my husband has a lot of relatives in Chicago from his father’s side. during my in-laws’ recent visit there, they spent a few nights from one house to another. the hosts, being typical Filipinos, were very hospitable. they were welcomed to their homes and were also toured around the city.
when my in-laws came back from their trip, they had nothing but praises about the city. they said it is the classiest city they’ve been to in the US. and they also couldn’t help but speak of the beautiful houses they stayed in Chicago. apparently, Ryan’s aunts and uncles have lovely homes. they said that their houses were already old, but they were able to change the look of their homes all because of remodeling. one of them is even planning to do another remodeling of his kitchen and bathrooms before the holidays this year. this time, he only wanted the best Chicago remodeling company he could find. being an engineer himself, he is particularly looking for a contractor that produces an excellent job consistently, and values customer service the most. he finds it really important to hire a reliable contractor who will produce the best results at a specified budget without sacrificing the quality of work and attention to detail. with this new project of his, we are certain he will find one. he even teased us that maybe when all the renovations are done, we could come and visit him and his family there.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Chicago living
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
sprucing up our home
when we moved last March to our new home, we thought it’s best to get a new set of furniture and sell the old ones so we can have a unified theme in our little nook. the husband and i only wanted modern furniture to be used because aside from the fact that they look simpler and classier with their clean lines, they’re also easier to maintain.
our modern bedroom is our favorite part of the house because it’s minimal yet cozy. it’s much easier to relax on a space that is not filled with unnecessary items that serve as an eyesore. the platform bed is the best furniture investment we bought. i totally love its design and color!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
34th week fill in
i had my check up yesterday, and so far, so good. my BP is ok, baby’s heartbeat is excellent, and my weight gain is adequate. the only question i had about my pregnancy is my chances at giving birth via normal delivery. i was assured by my OB that he doesn’t see any reason why i couldn’t. however, he did point out that based on my last growth scan, i am carrying a big baby. (darn those cupcakes!). at 32 weeks, Baby D was already weighing 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs). he’s afraid he might have induce me and do a CS operation if the baby reaches 4 kg (8.8 lbs). yikes! i do hope not.
other than my concern about baby’s size, everything is well and good. although i am still suffering from the numbing sensation from my right arm down to the tips of my fingers at night, i am just keeping in mind that it will soon go away. i have also started doing my walking exercises last weekend. i plan to keep walking (or rather waddling), even during weekdays as i am hoping to deliver by my 37th week, or at least a couple of days before or after my due date. my OB is going on holiday on the 13th August, just 5 days after my due date, so i’m crossing my fingers that Baby D decides to pop out sooner than later.
with regard to my Mom’s visit, everything is now in place. her visa is ready, as well as her tickets, which were booked courtesy of my cousin S. we got a fairly good deal so we’re really, really happy! my cousin has a flight to Manila this coming weekend to hand over the documents to my Mom. meanwhile, Dad is scheduled to fly in around the 3rd week of August.
we have also started preparing for the arrival of the newest member of our young family. we already bought detergent soap and fabric conditioner for baby’s clothes, and i’ve already set aside the ones that need to be washed *good luck, Hon!*. the nursery is scheduled to be fixed this Friday by the Daddy-to-be, while i am keeping myself preoccupied in compiling the items needed to be kept in the hospital bag. and since i plan on working ‘till i go on labor, i have already written down the phone number of the Labor & Delivery Suite of my hospital for my team mates’ sakes. they could easily spot it on my desk’s whiteboard written in RED…LOL!
i hope the days would pass by so swiftly as i am already eager to meet our little boy!
and then there's more
i want to utilize this blog to thank the generous people in our lives who showered our LO with their very special gifts. even days after the baby shower, the gifts just keep on comin'.
my colleague, May gave this soother and pack of bodysuits for the little man. these are perfect as he needs more bodysuits (i never shopped much for baby clothes kasi), and the soother matches the beddings & the crib mobile, which we also got from Mothercare.
Marky, also a friend at work, gifted our son a keepsake clay set, which i intend to get for him. this would look nice in the nursery, don't you think?
Boks, another friend at work, gave Baby D 2 sets of bodysuits good for 0-3 months & 3-6 months. these would surely come in handy, especially with the kind of weather we have these days :)
and then there's the Tuc-Tuc gift certificates from Bobby, Ditas & Yiesha. i must say we were so surprised with the amount (let's just say it's really a huge amount, in our opinion), and the shop itself is known here in the UAE as a seller of utterly expensive baby & kiddie items. i wanted to maximize every penny they spent for the GCs, so i decided to use it up during their sale period. and what do you know, while doing my walking exercise at the Dubai Festival City last Friday, we saw a huge SALE sign by their door! of course we took the opportunity to use up the vouchers, and after half an hour, we found ourselves with these by the cash register:
i still have a Burjuman GC from Louise, which we're yet to spend. it's good for one year so maybe we'll use it in the next coming months. i promise to post it here as i also told her we'll let her know what we'll end up getting for Baby D.
