:)

So/too many things happened in 2011 but I think only one thing is worth remembering over, and over again...

Thought that was the best day of my life.  Didn't know the days after would even be better :)

Bump Update!

So I guess they weren't kidding when they said, wait until you get to 5 months and that belly won't stop growing! Here's the bump at 23 weeks and 5 days!

It's getting harder to sleep at night as I don't quite know how to position myself.  I've read that lying on your back is not very good for blood flow for the baby, so I try not to.  When I lie on my side, the baby keeps moving about so, there.  Good thing I'm on Christmas vacation so I can afford sleeping in + afternoon naps to catch up on sleep! Two more days before the 2011 ends! Here's how I intend on spending the 30th and 31st:

30th - Go to the gym in the morning to do some light cardio, lunch at home, maybe nap or get work done in the afternoon then dinner with some friends at night

31st - The last day of the year will be spent with family, over a nice lunch at Tagaytay! Hoping for a cool breeze then!

Then, 2012! 2011 has been amazing, to say the least.  I'm sure 2012 will bring in even better memories! I mean, how can I not? I'm due in 4 months! <3

My ThINSPIRATION

This was taken May 2010.  Hopefully by May 2012, I'll be back to this! 

A Very Merry(ied) Christmas

...get it? :) Hehehe.  As the title implies, this is my first married Christmas.  As H and I were pulling out of our driveway on the 24th (to spend CHristmas eve with my in laws), I couldn't help but feel a bit emotional saying goodbye to my mom.  HAHA.  Drama! But really, it was my first Christmas eve away from home - not that we have anything special back at home.  We usually just have a big home-cooked dinner then by Noche Buena time, have coffee and dessert.  So it wasn't so much on what we did but just the thought of being at home with my family.  Of course, I knew being married also meant being married to another family which I also had obligations to.  I had a nice Christmas eve with my in laws - had really good home-cooked lunch and dinner (really cannot imagine going on a diet with my father-in-law who cooks amazing meals), Midnight Mass then Christmas ham back at home.

The next day, 25th, H and I drove back home to spend it with my family.  We had a hefty lunch at The Corniche, Diamond Hotel - buffet galore! I promise, this is the last buffet I'll be having this year until the end of the pregnancy! We hung out at Diamond Hotel until around 4:00 PM then headed home.  Slept from 5:00 to 8:00 PM!

Over-all, I'd say Christmas this year was calm, quiet and...complete - in every sense of the word.  I realized I don't need a huge celebration with so many relatives around or Christmas presents left and right.  I'd rather a small and meaningful Christmas with the people who matter.

The best part about this Christmas is knowing that next year will even be better with baby in tow.  I seriously cannot wait.

Merry Christmas To Me!

Husband's birthday + Christmas gift! :) See, I've never really been a fan of expensive watches.  Not as much as he is - researches about Omega, Oris, Rolex, etc. and obsesses about it *rolls eyes* He had to make me lambing several times for me to let me buy his Oris (although he did use his money, which according to a good friend, is also mine.  So maybe I shouldn't have said yes, haha)

So anyway, this is what he gave me! I've been wanting to get a Garmin (which is priced at about Php 15,000 and above for the one I want - Forerunner 610) but A, my running "coach" said I didn't need it and frankly, I guess I just wanted one, thinking buying something expensive for running will make me feel the pressure to go back to it.  But nah, I think my current weight gain (which might even be doubled in my last trimester) will be enough to motivate me.  BUT ANYWAY! So H knows I've always been lusting over TechnoMarine but never thought of buying an expensive watch.  I guess H thought otherwise.. :P

 I researched for what I wanted and I thought of the TechnoMarine Cruise.  I saw it "in person" and figured it was too...white.  So I got something under the Cruise model (Cruise Beach) instead.  It comes in 3 other colors: pink, royal blue and purple but opted for this one.  Always found turquoise blue to be a pretty color.  The best part about this is that the straps can be changed.  I actually didn't know that all models came with an extra strap.  The extra strap is in turquoise as well.  

This is my first (and last) expensive watch! Malamang hindi naman ito and pinaka mahal out there but a watch over Php 5,000 is already expensive for me! Thank you, husband! <3

***

In other news, here's a recent baby bump photo! 

 23 weeks tomorrow :) I STILL cannot buy baby stuff but going to Rustan's in Shangri-La Mall this afternoon to go window shopping.  Heard renovation is over and done with and the baby section is pretty comprehensive.  Will tell you about that adventure later!

The 26th December 20

I've always bugged Alvin about how I no longer received flowers.  So for my birthday, at exactly 12:01 AM, he leaves the room and comes back with this :)

Set our alarm at 3:30 AM since I wanted to hear mass on my birthday - Simbang Gabi!

