Thoughts on a Baby Girl

I'm on the 27th week with our second baby and it's been anything but a walk in the park. Being on bedrest almost since the beginning is something that I did not expect. I even sent a message to my doctor when she first advised me to stay in bed, "Bedrest, meaning?". I guess I was in denial that I will be tied to the bed the entire pregnancy.

On my 23rd week, we found out that we're having another baby boy. I prepped myself for weeks. I wanted a baby girl but I told myself that it's okay if we will be given another boy. But when we were told of the gender, I had to ask again in disbelief, "What? It's a boy?".

Am I disappointed? Maybe just a bit. I just thought how nice it is to dress up a baby girl and how much cheaper their clothes and shoes are compared to boys'. But, when I am reminded of how sweet Johan is to me, how he constantly hugs me and kisses me and tells me I'm his bestfriend, there is no doubt that I welcome this new baby boy with all my heart.

I've been told by family and friends to try again to have a baby girl after I give birth. But after going through this difficult, complicated and nerve-wracking pregnancy, I don't think I would be physically and emotionally prepared to go through it again. The risks are high that I don't think it's worth giving it another try.

But then there are times when I wonder, "Will I regret not having a baby girl? Am I being selfish for not allowing my husband experience the joys of having a daddy's little girl?".

For now, the answer is no. I am decided that this will be my last pregnancy. I don't want to go through everything all over again. There are factors to consider - my age, my health, our financial capacity, who will take care of the kids when I return to working, what if we tried and it turns out to be another boy instead of a girl, do we keep trying?

I guess we will have to wait and see but as of now I only want to reach full term, deliver a healthy baby boy and prepare myself for more mess, more trucks and balls and cars, more ninja moves, more power rangers dialogue and more hugs, kisses and I love yous from another little man.

Pregnancy Update - 27 Weeks

Last Saturday, we went back to my OB Gyn for a follow up. I've been put to bedrest for more than a month already due to threatened abortion. I am constantly having pelvic bone pains and whenever we see my OB, contractions happen.

It wasn't any different last Saturday. Premature contractions were felt by my OB, my pelvic bone pain is still there. It looks like I won't be able to go back to work prior to delivery. My doctor even wanted me to have myself admitted to the hospital but we had to decline because my HMO does not have coverage for anything pregnancy related and we're currently a single-income household since I have used up all my leaves so we have limited funds as of the moment.

I know that I should refrain myself from thinking and worrying too much but there are days when I just cannot help it. The anxiety on baby number two's condition sometimes is just too much to bear. I even need four doses of steroid shots by Wednesday to aid the development of the baby's lungs and several laboratory tests to take. Add to that the financial burden that my husband is carrying alone and knowing that he's physically and mentally tired of taking care of mine and Johan's needs makes it even harder not to worry.

When I was pregnant with Johan, his stuff were already complete before I reached 30 weeks. Now, we haven't bought anything yet for the baby. Aside from financial restraints, the fear of miscarriage is holding me back from buying things for the baby.

Each day is a struggle to remain positive. I am trying my best not to worry too much and I am just grateful for Johan who constantly makes me laugh. His assignments from school keeps me busy and his excitement rubs off on me whenever he shows me the stamps in his hand whenever he did good in school.

27 weeks - we still have a long way to go in this pregnancy and we definitely need prayers.

Our Little Schoolboy

Johan will turn four in October this year and as early as last year, I already thought it is about time to send him to school. I initially planned to enroll him in a summer class first to see if he's ready but the school didn't open slots for nursery this year. So, by April we both went to the school to have him assessed.

That was taken during Johan's assessment. His behavior surprised me that day as he is usually very clingy to me but he went with the teacher inside the room and didn't cry when the door was closed. I can hear him answering the teacher's questions and when they were done, the teacher told me that Johan was indeed ready for school and even got 95% on his entrance exam!

I waited for a month to pass before I went back to the school to enroll him and paid for his books. A few weeks later, I picked up his books and completed his school supplies.

Come first day of school, everybody is excited! Even my parents and my sister came to Johan's school to show their support for the little boy. They even bought him a cake!

Happy 1st Day in School, Johan!

