My Sweet Haven

Books, Games & Pregnancy Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:00:00 +0000

I am currently 27 weeks far along. Still a long way to go but everything has been great so far. We went to the doctor today. I had another sugar routine check, I believe this has been the third time that they took out some blood sample to check for sugar in my bloodstream. All came back normal so everything has been cool so far. In 3 weeks, I think I'm going to have a glucose tolerance test. I believe that's when they give you something sweet to drink, wait for an hour or so then take some blood sample to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. I've been hearing not so good things about that test but if it's something I need to go through, then so be it, but I'm definitely not looking forward to it, lol. Anyway, the doctor said baby's heartbeat sounded great. I've been feeling some mild occasional cramps at nights but he said it's quite normal as long as there's no fluid or blood discharge. He advised me to take plenty of water though since dehydration could also cause more cramping. The most exciting update for me is feeling the baby move. I started feeling it since week 24. The first kick freaked me out at first, haha! But I have gotten used to it after a while. It worries me sometimes when I feel him less on some days. It puts a smile on my face or makes me giggle whenever I feel him move around. I can't believe there's actually somebody growing inside of me and actually moving. It's just an amazing feeling.

On a different note, I've been inefficient dealing with time lately. I mean I understand I'm already physically limited to do stuff around the house but it makes me feel kinda' bored at times. Hubby understands and sympathizes with me so as what he always does, he's quick to respond to my needs, hehe. He would always take me out for dinner, drive me to shopping stores on weekends, buy me some plants from nurseries that I've enjoyed watering everyday, hehe, and just recently he got me some video games from Amazon for my WII and DS and also some books for us to read together at night. We've started reading "The Baby Book" together and it's kinda neat to learn stuff together about having a baby. On the other hand, I've been keeping myself busy on weekdays by playing WII. I love Rune Factory: Frontier. It's my first time to try simulation/role playing video game and I enjoyed the stuff you can do in that game. You can grow crops and then sell them, defeat and befriend monsters in dungeons and turn them into pets if you wish to, mine for metals and minerals, go fishing, spend money and material to buy a variety of upgrades for the house, weapons, and tools or even meet somebody that you can start a family with. It's a cool and unique game and I find myself easily spend hours playing it. It's better than sleeping all the time which was what I have done in the past.

Closet space dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Shopping for clothes is one of the things that I enjoy doing. I’m more into comfortable, good quality and a little trendy but not out of this world type of outfits. I don’t own urban clothing anymore. I used to wear those back in the PI when I was so much younger but I don’t think I can pull off an outfit like that anymore. As much as possible, I try to be reasonable and low key with my choice of clothing. When you live in the U.S., you have to dress according to the weather, so we have at least 2 sets of clothing for the warm and cold season, which eventually leads to the problem of limited closet space. We have 2 decent-sized closets and a big dresser/chest drawer in the house but I’ve used all of the available space there is to separate our summer and winter outfits. Now that we are expecting a little guy to join the family, I think I might need more closet space. I might have to go through our clothes and see if there are some that we don’t really need and just ship it to the Philippines to free up some space. Gosh, I wish we have a huge walk-in closet!

Shopping time cut short

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:13:00 +0000

T.J. Maxx had its grand opening day last Sunday here in our area. Hubby didn’t think it’s a good idea to go on the first day as it will be jampacked with shoppers, he doesn’t like crowd so much, but wifey wanted to go so off we went. The store was a decent size with variety of affordable products. Hubby was right, it was filled with enthusiastic shoppers. Before I got pregnant, I really didn’t mind crowd in a shopping store. But to my surprise, I don’t enjoy shopping with a bunch of people around anymore. It made me dizzy. I was frustrated when I can’t even get to the aisle that I wanted to go because people were on my way. So I ended up buying only 3 bras and call it a day. I was impressed with how fast and efficient their check out counters were. There was a long line but it didn't take me more than 2 minutes to stand there and wait for my turn. I love their free promotional tote bags. It’s supposed to be a shopping bag but it looks good that you would want to reuse them again and again. I vowed to go back maybe a month after, hoping it won’t be that crowded anymore. I've seen a lot of neat stuff that I could get for my family in the Philippines. So I'll definitely go back.