Mary the Queen at 4 AM

Us, trying to look very awake.  We went home with puto bumbong, bibingka and Jollibee for the help :)

After breakfast at home, we decided to take a nap before heading to Cardinal Santos for my check-up.  The first one's my doctor :)

While waiting for Achi Paulene :)

We got home to pick up my parents for my birthday lunch! We decided to try out The Manila Peninsula's Escolta buffet.  DESPITE being told by my OB to limit the food intake.  It's my birthday anyway! :) 

With parents :)

To my husband: You're all I need to get by...

...but because God is so good He decides to bless me with so much more! My favorite birthday message was from Auntie Nancy: "Happy birthday! By next birthday, you will have baby on your lap, not in your tummy.  Truly blessed, MB!"

3 days to go til Christmas! :)

That's Me

I'm 26 and both my parents are still around and healthy.

I have wonderful in-laws, a job that fulfills me and makes me feel I make a difference.  

We can afford private transportation so I never have to take the commute.

I have more than 5 meals a day, I can read, write, hear and speak without difficulty.

My wardrobe, although not too abundant, is enough to keep me warm and comfortable.

I have over 5 pairs of shoes.

I have a husband to come home to and I'm lugging around a 5-month-old baby boy in my belly.

And, most importantly...

I got flowers from my husband at exactly 12:01 AM on my birthday :P

Seriously.  What more can I ask for? 

New Desktop

Something to motivate me on a Monday :) I had a tiring but good day.  Hope you did, too! :) Last week before Christmas vacation! <3

Shopping Shopping!

...because I really want to post about today's purchases, I had to make another entry.  Ayoko naman isama sa reflection ko something that seems so trivial and materialistic :))

So, today's purchases:

Bought another top from my current favorite store: Gingersnaps! I love how their maternity wear is just so chillingly pregnant.  I mean, nothing even that's empire cut and has a ribbon that can be tied at the back.  No offense to those kinds of tops, though since I have a few of them from SM.  But Gingersnaps just makes normal-looking clothes but tailor-fit for the pregnant body.  I've been to the Greenhills branch so many times that all the salesladies greet me when I enter! :))

This is obviously not for me.  My husband does not wear any other jeans but Levi's.  I, on the other hand, am fine with 700-peso jeans from herBench.  He was so happy with this purchase that right when we got home, he tried it on again with other tops/shoes to see which ones go well with it.  *rolls eyes* HAHA

I mentioned this on my Facebook wall but here I am again, raving about Parisian shoes! I got 2 pairs for P999.50! What a steal.  I did see some nice flats in Greenhills' tiangge - forgot the brand but really pretty and unique designs, but for P799 each.  Good thing this was after SM :p Bad news, I still have those flats on my mind... but, no, will not buy any more shoes!!

I've always wanted to buy this but since I've been looking for a Kris Kringle gift for my faculty room baby, I thought of giving her this.  The trouble with having so many new teachers is that I still haven't gotten the chance to get to know them all! I guess this is also because I wasn't in during the summer and first quarter.  Anyway, she's an English teacher so I'm assuming she likes to read!

Okay, I think that's it for the day! :) Things on my to-buy list for the rest of December : Gifts for some co-teachers, my advisory class and NOTHING ELSE.  Should start saving up for baby stuff <3

Gaudete Sunday!

Sometimes I have these moments when I just sit still and have the urge to burst into tears, tears of joy that is.  Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent and in today's Eucharist, we were reminded of the many reasons to be JOYFUL - joy in the life of holiness and joy in reaching out to others.  In my mind though, was a different source of joy....I was channeling something more like, joyful thanksgiving.  Yes, very MIC.

But, really, I've always preached to the kids that there is nothing that can make one feel happiest than to count one's blessings.  Counting my blessings always gives me a bazillion reasons to be joyful.  Like, I have this wala-akong-karapatan-umangal feeling after I remember the many things I have been blessed with.  Most especially this year 2011.  This year has been just life-changing, in so many different ways.  Let me count...

1) I resigned from my 4-year teaching stint.  I said goodbye to my favorite place in the world - the classroom, and...

2) Hello to a whole new world: The corporate set-up! I had to shop for clothes, shoes and a bag good enough for the office.  I met really cool people and great friends in them, too (I still keep in touch with a few of them - Wel, Ja, Bianca and Macky).  

3) I said goodbye to my short corporate stint so I could go back to being a teacher! :)) God really does have His ways.

4) I got married! :) July 9, 2011.  Best day EVER.  It has been 5 months and I still have those moments when I just stare at my husband and think to myself, "How could I have been so blessed?"

5) To add to this, I got pregnant! :) Just when things couldn't have been better, God decides to bless us even more.

...and everything in between.  Talking to my superiors in ICA and explaining my resignation, job hunting, learning to survive in a new environment and practicing my social skills, wedding preparations, that feeling I had right before I entered St. James the Great Parish on that very special day, coming to terms with the reality of my pregnancy plus the horrible first trimester, shopping for maternity clothes, husband and I just lying in bed, feeling Liam's gentle kicks and movements.

