What Am I Grateful For?

Oh, I have a lot to be thankful for from the littlest of things to the grandest! But what I am most grateful for are the following:

First, I am thankful for my loving husband who always sees to it that we have everything we need, that everything is taken cared of, especially when he goes out of town. He never ceases to think of our safety and what's best for the family, including the dogs and the cat.
I am grateful for my dear parents for their unfailing love despite my stubbornness during my younger, crazy years. :)
I am grateful for our son, Noah, for giving me the sweetest smiles just when I needed them most, for his infectious laughters that remind me, despite the stresses and the complexity of life, that indeed life is good.
I am grateful for my second pregnancy, that means there's more love and nurturing to spread around the house, more hugs, giggles, and smiles to look forward to.
I am grateful for my marriage and its imperfections, for they teach us to open our ears and listen to what the deepest of our hearts are saying. They allow us to open our arms and embrace each other's flaws and uniqueness with unqualified love and acceptance.
Lastly, I am grateful for the pain, the tears, the struggles I've been through. I have learned to appreciate more profoundly the life I have right now. With my family and friends, I live a Blessed Life I didn't imagine I could possibly have, hence worthy to be thankful for. Thank you, Lord. :)

Thank you, Super Hot Blogger Mommy Juliana , for this tag. :) It does make one to sit down, look back and reflect on oneself. By being grateful, it can only make you a better person, and live a happier life. :)

Easy Broccoli Salad

As much as possible, I want to try recipes with minimal amount of ingredients and less time preparation involved - as simple as possible, but would still give you the superb taste you wanted. :) I know I should eat lots of greens or veggies since I am pregnant, but for some reason, I have really been very finicky with veggies, most particularly with salads. In fact, the only salad I can eat at this time is Broccoli Salad. I have found a great-tasting recipe that has become a favorite of my husband and I. I just made a few variations, though. This is so simple and easy to prepare. :)

Ingredients:
fresh broccoli florets - 2 bunches, cut up into bite sized pieces
onion - 1/4 cup, chopped finely (use your judgment on the amount)
bacon - 1 lb, crisp and crumbled
raisins - 1/2 cup ( I usually chop my raisins in half. )

*Combine above ingredients and toss with dressing.

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 sugar

*Whisk together the above ingredients and pour over salad mixture.

Ain't that easy? Try it! You'll love it! *wink*wink* :)

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A Wrestling Career

Noah says,

I wanna be a wrestler someday!I have been workin' on my biceps as early as 3 mos. old. Look at the colorful dumbbell Dad got me.
See my big muscles?! grrrrrrrr....
heheheehe...just kiddin'! I'm just showin' off. Mommy won't allow me that's for sure. :)

Note:

This was his dream when he was only 3-4 mos. old. Because of Mommy's desperate plea to discard that dream, when he turned 9 mos, he changed his dream to becoming a musician instead. ;)

Noah's Breathing Treatment

I have taken a leave from work for the entire week because Noah's daycare provider is sick with flu and pneumonia. I guess it's a good thing for me so I can do my blogging and visit my blog friends during these days I'm at home. Better take advantage of it. :)But, on the other hand, I really need to stay home because my darling baby is sick with cough. He has been coughing terribly, but not like the nasty croup that he had several weeks ago. He's wheezing and his breathing seems tight. Of course, night time is worse for cough. The doctor had to see him yesterday and he decided to put him on a breathing treatment. He let us bring home the nebulizer which would help him breathe easier. How it works is you place the medicine, Albuterol, in a nebulizer cup which is attached to the machine through a plastic tube. As soon as you turn it on, the air passes through the tube and the cup which forms into a mist. The child breathes the mist using a mask or a mouthpiece. As for Noah, he doesn't have to use the mask nor put the mouthpiece into his mouth. He just needs to breathe in the mist that comes out of the mouthpiece which then goes through his lungs for more relaxed breathing. At the same time, he is also taking Azithromycin once a day for bacterial infection. Oh, poor baby. I pray that this would just be temporary and not something he has to live with the rest of his life. :(