What is his name for the week?

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:06:00 +0000

In a way, it frustrates me that until now we haven't come up with a final name for our baby boy. Sometimes I would take it against Jeff that we don't have a name yet, hehe! Like it's his fault that we couldn't agree on one. Blame it on the pregnancy hormones or something, haha! I have a long list of names to consider so Jeff suggested that we should use one name for a few days or weeks and see if it grows on us. So we started using Timmy (Timothy) for weeks, but it hadn't really grown on me, especially when my family in the Philippines wasn't wild about it either. Then I thought it's time to try a different name after that. We've tried Mickie (Michael) for a few days, but I inadvertently kept on reverting back to using Timmy because I couldn't get used to saying it. I know I had to try another one this time. I fell in love with the name Dominic for a while. I thought I'd nicknamed him Nico, but I got discouraged when some people said it can be a girl's name. Whaat! I thought Dominique is the girl version of the name. Then there's the fact that Jeff doesn't like it very much either because he couldn't pronounced it well, haha! For some reason, he pronounced it more like "Domi-neek" instead of Domi-nik". So I told him just call him Nico, but he said he wants to be able to say his full name with authority when he's in trouble or something, and definitely he doesn't like to stutter during these moments, lol! (which I understand) I completely lost interest in it when my sister in the PI pointed out that he could be teased in school by calling him Domino, huhu! So I moved on to another one on my list. My mom suggested Nathan, Noah and Laurence among other names but I'm sorry, no offense meant to people with these names but it just didn't click on me. Then we've tried Liam, Ronan, Evan, Cole and Finley for days. It's funny because we had used so many names that sometimes we forget what's his name for the week so we just call him "boy", lol! Today, on our way home from the furniture store, Jeff got inspired from a song he heard over the radio and he went, "What about Jeremy?" Hmm, I paused for a second, then I thought it's not a bad idea at all. So for this week until further notice, hehe, we'd be using Jeremy. I don't know for how long this name will last, but I sure do hope before he pops out, we'd have a definite name by then. (*sigh) The joy of first time parents!

Preparation is the key

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:10:00 +0000

Have you thought about getting into law school? Well, I know it’s not for everyone but if you think you’re interested, it might be helpful to know that one has to pass a standardized admission test which basically covers reading and verbal reasoning skills before you’re even allowed to take up law. Pre-Law students often report that lsat prep is one of the most stressful experiences in their academic lives. However, it’s not something to fear, but rather a stepping stone that will get you into law school you’ve been hoping for. Plenty of valuable resources will help you prepare for the test. As a matter of fact, lsat prep courses are now offered online to best cater to the changing needs of many individuals today.

A mom could dream

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:03:00 +0000

If I had not been pregnant, we would have gone to Florida in October to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. But I wasn’t heartbroken in the least, because having our first little angel is truly a blessing. It will be a wonderful anniversary gift for both of us. I’ll just have to set aside my desire to visit Florida temporarily. The reason I wanted to see Florida is because of its beautiful white sand beaches. However, since we have a little boy to look forward to, it’s tempting to check out Disney vacation packages as early as now. I know it's going to be expensive but we still have a few years to save up for that. At least even just once in our little boy's lifetime, he was able to visit Disney World.

Cheap doesn't necessarily mean better

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:36:00 +0000

Jeff has been using Progressive for our auto insurance for years. But when we bought the car, I thought of looking into some other companies that offer discount auto insurance policies. It's not because we are dissatisfied with Progressive, but I just thought maybe there are better offers out there, so I asked for quotes from 4 other insurance companies. To my surprise, all of the other 4 companies offer cheaper insurance premium than what we've been paying for currently. But we're reluctant to switch for a number of reasons. There's no assurance that they are better than our present policy. We try to read customer service reviews and not a lot of people have good things to say with those companies. Jeff never had problems in the past with Progressive as far as accident claims are concerned. So we decided to stay with our present insurance company.