Life is, indeed, made up of tiny moments.  Every moment is a gift.  From the movie 300, "They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last.  Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed." Looking forward to making the last 20 days of 2011 count, and even more excited for a blessed and beautiful 2012! :)

21 Weeks!

Here's my evidence to being 21 weeks pregnant:

I don't know if that belly's huge only because I just had lunch...? Nah, I do think I'm getting bigger by the day - more so now, than ever! I guess they were right...once you reach 5 months, it just keeps getting bigger.  Oh, please excuse my humongous arms, haha! Some people would be witness to this - I used to always complain about gaining so much weight and not being able to run but now...? I'm so way past that. Just really looking forward to 4 months from now.  Naks, nag mature ;)

**

Yesterday, Friday, classes were cancelled due to non-stop rains (no typhoon).  I decided to head over to Greenhills Shopping Center, since my best friend-of-too-many-years had something work-related in the area.  We had lunch at Le Ching - where I had my Le Ching favorite: Beef brisket with rice ;)

Walked around on my own since Shar had to get back to work (The Travel Club).  Bought gifts for a co-teacher expecting a baby girl (3 rompers and 2 pairs of mittens) and my 2-year-old godson, Miguel (super cute tops from Gingersnaps).  At around 4:00 PM, I felt my belly getting stiff and since this usually happens when I've been walking long, I decided to stop by Bo's for DECAF coffee.  Around 5:00 PM, Shar texts me saying, "Fitflops on sale again, want to get a pair?" And since then, I just kept thinking about it until about 6:00 PM when we'd finally meet again so I could hitch a ride with her.  Well, BUY IT won since, #1 it was 30% off.  #2, Shar put it on 0% interest for 6 months so I'd only have to pay about 500 from January to June, not bad! :P Here are my 2 pairs of Fitflops (black pair was also bought on sale months ago):

They're just so comfy and plus it has that exercise-while-you-walk technology which I don't really understand...but since this is probably the closest I can get to exercising, I'll take it.

I also bought H an iPhone 3GS case.  We've always been in love with Speck's Candyshell and we've each broken 2 cases already (from removing it and putting it back on - which we will no longer do): I have the black one while he has the one in violet :P

**

I think I've had enough shopping for yesterday.  Staying home this Saturday afternoon (and possibly night) to: sleep in, watch Vampire Diaries or get some work done.  Have a feeling the first option will win over the other two!

Baby Names

I wanted a common name for our baby since we didn't want something his teachers would have a difficult time pronouncing in the future.  Hahaha, speaking from experience, I guess.  I saw this link and found that both names we were thinking of made it on the list! I hope there won't be too many kids with the same names in his class ;)

Link: http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/hottest-baby-names-2011-045700462.html

See? Not that this is making me change my mind, I'm falling more and more in love with his name and have started calling him Liam <3 Hubby still insists on Coby though = (Ja)Coby, get it? Then Coby = Kobe = basketball prodigy.  We'll see.  At the end of the day, of course, we'll be supportive parents even if it's chess he's into :P

20 days before Christmas and 15 days before my birthday! :) Happy Monday! :)

Oh, and ...

Awesome apps are <3 (Applications used: Days Until & Instagram)

Hello, December :)

I know Christmas is so much more than gifts and parties but I cannot help but feel the spirit ALL THE MORE when there are gifts.  Today, Husband and I received our first gift - from his boss! Pretty cool, if I must say so..

Two complimentary drinks from Starbucks

Two movie passes for Ayala Cinemas

Fully Booked GC for that parenting book 

:)

Exactly the things we love! <3 This just inspires me to go out and buy gifts for people already! 23 days to go before Christmas! This year will be different.  Have my family to spend the holidays with, as well as the in laws.  And it doesn't help that one is down South! I guess this is one thing I'll have to adjust to when it comes to married life.  There is, after all, not just an additional person in my life...but an additional family.  It's actually a good thing, but it's just that sometimes I feel bad about having to leave home to be with the in laws (which we do about once or twice a month).  My brother barely talks and I'm pretty much the only one who makes all the noise at home.  Hrmm.  

Here's to hoping H and I figure out how to make things work this year (and the years after).  In the mean time, hello, Christmas shopping! :)

Peaches!

What a way to end the week - see photo.

H bought this sweetheart from a block mate, Abi, who posted about selling Dashcund-Labrador mixed puppies.  Since H has always wanted to buy his parents a puppy, he went for this and reserved one.  We couldn't get her right away since she still needed time with her mommy so we had to wait  a while.  Today was the day we were bringing her home! I had work so H was the one who picked her up and cared for her during the day, which included cleaning her pee twice and poo once! So proud of H, haha.

Early tonight, we drove to Alabang to bring her home to my parents-in-law.  It was a bad ride for her as she was crying most of the time.  It was a mix between crying and sleeping for her, actually.  We were going to let her sleep in the living room tonight but I was just too worried about her crying at night and not having anyone to soothe her so I suggested she sleep in our room.  BAD IDEA.  She kept crying and crying and crying.  She'd sleep for maybe 45 minutes, then wake up, and cry, and, well, wake us both up! Which explains why I'm awake NOW: 1AM.  I decided to get up and play with her a bit to make her stop crying and observed that she was kind of shivering.  I realized, she must be feeling cold! Solution? And she hasn't woken/cried since (knock-on-wood).