One glitch that almost made me into a monster mom that day - the school failed to inform me and a few other moms of preschoolers that classes for preschool won't begin until two days later. I asked them four times -  twice in person and twice over the phone giving me the same answer that school would start that day. But, when I confronted them about this, they denied that they gave me that answer. Grr!

Anyway, two days later we're back to first-day-of-school mode. The boy was excited, I prepped him really well for school telling him he'll meet a lot of friends, there will be a lot of kids he can play with, they will color and write and paint stuff, etc. etc.

When we arrived in school, the preschoolers are already lining up to go to the classroom. Johan immediately lined up while looking around at the many kids his age.

He was well-behaved and I was really proud of him especially when we arrived at his classroom. He immediately went inside and chose a seat. He was all smiles and I was even able to take a few photos.

By this time, his teacher is starting to tell the parents that it is time to leave the kids inside and let the teacher and the aide take over. Also, this is the time when the other kids started crying. Johan was still doing a great job, he kissed me, said I love you and see you later. He even waved at me and his Daddy when I was out the door and even gave us the two-thumbs up sign! I was thinking, "Wow, that was pretty easy!"

Or so I thought. Once the classroom door was closed, the kids started wailing! I was standing by the window listening and a few minutes later, I heard Johan crying as well! He was calling out to me and screaming at the top of his lungs! It was heartbreaking, I really wanted to go inside the room to comfort him but then I stopped myself from doing so, knowing that it will just make things worse. But then, when another kid opened the door, I saw Johan being held by the teacher and almost got his fingers crushed when the door was suddenly closed. That's when I told my husband, I am getting him out. So I did and we stayed outside the room until his classes were finished. I know that I should have stood my ground and let the teacher take over but my fear of Johan getting hurt got the best of me. He is only three years old after all.

The next day that Johan went to school, I stayed home. I decided it is best for him to learn that Mommy will be waiting for him at home while he goes to school. It will make adjusting easier as he is more clingy to me than to his Daddy. He still cried and it went on for about a week. But more than a month after his first day, I am very proud to say that my son now goes to school without shedding any tear! He tells me stories everyday when he arrives home, shows me his stamps, we do his homework together and he tells me he likes his Teacher Liza but he likes his Teacher Melai better. Teacher Liza is the actual teacher while Teacher Melai is the teacher's aide, she is the one who carried Johan during the first few days that he's been crying in school.

Proudly showing his stamps!

Finished doing his homework

So far, he's had two quizzes and he got perfect scores on both. He likes school now and even asks me everyday if it's time to prepare for school. There's light at the end of the tunnel after all. Hurray!

Celebrating Five-Thirteen in Canyon Cove Beach Club

First off, five-thirteen means five years of married life and thirteen years of being together. We celebrated the day by going to the beach and we were all very excited as it was also Johan's first beach trip.

I bought a Metrodeal voucher priced at PhP 2,999 back in January and booked a room for our anniversary. I corresponded with the resort only through email and everything went smoothly from the day of the booking until the day that we arrived at the resort.

Upon arriving, I was glad that we were allowed to go up to our room even if we arrived an hour earlier from check-in time. My room requirements: a king-sized bed, an unobstructed view of the sea and a bathtub. All were available except for the bathtub which is really okay. The room is huge! It can fit more than four people!

I love almost everything about the room: the huge bed, the daybed, the private balcony, the clean bathroom. What only needs improvement is the air-conditioning which is only set to 20 degrees and it's not really installed in a good spot making the bed area not properly ventilated.Overall, the room is pretty nice.

Johan immediately declared the daybed as his own space, set up camp and stayed there the whole time. We rested a bit, waited for the sun not to be at its harshest and then we went down to explore the place.

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Looking out into the horizon

Johan announced that he was making sand angels!

Johan had so much fun at the beach! He even liked it better than the pool and won't leave until it got dark. When we finally coaxed him to move to the pool, we only stayed a while in the warm pool water until he saw the playground and pulled me out of the water.

When it was beginning to get dark, we carried the boy back to our room to bathe and rest for a bit while we wait for dinner time. Our voucher did not include any meals and our original plan was to get out of the resort for dinner and just eat in one of the fastfood chains located in a nearby town. But, given that the resort only allow guests access to the pool until nine in the evening, we decided to just stay and have dinner at the resort.

