Hello 2012!

And I’m back. I know I’ve been out of the loop for a few months now and have pending stories to share. Seven days into the new year, I’m still trying to get a grip of the fact that it’s 2012 already.

Allow me to walk down the 2011 nostalgia lane for a bit…

It was pretty much a bittersweet year. We lost our uncle and grandfather in barely 9 months apart. I think about them every now and then — how our 2010 Christmas was especially fun, not knowing it would be the last we’d have with them; how all too sudden both their passing were; and how I wish they’d be able to meet our little one. I know Tito and Tatay are all smiles as they watch us from their happy place, so I try to remember only all the good and happy times.

In June we learned that our birthday wish was granted — we’re having our first baby! As of this writing, I’m exactly 36 weeks and 2 days, which means in less than a week I’ll be reaching full-term. Which means I’ve about 3 weeks until my due date, February 2. Which means sleepless nights are on the horizon. We have this wish that the little munchkin will choose to come out after January 23, which is Chinese New Year, so that she’ll be a Dragon baby. But of course, we pray that she’d be safe and healthy whenever she chooses to make her grand hello to the world.

My sister came home from Canada after two years. My mom had the chance to go to Norway again (but the vacation was cut short because of Tatay’s passing). Our house underwent renovation. Hubby and I moved to a new room.

Blog-wise, I signed up for the postaweek2011 thing here in WordPress. And as records show, I was far from being successful at it. Haha! Still, I give myself a pat on the back for trying.

I started on a cross-stitch project last October. Thanks to my Saudi-based friend who introduced me again to the wonderful world of DMCs, Aida cloths, and careful stitch countings. It’s a pretty big project of 26″x20″ proportions, which I hope to finish in time for mom’s birthday in April but I don’t think would be possible at all. Haha! So let’s just see how far I get to finish before I give birth.

And now that 2012 has started rolling, I made a vow to take it a month at a time. I know it will speed by just as quickly as our little one will grow up (as soon as she comes out, that is). So I’m taking a deep breath, facing the year with a brand new surge of hope and eagerness, and filling my entire system with positivity that 2012 will be a more exciting yet calmer and more blessed year for us.

Cheers to you all!

 

 

techno-dependency

Why is it that at this time and age, the thought of not opening the computer (or phone or tablet) and checking one’s email, Facebook or Twitter page at least once a day seems crazy?

After having lunch today, I thought, this would be a good day for reading. When I say reading, I meant reading books off my iPad, which may kind of defeat the purpose of getting on a tech diet, but at least it’s something I don’t get to do everyday. But then I succumbed to my routine of staring at the laptop screen, switching from one tab to another on my browser, checking on my social networks every once in a while. Or watching a TV show or Googling some random idea. And even if I managed to put the laptop on rest on the table, I find myself checking my Twitter page on my iPhone instead. Alas, I’ve become so attached (even psychologically invested perhaps?) to my devices.

Well, the day isn’t over yet so I can still manage to pull away from the computer and achieve my goal of finishing a book. I just had to write down these thoughts. Have you had such days, too?

House revamp: kitchen/dining area

So it must have slipped my mind that I haven’t posted about the recent renovation that kept us all here in the house up and about for more than five months. Good thing my friend reminded me about it. (Hi Berns!)

A recap: our house (which is actually my parents’ house, where we are currently living in) has basically been untouched for around 24 years, save for some paint jobs and little repair work here and there. No big renovation has been done, that is, and the area layout has been the same in all those years.

A year after typhoon Ondoy left our house in chest-deep flood — thankfully the structure and most of our stuff are still intact — my parents decided to have it renovated for a new level to be added. It’s been a common scene here in our village after Ondoy — a lot of the homes have been sporting an additional storey, as a contingency plan to what could happen again in the future (although we all pray heaven would forbid). Initially, my parents wanted to add a whole new floor upstairs that would compose of extra two (or three) rooms, a bathroom and a family room. But they realized at some point they’d be empty nesters so it would be quite pointless, not to mention financially taxing, to make the house bigger. Especially since my sister is already living abroad, and my husband and I are also moving out as soon as we can.

And so the plan was to use the space above our garage and extend it towards the back to make it the new second floor. Downstairs, the kitchen and dining area will be reconfigured, plus a maid’s room will be in place. New roofs will also be installed because the current ones are already rusty and showing old age. We took the services of family friend and contractor, Tito Ric Unera, to handle the job.

As you know, my uncle passed away last February, so we had to push back the start of the construction by a few weeks. Work officially started in March 3, and ended around middle of August.

I’ll divide the story into several parts. Let’s start with the kitchen and dining area.

