Halloween Family Bonding

Wow, it's been a while since I last blogged.  My excuse?  I became a busy career woman who got so tired after work and I had to reserve the rest of my energy for a short family time before going to sleep.  If ever I got to do some internet surfing, I just look around and check my FB.  The internet at home was also down during the long Halloween weekend, that's why my husband and I entertained ourselves by making this Halloween season a memorable and joyful one for our daughter, Rian.

And since our daughter is taking a week's vacation now at her grandparents' home in Laguna (and the internet's back!), I guess I owe my blogger friends a story posted on this blog site. *wink*

October 29, 2010
Halloween at Office!  There was a Halloween office decoration contest, costume contest, kiddie program and of course, Trick or Treat.  I didn't get to visit all the decorated offices but the ones I saw were great.  The theme of the HR department office (where I belong) was Harry Potter.  They even had one of our Korean student OJT's as Harry Potter.  the rest of us wore something white with black blazer or jacket, and necktie (so that we would look more like Hogwarts students.  We planned on renting toga's but it was too expensive).

After office pictorial at our Harry Potter inspired decorated theme

October 30, 2010

2nd shot of Cervical Cancer Vaccine.  And I had it at my right arm this time.  It still hurts.  Anyway,  this was also the day when I first saw my ex's girlfriend (the one that he flirted with when we were still together).  She was my husband's officemate and we saw her when we arrived at his office building that day during my vaccine schedule at their office clinic.  I don't know if she knew me.  We didn't warmly greet each other, probably because my husband didn't get to introduce me formally (our daughter was with us and all the attention of his officemates were at her.  Well, I didn't mind at all, anyway).  But we got to talk casually, just a sentence or two.  And when she finally left, my husband and I smiled knowingly at each other and I said, Ah, yun pala ang gf ni Nhald.  She's nice and I felt no hatred towards her because we were both victims back then.  And anyway, I should thank her for snatching my ex.  Because of it, I got the chance to fall inlove with someone BETTER like Jeff, who is now my husband. Harhar!

Nuvali Tripping.  My family also went to Nuvali to just look around.  We didn't want to go home straight to Alabang because we knew there was a heavy traffic at expressway going to Manila.  While at Nuvali, we also got the chance for a tripping to see the model houses of the subdivisions.  Among the houses we saw, my husband and I would have wanted the one at the Nuvali Estates with 3 bedrooms + 1 maid's room, 2 restrooms, and a big kitchen.  But for now it's all in our dreams because it was worth almost 5M!  Well, we still have to sell our house and lot first at Batangas....

At Nuvali park

October 31, 2010

Trick or Treat!  It was not our daughter's first Halloween but it's her first Trick or Treat experience.  We went to SM Southmall to attend the Trick or Treat there.  I dressed up Rian as a doll (she was wearing a cute all white gown with small black dots on the skirt, with matching white stockings).  I wanted to put red spots on her cheeks using my lipstick but my husband won't approve.  But well, she still look like a doll on her costume.  She was very happy to see lots of other kids there.  She also gave an exciting scream of delight when she saw monster decorations (she wasn't afraid of them!).  We even rode the kiddie ferris wheel and she was all excited!  And the best thing she enjoyed there was watching the show of a tall man clown!

In the afternoon, I bathed her for the second time (because she was already smudged with chocolates and candies which she ate at the mall) and I super brushed her teeth.  Then I dressed her as a fairy princess, which she would ramp around the subdivision for another Trick or Treat.  She got her pumpkin bag full of goodies plus an extra bucket of candies!  In just a few minutes, quota na ang baby ko! Harhar!