Wrong move. The price of the food at the resort is UNBELIEVABLE! The food concessionaires were Max's Restaurant and this BBQ place. We don't want to eat at Max's anymore so we chose to have barbecues for dinner. Imagine paying more than 500 pesos for the following: three tiny sticks of BBQ, 2 sticks of regular sized hotdogs, two cups of rice and two sodas in can. It is expensive!!

Nevertheless, I didn't let that dampen our spirits as we still have a night and half a day to stay at the resort. We finished our dinner, swam a little in the pool then Johan and I went up to the lobby to go online and post a few photos. Wi-fi is only available at the lobby which is both good and bad, good for those who wanted to have quality time with the family inside their rooms and at the beach or pool and bad for those social media addicts who cannot last a day without going online. I guess I am both in one way or another. Hehe! We left the husband at the pool as he wanted to do a few lapses without Johan constantly calling him while I and the kid went up to our room earlier so I could put him to bed.

Bagsak agad sa sobrang pagod

The next day, we got up early so we could make use of what little time we have at the resort. The boy was still so eager to go to the beach so as soon as we brushed our teeth, off we go!

Johan looking out the window to see if it's morning already

Ready to go to the beach!

Photo ops first while we still have the pool all to ourselves

The beach was very calm that morning

The only photo we have of the three of us in the pool

We only stayed for two hours in the water as the sun became too hot by 9AM. We went up to our room, ate the sandwiches and noodles that I was able to sneak into the resort, lounged on the bed and waited for check out.

Canyon Cove really is a nice resort. I only wish that they make the pool hours longer than just until nine in the evening and it wouldn't hurt to have more food concessionaires to choose from or at least make the cost of food cheaper so guests wouldn't have to sneak in food or go out of the resort to dine somewhere else.

We will definitely go back!

Canyon Cove Resort

Far East Road, Piloto Wawa

Nasugbu, Batangas

Philippines

Phone Number: +632.908.1111

Life is A Rollercoaster

I am on bedrest again.

I've been having abdominal cramps on Wednesday last week which I didn't really take as anything serious.I thought that it's just the baby moving and my tummy must be expanding already so I went to work and dealt with the pain that entire day. Wrong decision. Come Thursday morning, the pain didn't really go away so I decided to go to my doctor already to have myself and the baby checked.

I was having contractions, again! This is my second child and I find it pretty stupid that I can't distinguish a mere abdominal pain from an actual contraction! My doctor advised me to take one to two weeks of complete bedrest which I didn't take happily. My leave credits at work are all gone, I finished all of those during the three week bedrest that I already took during my first trimester so that would mean that this new bedrest schedule will all be without pay. Haaayyyy, just when we really need to save up.

I cried in the car on the way home from the hospital, I cried during that night and I found myself crying during the day. I know this isn't good for me or the baby but I just had to let all the stress out of my system. I'm such a worrywart when it comes to financial matters even if I know that our savings has not entirely ran out. It's just that we are still paying for the car, Johan will be starting school, we have bills to pay, we have to save up for the caesarian delivery which my SSS maternity benefit cannot cover 100 % and we still haven't bought anything for the baby. Add to that the fact that my nails are ugly, my hair is ugly and I've been wearing the same clothes at work week after week.Okay, I'm blabbering nonsense already but that's how it is.

This pregnancy is really harder compared to when I had Johan. I told my husband it must be because when I was pregnant with Johan, I was not working and I don't have a toddler who demands my attention every minute. Don't get me wrong, I do love staying home with Johan as we get to play, bond and practice writing, but there are times when I really just want to lie down, put my feet up and rest. Having a toddler prevents me from doing that, well, except when he's sleeping.

I only want to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. If it would mean I need to be on bedrest until time for delivery, then so be it. I'll just have to make the best of everything from I am given now, like time that I didn't have when I was going work. So, all the time that I have is now devoted to teaching Johan to write, to play pretend everyday, stalk people on Facebook and Instagram, watch Disney Channel endlessly and browse Pinterest.

