duty free steals

hello everyone! I have not been updating for a while now. So busy with training school. Anyhoo, I went somewhere nearby that allowed me to pass by duty free for a while.

Finally, I found that perfect teal-turquoise-tiffany and co color that I've been looking for months now. Sadly, it was too pricey 'cause it's from Dior. But on a second thought, it's just one of these moments. I don't do this everytime so why torture myself. I swear I've look far, First I went to check it out at Mac, then at Essie, Zoya, OPI, Nyx even Inglot. So i finally gave in to the temptation.

credits by cafemakeup

dior vernis saint-tropez 401

I bought myself 5 lipgloss at a price of one.
I was actually looking at shiseido's purple lipgloss but I am after the quantity and same quality. so i went up for this! used one and I can give it as a gift to some back home.

nude pinks, corals and bronze

A month ago, I bought Mac Snob. I have been collecting lipsticks every month since I've been back. and for months now I've been looking for this purple-pink-lilac lippie everywhere. Hubby was not happy with the Mac lipsticks I've been eyeing when this MUA at MAC offered me this Snob, but it's looks kinda nude when I wore it. So I went and looked for a lipgloss maybe it will do the trick. It was just too light but whatever.

my second home

Finally arrived in the sandsoil after a year of absence in preparation for motherhood. I am not really excited in going out or meeting old friends.

The first morning upon arriving here wasn't pretty. Wasn't sleeping that well, plus missing a lot my baby girl back in Manila. For most of my days, I am giddy when it is bedtime already, cause I always look forward to waking up the next morning seeing baby girl's smile...its the first thing I see upon opening my eyes.

It was a torture realizing the absence of that smile I always look forward to. I cried the time I woke up. Will hold on to that last onesie she wore the day I left. Looked at her photos, and when it was hurting too much I would watch her videos to see her for life...temporarily. it's like an instant relief.

A week ago, I was so jumpacked with deadlines to pass, to pay, to buy before leaving.
I tried so hard to bring all the stuff I bought home the time I arrived in Manila a year ago. My goodness, I was able to fit my stuff a total of 30 kg. my hand carry luggage was so heavy that I was asked to carry all my spare handbags containing my valuable jewelries and shoes. I got a tire arms after the flight. I got a very nice seat near the emergency exit but was seated with an arab man that I felt so uncomfortable, that I decided to switch to a window seat with a filipino beside me. Let me tell you, that I am not fond of watching in flight enterntainment however I was thinking too much that I couldn't put myself to sleep that I decided to watch "thelma" and boy it was a nice film to watch.

It was so cold in the plane that I wanted to reach my destination asap cause I was so sleep deprived. I tried my best to sleep upon settling down but just couldn't. the next day I got puffy eyes that I couldn't report to the office immediately and missed training with the rest of the new filipino girls. oh well!

first solid food experience

This is not the first time we tried to feed her with solids. however, we were not able to document it the first time so this time I made sure I took everything in detail.

at three months old, babies should be given solids as per pediatrician's instructions.
I was told with experienced mom i know that I should try to give her bland foods as much as I could. So i tried to give her ampalaya and carrots.

made a small portion

I boiled the veggies until well-cooked.

This is the fun part, I smashed it. when I wasn't convinced, I pureed it using an electric blender.

I just made sure to give her small portion to prevent choking from happening. the problem with babies is that when they feel something off, they cannot speak something for themselves. 

I made sure that I was giving her water in between takes, and when I feel like that she's starting to be irritable then I stopped. 

I read somewhere that when giving solid foods, its important to give it a one week interval to check if your baby is allergic to a certain type.

leaving again

My one year unpaid vacation will end soon.

I totally missed a lot at work, and probably I'm the last person to visit our european routes. But my baby is more than enough for me. It really is about priorities. My priority is my family. 

just thinking of leaving again makes me all sad. Out of need, left without a choice I have to leave baby back home for at least 2 months. all vaccinations will be done by that time plus we dont wanna risk travelling her in a long haul flight. I've been flying for 4 years now and I have seen babies whining all throughout the flight, and the problem with babies is that they're so helpless to tell us what's wrong with them. 

I can't do this, but I have to for her. If I don't leave the soonest, then the longer I have to wait to initiate the process of her papers. Later on, I still have to leave. Argk, if only there are jobs that pay the same in my country then leaving will be out of my option. When you have a child to look after to, it is still best to be in your own country where family and friends are just a call away.

I've been writing down things I have to buy before leaving that is essential to my work.

-lots of black ponytails

-hairnet

-stockings

-nude nailpolishes

-a mani/pedi set (pusher, nipper, cuticle remover)

choosing a camera

Sadly, our family's Nikon d40's lens got wrecked while I was in the middle of shooting houses with my husband. I don't know but it just got stacked while I was zooming the next thing I know there was this black crescent in my photos. This cam was given by my mom to my youngest brother while in college. We had an agreement that after college it will be mine in exchange of the laptop and PSP I gave him. But I guess, it's better for the cam to stay with him due to sentimental reasons..