A neighbor on her Jasmin costume and my little tot in her fairy costume

November 1, 2010

At Laguna.  The night of october 31, we packed my daughter's things and went to Laguna where we stayed for the holiday, and where our daughter will stay for a short vacation.  I hope she will not cry too hard when she miss us because my heart aches whenever I remember leaving her.  But well, she has to learn to be strong, away from mommy's arms for a moment in time.  She has to learn to trust time that mommy and daddy will come back for her.  I'm sure she will enjoy being with my parents, and I'm confident that while she's there, she will learn a lot while I'm away. :)

At Alabang.  So my husband and I returned to my in-laws home at Alabang where we currently stay.  Rian's taking a vacation and the internet's back, and now I'm back blogging.  I missed all my blogger friends! :)

Busy May Weekends

Summer in the Philippines starts at around the month of March and April.  But for me, my summer just started this May, 2010 (even though it felt like the whole year is going to be summer because of the heat.  It's sooo hot here in our country!)...walang pahingang weekends ito!!!!!

May 1 - Labor Day. I was supposed to have the vaccination against Cervical cancer, but since I had allergies to certain anti-biotic, I was advised not to take it.  So to make the most of the day, my family and I went to Nuvali Park at Sta. Rosa City.  I had posted an article on this.  To read more about it, just click here: I can't take the vaccine...at least for now.

May 8 - PNB HR's Summer Outing @ Baguio City. I wasn't all excited about the trip because I had been in Baguio for so many times.  But then, since it was an office outing + teambuilding, I finally decided to go, but I had to go home after the dinner of May 8 because my family and I would travel to Laguna for Monday's national elections. The whole day of May 8 had been tiring but fun.  I was asleep during the entire ride back to Manila (I took Victory Liner bus, at around 2:00 am of May 9).  Below were some pictures of our summer outing:

Balance! balance!

After dinner (with the PNB Human Resource Group)

A scary thing actually happened to us on the way to Baguio.  Click here for the story: Scary Photo (On the Way to Baguio)

May 9 - The bus from Baguio City finally got to Manila at around 7:00 am.  My hunny was already at the bus terminal, waiting for me.  When we got back at Alabang, I gave my baby Rian a big hug then slept for a while.  Around lunchtime, I packed baby's things (and also mine) because we're going to Laguna (Rian would take a 3-week vacation there with my parents and siblings because my father-in-law would take a gallbladder operation, therefore, our relatives here in Alabang would be busy taking care of him for a while).  I would also sleep overnight at Laguna because of the national elections on May 10.  However, my husband would return to Alabang that day because he was registered in his hometown (and he was a poll watcher.  Raket nya kasi may Php 500 sweldo per meeting cya dun!).

May 10 - It's a National Holiday because it's our country's Presidential Elections.  Time to vote for the one we think could run and manage our country best.  We spent the whole day outside our precint because the line had no system at all and the poll watchers were so pasaway (means they go against the rules).  When the police came over to organize the voters, the flow of voting became fast (at last!).

The line outside the voting precint (before)

 

The line outside the voting precint (almost 8 hours after)

After the voting session, we finally went home.  And it was the time I left my baby, Rian with her grandparents (on my side) fo a 3-week vacation.  My heart ached when I walked away, while Rian was watching me with quizzing eyes.  It was the first time we wouldn't be together for a long time.

May 15-16 - It was also a mother's day last May 10, and it was my husband's birthday last May 13.  But we never did celebrate them because my husband and I planned to have an overnight summer getaway at City of Springs resort at Laguna.  We just visited baby Rian on the morning of May 15 at my parent's house, but my husband and I took off to the resort by lunchtime to check in.  We rented the room with an indoor pool (which later we realized that the water was hot because Laguna is well known to have hot springs resorts).  I would write more detailed story on this next time. :) The next day, we said bye-bye to Rian and left for Alabang to my husband's parent's house where we are currently staying.

May 22 - My husband took a leave on a weekday before this weekend, but he just stayed in the house for the whole day.  That's why he wanted to go spend the day in a mall (specifically Trinoma).  It was also a very hot day, and going to the mall to cool off was one of the greatest idea we could think...and the cheapest one, basta hindi kami magsshopping, hehe.

May 29 - My husband and I traveled back to Laguna on the night of May 28 (Friday) to take baby Rian with us (her vacation is already over).  Then we went to the hospital in Alabang for Rian's check up and vaccination (PCV, Pneumococcal vaccine).  Baby Rian cried a lot and aloud when the shot was given to her!  And she had slight fever the next days due to the shot (and sobrang mukha siyang matamlay), I had to absent from work on Monday to take care of her.

