Our Wedding Anniversary-May 30, 2008

He is more than I had ever dreamed of. For that, I can say that I am truly blessed, and overly grateful to God for letting him be part of my life.

Bloggerwave

Want to make extra money to your blogging? Here is another online money-making venture that is worth trying. It is called Bloggerwave. Does that sound familiar? I have heard the name from other bloggers, and I figured why not give it a try? I signed up immediately, and got an approval right away. Not only that, I got a job waiting for me already to write about. After a very short time, I received an email saying that my post got approved! Needless to say, I was surprised and happy! Everything was quick. So, if you have a blog, and you want to make money out of it, join Bloggerwave now. And experience what I am talking about.

Petition to Remove Conditions

Sounds clicheish, but time really does fly so fast! Can't believe that 2 years had already gone by. And to add to that, within 2 years I've been here, I already have one child, and another one coming up. Definitely, my husband and I are not in a rush, as far as having children is concerned. hehehe jk :) Anyway, for the past few days, I had been busy preparing all the documents needed for the removal of conditions on my residence here in the US. My green card is due to expire in August 24th of this year, and I have to file for renewal within 90 days before it expires. Not earlier than the 90-day window as they may send the application back. That said, here are the documents I gathered and sent through priority mail last Tuesday.



1. Permanent Resident Card- front and back copy

2. Form I-751 with a total check $545 = Filing fee ($465) plus Biometric Fee ($80)

3. Evidence of Relationship

a. Birth Certificate of our son, Noah, who was born to our marriage

b. Mortgage Contract/Title showing joint ownership

c. Recent Bank Statements

d. Copy of check showing both our names

e. Joint Tax Returns

f. Life Insurance policies of all of us including Noah

g. Car Title and Insurance showing joint ownership

h. Copy of our health insurance cards

i. Copy of our driver's license showing same address

j. Pictures of us both, our son, Noah, and with relatives and friends

k. Copies of cards, mail addressed to both of us



I guess I got everything covered. I am hoping for a fast, and hassle-free processing on this one. Cross my fingers. :) For more information on Green Card renewal, you can visit USCIS.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Unbelievable! Never in my life have I seen a man dance like this. Amazing!

My Father's Birthday

It's my father's birthday today. Wish we live close so I could celebrate this day with him, but he lives in New Jersey with my Mom and my brother. I love my Dad. He's the type of man who doesn't say much, but when he opens his mouth, you would either listen intently, or laugh because he's so funny. If he's hurt, he hides it. He wouldn't want you to get worried about him either. I've never seen my Dad get mad, except when I was little, he got really furious with me because the school bus had arrived and I was still sleeping. I heard the most crispy, deafening "p*t*rag*s!" I had ever heard in my entire childhood! I got up so quick and put on my school uniform as fast as I could without even taking a bath! hehehe :) That's the first and last time I saw him got angry. My Dad used to love eating spicy food. He would even eat chili by itself like a snack. That's why no wonder he would always rush to the bathroom to eliminate because he had hemorrhoids. hehehe :) My Dad is not the affectionate type of person. But, I know he loves us more than he could ever express. On my 7th birthday, I remember being surprised to see a cute pink doll bag hidden under my pillow when I went back to my bed after going to the bathroom for a while. I was so happy and proud of my Dad's gift that I showed it to all of my classmates the following morning! :) My father is the best! I won't deny that during my younger years, I had caused him some headaches and heartaches that he didn't even deserve. Despite that, his love for me had remained unqualified. Being a responsible and hardworking father that he is, he will do everything to give his family a good life. He will do all it takes to make us happy. I miss my Dad. I love him so much! Happy Birthday, Daddy! :)

Police Gear

My late grandfather was a veteran of the World War II. Whenever we would drop by his house to visit him, I would look at his photos hanging on the wall along with the other soldiers. When I came across this site, I happened to remember my brave grandfather who looked so dignified in his military uniform. If you know of anyone who is in need of a tactical gear, police uniforms, etc., better check this site as they offer great-looking uniforms at low prices you can surely afford. Not only that, once you order, you do not have to wait that long as they provide fast shipping service to its customers. To add to that, they do carry tactical gear from different well-known manufacturers such as Blackhawk, 5.11 Tactical, Camelbak, Spec-Ops Brand, Hatch, and Tactical Assault Gear. In line with this post, I would also like to greet everyone a Happy Memorial Day!


Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Corned Beef Day for Me

Yes, you read that right. It's indeed a corned beef day for me! For some reason, I have been craving for corned beef today. I had corned beef sauteed with onion and garlic and a plate of rice for breakfast. My baby Noah had waffle topped with butter and strawberry jam, and also a banana. For lunch, I had the left-over corned beef again, while Noah had Chicken Cordon Bleu. mmmm...What a delectable dinner for Noah! :) For our afternoon snack, I had bread, but with corned beef filling. Noah had peanut butter sandwich. Well, do you still want to know what I ate for dinner? Your guess is right! Corned beef again, but this time with egg. hehehe! I just hope baby Kaiden won't come out of my tummy crying "moo" like a cow. :)

Close to my Husband's Heart

Children are close to my husband's heart. Last month, my husband gave a 30-minute presentation about the world of soccer at Blackbob Elementary School. Our daycare provider's daughter, Sydney, had a career day and she invited him to be the speaker. My husband didn't hesitate about accepting the invitation as he dearly loves kids. In fact, when the tsunami happened in Thailand in December 2004, he went over there to help the poor, unfortunate children who got affected by the tragedy. Until now, he would send some stuff such as basketballs, soccer balls, etc. to a school in Khoa Lak, Thailand. He is planning to go over there at the end of this year to visit them and ask what else he could do to help them with their present situation. My husband's loving-kindness and compassion for children is what endeared me to him. Because I know, from what I have witnessed, that he would shower our children with much profound love and affection the same way.

My hubby at Blackbob Elementary School

with the kids in Thailand in 2004

children delighted to receive the boxes my hubby sent last year

Foot Detox Spa

Foot Spa is one of the things in life I truly enjoy. I remember, when I was still in the Philippines, I would always ask for a foot spa whenever I would have my hot oil treatment at a beauty salon. I just love the feeling! Then, I heard about this Foot Detox Spa. That sounds interesting to me! Aside from feeling relaxed, you also get the benefit of wellness by getting rid of toxins in your body. If you have sweaty feet, or even athlete's foot, this will surely help you. It doesn't take long to do this. You just have to put your feet in warm, salted water for half an hour. All I can say is that, Foot Detox Spa is something everybody should give a try.



Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

What Do You Love About Weekends?

Aside from having days to relax, and maybe sleep in, this is also the time that garage sales are prevalent. Oh, yes! Garage sales! I admit. I am a bargain-hunter. Somewhat a penny-pincher :) I love it when I go shopping and things are on sale. When I drive by our area, my eyes light up whenever I see signs of "Garage Sale" or "Yard Sale" on the corners of the streets. I drop by to check what they're selling, ponder if I really want or need them, and see if price is "reasonable" enough for a used item. Yes, I still think before I buy even if it's on sale. :) I make sure the item still looks good, is working properly, or has just been barely used. It's fun though to go to garage sales. Sometimes, I see cute baby clothes, toys, books, videos, almost anything you can think of. If we have a gorgeous weather this weekend, I might do some "garage sale hopping". :)

Look Of the Year

For young, beautiful girls and guys out there, here is an opportunity for you to be known all over the world. Not only that, you can also win a huge amount of money worth $10,000! Now, isn't that exciting? It is so easy to join this beauty contest. Visit their website, http://www.lookoftheyear.com, and submit your best photos. Who knows? You can be the next model to be working in Paris, Milan or New York! This is a once in lifetime opportunity that you do not want to miss. Join Look Of the Year now and fulfill your dream.

