Daily Photo Post

My favourite breakfast...well, okay, second breakfast. Been eating like a hobbit since I got pregnant, hahaha!

From Charlene Fernandez Bobis: Looks Matter, Even When Adopting?

This story is one told by my former university professor turned friend, Charlene Fernandez Bobis (shameless plug on her behalf, she is the author of Misadventures of a Disorganized Young Woman--go read it if you haven't yet!). She wrote this last month and I'm re-blogging it as a copy-pasted article since I don't believe it can be directly linked to. It's a very accurate description of how it feels to be an animal welfare organisation volunteer.

The work my mom and friends like Rosa Fontelera-Yong and Tanya Guerrero do is heartbreaking. Every few days they post appeals for help for abused and neglected animals, and invitations to adopt the same animals once the hard work of rehabilitating them is done.

Daily Photo Post

Yesterday and today's relatively cheap and cheap thrills:

First,  three pairs of relatively cheap shoes I got from the department store. With an additional 10% discount, woot, thanks to my discount coupon, heehee. Been in need of some new shoes and these fit the bill beautifully.

We thank the hubby for the new shoes and for patiently sitting there as I tried them on.

Second, breakfast! Bananas and cereal (not in photo).

Daily Photo Post

Okay, should have but didn't. Anyway, these are my Tuesday and Wednesday photos. :D (Yes, I did take them on those days respectively.)

First photo is taco! Giant taco from our favourite taco place on the way home to our house in the province...perhaps more appropriately termed countryside to some of you folk.

Second is a bunch of goats. The ones in the largest frame belong to us. The rest dared to wander into our property...at their own risk, har har har.

Left Behind #2: Bare Skin

Note: This is an old entry reposted from my old blog called Boudoir Angel on Tumblr. I'm reposting all of these old entries because I plan to delete my old blog and consolidate everything to this one. Some posts may have its text updated and/or reformatted slightly according to the platform change.

These are the products that were left after I decided to do my year-end clean up. Who knew I had so many products? I certainly didn't. <.<

Left Behind #1: Tools

Note: This is an old entry reposted from my old blog called Boudoir Angel on Tumblr. I'm reposting all of these old entries because I plan to delete my old blog and consolidate everything to this one. Some posts may have its text updated and/or reformatted slightly according to the platform change.

This is my full collection of brushes and other tools. For a non-professional, I feel like I have way too many tools in my case but at the same time, my lack of experience seems to call for a wider variety of brushes to make product application easier for me.

Dear Bean #2: Caution

16 June 2012

Dear Bean,

It has been a week since we confirmed your presence in our lives.

I will be honest and say I'm as apprehensive about your arrival as I am excited. Right now I am doing all I can to keep you safe and both of us strong, healthy, and comfortable. I need to get into the habit early so when you get bigger, I'll be used to adjusting to you.

I've started window shopping for your things. Boy am I happy that Papa and I intend to have more than just one baby because your baby things are expensive! I always knew that having a little gremlin* would cost a lot but this is still shocking to me. No matter; when I prayed to the Lord to bless us with your presence, my only request was for him to grant you to us when we will be able to support you. I can't say we're at that point right now but I know we will be able to by the time you'll be nearing delivery. We can see that things are starting to fall into place, Papa and I just need to finalise the plan of action.

At this point, if I am to believe the folk superstitions of both Korea and the Philippines, all signs point to you being a boy. Though I crave both sweet and sour food, I have a particular desire to nibble on kamias--sadly, our kamias tree is not bearing as much fruit as I'd like--and according to Korean beliefs, a mother craving sour food will have a boy. Local beliefs, on the other hand, say that the mother will be or feel her ugliest when bearing a son. Putting it mildly, I have not had so many blemishes on my face since I was nine.

I'm not complaining, of course. I am happy to have you and this is merely a source of amusement for me. Granted, oiling up like a teenager is nothing to laugh at--even your grandmother has noticed the blemishes--it's nonetheless a sign that you are progressing as expected, I just have to bear with the side effects, no matter how unfortunate.

