The Story of Us

Happy 8th Anniversary!

2012-01-24T16:27:00.004+13:00

Dear Nel,
Sixteen years we've known each other,
Half of it legally and blessedly together,
Thank you for being my best friend, my partner,
And looking forward to more years, more fun, more challenges,
To infinity, beyond and forever.
Well, you're no Edward nor I, Bella,
So let's take this until where it leads us as long as we're together.

I love you,
Yesterday, Today and Forever,

Yeng

I Love I.T.!

I knew I got a pretty good deal when I got FNel.1 who was a great friend and seatmate in class. This model was a great listener who was always there and never had battery drain issues even at 2am when I needed someone to cry over the phone with. In 1998, I upgraded to BFNel.2. Not only did I get a best friend but also a hottie boyfriend which came with perks such as extended battery life, social and family networking and an anti-virus program that took care of my infection from Gullibility and Naivete. The only thing I didn't anticipate in this model were the hidden attachments such as previous owners, bickering and an intelligent opinionated personal assistant named Serious. I wasn't really into Serious because he planned my days for me and organised my details and eventually we were at each other's throats. After two years, we decided to go for another carrier but the intelligent homing chip still lead us back to each other. Twice that happened but that darn chip's magnetism is just too strong and I reckon even North and South poles can get glued together. And so after using up all the features of BFNel.1, I decided to upgrade to HBNel.1 in 2004, only a year shy of the seven year itch. It was like doing a reboot as a simple right click helped unlock many hidden applications and new attachments which were very welcome. One of my favourite attachments is the multi-functional InLawsPro, with 24/7 customer support based in the Philippines. BrothersinLawV2.0 also provides a lot of support and entertainment. Great applications such as BreadWinner and SuperSaver are essential for my shopping needs. On the same year of upgrade, I requested international roaming for HBNel.1 as we went on a career adventure in Malaysia. There, HBNel.1 had a violent virus attack from an unknown expat file. HBNel.1 was out of commission for a short period and this was the most trying period for us but it made us stronger in the end, forging my faith that this model is here for the long haul. In 2006, roaming had to stretch to the Asia Pacific region as we moved to New Zealand. I had a system malfunction the following year as we lost a supposed to-be new accessory due to hormonal imbalance on my part. HBNel.1 proved to have more value than its worth as it provided me with all the support I needed and also joined me as we became part of Couples for Christ, providing us regular service updates and a strong firewall against Trojan virus and spam. In 2009, I had another upgrade to DadNelBasic1.0 and it came with a free new accessory, AquiBaby. The new accessory was quite difficult to install as it didn't come with an instruction manual but after a calibration, AquiBaby was fully functional and provided us with lots of fun and laughter. Two years after, I got a surprise upgrade with a free accessory, IaBaby. DadNelBasic1.0 was now DadNelPro2.0 and was overclocked to its full potential. A few more applications were added including Washlaundryexpress and IronManAdvanced but others are still new and waiting to be fully installed such as MowTheLawnNow and ChangeDirtyNappy. Memory has been upgraded to SSD (SuperSweetDaddy) and SRAM (StillRomanticAndMacho) but due to daily wear and tear, fragmentation may occur. This year, I celebrate eight years of theoriginal operating system, HBNel.1 and I know it will just get better and better, having more upgrades and probably one more accessory, hopefully, the next one with an XY program. So once again, thank you to its maker, YHWH. Thank you for the past sixteen years of friendship and eight years of blessed commitment and durability.

I hope more and more owners will come to enjoy their models and upgrades too.

1998

2001

2004

Twice the Fun!

2012-01-13T10:55:00.003+13:00

Yup, I'm writing again -- and this time about the fun and folly of being a mum of two princesses.

Having two girls is not only economical since we get to "recycle" the gowns, party dresses and other girly stuff but it also gives us the chance as parents to correct our ways. As all first time parents were, Ronnel and I were OC with Aqui. We prepared well, we attended Ante-natal classes, read several prep books, registered in several baby websites and religiously researched ways to prepare for Aqui's coming. And so when she came, we thought we were equipped with the good techniques of parenthood. Most of the time, we were ok but there are times that we threw away those techniques and just let her get her way. This time around with Ia, we'll be wiser - or maybe, our resolve is much stronger because we know that's it would be for the best in the long run. So here's a rundown of the things we've done really well with Aqui that we'd continue with Ia and the Not-so-good things that we'd like to do better this time around.

TOP 3 THINGS THAT WORKED GREAT WITH AQUI (which we will do with Ia)
1. Self-sufficiency/ Independence. Aqui is quite independent for her age - she can go to the toilet herself and clean up (except for #2), turn the TV or iPad on, brush her teeth by herself and eat on her own. This independence didn't just happen overnight, it came with the price of soiled carpets, several trial and errors and a whole lot of grey hair (on our part). As early as six months, we had her explore food and eventually she put food in her mouth -- thanks to the encouragement of ante-natal classmate Angela Watson who's strongly into Baby-led weaning. Aqui had a lot of encouragement from us-- within reason and safe environment, of course. Every time she said she can't and sought help from us, we'd evaluate together if she really can't or if she's just lazy. More often than not, it's the latter so we'd push her to be able to do it herself. Eventually, she'd surprise us in showing us things she's able to do on her own! We even had to change the PIN on our iPad because she's started memorizing that too.

2. Bilinguality, bilingualism, bilingualisation? Whatever you call it, we'd still do it with Ia. At home, we speak Filipino with Aqui and we leave the English to her friends and childcare provider. At first, I got mixed reactions from family and friends, advising me that it will confuse Aqui or it will be too hard. Yes, it is hard and sometimes we catch ourselves responding to her in English as well. We don't beat ourselves if we miss but we still try to speak Filipino as much as we can. At Aqui's latest Plunket visit, the nurse lauded me for this because she said it's a really hard thing to do for parents. Most foreigners just give in to the children and speak the local language eventually. The nurse said speaking two (or more) languages increase the learning ability of the child as she gets to deal with more than one meaning of a single concept. We are still struggling now especially since most of the songs and rhymes are in English (although I teach her some Filipino songs too) but I think it will be better with Ia learning to speak Filipino as well so they can converse with each other.

3. Inter-action. Aqui grew up in a busy environment. We went to play dates, play centres, kids concerts, Couples for Christ activities and had music all the time at home. This resulted in a very friendly Aqui - sometimes even too friendly (or brave) for my taste that she'd challenge a six year old in a playground. I'd like to do this again with Ia and bring her up in a world of songs, games, dance, and friendship.

TOP 3 THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING / WE WILL DO BETTER WITH IA
1. Sleep Training. We've trained Aqui to sleep well at around three months and it was working quite well but then my dad came and the spoilage (!) began. My midwife told me once that there's no such thing as "the grandparent spoiling a baby" IF the grandparent stays and lives with us to take care of the kids forever. It only becomes a problem when the grandparent leaves and boy, did we have a problem with Aqui when Lolo left. It was just three weeks but she already knew that the cot was very different from a warm embrace. There were times she slept on top of me the whole night and I had difficulty breathing and the bane of co-sleeping began. But it wasn't all that bad, co-sleeping provided for lots of entertainment too. You'd always get a warm good morning and sometimes an I love you first thing in the morning - accompanied by a foot on your face or a slap on your ear. Ia, as of writing this, is fully sleep trained! She sleeps on her cot 8-9 hours straight and doesn't need to be lulled to sleep. You just put her down on the cot, turn on her favourite music mobile and she dozes on her own. Of course, she got there with a lot of hard work too and three weeks of back-aching sleep training regimen. This doesn't mean Ia will grow up lacking cuddles - she just has them when she's awake.

2. Bottle-Feeding. Don't get me wrong - Ia will still be fully breast-fed. Aqui was fully breast-fed up to 19 months as she had a dairy allergy which eventually went away. Breastfeeding worked really well with Aqui plus it doesn't cost much - well, aside from me being ravenous all the time. The only thing we were lax about was feeding her via bottle as feeding her directly from me was just more convenient than expressing. This became a problem especially since we started leaving her at child care at seven months. With Ia, we try to give her at least one bottle a day. She refuses and cries with all her might but eventually she gives in. I'd have Ronnel do the bottle feeding as I think the "milk" smell coming from me is too strong for her to settle for seconds - of course, Breast is best.

3. 1-2-3 Time Out! We've done this with Aqui but not consistently as usually, my temper would get the better of me and then the yelling starts. One time, I noticed Aqui lining up her Barbie and Dora dolls and she was pointing at them and started to yell at them to go to the Naughty Chair. I felt really guilty and I am going to try hard to keep my temper in check and do the 1-2-3 Time Out step by step as the book says.

4. Less e-Learning and more Old School. I know I said three but here's the last one, I promise.
Aqui lives and breathes technology just like Ronnel and me. Can you blame an apple not falling far from the tree? A typical Saturday for her is waking up with the iPad and turning the TV on after breakfast. She'd also log on and click the mouse on the PC (she doesn’t really do anything, just moves the mouse around). She would then play a few games on her dad's Nook. If we have a game on the Wii, she'd play that too. We'd go to the park and she'd make sure to have me take a video or photo of her. Then we'd go home and sometimes she would call her grandparents via Yahoo video on the iPad. Before going to sleep, we try to read her a book but she can't sit still and would prefer the Kid's channel on the iPad's YouTube. She would then say her prayers after a last peek on the iPad. I swear if she didn't go to Child Care, her days would be like this. There was one time, we hid the iPad from her and when she started looking for it and couldn't find it, she threw the biggest tantrum ever. She was running around and lying down on the carpet, screaming and crying "I want iPad!” Ronnel and I were quite surprised with the strong reaction and watched her for a few more minutes before eventually giving in. Ronnel said she resembled me when my phone got broken before. Ha Ha.

So there you go, hope this was a nice blog come-back :-)

Introducing Baby Ia!

2011-09-23T20:18:00.002+12:00

I'm always amazed when things don't go my way - it is a constant reminder that I do not own my life, that my plans are not mine, and however stubborn I want to be, I have to succumb to a greater force who looks after all of us. And this is exactly what has happened with our second baby.

With Aqui, it was a breeze. Sure, there were some complications too as I had gestational diabetes but that was manageable. We had ample time to prepare as first time parents. We attended ante-natal classes, joined a coffee group, read up parenting books and we knew we were ready when she came. I even had time to tidy up the house (Ronnel called it sterilising it with my OC behaviour), prepare frozen meals (yup, a month's supply!) and was just waiting for the day of my induced labour.

It was a whole different ball game with baby number two. First, she was twice as active as Aqui in my tummy. Second, my gestational diabetes didn't come up as an issue until the latest month so I thought I'd be safe. Third, she had an unpredictable streak and gave me contractions as early as the 28th week.

On my 32nd week, I was officially handed over to the hospital specialists for complications and I had to say goodbye to my midwife. It made me a bit sad as I enjoyed being looked after by her and we developed a certain rapport. But the baby's health is a priority so we had no choice. As the days went by, the contractions got more frequent and my blood sugar levels went higher and after a week, I was injecting two types of insulin six times a day. The hospital deemed me unfit for work and I filed the remaining two weeks at work as sick leave. It was a swift farewell to my old and new teammates at work but it was the last thing on my mind. I welcomed the idea of an extra two weeks of rest and preparation. I printed to-do lists and day-by-day schedules for me to prepare just like I did with Aqui. But my efforts were futile.

On Saturday, 17 Sept, 5am, the day after my last day at work, I found myself leaking. At first, I thought I just had a wee accident but with the sheer amount of water gushing out, I suspected it was something else. My waters never broke with Aqui so I didn't have a prior experience for comparison. I quickly woke up Ronnel at the same time looked up Google. Ronnel told me off for relying on the web and my penchant for self-diagnosis and straight told me to call the hospital. I just hate the thought of being wrong - what if it was just really incontinence? But I was glad I took my husband's advice.

In that same morning we were admitted in the hospital. It was confirmed that my waters have ruptured and there were multiple contractions happening. Aqui was a great sport, she looked confused but she knew something was going on. The next day, I was hooked up like a drug momma with IV's on both my wrists and injections all over my body. The doctors decided to deliver baby on Wednesday via a c-section.

Times like these, I can't help but wish that we were not so far away from our family. Thanks to the wonders of texting and Facebook updates, they know what's happening. On the other hand, this also makes us feel so blessed to be surrounded by friends who care for us and support us. We've received numerous offers of help to look after Aqui. Aqui has settled quite well with the Baloyos as she found her BFF of the month Keisha. Thanks Arnel and Doyeth for looking after her. We're also overwhelmed with the support from our Couples for Christ community, for the prayers, words of support and ofcourse, the overflowing food - a friend even organised a roster of food delivery for Ronnel and Aqui. Everybody knows Ronnel's domain is not the kitchen and with only him looking after Aqui at night, I'm sure his energy is drained as well.

Being alone in the hospital room is difficult. I wished Ronnel and Aqui were with me all the time but it's hard for them too, being contained in a room with nothing to do. Parting is doubly hard with Aqui crying whenever she leaves the room, saying "Wawa Mommy, Wawa Baby" (I feel sorry for Mommy, I feel sorry for Baby). It could be a combination of hormones and contraction pain but sometimes I find my face drenched with tears. I draw my strength from Aqui, Ronnel and baby and ofcourse, the greatest giver of strength, our Lord. The alone time I have, I spend trying to be calm. Any anxiety I feel is felt by my baby so I watch movies, read novels, write and read the Bible as well. Sleep and rest became elusive as I needed to get checked every hour 24/7. Then Aqui had a fever which I'm glad has gone after a few hours. Ronnel has done a great job looking after her and I'm thankful for the strength that he has shown in this period.

19 Sept 2011
Once again, our plans (technically, it's the hospital's plans) have been thwarted. At around 9pm, one of the midwives did a routine monitoring of the baby's heartrate and discovered that it has gone above the normal range while my contractions have increased not only in frequency but in scale as well. It was fortunate that a doctor was doing her rounds so she was available for consultation at that time. The quick changes have alerted the doctors who made a swift decision to call for an emergency ceasarian. In a span of an hour, quick arrangements were made -- Aqui once again had to stay with the Baloyos while Ronnel had to come back to the hospital to be present during the delivery. All necessary forms and preparations were made for the upcoming operation and by 10:15pm, I was inside the operating theatre and by 10:55 pm, Baby Iarinelle's cries resonated in the white room.

The miracle of birth is what it is-- a miracle. Anything can happen and when it happens, you feel humbled by it. The doctors told me at the tail end of the operation that it was the right call to have the surgery then, as they found out that my placenta was bleeding which may have caused the waters to rupture in the first place. I would have been telling a different story if they have waited a day or two. I really feel humbled knowing that we are being looked after. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if the midwife skipped the routine monitoring, or if the doctor wasn't doing her rounds in the ward or if we stuck to the original hospital birth plan. I don't want to even think about the what ifs then.

And so Baby Ia says hello to the world at 35 weeks. We've chosen the name "Iarinelle" for two reasons, 1) we wanted to have Ronnel's name with the second one as my name was part of Aqui's Jacqueleen and 2) it suited her and the events that have happened. Dissecting her name, IA means she/he ; RIN means follow and EL means God -- so it literarily means "She follows God." The challenges have just started though -- because she's early, she had to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) strapped with all the monitors and drips. It was heartaching to look at a little one in a Darth Vaderesque get up but we knew it was for her sake. Her fighting spirit shone through as she emerged healthy and strong-willed. They had to monitor her closely as her blood sugars were low and had to have a tube stuck to her nose so that she can ingest milk quicker. She had her own plans to show she was better than that as she started drinking from the cup and the bottle! The tube only lasted for a day and by Thursday night, she was in a normal cot and unattached to drips or any monitoring line! She is truly amazing, even the nurses are awed by her resilience.

As for me, I have been discharged from the hospital and trying to move to a NICU room with her. She still has to stay in NICU as she is still under 36 weeks but we're no longer worried. We know that we are being looked after.

Tonight, I sleep beside Aqui and Ronnel after six nights of separation. I miss baby Ia but I know the nurses are taking care of her at the hospital. Life is good. God is good.

Feast your eyes on lovely Ia!

Farewell, Lolo.

2011-06-14T20:45:00.002+12:00

My grandfather passed away last Wednesday. He had cancer and we were told he had a couple of months to live so it came as a shock that those months were shortened to just weeks. My biggest regret was that I wasn't able to talk to him before he left. I thought to myself that there will be time. I had several excuses for postponing my call, that work and Aqui was making us too busy, or that my pregnancy was difficult that I was tired all the time. Just excuses, really. Now that I think of it, I was scared. I wasn't ready to face the fact that my grandfather was dying.... And because I'm such a coward, I wasn't able to say goodbye.

My last dream before I woke up was of my grandfather. I dreamt that I went to our old house to drop off some food and as I was leaving, I heard my grandfather's voice calling, asking me "Are you not going to say goodbye to me?". I turned and saw him in his usual white sando and shorts, on a blue bed, beside some hospital equipment. I ran towards him, gave him a hug and walked away, waving goodbye as I said, "Bye bye Lolo.". And with that, I woke up with a shiver in my spine and cold sweat on my forehead.