My Doctor's Appointment

I had an appointment last Monday with my ob-gynecologist. So far, everything looked fine. Remarkably, I did not gain weight for 2 weeks. Starting next week though, I would need to have my NST's or non-stress test done twice a week until June 12. I underwent the same thing when I was pregnant with Noah, although I started sooner with him. The reason why I'm doing NST's is because I'm high risk due to my multiple uterine fibroids. What they normally do during NST's is that they strap your abdomen with 2 belts- one to measure the baby's heart rate, and the other one to measure your contractions. Because of this test, we were able to know that Noah was having bradycardia, or slowing of the heart rate- reason why he had to be delivered 3 weeks early. Friday before I give birth is the day when I would have my pre-anesthesia appointment. This is in preparation for my c-section delivery on Monday, the following week. 27 days more and the waiting will be over. Baby Kaiden will soon be in my loving arms. Lovely! :)

Funny! Funny!

I decided we all needed a good laugh after a hard day's work. Laughter helps you de-stress, keeps you young, is good for your heart, and most of all, keeps you sane when you need it. My husband and I enjoy watching AFV-America's Funniest Videos even if the videos are as old as 10 to 15 years. They still have a laughing effect on almost everyone. The photos below crack me up the same way. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. :)

What I Love About PPP

In one of my previous posts, I did mention that I got approved by PPP, a popular blog network. . What I love about PPP is that they have a lot of opportunities to offer to all bloggers out there. Aside from that, the pay you get for the post you make for a certain opportunity is worth the effort and time you put into it. What a great deal!Opportunities can get as high as $135.00! ! That is so enticing! Don't you agree?Being a neophyte in the realm of blogging, I have had numerous questions such as getting opportunities, meeting requirements, etc. Based from my experience with PPP, all I can say is that they have excellent customer support. They look into your query carefully, and respond sooner than you think. They reply accordingly by giving specific answers to each of your questions. Now, that is what I call total customer satisfaction. Even before I started signing up for PPP, I already have heard a lot of positive feedback about them. That is why, I did not have second thoughts of joining them. You write, enjoy what you are doing, and then get compensated for doing so. Mommy needs to buy some new clothes for herself too. Love it! I love what they offer. I love their service. I love the whole outstanding package! Join PPP now!

Mommy's Little Helper

My dear son, Noah, loves being in the kitchen with Mommy. He ransacks the cabinets and takes out everything inside including pans, pots, bowls, etc. He has lots of toys, but for some reason, these are the ones that interest him more. He bangs the pans as if they are music to his ears. My baby munchkin, despite all the mess he creates, knows how to make Mommy smile and make her happy. :) Here in the short video, he "tries" to help me, in his own little way, clean the kitchen by sweeping the floor. Obviously, he still needs intensive training from Mommy. hehe jk :)

My Award: Arte Y Pico

Thank you, Jojo, for this award! It's beautiful!:)

The rules of this tag are as follows:
1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/
Make sure you visit the link above. Bloggers who deserve this award are:

Elda
Mommy J
Mommy Ruby
Shimumsy
Rissa

Wizards and Bulls Ended in a 1-1 Draw

Jimmy Conrad scored the first goal of the game for the Kansas City Wizards against New York Red Bulls. Nine minutes before the game ended, Darleigh Borman tied the match with a goal. Unfortunately, my son and I didn't see "Daddy" on TV- Metrosports Channel. It may sound mean, but we're actually waiting for a player to get injured so my husband could run to the field, give the necessary aid, and be seen on TV consequently. hehehe. Bad, huh?! :) Anyway, it was fairly a good game. Hopefully, they win against Los Angeles Galaxy, famous David Beckham's team, on their game next Saturday. It is not a home game so "Daddy" would be away from home again next weekend. Sad. huhuhu

I Signed Up for SocialSpark

Hurray! I signed up for SocialSpark, and I 'm so glad that I got approved. It is another money-making venture, not only for me, but also for people out there who want to earn some extra bucks to help with their bills, or buy whatever they want. As for me, this would be very helpful since I am going to be leaving my office job anytime soon, since you all know I'd be giving birth few weeks from now. I am excited! I am excited to do my first "opp", and get paid. Often enough, you could see more opportunities coming from advertisers. More advertisers could mean more opportunities, more earnings, and more resources for me to buy Noah and Kaiden's necessities like milk, diapers, clothes, and even toys.