I don't think you can hear them yet but we have been preparing your feline and canine siblings for your arrival. Yuki is already jealous but she knows she will have to learn to cope. You already have two bodyguards ready and waiting...if Baxter won't be scared out of his wits by you. He might not be considering how often he lays his head next to my belly. I'm sure they can all already smell you; I bet your scent is unique even though you're still inside my body.

Most people still find it hard to believe you're there because it doesn't show yet but in two more months I expect you'll be growing rapidly and depriving me of the pleasure of wearing most of my clothes, hahaha. It's a good thing pregnancy clothes have gotten prettier but now I need to buy more flat shoes!

Having you is such a fun excuse to go shopping. But shhh...don't tell your Papa.

Love,
Mama

P.S. *When you first read this you might not yet be ready to watch the movies--I know it took me a long time before I could even look at previews--but gremlins are cute little creatures that multiply rapidly when wet and can turn into rabid flesh eaters.

I'm not saying you will do the same thing but at some point, seeing how your Papa and I are, I bet you'll do similar things, hahaha.

Teen magazine Seventeen pledges 'real girls' only

Article found on 

Teen magazine Seventeen pledges 'real girls' only - WASHINGTON, United States of America - Seventeen magazine, responding to a gutsy high school student's petition, is pledging to feature only real, unaltered images of girls in its pages, social action platform Change.org said Tuesday.

I am one of those girls who grew up idolizing these stick-thin models with perfect hair, skin, teeth, and clothes. It wasn't until recently--yes, I mean that--when I began appreciating myself for my own beauty and not hold myself up to standards upheld by these industries for no other actual purpose than practicality. Come on, let's admit it: sample sizes are usually small, therefore you need to use skinny models. Also, you have to use models that aren't so shapely because you want the focus to be the clothes, not the girls.

Dear Bean #1: You exist!

12 June 2012

Dear Bean,

It's been two days since Papa and I first saw you.

Right now it's not easy to see that you are actually with us already, but you are. I have your first set of ultrasound images to prove it.

You are about 10 to 11 weeks old and about the length of my thumb. Someday you will read this and realise that during those weeks that Papa and I were wandering about Dublin and beyond, you were already with us.

And we had no idea.

It has become my joke with friends that during your first few weeks, you were able to get a taste of the best alcohol that Ireland had to offer. It was your Tita Kissa's wedding to Tito Darren.

On the Sunday before their wedding, we had several glasses of red, white, and rosé wines. "Several" because I have no idea how many times my glass was topped up, only that I remember getting so drunk that I'd immediately reverted to a very Irish accent. (That's what your Papa says anyway.)

The following day, we had a sip of Guinness, their most popular beer. We had another taste of the same four days later when we toured the Guinness Storehouse. And then at the wedding, we had two glasses of champagne to warm up. I think Papa was more sensitive to your presence because he kept telling me not to drink so much.

The last time we had a drink was when we went to the Old Jameson Distillery. We had one shot each of Jameson, Johnnie Walker, and Jack Daniels.

If you're already old enough to be reading all of this, I assume that you are also old enough to either already know what I'm talking about or research them yourself.

You're still so tiny but I find I keep touching my belly anyway, just about where I think you might be, to see if I can feel you moving. I can't yet but I try anyway. It will make me feel so much better once you're big enough for me to feel your every movement. Right now I have no way of knowing how you are and because you are my first, this makes me very nervous because I don't know how to tell if you're okay.

Well, me being me, I'm already planning your room. I can't say it was foresight that pushed me to make what will become the nursery a nice, neutral pastel palette--like Tito Darren said, all you will care about anyway is that you're loved, fed, and cared for--but your room is pretty much ready. I just need to move out some things that no longer belong there to make room for you and your things.

Tomorrow I go back to the doctor to ask some basic things about how I can take care of myself, as well as make and keep us both comfortable.

We can't wait to see you!

Love,
Mama

P.S. We've started calling you "Bean" because your Tita Jeju began referring to you as one, being the size you are now. I think the nickname will stick, at least until you're born.

Now that we've spilled the beans...