So now, I am looking what kind of Cam will best fit my needs: traveling, family portraits most of them will be my baby, tutorials that I have to come up soon. So here are my picks

NIKON   D5100  vs CANON 1100D vs CANON 60D
CANON G12 or NIKON COOLPIX P300

CANON 1100D vs NIKON 5100
traveling is a big part of my existence, it's the perks I get out of my job.
I love taking snaps of everything. However, I've stopped uploading albums in my FB account. Im making more of a slideshow of an event these days.

The thing about Canon 1100d is that it's for beginners and it's not that pricey.
I'm taking the Nikon d5100 into consideration because of the retractable LCD, that way I know how I would look like if I am to capture myself while in a foreign land. Compared to the 1100d the price is still quite reasonable. The canon 60d's specs are brilliant however if your not a photographer then you need to pass on this one. its very impractical.

CANON G12 vs NIKON COOLPIX P300
okay, so these days everyone has at least one DLSR. But when your a mom, you better start thinking about packing lightly. I though of G12 because of its retractable LCD like the d5100. while the Nikon P300 boast of its DLSR's capabilities. hmmm...


prices in philippine pesos. visit dbgadgets

my Toni & Guy experience

A pamper-me day from hubby.
Celebrated my journey to motherhood by having my hair chopped thiiiiisssss SHORT!

I've been looking forward in having my hair chop for the longest time.
The last time I had this short was way back in HS. I guess it was the trend back then.
I am not really a fan of hi class salons cause i usually do trims every once in a while, if not in an average salon...I do it myself. cause I always end up sorry for my hair everytime. There's this miscommunication everytime. I would say a half inch then end up having my hair tooo short. but since I was eyeing a certain style of cut I decided to go to the experts who knew their craft. I was afraid that the salons 'sa kanto kanto lang' will murder my hair.

upon entering the salon, you will be asked which hairstylists do you prefer. If you don't have any preference, they will assign you anyone. I was given a glass of cold drink together with hubby.

after shampooing my hair and a little massage on the side. My hairstylists appeared. I was not happy with her attitude by the way. not so accommodating. not even suggested what kind of short styles will best fit me. anyhoo, she opened a set of scissors that I don't know what for.

It was only a haircut but I sat there for almost an hour or more.
sectioned my hair. when she's done with cutting my hair. I thought I'm all done by this time after my hair was blown dried. but my stubborn hairstylist went back and trimmed more, to give my hair more texture. It's a bit pricey but you get the value of the what you paid for.

I would say my experience with this salon turned out to be great if not only due to this supladang hairstylist. I wouldn't mind if she smiled?!

hubby was taking photos while I was being pampered. when i was done, he told me "its my turn now" hahahaha! by the way, I think He was happy with his hairstylist than I was with mine. argk!

an update

i'll be coming back to my flying duties in no time.
I was thinking of making videos to show my family and friends back home how my life revolves in a daily basis how's the routine. and best of all, my job as a sky nanny. this way, it will clear up the misconceptions on how glam and etc it is.


so far i'm loving the idea of being a newbie mom. I made a tumblr account to track her growing patterns. its been two and a half month and still everything feels so surreal. how she came out, how she looks like, and everything. still, i am thankful. I was able to celebrate Christmas and New Year with her and the rest of the family though without my hubby. But hey, I'm not whining. 


I was able to sew using a sewing machine a balloon skirt for her during the holiday. I was so engrossed with sewing that all my family was busy videoking the night. My little pumpkin was whaling as I out the skirt on. so I gave up! but she wore it for like 10 mins on Christmas eve. I'm looking forward in sewing more stuff for her. I just realized that whenever I walk inside a store. I always look behind the clothes how they were sewn. Geesssh, why have I not thought of learning this while growing up? 


anyway, thats for now. 
oh, I'm busy making her birth scrapbook. just needed to put those bump stickers. goodnight!

my journey - first pregnancy

6.82 lbs
normal delivery
labor : 4 hours.
check in : 11:45 am/sunday lunch
baby's out : 4:45 pm/sunday afternoon
in the suite : 9pm/sunday night
discharged : after 24 hours.
cheeky and pinky.


I have always feared the process of giving birth no matter how beautiful it is in so many ways. But it is actually in facing our fears, we can only find out. but after having passed that stage, I can say that I am actually stronger than I thought I was.