Life is indeed a rollercoaster. I've done my share of screaming, I guess it's time that I try to enjoy the ride.

Struggling to remain positive,

Stuff for Baby Number 2

I'm on my last week of a two-week bedrest as advised by my OB-GYN. I had spotting two weeks ago and when we came back for another ultrasound, it appeared that the Subchorionic Hemorrhage has grown bigger instead of disappearing. My emotions are all mixed up these last few days, with worry about Baby Number 2's condition, the stress of having to render additional leaves without pay at work as I've already used up all my sick leaves while all my vacation leaves are already plotted for the rest of the year, my patience is being tested with Johan wanting me to be by his side all the time instead of letting the new yaya take care of him so I can get that much needed rest. Ahh, the joys of being a mom. :)

Anyway, to keep me sane these days, I enjoyed the pretend plays that Johan and I have shared,  I have surrendered to the great invention called cable TV, I played games on my Android phone and I window-shopped online.

With nearing four months along in this pregnancy, I thought I should be listing down all the things that we would be needing before Baby Number 2 arrives. So, here's a short list:

We definitely need a new crib. Johan's old crib was a hand-me-down from his cousin and it has long since seen it's full potential. 

With two kids soon to ride with us, a carseat is a must for the baby. Johan's at this age that he cannot sit still and has to tinker with buttons or the compartment or worse, the door so there should always be a grown up holding on to him while in the car. I simply cannot hold the baby on one arm while trying to wrestle Johan with the other. This is why a carseat is necessary.

We need more storage space for the baby's clothes. Our existing storage cabinets are nearly full and cannot simply hold any more clothes and bedsheets and towels.We really need a new one for the baby's stuff.

A bathtub for the baby. I haven't seen Johan's old one for a long time so I am guessing that it was given away or was already broken.

A bottle sterilizer. I'm looking into this Farlin brand as this is the one being used for my niece's bottles. It is also cheaper compared to other brands which is great as we do need to save as much money as we can these days.

New feeding bottles. Johan is still drinking milk from his bottles and looks like it will take a little more time before we can convince him to stop. 

For now, those are all I can think of in addition to the other necessities like towels, cloth diapers, diaper covers, baby clothes and toiletries. It's a good thing that I have stored Johan's old stroller and it is still in mint condition so there's no need for us to buy a new one, also I know that I wouldn't have a problem with regards to clothing as I have a few pieces in storage and I can easily ask my relatives for old ones.

Having a new baby surely means a lot of expenses but we know with it along comes great joy and more love for our now growing family.

The Mall of Asia Incident

March 30, 2014 was my Mother-in-Law's scheduled flight to the United States. Eventhough, I was advised to take a  bedrest, I simply cannot stay home and not say goodbye to the woman who took care of my son since birth.

We arrived at the airport around six in the evening and after seeing my MIL pass through the gates of Terminal 2, we went on our way and decided to stay for a while in Mall of Asia while we wait for a text message from her telling us she's checked in already and passed through Immigration without any problem.

We arrived in MOA around 6:20 PM and was able to park around 6:45 PM - there were just too many people that day that made looking for a parking spot doubly hard. We proceeded to the Department Store to purchase some new beddings for our bed. I think we spent around 30 minutes there and after paying for our purchases, we went out the 2nd floor exit, I stopped by a BDO atm machine to withdraw some money and proceeded to walk. We were supposed to have dinner then when we heard a band playing downstairs. So, we walked closer to the banisters to watch the band for a while because Johan's always been in love with drums.

As we were walking away, we suddenly heard loud bangs. The hubby first thought they were fireworks and we again looked down the first level and that's when we saw the people below running away from something. I instantly became nervous and my instinct told me to look for a place where we can hide. The first store that I saw was a photo developing store which I wasn't able to know the name until I searched for the MOA map, it was Photoline. As we enter the store, rushing, the store attendant asked me what's happening. I told him that people are running at the ground floor and we heard shots being fired. He then said, it must have been just the fireworks. But by then, I know that it's not.

The proximity of where we were to the location where the shots were fired is very scary.