Hair Evolution

Noah with a thick hair when he was bornHis hair starting to fall out when he was was a month or 2. Baldy baby :)
...hair beginning to grow back
...having little bit of bangs
His hair gets curly often times especially after waking up. Sometimes, it would look like a tornado just passed by over his head. :)

His longest bangs so far. His Daddy had to cut it short.
This is his hair at present after Daddy cut his hair. Somewhat crooked at front, and curly on the sides. :)

The Virus, my Husband and the Pot Roast

It's been awhile since I did my last post and visited some of my friends' blogs. Oh well, guess what happened? I got infected by a virus or a trojan that won't just go away! What a pain! Anyway, I was able to get rid of it. It, however, entailed reformatting my computer, reinstalling my OS, and redoing other applications. Last Saturday, my husband was home at last. Noah, who was sleeping then, suddenly lifted his head, said "Dada", and roared like a lion, as soon as he heard his Daddy's voice. It's so funny. :) Hubby was excited to show me and Noah what he bought for us. He got Noah some soccer shirts, signed by the players themselves, and bracelet and Dark Chocolate Toblerone for me. :) Night before the day he arrived, I cooked his favorite meal, which is Pot Roast. I cooked it again the following day to be sure the beef won't be tough to eat. The way I prepare it is so simple. First, I rub the meat with salt and pepper. Then, I brown the sides. After which, I pour an onion soup mix. If the beef is not tender yet, I just add some amount of water. When it's about to get done, I pour a can of cream of mushroom soup to thicken the sauce and make a gravy out of it. I put potatoes and carrots near the end. This simple recipe was actually shared to me by his good Mom. I am not sure though if this is exactly how she cooks Pot Roast. But, my hubby likes it a lot so I guess I got it right. :)

My husband is coming home!

2 days more and my husband would be home, finally. It has been 2 and a half weeks since he has been away. Noah and I surely miss him a lot! And he certainly feels the same way too. Early February, he went to Florida for a Spring Training for the WIZARDS Major League Soccer. 2 weeks after, the team went to Argentina for the same purpose. Every time he would leave, Noah gets sick. It's like he's experiencing major separation anxiety. The first time he left for Florida, he got sick with fever and cold. The recent one, the trip to Argentina, Noah was down with croup and ear infection. Poor baby :( Every night, he has been calling, checking if everyone is fine, including Sofie and Bridget, our feisty, insane dogs, and Abby, our sweet, independent cat. Few days ago, Bridget, our Jack Russell Terrier, jumped so high over the fence that he landed on our neighbor's yard. Good thing, our neighbor was nice enough to bring her home. My hubby told me to put her shock collar on whenever I'd let her out so she would get petrified and think twice before doing anything silly. It worked, actually. Good! :) Anyway, I can't wait to see my husband again. I miss watching our favorite shows together, laughing, exchanging views on certain topics. I miss his funny antics, even the sound of his "fart" (definitely not the smell though). hehe gross! :)

My 5 Facts About Food- yummmm! :)

Thanks, Aisha, for this mouth-watering and tummy grumbling tag. :)

My 5 facts about food:

1. For the record, I have been eating chicken adobo for a week now. The first 3 days, I had adobo wings. Then days after that, I had been gobbling up on adobo drumsticks, thighs and breasts. Well, can't blame me. I'm pregnant. :) My baby Kaiden would probably be born with wings, and clucking, instead of crying. :)

2. At the office, there's a man who brings books over and leave them for employees to look at and buy, if they choose to. Whenever I see an interesting recipe book, most likely, I would buy it even if it would just sit on our kitchen counter. I think I have only tried a recipe or 2 from all the books I've bought.