My EDD fell on my birthday. but baby arrived 5 days early, at 39 2/3 weeks. and just 48 hours after hubby's arrival in manila. must be pretty excited to meet her dad! meaning, we will not be able to have a bump photoshoot cause she decided to skip on that. lol! but hubby was able to experience my belly going crazy for at least 2 nights. it was so funny looking at him so amazed with her movements.


friday -      hubby 's arrival.
saturday -   hubby  paid a visit to his folks without me. It was also this time when I started preparing hubby's stuff. mine and baby's hospital bags have been prepared long before his arrival. I was pretty tense while checking on what to pack.


saturday night, while i was having my shower, i notice a mucusy discharged (mucus plug) similar to nose mucus, plus I was having diarrhea -- i don't know why. probably, clearing my system for baby's arrival. dad even ordered a big box of pizza that night. so that was pretty much the last food I had.


by this time, I have come to realization that baby is arriving soon. I was still hoping that we will share the same birthday. - - just hoping! but still it is God who schedules.


Sunday - We woke up pretty early. We watched a very funny korean movie and was laughing like crazy. I haven't laugh that much with him for a very long time. anyway, then he asked me for a walk outside, and probably stop at the nearest starbucks. So I went for a pee, and boom found brownish stains in my undies. this was the first sign we were waiting for. but still no contractions. I alarmed my dad and all the people in the household. hubby and I manage to have a quick shower and have one photo before heading out. My dad even said "manganganak ka na, pipicture picture pa!" lol! still no contractions.


I was 4cm dilated, when I was checked.
they adhered a medicine that will help me contract to initiate the process of labor. it was only at that moment when I started contracting. I remember asking the nurse that I wanna do poo poo. I had no idea that this was the labor pain everyone was talking about. literally! But I was cautioned not to push, coz its not poo poo - - plus, I have to save my energy. the only time I can push is when I'm fully.


The early stages of labor were perfectly beautiful. Nothing hurt that bad. then few minutes later my contractions were in full force. until a contraction came on where I shifted gears. I was hanging on the handles of my hospital bed while I was doing inhale-exhale and timing them facing the wall clock. mobile phones were not allowed form the time I went inside that was a huge bummer! it made waiting seem long.


My OB/mom's friend came and poke my water bag. and asked to have the delivery room ready.


delivery room -  they were all waiting for me to become fully - 10cm.
bro's gf is working in that hospital, (same as he few months back. He left that hospital when Mom was terribly sick.) anyway, she managed to go back on duty when she found out I was giving birth that day. she was a big help in assisting me manage  pain, and proper breathing technique. it was at this moment also when i was given local sedation.


they started asking me to push this time. "taeng tae ka na ba? sige itae mo na yan." then I push really hard!!! I had no idea how pushing the baby out could be so hard especially for a first timer. you have to push hard and longer. Also, there were like 3 nurses assisting me. I was so confused with them, every one of them is telling me "mommy, breathe tayu 1, 2, 3."  that i don't know who to follow anymore.I was like, can i just follow one person? they were all talking at the same. i decided to pay attention to my brother's gf. at one point i started telling them to shut up just by simply saying "sssshhhh" and raising my two hands to tell them to be quiet. i just can't focus if it's noisy. then when i couldn't contain it anymore i told them "please wag kayo maingay di kasi ako makapgconcentrate" in my sweetest voice. just like a normal person when they're doing poo poo. lol. thats the last thing i remember.there was no shouting or cursing my husband from my end, those things that you see in movies. i don't know why some people yell at the top of their lungs.oh well, every pregnancy is different so i can only speak from my own experience.


8:30 pm I was in the recovery room. I was told by the anesthesiologist that i have given birth already. I have short memory loss due to the local sedation given to me. upon hearing "hoy, nanganak ka na!" i stared at my belly looking for my bump, and touched them. "huh? asan na ung anak ko?" the nurses told me that my baby looks very much like me and was being feed like crazy.


By this time, I have seen my baby already. and was so happy she came out cheeky, pinkish and healthy. I was officially a mom. i was discharged the next day.


when I first saw her, I wanted to carry her right away. but just couldn't. I was wondering how I was able to carry her for 9 mos. she was so cheeky! and I have very small belly . during my last trimester. I just suddenly loss my appetite compared to the previous trimesters.I don't even eat that much.


I was thanking GOD non stop. I feel so so so blessed for being able to bear a child. I did not cry. as much as I wanted to. Still groggy with the sedation. I even sense the way I talk was so different.


around 9 pm I was transferred in my room already, was so hungry. Dad and the rest of my family was there. my sister and my Dad was laughing like crazy and when i found out behind their laughing scheme i started laughing so hard."tumigil na nga kayo ng kakatawa. may tahi ako anu ba kayo!"


I told my Mom that if ever I will bear a girl, I will named it after her.


so this is it!
this is my journey. thank god for a healthy and safe pregnancy. i feel soooo blessed! plus the wonderful people in the hospital. I feel like my mom was with me in that delivery room because of her wonderful friends who was with me. my attending OB and baby's pediatrician. she even told me "tita's here already. so push hard!" and when I was able to push it the right way. tita would tell me "thats right! push hard....harder! i'm so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!"  I feel like I was within my comfort zone because of them. i'm so blessed!!!! and my wonderful girlfriends from different places who gave me pointers on what to do. thank you all of you till my second pregnancy. godbless us all!

