being brave

 

i shall leave this here. i will update you after the storm is over. 

COURAGE KIND OF YEAR

Remember BLESSING? My 2020 word for the year which was coined with my limited human brain thinking it would be a year of new clients, new business ventures oh well let's just say financial abundance. Then 2020 year turned out to be a surprise new baby blessing! We were all super thrilled to have Euan that year, we couldn't perceive pandemic without this cute little guy. My perceived definition of blessing is way way minuscule than the blessing God wanted me to have.

Fast forward December 2023, I was thinking would BRAVE be okay? Parang bitin? How about TAKING RISKS? Hmmm two words. That's when COURAGE came. It will encompass being brave and taking risks. Hopefully it will give me strength to face new challenges 

• as I take on my new role as the finance head of our community church organization
• as I apply for the new accounting accreditation, something that I was not confident to apply before
• as I start a new project and hopefully get more clients to expectantly generate more income for me to be able to help build up funds for the kids especially for Thea

Guess what? God has a different way of making me courageous. Get some popcorn you guys...

So January 5, came, cold Tagaytay weather gave us cold/flu. I called for online consult for an RX antibiotics. The doctor said if it re occurs I need to go to see a doctor face to face. End of January I got it again and I had chills and fever, so I went to see an ENT doctor hoping he will give me meds for my throat. 

The secretary ordered an endoscopy. hhhhmmm why would the secretary order an endoscopy when the doctor hasnt even seen me. But I obliged and went to the hmo office and had it approved. After 3 hours of waiting outside the clinic I went in. The doctor scolded the sec and said she shouldnt have ordered endoscopy but should have ordered something else (the procedure I can't remember anymore), the sec then said she will change the procedure. Then he examined my throat and said never mind we will just continue with it. During that time my mind was racing... something feels off but oh well let's just get over with it and go home. He then proceeded with the endoscopy. After which he told me to sit down and showed me the result.

While sitting down he said "I have bad news for you." Yan mismo walang labis walang kulang ha yan mismo verbatim ang sinabi nya. the next line di ko na sure kung verbatim pero this is how I remember it - Ano work mo? Accountant po. Expose ka ba sa chemical? Hindi po work from home po ako. May cancer ba sa pamilya? Grandparents ko po. 

Mind started to accelerate dun pa lang sa I have bad news for you pero nung sinabi nya may cancer ba sa pamilya - nag stop bigla ang mundo . Pasok Mareng Moira "At tumigil ang mundo nung ako'y tinuro mo"...

He showed me my endoscopy video and explained that there was a suspicious mass in my nasopharynx. He explained that he believes that everything happens for a reason and my being there and undergoing endoscopy was pre-destined. I still couldnt believe what I was hearing but after what I went through being an autism-mom I think mas naging matapang ako to face this kind of situation. So I asked for the worst case scenario and the plan of action. Super brave face - look ma no tears!!! He said worst case Radiotherapy and surgery, he said not to go there yet but we need to do the biopsy asap. He will be out of the country 2nd week of Feb so we neeeded to do it right away as in a week after. So I said okay let's do this and asked for additional reminders - bring cash daw coz Maxicare doesnt usually cover the whole procedure, that it will be done in another clinic - the reason I can't remember coz I couldnt understand, he said I should cooperate as he doesnt want me to interupt him while he's doing the procedure. RIght there I asked if it is better if I am sedated coz during the endoscpy he kept telling me n 'dont do that - wag mo gawin yan" - and I couldnt understand what he is saying - he said I was blocking his view - take note that he was looking inside my nose how on earth can I block his view so I tried several ways of breathing through my mouth and yeah he just scolded me back because that's not the way he wanted it - eh how will I know nga!

Here's the mass found in the nasopharynx - the white mass shouldn be there. The video captured it more clearly as in andun sya when the scope went through both nostrils.

Okay comedy muna, sabi nga pala nya sabihin mo KUKU, so I said kukuuuuuuuuu yung parang sa clock, sabi nya NO NO kuku lang, sabi ko "kuku kuku kuku" yung parang ibon naman na makulit , sabi ulit nya "kuku lang" ayun gets ko na so i said "kuku" ayan ok na kami! So get's nyo na? Di nya muna kasi inexplain tapos papagalitan nya ko during the procedure!!! malay ko ba kung anong kuku ang gusto nya?  hahaha. So gets nyo din ba bakit hesitant ako to do the awake endoscopy with him after he told me that I need to cooperate and do what I was told? How would I know if the inside of my nose is not blocking his view? May seminar ba nun? My eyes easily gets teary when I'm in pain so ofcourse after poking my nose, I had tears which I tried to swipe. He then said, Bakit ka gumaganyan? I said " masakit po eh" He replied " mag tissue ka!" All the while I am polite naman pero di lang siguro kami magka wave ni Doc. (Or maybe he needs communication training?) I asked if it can be done sedated just like nung I had my colonoscopy - he was hesitant and he prefers gising. Delikado daw and madami pang clearance ang kailangan to do it. So I said okay let's schedule it. Knowing I can do it - I gave birth naturally 3 times what else can I not take?

While I was preparing for biopsy - bloodworks, ultrasound etc I kept thinking of asking for a second opinion. My husband said he thinks this is not serious, he said kulangot lang yan. My sisters says it's just "maning kalbo" yung pinasok ko sa ilong ko nung bata ako - alam nyo yung expo, oo nilagay ko sa ilong ko yun, baka daw may naiwan lang ;D So to help them (us) view the situation ng medyo light - I said if worst scenario at need ng surgery papatangos ko na ng konti ilong ko and bawasan din ng konti. 

I went to another doctor and she confirmed that per endoscopy - I have the copy - a biopsy is needed. Urgency is necessary. She explained that it might not be malignant but we need to check immediately. In short - Cancer at nasopharynx shouldnt be taken lightly. It is in the skull and near the brain so we need to take the mass out right away to diagnose correctly and do what needs to be done asap. 

okay water and wiwi break muna kayo .... do bi do bi do ba do bi do bi do ba perry...

So yun na nga...

I am more comfortable with the new doctor. She prefers that I am sleep so she can take out all the mass, she said if I am awake , it will be very uncomfortable for me and blood will drip eventually and it will be more manageable if done sedated.

