32 weeks!

I'm on my 32nd week of pregnancy and I'm glad that my ultrasound turned out pretty good today. At first, the sonographer checked my uterus for the fibroids, which, during my first pregnancy, were very prominent- reason why my pregnancy was considered high-risk. Fibroids are tumors that are non-cancerous, and are most commonly found in the uterus, or womb. Unfortunately, I have numerous of them, and I remember one of them is almost the size of a grapefruit. It's located at the birth canal where the baby would pass through upon delivery- the main reason why I can't deliver normally, thereby needing a Caesarean operation. With this second pregnancy, for some reason, she couldn't locate any of the fibroids that were present before. Good news for me! :) Hopefully, they had shrunk. Following that, she checked on our Baby Kaiden-the one that we had been anxiously waiting for! :) Oh, my! I'm only on my 32nd week and he's already 4 lbs and 7 oz! His size is 4 days ahead of the normal according to the sonographer. When I gave birth to Noah, he was only 5 lbs and 13 oz. We can tell from now that Baby Kaiden's going to be bigger. Another interesting thing we noticed was that Baby Kaiden has already grown some hair! Yes, he already has hair and it was so obvious from the ultrasound. So funny! Imagine how thick it would be when he finally comes out in June. :)

Baby Kaiden's profile

with mouth open "drinking"

Fun in the Tub!

Normally, when my husband doesn't have work on a weekend, him and Noah would spend some bonding time together while taking a bath in the shower, or in the tub. Indeed, it is a lovely, sweet sight to see a father and son bond and have fun. For this video, Noah is enjoying himself in the tub alone, but with Mommy's guidance.

Good News On Tax Rebate!

Hear ye! Hear ye! :) You may receive your tax rebate as early as Monday! If you chose direct deposit when you filed your tax return, you could be seeing your rebate in your bank account early next week. But if you opted for paper check, yours would be mailed a few days later beginning May 9. Still earlier though than previously scheduled which was May 16. The receipt of payment would be based on the last 2- digits of your SSN, or whoever is the mainfiler. As for how much, for singles making less than $75,000, you can get $600. For couples making less than $150,000, expect to receive $1,200. For each child in a family, that would be an additional $300. This would certainly help with the rising cost of gas, payment of bills, debts, etc. Of course, it depends on what you prefer to do with the money. As for us, we plan on using it to pay off first some of our credit card bills, then whatever is left, we would use for other expenses at home, like milk and diapers for Noah. :)

On Dogwood Tree

On my way home from work, I dropped by Suburban Lawn & Garden to look for a beautiful flowering tree such as the Dogwood Tree. I already have an idea what it looks like because at the hospital where I work, they have more or less 3 Dogwood trees that I pass by every day. During this time of the year, the pretty white blossoms would appear, and as soon as fall begins, leaves turn to beautiful scarlet or red-purple color. And then on winter, it produces radiant red berries which attract different species of songbirds. Its full white flowers would fall on the ground looking like a bed of snow. Oh, they're so delightful to look at! I just hope our sweet yet "destructive" dogs :), won't try to tear apart the tree's bark and kill it eventually. That's what they did to 2 of our trees at our backyard. Aren't they just so lovable? :) Surely, my husband would put a protective wire around it to prevent that from happening again. Anyway, we want a 6-7 ft tall tree, and honestly, the price is not that cheap. Good thing, the store has a special 20% discount on trees. That would definitely save us some bucks. :) My husband is going to buy and pick it up this Sunday before heading home from a trip to Toronto. Can't wait! :)

On Red Roses and White Azaleas

Couple of years ago, my husband and I planted several red rose plants on our front yard. Start of spring time, they would start to bloom and they would look so pretty! However, there's a part in our yard that seemed to look bare. Initially, we thought of getting 3 more red roses, but my husband, who knows more about plants and gardening than I do, decided to get the white azaleas instead. It's a type of shrub that could grow thick, and which flowers can actually cover its leaves that you can hardly see them. Although they haven't bloomed yet, I can see how the contrasting bold colors of red and white would make a lovely show on our front yard.