Thank you Lolo for giving me a last chance to say goodbye.

Counting Our Blessings

2011-05-07T12:42:00.003+12:00

As promised in my last post, this post is about counting my blessings. It is always good to count our blessings, name them one by one and see what God has done (lyrics of a song). I know I’ve got more to count but as greatness comes in three, I’ll just write down the greatest three blessings we’ve received this year…

Brothers Reunited

My brothers-in-law have come for a 3-week visit and we’ve been busy showing them around North Island. Luckily, they’re like Ronnel and me – homebodies and just happy spending time with each other, playing xbox and Wii, pigging out with good food and watching movies at home. So we don’t really need to go to lengths of showing them the whole of NZ. My workmates tease me that we’ve migrated to the wrong country if we just like spending time at home. Yup, we’re not into trekking, mountain climbing, kayaking or anything adventurous and we don’t want to force ourselves to do things that we’re not just into. As long as we’re happy, we’re good. Speaking of happy, I’m happy to see Ronnel so happy – it’s been a while since he’s bonded with his brothers. It’s so unusual to have boisterous loud boy laughter resonating in our home, times three!

Bonus Ipad 2!

Ronnel promised me an Ipad (or an Iconia or anything that I can watch my kdramas with lying down) as a Christmas+Anniversary+Valentines+Birthday combo gift. So on March 25, when the Ipad2 was launched in Wellington, I told my boss that I’ll be off in the afternoon to queue up in Yoobee (Apple store). I started queuing at 1pm when the Ipad was to be launched at 5pm – yup, I am that techno-addict (remember us queue up for the Wii?). Little did I know that there were several people from work trying to contact me. I looked at my phone which had 20 missed calls, and a workmate even went all the way to Yoobee to look for me (Thanks Shiffy!) just to tell me to pick up my phone. And so I did, and in the other line was my boss’ boss asking me to come back to work. I told him I was in queue for an Ipad and he quickly told me to step out of the line. My first thoughts were, “Why? What have I done wrong?” I only asked him, “Why?” and he said, it was because I won an Ipad2 in an idea competition I joined a week ago! Yay!

Big Sister Aqui

And the biggest blessing – we’re expecting! (This reminds me of a week ago when I finally told my workmates I was expecting and one of them asked, “Expecting what?” which brought laughter to the whole team.)

Aqui is going to be a big sister soon. Ronnel is hoping and I’m guessing it’s a boy because this pregnancy is so much more difficult than when I had Aqui. I’m fifteen weeks now (due October 22) and still suffering from all-day sickness and fatigue. All in all, the baby’s healthy and quite active too. We’ve had two scans now and in both scans, little one has been jumping up and down. We’re waiting for the 20^th week scan to find out the gender and so that we can prepare baby stuff as well.

I know there are still so much more blessings to count and so much more to come. Thank you Lord!

Birthday Blessings

2011-04-17T06:53:00.005+12:00

Another year has gone and every birthday I’ve had since I hit 25, I go into a reflective mood. Maybe it’s an aging thing. This year was another year of blessings; could even be a peak year for me and Ronnel --definitely the highest point in my life so far, which is so contrasting to seven years ago. That was the time where Ronnel got into that horrible accident and on top of that had to endure horrendous rumors about us.

Come to think of it, my life pre New Zealand was really different. Sure I had great friends but alongside I made bad enemies but it never really bothered me because I always believed in what Aristotle said about the antidote for fifty enemies is one true friend. But lately I’ve been thinking, why take the poison in the first place? I guess looking back, I stupidly took the poison myself without realising it. My only excuse was I didn’t know better. You see, I’ve been brought up in an environment where if you think you’re right, stand up for yourself and don’t let anybody block your way. More often than not, I saw things black and white-- there were no grey areas, and I couldn’t help myself and just have to make those grey areas either black or white. Ronnel calls it my Hero complex, that I think it's on my shoulders to do something to make things right. And of course because I’m no hero, I get into trouble and just make enemies out of friends. I think Ronnel is just being nice when he said that, the truth is, I’m just meddlesome. And yeah, I point it out when I think someone’s wrong... And whoever wants to admit he is wrong? More importantly, who am I to think about others faults when I have done so many wrongs in my life? I’ve come to realise this and gradually became a different person. I want to say I’m better but I don’t want to jinx it yet. And yes, God had a great role in my acceptance of this truth. It is arrogance for me to say that all the achievements we’ve had these years is due to our hard work. It was never just because of that. He always had a hand in everything. Even at our lowest point, He was there. It was then I realised how helpless we are without Him, that at any point in time, life could end...or start anew. So yeah, I’m happy to say for the past six years here in NZ, I’m enemy-free. I don’t claim to be good friends with everyone but I make a conscious effort to watch what I say or do, even think. If I ever feel to wear my hero costume, I say a little prayer in my head to remind myself that I’m not perfect and I’m definitely no hero. And I think this holy week, I will make it an effort to track down people I have hurt to just say sorry. No expectations. Just ask forgiveness for my sheer stupidity.

And gradually, because I’m no longer pre-occupied with illusions of saving the world, I got to count my blessings. I got into more productive stuff. I built lasting relationships. I saw people who were like me before and just prayed for them. Another realisation I had was, if I were the old me, I would have gone to them saying what they are doing is wrong. But that’s the thing, for people like the “me” before, we are never wrong, and that’s why it always goes downhill from there. So the best thing to do is just pray for them. I find that God has a way of taking care of things. The less I meddle, the less words I say, the less hero thoughts I think, the more faith I have in him.

One annoying thing that I know I haven’t gotten rid of, but I’ve definitely mellowed down I think, is my habit of correcting someone else’s grammar. It was payback time for me when Ronnel pointed out my status post in Facebook was grammatically incorrect. At first I couldn’t believe it, me? But it wasn’t the first time-- at work, someone noticed a grammatical slip I made. So yeah I admit that my vigilance for perfecting my non native tongue has slipped a bit. I guess before I always thought that impeccable grammar was end-all and be-all especially since my first course in UP was Speech and Drama. How ironic that my English has gone worse when I am in an English speaking nation. But really, I think I need to brush up on my grammar, I need to write more. I always said before to Ronnel that if we had kids, he'd teach them Math and Science while I do English. I need to pick up my game if I don’t want Aqui correcting my grammar when she grows up. Hmm, come to think of it, my sister has asked me to do a couple of English essays for her school work and a friend asked me to write an article for a local newsletter. Wow, everything is just falling into place. PS: I checked this entry for grammar so hope I didn’t miss anything – if I did, let me know. J

So yeah, another year of blessings has gone, and I know there are more to come. I ask Ronnel that what if this is it, like we are being blessed so much this year in preparation for a time where everything will be taken away from us. Ronnel just keeps on reminding me to have faith, to remember our lowest days, because all days after that are better days.

PS – I’ve got bonus blessings to share on my next post so watch this space.

In the meantime, here are some photos of my colleagues and me having our International Lunch Potluck.

Indian Lamb Curry Paua Fritters

Kiwi Slice Chinese Stir Fry Noodles

My Puto Pandan & Fried Rice Stir Fry Lamb

Blog Revival

2011-03-12T09:45:00.003+13:00

My bestfriend Marj has been bugging oops encouraging me to blog again and it is three in the morning and I couldn’t sleep so here goes....

It’s been a while and I think my last blog entry was when before we went back to the Philippines for Aqui’s first birthday. She is turning two in two months so that’s quite a while. I’ll skip the Philippine trip since that on its own is a whole blog.

What I want to talk about is the recent quakes, tsunamis and end of the world rumours going around and how it has affected us.

On the surface, it has no effect really. Life goes on. It has been doubly busy at work with project implementations and deadlines. But once in a while you get little reality checks on some things we take for granted. Last week, a colleague from Christchurch came and sat with me in preparation for the project delivery and she said how relieved she was to be able to take a shower as it was the first since the quake there. We had a nice lunch and she said it’s just what she needed. It made me realise how valuable the things that we just treat so lightly here and you only find out when it’s taken away from you. I know that. I mean I know the concept but when someone across the table tells you these, it becomes a different level.

Another reality check is when we had that 10 pm earthquake in Wellington. Aqui and I were in the living room and my first and only instinct was to grab her and hug her. My thoughts were if this was it, at least I still got to hug her. Only after the quake did I think that I should have ran for the survival kit or went under a table or something. I’m comforting myself thinking that if it had gone longer I would have done that. What struck me that time was at the end of the day, nothing else really matters. All our possessions, achievements and plans of greatness don’t matter. When it’s your time, it’s your time. Something like that final destination movie (Parts 1, 2 or 3), however hard u try to escape it, if it’s your time, it just is. So I guess what really matters is that moment when you’re in front of your Maker. When you’re asked, and I believe that we will all be asked this question, “What have you done for me lately?”.

So where was Ronnel when I was having all these dramatic reflections? Well during the Welly quake, he was sleeping. And the japan tsunami, he was playing Xbox. While I was preparing our survival kit, he was thinking of where to get Aqui a dora costume for the dora concert we’re attending in two weeks. His nonchalance annoyed me so I asked him if he wasn’t worried. And his response was, “Because I have faith.” I was Martha and he was Mary. Another great revelation for why we’re so good together.

Food Art and Stuff

On a lighter note, I’ve been practicing some food art to encourage Aqui to eat more. I really don’t have to because she eats like a horse, well like a pony, really. Anyway, I’ve done Elmo sushi and Dora onigiri. Last night, I made some fish and car shaped boiled eggs and Dora mashed potatoes with cone jellos on the side. Aqui zeroed in on the jello and just poked Dora around. She wanted a whole apple instead of the Hello Kitty and star shaped ones. So Ronnel ended up eating Aqui’s dinner. For breakfast, we had puppy/piggy fried rice with longganisa (pork/chicken sausage) and Mango salsa. Aqui opted for cornflakes. I take it that she thinks the food is too nice to look at to eat.

Better Late than never....

2010-03-12T18:30:00.005+13:00

It's been a while, hasn't it? My bestfriend from the Philippines has kindly reminded me of my commitment (or lack thereof) to blog...

Anyway, thanks to Facebook, I've been updating friends and families of Aqui's progress through photo uploads and status updates. But it's just not the same, I suppose. Work has been a time-eater as well but Ronnel and I have developed clockwork rhythm of juggling work, sleep (what sleep?), Aqui-feed/sleep/play/study time and still be able to catch up with the latest adventures of Jack Bauer.

So what's this clockwork rhythm all about?
Simple really, we have learned to adapt to Aqui's schedule. When she wakes up, we are up too. While one of us takes a shower, the other eats breakfast and then switch places while Aqui plays on the background. We learned what makes Aqui tick and (I) have given up pushing Hello Kitty and just gave in to the powers of Elmo and Dora. Now, Ronnel and I can sing the Elmo song and sing with the Map in Dora the Explorer. We learned that standards are relative - that no matter how we train Aqui to sleep in her cot or eat in her chair, nothing beats seeing her squealing happily because we have given in to her whims. And it pays off, she's active, she's happy and now, she's even walking! In the end, we are less stressed, we sleep more and we laugh more.

Here's Aqui with her first baby steps:

A REAR Christmas

2009-12-28T20:59:00.010+13:00

Back to Work
After seven months of full-on full-time Aqui-entertainment, I'm whisked back to the reality of work. I was a bit surprised to find myself enjoying work. I feel a bit guilty for enjoying my time at work but I just don't think I'm cut out for full time motherhood -- and I have the utmost respect and awe to those who are. I miss Aqui every minute I'm at work but as Ronnel said, we are more motivated to work now - more than ever- because everything we do from hereon is for Aqui. Work means so much more now than just personal fulfillment. Nevertheless, the first days were a challenge not only for me but for Aqui too. She hasn't adapted quite yet to the fact that I'm no longer available 24/7 especially now that she's in the more-than-clingy-than-clingwrap stage. But after a few weeks, she got better.

First REAR* Christmas
We've prepared as much as we can for Aqui's first Christmas. We've had our family Christmas cards made (for free from Vistaprint - haha, they should pay me for this), had our Christmas tree up early, bought most gifts online to avoid the shopping rush and exposed Aqui to the Christmas spirit early. I'm sure she would have no recollection of this when she grows up but I'd like to think she enjoyed her first Christmas. We spent it with friends who we consider our family here in NZ.
*REAR - Ronnel, Einge, Aqui Rodriguez

Christmas Wishes
I posted my gratitude to Ronnel in Facebook - for making all my Christmas wishes come true. Of course, the first one (and most important one) is to have a little family Christmas. For the past five Christmases, it was just me and Ronnel with friends but nothing beats family of course. This year, we can say we spent it with our little family. God has a lot to do with us having little Aqui but Ronnel contributed too! :-) Another Christmas wish was for us to have childcare sorted. The first one didn't really work because Aqui was (and still is!) an attention-hogger which didn't do much for our carer's wee one so we had to find another carer who could give Aqui her undivided attention. Fortunately, we found one quite fast. Aqui is thriving and enjoying her time there. Our new carer has a 3-year old daughter who's so cute and makes Aqui laugh all the time. And Ronnel was very patient driving around the area child-care hunting with me. Third wish was for a robovacuum. Yep, you read it right. A robot vacuum. Before you call me lazy, let me tell my Time Consumption Theory. When you lose time, you'll never get it back. So make the most of it and spend your time on things that are most important to you. So, rather than spend my time vacuuming and cleaning the house, I'd spend it with Aqui and Ronnel, playing or just enjoying being with each other. Hence, I asked for a robovac. I've left subtle hints such as leaving the browser open with the a robovac on the page and not-so-subtle ones like telling him straight to his face that I'd like a robovac for Christmas. Ronnel was not really convinced that it's something worth spending money on so I stopped bugging him. One day, he asked me if I really wanted it for Christmas and I said yes, and so, he got me one. He's still not convinced that it's doing its job but he hasn't complained much. He still teases me that it's not really cleaning our home - but the dirt it collects in its bin shows otherwise. Plus, it sterilizes our carpet so I'm more confident to have Aqui roll and roll along our carpet. I named it "Vacki" and it has given me time to consume on things I prioritize more. So, thanks, dear hubby!

Here's Aqui and Vacki co-existing... Vacki cleans up after Aqui leaving a mess...

A New Year for REAR
We're looking forward to the new year. There's so much that we've planned for Aqui. We are hoping to have Aqui's 1st birthday in the Philippines so that she can spend time with her grandparents, cousins and other relatives. We're saving up for this big trip -- it's our first since we've been to NZ - and hopefully, we'll get a good deal in the Travel Fair (whenever that is).

Oh and before I forget, here are the latest Aqui updates....
Aqui has started eating "real food". She's past the "mashed everything" stage and has started to develop a liking for bread, rice and pasta. Truly a carbo baby!

She has also started "creeping"... crawling is not too far away!

Aqui Noises. She's been experimenting with her voice lately. Her favorite syllables are mamamamama and dadadadada amidst raspberry-blowing. This is cute but not at four in the morning when you're still in the middle of a relaxing sleep.

Eczema and Allergy. Aqui is suffering from mild eczema and she gets red blotches especially when it's really hot and humid. She gets itchy and grumpy too. So we've got lots of creams to put on her every time. I think this is the curse for most Filipino babies in NZ (some Kiwi babies have this too) but our doctor told us that it's because our skin is used to tropical weather. It could be the pollen here too. I got eczema on my arms when I got to NZ. Before this, my arms were ok both in Malaysia and the Philippines. I think it's just because it's so non-polluted here - I'm probably used to having the polluted air block out the UV rays from the sun. Another concern is Aqui's allergy towards dairy. It's sad because NZ has the best dairy in the world. We also get mixed advice on this. Our doctor told us to expose Aqui to dairy little by little for her to build up her immunities - i.e. me eating lots of cheese and milk so Aqui can have dairy second-hand. But the Eczema nurse told us to stop eating dairy as this attacks her immune system. This is not the first time we get mixed "expert" advice. I guess our job as parents is really to filter and decide which way to go.

She's now seven months old and it seems like it was yesterday when she did nothing but sleep all the time! Now, she's just so active and wants to go everywhere. She gets frustrated when she can't reach her current favorite toy and we try not to help her so that she can develop on her own. Whenever her temper flares, Ronnel and I point to each other on where she got her short fuse.

Anyway, that's all I have for the Aqui update this December. I'm off to sleep now. Oh yeah, we're co-sleeping - Aqui takes half the space in our bed while Ronnel and I squeeze in the other half. We decided to co-sleep because it's more convenient this way. Aqui sleeps through the night better between us and dream-feeding is a breeze. Plus nothing beats waking up to the sight of a laughing Aqui on top of you.

Six Month Bonanza!