I guess I got a taste of how it must feel to take care of a baby - helpless and frail, will just cry and cry until it gets what it wants.  Difficult part? You have to guess what it wants! Anyway, I suppose that's just .0005 of the many things I still need to learn about child/infant care.  Partly scared, but looking forward to this new experience.  I have (a little over) 4 months to go!

A Teacher's Desk

I was looking at my desk today and thought of blogging about my personal space...

1: Runner's World magazine cover.  I used to have the one with Piolo Pascual on the cover but removed it at the end of last school year.  This one always reminds me of the 42-km goal.  I know I'm on running hiatus now, but this serves as my inspiration! :) I WILL get back to running in less than a year's time! :)

2: Calendar of Activities.  Every month, we have one given to each faculty member and it's good to have that on my desk so I don't forget anything!

3: Asics AD.  I forget now what quote is on it but I just remember liking it, therefore keeping it up there.

4: Chupa Chups! Anytime I feel a student needs rewarding, I get one from my stash and share it with the kid/s :)

5: Trash bin.  What's a desk without a trash bin? A dirty under-the-table area!

6: Human Nature Day Moisturizer.  I'm really no girly-girl.  But I've noticed my skin to be a bit dry especially in the mornings so this really helps give moisture to my face (may ganun?).  Although I don't apply make-up, I put this on every morning.

7: Be hygienic! A roll of tissue for when I need to go to the comfort room - which is very often these days since my uterus, as I have read, pushes on my bladder and causes me to pee quite often.

8: Gap Dream.  Mmm, yummy scent and keeps me from smelling like fried-something when I come from the canteen.

9: Pens.  A teacher's essentials: really good black and red pens! Mine's usually Standard, Pilot, BIC or HBW :P (cheapos, hehe)

10: My Sun phone.  What I usually use to connect to my mom and other people here at home.  Globe phone (iPhone 3GS) was being used to take the photo!

11: Papers to check.  A pile of them, mind you. That's actually a staple already on my desk.  Not good :(

12: Bath and Body Works' White Citrus hand soap.  Smells sooo good! :) But my #1 favorite is still Dancing Waters <3

13: Bible.  Enough said.

14: My "name tag".  This is quite special to me because it's always been just Mary Elizabeth Ng for the past 4 years.  I got a new one this year since, well, duh, I got married.  Hihi.

**

There are tons more of stuff to discuss but maybe some other time.  For now, my eyes are dying for some shut-eye! Good night and I hope your desk looks better than mine (i.e. no pile of papers to check!).

P.S. Didn't label it, but look at our wedding photo booth (below Runner's World magazine cover) <3 Having that photo there reminds me of good times and even better times ahead :)

Hello, Monday!

Mondays are usually very tiring for me.  I have 4 classes which are unevenly spread out throughout the day.  Just one class in the morning and then 3 classes in the afternoon! I'm usually pooped on Mondays but what kept me energized? Baby's tiny movements that I could feel throughout the day.  He is indeed a boy, ang likot! I kept feeling bubbles in my tummy all day hehehe.  I can't wait to feel the actual kicks!

**
If you don't know it yet, H and I live with my parents and will be doing so for maybe a few more years.  After all, it's a pretty roomy house for just my parents and brother.  There's an extra room that my mom wants to convert into the nursery.  I was initially against this, thinking that Baby would definitely be sleeping in our bedroom.  I realized, though, that he would need a place to stay during the day where nanny can also stay in without necessarily having to be in our private space.  Also, a separate room would be able to house family and friends who would like to visit Baby :) So, I've been browsing through websites to get ideas for the said nursery.  So many cute ideas!

Project Nursery





Lay Baby Lay

There are just so many ideas! I wonder, though - where to get super cute decoration? I love the ones that go up the wall (stickers, letters, etc.)! I wonder if they have it in Rustan's? Can't wait to go shopping for Baby! Three months to go...mom has requested that I shop only by February (I'll be 7 months then), early shopping might cause bad luck daw.  Well, I don't believe in it but neither am I risking it! 

Baby Bump!

Hooray! I'm beginning to look less fat and more pregnant! My uterus, though has not risen much yet so my bump is still below my navel. But I've already started wearing maternity blouses since 2 of my teacher uniforms no longer fit without any button threatening to pop out! At this point, I have also started feeling baby's little movements. No kicks yet but flutters and what seems like a tiny fish swimming around in me. Amazing. I think if anything, this whole pregnancy has deepened my awe with God and His wonders.

Yup, STRETCH MARKSSSS.  And yes again, that's baby's name (for now).  Liam was suggested by Nini, my sister-in-law.  Looked it up and it means strong/protector - perfect for a dragon baby! As for Jacob, it means "he who supplants".  That's not the reason why I like the name, though.  I've just always been fond of how it sounds (no relation whatsoever to Twilight's Jacob Black, pleeease).  We're not yet 100% sold on this but for now, this stays.