Eyeing for a great glider

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:04:00 +0000

We have been using our new king-sized bed and mattress for almost a month now. I love how comfortable and huge it is. Although hubby finds it too big for just the two of us, I just told him when our little boy comes along, he can sleep with us on the bed, hehe. Anyway, because of its size, I was able to use my body pillow, one memory foam pillow on my back, and 2 king-sized pillows to support my head and neck without having to worry whether hubby still has room on his side of the bed. Literally, I’ve been surrounded with pillows, lol! The downside of it is I have to toss away one or two of them so I could scoot down the bed during bathroom trips, hehe. But other than that, I’ve been feeling comfortable and heavenly in our new bed. I’m not quite sure if I can still say this when I’ll be on my 8th and 9th month of pregnancy though. When the tummy grows that big, I have a feeling, no comfortable bed would ever make one feel comfortable and restful at nights.

Thanks to my sister who gave us lots of necessary things for the baby, we crashed out the crib, mattress, play pen, dresser/changing table, car seat, stroller, walker, bath tub, bouncy chair from our "To Buy" list. That saved us a lot of money. I still need one furniture though so this weekend, we’re going to look for another piece of furniture for our baby’s room. We were thinking of getting a nice glider for baby feeding times. I enjoy looking around at furniture stores even if we don’t necessarily buy anything right away. I love to look at contemporary furniture displays, though I must admit I’m still into traditional and casual designs. I saw some gliders at Walmart but hubby doesn't trust the quality of furnitures at this store. He said he'd rather spend a couple of hundreds more to ensure we'll get a furniture that would last much longer than spend a little over one hundred dollars and get something that would break after a few months. I agree with him so we're thinking of getting it at the same furniture store where we got our bed from.

My family in Illinois

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:58:00 +0000

To all my friends and fellow bloggers who have been wanting to see a preggy photo of me, here it is. I have posted a few on Facebook but I figured not all of my blogging friends are on my FB friends' list so if you're interested to see a preggy Jenn, just read on...

These were taken during my sister's visit from Illinois. As I've mentioned before, they brought a lot of baby stuff for our future lil boy. It's been 6 months since we've seen each other back in the PI at my wedding and it feels good to see them again. It sure was a long drive for them and I was so grateful they made it all the way to Lakeview safe and sound. They didn't stay very long though for she has work but we were able to bond a little bit. My nephew Bren has grown more and has been sweeter and gentler with me for we told him I have a small baby in my tummy, hehe.

Me with Bren

My sis Jingle

Preggo Me (6 months far along)

Me with my younger sister

Check out Buy.com's weekly deals

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:13:00 +0000

Have you ever heard of the site buy.com? Well, I came across with it while I was helping my friend find great netbook deals online. They seem to have great selection of gadgets and other stuff at a discounted price. They even have weekly deals that cover pretty much everything, from books, office supplies, jewelries, make-up, clothing, toys, electronics, and even computers. Though they don't seem to be as popular as Amazon but it sure looks like it works like Amazon. You might want to check it out!

An afternoon chit-chat

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:42:00 +0000

I got a surprise visit from my Filipina neighbor and friend the other day. She brought me some apples, green beans, tomato and peaches from her garden. And oh, she also got me some pork sinigang, too. Yum, yum! It’s been a while since we last talked. We talked a lot about baby stuff and her medical condition. She’s already on her 60’s, though I must say she doesn’t look that old to me. She takes really good care of herself. She’s trying to live a healthy lifestyle as well. For the past year or so, she’s enrolled in a special diet program quite similar to HCG weight loss Austin. Unfortunately, she recently hurt her back so she had to limit her physical activity and could not exercise very often like she used to, and I think she was advised to quit the program temporarily since diet without exercise won’t be that effective. Too bad!

Serves its purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:05:00 +0000

Our first and still functioning Canon camera is a Power Shot S2 IS. Jeff bought it 4 years ago before he went over to the Philippines to visit me the first time. As a young bachelor that moves out a lot, he didn’t use to own much stuff including a camera. But he invested on one when we decided to meet in person because we want to have souvenirs and photo memories from our dates. He had no idea which camera to buy. But after some research, he was convinced of the durability and functionality of the zoom Canon camera. It's nothing fancy actually, it’s not even a DSLR which I’d like to own someday, but I love our old camera. It has excellent zooming quality and takes clear and crisp photos. It has never let me down so far. I always get compliments on how nice our camera is whenever I take it out to family and friends’ gatherings. And the most important thing, I love the quality of the photos our old Canon takes. If we need to upgrade in the near future, we're thinking to stick to Canon.