BEFORE:

This is how our dining space looked like before. To the left is the sliding doors that led to the grotto. The door in the middle of the picture led to the kitchen and the helper's sleeping area. At this point the dining set, appliances and contents of the cupboards were already moved out, to prep for the demolition.

Let the demolition commence! The old cabinets and tiled countertop were knocked down to make way for an opening to the kitchen. The plan was to make the dining area and kitchen one big open space.

The kitchen/dining walls were knocked down. We decided not to have the entire wall (on the right) torn down so it won't be through and through to the door that leads to the back of the house.

The upper level was being prepared here for the new flooring.

Cement has been poured at this point and is awaiting curing time.

On to the new kitchen/dining space as it was being constructed…

The new structure where the kitchen countertops will be are being built here. The walls also got an extra layer of plaster since the one on the left is already our perimeter wall. It gets rained at a lot and we noticed before that the paint peeled easily, probably because of all the moisture.

The new kitchen cabinets are up. The old flooring (ceramic tiles) were taken out, and another 4 inches or so were added to level it with the existing floor of the dining area. Much of the new ceiling (gypsum board was used to replace the old plyboards) is already in place and has first few coatings of paint. The door further on is the new maid's room.

Another view of the kitchen. Black granite was chosen for the countertops, and 60x30cm ceramic tiles that mimicked wood grains and are in a light color that matched the existing marble were installed on the floor. There used to be a wall with windows on the left side, and it was decided to open it up and replace with sliding windows. I actually wanted it to be kept open for ventilation but they were against it since the stairs is right next to the new counter.

The first coat of the new paint in the kitchen. We chose white textured ceramic tiles for the backsplash. Our contractor put a granite trimming so it would tie with the countertops and it won't look too white and boring.

 AFTER:

This is how the dining/kitchen area looks like now. We bought a new freestanding range (yay for me!) and a hood. We also replaced our old narra dining set with an 8-seater set in mahogany (the glass top was a recent addition). But we pretty much eat on the smaller table most of the time. LOL. The wall on the right didn't go through any revamp, so it was just given a fresh coat of paint.

The other side. A pantry was built beside the ref. There's the new sliding window I mentioned earlier. As far as many Filipino homes go, this is the "clean" kitchen. We barely use the range -- only I do when I bake -- and I think we haven't even let a single drop of water from the faucet to the sink after all the plumbing tests. Haha!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

the hamburger sign

Yes! We’re having a baby girl!

Here’s the proof of the “hamburger sign” (which honestly doesn’t look very hamburger-y to me, haha).

And so my momma instinct is off the mark, and hubby’s is so right!

I really thought that it’s a boy because of the constant kicking and moving around. The doctor said that girls are actually the ones who are more malikot. Now that I think about it, I didn’t get to ask what’s the explanation for that. Our little girl was trying to prove her right, though, because all throughout the ultrasound, she was so restless and makulit! The doctor even joked that it looks like we have a budding actress because baby was making all sorts of gestures with her hand to her face, like she’s in deep thought or she’s saying ‘stop with all the paparazzi shots!’ Haha!

I swear the sonographer has exceptional powers. What we had is the CAS (or congenital anomaly scan), which is pretty much a long, detailed ultrasound that checks and measures every body part of the baby. I remember the part wherein the doctor pointed out the baby’s kidneys, and I seriously couldn’t make out the form! There were body parts we could easily tell, like the four chambers of the heart, the spine (intact from nape to tailbone, yay!), and the limbs. As for the others, all I could say was ‘uh-huh’ like I could really distinguish them. Haha! After reviewing the prints, I therefore conclude that obstetric sonography requires really serious studying!

The important thing is we, the parents, are very relieved to know that our baby girl is healthy — all her organs are of normal size and are developing well, and her fingers and toes are complete. The doctor even pointed out her eyelashes!

Here’s the thing: I have two sisters (with me as the eldest) while hubby has an older brother. I’m the eldest grandchild in my mom’s side, and my lolo has been very vocal that he likes to have a baby boy as his first great-grandchild. I think my family is looking forward to our first baby boy, too. As for hubby’s family, he said that it would be great to have their first baby girl. Although he said it would also be an advantage if we have a boy because aside from him and kuya, they have only one cousin who’s a girl, so they need more boys to continue the family surname.

So how did our families and friends react to the baby gender news? Their reactions are priceless, and funny. From my parents’ some sort of laugh that says they’re very happy with the news but at the same time hints something like ‘oh another girl!’, to my in-laws’ giddy cheers. A friend said she lost a bet (she was so sure it’s a boy) and another friend is so happy her guess is right that she said, “I won!” (take note, both are random reactions; they didn’t bet against each other). One of hubby’s friends volunteered to help him “gear up” for my daughter’s future suitors. That is actually a pretty scary thought — both the gearing up and the future suitors.