 I also went to an Endocrinologist - yes madami ako pinuntahan para masure. I scheduled both the ENT and Endo not knowing that they knew each other and that they partner in doing this procedure. Oh di ba parang tinadhana. So she said, yes I have something on my thyroid but she needs the thyroid hormone re-examined coz "she says" hi precision has better machine to detect this kind of irregularity. My previous result showed high volumes for both T3 and T4 which is contradictory because it both indicates hyperthyroidism and hypo. Saturday I was able to redo the exam. I had to ask several people for prayers because I needed to book a room asap at the hospital if I get cleared biopsy will be done Tuesday morning. Sunday night I was clear and I booked a room and said I am on a waiting list.

You see the timing? It was thursday when I went to my ENT and she told me I needed the ultrasound and xray done right away so I can show it to the ENDo next day for clearance. It was Caleb's intrams day (another kwento for the Mr Intrams thing), I was going back and forth to Bulacan SPorts Complex and Sacred and Hi Precision and St Vincent Clinic. Buti nanalo Mr Intrams ko :D

Anyhoo, I got cleared by the Endo Sunday, ENT asked me to book, but there was still no room . I was like "Lord can you make this a little easy?" And He was like,"I will let you experience this so you can write a novela on your blog and tell your friends and families how awesome your God is". So Monday (day of admission) we were waiting and waiting for Sacred to call, 12pm I called and asked for the nth time - no room, by 5;30 a call came and a room opened for us! 

Sacred HEart at 6:45-7:45pm I was at the admitting section and they cannot take me in because HMO hasnt confirmed yet if included and procedure. I told them I already called but they wanted to make sure. HASSLE!!! The past 8 days was busy, and it seems like everything doesnt go my way. Finally Alvin signed a waiver if HMO doesnt pay he will. 

We got in the room and wala pillow!!! I was supposed to bring pillows and blanket but I thought hindi na tuloy. WHen my fone rang, I said ligo muna ko and we were rushing na after - thus I left the pillow and blanket and my jacket. So buti pinagdala kami ni Ate La ng tiny pillow as in tiny, ako I used the bag full of clothes. I said ok na ito bukas uuwi din naman tayo.

Ooooh did I mention the nurse couldnt put an IV. She tried several times and then when she finally did, the vein burst and she needed to do it again. As she went back to the nurse's station I messaged my ENT if pwede next day na ang IV. She agreed and my hand was free of needles until 6am next day.

Next day, biopsy day, I was wheeled to the OR around 7:30 for the 8am operation. Prior that my BP was 120/80. Nung nasa OR na 170 na daw!!! Sabi ni doc o Emma kinakabahan ka! Alam mo yung nakahiga ka dun, tapos may 2 malaking ilaw tapos mga machines sa paligid? 

You know di ako kinakabahan eh, ewan I was really brave! Go lang sa procedure, if may makita then go. Takot ba ako - aba syempre may takot. But I needed to be strong for my kids, my husband and my family. 

I got intubated and was under GA. I woke up past 9am. And a happy call from my doctor woke me up! Hi Emma gising ka na? Good news! Di kami nagbiopsy kasi wala kaming nakitang mass. I cannnot grasp the situation. I just cried and cried because I knew God took it away - the mass, my worries and fears. The head nurse told me I need to stop crying, coz they cant help crying too.

Here's the pic taken with a bigger machine in an operating room with a huge monitor to check whatever is inside our body. It is super clear! no trace of scar or mass.

What a journey no? Looking back parang ang dami daming nangyari ng 2024 and hindi pa nga tapos ang 1st quarter. I started writing this Feb 19, ano ng petsa ngayon March 7 na! So I will end this here, my God is bigger than any of my problems. He is a Father indeed. A loving Father at that, He who gave His son to us, what can He not give/do for me, for you?

May my miracle story reminds us always to put our trust in the Lord. That no matter how big the obstacle, we can rely on God's promises and grace.

10 Rules of Borrowing

This was published last May 3, 2023 and updated again today January 18 2024. 

1. Borrowing a car - make sure you fill up the gas at the same level (better if more or full tank) when you borrow it. I heard a complaint before, na masungit si xxx kasi pag manghihiram ka kailangan mo pa i-carwash and lagyan ng gasolina. My take, kung hiniram mo at nadumihan mo it's your duty na linisin yun, yung gasolina/diesel na nagamit mo tama lang na ibalik mo sa dati. You would have paid for a fare have you taken a taxi. 

2. Borrowing make up - I think for mascara, eyelash curler and eye liner borrowing them is safe. But for foundation, blush on, lipstick hmm no no siguro. If you are super close, siguro pwede pero kung hindi naman and may zits ka na visible, better use or buy your own.

3. Borrowing books - use a bookmark and do not put crease on the page, never never highlight and write on the book. Ask if you need to return it back asap, do not assume you can borrow it as long as you like or borrow until you finish it because you never know if you can really finish reading it.

4. Borrowing tools - this I need to take note as well as I am likewise guilty.  Everytime you borrow a tool, say wrench - take a picture and send the lender that you borrowed such and will return it to xx date. Once you return it, take a picture and a proof so that you will remember, make sure you send the picture to the owner for trail. It's really hard to find a tool when you don't know who borrowed it and if they returned it. It's sometimes even embarrasing to ask if the tool is with them or not. We have 2 drills now because we did not know who borrowed the first one and where exactly is it. We borrowed a tool for the car before and returned it, then a family member borrowed it again - we didnt know about it until the owner asked for it. Kakahiya kasi we said we returned it already but he said xxx borrowed it again

5. Borrowing phone or laptop - do not browse their photos or read their messages. If you are too curious, at least ask for permission. Do not go in their FB account and post things that they wouldnt post. I don't know why some of this generation likes posting a message in their friends FB wall, you should know your boundary or if you are the one they hacked - at least let them know that you don't want that again. Say NO! haaaays, They often cry out for privacy, consent, body shaming, equality and all the churvaloo and that's fine we get you, but then you also do stuff like posting without permission, taking vids of other people for fun - come on guys this social media thing made most a slave for likes and following. Nako naman ang layo na sa borrowing of phone and laptop pero ramdam mo ko?