Well, that's the summary of our family's activities during the month of May, 2010.  Summer's ending and we're giving way to the rainy season.  Goodbye hot sunny days! :)

I can't take the vaccine...at least for now...

I planned to take the vaccine against Cervical Cancer eversince my OB told me about it 3 years ago after I had my first pap smear exam (which the result was normal, thank goodness!).  But since I got pregnant, I couldn't take the vaccine (and it was expensive--- about 4000+ Php x 3 because it's composed of 3 shots.  I can't afford it back then).  So now that my baby is 9 months old and I'm done breastfeeding her, I realized it's time to consult my OB again and ask for the vaccine, she told me to come back after 10 days because I'm red alert that time (meaning, I had my menstrual period).  After 10 days, I didn't get to visit her again because the company where my husband works had a promo for Cervical Cancer vaccine for their employees and dependents, wherein they can take the 1st shot for only 1500 Php.  My husband eagerly scheduled me to take the shot, since I'm his dependent.  He scheduled it on a Saturday.  I was so happy because I could get it at a lower price.  I really would like to be protected from the cancer.

So we went at my husband's office this afternoon, about 1:00pm.  We brought along our daughter.  He, with our daughter, left me in their clinic to talk with the male nurse (he would be the one to inject me).  The nurse asked me if I'm allergic to eggs and chicken skin, I said "no".  He asked me if I'm allergic to an anti-biotic, I said "yes".  I told him also that I'm allergic to the anti-biotic, Amoxicillin.  Then he had second thoughts on giving me the vaccine shot and there were no doctors present who could give me precautions or explain to me the reactions I could have when I had the shot.  He called their another clinic in another comapny building and the caller also hesitated to go on with the vaccine.  So to make sure, I called my OB instead and told her my situation and asked for her comments.  She told me that I could take the vaccine but if ever I could have a reaction to it, I could take anti-allergy medications (or the worst scenario woud be I could end up in the hospital!).  She had no comments when she learned that the nurse would initiate the shot...because she knows that only doctors have the right to initiate it so that if there are any complications he or she can take full responsibility of it and can give the correct medicine. But she also said that I will not know if I would react to the vaccine if I wouldn't take it.

After the call, I excused myself and searched for my husband and daughter, whe were at his office.  I asked my husband about the situation and he told me that if I don't know the complications, I might as well not take the vaccine.  We can't risk myself ending up in the hospital bed...that's more expensive than the vaccine itself!  And anyway, I also can't risk to take another absence in my work because I do not yet have sick leaves (I'm still in my probationary period because I'm just new the company I'm currently working)).  My 2-days absences last week were unpaid, even though I was absent because I was sick.

So my family and I left the company building, quite disappointed because the allergic reactions was not explained to me by my OB before.  If we just knew about it before, then either we wouldn't waste time and gasoline to go to my husband's office on a Saturday or at least, we would know what to expect and how I can manage the allergy if ever I would have one.

Anyway, the best I can do is to take pap smears (recommended is yearly) and be monogamous in bed (both my husband and I).  I really would like to take the shots because the promo is a good once in a lifetime shot...and being protected from the deadly cancer can save my life, for the benefit of my family, especially our baby and our future children.  But probably not today.  I hope my doctor would explain to me the reactions of the vaccine in detail when we meet for my pap smear exam.

Well, anyway, we still had a nice Labor Day (May 1 holiday) because my family and I went to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna to stroll in the Nuvali park (which has lots of shops and a boat ride on the big fish pond).  Our baby was not in a good mood, however, because it was soooo hot and she was torn between sleeping and people watching.  Though she had a great time watching the fishes in the pond which look like they hadn't eated for 10 years because they were really pushing each other (and even swimming on top of each other) just to get the fish foods!  Stampede ito!  Then after that, we ate at KFC at South Expressway gas station, then we finally went home at Alabang.

Fishes on stampede! This what happens when you give food to a school of hungry fishes!

Taken at Nuvali Park, Sta Rosa Laguna