3. I love my mom's pinakbet! I like it either with shrimp paste or fish bagoong.

4. My favorite breakfast is tapsilog, or daing, tuyo, danggit with garlic rice, salty egg and spicy vinegar. mmmmm...yum yum! :)

5. If anyone could give me a tried and tested, easy recipe for brazo de mercedes, I would truly appreciate it! Oh my! It's been a long time since I had one. I have been craving for it like crazy. Aside from that, I have also been desperately yearning for chocolate roll from Goldilocks. I, particularly, love both ends of the roll because they are lavishly covered with chocolate icing! There's just nothing like it! mmmmm..yummy!

Photo courtesy of "My Little Space"

8 Facts About Myself

I got a tag from Lis yesterday. It's called "8 FACTS ABOUT MYSELF". Here it goes.

*****RULES*****
* Each blogger must post these rules first.
* Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.
*****************

1. I love to dance and it has been my passion since I was a kid. When I was only 8 yrs. old, I joined a dance contest at my grandpa's veteran party, and surprisingly, I won. I don't think I won because I was a great dancer, but because my "lola" (grandma) was one of the judges. hehehe daya :)
2. Until now, I feel really bad whenever memories of my favorite dog come to my mind. I was relocated to a different territory due to my work, and I had to leave him with my parents because it's not possible for me to bring him with me. My Dad said he won't eat and would always stand at my bedroom door hoping I would appear. He got so frail and got some sort of illness that he died eventually. :(
3. I've always dreamt of singing with a band in front of a big crowd. But the problem is, I don't have the talent for singing at all. :)
4. I am happy when it rains! I want to play under the rain like a child. I love the smell of it. I love the sound when it falls on the rooftop. Rain gives me some sense of tranquility inside.
5. If we would move to a new house, I would want to have a prayer room. I want to have a separate place where I could have a time alone with God and myself.
6. When I was pregnant with Noah, I passed out when I was in front of the computer. Next thing I knew, I was under the table lying on my side.
7. I have always been fascinated by clocks, those stylish, uniquely designed ones. I actually wanted to collect them. I just don''t get a chance, and money :) . It might be too late to start though.
8. I had an encounter with a thief (holdupper) 2x in my life. The first one was way back in college, my ex-boyfriend and I were walking through the overpass in Espana, UST when a thief poked a knife at him, wanting to take his gold necklace and bracelet. Instead of giving in, he fought and knocked him down until he got the knife itself. That was brave but scary! The second one was 7 years ago when I was walking along Banawe in QC. A man with a knife jumped from a van, shouting asking for my cellphone and wallet. I, without any hesitation, or saying a word, gave what he wanted. Good thing, I wasn't pushed or dragged into the van. I would have been raped, or killed.

There you go. I guess you got to know me a lot better now. Thanks for the tag, Lis. Now, I'm passing this to the following: Sexymom, ging, eva, lily, gracie, prily, lalaine and edz.

Awards! Awards! Thank you! :)

Thank you, Gracie, for giving me my very first award since I started blogging. It was motivating! :) Thank you, Shiela, for these cute awards! I love them! :)

Thank you Pinay Mommy for these great awards! You made my heart leap with joy! :)

8 Random Things About My Kid

This is the first tag I have ever done since I am new to the blogging world. :) Thank you, Lalaine, for thinking of me and for letting me participate in this activity. :)

8 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT MY BABY NOAH

1. When Noah was 8 mos old, he made a big mess in his crib. For some reason, he was able to remove his diaper and poop was all over, the blankets, etc., including his arms and legs. He was smiling and jumping up and down, looking like a naughty boy. :)
2. Noah would laugh so hard whenever I say, "stinky feet", booger burger" or when I do a fake cough.
3. Noah had his first haircut when he was only 9 mos old. Second haircut was 2 weeks ago by Daddy. I had to stop Daddy from cutting his bangs further because he's getting to look like Mo of the Three Stooges. :)
4. He started walking at 10 and a half months.
5. Noah says "idget" for Bridget our dog, "ink" for drink, "nik" for snake.
6. Noah loves watching Baby Einstein videos especially the Baby Mozart. He stops crying as soon as the show starts. Actually, he knows how to insert the tape and operate the player by himself.
7. Noah growls whenever we say "lion". He points up when we say "light". He points to the balloon whenever we ask him to look for it. He looks at the direction of the "cow" whenever I ask him where the cow is.
8. Noah makes a "milk" sign whenever he wants to drink his milk and eventually sleep. Sometimes, he makes that sign too when he wants Cheerios. :)


