We have a new house help. She has been with us for more than 2 weeks now. Last Saturday, I asked her how she is with us. She answered that she's okay and she's happy staying with us. I really hope so.

This  time around, I changed the workload of our house help. She's more of a yaya than a maid. She's concentrated in taking care of baby Gwen and does other chores only if she is free from the baby. So far, everything's okay. We share the chores. Her chores include cooking and washing the clothes only. I share the other chores.

I am happy with our present set-up. I hope she stays longer than the previous house helps. She is actually bonded for 6 months since we paid for her fare going here. If she leaves before the 6 months end, she'll pay us back the fare. Her cousin recommended her so she isn't that homesick yet.

Right now, baby Gwenks' with her. They are about to take their afternoon naps which allows me to work. As I've said I am saving for a laptop. I am torn between a Sony VAIO and one of the hp laptops which we can avail from tatay Gwenks' company. Think think think...

        

I have always wanted to have customized cabinets for our bedroom. I am already set with the design that I want. Customized that I even have specific measurements for it. I want something that will cover the whole wall of our room. Something that have lots of drawers and layers, plus a built-in dresser on the middle part. I was also thinking if we can have a part where we can display THE Sony VAIO (something I want to buy soon after I give birth ).

When I asked someone who could make it, the expenses turn out to be more expensive than my budget. The amount given was just for the labor minus the materials to be used. If I sum it up, it is double my expected budget... the other option that we are now thinking is buying the pre-built cabinets on the mall. They look okay and even better and the catch for it, they are now offering 20% discount for theses cabinets.

I wish I have the money now... actually I do have some now but I am saving it for something else... but the discount... hay hay hay... m torn

        

I look forward to a lot of things these year and one of it is having a little family vacation. Just yesterday, G and I were talking about how we wish to go back to Baguio anytime soon. The last time I was there was on April 2008. I was there to surrender the computer shop to my brother and to attend my cousin's graduation. I had a grand time then because I was able to see and feel Baguio again. I was able to meet some friends and later on, did some shopping at the ukay-ukay stalls. The last hubby was there was on 2006 because by January 2007 I already moved to Laguna. So you can imagine how long ago we have visit the place.

This time, we plan to go to Baguio on its peak season, during the Panagbenga Festival and we'll be bringing along the little girl. We would only have to worry about our 'flight' schedule as to when G can file his leave. We will stay at my brother's house since they are moving by the end of the month on a bigger home. No motorhome towing anymore.

It will be a great vacation since little Gwenks' will also ride the horse at Wright Park, ride the banca at Burnham, will have her pictures taken at Mines View and eat at the original Don Henricos and visit SM Baguio.

        

2009 has been a great year for me and my family. We have been given many blessings both big and small. For this year I have simple goals that I want to achieve. I hope with God's blessings, we can have another fruitful and productive year.

For our house:
- A little renovation will do.
- Partition on the second floor
- Transfer of bigger poso-negro
- Extension for the kitchen
- Fence on the other side of the lot
- Tiles on the floor
* Gate perhaps
** Dami pa talaga kailangang i-improve sa house

Business:
- More concrete and improved store
- Additional capital for the items

Family
- Shopping for little Stef's stuff
- Safe delivery
- Christening
- family vacation
- better work for tatay (he plans to work nearer to home. this means he needs help with IT job search)

        

Whenever people see baby Gwenks, they would comment that she looks like her tatay. I wouldn't agree at first, I was in denial. But with this Look-alike Meter, it makes me want to believe them

Or maybe there is something wrong with the picture that I chose. What if I choose another photo? A clearer one where I look younger (one that shows evidence of me using anti aging products ).

        

This post should have its own version in my other blog...

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Mine didn't pop when I was pregnant with baby Gwenks but this time around, I think it will be another story. I noticed that my navel is popping/ protruding these days. It doesn't look good at all, I tell you. At first, I thought its due to my overeating that is why I have bigger belly with popping navel but when I read Whattoexpect, it explained that it is normal. Good thing I didn't resort to taking diet pills because I am afraid of the side effects of diet pills for pregnant women.

As I enter my third trimester, I expect more changes in my body. Darkening of my under ams have started and so is the appearance of my linia alba. But for the love of my child, I am ready to take anything and everything

        

I haven't done this for many weeks already and so this is my first for 2010.