SocialSpark has its own code of ethics:

-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly

I love SocialSpark! Not only because it can help me financially, but also because it provides me an opportunity to gain more friends in the blogging world. I am enjoying the unique, friendly features of the site. Every day, as I open my inbox, I always look forward to seeing bloggers who want to make friends, and of course, those good-hearted bloggers who give you a "prop" for having a nice blog, or for whatever reason. I also like the fact that you could leave a comment to either the bloggers, or the advertisers. It is so neat! Anyway, here is a glimpse of what I am talking about.




Don't waste your time. Hurry! Sign up and have fun!

Excited!

Last week, we purchased Mom's ticket for her visit this June, few days after I give birth. My aunt from California would also be coming over. I am excited! I'm sure they do, too. They are excited to see how Noah has grown since their last visit a year ago, even though I have been updating them with his pictures and videos. Since I'd be having a Caesarean delivery, and two babies to take care of, I would need all the help I can get from family and friends. I remember when I gave birth to Noah, I had a hard time getting up from bed. I didn't have trouble walking at all. In fact, I preferred walking than getting up because it hurt in my abdomen every time I pushed myself up. Oh, it was horrible! I thought the pain would never end! But, good thing, it only lasted for a week or two. After that, I was ready to roll! Well... not really, for I had been exhausted due to sleepless nights and constant feeding of my baby. I breastfed Noah, and I'm planning to do that with baby Kaiden as well. It's all worth it. I love being a Mom. I love holding him close to me and just stare at his innocent, beautiful face. I love seeing him smile, even laugh, when he sleeps. I love hearing his loud, resounding fart that, at first, I thought it was my husband. hehe! :) How can a tiny, fragile body like a baby pass out gas so loud, that you would think it would have ripped his little butt apart. :) One thing is for sure, he can truly make Mommy and Daddy laugh even without trying to. :) I am expecting to experience those precious moments with my second baby, and I am really looking forward to them.

These are photos from my Mom and Aunt's visit last year

A Memorable Mother's Day

It was a memorable Mother's Day for me, and for my husband as well, I should say. :) I was still in bed, not wanting to get up yet, when Noah and his Daddy handed their Mother's day gift for me. There was a note, that was sweet and kinda funny.

"Dear Mommy,
Daddy wants me to learn this early that women love diamonds.
Love, Noah"

I laughed as soon as I read it. :) In other words, my husband gave me a beautiful diamond necklace! It was a surprise, again. Last year, he surprised me with a digital video camera, which I have really loved using ever since. It's definitely what I wanted. I love taking pictures and videos of Noah since the day he was born. I want to make sure that I have something to look back upon when he grows old. This year, he surprised me again and this time it's a piece of lovely jewelry. I wasn't expecting anything, except, maybe, for a bouquet of flowers, which he typically gives me on special occasions. In fact, I told him that I am happy and contented with just eating out after going to church. And maybe, going to the park or mall afterwards, have fun as a family. Well, being the sweetest husband as he can be, he said, I deserve it, and that I have been a good mom to Noah. Of course, that melted my heart. awwwww :) Don't get me wrong. I love the gift! Absolutely! It's simple yet elegant looking. Besides, who wouldn't love diamonds anyway? hehe :) So, after church, we went to Le Peep Restaurant to have brunch. We were planning to go the mall after that, but plans changed when my husband suddenly noticed a mustard-like color on his white shirt. Noah pooped! hehe :) He was carrying him and playing with him at the same time while walking towards the car. He didn't have a clue that Noah pooped on his shirt until he put him in his car seat. It was funny, well, for me. :) Noah has been taking antibiotic for his ear infection, and it causes diarrhea. I guess it squirted out of his diaper causing it to leak out of his pants to Daddy's shirt. In short, we went straight home. It was indeed a memorable day, not only for me, but undoubtedly for my husband as well. :)