again, to all our thoughtful friends who've been so sweet to our darling angel - many, many thanks from the bottom of our hearts. your kindheartedness mean so much to us. may God bless you all!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Daddy's birthday gift
big thanks to my Dad who gave in to get me this spiffy camcorder for my birthday (actually, he's paying for 2/3 of the actual price...not bad, eh!):
this is so much better than the Sony i wanted! first of all, this is HD (yeah!). we compared this to its Sony counterpart, and we were totally sold to these features & specs:
| Standard Definition or High Definition | High Definition |
| Power Consumption | 4.0 w (SP mode) |
| Image Sensor | 1/3.2" CMOS Sensor, RGB Primary Color Filter |
| Total Pixels | Approx. 3.3 Megapixels |
| Effective Pixels | Movies: Approx. 2.07 Megapixels (1920x1080) Still image: Approx. 2.76 Megapixels (1920x1440) |
| Maximum recording time | 8 GB SDHC Card LP (5 Mbps) 3 hours SP (7 Mbps) 2 hours 20 min XP+ (12 Mbps) 1 hour 25 min FXP (17 Mbps) 1 hour -Allows 1920x1080 Full HD Recording. Greater recording time is possible with a higher capacity SDHC memory card. |
| Lens | Zoom Ratio 12x Optical/200x Digital Focal Length f=4.8-57mm Zoom Speed Variable/3 Fixed Zoom Speeds Max. F/Stop f/1.8-3.0mm Filter Size 37mm |
| Focusing System | Instant AF, Through the Lens/Manual Focusing Possible |
| Manual Exposure | Yes |
| Programmed AE | Auto, Program, Av, Tv, CINEMA, Portrait, Sports, Night, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, Fireworks |
| Max Shutter Speed | 1/2000 1/500 (card) |
| Auto Date/Time | Yes |
| Record Search/Review | Yes |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 10 mm (wide)/1m (tele) |
| White Balance | Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Auto, Manual |
| Image Stabilization | SuperRange Optical (lens shift) |
| Viewfinder | None |
| LCD Screen | 2.7" Multi-Angle Vivid Widescreen LCD (Approx. 211,000 pixels) |
| Recording Media | SD/SDHC Memory Card (not supplied) |
| Video Terminal | component (output), composite (output) |
| Audio | Dolby Digital 2ch (AC-3 2 ch) |
| Accessory Shoe | mini Advanced |
| Supplied Video Editing Software | Pixela ImageMixer 3SE |
| HDMI Terminal | Type C 480i/480p/1080I Format Supported |
| Microphone Terminal | 3.5 mm Stereo Mini-jack |
| AV Mini Terminal/Headphone Terminal | 3.5 mm 4 pole Mini-jack |
| Dimensions | (WxHxD) 2.9 x 2.5 x 5.1 in (73x64x129mm) |
| Weight (not including lens and battery pack) | 13.4 oz (380g) |
Canon has released the Vixia HF200, its newer, upgraded version, but unfortunately, it's out of stock. the limited budget we have could only afford this little piece of machine, so it didn't really matter. by the way, this camcorder came with a 2 free Class 2 2GB SD cards and a tripod, so we're extra happy. all we need to do now is get ourselves a Class 6 16 GB SD card from ebay, and we're ready to roll! :)
to this new addition to our toy collection, welcome to our growing Canon family! let's make memories (and capture them) together! :)
going generic
we all know that times are hard these days because of the worldwide recession, and everyone of us is feeling the pinch of it. one has to be really practical when purchasing goods, be it a need or a want. what used to be an easy task of buying something from the store now becomes a little more complicated as you have to be conscious of the items you purchase. you compare products, unlike before, and you now take time to look at the labels before you dump the item in your shopping cart.
same goes for buying other items like clothes, shoes, toys, and especially medicines or drugs. ever since i have learned about generic drugs, i have always taken into account their benefits and number of pros than cons. if you compare generic medicine vs. brandname drugs, you will find that they are made up of the same ingredients, produce the same intended results and even give identical side effects, too. at the end of the day, you get the bang for the buck if you opt for the generic medicine rather than spending a fortune on a brandname drug. you'll realize then that what you're paying for is just its name. so what if you buy, say, a generic Viagra? it serves the same purpose as those of its expensive counterparts, right? and certainly, they are equally safe and reliable, even if they are the cheaper option.
trying to veer towards being economical is not bad. in fact, it is healthier for your pocket and budget.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
the B.B.B.S. (birthday bash & baby shower)
- early check in and late check out
- free upgrade to a 2 bedroom-suite
- complimentary hi-speed internet access
- complimentary local calls
- access to the Club Executive Lounge
- complimentary breakfast for two at The Californian at the 24th Floor
unfortunately, we didn’t get the biggest suite (the 1700 series) this time because they’re all booked. but we did manage to get this suite, which has an amazing view of the tallest building in the world:
as soon as we dropped our stuff at our suite, hubby & i grabbed a bite at the Club Executive Lounge before he ran off for his duty at work.