6. Borrowing shoes, or any article of clothing - siblings are always guilty with this one. They usually borrow clothes/shoes from their bro or sis without permission. While this is okay for some, some are very picky with their clothes. If your feet smell, or your ua smells  - skip from borrowing things - just wear your own clothes/shoes. I got other kwento her but .... i'm tired.

7. Borrowing oil, patis, soysauce, vinegar or anything in the pantry - ask first if they will need it for their food. Grabe ka naman if you borrow all the garlic and ang plan pala nila lutuin ay Adobo.

8. Borrowing name for loan - or co borrowing is a NO NO. You should never ever ask someone to co borrow for you, nor let anyone make you a co borrower. Why? Watch K-dramas na lang baka dun makita mo why most people got bankrupt or remain poor even when they are really working hard to earn. If religious naman, look up Proverbs 11:15.

9. Borrowing for Business, for investment, for something that will yield in return - way back my rule here is to invest only your excess. But I learned in financial economics class that a negative cash flow can yield positive when used in business the right way. So borrowing for business is not really bad. But borrowing without studying the business itself is a huge risk. If you just want to join your friends who are already earning, e.g. crypto, pyramid, nft, this can lead to a big problem. Banks and loan sharks have high interest rates, surcharges and penalties once you missed payments. So be very very careful. 

10. Borrowing money - pay back as soon as possible. ASAP doesnt mean paying after your leisure trip to Batanes or wherever. Pay even if you really really want to have that IPhone 14 because all of your friends have it. Pay even if it means you need to work double. Pay even if it has been years since you borrowed the money. Put some interest if possible because if he didnt lend it to you, it would have earned an interest at least. Pay in installment if paying it whole is too hard. Pay even if the lender doesnt seem to need it now, because that's not how it should be. Just Pay.

2023

 It's April already. How can I describe the first quarter of the year... hmmm let me think.

Me and Alvin went out on an end of December to close the year with a date. Vista Tala is beautiful, but like all of the places we've been, we always survey it first before taking our family especially Thea. While it is a nice place to go, surrounded by nature, colder and a pool with mountain view, we can't take the family there because the parking is a bit far from the lodging. The walkway's slope is steep for Nanay's aching knees, plus the stairs to reach the rooms would cause additional burden. So it is an X for the family but it would be good for dates. 

January came and I still don't have my word for the year. I looked into all my previous words - excel, blessing, strong, more, but I couldn't come up with an appropriate word. Until the plan for the cafe didn't push through, I then decided that the most appropriate word for me this year would be TRUST from Proverbs 3:5-6 

And like a test, everyone started getting sick - I had a flu, Euan and Leb had it too then Ate followed.  For some, January was too long but mine was short. February was a challenge because Alvin got the bug albeit not serious some other issues arose. Several visits to doctors and they still can't figure out what's wrong - after all the tests and scans what worked were (just) vitamin B12 and thydin  (saging pa more) :D Going to doctors is a must, but we really need to go to the right doctor so we would get well and diagnosed correctly. The last doctor is good albeit mataray and konting sungit but we were grateful to have met her. 

Also it was Feb when everyone got stomach flu, una muna si Caleb, tapos si Ate then si Euan na! When it was Euan's turn tuloy tuloy suka and nanghina na sya so we needed to rush him to the hospital, they inserted an IV to replenish lost fluids. It was super super heartbreaking to see him crying while nurses inserted the needle, grabe saksak puso yun ang sakit sakit para sa mommy heart ko. I even doubted myself kasi baka di naman need tapos hinayaan ko magka trauma anak ko. The doctor said he needed that because madaming nawalang fluid, his lips were still cracked and dry. While there, I felt my stomach churn too, Alvin felt it too. Haaay so everyone got it and we suspected the water and the broken sink pipes, and the food that we ate, lahat na. (The only one who didnt get stomach flu was our kasambahay Ate Tess, who had severe toothache a week before and was on antibiotics when all this happened ). After the hospication, we only drank distilled water, changed the sink pipes and cleaned everything. After 2 weeks we were back to drinking purified water (delivered by the gallon) and we're all good. Hooray for Maxicare and Erceflora.

It was also Feb when Nanay Dolores got ER'd for hypertension and Kuya ped got hospitalised for 2 weeks due to appendicitis. Kung meron suntok everytime may ma-oospital sa amin baka knock out na si Alvin. With God's help and all the prayers from loved ones and friends we were able to survive the chaos of February and face March anticipating blessings and joy!

March was like RESET. We really pleaded for deliverance and that God to finally release us and let us rest and enjoy the summer. Guess what? March is like unwrapping a gift, so many good and fun things transpired, He gave us time to enjoy nature, time to bond as a family, time to relax. Time - a very valuable thing we possess, once given to someone you cannot take it back. It is a rare commodity that many people neglect and just use it on non essential things and then calling them self love. (Self love is not wrong but too much self love is.)

here's what happened last march

• Subic Funtastic Park - a 3D park  http://funtasticpark.com/ it felt like an exclusive trip wala kami kasama sa loob :D 
• Subic Blue Turtle Cove - the two young boys got to enjoy the sand albeit medyo malansa daw sabi ni Alvin, me and the boys still enjoyed our time
• 3.14 we got Terry Pi Picache aka Vera 
• The Manor for 2D1N
• Zero Meralco bill
• Early April was our family day at Happy Place Vacation Home at Angeles City - happy memories were made    

(Will try to load the videos here but for now narrative muna :)

Thank you dear Lord for the good and the not so good things that happened. Help us to always trust in Your plans and ways. 

Train Up A Child

Proverbs 22:6 "Train Up A Child in the way he should go, so when he is old he will not depart from it" 

Reciting it now that I have 3 kids feels different. It felt heavy, hmmm not easy... yes difficult but doable. 

How can I raise someone without breaking them? How do I show them the way? How do you make them feel loved while you discipline them? How do you teach them to value the things that they have, to appreciate and acknowledge that they are indeed blessed. How do you make their childhood memorable without spoiling them rotten. How do you raise and tell a child with autism that she is loved? 

What is the formula in raising an intelligent, sharp, honest - brutally honest, loving child? What is the gauge in giving them time, do you give them all your time, do you need to stay away from them sometime, do you need to play spy mama and look at their messenger if there are weird people trying to corrupt them? 