Officially a Mom

I totally don't have time to spare to even check anything online.

Pretty much occupied with motherhood duties. I swear, 24 hours a day is not even enough. 

I just realized that the only time you realize how much hard it is to be a mom is not until you became a Mother to someone. I've always been fond of babies, but its totally a different story when it comes to looking after your own baby.

Starbucks® and bump update

I was very happy last weekend. I got to visit Bonifacio High Street after a long long time..I think I was here almost five months back when I went to see my cousin for her wedding preparations.

Perfect place to hangout with the whole family + got the chance to do my usual walking exercise. after having our usual lunch, the rest of them went somewhere while I do my own business. that way I won't be thinking too much of them, and can focus more on my one hour goal. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Some days, I have hangover during Saturdays and at a thought would love to spend more time in bed but when you wake up really early to have mass with your family, its so different! I felt like Sundays are always jump-packed with a day full of activities and it is the only day of the week I really miss when I'm not in Manila. Even in Muscat, I know from the time I open my eyes that it is indeed Sunday. When Mom was still around, I would phone them and ask them to bring the laptop down and I would watch them while they're having their lunch. 8am muscat time.

It was so hot last Sunday! but I didn't mind when in fact I'm so conscious that I might get burned. What I was aiming these days was to walk at least an hour during the day and in the evening right after dinner. Its a good thing though that our street is not really a passage of a lot of people. except during the day. 

on another note, I love the watermelon shake I had with my lunch last weekend. I bought watermelon yesterday and some crushed ice and made some at home which was good for two days serving, I kept some and just made them fresh before each meal

Aside from this place. I love Greenbelt, rockwell power plant mall, shangrila-plaza mall and lastly eastwood city mall. Its not really crowded in these places. Plus they have nice outdoor scenery. plus I get to see good looking people. lol! You should understand, I'm working in the middle east and get to spend 40 days in manila a year and most of the people I see everyday are all covered. They're beautiful in the same way however I'm just enjoying seeing the crowd since I'm here in Manila. Its just nice having my cup of whatever and observing all these people passing by.

I'm a regular goer of Starbucks® . Its the only vice people know about me. I can see the couch as I was doing my I've been stopping myself in spending time alone with one of their couches for days now. Hubby is arriving soon, and I'm so looking forward in spending time with him in one of their couches. Miss having long conversations with him and for sure we need a lot of catching up to do for the last six months we've been apart. Its just so different when he's right in front of you. Blackberry messaging have helped us alot. thanks to technology.


I remember Mom telling me years back that half of my paycheck goes to my daily consumption of coffee. I wanted to correct that. I don't drink strong coffee. My all time favorite is Mocha Frappucino®  which is like 10% espresso base as I would like to believe, its more chocolate than coffee plus that yummy whipped cream on top. I don't know what makes me going back to this place over and over again. Even in Muscat, when I wanted a to chill out once in a while I must go. But the coffee beans in Muscat is different from the one here in Manila. Given that the baristas in Muscat are all filipinos, still it tasted differently! 

starbucks in muscat fronting beach side

last time I had starbucks in muscat

okay my post is all about  Starbucks®  now. 

I am craving as I am typing this. Been stopping myself from visiting until hubby arrives. I can't wait to drop by at any Starbucks location with a good ambiance.

I can't forget that one rainy morning I was with my brother somewhere in Ortigas when he gave me one signatured hot chocolate. There was something about mornings that I love lounging at one of their couches. A few days after I've asked some friends to go with me to have another Starbucks®  moment, this time we went to Rockwell and it must be raining outside. It was a pre-requisite. I love raining! it only rains in Muscat once a year no kidding! I saw law students having their own world with all their hard bounded books, and it kinda brought me back in time when I was still in university. OHhhhh, who doesn't like reminiscing? 

Hubby is arriving in less than seven days. Okay here's where the update comes in sorry. Now I really don't know why I said a lot of stuff about my love for Starbucks in this current post, maybe because I'm craving and thinking at the same time of being with hubby ehehe! 


Had my weekly OB checkup yesterday, a lot of preggers where there too cause its a monday. and I am currently 1cm dilated. I can give birth anytime soon. Meaning, my cervix is ripening and its not too long before she arrives. 


Every pregnancy is different from one another. I did some reading online and have read some staying at 1cm for some weeks while some give birth the next day. One was saying she stayed at 3cm and stayed that way till her due date and have actually past her due date 14 days.so no one really knows exactly when baby will make her grand entrance. just hoping she can wait for dad-to-be's arrival. Dad arrived early last night and was quite paranoid. My sister in law and youngest brother wanted to bring me to the hospital when I told them I had some few spottings. Though no contractions yet. The spottings could be from the IE done by my OB. She was trying so hard to feel my cervix. I could hardly breathe and was asked to breathe from the mouth. 