Noah and hubby's gift for me :)

Photo courtesy of Kay Jewelers

Charice Pempengco on Oprah

I got goosebumps when I was watching Charice Pempengco sing her heart out on Oprah. She really is something! I became so emotional that I even got teary-eyed just watching her perform. It surely was a blow away moment! So proud of her! :)

Visit with Nana Joan

Yesterday, we went to see our Nana Joan who lives just 15 minutes away from our house. It has been a while since we saw her. If I remember it right, the last time we went to her place was when we celebrated hers and Noah's birthday. Woo! That was almost 3 months ago! Anyway, we had a great dinner. Nana Joan made delicious beef enchiladas and rice-a-roni. We also had cut-up pineapples. Oh, I loved the sweet taste of it! Ruby, a good Filipina friend, came as well and brought some salad. She's a common friend of ours. We actually met through Nana Joan. We all had a good time. We missed her, and I'm sure she felt the same way too. It was nice seeing her again. :)

Mother's Day Tag

This nice tag came from Shiela and Hotness Momma, Juliana . Thanks my sweet friends! :)



Share your favorite Mother's Day quotes and place your blog/name right after the piece of artwork.

1. Irresistible Fascinations / Naomi
2. Manna from Heaven / Lena
3. And Life Goes On / Lena
4. Sheng's Simple Thoughts... / SHENG
5. Pinay WAHM / Juliana
6. Teacher's Corner / Juliana
7. My World in My Own World / Shiela
8. A Blessed Life / Sheila

Mother's Day Quotes:

"There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it." ~ Chinese Proverb
"Working mothers are guinea pigs in a scientific experiment to show that sleep is not necessary to human life." ~ Author Unknown
"Sweater is a garment worn by child when his mother is feeling chilly." Anonymous
"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." ~ Tenneva Jordan

I'm now tagging some of my "mommy friends".

Tia
Sweet Pea
Catherine
Jojo
Debbie

Best Mom Award

huhuhu... I am so touched! Thank you, desperate blogger, for the Best Mom Award. Being a mom is not an easy job. However, it can be the most rewarding experience for a lot of mothers, like me. :)

What a Restful Sleep!

Oh, such a comfort! Two weeks ago, my husband purchased a brand-new king size memory foam bed from Bragada Matresses online. We availed of their irresistible $300 off, 2 free pillows, plus free shipping on purchases made before April 27th. It did save us a lot because along with that, we still needed to buy a king size bed frame, comforter set, mattress top, etc. They say the bed is comparable to Tempur-pedic, quality and benefits wise, but at a much more reasonable price. True enough, we love how conforming and comfortable it feels on our body as we lay down on it. This would certainly help a lot with my "pregnancy" back pain. Of equal importance as well, there's no more squeaky sound whenever one of us needs to get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom. Yeah, no more interruptions, in other words. :) Well, I guess, I better go to sleep now. The bed looks so inviting. :) zzzzZZZZZzzzzzzz

Noah's Report Card

Last Friday, Kimberly, our daycare provider, gave me a piece of paper showing what Noah did, ate, etc. during the whole time he stayed there. This is the first time I got something in writing, as it's usually verbal, and I just think it's pretty neat. I think it's a good way of tracking his progress as far as his developmental milestones are concerned.

Here it goes...