 

WHen should you get involve when they are hurt? When do you pick them up when they stumble? WHen is the right time to let go? 

Heavy heavy heavy are the tasks of a parent. Yet here I am loving this awesome phase in my life and my pay are tiny hands holding mine, sweet kisses, and hugs. HEaring them laugh makes my heart giddy. It's time to go down now and serve my champorado to my son who need to be at school albeit online by 7:50. 

Leaving you with these school pics of them.

happy morning everyone xoxo

Almost half year

How fast was 2022? Parang lightning lang ah. after the slow down 2020 and recovery 2021, 2022 zoomed in and it was June already!!!

 Alvin turned 43 this year :) Lunch at Misto was superb, pricey pero sarap naman. Uulitin ba? Maybe pag special occassions haha, pero yung "tara misto tayo" levels, no no no! 

 March 8 also was the first dose of vaccine for Thea and Caleb. We were blessed to come at the time when kind staff were manning the booth, the doctor, a staff, and the nurse all went to the car to check on ate's BP and inject the vaccine. After that I asked if Caleb can also be given, at first only Malolennos are allowed. So I tried asking, got rejected, so I asked again, rejected again, during q&a for thea's vaccine I told them it would be better to have Caleb vaccinated too so he could tell us if it's aching, that way we can give him medicine and thea as well. After much asking, pakiusap to the max, the head of the team came and the nurse told him about my request and he granted it. Lesson to learn here is to just keep on asking, nakakahiya na minsan pero sige ask lang ng ask kung para sa mga bata go lang at mag request. Walang ibang mag champion para sa kanila kundi ikaw lang na nanay nila. Remember this nyemnyem when they get old and they desperately need something. Besides, right naman ng mga bata to be vaccinated, they are actually mandated by the government to vaccinate everyone. 

 We had the best Mango harvest this year. It was soo good, Teacher Don's mom asked him where he bought it. Tatay said it tastes like the one they use for prime dried mangoes. The masseuse asked if they can buy 2 kg. Maintenance team of the village kept asking for it, we did gave them some pero nung paubos na sabi ko yung indian mango na lang kuhanin hahaha. So we have indian mango, apple mango and pico - pico for the win!!! 

 We had an anay situation at the house so the ceiling were replaced and a lot of renovations were done. The Master's bathroom were fixed too, yey for bath tubs!!! 

 Euan has grown a lot, he drives us all happily crazy over him. Mimics a lot, so we are super careful about how we talk lest he says it too. He knows animal sounds, sings a lot of nursery rhymes, knows body parts, knows (acts) feelings, likes his books - Eric Carle for the win but his current fave is Guess How much I Love you. One lunchtime after praying we are about to eat, Euan cupped his hands again and murmured "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart", kala nya prayer yun :D Turning 2 in 3 weeks time and this mama hasnt prepared anything yet. okay got to go haha 

 Last May we went to Taal Vista, how I wish I can just paste the pictures here easily without having to go to several apps. Hopefully I can find some time to add those pictures here. So help me… :) It should have been a JUNK date but lo we cant leave Euan so we took him with us, even bought a car seat (yeah kakabili lang namin) for this trip. Nagsuka sya sa skyway, paikot ikot naman kasi dun, pauwi nagsuka din!!! First time ko maexperience sa mga bata ang nagsusuka, Thea and Caleb loves travelling and car sickness was never a problem. Both ate and kuya rode airplane before they turned 2. This little pandemic baby get sick in a car going to Tagaytay!!! Hala sya!!! I bought the rooms with a voucher, the voucher pala is forest view which is street view -hindi masaya!!! So we asked for an upgrade for 1.5k and we were transferred to Taal View!! Ang saya makita ang taal from your room, di makikipagunahan sa upuan sa restaurants to see the volcano. It was a fun getaway for me and a very nice experience for Euan who was able to see the light show at Sky Ranch (he thinks they were fireworks), actually that's just the ferris wheel but he was super fascinated with it! 

 Also last May the Mariano peeps went to Zambales for Nanay's birthday. It was a fun fun bonding with the sibs, parents, nephews and nieces save for the malumot and makati na beach floor hahaha. Alvin got traumatized kasi super slimey. Everyone enjoyed the time together so kebs na sa slimey floor :D 

 June 8, caleb moved up from grade 3 and is now ready for grade 4. He got a distinction, conduct/behavior award, and music, etc smart. Thea finished her modules and ready na for submission. Aru, kadami ng module nya!!! kakaloka. Teacher don started going back for ABA sessions starting December. 2x a week 2 hours each. Mahalia pero kailangan eh, so there. ALvin got promoted at work this May. I still am the CFO of the Regalado household :D There's still tons of stories to tell but not much time to spare. Euan is calling and food needs to be prepared. 

 How's your half year 2022?

Btw, There are times na I think I lost myself in the midst of being a mom, wife, daughter, sibling. Being a SAHM aint easy I tell you. Yes I have extra cash from my BIR clients to buy myself some stuff but it still feels not enough. Especially when I look at my husband sleeping late nights for meetings and waking up early again for meetings, I wish I can do more, I wish I can contribute more. WHen I see my parents and I want to give them something, I always hope I can give them better things. I wish I can give them more of my time. But I am in this Mama with 1year old kid season and balancing act is insanely difficult. That's why I am thankful for my husband who assures me that what I am doing is enough, my parents who doesnt ask for more and they even lovingly give me and my children gifts, my siblings who support and help me. 

I hope you had a great half and will have an even greater half of 2022. I pray that you have your constant person beside you, not the lulubog lilitaw kind of friends. I hope that you can be a constant person to others too, someone who builds other up.

live, love, laugh

xoxo,

nyemnyem

2021

MORE 

This was supposed to be my word for the year. We had our yearly meeting at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Vertis North where we talked and scribbled our plans for the year. More tahi, more clients, more time with family, more time to pray and read the bible etc. 

3 months past and I couldnt feel that MORE is appropriate for us this year, for me it just dont fit. Then just today this word came and somehow I think it suits us just right.

SURRENDER

We live in a very uncertain time. COVID cases has reached to 7,999 in a day. There are 6 cases inside the subdivision. You don't know who's infected and who is safe. No one can claim he is safe. NO ONE IS SAFE!