2009-11-14T18:49:00.004+13:00

by Aquiwee

I celebrated my sixth month birthday with friends who are celebrating their birthdays on the same day! Bianca shares my birthday while Ryan turned 1 today! So it's extra special (more food! with my official birthday food - Spaghetti and Cake care of my Ninang Doyeth.. for orders: please contact me!)

Here I am with my 6-month pressy from Mommy and Daddy!

Allergy Panic
Mommy almost had a panic attack when I had an allergy attack weeks ago. She wanted to wean me on formula as she's preparing to go back to work but it looks like I'm allergic to it! We spent a couple of hours at the clinic while the doctors gave me meds and observed my progress. It's official, I'm allergic to cow's milk. Good thing I've started eating so don't fret, I'm still getting my daily dose of nutrition!
Here I am swollen (no, it's not just my chubby cheeks) from formula - waiting for the doctor's decision on when we can go home.

I'm 5 months old! Weee!

2009-10-16T08:04:00.010+13:00

by Aquiwee

I'm nearing a milestone. 1 more month and I'm six months old! But before that, let me enjoy my 5 month old moment first. I celebrated my 5th month birthday with Mommy and Daddy. It's an intimate moment for our li'l family as our glass windows cried and fogged with the cold and rainy weather outside.

Look at my Hello Kitty Cake!

Starting Solids
Another milestone for me is I've started eating solids! Well, not that you can call pureed everything "solids". I love pears and pumpkins but absolutely hate carrots (like my daddy!). Mommy says my poo smells now (like my daddy too! haha)
Look at me eat!

And here's a video of me being fed by daddy!

Starting to Sing
I think I'm going to be a singer someday. I've started vocalizing early in the morning which drove my parents nuts. Here's a clip of me singing my fave song and some pics of me sleeping in my parents' bed.

Missing My Grannies...
I miss talking to my lolo and lola in the Philippines. They are incommunicado for a while now since the torrential downpour of rain and floods in the Philippines (especially where they live - San Mateo. My other Lolo is ok now as he's in Makati with my Uncle). Mommy and Daddy just talk to them over the phone but I bet they miss seeing me via the Webcam. :-(

PS Here's a video of me and a boy-friend discussing world peace...

Ronnel's First Fathers' Day

2009-09-07T11:57:00.003+12:00

New Zealand may be first in celebrating in Christmas and New Year's but it's late in celebrating Fathers' Day. They've long celebrated Fathers' Day in June in the Philippines while we've just had it yesterday. But that's fine-- the most important thing is that we celebrate it. And since it's Ronnel's first ever fathers' day, of course it's a big deal for us. So here's how we made the day special...

Fathers Day Breakfast

And we got him a mug where Aqui's photos magically appear when hot drink is poured into it..

In the afternoon, we had a household prayer meeting to pray for our friends who are celebrating this day followed by the first barbeque of the year. (Still waiting for photos from Paz...)

Aqui Outings
Aqui has been busy these past few weeks. We've been to the doctors' several times that I have their number on speed dial. It is quite rattling for a first time mum like me so whenever I feel something isn't right, I call the nurse or doctor right away. Maybe on our second child, I wont be as panicky anymore... haha. Aqui's had an infection on her middle finger because of her frequent thumbsucking (why not the thumb?) and we were given anti biotics for that. After 3 days, she got better. Then she got eczema from the changing weather (it's Spring now). After that, she got an infection again, this time on her ring finger. Ayayayayay.... She's all better now. Hopefully, she won't have any other "condition" in the next few weeks (months or years even, but that's too much to ask) otherwise, the doctor will think I'm a stalker.. haha

Here she is with friends...

And in her new chair (I got this special chair for 3 months and up.. to help them sit up. She's enjoying it a lot (a lot means for 25 minutes max).

And she attended Keisha's 1st Birthday party.. will be posting pics of that when I get them from Arnel.. :-)

100% Recovery from First Fever. Weee!!!

2009-08-17T12:14:00.003+12:00

by Aquiwee

I have recovered from my very first fever and I'm back to my usual up and bouncy self.
Here I am with my fascination with our heatpump and my mom's phone....

Aqui's First Fever

2009-08-16T10:49:00.003+12:00

Ronnel, Aqui and I survived our very first emergency moment. Aqui had a fever (nearing 39C) the morning after her vaccination. Even though we were prepared for it, nothing can prepare you for the anguish and near-panic you'll feel when you see your child burning in fever and pain. I'm just so thankful that Ronnel and I didn't panic and had the sense to check our "What-to-do-in-case-of-fever" references. We put off giving her medication (the GP prescribed one in case the fever doesn't go away). After a few hours of cooling and feeding her, her temperature went down to 37.5C which was great news. She was still very grumpy and cranky. Her cries were still of pain. I noticed that her cries were of a different decibel than her usual cranky-"I'm-bored" cries. Last night, she was a whole lot better and was even smiling and playing with us. I couldn't help but get up every hour or so last night to make sure the fever doesn't come back. This morning, she was her usual playful self. Her cries were back to normal and she was starving. We're staying home today as well to make sure she's 100% recovered. I'm sure God will understand if we miss church today.

Here she is with her very first fever.

3 months and Aquiweefied!

2009-08-13T09:02:00.006+12:00

Aqui is now 3 months old! Weeee! Time does fly so fast, doesn't it? I still haven't fully internalized that I'm a mommy now. hehe. Sometimes, I feel this is all a dream, that I have been blessed with a little angel but whenever she starts to coo, smile and poo (!), yup, I know this is for real.

Immunisations Again

Aqui got her 3-month immunisation shots this afternoon and as expected, it pained me to see her undergo such pain. This time, Ronnel was there to experience it with me. I remember the first time when she got her sixth week shot and I broke down in tears as Aqui's cries were like glass shattering in my heart. This time I was more prepared and didn't shed a tear but it doesn't mean it was an experience we liked. Aqui seemed to have a sixth sense about it and started crying the moment we stepped in the clinic. She knew something was up. Her cries pierced through our ears (and the clinic doors!) the same time the needle pierced her chubby thighs (there were two shots). I suppose it was good that it didnt take much for her to recover. After a few minutes of feeding and a lot of cuddling, she was back to her normal smiling self. She was a bit grumpy in the afternoon but thankfully, she wasn't difficult at all (neither did she have fever... well, still 12 hours to go).

Too Sleep Trained
It turns out that there is such a thing as too much sleep training. The other night, Ronnel was on Aqui duty and Aqui started wailing. I was on the shower then so it was all up to Daddy to pacify Aqui. He heated up the milk, carried her, lulled her but still, the wailing didn't stop. After a while, he put Aqui down on her bassinet to get the heated milk and presto, silence was upon the room. Yup, all Aqui wanted was to sleep and be left alone on her bassinet. The same thing happened to me yesterday morning when she woke up at around 530 am (from sleeping at around 9pm last night). She was hungry so I fed her. We played a bit, she pooed, I changed her, she pooed again, I changed her again and at around 630, I knew it was time for her to sleep. I sang her lullaby (this is her cue to sleep) and she was actually a bit drowsy and then she started to cry. I thought she was hungry again, but she wasn't. Or she pooed again, but she didn't. After a while, my arms were getting numb (she was getting heavy!), I decided to put her down on her bassinet. Voila, she stopped crying, closed her eyes and sucked her thumb to sleep. The irony of Aqui! She cries because she is being cradled and lulled to sleep whence she just wants to be left alone! I can read her thoughts now.. "Mommy and Daddy, you were the ones who trained me to sleep on my own and now, you can't leave me alone? What The Fish!?@%" hahaha.

Happy 3 Months Aqui!
As usual, we celebrated her month-day with her (our) favorite cake. Ninang Laiz and Tito Rommil dropped by to help us finish the food. hehe. Here are some of her pictures to celebrate her 3rd month.

Good (Long) Night Aqui! (and some random tips)

2009-08-06T08:14:00.004+12:00

Aqui is sleeping so I'm taking the opportunity to blog...

I'm so proud that Aqui has joined the ranks of sleeping-thru-the-night babies (like her classmate Riley). Last night, I gave in to the advice of the other mums here (PIN group and facebookie mum Lisa) to leave Aqui alone and just let her sleep through the night. In the past, I wake her up at around 2 or 4 for a feed whenever I hear her suck her thumb noisily. I've done this as I'm worried that she might get ulcer or something from hunger (I really believe that hunger can burn holes in your tummy!). But since most of the babies around us seem to start sleeping through the night at this age, I gave in as well. I was advised that if Aqui was hungry, she would definitely let me know with a cry. The result - Aqui having slept through from 10pm to 6am and me- having no sleep at all! I was so worried that I won't hear her cry so I watched her sleep. In the morning, both of us had eyebags-- her, from having her first long sleep and me from having no sleep at all. I hope this is the first of her many sleep-thru-nights. Soon, we may even be moving her into her own room. I guess I'm glad that I meet other mummies (&bubs) to hear their opinions and share tips and advices.

It is truly a relief to know that Aqui and I are not the only ones going through these stages. I wish there was something like this for friends in the Phils and Malaysia who are first time mums as well. Sure, they have the luxury of receiving advice from their families and relatives nearby but getting advice from people who are going through the same things at exactly the same time sure beats the heck out of "historical" advices. In a way, I am blogging for them as well. They might not leave written comments on my blog but we email and chat sometimes and I feel warm all over whenever they tell me that they've read my blog and picked up something that will help them caring for their newborn. So friends, don't fret - we might be miles away but I assure you, whatever you're going through with your little one, I have gone through it as well (well, most of it) and so have other mums here. And I'll do my best to document it and share them with you.

Let me leave you with some of these handy tips:

1) Breastmilk is best for babies. Yup- not only for eating but for any skin rash! I spray breastmilk after the night feed on Aqui's face whenever she has those red blotchy rashes and they're gone in the morning!

2) Babies do smell. Aside from their poop smell, the creases when left alone will smell. Aqui is growing fast and storing a lot of fat too! It's getting harder to clean the "hidden" areas like her neck, the back of her knees, her armpits etc. If left alone, rash can form and it'll be red and smelly! Aqui had that for a few days in the neck and at first, I decided to just wash it and pat it dry but it got worse so I put on some baby powder. But then I found out the powder can cause lung problems if inhaled so I switched to a cornstarch based powder especially designed for heat rash. I'm now looking for this Huggies Liquid Powder which is the best for these baby rashes as it's in liquid form so there is no risk of inhalation at all.

3) Barrier creams are great but airing baby's bum is best. Although they say that your baby's bum will tell you what it needs, it really doesn't do that, right? My pedia prescribed a zinc-castor oil paste to use on Aqui's bum and I use this on every nappy change. I've also used another brand, Bum Balm, which is made from essential oils and beeswax and found that we liked this more -- but is quite expensive so we use this only at night and when going out. Apart from this, we take every opportunity to air her bum and even expose it to the morning sun. I'm proud to say that her bum is as smooth and silky as can be!

4) Don't wait for baby to develop on her own - Help her reach her full potential. I think that's the gist of all the Plunket DVD's I've seen so far. All the baby movements, exercises and activities point to one thing - help your baby develop as early as possible. Yesterday, we were taught how to stretch baby's legs to help her learn how to roll over when the time comes. Tummy time is for baby to learn to crawl early and exercise the neck. Some mums even give solids to their babies as early as 4 months - it all depends on how your baby adapts.

5) Any language spoken with bubs 3 years and below will never be forgotten. That's what one of the PIN group mums told me yesterday when I posed the question on what should bilingual parents use with their babies. The advice is to use the native tongue when speaking with your little one otherwise your child will pick up your accent and that won't go well when it's time to go to school. So speak the native tongue since your child will easily pick up the local language at school or around the neighborhood anyway.

So that's it for now. Hope you find these useful.

Sa uulitin!

Meeting More Bubs

2009-08-05T15:18:00.002+12:00

by Aqui

Mom and I attended another mommies and babies gathering around the neighborhood, this time, it was the Plunket In Neighborhood (PIN) group. I got to meet other babies and saw Orion again (it turns out that we fell under the same PIN group because we're neighbors). Orion was surprised to see me wide awake! We watched a Plunket DVD on baby exercises and activities. I got tired from our get together and dozed off the moment I got home.

Look at our pics. I do get around, don't I?

Good Morning Aqui!

2009-07-27T11:14:00.005+12:00

by Aqui

See me awake, alive, enthusiastic in this video!

Bye Bye Lolo

2009-07-24T08:29:00.004+12:00

Hello! I'm back again, and this time, I'm no longer DTW. In fact, I'm awake most of the day and even started sleeping through the night much to my mom's delight. I probably got tired from all the outings we had when my grandfather was here for a visit. I still think 12 days is too short for a Lolo's visit, I wish he stayed longer to spoil me some more. A golfer's arms is strong, warm and firm and I enjoyed every minute he held me. There were times he didn't put me down at all so I had most of my naps in his cozy arms. This worried my parents because I forgot all the sleep training they gave me before. haha. See below the video of my last "hele" with Lolo.

We also made time visit lots of places to see and shop. We went to see the seashore at Fisherman's table and the highest point of Wellington at the Mt. Victoria Lookout (which was freezing so it's understandable that I'm DTW again). And the last few days were spent shopping for pasalubongs to my relatives in the Philippines - to thank them for the wonderful gifts they sent thru Lolo.

While I'm writing this, Lolo is still in the plane from Melbourne. I feel very bad for Lolo because Qantas made his trip home miserable. His flight should have been 6 am so we woke up very early to bid goodbye. Only later, they told him that his flight was delayed til 10 am. Then he also got charged for 2 kilos of excess luggage. NZ is really strict with this -- in other airports, they wouldn't charge you if it's just 2-3 kilos. When he got to Sydney, he missed his connecting flight so he had to wait for the next one for 8 hours! Then they told him they misplaced his luggage but found it later on in Singapore. It's really a grueling trip for him and I feel bad because he wasn't feeling too good when he left. He had a bit of a cough and his thought-it-was-gone-long-ago ear problem was doing a Mac Arthur (I shall Return!). I just hope he reaches Manila safe and sound so he can have a good rest.

The Joy of Thumbsucking
I've recently discovered the joy of thumbsucking! Well, technically, it's not thumbsucking because I shove my whole fist inside my mouth. At first, mom and dad got worried and kept feeding me when I did this. They keep thinking I was hungry. Well, sometimes, I am but sometimes, I'm just doing it to settle myself. They refuse to give me a pacifier so I have to find a way to pacify myself, right? Well, here I am "fistsucking"...

P.S. Lately, Nel and I were discussing if we should stop Aqui from thumbsucking or just give her a pacifier because her thumb is getting chaffed from all the sucking action. After much research, we decided to let it go and leave her be because apparently, it's actually a good sign of emotional development. According to babycenter.org: "Babies generally suck their thumb to soothe themselves, which is good, because they need to learn how to rely on their own resources. The ability to regulate or control one's behavior and emotions is an important developmental challenge. When your child sucks her thumb, she's finding ways to make herself feel better without your help.

You don't have to stop your child from sucking her thumb right now. In general, thumb-sucking is more irritating to parents than it is harmful to kids. Your baby will stop when she's ready and has developed other ways of soothing herself." Read more here.

I'm officially a Christian! Amen.

2009-07-14T08:11:00.003+12:00

I was officially welcomed to the Christian world last Sunday, 12th of July. As usual, I was DTW (Dead To the World) throughout the whole ceremony. I'm used to bathing so I didn't even stir when Father Peter poured holy water on me thrice. I'll share the video coverage of the ceremony next time. In the meantime, the photos of my Christening are here.

Grizzling Aqui

2009-07-10T08:59:00.005+12:00

Here's the fruit of our (EingeNelAqui) hard work in sleep training. It's not perfect yet but we're so proud of how Aqui can sleep on her own without the need to be rocked or fed. :-)

The Kinoy Way

2009-07-09T08:24:00.010+12:00

Aqui has been dominating my blog for a while so it's time I make a comeback. This time I'll be sharing with you my dilemma on raising a Filipino child the Kiwi way. In ante-natal class, it was mentioned that the main difference of caring for a baby in a first world country versus a third world country is how often they are held. In 1st world countries, babies are trained to settle on their own and not cuddled or carried most of the time. In 3rd world countries, babies are in the arms of the mum or somebody else almost all the time even when they are sleeping. I am a mum from a 3rd world country raising a baby in a 1st world country, hence, I'm faced with the dilemma on which way is the better one for Aqui. It doesn’t stop there, there are lots of things that are quite different and let's get the verdict on each.

From Birth
The Kiwi Way
Immediately after the baby comes out, she is given to the mum for skin contact. I remember holding her amidst all the goo and blood. Ronnel had a chance to hold her as well before she was whisked away to undergo the Apgar test.

The Pinoy Way
Babies are immediately sent to the nursery and the dad's first glimpse of baby is through a glass window. I remember when my youngest sister was born and my dad and I were looking through the window, searching for the right baby to look at.

The Verdict: Kiwi Way wins. I guess that's why you wont hear much of baby switching here unlike in the Phils where it's the theme of most soap operas.