U-hauled their way to Lakeview

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:04:00 +0000

My sister in Illinois with her family paid us a visit last week. The drive from Bradley, IL to our place was supposed to be 8 hours but they had to stop in St. Louis, Missouri to spend the night in a hotel. Unfortunately, there was a sporting event held in St. Louis that day, so all the decent places to stay in the area were occupied. They drove a little further down and found a vacant room but according to my sister, it’s the worst place she’s ever stayed. The first thing that I’d always make sure whenever we stay in hotels is to check whether the doors have secured and safety locks. She said the deadbolt locks in that room was not even working. She had to set her alarm every 2 hours, just to be sure they won’t sleep soundly, that way they’ll stay alert and vigilant for suspicious sounds or people. I could imagine it had been stressful for her. But anyway, they survived and made it all the way to Arkansas safely. We’re thankful for they brought with them Bren’s stuff that our future baby boy could use like crib, dresser, mattress, bedding sets, playpen, walker, stroller, car seat, bouncy chair, baby tub, few toys, and plenty of still very nice hand-me-down baby clothing. My sister was very good in keeping these stuff in good condition because we had anticipated that sooner or later I’m gonna be a mom too and it’s a big help to have these things available to us for free. Newborns grow fast and I'm glad I don't have to buy much newborn clothing that our baby will just outgrow in weeks time. However, even with all those things she gave us, I still need so much more for the nursery. I made a list of the things we still need and approximately, it would still cost us hundreds or even thousands (if I'm not careful) to buy these things. Surely, it's expensive to have a baby but I would imagine the joy our little boy would bring to our lives when he comes out soon. We have started setting up the baby's room and we're very excited to have everything ready before the little angel comes along.

Capture, save them and show them off!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:48:00 +0000

I love taking pictures. I didn’t use to like being photographed before. But that changed when I met hubby back in 2005. Ever since we met in person, he always makes me feel like I’m worth photographing for, lol! I’m his favorite subject, so he’d say, hehe. Cheesy, huh! But yeah, he had turned me into a camera addict, lol. I’d like to capture every place and event in our lives through photos. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who loves to take pictures of just about everything in their lives. I mean it’s a great way to save wonderful memories and look back at them and share them with your friends and loved ones. I don’t print them often enough to put it in an album though. Most of our photos are stored in our computer’s hard drive, disk, USB, social networking sites and my own personal blog. Sometimes I find it hard to share everything because of bandwidth and album capacity limits so I’d usually make a slide show and share it on my personal sites. A lot of websites allow you to customize your slide show with fancy backgrounds and cute animations and stuff. When I feel bored, I take the time to view them again and it reminds me a lot of wonderful memories when those photos were taken.

My First Car

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:32:00 +0000

...is a used 2006 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE. We bought this 2 months ago as the need for a second vehicle arises. Jeff owns a Chevy S10 truck and with our little Timmy on the way, we thought it would be necessary to own another vehicle that we can put a car seat on. We went to several used car dealers in the area and this was my top choice. It has a powerful V6 engine, upscale interior and catchy "Four-Door Sports Car" feel. I liked it right away when I had first set my eyes on it. Then we did some "test driving" and Jeff thought it's an awesome car. It runs so smooth that makes cruising on the highway so effortless and has some very interesting features. It has great gas mileage which matters to us. We both particularly like the cruise control feature which we didn't have with our old truck. I love to listen to music while on the road so the 6-cd player/cassette player/AM/FM station with (8) speakers & illuminated steering wheel audio controls was sweet. It may not be the top of the line vehicle but I love my first car. It is just what I need. Since I'm pregnant and out of work, I don't use it everyday, but whenever I feel like going out to breathe in some fresh air, do some shopping or even just enjoy sight-seeing, I take it out on the road and just bask in the exhilaration of the independent feeling of having to drive my own car alone. I have here some photos to share. It was drizzling when I took these photos so the car's exterior may look grainy and wet.