Cheers to a good week ahead!

It's A Boy!

Starting today, H won't be the only man in my life now ;) Just had a 2D ultrasound that revealed that our baby is indeed a cute little boy! :) Love, love, love! Vinny was occupied today so I asked two of my girl friends to go with me - Cla and Aids.  Both gladly obliged and were super 100% supportive.  Maid of honor (Aids) was stuck in traffic, though, so I just had Cla.

Everytime I'm scheduled to have an ultrasound or OB appointment, I'm always nervous prior to it thinking that something might have happened to the baby - paranoid.  Today, two seconds after the doctor put the "thing" on my abdomen, she said, "Oh there's your baby!" What a relief! Even better was that baby was very much active in my womb (which I still cannot feel, at the moment).  His legs and arms were moving! Such a magical moment :) At some point, the doctor even caught the baby thumb sucking! Here's a photo of that:

The doctor asked me if I wanted to find out the gender since some don't opt for this and prefer the suspense.  As for H and I, we'd rather know to be able to prepare better.  The doctor said, "Okay, in that case... baby is... 100% BOY!" The minute she said "100%" I already had an idea she was going to say BOY.  The receptionist/assistant said that at 17 weeks, if the assessment is a GIRL, it may or may not be accurate.  However, if it were a boy, it's SURE to be a boy - the boy, cannot be mistaken for a girl.

I admit that I was hoping for a girl for a first baby.  I think I said that already - so for the first 5 minutes or so, I was a BIIIIIT disappointed.  But eventually got over myself when I saw how cute the little thing was! I can't help but be in awe thinking there's a little person moving and playing around inside me! :) I immediately told my mom and H, and both were ecstatic.  Though mom was also hoping for a girl, she said, "Well, if God wants a boy first, then so be it!"

I must say, In My Womb Ultrasound Clinic is the bomb! They have these little rooms for the ultrasound procedures and in each room, there's a space for guests (family and friends) of the mommy who want to see baby.  Even better, they don't have to peek into the monitor! There's a big-enough HD TV mounted on the wall for them to view the baby.  Awesome! They have clinics in SM MOA, SM Megamall (where I went), The Fort and SM Pasay.  Highly recommended.

ACTUALLY.  Everything about this day so far has been great.

After the ultrasound, Cla and I walked around a bit.  I eventually felt my stomach growl so we looked for a place to eat.  We saw this new Japanese restaurant - Yabu by the Atrium and decided to give it a try.  It's a Katsudon place that has very nice interiors and really good food! Very authentic.  We also had Gong Cha (my first time) which did not disappoint! I think I like it even better than Serenitea.

Here's my friend Clarisse with her Pork Katsudon Set.  It comes with cabbage salad, fruits, miso soup, Japanese rice and a generous serving of pork Katsudon.  Good that they have three different sizes for their meat (chicken/pork/seafood options).  Clarisse got the medium-sized.

I was initially craving for Chinese food so I think dinner will be Chinese.  Waiting for H to pick me up at home and then we'll be off to mass + dinner.  He's in a pretty happy mood since he's been praying for Baby Guce to be a Baby BOY Guce ;)

Today gives me license to check out anything BLUE for baby :p NOT buying YET but at least I can now be more focused on my window shopping! :D

Ah, life is good to those who are good (I try!).

Four Months!

I know I said that 9 months seem like such a long wait...but, hey, I'm four months already! It's not so long as I thought and times DOES fly by super fast! Now I only have 1 month to go before I know the baby's gender and 5 months before baby pops out! Thankfully, gone are the days that I seem to be hugging the toilet bowl for relief...or those days when everything just seems to give me a wave of nausea.  Food is now something I just can't get enough of ;) Throughout the months, I have done a lot of thinking (yes, despite being very busy with work) - the kind of thinking that allows me to really reflect on motherhood and it's effect on my life.  When this pregnancy was very new to me, I'd still feel bad about not being able to run that marathon I so wanted to run early 2012.  Today, I'm just bent on taking better care of myself (yes, I did go home at 12:00 MN last night, eeep!) so that baby and I both end up healthy AND THEN running after baby comes out...which I REALLY hope I get to do! I'm just worried that I might be so glued to baby that I never want to leave his/her side.  We'll see!

My officemate has just recently gotten an ultrasound which revealed she was going to have a baby girl! I admit, I got quite jelly.  Originally, I was hoping for a girl.  Why? 1, free education at the school I work in.  2, I love how close my relationship is with my own mom and always imagined to have the same kind of rapport with my own daughter.  3, I feel it's more fun to dress up a girl than it is a boy ;) Now, I'm thinking...if I do have a girl, that will mean I won't leave teacher in the said school, ever! Of course H can afford sending our kid to school without me having to teach there for free tuition...but what a huge relief if tuition fee were no longer a problem, right? If I do have a boy, plans are... 1, move to either Xavier (might not be so easy seeing that the school's are right across each other...too close for comfort?). 2, stop teaching and do something else...? But I think H doesn't like the idea of #2 so much.  He feels that we will be able to live a more comfortable life in a situation where both husband and wife are working.  Agreed.  Hrmmm, then again, it wouldn't be so bad to have to teach for life...would it?