The First Night
The Kiwi Way
If it wasnt for Aqui's blood sugar monitoring requirements, she would have been in the room with me. Tin, a friend of mine who recently gave birth had her baby room in her on the first night and she recalled a time when Neon was crying and was hungry but she had no idea on what to do and had to wait for the nurse. Here, no visitors are allowed to sleep over at the hospital, yep, even the husband. I remember on the second night when Aqui was with me how frustrated I was because we were still both learning to breastfeed. I was exhausted when morning came and was really looking forward to Ronnel coming back.

The Pinoy Way
In the Philippines, the whole family can room in with you. I'm not sure if they put in a limit now but when my sister was born, we all slept in my mum's room, awaiting every moment the nurse brings in my little sister from the nursery.

The Verdict: I'm leaning towards the Pinoy Way, remembering how exhausted I was at nights with Aqui, especially since I had a C-section. I had to get up from bed and pick her up to feed her several times and thank God for the pain relievers, I couldn't feel a thing.

Handling With Care
The Kiwi Way
Here, babies are treated normally rather than like a fragile object. When I first saw how Aqui was being handled by the midwives, I almost gasped in horror. It's not that they manhandled her but it's just very different from how nurses back home handle babies. Her tiny arms are being stretched as if the were of a ten year old. Once, a nurse, shoved Aqui's face onto my breast to force her to feed. I also saw a mum patting her baby's back so hard, you'd think the baby's head will come off.

The Pinoy Way
There, we treat newborns with the utmost care possible. The cradle hold is the only way to hold a baby and you have to be very gentle especially with the arms and legs because the bones aren't formed yet, they say. I remember I couldn't hold my sister yet in the first few days and when I eventually did, I felt like a hundred eyes were looking at me.

The Verdict: Although it takes time getting used to, I prefer the Kiwi way. Doctors say that babies survive the most traumatic thing that could ever happen to them by going through delivery, squished and prodded, so there is no need for special handling. Of course, there is still the need to hold them carefully. As for the soft spot, the “fontanelle” or in Filipino, the “bumbunan”, I’m quoting this from a book they gave me here, “It is not delicate, painful nor dangerous to touch. The brain beneath it is well protected by a tough fibrous covering…. As for the head, there’s no chance that it will dislocate or fall off.” This was a revelation to me and it changed a lot of how I view baby-handling.

When we went to the doctor, I was advised to have lots of tummy time for her. This was unheard of in the Philippines. Newborns are supposed to be always on their backs because they cant support their heads yet and they might suffocate when put on their tummies. Here, they purposely put them on their tummies so that the neck muscles develop. Stretching and massaging of the arms and legs are encouraged for bone and muscle development (thus, our JaiHo dance). I was skeptical of this but I followed doctor’s advice and did tummy time for at least 5 minutes a day and see in the picture below how Aqui can now lift her head up!

The Nursing
The Kiwi Way
I didn’t know that breastfeeding was this challenging. I thought it was going to be a natural thing for me and baby but it took us some time to get into it. Here, they teach you the right way of nursing. They even have full day breastfeeding classes and lactation consultants. I had a hard time developing this skill and although I loved the feeling of oneness that I have with Aqui during nursing sessions, I hated the pain it caused my poor breasts. A lactation consultant came to see me and watch me feed and gave me advice. According to her, breastfeeding should be pain-free and a wonderful experience. We are getting better at it now. There is less pain and I’m sure with more practice, we’ll perfect the technique.

The Pinoy Way
I’m not sure how breastfeeding is taught in the Philippines but I think it’s taught by the mother to the nursing daughter. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have my mum or mother-in-law here so I have to rely on support from the nurse or consultant. I guess it’s true when they say it takes a village to raise a child. I remember Ronnel telling me a month after I gave birth, “Kaya naman pala natin tayo lang e.” (Roughly translated: See? We can do it even with just us two here.) This is his way of allaying my fears of not having the capability of caring for Aqui especially in the first few weeks. I desperately wanted to have family support here, even to the point of wanting to ask my mom to drop her job in the US for a while to accompany me here. But Ronnel kept assuring me that we will survive and we did. It was no easy task though but once again, it strengthened the EingeNel tandem.

The Verdict: Seems like the Kiwi Way wins.

Sleepytime
The Kiwi Way
Plunket (a child health service provider here in NZ) lent me a DVD to watch on how to put babies to sleep. In the DVD, it says babies must be left alone to settle themselves to sleep. They gave tips on how to check if baby is sleepy and tired. (1) Rubbing eyes (2)Yawning (3) Staring into space and (4) Grizzling The last one is the hardest one because this is what you’ll see most of the time. Grizzling is the act of crying on and off and you’ll hear this a lot when you leave your baby alone to settle. They encourage you to leave the room so that you won't hear your baby crying.

Aqui usually sleeps during feeding time and I was gently told off by the lactation consultant about this. According to her, feeding and sleeping must be disassociated. I have to wake her up everytime she falls asleep while feeding. This was very heart-wrenching for me and I battled with myself every time I did it, thinking “What harm would it to Aqui if I just leave her there sleeping?” But I thought that there was no harm in trying as well. So I did it. It was days of training her the pattern and even now, we’re still training her to understand that feeding and sleeping are two different things. So we follow the pattern “Feed – Change Nappy – Play / JaiHo time – Sleep”. It is hard work especially when it comes to sleeping time and I put her down to sleep. Every cry she makes tugs my heart and makes me feel I’m a bad mother.

The Pinoy Way
In the Philippines, babies are left to sleep in the warmth of the mum’s arms (or somebody else’s). I remember putting my little sister to sleep by rocking her to the song of “Kailan”. I couldn’t put her down or she’d wail and the neighbors will throw rocks at our window (well, not really but they’d complain of the noise.) That is why we need the whole village for a baby, one pair of arms is not enough for a wailing sleepy babe.

The Verdict: I’m still torn between the two so I’m mixing both. In the morning or as much as I can, I use the sleepytime method and I leave her to sleep on her own without rocking or feeding her. At night (when Ronnel needs uninterrupted sleep for work the next day), I nurse and rock her to sleep. She’s settling better now. Her wails are getting shorter and shorter and she falls asleep on her own most of the time.

Aqui Settling Herself

Playtime
The Kiwi Way
Here, playtime is a lot physical which meant straining almost all parts of the body. Two years ago when we first came here, we saw a 4-year old child in the park rolling on a hill while the dad looks on while another child climbs up the ladder of a slide without supervision. I was horrified that this was the norm here. Now, I understand what that was all about. Children are left to discover things on their own – of course in a safe manner. Liway, the daughter of friends of ours, has scrapes all over her face every time we see her and before, I really didn’t understand this but now, I see that it’s all for her own good. I think Kiwis train their children this way in preparation for an All Blacks audition.

The Pinoy Way
In the Philippines, every little bit of a child’s step is supervised by the parents. You’d see a mom speeding so fast if a child stumbles. We smother them with our love and care. I guess this way works in the Philippines because it is indeed scary outdoors with all the crazy speeding drivers and kidnappers.

The Verdict: I’m for the Kiwi way here. I like how Liway is tough and doesn’t cry on every fall and how she picks herself up. This shows faith - that her parents are there when she needs them the most and confidence - that she can handle things her own.

So there you go. I’ve shared my dilemma with you and I guess just by doing this, I’ve solved the dilemma a bit. I don’t feel as torn as before and you (Kiwi or Pinoy) will be able to understand me now if Aqui and I do things differently from the way you’re used to. Also, it seems that we are adapting more Kiwi ways than Pinoy ways and I guess that’s understandable because we will be here for quite a while. As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. But ofcourse, we still pick up from the Philippines what we believe is good for Aqui. We still want the best of both worlds for her.

Jai Ho Daddy!

2009-07-07T15:28:00.003+12:00

I'm in the process of creating a video for Aqui's christening and here's a part of it... Watch out for the full video soon. :-)

Growing, growing, gone!

2009-06-25T16:50:00.006+12:00

by Aqui again...
Heavyweight
Hello all! Here I am back again with heavy news -- yup, I'm getting bigger. Yesterday, a nurse from Plunket came to visit and check up on me. I was dozing off during my tummy time and I didnt like that they woke me up just to weigh me. That explains why I'm so grumpy in these photos. But see how big I am now -- from 2.9kg to 4.17 in just 6 weeks!

Welcome to the world, Neon Gabrio.

I met a new friend (again!). They keep teasing us that we were MFEO (made for each other) just because we weighed the same when we were delivered. Plus, he kept on looking at me when I came for a visit. I can't help it though, I'm just too pretty.

Friends Get-Together (Again!)
Seems like all the babies are growing and growing. Here we all are and yeah, I'm sleeping (again!). At least I'm not alone in dreamland, Caitlyn, who's beside me is with me in la-la land too.

And finally, I'm awake! Remember these babies?

I'm 1 month old! Yay!

2009-06-15T14:27:00.004+12:00

Time flies so fast, doesn't it? It seems like yesterday that I was just swimming and kicking inside my mummy's tummy. And now, I'm celebrating my one month in this world. Soon, I'll be going to kindy, get married, travel the world, be the president of the Philippines... not in that order of course.

Last Friday, I got more visitors and met new friends, Kathlyn, Jimmy and Patrick. I couldnt (yet) run around with Kathlyn and Jimmy but it was fun to watch them horsing around.

On Saturday, Daddy and Tito Romil had to give in to their itch to play NBA -- and they played 7 games straight! Daddy won most of the games though. haha.

On my 1st month, we started the day by attending mass and received blessing from Fr. Peter. Then, we had an impromptu lunch out at Good World, the yummiest yum char restaurant here in Wellington IMHO. I'm still waiting for the pictures from Tita Concep.

In the afternoon, we had my favourite cake (actually, it's Daddy's fave, not mine) and shared this with Ninang (to-be) Laiz and Tito Romil. Tito Romil and Daddy played a bit of NBA and Fight Night (again!!)

Today, mummy was ecstatic to find out her patience in joining online contests is paying off. She's been receiving free stuff in the mail recently and I'd like to think I'm her lucky charm. Her Arrozcaldo recipe (renamed Asian Soupy Risotto) was even selected for this month's Huggies Featured Recipe! Click here to view the recipe in the Huggies website.

Aqui Hip and Happening

2009-06-12T11:05:00.005+12:00

Meeting Other Bubs Again

I met with the other babies (& mums) again. This time, we were able to take photos of everybody. Too bad the girls were outnumbered by the boys.
Here's all of us..

Pauleen (AnteNatal Class Facilitator) and me

My Midwife's last visit
Starting next week, Plunket will be looking after me instead of the Midwife Shared Services. So we took a picture so that we won't forget each other.

And here I am doing my morning ritual... get ready for some toilet humour.

Watch Aqui's Morning Ritual in Family | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Oh and thanks to those who've participated in the poll. Daddy's ecstatic that he's leading the poll. There's still several days left so Mommy hasn't lost hope yet.

My Weekend Extravaganza

2009-06-08T11:09:00.009+12:00

by Aqui basking in the Sun....

I took over mom's role in updating our blog because she's been so busy taking care of me. And my life is more interesting than hers anyway, agree?

Happy Birthday Tito Arnel!
Anyway, I'm soooo tired because we were out and about since Thursday. You saw my pictures with the other babies last Thursday, haven't you? Last Friday night, we went to Tito Arnel's house to celebrate his 25th birthday (he said he stopped aging when he reached 25 decades ago) with his family. Here are our pics...

See you soon Neon!
The next day, we went to Tito Donald and Tita Tin's house to throw them a baby shower. I'll be meeting my new friend Neon soon! We had fun games and a nice lunch (Daddy was looking forward to the lunch because he was getting tired of the microwaved lunches he's been having since I was born.)

Here are our pics.

And ofcourse, Sunday is the Lord's day so we attended mass. At church, I saw one of my antenatal classmates getting baptised. I'm looking forward to my turn!

So today is Monday and it's my rest day. What's more, there's an NBA game today so Daddy will be glued to the TV again.

Oh and I want to say I'm happy that I have a new friend again. Yanyan has been born healthy and cute but too bad I can't meet her face to face. She's in Malaysia with her mom and dad who are good friends of my parents -- they became really great friends when they were in Malaysia a couple of years ago. Maybe in 2012, we'll get a chance to meet, right Yanyan? Isn't she cuuuuute?

Where did I get my looks?
In the meantime, I'm leaving a task for all of you blog readers. It's been a debate ever since I was born on whom I resemble more. My grandma Lilia and grampa Mon say I look like Daddy. My mamu Emee (she refuses to be called granny) says I look like my mommy. Ofcourse, they're biased. So I ask you, objective and rational people to participate on the poll (right side of the blog home page) to end this once and for all. And to help you decide, here's a picture of my mom and dad when they were kids. Too bad their baby pictures are in Manila but I'll ask my grandparents to look for them so we can have a much closer look.

Meeting Bubs In the Block

2009-06-04T19:16:00.004+12:00

by Aqui

Today, I went out with mommy to meet my new friends from my parents' ante-natal class. I was second to the last to arrive in the world, closely followed by Kaitlyn, but today, we were late to arrive in the get-together because I just had to have milk and it took me a looong time to finish eating.

When we got to my friend Yasha's home, all the mommies and babies were in the lounge ready to start the sharing session. I slept the whole time through the horror birth stories. I think I was lucky that I was delivered via a c-section. The other babies there had to be pulled out of their moms using a vonteuse or forceps. I was the tiniest baby there and probably, the most quiet, because I was sleeping the whole time.

We weren't able to take a picture of everybody but my mom was able to take photos of me and other three little ones who stayed behind. Here they are...

Here's when my parents' CFC friends came to visit last Queen's birthday

Here's me and my dad again...

My First Day Out

2009-05-31T20:25:00.007+12:00

by: Aqui Rodriguez

I had my first outing today! Mommy and Daddy deemed I was old enough (I am 16 days old now) to attend mass and go to the mall. Mum took a long time preparing for my day out while Dad was busy making sure that my pram and car seat are ready for the rough weather outside. The weather wasn't so cooperative with my warm and sunny disposition -- there was hail (it was a first for all of us to see hail in Wellington!) and it was freezing outside. No wonder I was dressed warmly and snuggly in my new Pink jumpsuit (courtesy of my Ninang-to-be Doyeth).

My first stop was St. Peter and Paul's Parish as we attended our first Sunday mass as a family. I saw my ninang-to-be Laiz (& Tito Romil) and ninong-to-be Boy (& Tita Cecile and Kuya Joshua) at church too. I got blessed by Fr. Peter during communion and so I was ready to go out and partey!

My next stop was the mall. It was raining cats and dogs (and ice!) in Johnsonville but Lower Hutt was more to my liking. Westfield Queensgate was full of shoppers, especially since it was the Queen's birthday weekend and so there were lots of sales and special deals in the shops. Mum and Dad bought me clothes because I kept complaining that all I had were blue clothes and people kept telling me how handsome I was and how cute my parents' little boy was. If only I could scream "I am a girl! Can't you see how pretty I am like my mum?" Too bad people see how closely I resemble my dad - can't they see I have my mom's eyes?

Shopping for my clothes made my mom and dad hungry so we had to stop for lunch. They had butter chicken while I had my usual fix of breastmilk. I wasn't really much of an active shopper as I was sleeping the whole time and even did a little poo and wee here and there. At least I wasn't a party pooper and didnt complain much even when my nappy was full of you-know-what.

All in all, I think my first day out was a success. I didn't get into an accident - even when mommy kept on shoving my stroller onto the wrong path- and I was a good girl the whole time... until we came home.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my first day out! Watch out for my future adventures.
Here are some pictures of my first day out.

My first Sunday Mass

Don't I look like a girl now?

Shopping Time!

Lunch Time!

Home Time

Hail at our backyard

Nappy Change

More Visitors

Cute Picture Frame from Tita Jenny in Malaysia

El Vicitacion del mis amigas/amigos para Aqui

2009-05-23T21:33:00.005+12:00

I'd like to post this as a thank you to all our friends who have been here for us all throughout this wonderful experience of welcoming our first child into this world. Being away from family, Ronnel and I were really worried if we can make it on our own. We didnt have a choice but to be fully prepared for Aqui's arrival. We did that by arming ourselves with knowledge coupled with prayers. But we are very blessed to have good friends who have been very supportive, knowing that we can't ask too much of them but still just being there every step of the way.

In the hospital, friends came to visit bringing us food and warm company. Ronnel and I had a good meal every night since my admission because every day, we had friends bringing food. Even when we came home from the hospital, friends came over our place to bring food because they were thinking we'd be too exhausted to cook or even prepare for dinner. It brings us joy and warmth in our hearts to have such thoughtful friends. To the Baloyo Family and Monera Couple - thank you for making our first night at home with Aqui stress-free.

To Don and Tin, thanks for the wonderful surprise greeting over the radio. Ronnel and I were pleasantly surprised to hear our names being said over the radio. It was such a coincidence that we logged on to listen online to Chico and DelaMar's Morning Rush show in the Philippines. Here's an mp3 of their greeting.