Front

Side

At a different angle

Driver's and Passenger's Seats

Little LCD display

Pretty Sky-view Roof

Spacious and comfortable rear bucket seats

Roomy cargo hold

To walk or not to walk

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:30:00 +0000

My friends have been telling me that I should get some exercise now that I’m pregnant. I agree with them but I just couldn’t decide whether to walk around the neighborhood or use the treadmill. I must admit I’m not really a morning person so going for walks early in the morning is next to impossible. On the other hand, it gets too hot to go outside the house in the afternoon so I’m seriously thinking of just walking on the treadmill. I know I’d have to be very careful not to fall or go outbalanced so I wouldn’t go beyond my comfortable walking speed. Actually, I’m happy with the kind of treadmill we have. We bought this two years ago. We did some good research on treadmills over the internet and we specifically had our eyes on folding treadmills for we didn’t have much room in our place and we need something that saves us space. Although SOLE F-85 is huge and bulky, it folds as shown in the photo and I really love that feature.

Glad I didn't have to do it

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Last weekend, Jeff had to change the oil in our truck. It was my first time to see him did some work with our vehicle. Of course it was sweltering that day even when we left the garage door and the door that leads to the sunroom open to allow some breeze to come in. He still got super dirty and sweaty. I got to watch him work for a little bit. I was curious with the process and in between the job he explained to me how was it done, what were the names of the truck’s components and what were the tools used. It’s not that I have plans to do some mechanical work myself, lol, not likely but I just thought it was nice to know something though I didn’t remember any of it shortly after. Like most men, Jeff has lots of useful tools in the garage. I’ve seen some neat spring plungers in his huge toolbox and all sorts of handy tools that don't mean anything to me but he treats them like they are one of his priceless collection. I even joked about his fascination with tools as similar to women's love for make-up, shoes and clothes.

Financial security for your family

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Nothing is certain in life. That is why we worry too much on what the future holds. Most people want to secure a future for their family especially if they have kids. Saving for the future is never a bad idea to begin with. Some people would venture on affordable life insurance and make sure their other half and the kids would get something in case something bad happens to them. I have an aunt in the PI who used to sell life insurance back when I was still working in the PI. I remember I have no concept of insuring for the future at that time since I was still young, single and unattached. So no matter how much she tried to convince me to get an insurance policy, I had always said no. But now that I think about it, getting a life insurance policy is not a bad idea after all. I guess you just have to find an affordable plan that works for you.

When I moved in the U.S., I realized how necessary it is to have a great accident and illness insurance coverage. In as much as we'd like to stay healthy and strong and away from accidents all the time, getting sick has always been a part of life. Accidents on the other hand happen when we least expect it. So it's important to be prepared all the time. A couple of months ago, Jeff injured his left index finger while he's at work. He had a deep cut from a metal grinder. I was shocked of course when he called me in the hospital's emergency room. It was not that serious though, they just had to stitch the skin back on. He has a great company accident insurance policy at his work so it was good that we never worry a thing nor did we spend a single cent for the bills and pain pills. As for my doctor's visit and other prenatal needs, our health insurance basically takes care of everything as well.

In our family, I had experienced deaths of close relatives. My grandmother on my mom's side, grandfather on my dad's side and recently an uncle of mine died of diabetes complications. In all cases, money for the funeral service had always been an issue. The immediate family members of the dead relatives always had problems with burying expenses. I could not be certain whether there's a cheap funeral insurance offered in the PI, but I know one can never be too prepared for such an unexpected thing. It's just sad that grandchildren, nephews and nieces had to contribute before the dead relative can be buried. But it's a reality of life back in my country.