busy watching Christiane Amanpour on CNN
by midday, we were done picking up the food and having lunch, so we went back straight to the hotel to prepare. balloons were inflated, food were arranged on the platters, and B and my photog friend K alternately took photos of the details of the small party.
the invitation courtesy of cousin S
the token: bath confetti
the cutesy cupsa little while later, my cousin S and friend C arrived with more of the props for the baby shower. they began working on the bibs to be used as name tags by the guests, and even made use of the ever handy blowdryer for the names’ quick drying.
writing out the names
...and drying them upwhen the guests, who were mostly friends from work, arrived, the hostesses commenced the party by holding games. the guests enthusiastically joined without hesitation. our first game was Guess Mom's Tummy Size, where 5 ladies were picked to pull the ribbon to the size they believe would fit perfectly around the center of my pregnant tummy. Hazel, my fellow preggy team mate, got it closest to my tummy’s actual size. she won herself a set of incense with burner.
the second game was Draw A Baby Game, where each of the guests were asked to put a plate (made of styro so no worries of breaking) on top of their heads, and instructed to draw the baby’s eyes, nose, mouth, ears and hair one by one using their colored marker. the best drawing took home a Bath & Body Works Shower Gel, and this prize went to C.
the third game was the Baby Shower Memory Game, where a clothesline with all the pictures of different baby items were hung for everyone to see. S & B held up the line for a minute, took it down, and had everyone write down every item they can remember from memory in just 30 seconds. my dear friend at work, Jen, won herself a Mango coin purse. we later learned from her that apparently in Australia, they call the pacifier as dummy (same in the UK!).
the serious contenders
the fourth game was the ever-popular Charades where 2 groups of 3 competed with one another in guessing the pregnancy symptoms that i listed and picked out. the team who won the game received 3 pieces of Blue Rocking Horse Bookmark for each of the members.
guess what symptom is this
how about this?
the funniest game of all was the Who Sucks The Best. five single ladies drank iced tea out of baby bottles and raced to finish first. Gina won this game with a Homes R Us picture frame as prize. it was the most hilarious game of all as it was a delight watching the girls suck with all their might to win. after this game, we all went ahead to eat.
the suckers
as the baby shower’s theme was an afternoon tea party, we had a variety of English bread, slices of cakes, a selection of chicken, vegetable and cheese sandwiches, homemade cupcakes ordered from Baked in Dubai, and a luscious chocolate cake from Coco’s served to the guests. as Filipinos are not exactly hot tea drinkers, we all made do with iced tea to go with the sweets and pastries. fresh fruit salad made up of apples, strawberry, kiwi, grapes and oranges in mango syrup was also brought to the table (i made that!). of course, a birthday is not complete without noodles to represent long life. the pancit bihon and canton were a hit they got finished in an instant!
from the Ranolas
my pic with the ladies
thereafter, i raffled off hubby’s famous carrot cake, and a hand towel to those who bought raffle tickets. the proceeds of the raffle went to Baby D’s diaper fund, and i must say, we earned a good amount out of the 25 raffle tickets my hosts sold. each raffle ticket costs AED 5 (around $1.35). now that takes care of baby’s diapers for a good 2 months :D
to cap off the shower, i had the chance to mix and mingle with my cousins and male friends who came after the shower to greet me a “happy birthday”. we took some souvenir snaps, had a quick dinner, and called it a night.
hubby trying to fit us in his arms
with my pretty cousins
with photog pal K, G, cousin A & bessie B
i didn’t expect the baby shower to be a lot of fun! thanks to my hostesses, S & B, the party was a success! it was a truly unforgettable birthday for me – one that i will always remember with fondest memories.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
a year older
today is my 31st birthday. another year added to my age. i honestly don't care about the figure as i have something very beautiful to expect this year. and a lot of blessings have come my way the past year so i really can't complain. in fact, there are hundreds of reasons for me to feel grateful that i've lost count already. all i know is that my life is immensely blessed, and in general, i am extremely happy.
the Lord has given me so much abundance in life. as i celebrate another year of blissful happenstance, i cannot help but feel so overwhelmed with the outpour of love coming from all directions. i praise my Maker for giving me so many reasons to be thankful for whenever i wake up in the morning. my life is not the best there is, but i am contented with what i have.
i have a husband whose steadfast love keeps me going each day...
i have a loving family who is always there for me...
i have real friends who stick with me no matter what...
i have a stable job that supports me and our growing family...
i have my good health that allows me to do the things i love to do...
...and i have my faith that makes me feel at peace with myself and with everything else.
and as if these aren't enough to make me happy, i get this as a birthday present from the one who holds my heart:
thank you so much, Honey! you always try to make my wishes come true, and you never fail.
life is great, and i am happy to be alive! i celebrate this day with pure joy in my heart, and i sing with praise for all the blessings that keep darting my way :)
