Embracing 3rd Trimester...

I am welcoming my last trimester of pregnancy with much joy and thankfulness. Second trimester is over and everything just went well - no vomiting, nauseating, a little of backpain but totally tolerable..thank God!

While everyone is asking for the gender of our baby, we decided (as of the moment) to take the old-fashioned way of not knowing it and just wait for the big day..for a big SURPRISE!!! It really doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl for as long as it is healthy and normal. But there are some parents with gender preference. Que sera,sera..we are very much thankful to God for the wonderful gift.

I'm on my 25 week and at this period, i could feel the movements of my baby. I just could not explain the bliss and thrill i feel and even get tickled whenever the baby kicks and punches. The feeling is so amazing when you talk to the baby and would answer back with a kick.

While it is also on these days i have some difficulty in breathing, sleeping and easily gets tired, i know and understand they're all part of it. After all, I have tons of things to be thankful with.

As the big day is fast approaching, me and my husband are both excited. I don't deny, I'm kinda worried too. But thinking back of all the wonderful things God has done for me, the fear is gone.

Gold Coast, Tuen Mun,HK

It was supposed to be an afternoon swimming(or maybe just wading) but then we arrived so late. The golden beach in Gold Coast is the first man-made beach in Hong Kong. A one-good site to view the beautiful sunset...
...a perfect place for breaking away from a noisy and busy metropolis...
...and maybe just pick up some shells for souvenirs...
...a walk along the shore gives relief to the tired feet.
One of my favorites shots. This reminds me of the lines in "Footprints in the Sand" - God said, "During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

...two goldfish at the entrance of Gold Coast Hotel.
The Gold Coast Marina Club is Hong Kong's premier niche for local and out-of-towner mega yachts.

offering a seat to pregnant women: is it necessary or just being nice?

I've been thinking to make a post on offering a seat to pregnant women until this afternoon when i fainted just after getting off the train after standing for 15 minutes. Fainting is a sudden loss of consciousness caused by decreased blood flow to the brain. Usually a slow heart rate causes a drop in blood pressure, which reduces the blood flow to the brain and pregnant women are among the people at risk the most. I'm 18weeks pregnant and my tummy is already obvious but nobody offered a seat..ever! I miss being in my own country knowing the Filipinos are very courteous when it comes to offering a seat. Eyebrows raising??? Okay, but still many of us carry this manner. Filipinos here in HK are very courteous, hats off! This is one manner i always teach my students and when I wasn't preggy yet, i used to give up my seat. Locals never or very seldom gave up a seat to those in need. This made me think, is it because our race is among the lowest in their society or just not their characteristics? I have read articles about this topic and signages are even posted on the sides and ceiling of the public transpos. Its heartbreaking that many just ignore and fail to offer a seat. What do they do? Pretend to be sleeping or hide behind newspapers.

Thank God, everything was fine just after few minutes. I went to my doctor and told me nothing to worry, just try not to stand for a long time and have enough sleep.

So, is offering a seat to pregnant women necessary or just being nice?

birthday bash 2009

my husband and i have the same birth month--March. He's 363 days older than me. This year is extra special to us. why?..because on this year, we'll soon have a baby!

It's a week-long celebration which started last Mar. 8. My cousins joined us for a lunch at Kowloon Park.

On my day, we had a Japanese style dinner at OIE Sushi in Causeway Bay.


I loved the foods...and the price is affordable too.
And of course, nothing could be more romantic than spending the night with your everdearest...


On Jonathan's day, dinner with some friends.
It was a very wonderful evening with so much laughs, great foods...
...and triple treat of drinks.


And on Sunday, Mar. 15, celebration with other March celebrants at the church. Just like one happy family celebrating for the very special day.(left the camera at home so I wasn't able to capture some pictures)

For this year's birthday celebration, again I'm reminded, it feels great to have many friends who show you love and care. Even your families are not around, you can have them as your real family!

My journey to motherhood...

I remember 1994 Miss Universe Sushmita Sen saying “Just being a woman is God’s gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman".

Being a mother is what completes a woman(that's my personal opinion). A blessing and an opportunity. It took me 2 years to finally be pregnant. I have had negative thoughts but then my faith in God prevailed. Its probably not yet the right time.

Dec. 15, 2008, the day i found out i was pregnant. I cried, i had mixed emotions. But I was deeply thankful to God.

I'll be four months pregnant. First trimester passed having no difficulty-no nausea, no dizziness, no mood swings, no pains(just simple cramps but the doctor said its normal)! And most of all, no craving for unusual foods hahaha! Imagine me asking for balot or santol in the middle of the night, I wonder where would my husband look for those??? Oh i remember, once I asked him to buy me spaghetti from Jollibee(there's only one Jollibee store in HK,at malapit lang sa amin). I was salivating, i really, really craved for it. I still go to work and have to get up as early as 5:45AM but it was so easy for me. I always talk to my baby, to just cooperate, that mom needs to go to work and thank God he is.. Everything seems to be doing well with me-at work, at home, with families. Isn't it Im too blessed??? I am, I am and I am...its absolutely overwhelming! Motherhood is probably the most fulfilling stage of life. Im just thankful to God for the wonderful gift and for all the things His doing in our lives. We lift up everything to Him.

Valentine's Day...

The flashback: Valentine's day 2008.

I never forget that day..first, i didn't get to spend the day with my husband, he's in HK and i was still in the Philippines but his probably the most thoughtful husband ever. despite being miles away, he still made a way to make the day so special. second, i got 2 bouquet of flowers from him...it was a very long story. i was on my way home from work and i received this call from him asking for my location and so i told him i am already at the MRT Boni Station. he asked me if i can go back because he had asked somebody to deliver something for me! my workplace was in magallanes and i was too tired and lazy to go back. and so he revealed i have this bouquet of red roses delivered in school and was apologizing for arriving so late. man, that was so sweet and thoughtful of him! that made me miss him again..so as not to disappoint him, i told him i would phone in the guard to receive the flowers on my behalf and take care of it, ill check them out the next day. i reached home with a heavy heart, full of guilt and regret, so selfish of me and barrels of tears just flooded my face. ..i should have gone back to school to get the bouquet!..and how about the second one? here it is..at home, we were watching TV when i received this call asking how to get to our place. the man on the other line said he was going to deliver flowers for me!! what?.yes, paconsuelo daw kasi nagkaligaw-ligaw ung delivery and did not arrive on time. my husband's friend who made all this possible demanded from the flower shop to have the flowers be delivered on me personally...hahaha!..in short, i had one delivered in school and the other one delivered at home...here's the photo!
Love is so powerful...it finds its way to be expressed..in any way possible!


next post: our 2009 Valentine Treat at The Spaghetti House

Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong

Stunned by the lights? This is one of the attractions you should not miss when you come to Hong Kong. A multimedia display named as the "World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" by Guinness World Records. It is a nightly presentation that showcases about 40 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour.

The show features coloured lights, laser beams and searchlights performing an awesome sight synchronised to music and narration. I have seen the show so many times but still get wowed in every presentation.

For best viewing locations, one can stand along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront between the Avenue of Stars and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, or at the waterfront promenade outside the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, or aboard a harbour cruise.
Additional tip, arrive earlier at the venue as it gets easily crowded and also to find the best perspective for your cameras or videos.