Thoughts on desktop computer upgrade

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:05:00 +0000

Three years ago when I came to the U.S., one of the things that kept me sane was our desktop computer with high-speed internet service. Back in the PI when I used to own a 256-mb RAM computer with a dial-up connection that sucks, I’d say a 1GB RAM computer with a powerful internet connection was a tremendous improvement. A year after, when I started blogging and doing multiple computer tasks such as uploading photos, downloading music and videos, using Photoshop for photo-editing, along with doing random researching, I realized our old desktop computer couldn’t keep up with my online activities. Then hubby got me an HP laptop with a 4GB RAM and it had worked excellently for me. Occasionally, I still get to use our old computer but it no longer has the same appeal to me than it had 3 years ago. Hubby had thought about getting a new set after too many inconvenient crashes while in the midst of playing his computer games and I think it’s a good idea to upgrade but unfortunately, it has not been on top of the priority list yet. With just about anything major that we’d like to buy, we always like to know what other people think about the product so when we’re ready to seriously consider of getting a new computer, I think it will help us with our decision to read desktop computer reviews on the internet. Probably along with the computer upgrade is the need to purchase a new computer table as well. A touch-screen computer monitor might just be a luxury but it wouldn’t hurt to canvass those too. My DIL owns one and he’s got the fastest computer unit I have ever seen. However, as of now, I’m happy with the performance of my laptop so if hubby doesn’t think we need to upgrade yet then definitely it can surely wait.

A different world back then

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:48:00 +0000

I’d say students in today’s generation are fortunate because of the influx of affordable and user-friendly technological gadgets. Looking back, I didn’t own a cellphone until after I graduated from college and had a job. I remember I used to drool over the bulky Nokia 5110 that one of my college professors used to own and told myself when I get a job, my first project is to buy a Nokia 8210 phone. Unfortunately, it got snatched away by some bystanders a few months after I bought it on my way home, tsk. tsk. tsk. I was able to buy a new one a few months after though. When I was still in school, I didn’t know a thing about laptops, audio and mp3 players and stuff. All I know is that they’re expensive and we can’t afford them, hehe. My point is it’s a different world back then. My youngest sister got to have her first cellphone when she was in grade school. She’s a Nursing student and she has a laptop for her school needs. I’m glad in a way that the world has drawn to be high-techie, and probably a better one for the younger generation.

However, the situation back in my country about snatchers, holduppers and muggers apparently hasn’t changed. While it has become easier nowadays to acquire these cool gadgets, it has also become easier for the bad guys to steal your precious belongings in a blink of an eye. So I’ve always reminded my sister not to carry anything valuable when she leaves for school. If it’s inevitable and she really has to bring her phone or laptop with her, I told her not to hesitate and just give them what they want. Things are replaceable, but life is not. I came across with an information about student laptop insurance once while I was googling something on the internet. I thought it’s nice to have insurance policies that cover small personal belongings like laptops and IPads. Your stuff will be protected from accidental damage, liquid damage and drops, theft, fire, vandalism and natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes to name a few. Although, this might not be available in the PI yet but it’s great to have this option someday.

Never too early to think about presents

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:54:00 +0000

I find it especially hard to think of something to give as a present to males. I’ve always had this problem when Christmas and birthdays come and time to get hubby, dad, DIL or even BIL a present. I don’t think they’ll appreciate clothes and accessories, so I always consider personalizing their gifts. It’s a little bit difficult if you don’t know the person well, since you know less about his interests and stuff. But most men are into sports or at least appreciate certain kinds of sports so it might help to know what sport they like and get something like personalized basketballs, golf sets or even working tools. In a few months time, it's Christmas so get your creative thoughts flowing and be ready for gift-shopping.

It's a baby boy!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:35:00 +0000

Our first little angel is gonna be a boy! We were told by the doctor from our previous 2 ultrasound appointments. Initially, I had wished for a girl. Hubby didn't care whether it's a boy or a girl as long as the baby will be healthy and safe. And I agree with him. We'll still love the baby no matter what gender. Now, the fun part is deciding what to name our precious baby. Hubby and I can't agree on a name, hehe. I'd like to name him modern-sounding names but whatever names I suggested, hubby's immediate response was "No, it sounds gay!" Hmmp! We wouldn't have problems if it were a girl since we've agreed on the name Ashley Rae, but deciding a boy's name is quite challenging. Hubby likes old, traditional and some biblical names like Timothy, James, Paul, Joshua... while I, on the other hand, like the sound of Cameron, Caleb, Ethan, Nathan, Cody, Riley. We have not come up with a final name yet, but in the meantime, we both call him "little Timmy". At least, we still have 4 months to agree about the official name but I just couldn't believe how difficult it can be to come up with a baby's name especially if you were to consider the inputs of your immediate family members like your mom and sisters as well. But it's been fun so far. When we're in bed, we'd always brainstorm and think of names but nothing in consensus just yet. Anyway, here's some glimpse of our little boy in my belly.