But I know everybody is as happy and excited as we are. The aunts are particularly excited about the shopping part, because a baby girl would mean much more fun in the dressing up department. I do have one request though — not so much pinks, please. The momma rule (I’m not a fan of pink) applies to the baby as well.

Let the countdown begin. More or less 16 weeks to go until our little girl’s big arrival. Wuhooo!

RIP Steve Jobs

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma–which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”–Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech, 2005

It’s so weird. It feels like I know him, that I’m affected by his passing. Maybe it’s because for the past several years, I have become a loyal Apple fan.

In 2003, I got my first Mac — an iBook. I remember I had to convince my dad then to allow me to buy one, despite the fact that he just bought us an HP laptop around that time. I think I’ve earned a good girl badge that year because I got my wish right before Christmas time. I named my iBook “Beebop”. The HP laptop became solely my sister’s.

Less than a year later, I got a blue iPod mini, this time a gift from my aunt in London.

Since then, I’ve never looked back. Even when those ultra-mobile netbooks flooded the market. Every time I was asked why I chose to use a Mac, I had one simple answer: it never crashed. I didn’t encounter any viruses either. The Mac OS (I started out with Tiger) is simple to learn and get the hang of. I’d admit that then, part of the reason why I so wanted a Mac because it was cool to have one. Now it’s more than the cool factor, but simply it’s just how my computing life works best, with a Mac.

Our entire family uses a Mac. Well, except for my dad because his work programs don’t run on Mac OS, but he did own a black Macbook before. I would think it’s because of my persistent persuading — or maybe they just easily believed that I know what I’m luring them into. LOL.

We have an efficient hand-me-down system with our Macs. Hubby bought a black Macbook in late 2008, then less than a year later, he decided to get a Macbook Pro. Dad bought the blackBook from him. In 2009, hubby again decided to buy a newer Macbook Pro, the one in the unibody series, so he gave his old MBP to me. I brought home my iBook, which became shared property between my mom and my youngest sister. Dad realized, much to his dismay, that his office programs are Windows-based only, so he gave the blackBook to my mom. That year, my sister was about to leave for Canada, so mom gave her the blackBook. She and youngest sister shared the iBook again. Late last year, I bought a new MBP, so I gave the alum MBP to my mom. To my youngest sister’s delight, because that meant she had the iBook to herself again. Canada-based sister bought a new MBP, too, so she brought home the blackBook, which youngest sister now owns. The iBook then became the shared computer among my cousins (who live with us). A few weeks ago, hubby sold his MBP and got a newer model.

While the iBook’s charger conked out just recently, I know that as soon as we find an inexpensive replacement, it would come back to life. Not bad for an 8-year old computer at all. Whose contemporary, the HP laptop, succumbed to technological death years ago.

Then there are our iPods (except for our parents) and iPhones (not for youngest sister, anyway), too. Yes, we love Apple — the tech products and the fruit.

I learned about Steve Jobs’s passing this morning through a friend’s text to me then on Twitter, in an app I have on my iPhone. Come to think of it, it’s surreal to read the news in a device Mr. Jobs created. And I write this now using my MBP. Not to risk sounding cheesy (but I think it would anyway), but his great vision really had an impact in my life. Without these products he cleverly designed and marketed, I’d never enjoy and appreciate computers and smartphones the way I do now.

Thank you for changing my world and making it infinitely better, Mr. Jobs. You really are a genius. I believe you are now happy in apple heaven.

To celebrate your legacy, I’m officially ditching my yearning for an ebook reader and getting an iPad instead.

there’s really a human being growing inside me!

And so yesterday we went to the doctor for this month’s check-up. Everything’s looking good, from the heartbeat to the body measurements, but guess what? The little munchkin was quite shy and didn’t want to show his/her “parts” yet. There’s no little thing protruding yet, but no “hamburger sign” either (it’s what they call the two lines that confirm girl parts). Talk about keeping up the suspense!

Our detailed ultrasound is scheduled next week and our OB-gyn assured us that we’ll know the gender by then. Fingers crossed!