Looking at 2021 yes we still need to do lots of the plans that we wrote down but this uncertainties limits our movement. Because of these, I felt this word fits us better.

To surrender means to cease resistance, to submit to authority. 

To surrender means to let go of your inhibitions and to open your heart.

To surrender means to acknowledge him in all our plans.

To surrender doesnt mean to live life meaninglessly or aimlessly. 

To surrender means giving it your all - trusting the one who gave you life that all these will work out for good. 

PS I attached a video I made. It has verses on it. Yes it is pretty fast. I made it that way so you wont choose. You just let chances to choose one for you. Get ready to SCREENSHOT, hopefully the one you landed on may mean something for you and encourage you. 

Euan's Day July 13 2020

 

July 10 Friday night I was tossing And turning on the bed my tummy couldn’t seem to know which position is ok. Sleeping was really hard to do. 

July 11 I started drinking primrose every after meal start of my 38th week I was hoping to give birth on that day but alas baby’s not ready 

July 12 Sunday. 5pm early contractions were felt so i had my dinner early and took a bath just in case it’s time. 7pm I started tracking contractions thru an app Intervals are still long as in more than 10 min and duration was short. I went up already to pack things again just in case. 

8pm i prepped Caleb, he was really hesitant because it’s nighttime and he wont have company. 9pm when contractions are 5 minutes apart i texted OB. 

10pm we went to graman 11pm graman for rapid test me and Alvin Contractions are getting longer and more painful no pain meds were given just yet until negative result of covid (this ia brutal! Why wait? Magbabayad naman kami. Help muna!) 

11:30 negative sa covid and was admitted. Went up to room 202 Inside the room I was IE'd and I was 7cm dilated. They wheeled me to the operating/delivery room around 12:30 - pain was stronger like a lot lot stronger.

The doctors haven’t arrived yet I was told not to push. When the team arrived Euan was ready. PAIN like no other especially while he was crowning. Baby was out 1:45am July 13, 2020 Monday. 

He’s big - 3.77kg big! He cried sooo loud his dad heard him from outside the DR! They took him to bathe and pedia wants to monitor his sugar level because he is a big so he stayed at the nursery for an hour or two. 

Wait there’s more... Usually after that OB will do episiotomy and mommy is out of the room. But this time I need to stay for another procedure- tubal ligation. The anesthesiologists arrived with her kit and explained what will happen albeit groggy na ko. Numb from waist down, the whole team took charge again of my body and started the ligation. I dozed off a bit and when I woke up I can even hear them chatting about a movie “Through Night and Day” and made mental note to watch it with Alvin coz I already downloaded it from Netflix in preparation for this delivery (thought labor would be loong and kala ko tolerable pain na kayang manood oh well yabang lang). I know they were stitching but I couldnt feel a thing. I was wheeled back to our room around 2am. Baby is still in the nursery  the nurse said they will feed him first (formula I know but I couldnt argue anymore I'm groggy) before taking to the room. Apparently when baby is heavy they still to check if blood sugar is normal. I still couldn’t feel my legs and was sleepy so it was actually a relief that the nurses were looking at Euan while me and alvin rest for a bit. CHILLS! I had them when I had my lap chole so I kinda knew it was because of my anesthesia. Alvin embraced me and covered me with blankets. Past 2 pregnancies - no catheter, now I have one down there plus an IV on my arm which means very very limited movement. When anesthesia wore off I felt pain not down there but on my sides. Turns out I am not prepared for ligation pain. So this is how it feels, I messaged my family and close friends and told them why they didn’t tell me it was going to be that painful. I couldn’t get out of bed because it pains to move. Couldn’t even turn because the pain was inside. Feels like some parts bumps into each other when I turn and pain shoots up every time. I try to move albeit painful just so I won’t get back sores (not enough though kasi fast forward I still had back sores). When the baby was roomed in, his dad wore his Super man cape and went on reserve battery mode - No dinner no sleep. He fed Euan, burped him, cleaned the bottles (brought only 2pcs because I’m prepped to feed my baby), changed diapers, ran errands, paid bills, fed me and so many other things. 

No other people, no visitation and only 1 family is allowed inside, if we were to get more help they need to undergo covid test too. It was only him from Sunday night till Tuesday afternoon. I wanted to help him badly so I tried to stand up Monday afternoon, well I was able to stand mga 5 seconds then I sat again and eventually went back to lying position due to nausea. He told me to just try the next day and continued doing all the tasks alone. Next day, pain was still there but no more IV and catheter. I was also told to move more. I was so scared of moving coz my sides hurt a lot but I knew I needed to move. Around 10am I was able to stand up and sat at the sofa to feed Euan. Billing came before lunch time and we knew we can go home that day after the doctor’s visit. But our doctor couldn’t make the rounds for that day and we were just given prescription online (part of new norms) and we went home by 4pm. 

Paulo the designated driver of the van fetched us with Caleb and Thea, and Nanay D to welcome Euan! Kuya Caleb was super duper excited to see the baby he had prayed for. 

Dear Euan, 

You came as a surprise and we were all happy and excited to finally see you. You were a figure of hope for all of us during this pandemic lockdown and quarantine phase. You were born during a scary time but your presence just made our lives brighter. We thank Jesus for your life. We celebrate each day with you. You are 8 months now and how big you've grown. We promise to take care of you, to guide and love you. To hold you when you need to and let go when you are ready. 

Euan, I love you forever and always.

Mama

2020 A very special year!

My 2020 WORD For the Year is BLESSINGS! Who would have thought God would literally bless us with an incredible gift this year! We are expecting. I was on the ultrasound room for my whole abdomen UTZ because my tummy is acting up again, I really thought something is wrong 'again' with my digestive system. The sonologist told me we're gonna have a baby and I was like "huwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaat????" Seriously, I asked him to check it again! He might be mistaken, I was confident he was! But lo, I really was preggo and mind you am on my 3rd month, the abdominal pain I was complaining has not been due to any stone or digestive organ but my reporductive organ at work.