Ayayay.  Decisions, decisions.  I guess before I worry about these things, first things first...find out baby's gender! It will also make shopping easier - will trim down list of things to buy to just one color...pink or blue! ;)

Pedring

Afternoon classes were suspended yesterday, Monday, due to heavy rains care of Typhoon Pedring.  Today, classes were also cancelled from Nursery all the way to College since Metro Manila is apparently under Signal No. 2 (down to #1 this afternoon).

This may call for extra time to work on school-related stuff, but, no.  I took it as time to bond with one of my countless half-read books.  Today it was One Day by David Nicholls.  I'm more than halfway through the book and I'm having a difficult time putting it down (well, save for this time when I decided to blog about it, hehe)!

And, oh! Say hello to our new baby! This is probably the last "baby" before the real baby ;) Guilt-free because we know this will help us welcome Baby Guce well ;)

Olympus EPL-2 

I'm no photographer, but I'm loving this camera already! I remember the last camera I bought was care of my dad and he bought it for my college graduation in 2007! Whoa, 4 years ago! It still serves us well but I must admit, nothing like that white beauty up there! My younger brother, Charles, now uses the old camera:

**

Okay, that's it.  Will wait for the 7:00 PM news to see if there are advisories on tomorrow's resumption of classes.  If classes will resume, will probably bury myself in school work tonight.  Otherwise, looks like I'll be able to finish a before the day ends! ;) 

Alvin 101

It's been almost 3 months and I still find myself surprised at the things I discover about my husband each day.  Despite being together as boyfriend/girlfriend for about 5 and a half years before we married, I realize it IS true that you can never really know a person until you really live under 1 roof. 

These are the things I've learned so far:

1) We have different morning routines.  He wakes up, eats, then takes a shower.  I wake up, take a shower, then eat.  Which works to our advantage because our shower can only comfortably accomodate just one ;)

2) Alvin does not eat vegetables AT ALL.  I am grateful to have our cook Michelle whip up dishes for us but did not really know this fact about him prior to married life.

3) He must watch TV before hitting the sack.  It's almost like his lullabye already.

**

So far, that's it.  I am looking forward to more discoveries as the months (and years) progress.  Everyday is a learning experience - we learn about ourselves and each other, hopefully preparing us to be the best parents we can be - in 6 and a half months ;)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Today marks my 5th teacher's day in ICA, or, ever.  I'd have to say, that this year was probably the "driest" I've experienced.  For the first time, I was fuming mad on teacher's day because of students' behavior.  For the first time, instead of saying thanks (well I did, naman.) to the kids for their song number, I spent more time talking about how much more they had to improve on, yada yada.  There goes Mrs. Guce again, I'm sure a lot of girls thought that.  Who cares.  

Out of all the jobs there are out there, I think being a teacher is the most difficult to separate from personal life.  I've said this before and I still feel the same way - teaching is a 24-hour job.  I'm in school from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM but when I'm not, I must conduct myself properly and wear decent clothes (which is not really a problem, FYI).  When I'm at home, I check papers, plan lessons and create my Keynote presentations (painstakingly fixing font sizes, colors, layouts and animations).  When it happens to be a year wherein my advisory class is a tough one (it's becoming more often, thank You Lord), I think of them before I sleep, when I wake up and even when I'm in the shower - I think of what I can do to help them be their best.

With all that being said, I think I'll go now and write my resignation letter.  As a matter of fact, I attempted to resign twice already (SY 2009-2010 and SY 2010-2011) but something JUST. KEEPS. ME. COMING. BACK.  Sometimes I think, bakit ko ba pinapahirapan sarili ko dito? My husband makes enough (I didn't say a lot but enough) for us to survive simply anyway.

...

Uh-oh.  Bakit nga ba.  HAHA.  *thinking*

...

I guess for me, it's not enough to live my life for family and friends.  I'd like to say that I was able to live for someone else that I'm not related to, that on normal circumstances, I couldn't care less about.  I want to live my life knowing that I've used it well and that I did all that I could to 'make a difference'.

I don't know if I actually do, but I think it counts to at least try.

This year, I think God was trying to teach me this: To serve the Lord even (more) when it's difficult and even when I don't think it counts.  In His own sweet time, He will show me that my efforts were not in vain.  After all, serving others is serving God...and there is no "getting tired" in serving God. :)

Happy teacher's day to my fellow ICA teachers! Tomorrow is another day to "try" ;)

5 Weeks & Counting

Yup, I suppose that's me! The past week has been (sorry, baby) horrible :( I didn't know pregnancy would be this difficult.  For now, it's still pretty manageable.  I get nauseous about 2-3 times in a day - usually early in the morning and after meals.  I also feel extra tired - like I could sleep at 6PM and wake up the next  day! In a night, I'd also get up to pee a lot more often than usual.  I usually did it just once but now - three would be the minimum.  Still no cravings and no actual vomiting - I hope it stays that way.