To our Hospital and House Visitors, thanks! You made our ordeal so much easier just by being there. To the Kisteria family who missed this event since they're celebrating Liway's birthday in the Phils, thanks for the clothes and bassinet (originally from Kuya Mel/Ate Bing)- she's enjoying it a lot. To our colleagues at the 2 best banks in NZ, thanks for the cheers and pressies. And to other friends who have sent in their sms, email, FB messages, IM's, YM's, etc - thanks!

Anyway, here are more pictures of Aqui. Yeah, yeah, I'm becoming a soppy mum - can you blame me? Just look at how cute Aqui is!

Her First Bath (Who said babies love water?)

Sleeping Aqui and Daddy

Visiting Friends

Aqui is 1 Week Old! Yay!

2009-05-21T17:11:00.003+12:00

Baby Aqui is now 1 week old. And yeah, it maybe overkill but can you blame us very proud 1st-time parents? Daddy bought a nice cake as we celebrated this mini milestone today.

Oh and we'd like to thank my colleagues at work as Baby Aqui got a nice pressie from them...

Aqui Is Here!

2009-05-18T20:15:00.004+12:00

14 May 2009

The long wait is over. Aqui is finally here (a bit redundant since Aqui already means “here” but you know what I mean.) Actually, we were in the hospital yesterday, 13th of May, to undergo induced labour but was asked to come back the next day as the hospital was short of staff and vacant birth rooms for. And so we begrudgingly went home. I suppose it was good to stay home as I was able to cross out two more items from my pre-birth to-do-list-- to watch twilight and madagascar 2 on dvd and to do some more washing.

The next day, we were up and about at 5 am and were in the hospital at 8 am. There was no turning back now. I was readied with iv drips and monitored for contractions. There were a few coming but weren't so intense. At around 12, the OB force-broke my waters. It hurt but I was able to endure it with a smile - I think it was the least I can do for the midwives and doctors who were all so nice. The ob was quite surprised that I had little reaction and mused out that I had a high tolerance for pain. That gave me encouragement to go thru labour drug-free. But as time passed by and the contractions became more frequent and pain was more intense, brought about by syntocinin, I realised I could no longer endure the pain. I was blessed to have my husband Ronnel there with me all throughout but even his lamaze massage and words of encouragement were no match for the intense labour pains. And so I gave in. I asked for an epidural. And it was the best decision that I made.

The thing with epidurals is that you have to absolutely stay still when it is applied and it was no small feat especially when contractions were happening every other minute. But Ronnel was there to hold me still and remind me that I won't beable to use my future phone (Yeah, this still works as motivation) if something happens to my nervous system. So it went in without problems and I found my new best friend, Epi the epidural trigger button.

The contractions were happening fast now and I was in full labour but despite that, I was only 5 cm dilated and it remained that way for 3 hours. Moreover, baby was in an anterior position-- in short, however fast or frequent the contractions were, baby won't be coming out right. And so our OB advised that a C-section is the best option and since we trust our OB (we are paying big bucks for her services), we signed all the necessary papers and off we went to the operation theatre.

I was given a stronger anesthetic so as not to feel the cut and as a result, I had the shivers all over. Apparently, with anaesthesia, your body can't tell the temperature properly so you get the shakes. It was the weirdest feeling ever. This was my first operation and I didn't know what to expect. I was aware of the things that were happening around me but I felt my body was too heavy. Ronnel was besideme, holding my hand, trying to stop me from shaking a lot. I felt my stomach being prodded and pushed and saw the reflection from the lights above. It was like a scene in the Saw movies where there was blood all over and the gut exposed. At 10:16 pm, we heard the sweetest sound ever. It was our baby's first cry.
And it's confirmed now - Aqui is a girl.

She was quickly cleaned and brought over to Ronnel's arms. I've never seen him happier. I know in my heart he is going to be the best dad there is for our little Jacqueleen. The first thing he said was, "She looks just like you!" When he brought her over, I couldn't agree more. She had my wide set eyes but she had her daddy's pouty small lips. Let's leave the nose to fate and see what happens. There was only one thing running thru my mind when I saw her, "I love you baby." It was the first time I felt such an overpowering emotion that made me shake all over-- I don't think it was the drugs this time.

The pediatrician did some checks on her and wow, our baby has passed her first test (apgar) with flying colours. Nine out of ten – not bad for her first test! Not only that, she had her first feed with no problems. Even the midwife was amazed how fast Aqui was able to latch and she didn't let go for almost an hour!

We still have to stay in the hospital for a few days for Aqui to be monitored and she's staying in the Natal Intensive Care Unit. I couldn't sleep during that night, babies in the ward kept crying and I keep thinking of my Aqui. Ronnel has gone home since partners around allowed to stay the night. We're both tired and sleep deprived with this longest day of our lives, but it is all worth it.

Here are some pictures we'd like to share...
When the contractions were just starting...

After meeting bestfriend Epi

Prepping for a C-section

Aqui is a Girl!

More of our little Aqui...

Our "Lasts" before Aqui comes out... moved up to Wednesday now!

2009-05-09T18:22:00.007+12:00

I got a call from my OB this morning and she told me she was moving up my induction schedule from Monday next week to Wednesday. That's just 5 days to go! I'm now enveloped with a mixture of anticipation, excitement, fear and panic. I still have things to do and prepare. I'm so glad I've started the nesting stage soon enough so at least there are a few things crossed out of my list. Anyway, here are the last things I've/we've done before Aqui comes out....

My Last Day at Work

Packed and Ready to Go

Our Last Walk in Town

Our Last Movie Date

Nel's Last NBA Xbox Game with Buddy Romil

My Last All-Out Cooking
I've prepared 10 different meals and stocked the in the freezer in anticipation of the sleepless nights/days and exhaustion.

So there you go. Tomorrow, we'll be doing our last panic buying of baby stuff. At least we know that we still have a few days left to prepare!

So excited to meet our little Aqui!

Due Date Bumped to 18th of May!

2009-05-05T08:50:00.004+12:00

So needles aren't really that bad...

I've been really strict with my diet for the past months due to gestational diabetes but it turns out that it's not good for the baby since we're not gaining the extra weight we need. It's a real Catch 22- darn if I eat a lot, and darn if I don't. So the doctor told me to just eat more and they'll just give me insulin shots.

To celebrate my first insulin shot, I had a chocolate cake! Wow, drugs really do wonders. My blood sugar was still in a low range even after that sumptuous slice. And since I'm on insulin now, I cant go beyond my due date (22May) which means I'll be induced a week before. This is good since we'll be able to meet Aqui sooner! And I realized one thing too -- 18 May would have been my birthday if I wasn't born 2 months early! How great is that!

AND IT'S A BOY...... NOT!!!!
So, a few months back, we were told that we will be having a boy - although with the caveat that it's not definite. When we went for a scan a week ago, we were told that we were having a girl. Hmm, so which is which? Anyway, we've been calling our little one "Aqui" so we'll stick with that -- Joaquin Israel for a boy and Jacqueleen for a girl.

Household Lunch / Baby Shower

2009-04-05T18:03:00.003+12:00

Thanks to our good friends for holding this for us. Enjoyed it a lot. Ronnel got to practice his diapering skills... ha ha

Birthday and Prepping for Birth-day

2009-03-21T13:24:00.004+13:00

Mystery Solved!

Finally, baby has opened his legs to reveal his jewels. Yup, it's a boy and so, Ronnel has the privilege to name him. He'll be known as Joaquin Israel T. Rodriguez. At least I get to pick his nick name "AQUI". Aqui from Joaquin, translates to different meanings in three languages. In Bicol, Aqui/Aki means "child" or offspring. In Spanish, it means "here" and in Japanese (yes, blame our anime and jap drama addiction), Aki means Autumn or Fall which coincides with the season he'll be born.

Hopefully, we won't get any surprises on d-day. Scans are not 100% accurate so there's still a tiny chance that it's a girl. Will we call her "Aqua" then?

Things We Learned From Ante-Natal Classes
A couple of months to go and we'll be holding Aqui in our arms but before that, Ronnel and I both know that we have to prepare for that day. Unfortunately, our family members won't be here when I give birth so it's just up to us two. Sure, we'll have friends to help us out but there's only so much you can ask of a friend (I couldn't really ask a friend to wash my perineum right? haha).

To help us prepare, we've enrolled in Ante-Natal classes which we found really helpful especially for first time parents like us. There were about 11 couples in class and I think all of us are 1st time mum and dads. My preggy friends outside NZ are asking if these classes are worthwhile and what we get from them so here goes....

Session 1:
>Class was shown things to buy and not to buy - which are must-haves and nice-to-haves such as:
Some must-haves:
Car Seat / Capsule
Merino Sleeping Bag (esp for NZ winter)
Bath Towel
Breathable mattress (must not be plastic or foam - note that optimal temperature for babies is 17Cdeg. To check, feel baby's back. Make sure your hand's not cold!)
Nappy liners - can be used as bathing sponge

Nice to haves:
Reusable Nappies (You'll be too tired to wash so just go for disposable during first few weeks)
Wool blanket

Session #2
Class was shown different types of baby clothes
Class was advised on what to bring to the hospital

What must be in your hospital bag:
Food! (especially for the dad)
Loose Clothing
Thick Sanitary Pads
Camera and back up camera just in case
Lip Balm
Old underwear (you'll be throwing them away after anyway)
Toiletries
Socks
Car seat
Mobile phone
Mum and Baby's Clothes for leaving hospital

Optional:
Entertainment stuff (a good book, relaxation CD, PSP?)- just in case labor lasts for hours

Danger Signs during Labor
> High temperature/fever combined with swelling and vomiting
> Leaking blood (1 tsp of blood is ok but more than that, call doctor/midwife)
> A presenting baby (he's ready to get out and you cant go to the hospital anymore)

Session #3
Watched Birth DVD
More tips on labor
> Go to hospital when contractions are 3-5 in 10 minutes
> Don't wait for your water to break to go to hospital
> Labor induction is done when you're 10 days overdue
- Labor-inducing stuff: Castor Oil rubbed on tummy, Evening Primrose oil rubbed in cervix, Clove Oil in bath, eating fresh pineapple, raspberry tea

Session #4
Learned Baby First Aid: CPR, Choking - Baby heimlich maneuver

Session # 5
Labor Exercises - pelvic tilts
Breastfeeding Techniques

Session #6 - missed this one coz we spent the whole afternoon in the hospital for my gestational diabetes sessions but this one was just a get-together class-closing session.

There are 2 more sessions after we all give birth (in June?) so there are still a lot to learn.

My Birthday
Yaiks! I'm another year older! Too bad we had to spend my birthday in the hospital since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. But it's not too serious (I hope) - I think I was just over a bit (9 is the cut off and my results were 9.6). As a result, I have to monitor my blood sugar which meant pricking my finger for blood 6 x a day! It's also good that the government subsidizes the gadgets and medicines for this (yay, tax in action). Anyway, back to my birthday. We didnt really have the time (& energy - after being in the hosp for hours) to celebrate so Ronnel and I just had a simple dinner at home.

I guess it's a blessing in disguise that I have gest diabetes. Now, I really have to take what I eat seriously - especially that there is a chance that I might have it again in the future (on account of my family history of diabetes). I've created this nifty carb counter and Blood Glucose Level spreadsheet which tracks what I eat and my levels. This is not only good for diabetic people but also for those who want to go on a low-carbo diet!

PS Thanks for all the bday greetings sent in via email, friendster and facebook :-)

Last Outing before the big "Out-ing"

2009-03-05T16:45:00.003+13:00

In 2007, Ronnel and I spent Christmas at a friend's bach at Waikawa beach. This year, we came back with reinforcements. We brought our friends along as an experience like that was really something worth sharing. Problem was, the weather wasnt on our side. We were having second thoughts the morning we left because the skies were dark but we consoled ourselves to the thought that there were lots of DVDs to watch in our friend's place anyway.

With Joel, Agnes and their cute baby Liway Megan, we trudged the sand in search of the beach. This time around, we took the bridge to get to the sea. Last year, we didnt realize there was a bridge and had to wade through the river! We got a bit lost in search for the sea (Ronnel was our navigator!) but we found it eventually. The water was freezing though so we just enjoyed basking in the scenery.

Feb Fun 2009

2009-02-21T07:45:00.000+13:00

Ronnel celebrated his nth bday yesterday and it was really special for the both of us because it's his first birthday as a father! Of course, baby couldn't greet him with hugs and kisses yet so he kicked his/her (yes! still!) hardest to greet daddy. We didnt do anything extravagant, just bought a cake, prepared some dinner (Palabok, Chicken Satay barbequed real-time and Puto pandan.) We had a few friends come over to share the special day and more food came. haha. Best of all, Ronnel had spent his day doing what he loves to do-- play NBA 2K9!

Ronnel's birthday prayer during the blessing of the food was quite simple. He wanted to thank God for all the blessings He has showered us thus far, for giving him another year, and for giving us a baby. He also thanked God for giving us good friends who are there for us to support us, to be our surrogate family, especially that our families are miles away and couldnt physically be with us to celebrate. And as for his birthday wish, he didn't say it out loud but I'm guessing, aside from me and baby being safe on our delivery, I bet he wished baby's a boy. Haha!

Here are pics of our simple birthday dinner last night:

Another update from me.. I just wanted to share that finally I'm a frustrated writer no more.

Finally, my writing skills have been acknowledged! Well, I'd like to think it has been acknowledged rather than they didn't have a choice put to publish my article.. haha.

My article was published on the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysts) February 09 Newsletter. Attached is the newsletter and the full article.

IIBA Feb 09 NewLetter (check out Page 3)

Full Article (you wont be able to access their website without being a member)

Chinese New Year At NZ

New Zealand may be the first to celebrate New Year but we're definitely the last to celebrate Chinese New Year. But as they say, better late than never. Here are some pics from the Chinese New Year Expo in Wellington.

IIBA Agile Business Analysis

2009-02-13T13:37:00.001+13:00

Agile Business Analysis Gottesdiener Jan 20 2009

View more presentations from Tracy Cook. (tags: agile ba)

The Waiting Game

2009-02-08T18:40:00.000+13:00

Three scans and nothing. Nada. Zilch.

When our OB told us that we'd find out our baby's gender on the 20th week scan, we were really excited and looking forward to it. Ronnel is hoping for a boy while I'm rooting for a girl. I'd like to have a girl to dress up, put braids and pig tails on and most of all, someone to shop with! Ronnel is hoping for a boy to play basketball with -- but I think it's just because he doesn't know how to raise a girl (coming from a brood of boys). He also admits being scared that he'd be too strict on a girl - just like he is with me!

On our 20th scan, baby had his/her legs crossed so the sonographer couldn't tell. We were told to try on the next scan. We had another one on the 23rd week and still, baby's legs were covering the view. The latest we had was on the 25th week and by then, we were really eager but still nothing. We even asked the sonographer to please look for it but we were told that it wasn't a priority for them. The scans were to confirm baby's health - not the gender. It was annoying because they didn't think of how important it was to us. Of course, baby's health is our priority too but if the gender can be determined, why can't they do it? Our friends who are pregnant knew as early as the 18th week!

So there, we were resigned to buying yellow and white clothes. I couldn't resist buying a pink baby suit though. Oh well, we'll just have to really wait till D day. Maybe on the next scan, there will be some leg-spreading action! Let's just wait and see. :-)

Blueberry Picking

2009-01-19T09:02:00.000+13:00

I skipped my post for the New Year as I haven't gotten the chance to organize the pictures yet. But here's our pictures from the Blueberry Farm fruitpicking / picnic session with our friends from Couples For Christ.

Christmas Stay Ins

2008-12-30T15:22:00.000+13:00

With the economic recession underway, Ronnel and I made a conscious decision to cut back on expenses. Plus, we also have to prepare for the big arrival of the newest member of the family on May. So, we decided not to take out-of-town trips, cut back on gifts and “pamasko” to our friends and relatives (Thankfully, they understand the situation and are happy with the Christmas cards we sent them.) Instead, we had get-togethers in our home and invited friends to celebrate the season. Yep, it’s time to tighten our belts.

Tightening our belts doesn’t mean we have to skimp on what’s important this season – remembering the real reason why we celebrate – the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And we do this best by celebrating the gift of life, love and friendship.

So here are some of our pics spending Christmas day with friends we’ve come to love and cherish here in NZ…

Here's the Couples for Christ Music Ministry Get Together:

Here's our Christmas Eve celebration. (side story: It's been a tradition for the Rodriguez and Baloyo family to spend Christmas together ever since we were in Malaysia. We now bring this tradition to New Zealand....)

And Christmas Eve Celebration Part 2 Cum Household Meeting/Band Jamming Session

And lastly, our post Christmas Picnic by the beach (nope, it's not a nudist beach, much to Ronnel's dismay)

Watch out for our New Year's Special!