Why was I confident I am not pregnant? I had my injectables on AUgust and November last 2019. Studies show that they have 98% accuracy, that means we are within the 2%! So there guys, we are expecting a baby BOY! We had a gender reveal because our Kuya Caleb, the most excited kuya ever, wanted us to bring home a balloon placed inside a box so he would know the gender when he opens it. Btw, he was the one who prayed for it, he wanted to be a kuya and he wanted to have a baby brother. To our bunso, thank Kuya Caleb ha. He was super duper excited to see and play with you. You are a gift, you are the ultimate 2020 Blessing!

Come March, Philippines went under MECQ because of the Coronavirus Pandemic. It affects the person's respiratory system and this virus can be transferred even when the carrier is asymptomatic. Google it and you'll see how scary and this virus affected most of us and even the world. Here in Pinas a month long community quaratine was ordered by the President last March 15 and should have had ended APril 14, but because the cases kept rising they decided to extend it until APril 30, they extended it again till May 15 and the latest was till May 31st. Another extension will make the economy suffer terribly that's why I dont think there'd be another Enhanced COmmuntiy Quarantine, but there will still be quarantines all over the country until a vaccine is available.

You can all google what happened to earth, to Asia, to our economy, to the Philippines, to Bulacan (google GOvernor Fernando Subic ECQ) but there'd be no feed about the REgalado household during the quarantine. Check my FB post re quarantine. I was active for a month posting some pics of us doing homeschool, baking, cooking and arts but when our kasambahay left (her child got sick) I couldnt update it any longer. I was pretty tired with all the house work cleaning,washing dishes, washing clothes, folding clothes, cooking, everything! I am 8 months pregnant right now, tomorrow I will be able to go out for the first time and go to Malolos for my check up, the last one was February and I'm giving birth in a few weeks I really need to see my OB. (will try to tell more about it ECQ at Regalado household next time)


Shoppee is life since I couldnt go out to buy things for the baby I just ordered most of them online. It would have been more fun going and looking at those baby things before buying them but oh well this will suffice.Today I washed some of it, felt so praning I might give birth anytime I need to pack my go bags asap.

Our baby will be named Baby E_ _ _! Kid 1 name is ALthea Kid 2 is VINce siguro naman pwede na ako naman sa 3rd. Promise di naman Emmanuel :D basta E ang umpisa.

We celebrated our 12th anniversary last May 18, over sugpo, cake ( I ordered from Jen) and grape juice (no wine for this mama). The sugpo was the bomb hangsarap :D Will definitely add that to my go to recipe for special occassions.

Till next time, it's 8:40 and it's bedtime in our little home. Keep safe everyone.

2019

Oh and just like that it's already December 2019. 3 weeks shy before 2020 arrives.

My 2019 Word for the Year is Connect! And this year, I've done many connections and reconnections. We were back at our home church at Gatbuca Calumpit after years of growing at CCF. We still love the church but we figured it's high time to go back  and reconnect to our home church plus Caleb is more at ease at the Sunday School here because the classmates were constant and well most of them were relatives or a friend of a friend and everyone  (almost) calls me Tita Em. We also started attending the LifeClass and connected to new and old churchmates in the YMO class.

This year, Me and Alvin turned 40! Fairmont it is for his birthday but just the two of us because he was super stressed those times when his visa to UK hasn't arrived yet. And he just wanted to destress for a little while and spend some time alone with me too. After the staycation, we had a boodle fight here in the house using his new white table (that we stained with soy sauce!!!). Days after his birthday, his Visa came. Just in time for his London trip :) It was like the Lord was telling him that He the Lord is in control. To not to worry. That this 40th year, Alvin needs to know who is in control. Months past after his 40th and the same lesson keeps on resurfacing. I am thankful that my husband knows who holds his hand and I hope he knows too that I am always here to pray and support him however tough the situations may be.

I welcomed my 40th year at Hotel Kimberly, Tagaytay. It was a sweet hotel, with a cool playground,  super cold swimming pools, there were ponies, peacock, ducks, rabbits too. I was with the whold fam with Nanay Dolores. When we arrive home I had a surprise dinner with the Mariano's at Shakeys, there was a video presentation with my closest friends and family. I felt different being 40, I think it is a age when life gives you more responsibilities yet less time. It is a time also that you choose to do less of the not so important things to focus on the things that really matter. Before I turned 40, I had been struggling because I find myself with too many lost opportunities. Being a CPA, I thought maybe at age 40 I will be like an officer of a company or I will own a business - a big one or someone who can influence many or just someone who gets a big pay check. But you see I may not be an officer of a company but I am the COO of our household, I may not yet own a big business but I am starting one and by God's grace one day it will be big and it will be a blessing to many, I may not get my own big pay check but I can always get my husbands atm hahaha. If my 20year old self will see me now, I think she'll tell me this is really really different than what she thought it would be but she will look forward to adulting and becoming me because it was 20 years well spent with loads of love, of laughter and of life. Life with not just great things but with challenges here and there. I thank God, He has brought me this far. My younger self wouldnt have thought she is this tough. So yeah, cheers to more years of blessings and love. 

This year, we transferred Thea to a public school. At first, it was challenging to make her come to school but now when we tell her we are going to Teacher she gets up and go. She's now back at Habilities taking OT twice a week. We still have ABA 4 hours a week. Thea now can do laundry, fold clothes, fix the bed and fold the blankets,  fix the table. She likes the color gray, she likes her 3/4 PJ's, loves ferrero, likes baking cookies, still loves paint and painting herself.  Dear Thea, Mommy loves you a lot. I will always be here for you. I will look forward to that day that we will talk about anything we like and love and hate :D 

Caleb turned 7 this year! We had a fun fun pool party with some friends and family, those who went are with kids that Caleb knows. The bubble show made it extra fun! Dear Caleb, oh how you've grown. Almost all your teeth are permanent, you weigh like 30ish kg and that's big! You still think Mama is the most beautiful girl of all, I showed you picture of Bella Padilla and Bea Alonzo I said they were beautiful and you said you're more prettier! My mama heart melted! Yesterday, we were eating m&m's and you said you don't want to eat anymore, you said so because you think I want some more :) You still need to learn a lot of things but I know in my heart you are a good good boy with a very kind heart. 