This week, we have been truly blessed.

* baby Gwenks' double celebration - We celebrated her bday twice. One on the day itself, the 13th and another on the 16th. Both were simple and yet we enjoyed every bit of it. There was no need to take sleep pills on these days because the day's activities were already enough for us to sleep early.

* no emergency calls or scheduled OT for tatay - Another blessing since we were complete. There was a fear that a client might call him and need his help. But thank God, there were no calls at all.

* friends and family - People close to us joined in celebrating baby Gwenks' bday. They even extended help which made the party better.

        

It is only Tuesday, the second day of the week, but I am already thinking of my weekend schedule. I can say that I have a toxic January which makes the days go faster. I thought everything will be better after baby Gwenks' bday but I ended up more busy.

On Saturday, we are scheduled for baby Gwenks' chicken pox vaccine. If G's around and he doesn't have an OT, I'll have my labtest on the morning and the check-ups on the afternoon. Like any other weekends, we hope to do our grocery on that day too after we attend the Saturday anticipated mass. Then there's this plan of buying construction materials for the partition in our 2nd floor and hopefully have it done on Sunday.

I wonder if I could still have proper sleep by then. I need to rest rest rest. Not that I am concern with the human growth hormone associated with sleep but more of baby Stef's health

        

I'll start my diet today!

At 25 weeks, I already weigh 60 kilos and I have a belly size of 37. This is no good for me since I need to be careful with GD. I have been eating more than I should simply because I am always hungry. I think this is because I easily tire when I look after the little girl. She is now in a stage wherein she loves to be independent. Walking on her own, climbing the stairs and moving around. It helps to have a 'little work-out' but as I said, I always end up eating more. Now I am on search of diet aids that are safe for pregnant women.

I hope to have normal blood sugar level on my next lab test. I am not keen or looking forward to daily injections again...

        

I really need one... after looking at our pictures during baby Gwenks' bday, I decided that I need to improve my looks. I Iam not that 'losyang' yet but I hope I won't be in that level soon.

So I made a promise to myself that after giving birth, I will have a make-over. I will have a new haircut (just in time for Acey's wedding), hair spa or whatever that can make my hair look shiny, a facial to remove black heads and acne, a body spa to relieve me of all the pressures of giving birth and anything else that I can think of. I need to allot a budget for these so I can totally enjoy every bit of it

Now I'll just wait for April or May and I'll have these already...

        

Having your own vehicle has its advantages as well as disadvantages. For a family with growing kids, I think this is necessary. I felt the need when we went home to the province. It was tiring transfering from one vehicle to another but what is more exhausting is not having a comfortable seat for the little girl. I really regreted not taking the plane that time. It was already difficult having one child, what more when I have a toddler and an infant at the same time. 

After I give birth and after doing a little extension and renovation on our house, we decided that we will surely have to purchase our own vehicle. G has been checking online sites car prices which are within our budget. By 2011, we hope to save enough for it. It can be a second-hand one as long as it is still reliable and with good 'standing'.

        

It has been sometime since I last went to school. If possible I would also want to go back to school again. This time I wanted to attend a different school. A culinary school or a 'skills' school perhaps. Something that can teach me the basic of how to's.  In addition, I would also like to add a few more certificates to my collection. But this will have to take the back seat for now. Caregiving and parenting is my top priority at present. The accomplishment that I can get from this is better than any certificate or diploma in the future.

This reminds me that I have to start looking for gifts again. I have several cousins who are graduating this March. One is from Elementary while the other is in College. They have started sharing their  graduation announcements the last time we went home so there is no reason for me to forget about it.

        

10 Things You're Looking Forward to in 2010

1. baby Gwenks' first birthday - This is one major event in our home this year. One of the first among our firsts. This is special because this marks my first year anniversary as a mother.
2. shopping for baby Stef's stuff
3. giving birth to baby Stef
4. tita Ace's wedding on May
5. family reunion on my father's side of the family
6. possible family vacation
7. house improvement
8. online business
9. celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary
10. celebrating the Holiday season with the 2 girls

        

7 days to go and it will be baby G's first bday.  Add 3 days more to it and it would be her bday  celebration. Up to this day, I still have lots of things to do. I haven't ordered the cake yet, haven't finished the invites, haven't started the tarps and haven't even finalized details for the package. I still need to go to the OB for my monthly check-up and even have another OGTT lab test... all of these I can't do because we don't have any house help again.