Often times, I feel like I lack the energy and zest to actually do anything.  I'm tempted to just stay home and laze around all day.  I told my friend today, after this pregnancy, I'm not so sure I want to experience this again! HAH! We'll see.  Of course I know it's all going to be worth it once I see the little one...but man, nobody said it would be THIS tough! And I'm only in my 5th week (6th on Monday).

My prayer: Dear Lord, remind me always to take care of me, not only for me, but for the life in me.  I pray that I hear a loud and energetic heartbeat come next week when I go for my 2nd ultrasound.  I know I complain a lot but I know You know how grateful I am for this little blessing :)

Oh, speaking of moms, it's my mother's 62nd birthday today! Happy birthday, mommy! I love you so much.  If I can be even just half of how wonderful a mom you are, my child can already consider herself blessed.

A Different Kind Of Joy

Over a year ago, I went to the OB-Gyne for the first time because my period was too irregular.  After a series of visits and an ultrasound, we found out I had polycystic ovaries.  I didn't quite understand what that meant but all I knew was that the older I got, the harder it was for me to conceive.  I didn't think it would be an issue since I was already engaged then ;) But all along, I prepared myself for having a difficult time in getting pregnant.

So you can imagine how surprised I was to see this:

This was just yesterday! I took another test today that showed more visible lines - I guess it makes a difference when you actually take the test.  I was told to take the test first thing in the morning for the most accurate results.  When I saw the positive result, I immediately thought of how I had just taken an x-ray just last Thursday! I know that taking an x-ray was a no-no to pregnant women due to the radiation.

Because of this, I rushed to my OB-gyne today to get answers.  According to her, we'll really only know as the pregnancy goes on - whether or not it ends up in a miscarriage.  Otherwise, if THAT doesn't happen, it should be okay.  On most cases, one x-ray shouldn't really affect the baby so much - after all, it's still a tiny sac! The heart beat should be evident in 2 weeks (when I'm due again for another ultrasound).

According to today's ultrasound, though, I'm 4 weeks and 3 days pregnant and will be giving birth approximately April 23, 2012.  Hubby (H) got his wish: A baby born on the year of the Dragon! :-P

I'm still having mixed emotions about the pregnancy.  I'm scared because it's such a huge responsibility having to carry this baby for 9 months - I'd have to take extra (x100) care of myself! I am also thinking of running and my supposed 21km-run in October, which of course, is now out of the picture.  I asked my OB-gyne about running and pregnancy (since I have a run this Sunday).  She thinks it's generally okay but does not encourage me to run since it's my first pregnancy and everything should be observed and watched closely.  Will still have to find a way to break it to AA, hehe! Aside from feeling scared and not quite being ready to say goodbye to running... the stronger feelings are that of excitement and gratitude.  Grateful that God has granted us this blessing and excited because I know that God has given me the best person in the world to go through the next 9 months (and forever) with ;)

I'm pretty excited for this time two weeks from now since I'll already be able to hear the heartbeat! :-) Until then, prayers, please!

Run > Teach

On most days, I feel more excited about being a runner than a teacher.  I don't know if I have what it takes to call myself one but I figured that calling myself a runner actually gives me the push to train hard.  I have been running with this friend (whom I will call AA) who I am so unbelievably grateful for.  If not for AA, I wouldn't have been able to run that Goldilocks half-marathon (21kms.) back in May.  After the wedding, I got so out of shape (still slowly getting back up) but have been running a week after the wedding.  I noticed, though, that I'm a lot lazier than I was before, boo! Yesterday's 5km run was good, though, I felt strong through and through.  Hoping to prepare well for this week for Sunday's 10km.

Hmmm, would getting myself  a GPS device motivate me to run better? I've been window shopping for one and I'm hoping to get mine before the year ends! ;) Yeah!

Forerunner 310 ;) 

Again?

So, classes this afternoon were cancelled again! To be very honest, I don't find it amusing anymore - especially since it's pretty sunny outside! It's periodical exam week next week and I need all the periods I can get.  Ugh.  Whyyy.  Then again, I'd rather "waste" an afternoon than actually have all the rains pour down.  In as much as a cold afternoon under the sheets is tempting, I can't help but worry about those who are homeless when it rains.

See?

**

I hope the rains don't come and that students just use this afternoon productively.  Speaking of productivity...what I plan to do from now until about 11PM...

- Check 2 sets of quizzes

- Read my book, Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed

- Work on my Keynote for the class review

Quite ambitious, eh? We'll see how much I can manage.  Will get to work now, while hubby is not yet home to bug talk to me ;)

The Lion Is Roaring!