Noah's Dancing Moves

Funny! We were cracking up when our dear son, Noah was dancing his own version of "Dancing With The Stars". We have been following the show, and I guess he saw how the dancers would lift their arms up and spin around gracefully. He surely made our day! :)

Wizards Won Against Chicago Fire!

Surely, Chicago did their best. But, it wasn't enough to stop the Kansas City Wizards from winning the game. My husband left early yesterday morning for their out-of-town game in Chicago. Oftentimes, they leave on a Friday and get home on a Sunday. I'm glad that he would be home tonight, even if it's late. Soccer used to be not my type of sports primarily because it wasn't a popular game in the Philippines. Even here in the US, people have not really been crazy with soccer as with football, basketball, or baseball. David Beckham definitely gave soccer a major take-off it needed in America. I only got into it because of my husband, who is the Head Trainer for Kansas City Wizards Major League Soccer. Of course, as a supportive wife, I've got to like it...else. :) He has been with the team for 13 years now. In fact, he is one of the few pioneers who have remained, and certainly deserves a loyalty award for that. Today, I was excited to see him on TV- Metrosports Channel, when he ran to the field to help Morsink with his injury. I'm a proud wifey, obviously hehe :) Anyway, going back to the game, Wizards won 1-0 over Chicago, giving them an over-all lead in the Eastern Conference. Jack Jewsbury, a midfielder, scored its first and last goal, while Blanco of the opposing team, desperately made attempts, unfortunately though to no avail. Go, Wizards! :)

Beauty Secret Revealed! :)

Feeling celebrity! hehehe :) The idea of writing a post about my beauty secret was sparked by my friend Debbie, the beautiful wife of Dana, when she commented once on my post on pregnancy about my tummy having no stretchmarks at all. Yes, that's true. Not a single one. Not bragging though, but I guess I am just one of those blessed ones. Yohooo! hehe :) They say it's in the genes. If your mother has stretchmarks, then most likely, you're predisposed to having them yourself. Well, you see, my Mom has stretchmarks. And ironically, I don't. Ok, what is my secret? I have been using this product since the day I got pregnant with my first pregnancy up until now. It's the Tree Hut Shea Body Butter. I bought it at Walmart for around 5 bucks. What I do is I apply it liberally on my belly, hips, buttocks, thighs, and upper arms every after taking a bath, and every night before going to sleep. Tree Hut Shea Butter comes in different fragrances such as Brazilian Nut, Coconut Lime, Almond and Honey, and Original Shea, which is what I'm using. There you go. It may, or may not work for you, but it certainly did for me. Well, you know what? If you do have stretchmarks, who cares? They are a reminder of your glorious journey through motherhood. :)

18-month old Baby Forced To Smoke Pot

I feel mad, and at the same time feel pity for the poor baby. I am mad that people could do something ruthless like this to an innocent little toddler. The baby even took her milk bottle at one point while these heartless people were forcing her to smoke pot. I feel so much pity for the little baby. I am a Mom, and it does make my heart cry to see things like this happen.

Noah and His Toy Box

My son, Noah, frolicsome as ever, just loves playing with boxes. Most of the time he would try to get inside his toy box and fit in it. Sometimes, what he would do first, is empty out all his toys by either taking them out one by one, or just turn the box upside down, dropping all his toys on the floor. Or, even with still toys inside, he would just step in and squirm himself in it. I would usually push the box, make a "vroom" "vroom" sound and pretend it's a car. He laughs! You can see that he really enjoys this kind of game. It's like an adventure for him. :)

I Swallowed a Watermelon!