THINGS I DID TODAY WHILE YOU WERE AT WORK

Name: Noah

Date: 5/2/08

Nap Time

1 hour 10:00 am to 10:55 am

2 hours ______ to _______

Other _______ to _______

Moods

xHappy

x Cranky

x Curious

x Affectionate

x Didn't feel good

* At moments

Mealtime- I ate

Breakfast:

Strawberries and cream with homemade chocolate

Pancakes and 5 oz. milk + snacks at 9:30 am

Lunch:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Green Beans

Cantaloupe

BM - Bowel Movement - once

I played

ALL DAY LONG!

Noah has mastered going up and down the stairs with supervision and a spotter!

We encourage Noah to "go feet first".

Notes:

Noah is counting everything!

Sings ABC's in tune! Yeah!

Noah is learning Twinkle, twinkle little star!

His tune and rhythm are excellent!

Tornado Warning!

Last Thursday night, while my husband and I were watching TV, we heard the siren for a tornado warning in our area. As soon as we heard it, my hubby asked me to immediately get Noah from his crib, and go straight to our basement. Oh, boy that was scary! Then, the weather channel reported that the tornado warning had already been lifted. Thank, God! So, we went back upstairs and continued to watch our show. After just a few minutes, the siren went on again. As far as I can remember, I think I heard the siren go 5 times at different intervals. Without hesitation, we ran to the basement again and waited. I'm thankful that a tornado didn't hit us. hooo! Unfortunately, the place where Noah's daycare is, they experienced what they call "microburst". It generates a very, very high wind that could cause wide-spread damage. In fact, on my way there, I saw some big trees that had fallen down. They also had hail which was the size of a baseball! You see, the daycare is only 9 minutes from our place. It could have happened to us, too. We had thunderstorm, but thank God, it didn't elevate to a tornado, or to something destructive. For those who got affected, I pray that they get the help they need, and recover soon from the disaster.

On Being a WAHM Soon!

Come June 1st, I'd be starting my maternity leave. I'm scheduled for C-section on the 16th of the said month, a week earlier than my due date. That would mean staying home, taking care of my dear son and loving husband, and also looking after our 2 crazy dogs and cat. It would give me time to rest (hmmm...not really so sure about this :), nurture the little baby inside me and prepare for his imminent birth. We are just so excited! :) After I give birth, I'd be compelled to stay home since daycare is costly especially with 2 kids. Meanwhile, eventhough I'd still be doing some part-time work at home doing billing stuff for the office I work for, I also would like to try making money from blogging. Because, honestly, having 2 children means more milk, diapers, baby food, clothes, etc. So, I thought, why not join the numerous bloggers out there who are having fun writing and getting paid at the same time? hmmm...sounds good to me! This sparked the idea of applying for PayPerPost. And, I'm just so glad that I got approved! I am hoping that this venture would help us along the way. It may or may not be big, but at least, there's some "moolah" for Noah and Kaiden's milk, and toys. :)

What a Heavenly Experience!

I can't tell you how much relaxed I felt after a soothing massage yesterday. It felt like heaven! :) My good boss and associates at work surprised me with a gift certificate for a prenatal massage at Mario Tricoci. They set up an appointment date for me, and even took me there and picked me up as well. The massage therapist was so warm and friendly, and she seemed so skilled at what she does. The room had low lightening and the background music was soft and almost hypnotic. Initially, she asked me to lie down on my back with a pillow underneath my knees. Then, she started massaging my head down to my neck and shoulders. Oh, that felt so good! After that, she did my arms and legs. I felt a little bit tickled on my feet though. :) Lastly, she asked me to lie on my side and hug a full-length body pillow for support. She gently rubbed my back, focusing on the lower part. Since my belly has been getting bigger, it also has been putting much strain on my back. I have been suffering from backaches for a couple of weeks, and the massage surely helped relieve the discomfort. At the end, she told me to drink lots of water to aid in the release of toxins from my body. After the experience, I felt so renewed, and I almost didn't want to get up! In short, I loved it! :)