I don't think any other laptop I've bought has caused me as much expenses as the Mac.  I got my MacBook White last October and since then, I've spent a fortune already on applications, cases and bags.  Everything to beautify my already-awesome laptop.

Just today, I left the computer downloading the new Apple OS, Lion.  Running on Lion now and currently exploring its features.  It cost me $29.99 (approximately P1,200) but I was assured that it could be shared with 4 other computers (and I already have those 4 other people confirmed) - so, not bad.  Whether or not the other 4 take it, I'm thinking this might just be worth P1,200.  Excuse me while I bond more with my Lion ;)

Check it out here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/

Back On Track

Also, in the hopes of getting my running self back on track, hubby and I registered for the Run United2 race by Unilab.  I have two weeks to train for a decent 10km time.  So far, I've only ran 8kms.  Getting there, getting there!

 

Since this is a race organized by Coach Rio, I am anticipating lots of people.  Hoping parking/traffic won't be a problem! See you there! :-)

A New Pair, Please

Before I purchased my Mizuno pair 3 months ago, I was actually choosing between those and the latest Nike Free pair.  I found the latter a bit too flexible, I felt that maybe it wouldn't give me the support I needed.  I don't entirely regret my decision although I do think I need a second pair (Need? Want?).  Hmmm, sometime soon, maybe?

For now, it remains on my wish list ;)

I Do

I was looking through our wedding photos when I came across one that was taken while the personal vows were being said.  We didn't really plan on writing personal vows - we always thought St. James (our church) didn't allow it.  Plus, Alvin was initially against it, shy type daw.  It was only about a week before the wedding when we checked and found out that they DID allow it, and so I required him to write his, haha! So we started writing.  Contrary to other couples, Alvin and I read our vows to each other prior to the wedding ;) We wanted to make sure our vows, when put together, made sense and were not redundant, or anything.  I cried while he "practiced" reading it to me, so there were no tears anymore during the actual reading.  I cracked, though, when I read mine! Hee.  Wedding video here:

As for the personal vows, I thought of immortalizing them here, as I am not sure how long these index cards will last ;) Plus, it would be nice to read them once in a while, eh?

Vin:
"Days after the welcome night for the new members of the Ateneo College Ministry Group, I was already asking my mom and dad, 'Meron ba akong Chinese blood? Kahit mga 2% lang...'
I stand before you now, after more than 5 years, still with less than 2% Chinese blood and now with a few Fookien words and phrases in my pocket.
Marybeth, it was in wanting to find and serve God that I found you. It was in wanting to follow Him that I was led to you. This is what makes everything about you, about us so special and so right. Now, with God's overflowing love filling my whole being, and in front of our beloved family and friends, I promise to love you with all my heart, mind, body and soul.
I promise to be always by your side, I promise to be patient when you're late or when PTC (Parent-Teacher Consultation) is already going overtime, let you use the vanity mirror of the car, watch Star Cinema movies with you, make you laugh and cheer you up when you're down.
Motivate and support you in everything you do. Next to God, you will be my #1 priority. We will be together in everything babe. We will always be a team and I will never leave your side. I will be a good husband, friend, and partner to you and I will love you for the rest of my life.."

Marybeth:
"I found my 2005 planner and discovered that only 3 months after we met, I was already writing my wedding guest list. I may come across as assuming but looking back, I see how this is proof of how everything about us is just so sure and secure.
 In the almost 6 years we've been together, there was never a break up, never a fight that did not end over an hour after it started.  Each day began and ended with an assurance of your love.
Today, in front of the people I love most, I promise to love you all the days of my life.
That means being more than ready for a lifetime of having to sit thru morbid and gory movies, of learning how to play Dota, of checking out cars and knowing the difference between mags, double overhead cams and fuel pumps. I promise that there will always be a warm smile and a big hug to welcome you after a long day at work.
We will celebrate our victories together and go through life's disappointments only with the comfort of never having to be alone. You, along with our family, will be my #1 priority. Beginning today, there will no longer be I's but only we's.
Paulo Coelho once wrote, 'To love is to be in communion with the other and to see in the other the spark of God.' Not only has loving you brought me closer to God, but it is also through you that God's love me for becomes evident. You are the reason why I now fervently believe in answered prayers. You are my answered prayer.
Above everything else, I assure you one thing today and everyday...
You will always have my love."

Cheers to almost one month of being a Mrs. ;)

Sunday Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

Inspired by today's Gospel Reading, here's a video that was shared with me by my good friend Sharl :-) Today's Gospel on the Feeding of the Five Thousand inspires me to be like the child who shared even the little that he had.  Much like Mother Teresa said, even the smallest of things, if given with great love, matters. 

Hoping to log on more KMs this week! Ran only 16kms this week! Have a great week ahead! :-)

New Life, New Blog!

So I'm moving from livetoinspire.i.ph to teacherontherun79.blogspot.com - for the very reason that I feel this is more convenient to use, and, well, I just feel the need for something new ;) After all, I am venturing into new life.

Read on for my thoughts on marriage, rants and raves on running and classroom tales ;)