I informed hubby right away, and was so bothered that baby will pop anytime soon without his presence. He felt like baby doesn't wanna hang on a little bit just in time for his arrival. I have finally calmed him down and I'm doing the best I could to hang on until he arrives though I don't forget about all those pre-labor exercises. I can see myself finally walking in a different pattern "penguin" walk. 


People can really tell that I'm having so much fun with my entire pregnancy. 
Been updating my FB status with my progress. Would keep on updating on the day itself. :)

irony

A month ago, I was the happiest "ate" when I received a message from my Dad saying my sister was expecting. I did the math, and that means after six/seven months Dad will have another addition to his grandchildren. I wish its a boy this time. I was soooo grateful for her blessing, that I can't stop thanking GOD.

I was praying all this time for my sister to get pregnant. 'cause the idea of being mothers at the same time just excite me, I just felt that our kids will be a way for us to meet more often in the future. especially mom is not there anymore.

I am few days from delivery, but just few days back 10-10-11 my sister sent me a message saying she's bleeding and advised her to visit and have it checked as soon as possible. I wasn't expecting the next message I got from her....no more heartbeat when in fact the baby was doing well at 150 bpm. There was silence after that, and when I phoned my brother in law that night, my sister was in the hospital bed sedated and in the process of having Dilation & Curettage --- in tagalog RASPA

Isn't it ironic when you can't wait for your baby to arrive then suddenly you found out your sister just had a miscarriage? I got questions in my mind. but yet again, who are we to question God's way? again, in another time He will reveal that.

This is not a different person, this is my SISTER! 

How can I have such a normal pregnancy, no complications and yet my sister the opposite? I am grateful, really I am...but was quite wondering what had happened to her pregnancy.

Anyway, they have the rest of the year to make another one. 

found such an interesting quote in twitter 

 "When one thing ends, another thing begins. Sometimes ending hurts, but a new beginning is worth the pain."

This is one of those moments when you really needed a mom at your side. I was told that she was calling out mom's name while crying. I just can't imagine how painful it is for her. Really, I am deeply hurt as she is. I was not able to eat my lunch when I was exchanging messages with her that day. My husband told me to eat because of my baby, I told him I just don't have appetite. But of course, I had something. 

She's okay now, back at home from the hospital. 

A friend just asked me if my sister really had a miscarriage, apparently she just shared her journey in her FB status. Now what pisses me off, is that some people are just NOT thinking. Clicking "like" when in fact someone is mourning??? I mean, does someone know what LIKE really means? you can comment but like a sad status about mourning or sickness is such a big no-no. 

again, I'm just sayin....

untitled

Things are a bit hazy around the household due to petty misunderstandings. Being the eldest, I stood up and finally had the courage to talk to the parties involved. Enough is enough!

We humans, usually see first the bad from the good.I Everyone is guilty about this! I can simply put fingers and go on and on and on why you are wrong. But no, that's not how I talk this time. 

We usually go into conversations when we wanted to know something. I just wanted to know why things have been repetitive over time. But I got more than that. Tears and skeletons in the closet were far from what I expected. on another note, my mom moved to heaven January of this year, never have I pictured losing a mom this young. When in fact I will be a mom myself in a few weeks from now. You might have your aunt, ninangs, or sisters or girlfriends ---- but having a mom next to you is one of the best things in this lifetime. I never had the chance to write something about her/or what really happened to her because its just too personal. Up to this time we still felt like everything is so surreal. I imagine her walking past the hallway in her household dress calling out my name, or sometimes roll calling us all when she needed something.

It just that.... it saddens me to know that mom is not here anymore and yet argument is there. it just makes the household gloomy. Plus, Dad feeling frustrated then depression comes next and the next thing you knew he's being quiet because he missed mom again. Something that I am preventing to happen.

I sometimes look at myself, not knowing when to stand for myself. Afraid of confrontations and all that. cause I never do any of that. Especially when it comes to the matters of the family and the heart, I easily break down to tears. But I was more surprised when the person I was talking to break down first. 

Not all the time, what we see is normally what they seem to be.Sometimes, they all have DEEP roots! so talk with caution if you have to.

bump photoshoot

Finally, had the guts to shoot my own bump. 

Was so lazy to do it. been postponing it for days. 

I managed to have one shot. pwede na yan. I've been counting down the days till hubby comes home for bubba's arrival. 

I really wish my husband to at least feel my tummy and be able to see bump's movements in real time before I hit the birth center. 

RAW shot

edited online

having no photoshop is such a bummer. Been searching for anything like it online just for me to come up with this shot. I just wanted to have something to remind me of my bump, just something to look back to in the future.

I have always been fascinated with pregnancy. So I had this on my mind, that when my time comes I WILL enjoy it to the fullest possibility. 