One of the many sleepless nights

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:41:00 +0000

I’ve been having a difficult time trying to get some sleep at nights lately. It could have been from my irregular pattern of sleep. I slept in most of the time especially on weekdays. Another reason I can think of is my growing belly. I can’t seem to find a comfortable position. Oh I really hope our new bed will be delivered now. They promised us by the end of July but it feels like it’s taking forever. I am really counting on it that it will make me feel so much better at night. Anyway, on sleepless nights, I hate to always toss and turn as it will wake hubby up so sometimes I’d get up and get a glass of milk or watch some cartoons or even use the computer. I’m not very wild about the third option for I feel like I’ve seen the whole internet already twice, lol, since on daytime that’s what keeps me busy. But in times like this, I’m left with no other good options. One time something about a tree Irvingia Gabonensis, native to West Africa caught my attention. The fruit as I’ve read is similar to mango and is used for food. But according to modern science breakthrough, the seeds show promise in helping lose weight because of its high fiber content. Well, science is really amazing. But I wonder if like any other products, what are the irvingia gabonensis side effects arising from it.

Bonding with Pinays at Bull Shoals Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:14:00 +0000

I know it's been a while since I've shared some interesting personal posts here on my blog. I don't want to make excuses so I will flat out admit that I kind of lose interest in blogging for a while. It could be from the crazy hormones brought by my pregnancy, nonetheless, I couldn't give up blogging for good. I just hope that despite my long absence, I still have readers and loyal friends who would still find the interest to know the latest about me.

I'm sure I have mentioned before that I found new Filipina friends in town. We still keep in touch every once in a while. A month ago, they gave me a surprise visit and asked if I would love to join them swim and hang out in Bull Shoals Lake. I can't swim and I have no interest to even jump in the water especially in my condition but I know I would enjoy being with familiar faces and to get out of the house once in a while. So I didn't think twice, I joined them. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to get ready. I just put on some clean clothes and off we went. I offered to be their official photographer on that day since I don't want to swim anyway and was not in the mood to be included in the picture taking, lol. So sorry you can't find me in the photos. But I promise to share some latest pics of me soon to give you an idea how bigger I have become, hehe. Anyway, I was glad I got out of the house and breathe some fresh air. The weather was awesome on that day, it wasn't too hot for me. I made hubby a little worried though because it was impromptu and he was at work so he came home with an empty house. I called home a few minutes after he arrived from work so everything was cleared up. I don't go out alone that often so he worries a lot but he likes for me to have fun with Filipinas even without him.

The placid lake of Bull Shoals

Some teenagers just chillin' out by the lake shore

Here's my Filipina friends

Other swimmers

"Sima-sima"

"Chika-chika"

Friend Nylor with our cute little girl "Brandy"

Oops, one night I crave for pusit and nilat-ang baboy so I made some for dinner. It was yummy. Glad I have the energy lately to cook some foods that I crave.

Thoughts on burglar alarms

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:04:00 +0000

I was up a little later than usual last night. I couldn’t get my mind off the details of a true crime story book that I was reading. It’s about a gruesome murder of two women in their 20’s inside their own house in Napa Valley, California. I know we’re in a safe neighborhood in this small community but I can’t help but worry that some random acts of violence could possibly happen just about anywhere in the world. For some reason, I felt I was no longer safe in our own house last night. I don’t usually turn on the lights when I had to get up in the middle of the night for bathroom trips but it was different last night. Not only did I turn on the night lamp but I woke up hubby to tell him I’m going to the bathroom to pee, lol. I shouldn’t have been reading books of this kind but what can I do, it’s a genre I’m interested to read.

While I was desperately trying to get some sleep last night, I had thoughts about whether it’ll be practical to install an effective security system in the house. Many people have done this and if this would make your family safer and secured, I’d say there’s nothing wrong about the idea. I believe there are so many different kinds of burglar alarms in the market that deciding which one to get can be difficult at times. A lot of websites give helpful tips and buying guides for first time or reluctant buyers like me. I would say most companies would even assist you with the installation process. It feels good to know that you've taken extra steps to ensure the safety of your belongings and of course your loved ones.