

We got to go around for a while at the Shangri-La mall after that. We scouted for some laptops and I think I'll be getting my own soon! Woo-hoo! We also checked out a voice over ip for a friend who has been looking for one. I heard that getting one is going to give you a lot of savings compared to making international calls via your normal landline telephone.

Anyway, we also had time to go to the mall-wide sale at Trinoma that evening. I got my husband a new pair of eyeglasses as my birthday present to him (*wink*). Actually, I should be a little ashamed because for his birthday present to me, he got me a new cellular phone! Hahaha. Thanks Hunny!

On Saturday, we were off to Kindermusik again for Zoe's 4th summer session. We then proceded to Araneta Center's Hap Chan for lunch. In the afternoon, we found ourselves in a McDo party for my friend Ruth's son who celebrated his 1st birthday. Zoe definitely had a lot of fun!

On Sunday, it was the usual mass in the morning. In the afternoon, Zoe tagged along as we ran some errands and I had some beauty parlor stuff done. Actually, I had let the hairdresser cut my hair short, as in very short. Honestly, I like my new cut even if I look like a "siopao" now. At least I have an excuse for cutting my hair and for looking (a little) fat. I AM PREGNANT after all, right?

During my OB check-up last Friday, the doctor gave me a definitive ban on the following:

Ugh!!! The culprit seems to be her clinic's weighing scale that didn't seem to cooperate with me that day. Hahaha.

I really hope to be a good girl na and really eat what is only the best for the baby. Wish me the best of luck!