Laughing Baby Noah-8 mos. old

Noah sick with EAR INFECTION and CROUP

Yesterday, I brought Noah to a doctor. He has a fever and cough since Thursday night. As usual, I took a day-off from work because I wanted to monitor Noah's condition closely. To prevent his fever from shooting up further, I have been giving him a lukewarm bath, letting him drink water, juice or milk more often than he used to, and giving him Tylenol every 4 to 5 hours. Good thing that we have some ice pops in the freezer that he could suck on although he's not really crazy about it. Yesterday, I called our family doctor because it seemed like his fever and cough were not getting any better. He referred us to After-Hours Pediatrics which is a few miles from our house. I thought finding the clinic was a piece of cake. Oh my, I got lost. I went all around the area and thank God, I saw the sign, which is colored pale yellow with slanted, thin lettering. Honestly, it wasn't that visible even with my eyeglasses on. Despite the "adventure", I must say that the doctor and the staff were friendly and accommodating. Noah, sad to say, was diagnosed with EAR INFECTION AND CROUP. He received a dose of Decadron which will help him with his cough and inflammation for a few days. He was also prescribed Amoxicillin, 1 tsp, 2x a day for 10 days. Croup is an infection that causes swelling below the larynx. It is usually caused by a virus. His cough definitely sounds horrible. It is hoarse and resonant. He does have a difficult time breathing especially at night. He makes a raspy sound whenever he inhales. They call this "stridor". His cough gets worse while laying down and sleeping. He cries loud after he coughs, and sometimes throw up. Last night, he didn't want to be put down to bed. He only wanted to be carried by Mommy. It seems that he is hurting inside. I feel the pain and it hurts me twice, or even a lot more. Poor baby. :( Before going home, the doctor provided me a sheet with tips to alleviate my baby's condition.

1. Remain calm and try to keep your child as calm as possible.
2. Cool air may help stop the coughing and ease the loud breathing. If it is cold outside, wrap your child in a warm blanket and sit outside for a few minutes. During the summer, you may open the freezer door and allow your child to breathe the cool air.
3. If your child is able, having him eat or drink something cold like popsicle may help.
4. Moist air is helpful. You may want to use a cool mist vaporizer in your child's room during the course of the illness. Clean the machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Having a sick child is never fun especially when your husband is away and pregnant at that. Hope my baby gets well soon.

A Touching Letter from Nana

Today, Noah got his first letter. It was from his Nana Joan. Nana Joan, as I've mentioned in my previous post, is a special family friend, and like a second mother to us, especially to my husband. When Noah was born, Chet, my husband, was delighted to tell Nana about his birth, much to her surprise. Actually, Chet forgot it was her birthday. Joan thought he called to greet her a happy birthday. So when he told her that Noah was born that day, she was dumbfounded! She couldn't believe it! She was apparently elated about the great news! Imagine, of all the days that Noah could be born! In fact, Noah was not yet due to be delivered that day. He just had to come out since he had been suffering from bradycardia (slowing of the heart rate). He was delivered 3 weeks early through emergency C-section. It was indeed a special day for all of us.
Anyway, here's what the letter of Nana Joan to Noah says. Very heartwarming. :)