Missing Pinas and Family

2008-11-28T07:55:00.000+13:00

Being pregnant wreaks havoc on my emotions. Tears start falling from just watching a corny advertisement. Ronnel and I were watching Cinderella Man the other day and I was really annoyed with myself for bawling my eyes out on a boxing movie!

Drunk with hormones, I get to reminisce about past Christmases and other celebrations we've had with our families. Looking at the photos of their celebrations this year, I feel a longing to be with them...

Here's my dad and my brother in their business venture. They're the sole distributor of the Amazing Education Software. Hope this business will bring them success.

Here's my brother and sis and Papa celebrating my sister's birthday last Nov 16. (I'm also nostalgic about the days when I was as slim as her.... haaaay)

And my wacky cousins, uncles and aunts...

We're ready to share the good news!

2008-11-12T18:00:00.000+13:00

Since I've posted my recent pictures where I appear to be bigger than usual coupled with the takoyaki craving incident, friends have skirted around the question "Are you pregnant?", carefully asked so that I won't be offended (in case it's just because I ate a lot!). Well, we're ready to share it now. Yes, we are pregnant! 13 weeks as of this post.

It's been an interesting experience for me. I was pregnant last year too but had an unfortunate miscarriage during the 9th week so we were really careful about sharing the news. But since we're past the critical stage (12 weeks), we're ready to share the good news with our family and friends.

This time around, I experienced all the pregnancy symptoms I haven't had the chance to experience before. I swear, after throwing up for consecutive days, being nauseous at any slight movement, feeling faint and craving for something you can't identify - I am in awe of my mother, my grandma, my mother-in-law and all the mothers out there who have gone through this. The only consolation I get is that Ronnel is extra attentive and has been very patient with me.

Anyway, let me end this by posting pictures of our little one. I thought I'd be different from mums who show ultra sound pictures to everybody but no, I'm just like the rest of 'em proud mums-to-be. So bear with me.

At eight weeks we can barely figure out where he/she is. Good thing there's a little arrow... that's why at work, our little one is fondly called "Little Arrowhead".

Here's our little one at eight weeks:

And at 13 weeks (yay, we no longer need an arrow to find our little one!)

More Takoyaki Fun

2008-10-13T10:14:00.000+13:00

Takoyaki is more fun when cooked and eaten together with family and friends....

Healing

2008-10-13T10:03:00.000+13:00

Posting a song that's been playing on my head for some time now...

I'm still looking for the chords of this one.. or maybe I'll try playing it by ear...

deniece williams songs
Music downloads | Mp3 downloads

Very inspiring lyrics...

Download mp3

Satisfying My Takoyaki Craving

2008-10-10T09:23:00.000+13:00

Perseverance and hard work really pay off.

It has been weeks now since I’ve been craving for Takoyaki and I can’t justify always spending $10 for just four pieces of it when I knew (I thought!) that it was easy to make. All I needed was a takoyaki pan. (My brother even had Takoyaki as a result of my craving and he loaded pictures in his blog to make me drool over them).

For those of you who have no idea what Takoyaki is – it’s a Japanese street food which Westeners call Octopus balls. I’ve had them since I was little in the Philippines and I knew them as “Samurai Balls”. When we moved to Malaysia, I frequented MidValley Megamall since there was a stand there selling takoyaki with different fillings – octopus, prawn, cheese. Naturally, when we came to New Zealand, I’d be craving for it. We found only one restaurant serving it which became our official celebratory restaurant since food wasn’t that cheap. So I had this idea to just make them myself and all I had to do was get myself a takoyaki pan. (Check out this site and learn more about takoyaki).

A takoyaki pan is quite unique because it has holes especially made to mould the batter. There’s an art to making it as well where you have to use skewers to turn them over at the right time. I googled for places where I can get the pan here in NZ and it turns out that there are none. I ended up in Amazon and found a takoyaki pan selling for USD20 but the shipping costs $40! I also came across the Aebleskiver pan which looks a lot like the Takoyaki pan but is used for cooking Danish pastries. I gave up and begged my mom (who was in the States) to just buy me the Pancake Puff pan and send them here.

And so just to satisfy my cravings, Ronnel and I went to our celebratory Japanese restaurant and had my Takoyaki fix. Deep inside, I haven’t given up so for the last time, I searched for Japanese shops which had one. I was directed to a Japanese good wholesaler in Auckland and back to the Wellington warehouse and finally, I was told there was one pan left. I couldn’t believe my ears. I dropped what I was doing and asked Ronnel to drive us there (we left at about 440 pm from work).

At first, we couldn’t find the place since it didn’t look like a shop. It turned out that we were looking for a warehouse. They were a wholesaler and they just gave in to my request to purchase just one item—because there was just one left! I was truly blessed! When I got there, the guy asked if I was Anthony. Apparently, some other guy named Anthony was also looking for a pan and I got there first. What are the chances! Oh well, sorry Anthony, you snooze, you lose!  But hey, you made somebody very happy.

Anyway, here’s my first attempt at making takoyaki… It wasn’t 100% successful but it tasted great!

My 2 Seconds Of Fame and more..

2008-09-14T10:06:00.000+12:00

Sharing Career Success
I've shared with you in our last update how I passed the CBAP exam and how proud my husband and our families are of this achievement. Last week, the company also joined in the celebration by posting it in our company website. We were bursting with pride as this is the first "big" success that I've had in my career here in NZ. I told our families about this and they were so proud that they didn't spare a second and spread the news to our extended relatives. My dad, being the proud father that he is, is planning to print the article in national newspapers and magazines in the Philippines, much to my chagrin (well, deep inside I'm happy that he's THAT proud). Ofcourse, I had to clear it with my boss at work -- thinking that the company had a policy against publishing the Bank's name but my boss was supportive of "proud dads embarrassing their daughters" and is probably waiting for a copy of the newspaper. Anyway, here's the article published in our company website. There you go --my 2 seconds of fame (well, it was more of a week since the article was in the front page for 1 week).

Ako Si Kim Sam Soon in English Subs (My Name Is Kim Sam Soon)
After my exam, I found that I had extra time to spare so I joined a group via the Internet whose goal is to put subtitles on Filipino TV series and movies. The group's intrinsic goal was to share the Filipino culture to the rest of the world and a best way of doing this was to let them understand our TV programs.

The first "project" I joined in was to put subtitles on the scary series, Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara (Scare Barbara to Death) and it was my first time subbing a series. Wow! It was hard work. I have so much respect now for the people who sub animes and my favorite korean/taiwan/japanese dramas. Translating Filipino dialogues to English was quite challenging and there were times I was stumped and had to call in the wisdom of my hubby, Ronnel and if that didn't work, I resorted to my all-time saviour -- google. There are just Filipino words that we can't directly translate to English so most of the time we'd paraphrase. Like the line, "Nanginginig ang laman ko sa galit." which directly translates to "My flesh is shaking in anger." which to me sounded absurd so we had to paraphrase it to "I am really really mad."

Anyway, now that the team is done with the scary series, I moved on to a romantic comedy - Ako Si Kim Sam Soon, which is the Filipino version of the popular korean drama My Name is Kim Sam Soon. I loved the Korean version so I was highly skeptic about the Filipino version but much to my surprise, I am enjoying it,s well as Ronnel. So yeah, it's now officially in the eingenel list of recommended dramas.

Anyway, the team has released the first few episodes of this comedy with English Subs. If you're one of my Malaysian or Kiwi friends who don't understand Filipino and are keen to see what our culture is like, I suggest you watch this series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And hey, that's the product of an eingenel effort (I did the translating/timing while Ronnel did the review on tough Filipino dialogues).

You can get the episodes here.

CLP has started....
A new series of Christian Life Program(CLP) sessions has started. The CLP is basically the introduction level to Couples For Christ/Singles For Christ. Ronnel and I had completed ours last year and that's why we had our funny video/drama as part of the "graduation". This year, we were a bit sad to see there was only 1 couple during the orientation session last week but we are hoping there'll be more attending next Saturday. Ronnel and I trying to invite our friends here but there's just so many things that keep them from joining but I know one day, we will all be together in this community so there's no rush, we are giving them all the time that they want.

Looooong Updates

2008-08-25T07:50:00.000+12:00

Hello People! Here I am again after a two-month break from blogging. A lot of things happened in the past two months that I just had to share with you all.

Marriage Enrichment Retreat (MER)
The Couples for Christ Wellington (CFC) Chapter held an MER (guess where?) at our home and as you can imagine, our house was jam-packed with couples and friends attending the retreat. It was a refreshing retreat as it made Ronnel and me reminisce why we're together in the first place, that there is an unseen force that led us to where we are now, that we are here not because we want to be here but because He wants us to be here. I'm still waiting for our official photographer to upload the pics but I'll share them with you when I get them.

I'm a CBAP!
This is one of the things that has kept me reeeaaaallly busy these past few months. That's on top of the big project I was working on. I was encouraged by my bosses to go through the certification process of the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis). It was a bit hard to explain to my grandma what exam I was taking – I just told her it was kinda sorta like the BAR exam for lawyers. A CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional) is what they call someone who’s passed the application process and exam. At first, I wasn't really keen on taking the exam this year (I was hoping to wait for next year so that I have enough time to study) but with constant prodding and support, I went through it. I'll be honest - it was a tough and tedious process. Filling up the application form alone took me a whole week. Studying for the exam was even harder since I usually got home at around 8 pm, tired and sleepy. But I found a perfect study partner, who else but my ever supportive hubby, Nel! His sole responsibility was to make sure I was studying. A few weeks before the exam, we made a deal. If I passed, he was going to buy me my dream phone. And so that he's motivated to motivate me, he also gets something out of it. I promised him that if I passed, I'm going to buy him whatever he wants. That wasnt so BA-like of me as I forgot to get his detailed requirements! I should have known better. Anyway, I got through the application and passed the exam! Yay! It was big deal not only for me but for the Bank I work for because I'm the first BA who's been certified. Apparently, there are only 432 CBAP's in the world and 15 in New Zealand! I'm one of the 15 and I'm not even Kiwi! I immediately told my parents, my grandma (who's been holding novenas for me) and friends who shared my joy. With this kind of support (and blessings from God!), how can I fail?

But wait, there's more... Remember I told you about my deal with Ronnel? Little did I know that he wanted a new car! And since I gave him my word, I had to oblige. So we had to trade in Sue (our old car- model is Premacy, hence, the name Sue) for bigger and better car that Nel has been eyeing for quite some time. And now we got Byaku (Short for Byakuya, the really handsome anime character in Bleach). So now that we spent our savings on Byaku, we no longer have funds to keep the other end of the deal. Bye for now, dream phone. I will see you this Christmas. But Im really happy for Ronnel. I remember when we were going out, Ronnel's dream car was quite simple, a Nissan California. I urged him to dream big, to stretch his ambitions, to see how far he can go. That's what I learned from my parents. They've always encouraged me and my siblings to use our God-given skills and talents to see where it will lead us. One of my mantras has always been "Reach for the stars, if you fall, you fall on the trees. Reach for the trees, if you fall, you fall on the ground." I suppose that's why we're not on the ground now. Thanks ma and pa for instilling that in your children. Anyway, before I get overly dramatic here. I'm really happy for Ronnel. His face lit up like a little boy opening a present when he got the keys for Byaku, and it’s worth giving up my dream phone…. well, for a few months, anyway.

Finally Seen Snow!
One of my childhood dreams is to see snow. You see, when I was young, I’d stick my head in the freezer and imagine I was an Eskimo. But it wasn’t the same, for one, the ice in the freezer smelled like fish. That was why when Nel and I came to New Zealand, I decided that I must see snow at least once. And this weekend, not only did I see snow, I touched it, smelled it, rolled in it and yes, even tasted it. The last one made Ronnel think twice about my sanity though.
We went to Mt. Ruapehu with friends from CFC. It was a 5-hour drive from Wellington and it was the first test for Byaku and his master, Nel. The sight of the snow-covered mountains was breath taking. It really makes you feel how small you are relative to the universe, and how great and powerful our Creator is. Ronnel couldn’t ski because of his basketball injury but he understood my thirst to try new things so he encouraged me to go for it. It was good that he was there since he played the role of my ski assistant, picking me up when I fell which was all the time and bring me my skis when I couldn’t lift them. Once again, I’ve proven that I am not suited for sports. Hours of practice in the Wii Ski did not prepare me for the real thing. Who would’ve thought that skiing was that hard? I always scored high in the wii! So after a couple of hours of falling and sliding, I’ve resigned myself to just playing with snow. We threw snow balls at each other, made snow angels, took pictures with friends and ate sushi surrounded in snow. We even took some snow and put it on a cooler bag to cool our drinks! We spent the night at Taupo and did some sight seeing. And so I'm really grateful that we found good friends.. thanks to Donald and Tin for organizing this trip! You helped me realize my life-long dream to see snow!

Below are pictures of us with friends frolicking in snow and some sights to see in Taupo.

Wii Fit fits Our Life

2008-05-10T21:06:00.000+12:00

I've never been athletic, although at first glance you'd think I am -- probably because I wear sweats and sports clothes most of the time (that's just to cover up the fact that I'm just the opposite.) In school, I was the klutz ("lampa") -- imagine, I even had to make up by writing a thesis on Volleyball because I didn't want to fail Phys Ed! Ok, I'm sure you get the picture.

On the other hand, Ronnel is quite the athlete -- he loved playing basketball. He joined town tournaments with his friends and I think he got an mvp award in school. But after the accident in Malaysia, he had to give up basketball and now, he's contented with playing NBA Live and 2K8 on the xbox.

So yeah, we live a sedentary life. We love the indoors and we never run out of things to do at home. We eat, watch our dramas and animes, eat some more, play some music (i do keyboards, he does the guitar) and surf the net.

And then we got the Wii. At first, it was for the tennis game other interesting games like the Boogey Mic were also released. Recently, they released the Wii Fit here in NZ. We pre-ordered it to make sure we got one. And we're very pleased with it. We were planning to buy a tread mill but it's so pricey here that we crossed it out of our list. The wii fit is only an eight of the treadmill's price and we can do more than just run! The game comes with a balance board which you have to step on for the games. (I heard new games are being released which is compatible with the board so it's not solely for the wii Fit.)

With the Wii Fit, you can do yoga, aerobics, tightrope, hula, boxing, snow boarding and a whole lot more. It measures your weight and your BMI, helps you set a goal on how much you want to lose/gain for the next period. It tells you your fitness age based on some exercises, your BMI and your actual age (see video to find out Ronnel's age! Im not telling you mine, though.) Ronnel and I highly recommend it for people like us who like spending time at home but want to keep fit as well. (My bestfriend Marj wonders why I don't jog outside and admire the beauty of NZ. Actually, I did run a few blocks before but I guess the novelty ran out and it's just too freezing cold outside.) Anyway, it's a great game! I'll write about it again after six months if both Ronnel and I meet our weight goals. :-)

Here's the video of us playing... for your entertainment... :-)

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Breaking my loyalty to Friendster

2008-05-04T12:02:00.001+12:00

Ask anybody (ask Ronnel!) if I'm loyal and you'll get the affirmative answer (most often accompanied with a vigorous nodding). I'm a loyal employee-- once I've said yes, I'd stick with my company no matter what (well, except in cases where I need to leave the country). It's the same with Friendster, even when multiply, facebook and other more popular friend-networking sites crop up, I stuck with Friendster. But I can't take it anymore. Friendster blogging is a pain. Trying to put in that veoh video took me ages because I had to find a work around in posting html. I suppose that's the reason why I don't frequently update my posts anymore. Plus, my friends/readers havent signed up to friendster (they're either in facebook or multiply) so they couldnt make a post. And a blog without comments or posts is just sad....

So I hope by moving to blogspot, I make it easy for you to react and comment on my writing. So feel free to comment -- your words are encouragement to us. I strive to be a better writer and I'm sure you will help me all the way -- who knows, Ronnel might even start blogging....

CFC STAGE 1 CLEARED

2008-05-04T11:56:00.002+12:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Tip: If you're on dial up, click PLAY and PAUSE until the video has completed streaming so you can watch it continuously. (NB: Filipino language used in Video.)

And while you're waiting for the video to load, read on...

I can't say I'm a very religious person but I'm comfortable with my current relationship with my Maker. If you have been painstakingly reading my blog entries, you'd understand what I mean when I say my journey to where my husband and I are in now is anything but easy. We have faced many obstacles -- leaving our budding careers in the Philippines, the accident in Malaysia and starting anew in NZ. We know we wouldn't have overcome all these just by ourselves, we know that a stronger force has been guiding us all the way.