When the shots stopped, I told hubby to get out of the store and move farther away from where we are located. If they were indeed gunshots that we heard, the last thing that I wanted was for us to get stuck in the middle of it. All I was thinking at that time was they cannot take us as hostages. So, we immediately went out the Photoline store and walked quickly. Johan was getting scared by the minute and I guess it's because he felt that I too was scared. I kept on telling him to walk faster and to not stop. I was the one holding him while hubby carried our purchases, a huge beddings set with comforter and two huge pillows. 

While we were rushing away, people from the 2nd floor stores came out and looked down to see what's happening. That's when the second wave of people running started and by this time everybody is panicking. The people at the 2nd floor started running back to the stores, locking their doors. I was telling Johan to walk faster since I cannot carry him nor can I run given the pregnancy. I told hubby to look for a store, a restaurant, anywhere that we can get in and hide. But, since we're almost at the bridge connecting the mall to the seaside grounds, hubby said we should just proceed to the seaside where we were parked. 

Some of the mallgoers are still clueless as to what's happening and as soon as we reached the seaside grounds and looked back at the mall, that's when we saw the huge crowd of people running - everyone was just rushing to get out of the mall, they were running down the stairs and the escalators out into the street. And I was terribly scared, whatever it is that's happening inside, it is still not over. We seriously need to get out of there.

When we stopped for a while to send messages to some people, Johan was already screaming, "Let's go, let's go!". We immediately went to the car and prepared to leave. We just had to wait for a while for my MIL's reply but Johan kept on shouting at his Dad, "Dad, let's go! Drive!". So, the hubby did and while moving out of the parking lot, he asked the guard on duty what's happening inside. He did not answer and we then proceeded to exit. 

While driving away, I received a text message from my bestfriend asking me if we were still in MOA and I replied that we're driving away then because we heard shots being fired. Apparently, a college friend of ours posted on Facebook that they were also in MOA, heard the gunshots and were hiding then in one of the restaurants' kitchen.

When we got home, I immediately turned on the TV and went online to look for news about the incident. I found this:

‘Martilyo Gang’ strikes again at SM Mall of Asia; 1 arrested, 6 robbers escape

March 30, 2014 8:01pm

  3490  95  1  7943 

 

(Updated 8:26 a.m., March 31) The "Martilyo Gang" is believed to have struck anew at an SM mall, using the cover of a heavy weekend crowd to hasten their escape after a brazen jewelry heist, this time on Sunday night at SM's crown jewel, the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

It was a very scary experience, even Johan was traumatized by it and up until today, he still does not want to go back to SM. 

The Anticipation, the Fears and the Joys of Having Another Baby

After I gave birth to Johan, I've been very vocal about not wanting to have another child. Or at least not anytime soon. When Johan turned three, that's when people started telling me it's about time we give him a sibling. The age gap between them would be perfect. But I was apprehensive - we're still paying for the car, Johan will be starting soon, we have plans on building our own home after paying for the car and so on and so forth.

I know my reasons are practical, it just didn't look like the right time yet, financially, for another addition to our family. Yet, I stopped the pill, I prayed for another child and hoped for two pink lines back in January when my period was delayed.

When the test appeared negative, I gave the go signal to the husband to finally start the renovation to the house. We need to make our room bigger as the three of us could hardly fit inside, we wanted a dirty kitchen built outside to make our living room and dining area spacier to make it easy going around, we planned to purchase a bigger bed because our double-sized mattress could hardly fit all three of us. So, the renovation started. And then we found out, two weeks ago that we are pregnant.

And all of my fears made a reappearance. We have more money going out because of the renovation, the dirty kitchen isn't finished yet, we haven't painted the room, we haven't bought a bed, Johan will be starting school, we are set to get a new auto insurance in June in addition to the monthly car mortgage, we recently hired a Yaya and I am going to deliver via Caesarian Section again according to my OB. And now, I am on bedrest again for threatened abortion.