I have always wondered what I would look like, if my nose will ever get bigger. If I'll ever get tiger prints in my tummy, if I will ever throw up in the morning. will I be such a pain in the a**. or ask for manggang hilaw and bagoong. Will I ever come up with weird things to ask for cravings.

Things have changed a little. I gained pounds. my face looks fatty! my nose have definitely bloated. but I AM EMBRACING IT ALL!!!! I just can't put them in words. but for some, I might be less beautiful if that's how they can put them simply. But for me this is all part of the "art of pregnancy". I love that my face is somehow bloated, because this will be the only time in my life that I would look different. I am not worried of my weight, coz I know it will go back to how it was with keeping myself busy at work and at home that will do the trick. Plus, I eat a lot whenever im in Manila, who does not?! we have everything here. jollibee, goldilocks, you can buy 10 pesos worth of bread for merienda outside. have fish balls, or isaw. Things that I will probably not be able to have in Muscat. so the chances of losing weight is much easier. 

I'm sooooo looking forward in having Pepsi, eating smoked salmon, and finally eating isaw. 

busy mum-to-be

all the babies are coming out like week by week and that makes me feel like I'll be visiting the birth center anytime soon. I have finally fixed the nursery a week ago. Which was my pre-loved purple room. Was so busy tidying it up from the walls till the cabinets, at one point I wanted to re-paint it. Hubby kinda reminded me that I can't paint them by myself because of the fumes. oh yes, I almost forgot about it. 


I was this super lazy adult while growing up, but when I became a wife and started working overseas I have learned how addicting it is looking after your own space. Mum would be so proud of me back in heaven. All the things that she have told me finally registered. Well, she thought I was not paying attention but of course, when you have no yaya or helper to look after your needs you should know what to do.


I have organized bubba's all white clothes drawers. from her wardrobe to her blankets to her towels. That way, her room will be maintained that way. I'm even planning on making an inventory of her stuffs. 


I double checked her feeding bottles. I just learned that her tiny feeding bottles will be as good as three months, by the time she reached her sixth month I will be needing 180 mL bottles. 


I'm literally counting down the days until I see my baby. 
I guess I'm not that scared anymore of the thought of giving birth like I had few years back. I just couldn't contain myself while watching YT giving birth videos with hubby. Now I can stare at them and don't feel squeakiness with them. 


I will battle the labor. I will try to be at my best, but please don't draw a cut on my tummy. not for the beauty of it but because my job requires me to carry heavy equipment in the aircraft. 

random thoughts last weekend

Since I've been home, I have at least watched three movies. Two of which from the local scene. wedding tayo, wedding hindi - a Toni G movie which I thought was a flop. I was not happy with how redundant Toni's usual tone of voice to make patawa was seen all throughout the movie. I usually enjoyed watching all her movies.


anyway.....


Though I was taken aback watching "no other woman" cause I'm taking precaution cause i'm due to give birth anytime especially once you reached your 36th week. 


Thank God my sister was here with her husband and wanted to watch the movie too, so I went with them.

I must say that Carmi Martin's lines were so epic, it kinda reminded me of the lines used in movies back in the 80's. (a great fan of old movies here) 

I would say that Anne Curtis was very good in portraying her bitchiness as a querida. It was so good that I actually hated her for one moment and wanted to actually bite her. lolz!

maldita

I'm pretty confident that this WILL NEVER happen to my marriage. But just in case, nature will run its course in reverse I will probably do the same. lol! on another thought, I miss watching movies with him.

Kris Aquino, was very true with her interview right after watching the movie. She laughed all throughout the movie and cried too. Luckily for me, I did not cry that much thanks to my hormones for not pushing through with the drama. though, I can say I really felt Cristine's love for derek as her husband and that made me weep a little. It drawn on me how love can either break you, or transform you. 

"di na ako to eh! pero ginagawa ko to dahil mahal kita! di ko to dapat ginagawa!!!!!"

this specific scene bring tears to my eyes. as I put myself in her shoes for that moment. It drawn on me how much I love my husband, and how painful it must be if it could be me. 


again, marriage is a serious business. if your not sure what your getting into then don't marry. marriage is not a guarantee that someone will be yours forever once you guys got married. 


What I really wanna say is that, marriage is a continuous learning experience. I've been married for four years now, and glad that we just got pregnant now. the last in and out's of the day for the last four years have really thought us both to battle trials that went by. its really best to bring in the kids once your ready ---- GOD will do the timeline for you I must say. 

loving Sara Bareilles

Pumping up my morning with Sara Bareilles songs. oooooh happy hormones oh yeah! 

Thanks to our best man for uploading a link on fb. These days I'm such a stranger to new songs, I hvae no way of knowing whether I like them, unless I start listening to them. And since Limewire is not useful to me anymore. I have found another way of downloading songs.

I was first listening to Gravity, then jumped to this song! Now this was the song I was talking about. 