For the longest time, I've made a promise to show my gratitude by serving the church but every time, something gets in the way. This year, Ronnel and I made a commitment to join Couples for Christ, with the gentle urging of my in-laws. The first stage to being a full member is to complete the Christian Life Program (CLP) which is a series of seminars on different Christian topics. I admit to being hesitant at first. My past experience with CFC wasnt that great and I won't expound on that anymore. But I decided to give it a go because I don't have anything to lose. With cynical eyes, I attended the first talk with Ronnel. The topics were mostly familiar for me especially since ten years of my life was spent in Catholic schools. I wasn't too hot on the singing and dancing part but I gave it a chance as I would be the odd one out if I didn't join it.
Soon after, I found myself opening up to new-found friends. My jaded eyes began to see a new light as I formed bonds with other wives. I remember being a little depressed because I felt pressured that we didnt have kids yet but I realized that I wasn't alone. Some couples spent ten years trying to have an offspring -- it's just the second year for us since Ronnel and I consciously made a decision to build our lives first before building a family. Ronnel looked forward to the delectable Filipino dishes served after each session. I also found myself enjoying the songs and sharing sessions --- I still dont jump and dance, nor I raise my hands and speak in tongues but I know I am not pressured in any way. And before I knew it, Ronnel and I completed the program -- wow, it has been eight weeks already?

To mark our graduation, we were asked to do a presentation. We decided to have a video skit (flashback High School years) which we shot on ANZAC day (NZ holiday). It was a pity that we had some technical issues when it was time to show it but thanks to technology, we have an opportunity to share it again -- even to our families and friends who are not here. So here is the video, enjoy!

Nel hit the big 3-0!

2008-05-04T11:56:00.001+12:00

It seems like I'm losing the will to write... I don't write as much as I did before. I blame the wii and our addiction to asian dramas and animes. Ronnel and I have been watching over a hundred episodes of Naruto for the past few weeks, plus, I find time to watch They Kissed Again (sequel to Taiwan drama It Started With A Kiss). That's on top of work and housework . So it's not surprising that I've been neglecting my blog, my keyboards and my passion for sharing our NZ adventures. But all's forgiven, right? Coz here I am with more photos! Im not even photoshopping them anymore..

Honeyko, the breadmaker. Here's Ronnel putting his years of breadmaking practice during his childhood... We suddenly had an urge for the pan de sal that we always had for breakfast during our stay with my inlaws (well, for ronnel, he had this everyday since he could walk and talk and he never gets tired of it!). So we asked Nanay for the recipe and tried it here. The first try, it was too hard and it didn't rise. Figured it was too cold. Second try, too sweet. Third try, it was perfect -- fluffy, sweet but not too sweet and really tasty! The Perfect Pan De Sal! Yay!

This year, I managed to coerce Ronnel to join me in the Round the Bays marathon. We did the 7K walk (didnt dare run in fear of collapsing) and truly enjoyed it. Had a great time with our friends Dave and Nic who set the pace for us. I honestly think I did better this time compared to last year! Too bad they spelled our last name wrong in the newspaper! (Rodrigeuz instead of Rodriguez)

To celebrate Ronnel's 30th birthday, we went to Picton (South Islands) and took the Sounds Cruise. It's not as exotic as it sounds but it was really relaxing (I probably slept half the time during the cruise because the sound of the water combined with the soft breeze was so relaxing.) We saw sting rays, stopped by different coves and admired the scenery. Too bad we didnt spot any dolphins or whales.

Christmas at the Beach

2008-05-04T11:55:00.001+12:00

Well, first things first. We had our noche buena (Christmas Eve Dinner) at home with the Baloyos, Dazos and Dave and Nic. We played the stealing Secret Santa game and yeah, my luck struck out this time-- the gifts ronnel and I were eyeing were both stolen! Here are some pictures of our Noche Buena...

And now, it's beach time. I know it's weird-- for Filipinos, Christmas is the "cold" season but here in NZ, it's summertime so Christmas is spent outdoors, having a barbeque, sun bathing and going to the beach! Well, we did all three on Christmas day in Waikawa beach. My colleague (Thank you so so much Claire!) let us stay in her bach (sidestory: they call holiday homes here "bach". I thought it was because of the musician or something like, they left out the "e" from beachhouse. Apparently, it's an abbreviation of bachelor's pad) for Christmas since she's been encouraging me to go out of Wellington and see the countryside. Waikawa's not really far from Wellington, just an hour and a half drive and that's Ronnel driving cautiously (I can't count how many cars overtook / passed us.. haha). Anyway, here are the pics. Ok, no comments on how I've gained so much weight. The camera adds ten pounds.. and no questions on how many cameras were there. haha. You know what my new year's resolution is...

Finally Blessed....

2008-05-04T11:54:00.001+12:00

Home Sweet Home, Finally Blessed...
After several months of waiting for the right moment (probably a euphemism for saving up/looking for the right priest/waiting for good weather), we finally got our home blessed. It's been five months now that we've stayed in our new home and we realized the more we delayed it, the more we will never get around to do it-- so we finally set a date. Finding a priest was a challenge - we wanted it to be on Labour Day but it turned out all the priests were attending a gathering or seminar of some sort. So we had to postpone again but finally finally, we found a priest, and he was perfect. We invited some of our friends at work who have never attended a house blessing before and Fr. Mario took the time to explain what a house blessing was and why it was done. It was also a refresher course for us and our Filipino friends who joined us to celebrate the house blessing and Keith's 9th birthday (yes, it was a double celebration!).

We're glad that our guests enjoyed the food -- it was a team effort. Doyeth and I had our menus and yes, even the guys had their own special tasks. We had the Pinoy version of Bbq (Keith's classmates were insisting they were kebabs), Doyeth had her famous sotanghon and shrimp meatballs (special mentioned by Fr. Redd). No, I didn't make carbonara but I did have my Bicol Express which was a hit with David (our previous landlord in our first Kiwi apartment).

It was a great day of gathering for the people who are closest to our hearts here in New Zealand. It gives us so much comfort to know that in spite of being here in the country for only a year for us and just five months for Arnel and his family, we found people whom we call friends.

Now, Christmas is coming up. It's summer here but as always, Wellington's weather is still unpredictable. Monday was a bit rainy and cold but yesterday was really sunny. I hope Christmas weather would be better-- yup, we have things planned for Christmas but I wont say anything just yet. Hint: beach time!

Spring Activities

2008-05-04T11:53:00.002+12:00

Finally, Spring has sprung! We survived the winter cold (but our power bill didn't) and it's time to stop and smell the flowers! Our first spring activity was to go to Kaitoke Park. Arnel was the designated driver (pending Ronnel's driving exam) plus the Baloyo car perfectly suited the off-road trip. We started by attending a Filipino mass in Lower Hutt. The priest's sermon was hilarious and enlightening and he had the whole church enamored. After mass, we assembled with the other Filipinos in the parking lot. We had to do it via convoy or we'd get lost and you probably won't hear from me anymore. And we wouldn't want that, right? It was a not-so-short trip to Kaitoke park. The scenery on the way was glorious with the sun high up in the clear blue sky and birds chirping away. We were surrounded by high peaked mountains with sheep and cattle feeding on the green grass. At Kaitoke, we unloaded the food we toiled to cook the day before. Doyeth's menudo con afritada was a hit as it was the perfect combined with hot steaming rice. We played volleyball... ok, i'll correct that-- we tried to play volleyball (i understand you had to hit the ball back and forth to actually call it volleyball). We went through the hanging bridge and did a 10-minute forest trail ( I admit Sunway Lagoon's hanging bridge in Malaysia was scarier though). We had a great time and went home tired and ready to go to bed. The next day, we all felt the after-effects of going out (as we were all home-bodies) and our bodies hurt everywhere. We had to call in sick from work.
Here are our pictures from Kaitoke...

Blazin' BBQ at the Backyard

We went to the Farmer's Market last Saturday and bought fresh veggies, fruits and fish. We then decided that fish is best eaten grilled so we decided to have barbeque for lunch. First off, we need a bbq grill. So we went to K-Mart to get one. We had to go with the gas grill instead of a charcoal one since it's cheaper and requires less cooking time. It was a comedy of errors for Ronnel and Arnel! When we got home, the guys took out the grill from the box and tried to assemble it but they found it a challenge because there wasn't any instruction manual. So they had to go back to the store and ask for one. Once everything was sorted out and the grill was in one piece, the next challenge was to make it work. They turned on the switch and there was no spark. They turned it off and on again and nada. They rolled the gas cylinder sideways, checked if there was a leak in the tube and tried it again, zilch. They had to call the experts to help them out -- and so the wives took over to save the day. I figured if they tried everything, there must be something wrong with the gas cylinder. Maybe it had no gas! And indeed it was empty. I called my officemate Dave and confirmed how things work in NZ. Apparently, unlike in Phils/Malaysia where we bought the gas cylinder filled in with gas, you have to buy it separately here. He said it was dangerous to sell it like that in supermarkets. Ahh, no wonder stores blow up more in the Philippines. So Ronnel and Arnel had to go to the gas station to have the gas cylinder filled with gas. Doyeth and I were laughing our heads off thinking of how perplexed the guys were when they couldn't figure out what was wrong with the grill. Tsk tsk, Programmers. That's why they needs BA's like me. So everything's settled and ready to go. Doyeth prepared the fish while I did the marinade for the pork bbq. I did it Filipino street style -- with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions and chili. The only thing missing are the sticks and the Hepa B that you'd get from eating in the polluted streets of Manila. Haha. Grilling didn't need much time and soon, we were eating with our bare hands -- the best and the only way to eat BBQ for Filipinos. Hmmm.. I can still smell the vinegar in my hands. We had leche flan (Pinoy custard cake) as our dessert and belched like there was no tomorrow.

Here's our BBQ photos..

Visiting the Velascos

The next day, we went to visit Kuya Nestor and Ate Soc to have lunch. It's been a long time since Ronnel and I went to their place -and the Baloyo's haven't been there yet so we spent a good sunny day to visit them. We went to the big church in town and met Kuya Nestor there (we don't remember how to go to his house). The comedy duo (Ronnel/Arnel) was at it again as we got lost following Kuya Nestor's car. Ronnel held a map and figured where we were while Arnel awaited instructions. Soon, we spotted Kuya Nestor (who kindly stopped and got off his car to look for us) and from then on, Arnel closely followed his tail. At Kuya Nestor's, we ate lunch (it wouldn't be me if I didn't bring anything) and shared stories. We played Bingo with $0.50 per card. The first few games were dominated by Ate Soc and Kuya Nestor. They swore they didn't have any trick up their sleeve. I believed them when I won the next game, then Ronnel won, then Doyeth. Arnel seemed to be the unluckiest of the group as his debts piled up. We stopped playing before it got out of hand. It was a great afternoon and we finished it off by going around the bays and looking at the beach. I think I heard Kuya Nestor, Ronnel and Arnel planning a trip to the nudist beach this coming summer. Hah! As if Doyeth and I would let them go.

All in all, I think I gained 10 kilos during that weekend.

Here are the photos that Sunday visit to Kuya Nestor's.

Home Sweet Home

2008-05-04T11:53:00.001+12:00

I'm back from my hiatus again. It's been very busy the past few months that I had no time for blogging. So I'm just gonna write everything that happened in one go.

Residency
First things first. After the half year wait, we are now New Zealand residents! This was the dawning of a new day for us because it meant, we can now get a loan, which meant we can get a house! Ronnel and I have been wanting to have our own home ever since so that we can start our own family. I guess that's one in the short list of what he and I have in common. We are very good planners. He is the visionary whilst I'm into details. I remember the ordeal we went through looking for the perfect home. Buying a house here is so different from how we do it in the Philippines. In the Philippines, if you want to buy a house, just talk with the seller, agree about the price, and voila, it's yours. That's not how it works here. First, you'll have to check out several houses by attending open homes. We learned a lesson the hard way-- you must have a car when looking for a house to buy. The distance in a map is much farther than it seems. I remember when Ronnel and I had to walk long distances from one house to another at noon time (most open homes are on sundays midday-- don't ask me why). I think my calves are now cows with how big they became (yeah, lame joke). Plus, everybody who goes to an open home has a car... Well except us of course. I remember real estate agents asking us where we park, and we just smile in return. Anyway, we found the first potential perfect home and made an offer. Apparently, here you have to put down an offer first and if there is a better offer, then ofcourse you lose. We relied on the advice from the forums we frequent and gave a price which was below the seller's asking. It's not a surprise that we lost that one. Note to self: do not believe everyting written in the forums. Our second try was a bit different, this time we knew better so upped our offer a bit, but I guess it wasn't meant to be because the owner changed his mind and didn't want to sell his house anymore. Something good came out of that though coz the real estate agent helped us find our perfect home. My officemates told me that ofcourse, real estate agents will be nice because they want to sell you something. True, but we particularly liked this agent because she picked us up from our place, brought us to different houses and practically made house-hunting easy for us. She wasn't uppity or picky even when we had to sign papers on the floor (we had her drop by our flat -- and we didn't have tables in the lobby). And the most important thing, she brought us to this fabulous house in Johnsonville/Churton Park. It's in the boundary of these two suburbs so we have two addresses. That day, our agent brought us to three houses-- the first one was nice but it was in a difficult-access location. Plus, it had dog smell all over. The second house was the best we've seen so far. It was different from all the other houses in the market. First, it didn't really look like a house. From the outside, you'd think it was just this one-level warehouse looking thing. But when you go inside, you'll be enveloped in its charm as you go down a level and another and another. The backyard has an enchanting overlooking view of the city and best of all, it has a sun roof/skylight. I've never been inside a house with one before and I really wanted to have one with it when I saw Beyonce's house in MTV Cribs. It was really awesome but it was way over our budget. Anyway, after we saw the house, we were brought to another house which was within our $$range but paled in comparison to the previous one. We knew we just fell in love with the second house. After we looked at three houses, Ronnel and I had lunch and discussed what our options were. Apparently, he was besotted with the second house too and was already calculating how much we have to save if we wanted to get that house. It was really big for the two of us but we also had to consider friends who will be staying with us (read next section). The second house was the perfect fit for us because our friends can have a whole level to themselves. We would be living together but we wouldn't lose our privacy either. So, in front of our Chinese smorgasborg, we discussed what sacrifices we needed to make (translation-- I have to cut down on my shopping sprees.) I loved the house and I was all for it so there and then, I called the agent and we made an offer. This time we met the seller's asking price and even upped it a bit. There was competition so we had to make our best offer. It was the best we could give without turning into paupers. That was a Saturday. The following day, we went to church and prayed, hard that we get the house. The previous Sundays, we were unable to attend mass because the open homes were held on the same time. I was thinking maybe we were being reminded not to forget Him when making this important decision in our lives-- probably that's why we haven't found our dream house yet. This time we found it and we prayed hard for it to become a reality. It was Monday night when I got a call from my agent, she was shouting over the phone-- "You got the house! You got the house!". I was really happy when I heard that but it dawned on me-- shoot, I really have to cut my shopping down. I'll never gonna be able to change my phone anymore. But those are trivial, so I shook these thoughts away and focused on the most important thing-- we got a house now. But it's not done yet--there are still lots of things to do afterwards. First, we have to get a solicitor, then a loan, then a property inspector, then a valuer. Told you, it wasn't that simple. But for us, it was made easy because we had friends who helped us along the way. In every decision we had to make, I consulted with my own set of advisors at work. Sally, Dave and Kristan were my primary advisors due to proximity (we share a quadrant) while Maria and Alison were my senior consultants. They introduced me to the world of NZ real estate and its intricacies. They referred me to solicitors, mortgagors and building inspectors. I suppose we would have never survived the process if not for them. So guys, if you're reading this--- thanks!

Friends
Arnel and his family arrived in NZ last June 3. We were especially excited to have them here as we missed having people to talk to in our own language. Plus, I wanted to catch up with all the gossip that I missed. Arnel was my officemate (and my seamate) in Standard Chartered Malaysia and he and his family are our good friends. We spent Christmas and New Year's with them back when we were in Malaysia and we enjoyed their company a lot. Plus, we liked their kids a lot too-- Keith and Kylee. They're nicer than the average kids-- not unruly and very well mannered (although Kylie still screams at me when she gets jealous of Keith hanging around me). We saw ourselves in Arnel and his wife, Doyeth as we had so much in common--- we even decided that we were probably soulmate couples. So you'd understand how excited we were when we heard that they were coming over. We knew that they would come to love Wellington like we do. You see, Wellington is not a city for everybody. I heard some Filipinas from Singapore came here to work and after a few months got really bored and moved to Australia. If you are looking for hip and happening places, I tell you, you won't find it here. But don't get me wrong, Ronnel and I love it here. We don't get bored and we never run out of things to do-- especially now that we have a house of our own. Anyway, back to Arnel. Just as we were in Malaysia, we'll be officemates here too (But not seatmates anymore coz he's with a different team). His boss is really nice as he offered to drive us to the airport to pick them up. The company couldn't arrange a place for them to stay so we offered our place. At that time, we were sill staying in our teeny weeny flat and we were a bit worried that we won't fit. But with a bit of compromise and sacrifice, we all managed for three weeks. It just made us appreciate our new house so much more.

The Great Move
It was time to move to our new home. It was really exciting that Ronnel and I couldn't sleep the night before. To save moving costs, we asked friends for help. We are blessed with really good friends with big hearts (big arms and big cars too). The pretty wives (ehem, Doyeth and me) prepared lunch to fill the stomachs of our in-house moving team. It was a succesful transition, well, except for getting lost on our way to our new place-- but as the saying goes, try and try and you'll get there. And we did.

