I didn’t expect I’d say this again but…

..I’m missing the rainy season in the Philippines. Yesterday afternoon, while I was cooking Bistek, it just suddenly rained with hail the size of my fingertips. I called my husband who was at the laundry room (Yep, he does the laundry for us. Hehe..) and we went outside. It was the size of my fingertips and I was so excited, I grabbed as many as I could but it immediately melted. I was hoping to get a photo of it, but before I can even get my camera, it was gone. I’ve been here for more than two years now but that was the first time I held something similar to a snow. I loved it!

When we went inside, the smell of Bistek cooking and the rain outside made me think of the Philippines. I was transported back to the the time when all you could is stay inside the house and watch TV and hope that there will be no classes the following day due to heavy rain. Oh well..It made me think of the Counting Crows’ Big Yellow Taxi lyrics:

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got till it’s gone

So ang moral lesson ay: Huwag mag-reklamo pag umuulan! Yun lang pow. Bow! :p

Baby Chronicles: At 16 weeks

I bought this new DVD from ebay:

I used to do Pilates exercises before I got pregnant and now I feel like I really need to do it to regain my strength for when I go to labour (it’s not called labour for nothing I know) and in taking care of the little one after I gave birth. It says in the DVD I can do the exercises at 16 weeks, and I am on my 16th week now! Yey!

The little one is growing fast I know. It’s evident in my growing baby bump. I looked like a slim lady with a big stomach (more like a manourished woman actually). So good job on the little one for taking all the nutrients from Mommy. When I saw the midwife, I was actually worried that I wasn’t gaining any weight (I know, I should be happy right?) and maybe the baby’s not developing well. She said that the baby’s taking everything it needs from me and that it’s my body whose not getting enough nutrition. Probably because I’m still getting sick (morning and sometimes at night too!). But as long as the baby’s healthy, I can take anything. As long as the little one’s safe and developing well. I don’t care what Iook like. I am definitely becoming a mother. :p

Filipino versus Australian soap operas

The last two weeks, I’ve been contemplating if I should get TFC or Foxtel. But because I’ve been missing the exciting and colorful world of Pinoy telenovelas, I decided to just get TFC especially when I grow bigger and needs to stay home often. The soap operas here in Australia are bland compared to what we have in the Philippines. And even though the actors are hunky and blue eyed, I still prefer the Filipino actors with their chinito eyes and easy smile (John Lloyd, I love you!Hehe..).

Seriously, the storylines of the soap operas here ranges from someone getting married (it’s like every week someone has to get married!) to someone being adulterous and getting a divorce, and then getting married again to another woman whose a friend of his ex! I like how Pinoy telenovelas can be ultra dramatic and although sometimes you know what will happen, a twist will eventually happen to crumble your illusion of its predictability. I can actually suspend my disbelief while watching them and forget what’s happening in the real world. Maybe that’s why Filipinos are so addicted to them. Sometimes, all we need is to just forget.

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And while we’re on the subject of soap operas, I got this from Blogthings:

What’s Your Soap Opera Name?

Your Soap Opera Name is Gia Isabella Corbin

Isa kang hampas lupa Gia Isabella! Bagay! Haha..

Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin

For those who need to hear something comforting. :p

Baby Chronicles: I learned..

These past few days have been stressful for me. Yesterday when I went to see the midwife to book in, she was asking me all these sort of questions about my medical history. I was with Ned the whole time, but during the end, she asked Ned to go out. That’s when the midwife began asking me more “serious” stuff. I wasn’t really taking it too seriously because she was asking me about domestic violence! I told the midwife, it’s not me whose being abused, the first few months of my pregnancy, I was the one who was really agressive. Sobra! With matching karate kick pa! I don’t want to elaborate, I would ruin the “angelic” image I have. As if! Haha..

And then I realized during this time when I’m being shaken by so many changes at work, relationships are more important now and more than ever. And that my health now, especially the baby’s is what I really need to focus on right now. Everything else will have to follow. If it’s going to put the baby’s health and mine in danger, it’s not worth it. Because everything else I can replace, but it’s hard to bring back good health and relationships.

Lastly, I want this quote again I heard from the movie BELLA:  ”If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans”. Everytime I feel my world is tumbling down, I think of this and imagine God chuckling and telling me, “ There you go again, I have something better for you. Just wait and see.” And I feel a little better after that. :p

Sydney’s Festival of the Winds ‘09

We went to the Festival of the Winds yesterday held at Bondi Beach. Inggit kami kasi di kami makapagpalipad. My husband whose dreaming of flying a kite backed out when we got there! Killjoy! Shy daw sya. Oh well..Anyway, here are our pics from yesterday (including my almost pregnant belly, for those interested..hehe).

And the winning kites are: a giant octopus and teddy bear kites!

Maybe next year, Ned can finally fly a kite with our little one. :p

Nude cheerleading! Afraid!

Baby Chronicles: Hoping for a Girl

It’s not too obvious that I’ve been hoping for a little girl. Pink lay out, teddy bear, flower..I’d really love to have a baby girl! I’m on my 15th week now, and if I have another scan now, they would be able to tell the gender of the baby already. Next week I’ll have my first midwife appointment (I’ve been only consulting a general practitioner up to this point).

Here in Australia, you may only see an Obstetrician if you’re having a difficult pregnancy or if you can afford to pay their expensive fees if you don’t have private insurance like us. Not like in Philippines where you can see them as many times as you want. I would love to do that but base on my ultrasounds, the doctor told me everything is going alright with the pregnancy. Next week I’ll ask the midwife if I can have another ultrasound so we can find out the baby’s gender. Yey! As long as the baby’s healthy, I’ll be more than happy. But if it’s a girl, I will be jubilant! I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Will keep you posted. By the way, HERE’S what the baby looks like now and how he/she’s developing in case you’re interested. Hehe..