Financially, I know this will be a hard year for our family. I'm not sure if we'd be able to save enough for my delivery come November and I'm not sure if we'd be able to finish the renovations as planned. But I know that everything will turn out alright. We can always apply for a loan or something if in case we didn't have enough saved for my delivery, maybe we'll hold off buying a bed for now and just settle with the one that we have. Everything will work out fine. Repeat 10x. :)

On the good side, Johan and the rest of our families are pretty excited with Baby Number 2. Johan wants a baby girl, I want a baby girl, too but if the baby turns out to be a boy, I will not be disappointed. I just want a healthy, normal baby. Plus, I'm looking forward to the baby shower that my sisters and my bestfriend have been talking about. I repeat, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT kaya Lhai, RK and Mhy, ipush natin yan! Hahahaha!

Now, that I am on bedrest for a week, I decided to think of the positive than the negative implications it will bring. I know that by the end of this week, I'd probably have only three sick leaves left but then I have a week to really take care of myself and Baby Number Two, I have a week more to spend with Johan, I can oversee the rest of the renovations being done and I can surf the net for baby stuff, pin more baptism ideas and search for possible baby names.

I know that I will always worry about the future. I've always been like that. I want things to work out quite the way I envisioned them to but I also know that sometimes, things don't happen the way we think they should and I have to accept that.

I just need to concentrate on the things that truly matter, be thankful for the people that are always there to support us and praise the God who I know will never ever abandon me.

Prayers please for a healthy pregnancy.

The More, The Merrier

I haven't posted for quite a while as I really have been busy with work and at home the last couple of months or so plus I am more active on Instagram nowadays.

Anyway, remember the post, That One Last Pill, from August of 2013? It's been six months since that post when I realized my period was delayed. I waited for my period to arrive until two weeks later and it was still a no-show. That's the time when I decided to finally get two home pregnancy kits and give it a go.

I guess we really can't deny those very pink lines that appeared

When the first test came out positive on a Friday, I filed a leave from work and immediately went to see an OB-GYN in a hospital near our house. I was disappointed with the consultation because I was expecting that the doctor will request for an ultrasound, do an IE or at least feel my tummy. But she did not do any of it, simply asked questions and insisted that I undergo another CS just because I delivered my firstborn via CS.

That's when I decided I don't want another OB-GYN to aid me in this pregnancy except for Dr. Eva Macababbad who was my doctor when I was pregnant with Johan. Coincidentally, hubby was also thinking the same thing. So, we scheduled a consultation with our trusted doctor a week after I took the HPT.

Dra. Eva holds clinic at the Metropolitan Medical Center in Manila and with Johan, it wasn't that hard to go to and from the hospital as it was only a trike ride away from where we used to live. Now that we are settled in Dasmarinas, Cavite, the travel to Manila is something that me and the hubby are not looking forward to. But that is only a small bump in the road, so to speak, because we both know that me and the baby will be in great, great hands of the one OB-GYN that we truly trust.

Saturday, March 8, we were welcomed by the usual bubbly and warm Dra. Eva into her clinic. I was just happy to see her and we immediately felt at ease. She requested for an ultrasound as expected and it is official, we are indeed pregnant!

The sonographer announced, there is a tiny baby!

There is just one thing that Dra. Eva is concerned about, the baby's heartbeat is still weak so she prescribed Progesterone to support my gestation, the usual prenatal vitamins and advised me to return for a repeat ultrasound in two weeks. That will happen this Saturday, March 22 so more prayers please for a stronger heartbeat for our little one.

Anyway, Johan is pretty much an excited kuya. He kept on asking me and his Dad, if we want either a baby boy or a baby girl. He expects us to say baby girl each time and gets mad at his Dad when he answers baby boy. I guess he is already set to have a little sister. Let's hope, anak. :)

Another Year Older

The past two years, I noticed that the days coming up to my birthday were the hardest to deal with - the stress from work heightened up with the weeks of overtime we had to render just to meet our deadlines, I became more emotional, ticked off by even the simplest of things that didn't work my way and my plans for the day itself didn't materialize for petty little reasons. I cried, yes I did, last year and now on my 34th. I just had to let it all out and rid myself of all the negativity that I was feeling.

Today, looking back on the past year, I realized that, like everybody else, my life isn't perfect but I have so much, so much to be thankful for.