And the dust settles...
I think Arnel and his family are settling in quite well in Wellington. He is his usual self at work-- dedicated and hard-working (he paid me to write this). Keith started school and made new friends while Kylee has to wait a year before she can join Keith to school. I guess it's gonna be a bit tough on Doyeth coz she's left home while everybody's at work or in school. But I think she's not bored just yet with all the korean and japanese dramas I lent her. And who knows, she might decide to work too once Kylee goes to school? I guess the most important thing is that they are happy and that they don't regret leaving Malaysia to start a life in New Zealand. Well, I wish them all the best!

What's Next
Yeah, everybody's been asking me if I was pregnant already. The official answer is, as of now, No I'm not. I guess when it's meant to be, it will happen. It's not as if we aren't trying, so hold your horses, who knows, maybe next month, next next month.... Just drop in my blog once in a while.

Birthday Bliss

2008-05-04T11:52:00.001+12:00

21 March 07
It’s been days since my birthday and I haven’t updated my blog on what happened on that day. A lot of friends have been asking for an update (side comment: I wonder why nobody’s commenting here if they are reading my blog… hmmm…). I’ve been quite lazy to update this lately since I’m not sure if somebody’s really reading it, then I get messages like, “how come you haven’t written about your birthday yet?” Ok, so here goes…

Well, I’m two years off the thirty mark so when you reach this age, birthday celebrations take a different meaning. It was a sunny Sunday here when I turned 28 (that was March 18) and the day before that, Ronnel and I already had dinner in a Mongolian Bbq restaurant that we haven’t tried yet. It turned out to be good but we liked the Filipino version better. The main difference probably was the sauce, the Filipino version was much sweeter but not as rich as the Kiwi one. The day before my birthday was “my day”. Ronnel and I agreed that I’d like to spend a day just by myself so I did just that. I had a haircut in one of the salons here and as expected, I had to stop myself from cringing when I looked at the price. You see, in the Philippines, hair cuts from top salons like David’s or Piandre cost about $30 NZ (P500++ or RM60) and that’s already a high end cut. If you go to the small salons, you’d get a haircut for as low as $10, and it’s a decent one too. So you’d understand my (especially Ronnel’s) dismay when I had to dish out $65 NZ (P2000 or RM130) for just a haircut. I was lucky I was assigned to a junior stylist, if it were a pro, I would have had to pay $85 which will make Ronnel cry. (Remember, I cut/shave his hair so he doesn’t spend a dollar on haircuts here.) But then again, I think it was worth it, coz I stepped out of the salon feeling really pretty – “feeling” being the operative word there. I had my hair cut really short, above the shoulders (as you see in the pictures) and I had two reasons for doing that – (1) I hate how the wind just blows my hair to my face, causing lipstick to stick to my hair and transfer to my face and (2) this way, I can have my next hair cut months from now. So there I was, walking on the streets of Wellington, with my new hip hair cut, enjoying the cold breeze while browsing through the shops. The department store was on sale so I bought some pans for cooking and baking. It was on my way home that I realised how simple my birthday celebration this year was. And I didn’t mean that in a bad way. For many years now, I’m used to having friends and family around and I miss that. Last year, my friends in Malaysia prepared a small surprise feast for my birthday and I was touched with the efforts they made to make it a great surprise celebration. In the Philippines, I usually cooked for friends and families on the day itself. I miss those days in a way but for some reason, I’m happy that this year, I’m not doing that. This year, it’s just me, myself and I – oh and Ronnel in the background! Kidding! Of course Ronnel plays a big role in my special day – he promised for just on this special day, he won’t be asking how much I spent. This is a feat for him coz he always, always asks this question. Every single time. So on my birthday weekend, he kept it to himself. But oddly enough, I didn’t spend much. Really. Aside from the usual grocery stuff and those cooking stuff, I didn’t buy anything special. We watched a movie when I got back from spending time with myself and had dinner. On Sunday, we went to church and that’s it. I also had calls from the people I love most – papa, ma, len, jan, auntie and lola who are miles away from me. On our way home, Ronnel greeted me happy birthday and asked if I was happy. I said yes and kissed him on the cheek. That’s what really matters, isn’t it? I am happy. So yeah, this is my simplest birthday celebration ever but it was also the most meaningful one.

Another nice surprise I got for my birthday—although it was a week too late—was this bulletin post from my best friend Marj. I’m posting it here to share it with you all. Marj is my long time best friend since grade school. We’ve been through a lot and we’ve lost touch for several years, only to find each other’s arms, giggling like how we used to back in 5th grade. I was really touched when she wrote this (actually, it was Ronnel who saw this first) and I couldn’t find the words to thank her. By posting it in my blog, I hope she knows how much I appreciate her friendship – how much I miss her and how much happy I am that we have remained the best of friends for the past 18 years. Looking forward to several decades of friendship!

-------- From Marj-----
I enjoyed this really fantastic book on food and raved on and on about it to anyone who would listen. Right away, I came up with a list of who must read it and one of them is my bespren Einge.

She's now based in NZ so I bought a copy for her. Alas, I discovered that DHL and Fedex don't come cheap so I put off the courier and emailed her to just let me know when someone's visiting them so I can send the book over.

Day before my birthday, my husband tells me that I have mail from Einge - it's the cutest birthday card ever! But wait, how cheap and thoughtless does that make me? I’m not so bad
really; it's just people like Einge that make me pale in comparison.

We were FAT friends in grade school. When my mom first saw her she was infatuated with Einge's lively eyes, glowing skin and sharp wit - I could not have been more annoyed but that
was because mama didn't know that Einge was the one who introduced me to the "dirty parts" of the Harlequin and Silhouette romance novels, and that she made me read Abante in 5th grade. My selective learning skills picked those up right away but not when she tried teaching me the Morse code or how to play the piano.

We read almost all books and made the library our playground. We also came up with our very own Vogue-like magazine complete with ads, articles and surveys.

We parted in High school then found each other again in college. school, boys, work... Einge and I were in and out of each other's lives, but no matter the distance between space and time, we always manage to pick up where we left off. We have a level of understanding and comfort as if we are never apart.

Einge and I are so alike yet so different. If we were coffee, I'd be instant - quick and simple, and she'd be espresso - double dose packed with a punch. A stranger doesn't need to
know her to deduce what a character she is.

Once, she saw a painting of a "laughing Christ" and she got all guilty wondering if God is happy with the kind of person she is. She's a chronic shopper whose venue ranges from Nine West to ukay-ukay. A fashionista who'd lift a 5-gallon water bottle just to show that she can - now how schizophrenic is that!

I was bridesmaid at her wedding and she was luckily in the country for mine. On instances of marital conflict, I'd flag SOS emails to her promptly answered by her wisdom from
being married two years ahead.

There are times when I wish she isn't so far away. But she's living her life, as am I. We catch up through our write ups knowing that when we post our blogs, we are assured of at least one reader in each other.

I miss you bespren - happy birthday!

29 March 07
Lucky Me!
I think I’ve inherited a lot more than my dad’s good nature as I won yet another prize! My dad is very lucky in raffle draws and I remember we have two of each appliance at home because he won stuff from either his golf tournament or some other raffle he joined. I’ve had my share of luck as I won an oven toaster here and there, an umbrella and some minor goodies. But I was still surprised and happy to hear that I won a backpack full of goodies from Griffin’s (a cookie company here in NZ). Ronnel and I often buy Griffin’s mallows from the Warehouse and at that time, they had a raffle draw where you just write your name and number and you’ll get a chance to win a prize. I was happy when I got a message from Griffin’s saying I won something. I had the parcel delivered at work and my officemates were teasing me that since I haven’t been in the country for a year yet, I am not entitled to win such prizes. Haha! Dave even told me it was unfair that I’ve only been in NZ for five months and I won something while he has been here all his life and he never won anything. I told him he probably has to join these raffles first if he wanted to win. It’s just a small gift but still, it feels great to win something. I just hope next time I win that Volvo or BMW draw.

Something To Look Forward To…
I will be attending a course up in Auckland on Monday and since it’s my first time there, I want to take the time to explore and visit new places. I’ll be extending my stay and Ronnel will be joining me there so that we can spend Holy Week there. We intend to visit the churches there and see some shopping malls (I’m having a shopaholic attack again!).

February Fun

2008-05-04T11:51:00.001+12:00

NZ Sevens
01 Feb 2007
Every so often, kiwis get to wear funky costumes and sashay along the road along with other sevens participants (I’m not sure what to call them). To a foreigner like me, it’s a bit hard to understand and take in but it sure is fun. Imagine bumping into Captain America or the teenage mutant ninja turtles on the street! Sevens is basically an annual international rugby tournament where instead of the normal 15 players, they have seven instead. I am not really sure about the details of the game but from what I reckon, it’s all brawn and intimidation. What do I know? I’m really not into sports – well, if you consider thumb wrestling a sport, fine by me. Anyway, if you’re interested to know more about sevens, here’s the site: http://www.sevens.co.nz/. But parades and all the activities surrounding sevens, that’s what I like! So on a sunny afternoon, my officemates and I left our desks for a while to watch the different sevens players in their uniforms on floats, surrounded by voluptuous babes and popular icons like Colonel Sanders (Go KFC!) and Austin Powers. On Sevens day, those who will be watching the sevens were in their best outfits – I had fun watching them and figuring out their costumes. Three of us from work volunteered to hold donation buckets on the street for Ronald McDonald Foundation and I was able to see the participants up close!

Bitten By the Love Bug and Birthday Blues
14 Feb 2007
Ever since Ronnel and I got together, I learned to let go of those girly romantic stuff like expecting flowers and chocolates on valentines. Sometimes, I get envious when I see girls holding long stemmed roses on Cupid’s day but then I have to agree with my husband when he says that he’d rather spend money on the stuff I’d really enjoy for a longer period than something that will wilt after a few days. Plus, he says, everyday should be valentines anyway. Okay, so he’s not mushy. I think I’m mushy enough for the two of us anyway. So on Valentines, we went to this Korean restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try ever since we came to NZ. I think watching all those Korean dramas have influenced me a lot.

20 Feb 2007
It’s my hubby’s birthday! Every year, I try to surprise him and every year, he never fails to ruin my surprise. The first time I tried to surprise him was back in 1999 when I organised a birthday party for him. He ruined my surprise when he didn’t want to change clothes for his party and I was trying hard to convince him to wear nice clothes (well, understandably, I didn’t want him to show up in his shorts with all our friends and classmates there). Well, that went quite well and he was really touched despite him knowing in advance (a few minutes before the real party) that there was gonna be a party for him. This year, (no, I didn’t prepare a party for him), I bought an xbox game that he was eyeing on for quite some time. Mind you, it wasn’t just any xbox game. It was one of the few left around the country. He was trying to get one over the Internet but was out-bidded by somebody else. Stores here don’t hold the game anymore and the only store that had it was quite far from where we stayed. So he was a bit depressed when he couldn’t get hold of it. Well, I’m not his wife for nothing so yep, I made some other arrangement for the game to be transferred to a store so that I can pick it up. I guess luck was really by my side that time but then it just flipped on me when the store announced online that they had it in stock. When Ronnel found that out, he was so excited that he wanted to go to the store immediately to buy the game. I was in a panic. I had ordered the same game and it wouldn’t make sense for him to have two copies of it. So yeah, I had to fez up and admit that I actually had that reserved. There you go, another birthday surprise ruined.  But in the end, he was really happy. He got the game and enjoyed every minute playing it. By the way, it was an Xbox NBA 2K7 game.

Wellington Walkathon
17 Feb 2007
Every year, Wellington has this Round the Bays event where everybody can join in to either walk or run seven kilometres. Now you know I am not into physical activity much so you’re probably surprised why I joined. Well, I guess my curiosity got the better of me and I just wanted to see what this event was all about. On the day of the event, my officemates and I wore our BNZ shirts and trudged to the meeting place. Wow, what a turn out it was. There were over ten thousand participants – runners and walkers alike. It was a fun experience, despite the fact that my feet hurt. My seatmate and officemate Kristan, accompanied me for the whole walk, fascinating me with stories about his twenty years with the Bank and other stuff. I knew I was slowing him down but I’m glad that it didn’t bother him too much – his favourite phrase was—“No, it’s not a competition” and he claims to be the least competitive person around. That works for me coz even if he didn’t compete with me, I’d still lose! Well, my predictions were right anyway as I turned out to be the in the last place in our team (sob sob). If you want to see the results, you can check it out at http://res.championchip.co.nz/default.asp?id=1095. (Our team name is Analyse This and you’d see my name at the bottom! Well, at least overall I’m 6,427 so that means I’m faster than the four thousand left.. ha ha).

Cuba Carnival
24 Feb 2007
The last weekend of the month was filled with surprises when we saw several stalls along Cuba street. These stalls are similar to our "tiannges" in the Philippines where all kinds of stuff are sold. The whole Cuba street was transformed into a carnival as several people from all walks of life check out the free shows, the food and the fun. I had a flashback of the fiestas we had in the Philippines and felt a little sad that instead of being with my family and relatives, I'm surrounded with people that I don't really know (or look like, for that matter). So yeah, I went home pretty depressed-- Ronnel says it's probably because I was unable to buy at least one item from the shops. He had his eagle eye on me all the time, so how could I shop?!!! Oops, no, it's not about that... i just started to miss my family and friends back home. :(

Three Years and Counting....

2008-05-04T11:50:00.000+12:00

24 January 2007
Three Years. Wow. And everybody thought we wouldn't even last a week....

Yup, it's our third wedding anniversary today. And like any other day, Ronnel and I are so thankful that we've gone this far. Flashback 1998, when we first "officially" got together... Schoolmates and friends (respective sets) doubted we'd last for a week, then it became a month, then a year... whenever we broke up, a friend of mine will tell me, that we were never compatible in the first place. All advice I ever got was to move on and forget Ronnel. Well, as stubborn as I am, I accepted him whenever he came back. You see, I don't quit. I knew we could make it, and the more people tell me that we couldn't, the more I thought we would. Sounds like "You and Me Against the World" stuff? No, it's nothing dramatic as that. It was just a simple clash of personalities. We were so different from each other that people wondered what we ever talk about. I'm boisterous, he's quiet. I'm adventurous, he's not too fond of risks. I'm a big spender, he counts his pennies. I'm a dreamy romantic, he's the practical type. I'm not into any sports, he's the most sporty guy I've met. But that was then... over the years, we have made allowances, we have changed and met in the middle. Ronnel and I have taken each other's characteristics and melded it into our own. Make no mistake, we still have a lot of difference but it's fun to reminisce. So on our third anniversary, we had this set of questions that we answered and we're sharing them with you...

1) When was the first time that you saw me? What went through your mind then?
Nel: Probably when I applied for membership in JFA (UP Junior Finance Association), nothing fancy. Just wanted to get into a school organization as it would look good in my CV.
Einge: In a school activity, you were a contestant in a "beauty pageant" (they dressed up guys as girls for fun) and I thought, "I'd hate to be this guy's girlfriend. He's prettier than I am.".

2) When was the first time we actually met? What was your impression?
Nel: Can't remember. To be honest, I wasn't thinking of getting into a relationship that time. I was brokenhearted from several relationships. The only memory that I had is our summer class together. I didn't even know you were an officer in the organization.
Einge: Probably at the org, you were introduced to us as one of the org applicants. Other girls in the org "claimed" you as they had a crush on you and I thought you were obnoxious because you didn't talk to anybody.

3) When was the time you realized you wanted to be with me? Why?
Nel: Summer of '98. You were fun to be with. We were enjoying ourselves together. It was the first time I felt intimately connected with a girl.
Einge: When you told me you were going for a trip and you'll be gone for a couple of days and I realized I was gonna miss you. You said "I love you" then and I accidentally replied, "I love you too".

4) What were your thoughts during the early stages of our relationship? (While we were going out?) Did you think you'd end up being my husband/wife?
Nel: I didn't think much about the future of the relationship when we were starting. All I know is we enjoy each other's company and that we are extremely attracted to each other. You were the only one in my mind whom I would marry when we started working and saving for the future.
Einge: At first, no. I mean, we were complete opposites and I've seen that not working out for my parents so I was scared to make the same mistake. But over the years, I could see you change bit by bit.. more than that, I saw myself changing and I liked that too.

5) What are your thoughts now? Looking ahead...
Nel: I'm glad that all went well for us and that we still have each other despite the huge fights, misunderstandings and incompatibilities that we obviously have. All I'm thinking for the future is to have our own family. This is my ultimate dream for both of us.
Einge: I'm still overwhelmed with all the hurdles we overcame and the blessings that we've received so far. I know that there is Someone Up there looking out for us, looking after us. I also know that there will be more trials to come, more fights, more misunderstandings, but we will always make up in the end, because we simply cannot live without each other.