Few days to go before Christmas! I still need to finish my Sunlife validation, my BIR requirements, wrapping gifts and buying some more, organizing family and friends get together. Hoping I won't get too bombarded with all the busy-ness of this season. I pray that we can all find time to reflect why Christmas came about. The sacrifice and the love. Been reading one chapter a day of the book of Luke. It has 24 chapters. That way when I get to Christmas day, I know very well who this Christ we are celebrating. 

I don't know if I'll be able to write again, let me greet you in advance "Merry Chirstmas and Happy New Year!"

Next year's Word is Blessing! Looking forward to more blesings from above and being a blessing to many more! Cheers!

Pasalubong from Melbourne Australia

It has been a while I know!

Blogger notified me and asked if I am still interested ( to receive notifications on comments that is) and well, yes I am still very much!

So why ‘Pasalubong from Melbourne”? Just because the hubby is in Australia and I was doing a little research here and there to find out which ones I will ask him to buy for us here in Pinas.

So TimTams and Lindt tops the ‘pabili’ chocolate category! Cadbury not so much but I heard there were other flavors of Cadbury in Aus that were to die for! I asked him to take photos at the grocery and there were dark milk with sea salt Cadbury! Only problem was they all come in big sizes! Wala ba yung mini katulad ng andito sa supermarket pang tingi tingi?

Lucas Papaw is a popular pasalubong too. Well for Nawies at least! Alvin didnt see the Lucas Papaw brand but saw the ‘Real Papaw’ which is I think and hope will work just the same. He was able to buy them at $20 for 6! Papaw ointment are ok for dry lips, cuts and bruises. Havent tried but I might (might ha) update and tell you if it does work end of this month. Manuka honey is also mentioned by one of my friends but best daw to buy from NZ.

You cannot bring home Kangaroo or Koala! But you can bring home Kangaroo jerky from Woolworth!   You can alao buy those  cute koala stuffed toys they sell maybe in the airport shops (my husband would definitely not buy them). Oh by the way beacuse if those little stuffed koala things I always thought that koalas are small creatures parang tarsiers ganun but lo they are not that little pala.

So malls there closes at 8pm!. Hopefully by Saturday he would be able to go to the mall! Good thing the grocery closes a little late at least he can still buy food!

I was trying to upload photos keeps failing :(
We have two wall clocka here in the bedroom one PH and one Aus!

That would be it for now.

- gorgeous moi

Children's Birthday Celebration 2015

It was our princess' 7th birthday and the little prince's 3rd. 

Posting pics Lang just so you could celebrate with us even in pictures.

Puerto Princesa palAwan

Piso sale is heart. Last November 2014 I was able to book this trip for less than 3k, return trip for two! Initially the sched would have been 4am but it was rescheduled to 8am they emailed me around May this year. CebuPac said we can cancel the booking and they will just credit my deposit but duh why cancel  sayang nemen and I booked the hotel already and we are all set and I am excited already. It has been a while since I last travelled so 4 hours is not a big issue besides mahirap lumuwas ng 2am!!!

PP is heart! Let the pictures do the talking. It's kinda late and we don't have yaya (again). We are okay. The kids are fine without one and I uhmmm I just need to schedule chores. While I love being hands-on mom, I really don't like washing dishes but I don't like seeing them by the sink the whole day. Oh well, let's go back to Puerto Princesa :)

We checked in at Microtel Wyndham at 10am and they allowed us a room right away! Cheers to early check-in and accomodating hotel staff. 11am we are bound to the wharf for some Island hoping.

Honda Bay. I bought that red suit night before our trip. Buti naka sale 80% off. Haha off season sale are the best! Luli beach is the best - lulubog lilitaw, serious that's where the name came from. Starfish island next, well madami daw starfish haha. Last stop where we had lunch (at last!!!) was Pandan beach. Boat ride was 1300 for 4 hours, tipid pa kasi may isang sumabay sa amin. Group tour would be cheaper but I like how ours went. Relax lang!

Microtel's beach, it was a low low tide. We went swimming at the pool instead.

City tour was fun too. Butterfly and tribal village was nice, yes there were butterflies but that's just meh, the fun part was the tribal village tour - the Palaw-ans showcased their native craft, skills, music and weapon - blowgun for the win!!!

Save for the tummy ache after eating at Max's hahaha, okay don't shoot me ha we ate at Pandan naman ng seafood okay na yun, NOT, di nagustuhan ng tyan ko yung tofu ng Max hahaha.

To my date, thanks you for taking me out :) Next year ulit? Will bring nicer camera next time ha? Didnt realize the sony pics will get pixelized na, outdated na pala sya hahaha. good thing my iphone camera is really nice wahaha!!! Okay naman yang samsung camera sana eh kaso di naman nagagamit so waley :p But really I had a fun fun alone time with you. <3 p="">

36

IWill just post pictures because I need to sleep. Tomorrow's a travel day and we need to wake up early. So here's our pictures 

 

We ate first hehe the kids are still playing outside

Their turn. Simon  is missing hehe he went with the praise team to watch a concert. They rented the van!!! More rentals please :)

At the rightmost us Ninang tito khyl's tita who lives with them.

Charade after! Techie version.

Wahaha not looking pa nakuha kong pic ni Leb! Can u see the balloons sa likod ni paolo? They gave it to me. This is 31st na pala ha. Morning before me and Alvin went out for a date at ---

Where we

Sang our hearts out!!! 

Lunch was fridays whwre i got free ice cream then we went to redbox then coffee before headingg home. They gave me cake nemen charap!!!

Thank you Lord for gifting me with a loving family and a superb husband. Please guide us tomorrow as we make new memories together.

Bedtime Song lyrics- Winnie the Pooh

Caleb loves the new Winnie the Pooh series and loves the song but  with its english accent I can hardly get what he's saying at the chorus. Well I get the toothbrush, PJ's, and hug and kiss la la la but I can't get what he saying at the chorus? Was it candy? Why would he say candy when they are about to sleep? So I searched for lyrics and alas he was saying Snug as a bear can be :)

Let's sing the song okay?

Bedtime Song – Winnie the Pooh

(lyrics)

Now the day is nearly through

It’s time for sleepy heads

But there’s something we should do

Before we go to bed

First we get our PJ’s on

The one that feels just right

Then we’re going to brush our teeth

All sparkly and white

Pick our favorite story book

And tuck our toys in tight

Don’t forget that hug and kiss

Then turn out the light

Snug as a bear can be

Dreaming in a honey tree

Snug as a bear, yeah, yeah

Snug as a bear can be

Oh bother, think… think… think…

Let’s go for our bedtime list this time

Get PJ’s on?  YES!