Johan is a happy, healthy and active toddler. I taught him good manners which he never forgets to put to use - saying thank you and excuse me and sorry. He never holds grudges even if I scold him for making a mess or for being too loud or for being just a kid. He is a loving kid constantly giving us hugs, kisses and a million i love yous on a daily basis.

I married a good man. He is a great provider who puts our needs first ahead of his own. He is a supportive husband who listens to my rants and reacts as he is expected. He is a great father dedicating as much time as he can to spend with Johan. And in this day and age where some men are so easily tempted by younger, prettier and sexier women, I am just grateful that my husband has two qualities that these men lack - honesty and faithfulness.

I have a supportive family in the form of my parents, my siblings, my relatives and my in-laws. They're always there willing to lend a helping hand, to bring the fun in every family event, to give Johan the strong family foundation that I am aiming for and to remind me that real happiness cannot be bought by money.

I don't have a lot but I got real friends. From highschool through college though all the companies I worked for and working for now, I found friends for life. My friends from work keep me sane amidst the craziness of life, they're a good source of laughter (and office chismis) and they give good advice (though mostly is about sex).  My old friends from way, way back remained the same, though we don't see each other as often as we wanted to, I know that our friendship will stay intact through the years.

Other things that I am thankful for are the basics but necessary - we have roof on our heads, food on the table, clothes to keep us warm and wi-fi to keep me from getting crazy. Besides, without wi-fi, how will I be able to see all the birthday greetings on my Facebook timeline!

Thank you everybody! Cheers to more years of friendship and happy memories!

A Weekend at the Valentino Resort and Spa

My sister, RK, turned 30 this year and she chose to celebrate her birthday with the rest of the family in a resort in Batangas. Too bad that the entire family cannot come to celebrate with us but nevertheless we still had loads of fun especially Johan who didn't want to leave the pool, ever.

Valentino Resort and Spa is located in San Jose, Batangas. It is a large resort with 4 swimming pools, a jacuzzi, basketball, tennis, badminton and volleyball courts, a fitness center, a children's playground, 5 huge villas that would fit a maximum of 8 people, rooms for two persons, dorm type rooms for larger groups, an event hall, a restaurant and a spa - yes it is that huge of a resort!

The Mediterranean Villa

The Contemporary Villa

There were 12 of us that went to the resort plus 2 kids so my sister chose to rent out 2 villas next to each other to accommodate everyone. The Mediterranean Villa has two rooms with 2 double beds each. This villa can house up to a maximum of 8 people. The other one is the Contemporary Villa  which only has one room with a queen-sized bed. This villa can fit up to six people.

Room 1 of the Mediterranean Villa

Room 2

Contemporary Villa room

The villas are quite nice-looking with only the basic furniture inside. Downside is that there are no refrigerators in any of the villas and even the guests are not allowed to cook food. However, there is a restaurant inside the resort where you can order your meals and the staff are kind enough to let you store your food in the restaurant's fridge.

The kiddie pool

Infinity Pool

Jacuzzi

There are four swimming pools inside the resort, three of which are just a few steps below our villa and the other one is located a few steps from the entrance to the resort. The Jacuzzi is installed at one corner of the Infinity pool and this is where we stayed until 12 midnight of November 23. Johan enjoyed the kiddie pool and even if he went under the water more than a few times, he still stood up, "swam" and had a great time!

Other facilities include an indoor basketball court, a fitness center, volleyball and tennis courts and a spa. Too bad that Papa didn't bring with him his rubber shoes and his tennis rackets, he would have enjoyed playing tennis here. The boys wanted to play basketball but the court rental is quite steep at 400 if you'll be playing during daytime and 600 if at night.

So we just settled ourselves in lots of picture taking, swimming and hanging out at the villa. Thank you to that person who invented the camera timer - we were able to take pics of everybody!

My Mom and two sisters with our niece, Zalia

Look up, look up!

It was a great almost 2 day stay at the resort and everybody sure had fun especially Johan who didn't want to get out of the pool. Hopefully, we can come back to this place soon.

Valentino Resort and Spa

Barangay Pinagtung-ulan, San Jose, Batangas

Telephone Number: (043) 783-0558

Mobile Numbers: +63917-5155936; +63918-4952338