February 21, 2008


Dear Noah,

Last night, we celebrated our birthdays. You turned the big #1 and I turned the awful #67. Just kidding- I have no problem with my age. I must backtrack and state our respective days are the 19th- but due to a lot of unforeseen circumstances we had to delay the celebration. The party was a success. I calculate success based on the amout of times people laughed, the fun we had and of course the good food. It wasn't a long evening but a very nice evening. You are now walking all over the place and into all of Nana's stuff- which she doesn't mind at all- as I have so much fun watching you waddle around. Your dad and mom were there- so was your brother Kaiden- but he's not out yet- Ruby was there- she's so great. Todd and Isaac and Ava came late becuase Todd had to teach a religion class- and Teresa came for dinner. You played with Ava a lot- she likes you and you liked her- I guess you have an eye for the pretty girls! I made those funny sounds that you always laugh at and then you imitated me. You stinker... We had a wonderful birthday cake and we all blew out the candles. You got your finger too close to the fire and burned yourself a bit- but you didn't even cry- brave boy. Noah- I don't know when you will be able to read and understand this letter- I don't even know if I will be here- as God may have other plans. Everything looks good right now but one never knows. So every year I hope to get a letter off to you and someday when you're grown up- you will know that there was lady in your life who was your Nana and who cherished you.

You are loved Noah

Nana

Noah's 1st Birthday Gift

Noah got a Little Leaps Grow-With-Me Learning System by LeapFrog for his 1st birthday. My friend at work, Trish, gave this to him and he was excited about it. This educational tool grows with the baby from 9 months to toddler age. It is an entertaining, interactive learning gadget that introduces letters, numbers, colors, shapes, sounds to babies like Noah. He is still learning how to play it though, but given time, he would soon get it. As of now, he is enjoying just pressing the buttons with no rhyme or reason. :)

Noah's 1st Birthday!

Noah celebrated his first birthday with much fun! It was actually a 3-day celebration. On his birthday itself, we brought some balloons, ice cream and Noah's Ark cupcakes for him and his friends at daycare. When we picked him up, we went to Chuck E Cheese for him to ride and have fun with the kiddie cars. He was awed and at the same time got a little bit scared while riding the horse and the other cars, understandbly because it was his first time, but good Daddy reassured him that everything would be alright. We took some pictures, of course. We were planning to have him eat and play with his birthday cake at home after that, but since it had been a long day for him, we decided to have it some other day. The following day, we celebrated it with Nana Joan, our family friend, who has the same birthday as Noah's. She is a very special friend to us. In fact, she is more than a friend since we consider her a "family". Of all the things I would forget, I, due to being so in a hurry, forgot the camera! duh! Good thing, Nana Joan has a camera since I don't think I could let this special event pass without pictures to rekindle memories of my son's 1st birthday. We surely had fun that night! We even watched American Idol and cheered for our very own Ramielle Malubay. :) I still have to get the pictures though from Joan so I can post them on my blog and send to our relatives and friends as well. Finally, on the 3rd day, Noah had his solo birthday cake! This was the day that I was really excited about. I baked this just for him to devour, eat, or play with. He can do whatever he wants with the cake. It was just a small one with an animal cupcake in the middle and a candle, a musical one at that. Oh gee! The cake was all over his face and hands! It went up to his nostril even. eheehe! We actually called it a "booger cake". :) I took a video of it and I was very happy to see my son enjoying every moment of his birthday. It was so precious. :)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Love Letter From My Husband

It was a surprise. I wasn't expecting to receive anything from my husband for Valentine's day. That day, he was still in Spring Training for a Major League Soccer Team (Kansas City Wizards) in Florida. Also that time, I was busy and worried looking for my driver's license because I thought I lost it again. Fortunately, I found it. :) So, I received a card from the mail with no return address, and I was surprised to learn that it was a Valentine's card from my dear hubby. He wrote a very touching note enough to cause tears to fall from my eyes.

"Sheila; and Noah..
I love You. You are both the two most important people in my life.
I wish I was perfect and had all the answers to make you happy each day.
Yet I do my best to keep you protected and able to have the little extras in life.
We will celebrate Valentine's day and Birthday when I get home.
I miss you everyday & I love you very much
Love, your husband, and dad (Noah) "

I wouldn't trade this for anything else. I wouldn't trade this for an expensive jewelry, or any luxury one can ever dream of. For me, this is incomparable... priceless.

