Labs, Happy Birthday!

Uy. 13 X 3 ka na! Di naman halatang Tandercats ka na. Pasalamat ka na bebeh-face ka kahit na mas dumadami na puti kesa itim mong buhok. Keribels lang yan. Richard Gere or George Clooney lang ang peg (parehong di ko type).

 

Sabi nila, pag tumatagal ang pagsasama, nagigising daw sa katotohanan. Halos nine years na tayo. Pero baligtad ata. Nabubulag na ako. Pogi ka pala? Alam mo naman, kahit nuong bago pa lang tayo, di na kita type. Oo, mahal kita, pero di kita type. Maputi ka, type ko maitim. Muscular ka, type ko patpatin. Balbon ka, type ko balat pwet ng baby. 

Buti na lang, mabait ka. Tsaka nagsalita ka na nung tumugtog si Bong Gabriel sa computer ko nung nasa Davao tayo. Kasi sa totoo lang, di ko napapansin na nasa kwarto ka. So quiet naman you, kasi.

 

 

Tapos buti na lang binanggit mo ang magic words na "Neil Gaiman"... Hala! Di man kita type, feel ko naman ang trip mo. Biro mo ba naman umagahin tayo ng kwentuhan sa Korokkan videoke dahil kay Neil at pati na rin sa X-Men. Nahuli mo uli ang aking pansin nung kilala mo ang "Reavers" story line. Ayus!

So dun na nagsimula ang lahat. Kala ko naman, trip trip lang. Malay ko bang dadaanin mo ako sa santong paspasan? Never saw that in you. Haha! Aggressive ka din pala pag gusto mo na makuha ang sagot. Kung sabagay, di pwede ang lalamya-lamya sa basketball player.

By the way, huwag mo na uulitin yung hairstyle sa taas ha? Lalo pa't ang tipid mo gumamit ng pang-ahit.

So yun, three years tayong mag-uyab at hello, hello! Six years na pala tayong kasal. Bongga! Minsan parang kailan lang, minsan parang yun na lang ang alam ko na life experience. Tama nga si Einstein na time is relative. Depende kung san ka nakatingin, iba din takbo ng oras. Ayus.

Di ko alam kung kasingkulit pa rin tayo ng dati. Buti na lang di talaga tayo sweet-sweet-an. At least di ko masasabing, "nagbago ka na!" Kasi ganun ka pa din. Haha!  Pero actually, naso-sorpresa mo na rin ako sa iyong mga Mother's Day flowers and birthday flowers. Mabuti na lang mura lang yung flower shop malapit sa office. :P

Masasabi ko lang, kelangan natin magdagdag ng couple pics. Mahihirapan mga anak natin maghanda ng special video sa ating 20th/25th anniversary. Bilang ina, ayaw ko silang mahirapan. Lezdodis!

Pero kahit di mo halata minsan. O halata mo, pero di mo lang pinahahalata na halata mo kasi alam mong ayaw ko pahalata... Alam ko na swerte ako bilang partner-in-life mo. Kahit obsessed ka masyado sa tables at furnitures, swerte pa din ako. Kahit na masungit ako (hirap ng middle-class in Manila e) pa-minsan-minsan (minsan lang ba?)...

Swerte ako dahil inaalagaan mo ako. Aba e, ilang lalaki ba dyan ang magtitiyaga mamalengke/grocery, maglaba ng ahem at kung anu-ano pa? Dahil ginagawa mo yun, mas naalagaan ko ng mabuti ang ating Alon (at Alab).

Swerte din mga anak mo. Sa picture pa lang sa taas, handa ka na ma-Hop on Pop para lang mapahagikgik sila. Minsan naloloka ako kasi nasa computer at TV ka habang nasa hapag-kainin (ang gadget-free meal times ko!!!), napagsasabihan ka naman. Panganay ka, kelangan mowdel. Hehe! Pero yun, swerte sila dahil hands-on ka, from nappy change to bath time to read time.  Kita mo naman ang tuwa ni Alon pag umuuwi ka.

At happy din ako, dahil alam ko na magiging active ang ating mga anak. Isama na sa basketball sa kanto, football sa park, gym sa YMCA. Bahala ka na. Alam mo naman may tamaditis ako pagdating sa exercise.

At alam kong lalaking matino sa partners ang mga boys natin kasi makikita nila kung gano mo ako ka-lab. Hehe! Mataas kaya standards ko kasi Tatay ko ay lab na lab ang Nanay ko. So I really couldn't settle for any thing less. Naks.

Maligayang bati, Labs! Tingnan mo naman ang peetyur na yan sa taas. Kagigising pa lang ni Alon. Hehe! Nasa tiyan pa si Alab. Pero yan... sana patuloy nating trabahuin na maging masaya at payapa ating munting pamilya. Yun naman din ang tunay na nagtali sa atin, di ba? Ang pagpapahalaga sa pamilya... na ito ang importante sa lahat. :)

Malayo pa ang ating lalakbayin, pero naniniwala ako na magkasama tayo all the way. Holding hands pa. You, me, Alon and Alab. Mwaaaaaaah! Happy batatay, kung kay Alon pa. :)

Before Midnight

Jan and I took a few hours off from parenting duties and asked Tito Ninong to watch over Alon while we watched "Before Midnight."  