Brush our teeth? YES!

Read our storybook? YES

Our toys tuck in? YES

What did we miss?

Oh yes!

That hug and a kiss!

Snug as a bear can be

Dreaming in a honey tree

Snug as a bear, yeah, yeah

Snug as a bear can be

The new Tales of Friendship with Winnie the Pooh series is narrated by Robert Webb. He's English alright and that's something new considering all previous Winnie the Pooh's were American, when the author of the tales really was an Englishman :) Why do I know all this? Err here's one of the link about him dailymail. Just click the link alright :)

La union Baguio getaway in a Day!

It's may 17 a day before our anniv and we are headed to La Union for some grape picking and surfing experience.

Left house at 5:30, the sun is up early today, we enjoyed the view going north - love love layback life!

Passed by brgy asan and brgy nagtagaan. Funny names eh?!

Stop over at jolibee agoo just 15km++ away from the grape farm.

If u pass aringay town malapit ka na. You need to find barangay urayong just before the Welcome to Bauang arc. the road going to gapuz farm is on the left side and there was no sign when we went there. Pic below, you see the man in the orange shirt on his left is the road to the farm, it's a narrow road ha.

Gapuz Grape farm 250/kl if you pick it yourself but cheaper if you just buy them. Oh well, why would you go up north and not experience the thrill of picking your own bunch of grapes right?

We went home with half a kilo of grapes!!! Aint that awesome? Pwede naman pala kalahating kilo lang and for 125 we were able to pick grapes!!!

Grape picking check 🍇

Next on the list is lunch at Thunderbird Resort. Took us almost 30 minutes to get there just to find out that the place is fully booked and was closed for checked in clients only - we can't even go near the santorini like structures --- hmmm maybe there's an event that day. Good thing the lighthouse is outside the resort so we headed straight there for some photo op, actually ako lang nag photo op!!!

Thunderbird got crossed out of the list and next thing to do is surfing! Off to san juan we head but we also need to eat lunch muna.

We went to san juan surf school resort and a scorching sun welcomed us. The heat was unbearable and while we want to experience surfing our tummy won and we opted to have lunch at the resort's resto.

Hubby then ask if I am game to take  Naguillan road to ...Baguio!!! Who wouldn't like to go to Baguio. I said yes ofcourse :)

What did we do in Baguio? Drink hot choco, walked around and relax. 

Around 4pm we are bound home! That's over 200km drive again to our place. Good thing both our love language is quality time and we both love long drives but I wouldnt have thought the long drive would lead us to La Union and Baguio and back in one day.

"I had a really great time. We talked about the things we would have changed  in our wedding - food, avr, ring, gown - all those are just things to change and we can very well improve next time we renew our vows :) but one thing is certain, there's no changing the man I would want to marry."

Year year year year year year year!!!

Love those happy years with you.

Ephesians 6:1

Children, Obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

I’ve struggled with obeying my parents yesterday. I got so many errands to do, have to accompany hubby in the project he’s currently doing the whole morning and I got to go and pay her Meralco bill and she also requested me to go to the doctor’s clinic to ask about Tatay’s  condition and ask for a medical certificate. 

I was able to pay the Meralco bill with a help of a friend. But I almost gave up and did not go to the hospital because there wasn’t enough time to do it, well so I thought.  It was almost 12pm and hubby needs to go to the office to make it on time, time in is 2pm. My human brain calculated (the accountant in me rules), the time going to the clinic, the waiting time, the travel time going back at the house, and I figured we wont make it.

I told my husband it doesn’t seem possible. I already called the clinic but the phone is not ringing. I felt like Ive already done my part.  I wanted to call Mom and tell her to go to the clinic herself and ask the doctor maybe they’ll be more accommodating to her since -- she’s well a senior citizen already and she might be able to bypass the line in the doctor’s clinic. I however was still calculating and I knew we do not have enough time to line up. Hubby suggested we go to the clinic first and see if we could ask the doctor but if it will require so much time then we would go there next time. I bit my tongue, I was hoping he was correct but I knew ( with my calculator mind ) it will take a while. So we went to the hospital where the doc holds clinic.

I was told to hurry so I did. I ran to the elevator, and waiting for the lift to open feels like hours, so I went inside and pressed 4 where the clinic is. When finally the door opened I rushed outside, then I saw a familiar face, heard that familiar voice. Doc Glenn Gatchalian was talking to a woman and he was about to hop inside the elevator. I rushed right in the lift and called DOC GLENNN!!! I caught his attention alright J

I told him my Tatay’s situation, his urine is still reddish and they don’t know if they should continue his meds and that they are anxious already. He told me to continue the meds until the next hospital visit and drink lots of water. He said Tatay should be restricted and be on bed rest they had to be very careful because the operated part needs healing. The certificate, I still need to know what kind to cert Tatay needs but the urgent thing really was the medicine so I thanked him for his time. And run to our car where my husband waits. I sooo thank God for a supportive husband :)

The time I spent inside the hospital was less than 10 minutes and waaaay waaaaay less than the amount of time I calculated. In God all things are possible. He allowed me to see his greatness in that situation. He is in control. He holds the time. He sets everything in place. Had I said my piece and told my husband that it wouldn’t do good to even try going to the clinic I would have missed having experience His greatness. Submitting is still a long way for me but I thank God that he allows little things like this to remind me of his promises.

Obeying our parents can sometimes seem hard, okay okay that’s often hard. But the verse said we must obey our parents for this is the right thing to do. This will always remind me to look at it in a different way, na if God wants me to obey my parents He will surely make things possible for me to do their request.

Tomorrow, is my dad’s birthday.  No party for him even if he will turn 70. The doctor said he needs rest – bedrest even. But that doesn’t mean we will not celebrate God’s goodness in our Tatay’s life. We are thankful for the successful operation, for the doctors who treated him, for the finances He provided for the not so cheap hospital and doctors fees and for the love of all the people who prayed with us.

Lastly, let's be reminded of this verse. Got to look sideways nga lang because I dont have time to fix the video :)