This just made my morning! no need to visit starbucks. Been stopping myself to visit for days. lol!

a break from all crazyness

I went blog reading yesterday and was reading drowning equilibriums when I saw a new american series PAN AM. I was watching it and kinda miss what has been my life for the past 4 years ----- flying! But i'm even more excited on the new role I'm about to embark few weeks from now ---- a MOM!!!!!

Panam's uniforms were somewhat similar to our uniform. now I'm thinking of cutting my hair real short. something I have thought months back, what just worries me is the regimen before each flight. washing my hair then blow drying them. My hair has always been long, it was easy for me to do it everyday though I love doing french twist everyday. when my hair is so wet I can just easily tie them up and I'm ready to go. 

So, still thinking though. 

I just watch the pilot episode. If I have the time I wanna see the two other episodes. I don't really know what was wrong with my laptop that when I try to listen with headsets on I couldn't hear the lines, just the music background.

got no time

only few weeks to go before baby's arrival.

Super busy tending her soon to be purple nursery. been proof cleaning the walls the cabinets and everything. trying to maximize the space as much as possible with my things and her things. Now i couldn't find her baby scrapbook. maybe hidden somewhere. 

again, been busy. I know I tweeted that I will update my blog with a much cleaner look, plus cleaning my FB account too making all albums invisible ----- for now! just too many albums and its just so hard to remove one after another.

again, will blog when I finally find the time. but everything is just like a chain reaction. I've always been busy, coz I always make myself that way. lol!

First, I was busy checking ideas online for my baby shower. next, was busy checking crafts for my baby. and now since only few weeks left for me to enjoy bump I'm busy tending the nursery. scrubbing and etc., oh, I finally fixed our hospital bag but needed few things more. I haven't purchased her nappies and formula milk just in case. I'm sure the next thing I know she will be in my arms and will be busier than ever staring at her. oh, I finally washed some of her new born clothes. oh mah gee!!!! :)

someone is terribly sick

received a terrible news all the way from muscat. Blanj has been confined for days to be observed by the vets. He is currently suffering from a heart ailment common to chihuahuas. Oh Gosh, I wish him good health. Many people just love him so much!

first and last baby shower

Was so tired with my first baby shower that I decided to mark it the last too. A friend told me that a baby shower is all about the mother and not really about the baby. didn't know that. but in my opinion, the fact that I experienced having a baby shower itself is more than enough. I don't need to do it all over again to baby no.2 and so on. I think its just okay to have a baby shower on a first baby because your a first time mom.

oh well, I'm just happy its all over now. But I had thoughts of cancelling it. However, husband wanted me to experience it. I know, its a totally different story if hubby is beside me. He will be home just in time before I give birth.

I made the cupcake tower myself. some red velvet cake pops and marshmallows covered in colored white chocolate.

happy 4th year anniversary to us!

Time flies sooooo fast when your having fun.
Thank you for the 4 wonderful years of blissful marriage and still counting. Indeed, God has truly blessed me with a wonderful husband and friend in you. Just looking forward to another blessing in our lives. I seriously couldn't ask for more. ♡♡♡

mum to be

for so long, i have not updated my blog. now on my 28th week of pregnancy. the flying wifey will soon be a mom. this blog will create more avenues to not only my flying career. my adventures. but also to my crafts as a domesticated wife and soon will launch a new career - mother. :)

makeup shopping

After having dinner at Chili's with a college friend. She accompanied me to one of the MAC outlets to purchase an eyeshadow and lipstick. I was an untimely makeover, but I gave it a try it was so long since I asked somebody to dolled me up a bit. 


I end up looking like a trying hard to look like an arab woman. One line eyebrows, exaggerated eyeliner. out of the line eyeshadow. I must say, that despite of looking like an arab woman less than filipino that I am. The MUA know  the right foundation and concealer to put on. She made sure to tell me everything she put on, that made the process in slow pace. But its all good! 

lipstick : please me (matte)
bluish green shade
free mascara brushes

formal lessons

after several turn backs. I finally decided to pursue my driving license here in the sandpit. Hubby have all his papers and stuff but was being put off to the next available date, and so on. until we didn't realize it's been years already. Hubby wanted me to drive since I got here. coz my job is more on call, than hubby's work that was based on shifting. But thinking that it would just be another burden in our pockets I was hesitant. Didn't knew that I would end up with the same thing. I should have started long way back. 

I intended to blur. LOL

driving manuals

baby Blanj

let me introduce you to Blanjie our 3 yr old chihuahua baby who doesn't bark at all. who sleeps beside me and my hubby, and who couldn't sleep without a pillow or blanket. He knows how to say hello by raising his left arm. and always have the tip of his tongue hanging out. On his first night, I was surprised that we were sleeping the same time as he is. And I really have to be up so he would be up. 