Our doctor was very kind enough, though, to give us a free sample of a 4d ultrasound and allow us to take pictures of the baby while he/she poses for us onscreen. We even had to coax the baby to put his/her arm aside so we can get a better view of his/her face. Here’s what our little one looks like at 23 weeks

baby: a little privacy please, I'm sleeping!

after some persuading, our baby finally showed us his/her entire face!

profile shot in 2D: doc says baby's chin definitely resembles ours, and the nose is matangos -- now from whom would he/she get that from? Haha! I say it's probably recessive gene

Today’s technology is really incredible, isn’t it? It’s amazing to see our baby’s features, not to mention catch him/her yawning and moving his/her little limbs inside my tummy, in real time! As my hubby said, one day we were just dreaming about having a baby and next thing we know, there he/she is, growing and looking more and more like a real human being. Just so awesome!

waiting game

Today’s supposed to be the day we’ll know our baby’s gender. Unfortunately, our detailed ultrasound schedule was cancelled because the doctor (not our OB-gyn but another doctor) was caught up somewhere in the Bulacan floods. I sincerely hope she’s okay, but really, it dampened our excitement more than typhoon Quiel did. What’s more, her next available schedule is on October 12. Which is sooo far away! We plan to visit Dr. Alfiler next week so I can have my check-up for my 5th month (we were supposed to see her end of this month) and we’re hopeful she can let us know by then if we’re expecting a boy or a girl. In the meantime, we have no choice but tell ourselves that patience is a virtue. Oh, this waiting game!

PS. (10/2)

I’ve been keeping tabs on people’s guesses about our baby’s gender. So far, ‘it’s a boy’ is winning.

If I listen to my momma instinct, I think it’s a boy, too. I dunno why, but somehow I’m drawn to baby boy stuff in the recent months. Hubby thinks it’s a girl because I’ve pretty much been a pleasant and emotionally-balanced pregnant person. But of course, like any other parents, we just pray that he or she will be healthy and safe. And that is all that matters.

no sitting on the stairs

Pinoys have a lot of superstitions or pamahiin, as we call them. I think some of the weirdest have to do with being pregnant and giving birth. I’m often caught off guard when an oldie throws a pamahiin at me. Here are some I’ve encountered so far:

• Don’t eat a pregnant lady’s leftovers or else you’ll get sleepy. I’ve known about this way before but it’s really freaky when people actually do it to you. My mom is a firm believer of this superstition. She refuses to eat my leftovers. If we were to share say a plate of pasta or a piece of fruit, she’d insist that she  gets her share first before giving the rest to me. If I happen to take the first few bites, she won’t eat with me anymore.
• Don’t sit on the stairs. Last weekend, my mom’s friends were in the house. I was about to sit on the stairs (which was actually just two steps) when one of her friends quickly snapped, “Naku, bawal ka umupo sa hagdan!” (“You’re not allowed to sit on the stairs!”) When I asked why, all she said was “basta” (which loosely means she may or may not know why, but you have no choice but to take her word for it). I get that it’s not a good idea to go up and down the stairs a lot since I’m actually advised to avoid staircases, but not sitting on the steps? Hmm.
• Don’t stay outdoors at night, especially when there are a lot of trees around. The reason being there may be unknown creatures lurking on the branches and in the shadows.
• Put salt / garlic / calamansi on window sills to drive off evil spirits and creatures. This is another superstition my mom adheres to. Hubby and I agreed to obey her on this one, but I haven’t gotten around to do it yet. Hubby, please remind me again about this tomorrow.
• You can’t visit the sick or go to a wake or a funeral. I have no qualms about avoiding visiting the sick for obvious reasons, especially if it requires going to the hospital. Certain events in the past have made me, hmm, allergic to going to hospitals — except, of course, for my check-ups and tests. As for going to wakes, I never thought I’d have to go to one in the course of my pregnancy, but today we received very sad news that a dear friend’s mom passed away. And the best I can do is to just stay in the car while hubby goes up to the chapel to offer our condolences to our friend and her family. It just makes me sad that I can’t even hug my friend.
• You can’t purchase a house, or at least move to a new house. I’m really not sure about the reason behind this one, but maybe it has something to do with stress? Before I got pregnant, we were intent on finding our own place and we were actually in the process of negotiating with a family friend who’s selling his house. Unfortunately, the deal didn’t work out. We also decided that it would probably be best if we hold off buying a house until I give birth to avoid any stress.
• If you’re blooming and you look like your pregnancy is breezing through, then your baby is a girl. If you look ugly or unpleasant, and your neck and armpits are turning dark, then you’re having a boy. During my last check-up, my doctor actually quipped that I might be having a girl since I looked pretty and pleasant. And she went on to say that somehow, there may be basis for the superstition, because when your baby is a girl, you share the same hormones. Unlike when you’re having a boy, your hormones somehow clash with his. But of course, she says, it’s not 100% accurate and fool-proof. This goes hand in hand with the belief that one can guess the gender of the baby based on the shape of the mother’s tummy.

Of course, there’s no harm in believing and abiding by these superstitions, even though they leave you dumbfounded most of the time. Choose whatever works for you, right?