I've actually been keeping an offline journal for our baby--referred to by the fetal nickname "Bean"--that I've been writing in since June. Just for fun, I thought I'd share a little bit of the contents here since he will be a huge part of my life from here on in. It'll be interesting to possibly see reactions to the things I share, too.

This is Bean's journal. The cover will change once I get it to the shop but for now it has a little Volume II indicator on the front because this was originally my free-writing journal. It's a habit I picked up from a former Creative Writing professor. I've started and stopped, and occasionally lost, other journals but all in all I think I probably have at least ten of these lying around.

For now, this is the only offline journal I am writing in. It's not full up and I don't write daily as I should, but I write in it whenever I feel like conveying something to the older version of our baby. I'll give this to him eventually, when we feel the time is right for him to read it. I think I'll do it for each child too. :D Plus, this beats the heck out of stressing about finding time to put together a scrapbook!

Entry sharing will begin tomorrow and probably every Tuesday and Thursday thereafter, leaving me plenty of room still to blog about other thoughts. ^_^

Daily Photo Post

For yesterday and today:

First, the products I have been using to ease the stress over good and bad products to use during pregnancy: my mini collection of Human Nature essentials.

Second, food porn. A cream puff from Sancho Churreria.

Food is my wonder drug

It has been a common question, actually, what strong food craving or cravings I've had. In our culture, this usually signifies some form of physical or psychological trait the child will develop. Early on I mentioned a strong desire for fruit of the cucumber tree--kamias. At the same time, I was craving, very specifically, Chunky Chips Ahoy. I actually made a joke out of this fact. Everyone knows I'm a complete Ms. Cranky-pants and since there is no existing saying on what kind of child is born from a mother craving kamias, I would say "Uh-oh. This means the baby will be just as cranky as the mommy."

Daily Photo Post

You know how cold your feet can get sometimes when it's early morning? If you have a cat, this is the perfect solution: cat foot warmer.

Last year on 17 September...

...I woke up at around 6:00am to see my mum and husband (then still fiancé) off so they could bathe and get a change of clothes. I had very bad cramps the night before and I was still slightly stoned from having taken Tramadol to ease my pain.

We were in the hospital. We didn't know yet that the countdown had begun on my grandmother's last day with us.

Daily Photo Post

Something about peanut butter just brings such a childish--yes, childish, not child-like--glee to me.

Hence today's photo: the dregs at the bottom of the peanut butter pot.

YUM.

Changes

I've said before that I wanted to blog again primarily to hone my nonfiction skills and keep myself writing. Taking the blogging more seriously this time, pending of course the natural "distractions" of daily offline life, I've spent the past month and a half studying the changes and potential changes that will occur once I've given birth.

Other mom bloggers I follow and read set schedules for their blog times which I hadn't followed yet; I figured I didn't need it. Now I think I really do and I've decided to incorporate it into my "Me Time" schedule.

Makes sense right?

I wondered at first and then I realised "Why bother?"

As a new parent, I find that I am curious about what my child will look like. And then I found these old photos of myself and my husband.



So yes, I am now at the point where I'm going "Why bother?" Because whichever way you put it, our kids will likely be a perfect blend of both of us.

Daily Photo Post

Ah, offline crises. Tough to get around that sometimes even when one aims to post daily.

That said, here are three photo posts to make up for the posts that should have happened since the 18th. XD

Something about a bowl of Frosties just really brings out the kid in me.

He needs a bath but look who's happy to be reunited with a fellow British plushie?

There's a geeky sense of happy when your wires and cables are in order.

Daily Photo Post

Today's simple pleasure: a bowl of Coco Pops.

Sometimes...

...a good day ends well, a bad day ends well, and then there's third permutation which is a good day ends badly.

That is my day today.

I shan't disclose details, suffice it to say that I dearly wish that people who cannot trust that things have been taken care of should NEVER ask someone else to do things for them.

Edit:  I realise it can be rather confusing to consider this as a blessing still, but trials and tests...I don't know how many other people see it that way but I do. It's still by the Grace of God that I go through these and live to tell about it. Hahaha.