It's Wednesday and I need to finish everything by the weekend... or else everything I planned for will go to waste I'll just finish  my research for LSAT prep courses and I'll be off  the PC again. My dishes are waiting,   I still need to mop the floor and do some other errands. I pray God send me another help, asap please

        

G's gift came as a surprise. I didn't expect to receive any gift since we talked about not giving one anymore. We will just buy something that we really wanted and that would be it. So he bought a videoke-like machine as his share. As for me, I was supposed to buy a new pair of glasses but when we went to the eye center, they didn't advice me to get one now that I am pregnant. So instead, we'll just buy my share on May or anytime after I give birth.

On the afternoon of December 24, he was telling me that he wanted to open a gift by 12 midnight. I just ignored it. By 12, he gave his gift for me. I didn't open it immediately because I was mad at him (the reason, I'll post later with  my Noche Buena kwento).  I opened it the next day while waiting for him to wake up. His gift is a pair of earrings with diamonds...or something similar to it :p I loved his gift to me. He knew that I wanted something similar so he gave one to me. I've been telling him I wanted those especially now that we have daughters. I wanted to pass something to them when they grow older

        

We had FUN!

Though it was tiring but we enjoyed everyday of it. The long travel going to Isabela was well compensated. I missed my family and being with them was really fulfilling. Added by the fact that there were lots of food and Christmas goodies and gifts from everyone. There were also several hands who were ready to help me take care of lil G while I chat with relatives and friends. I love being home. Eating mom &dad's lutong bahay and unending movie marathons. I love the house now that almost every room has its own television. I just wished the next time we get home, there will be a bigger screen on the family room. A samsung led hdtv will do perhaps?

In the end, what really made the vacation fun was the presence of everyone. It is not that frequent that we celebrate occasions together, especially now that we have our own families to look after. We cannot just leave our kids and be wherever we wanted. It's just sad that we don't have the 2 brothers with us. I hope on Acey's wedding Lon & Elong won't be absent.

        

        

It is not easy taking care of a toddler (little G is turning 1 few days from now), what's even more tiring when I have an infant to take of too. Plus the fact that by January my present help won't be coming back anymore

Thinking of it now makes me feel more tired. I do not know how I will be able to cope up with it. We may resort to asking our laundry woman to drop by again once every week or even twice so that she can also help me clean the house. What I need more is someone to look after the little girl. She has been very active since she started learning to walk. She doesn't want to be carried around but instead she wanted to practice walking more. It is difficult for me because I need to bend a little to be able to hold her hands. (I wish that my individual health insurance has added features that covers the medical check-up for backaches )

But nothing beats the feeling of being a mother. This is what I always put in my mind when I feel so tired and helpless. This is still far better than not experiencing it at all.

        

Christmas is a good time to celebrate. This is the time that we get to stay and bond with our family... and time moves really fast during this season.

To make it more special, I am thinking of what to prepare on this day. I grew up eating not so festive Noche Buena but all the same, it is still memorable since I enjoy the occasion with my family. We always look forward to the Arroz Caldo,  Barbecue and Sopas.

For my family, with just the 3 of us, we'll just have carbonara, fruit salad and KFC bucket meal :p. I already bought ingredients for our menu. We will just make it up on the Media Noche since we will be in Isabela that time.

As of this time, I have nothing to worry anymore. I will just cook early on the 24th so that we can eat on time. I'll work on the cheap health insurance early so that it will be crossed out from my things to do too.

I so love vacations.

        

One of the topics in my yahoogroup, which makes me hook with online booking, is the cheap airline fares on local and internatinal flights on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Since it is a promo, it is a first come first served basis. It is really cheap and some friends really attest to it.

If international flights for June to December will be available on that day, I would want to book for either Singapore or Hongkong. I am also wishing for jamaica vacations but it would be difficult bringing an infant then. Baby Gel would be around 2 months by that time and I might not be that strong yet.

Nways, I'll be on the look-out on those days. G really wants to see Singapore soon and be one of the first visitors of the Universal Studios