The first time I took him to bath, he run to hubby's arms and did not bark at all...i once left him to buy something, and saw him where I left him off. He snores more than him,(hubby snores occasionally when he's tired) which was normal for chihuahua's based on my research. I have no choice but to put him down the bed coz I couldn't sleep with his snoring. But now I'm used to his snoring. I put a certain spot in the room, where he will be assigned to pee. he knows where it is, but fail to pee within the lines.


Hubby and I are enjoying every moment with Blanjie, sad for my friend who was actually the first foster parent of Blanj.

Blanj is a boy. He was originally bought by another crew (not filipino) and when she became very busy she handed Blanj over to my friend. He was the love of all. But when the company found out that there were a couple of pets staying with their masters in the crew accommodation, they were left with no choice but to find another home to their pets. Luckily, Blanj found a home with us and I hope I am making him happy by taking him every afternoon for a walk when I don't have flights. I don't have qualms aside from his lack of potty training around the room. but nonetheless, we're happy. We can't take our eyes off him. But he usually get tired easily because of his age range. Dogs usually have 3-7 years life span but chihuahua's has 11-13 years expectancy. Would love to have him around for a long long time.


gosh, I will undergo my recurrent training soon. and flights are getting busier, as Oman air is expanding.we will have Milan in October and Manila in March. I'm okay with Oman Air already. One more impossible dream, may we have only one US destination, oh please NY. di na talaga ako aalis ng oman air. LOL. I hope our schedule will be able to fit to spend more time with Blanj

unexpected road-trip + starbucks

unexpected road trip, starbucks time. Then all of a sudden, house hunting. We were quite happy with our present home, however we spotted a new building with a convenient store downstairs and that made us all dream for a minute or two to possibly get a unit for four rooms, but damn it was too expensive. $2,000/a month going back to reality, we hit the road again, stop to have pizza and later on starbucks. Abi, the only indian guy I've come across with, that I'm so happy knowing. joined us to have some coffee after his work. He kept on texting me asking for some company, he was so damn bored and doesn't wanna go home yet. sadly,hubby was on night shift and will be out by 3am. We were home around 1am. What a pity, he was texting me every now and then asking what we are up to, probably envious...miss him though. haha. No picture with him. sigh. thank you Lord for the wonderful night.

This is embarassing

this is the daily newspaper, available free here at Muscat International Airport. To my dismay, the horrible Monday Tragedy was at the front page. I find it so funny that they have to put it on the front page knowing that the newspaper usually tackles anything to do with the aviation industry.


So embarrassing. We are greatly affected as every filipino around the world. 


News blackout should be observed in certain circumstances. here in Muscat, they don't put everything in paper which was kinda odd for me at first. But when I got used to the idea, I somehow felt bad to those people being interviewed on national TV whenever I watch news, asking how they felt that someone from their family have died or something. I just don't understand how can you interview someone who is insanely crying and probably at loss at the moment knowing something tragic happened in their life? and probably won't be able to cope up in the next few days or so. sorry, I'm going random again. And I totally see now the beauty of censored media here in the gulf.
  

lovely foldable flats

I just wanted to post these lovely flats.

Sadly though, only available in US. 

tieks by Gavrieli

WANTED : Expat friend :)

I am desperately searching for an expat friend here in the sandpit since I first got here. preferably somebody that is in a different world of mine. she could be a mother, a wife or whatever. It’s like having a breathe of fresh air. Who have not experience getting business cards from passengers? that I somehow wish, that the next time someone hand me over their business card it will be from a woman.

I love conversations especially over a cup of coffee. Maybe that’s the reason why I love my job. Despite having chances in meeting different kind of people from different backgrounds and colors I haven’t found her yet.

I suddenly recall one black woman from UK that even asked us to have a photo taken before disembarkation on board, I couldn’t forget her ‘coz she was pretty close to my idea of having a friend outside my world. But just imagine how disheartened I was upon hearing that she has a connecting flight back to UK for good. So there, the search is still on.

I earned a friend (Mr) from UK and have exchanged email a couple of times. Hoping that he would somehow introduce me to some of his female friends. But before the friendship materialized, I felt the need to stop communicating with him which he was aware of. Not that my husband asked me to, but since I am a married person. It’s called modesty, to give credit to my husband.

He sure was upset. Which he mentioned in his last email. I felt bad after few days or so for having to cut the friendship short. He was even looking forward to have starbucks with me.

It doesn’t mean that once you are married, you cannot afford to have friends. You can! I have continuously reminded my husband that we should never stop having fun individually or as a couple. But I was taken aback on the thought of being seen in the social spots around, knowing that there will always be, always be --- someone from the company that can see me. Though not everyone is aware of my marital status but what if it’s a Filipino colleague? We cannot explain everything to other people. For most of us, we judge from what we see, we all do.

I am still searching for an expat girl-friend, but now I am searching for an expat couple as well.

Just in case anyone is interested, do know that I love breakfast buffets, taking outdoor photography & slaving myself making baked goodies at home. Often times, spending a day at Borders scanning glossies while having my starbucks. :)