Daily Photo Post

Today's photo is a small bear dressed as a cow. :3 It's a gift from a very dear friend and sister, Helen, a person who has been part of my life for ten years but I've never personally met.

I just realised this bear doesn't have a name yet, LOL. For now she will simply be called "Cow."

Personal Daily Photo Challenge

I just barely did the August daily photos and just completely gave September a miss. But I have missed that little daily triumph of finding a photo to showcase so I'm doing my own daily photo starting today.

For the rest of the month I will be sharing images of my little daily joys, things I would normally appreciate and thank the Lord for quietly.

Today I'm sharing two photos: one I took yesterday and one taken just a few minutes ago, both in Instagram format.

The first one is my emergency sewing kit for the car. It's not the most compact emergency kit but I love it because I put it together myself so it has everything I believe to be necessary.

The second one is my new, pretty, pink, glittery Dymo. We have two Dymos at home but I love this one because it's so compact...and it's pink!

It's all about the simple things in life... ^_^

Sharing photos from Weeks 20 and 24

No ultrasounds this time around--really, who wants to see internal organs and bones?--but happily, I am finally showing!

My own mother started showing late which was why she wasn't surprised that I showed late too but I also seem to be carrying more compactly. I feel so small compared to other mums at the clinic who seem to be in the same month as me but oh well. Each pregnancy is different after all.

Anyway...

I don't know how the photos will display so note that the one with the dog is Week 20 and the one with the cat is Week 24. I'm once again posting via my iPhone so this is a whole new game for me, quick blogging in this manner.

Hopefully I'll have some more stuff up by next week.

Cheers all!

First Time Paranoia

Ah... I said I'd do a massive August update but discovering that I can blog quickly and not get disconnected or timed out has brought on the urge to quick-post anyway.

I will still post that update though. I didn't work on those images for nothing!

I thought my paranoia would lessen once I could feel my baby moving but no. In fact, I have found myself pinpointing the times when he is most active so I know when best to wait for those tell-tale movements that will give me the signal I need to know he's okay.

It's incredible though that he seems to have a fairly regular schedule. Like clockwork he is active from about 9:30pm up to 11:00pm. Because my husband has been ill the past days, I found out that 2:00am to 4:00am are also active periods for him. The latter makes me laugh as these are traditionally known as the "witching hours." Oh dear.

This increased watchfulness isn't the most mentally soothing, I must confess. I question and guard myself more. "Am I doing the right things?" "Eating well enough? Too much? Too little?"

I confessed this paranoia in the journal I'm writing for my baby--yes, I already have one--and that it will probably be worst for him since he is the first. We do plan on having more, but for now, we are learning and learning isn't always quick or easy especially when it comes to human lives.

That said, though, the joy I feel whenever I am jolted awake by a kick, the comfort I find in feeling him respond to my touch, voice, or music, and the excitement of finally being able to hold him in my arms in sixteen weeks' time...I say the paranoia and stress is worth it.

A month after...

Just a quick one to leave a note saying I'm here, I'm alive. ^.^

I'm working on a massive post update that basically overviews my past month. There have been a lot of things going on for me personally and here in the country that I have weighed in on and such. Perhaps I may be ready to seriously share some opinions on those matters. Perhaps. I am, admittedly, very wary of sharing opinions online where text on a screen may be more easily misunderstood.

I have missed blogging quite a great deal though and look forward to a good return. After all, time management is vital for wives and mothers and blogging is an avenue for necessary time out for myself.

See you soon!

July-August Retrospective

First, for any regular visitors to my blog, my apologies for the very sudden disappearance. Ever since I got my iPhone, I've allowed myself to be completely preoccupied with housework, inclusive of chores and long-overdue cleaning, disposal, recycling, and organising.

I meant to have posts pre-written and ready for posting to keep my blog running and active, I swear I did. I even re-thought the whole post topic schedule! But life being what it is, I suppose I simply lost track. I will try not to do it again but in case it happens this month too, I will very openly claim the excuse of "pregnancy brain." Hahaha.

(Sorry, people who must hate hearing that when someone is being absent-minded and just happens to be pregnant.)