Just kiddin', guys! :) I'm on my 30th week of pregnancy and oh, how I feel heavy! :) So far, I have gained 24 lbs since the day I got pregnant. I'm actually heavier this time with my second one. They say it's usually the case. I have been feeling some backaches lately, not only because my tummy is getting bigger, but also because I carry Noah every now and then. Lately, baby Kaiden's kicks and movements have been prominent. It seems he's moving around in circles like doing an acrobat! Sometimes, when I place my hand on what it feels like his head, he would slowly swim towards to the other side like he's playing, or just doesn't want to be disturbed. He is so active especially at night, and after eating lunch or dinner. Can't wait! Approximately 10 more weeks, and we would finally see our baby Kaiden! :)

Worldwide Link Love

I got this tag from shimumsy and booblemoofie. Thanks for the tag, guys! I appreciate it! :)

~* start copying here *~

Join the Worldwide Link Love!

Benefits of Worldwide Link Love!
1. Make new friends around the world.
2. Feel the Link Love.
3. Gain new readers and subscribers.

Rules:
1. Copy from ~* start copying here *~ to ~* end copying here *~ and paste it on your blog.
2. At the end of the list, put your name and the country your in, it doesn’t matter what’s your nationality just put the country where you are publishing your blog. Dont forget to put links at your name.
3. If u have many blogs, you can link all of it, just make sure you post the same on each blog.
4. Tag eight (8) or more of your blog friends.
5. Tip for blog*spot users: make sure you copy and paste the code in Compose mode.

Wanna join, and you can’t find your name on the list? Just leave a comment here.

Worldwide Link Love! Participants

1. Julia (Philippines)
2. Catherine (Malaysia)
3. shimumsy(U.S.A)
4. Sheila(U.S.A)
5. Name (Your Country)
6. Name (Your Country)

~* end copying here *~

Now, I'm passing this tag to some of my fellow blogger friends: eva, angel, deliciosa, lis, moccalyn, zhoe, Bill & Gina and lisa.

Good day to all! :)

Scoreless Tie- Wizards vs. Dynamo

It is certainly better than losing the game. I am glad that the Wizards did not lose the game tonight against Houston Dynamo. Last Wednesday, they lost to New England Revs, their first loss ever for the season. The Wizards won the first 2 games against D.C. United and Colorado Rapids, respectively. It was indeed a great start for the team. To make the team stronger, they acquired Claudio Lopez, an Argentinean forward/midfielder, who's also a World Cup veteran. I have seen him played and scored a goal, and I can say he's definitely a good addition to the team. Go, Wizards! :)

Noah Being Silly

Noah had been bugging his Dad this afternoon while he was reading something from the computer. For the past few days, Noah had learned to climb up and down the couch and sneak under the tables and chairs. Last Thursday, as I was talking to my Mom over the phone, he found his way under the sofa, crawled all the way to the corner, stayed there while smiling so cheerfully at me. Definitely not easy for a preggy Mom like me to crawl on my belly to get him. I had to lift it up and move the couch so I could get hold of him. He thought we were just playing. So he just kept on laughing as if it was funny. Silly boy! :)

My New Wheels! :)

Last Sunday, we went to CARMAX to check out the SUV's we found online. For the past few days, we had been scouting for a bigger vehicle since our family is growing. Besides, my old car needed to be replaced anyway since we had been experiencing problems with it such as oil leakage, etc. So we went there and we had to choose between HONDA CRV and the SUZUKI XL-7 LIMITED. At first, I told my husband that I liked the CRV better. However, when we went there we found out that it has a manual transmission rather than automatic contrary to what their ad online stated. I don't mind driving a manual since I'm used to driving one when I was still in the Philippines. But it's definitely much easier to drive an automatic than a manual. In other words, we ended up buying the Suzuki XL-7 Limited Edition. It's not a brand new car but a used one. We got it at a very reasonable price, and surely was within our budget. I believe we got a great deal on it. It is a 4 Wheel Drive that would somehow make it safer for me drive in snowy conditions. It has a sunroof, which is more like an added bonus rather than a necessity. I like it though. I've been driving it to work and I must say that it's awesome! :)

By the way, my husband said that it's my anniversary gift. mmmm...not bad hehe jk :) Thanks, hunny! mwaah! :)

What Do You Love the Most About Your Husband/Partner?