Ramiele Malubay of American Idol, Mariel Jacoda of Dance War-Bruno Vs. Carrie-Ann

Proud to be Pinoy! :) Oh yes, I am! I am so proud that we have a talent like Ramiele Malubay and Mariel Jacoda. Ramiele has a big, powerful voice for a petite girl like her. When I saw her the first time, I knew she was a Filipina, especially when she said her last name in a Filipino way, not the slang way. You know what I mean. :) When I heard her sing, it made me even prouder of my heritage that I became teary-eyed in front of my hubby. We were actually havin' dinner that time when we saw her on American Idol. Another Filipina that I am so impressed with is Mariel of Bruno Vs. Carrie Ann Show. At first I seemed to doubt if she was really a Filipino, but when I heard her call her grandma "Lola", that was when I got convinced that she is indeed a Filipino. Oh my! She is definitely one talented Pinay! She can sing and dance with excellence! Here's a link on her myspace which showcases her outstanding voice. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=239951013. Here's a video from youtube where she called her "lola" over the phone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSJE7csgtR4

Ramiele Malubay- I like how her Dad reacted at the end...so funny! :)



Galing ng Pinoy! :)

Pinoy cravings! mmmm yum yum!

When I was pregnant with my first son, I had this craving for ice cream. And not just ice cream on a bowl or cup. This is not even the typical ice cream sandwich that we can buy in the stores here in the US. But this ice cream is what I call "only made in the Philippines". :) Back where I grew up, which is Quezon City, there's an ice cream vendor (mamang sorbetero) who carries a cart selling different flavors of ice cream like chocolate, mango, cheese and vanilla. You have a choice if you would like to have it on a cone, cup or bun. Now, it's the bun with ice cream that I'm craving for. So yesterday I got my wheat bread and put strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream in it. hmmm...yum! yum! I even shared this with my baby munchkin Noah. He liked it too! heehehe Pinoy taste yata to! :) Anyway, that's just one of my Pinoy cravings. I have always craved for Pinoy foods eversince I got pregnant. It's difficult for me because there's not much Pinoy restos around here. I have a friend who said that there's one in Kansas but it's so far away, like a 45 min. drive. I was actually bent on driving that far but the sad thing is, it might have closed now because the last thing I heard it was under renovation and supposed to open before Christmas. My friend even went there and said it's still not open. I guess it has closed for good. haaay. One Pinoy food that I'm really, really desperate to eat right now is manggang hilaw(green mangoes)! Yung pinakamaasim na mangga with matching bagoong na mejo maanghang and matamis! errrr! I tasted the mangoes here but they do taste different. I even asked my aunt from California, known for having lots of Pinoy restos and stores, if she could send me some green mangoes. Still, the taste is so much different from what we have in Pinas. haaay! I guess I have to sing the song "pangarap ka na lang ba o maging katotohanan ba..." It seems it's just gonna remain a dream. Another sigh..haaaay....

Pinoy foods that I have also been craving and dreaming of, as in literally, are: sisig especially Gerry's sisig (resto in Timog, QC)mmmm yum yum, lechon, laing, crispy pata, sinampalukang manok, binagoongan, bicol express, Jollibee spaghetti, palabok, Goodah's tapsilog, pares, balot, bulalo, and a lot lot more! hayayayyay! :)

yuckie phlegm! :)

Oh my! I coughed this morning and lo and behold! I coughed out blood in my phlegm- a blood-streaked phlegm. Last night, when I was blowing my nose, there was also blood in my mucus. I got worried at first when I saw blood in my phlegm, thinking I might have bronchitis, pneumonia or TB. Oh my, not now that im preggy! But when I researched about it online, it said that it must be due to my sinus. Remember, I have been having a terrible headache plus a stuffed nose. And because I have been coughing a lot lately, it must have aggravated or irritated the lining of my throat. Nothing serious unless I'm coughing out large amounts of blood which I am not, fortunately.