What I love the most about my husband is the fact that he adores his son, Noah, as if he's everything in his life. As soon as he gets home from work, and after kissing Mommy, of course, he gets his son, lifts him up in the air, and kisses him as if he hasn't seen him in ages. Funny how Noah greets him when he sees him enter the door. He roars like a lion! My husband roars back as a reply :) I could feel the fatherly love radiate from his being. Whenever he goes out of town, he sees to it that he gets something for Noah, mostly soccer gear. He just gets so excited getting gifts for him! With so much love and doting, that at night time, he gets Noah from his crib and let him sleep with us in bed. He loves smelling his hair, so do I. I also love smelling his baby breath because sometimes his mouth is wide open while sleeping, just like Mommy :). Every so often, he would dream, then we would hear him laugh, or cry all of sudden. Oh, how I love catching those moments! There was a time that hubby had to take care of Noah for almost a week by himself, and I was impressed how he was able to change his dirty diapers, feed him, lull him to sleep, and patiently deal with his fussiness sometimes. I am so proud of him! I am so happy and grateful I found him. And I'm certain, Noah, and Kaiden, when they grow up, would be proud of their gentle, kindhearted father as well.

Thanks, Marilyn, for this wonderful tag. In fact, this is in time for our Civil Wedding Anniversary which was yesterday, April 5th. We also got married in Church, and that would be in May 30th. Happy Anniversary to both of us! :)

Noah's Own Little World

This is one of my fave videos of Noah when he was 11 months old. As soon as I put him in his playpen, he went straight to his toybox, sat on his cow, and munched on his Cheerios. :)

Link Love

Thanks, Tia, for this cutee tag. You are so sweet! :)
Rules:
1. Copy all the links below and replace your blog beside the appropriate letter. For example if your blog name starts with the letter "D" then replace the link beside "D" with yours, and put the replaced link at the bottom of the list. Also add the person who tagged you at the bottom of the list.
2. Tag at least 5 people and encourage them to take part of the game - tag blogs only and only those without bad rated material like pornographic, violence, racism etc.

The List:
A A Blessed Life
B bloggingcents.com
C chatbugkaren.com
D Domestic Goddess
E everythingandanythingblog.com
F
G GeekMomMashup.com
H hoysater.no
I ipentimento.com
J juliesjournal.com
K kabalyero.com
L Life is Beautiful
M My Happiness Haven
N nicusor.com
O Open the Door
P peapodsquadstuff.com
Q qweddings.com
R ringtailsquealer.blogspot.com
S stephanmiller.com
T TenaciousCreations.com
U utada-online.net
V valmg.com
W wickedbabylon.com
X xaviermedia.com
Y yimto.com
Z zbudapest.com

Replaced Link acowboyswife.com
Previous Tagger Open the Door

Chinese Food- General Tso's Chicken

Whenever drug reps bring Chinese food for lunch at work, I would always have a serving of this sweet, spicy chicken called General Tso. It is sooo good that I wanted to do it at home for my husband and I to enjoy. A few days ago, I tried this simple recipe, originally from Mean Guy , and I can honestly say that it was awesome! I cooked it again today for dinner and don't mind cooking it again for weeks ahead. As always, I made several variations to this recipe to suit my taste and my hubby's. Yum! yum! :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cubed

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c cornstarch

2 dried chili pods
red pepper flakes

green onion, chopped

Sauce:
4 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp rice wine
6 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:
1. Thoroughly blend the 1/2 cup of cornstarch and the eggs in a bowl; add the chicken and toss to coat.
2. In a separate bowl, prepare the sauce by combining the 4 tsp cornstarch with the vinegar, wine, sugar and soy sauce.
3. First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a wok to medium-high heat.
4. Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through.
5. Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand.
6. Second-Stage Frying: Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly to release the aroma. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.
7. Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes).
8. Depending on how spicy you want it to be, you can add a dash or more of red pepper flakes.
9. Sprinkle some green onions on top.

Gotta try this recipe! You'll love it! Guaranteed! :)