It was definitely worth it. :)

My generation fell-in-love and matured (?) with Jesse and Celine since 1995.  It began with that one night in Vienna after meeting on the train in Before Sunrise.  The movie ends with both agreeing to see each other at the same place six months after. The movie left viewers to guess (or hope) that they meet again.

Nine years after we find out that Jesse did go but Celine couldn't make it because her grandmother had died.  They see each other again, both a bit more broken and angry since their last encounter.  They have had relationships but neither happy.  The movie ends at Celine's apartment, with Jesse possibly missing his flight home.  Viewers can only guess if he did stay or leave.

It took another nine years for an answer.  He stayed. She got pregnant. They live together seemingly happy.

The "Before..." Trilogy (for now) is not a typical romance movie.  I'm not even sure if it is supposed to be a romance movie.  All they do is talk and talk and talk within one long shot.  They jump from one topic to another just flowing with their thoughts and ideas.  And while most talkies would bore audiences to death, these movies have got me riveted, paying full attention to what they are saying and not saying, eager to know what's on their minds.

While watching Before Midnight, I was laughing and slapping Jan during so many scenes, scenes that was just so close to home.  At the end, I was teary-eyed.

After a while, I realized that there was really nothing special about Jesse and Celine.  Other than their one night in Vienna, they are just as mundane and as ordinary as any couple.  And that is probably why I love the movies very much.  That their relationship centers so much on conversation.  It is not about a magical moment or grand events like what most rom-coms would like to portray.  It is about how they can just carry on talking and thinking together and talking some more.  It does not mean they necessarily understand each other or communicate well.  But they just communicate somehow.

Jesse and Celine are Jan and I.  Or some other couples I know.  Take a snippet of our lives, those times that we talk, imagine it on film, and voila.  We have our own Before Sunrise or Sunset or Midnight.

I love Before Midnight the most.  It ends open again.  And again,looking at our  own lives, it is open-eded because our stories do not really end.  We just keep on adding chapters.  That "yes" to our partners during a proposal does not mean a yes to him/her forever.  We constantly work for our yeses.  Our yes today would be different from our yes tomorrow.  But life and love will always ask that question every day, other days more urgent than others, "do you still choose him/her?"  And every day we have to answer, one way or the other.  We have to answer despite our insecurities and fears.  Whatever the circumstance.

Today I say yes.

Nanay's Day is about Tatay too

This coming Sunday is my first official Mother's Day.  I'm excited. :)

Motherhood is a daily challenge but it is also a daily pleasure.  It has been a wonderful blessing to be Alon's mother.  There are times I would look at him and just feel that "kilig" of having a son like him.  I would not be able to quantify or qualify what "like him" means.  Alon just is, whatever is means. Maybe it means a not-so-little ball of sumpong and smiles and personality that just makes every day exciting even if we are just lying down together or playing.  But definitely much much more than that.

I would have to say though that I have much to thank Tatay Jan for, that I am able to be the best possible mother I can be to Alon.  (Of course, 10 months into the experience, I don't have much to show for yet.  But I think I can safely say that I do as much I can to take care of our son).

My wonderful husband has taken over some of the household chores so I can devote more time with Alon.  He has been doing the groceries since I gave birth (which would mean items not on the list are inside grocery bags. :P).  He does the laundry (delivering to the laundry shop for big items as well as washing socks and personal items).  He would buy dinner when there is nothing to cook.  He would make me breakfast (the best sandwiches ever!) to bring to the office or prepare my lunch containers.  And so many other things.

By freeing me up of some household chores, I get to spend more quality time with Alon.  Not only that, but he spends quality time with Alon himself.

He has been designated official nappy changer.  During the first few months, this took a lot of effort considering babies poop a lot.  Lately, he has gotten a little reprieve since Alon poops much less now.

He would sometimes bathe Alon when I ask him to.

He would also clean Alon's mess, whether a dirty high chair or food thrown on the floor.

He would read to Alon. 

 He would play with Alon.

While I was away for a long work trip, he managed Alon's meals and milk.  

He has not squished Alon when they sleep beside each other.  :P

I have seen the love and devotion he has for his son.  And again, that "kilig" feeling.  More than that, I get a sense of contentment and joy seeing them together bonding.

* * * * *

I remember a little poster my Father had when I was still young.  "The greatest gift a Father can give to his children is to love their mother."  It used to baffle me back then.  It was only now that I truly understood what that meant.

Alon has much to be thankful for for a Tatay like his own.  I have much to be thankful for to have a partner like Jan in raising a family.  Indeed, I am able to do more for our son because he does more for us. I am the mother that I am because he is the father that he is. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

beautiful mornings

My mind is fuzz from having to wake up in the middle of the night to feed Alon.  Usually when he is up by 5AM, I just let him be unless he gives an urgent cry.  Oh, he would cry.  But thanks to those beautiful little fingers that go straight to his mouth when he is distressed, he usually is able to calm down after a while.  Which means I get an extra ten, fifteen, even thirty minutes of sleep.

When I do finally have to face the world, my day usually starts wonderfully with my little boy right beside me already awake.  He would be looking around. I would call his name and he would look in my direction.  And when he does, I am greeted by a toothless baby grin with a face that lets me know that he is very happy to see me.  His little hands would reach out to my face and touch my cheeks.  He still has that smile and he would coo as if to greet me good morning.  My heart flutters with joy every time.

After our good morning greeting, we'd say his morning prayer.  I love that he smiles and coos along as we pray.  Then I will grab his "Touch and Feel Baby Animals" book to read to him.  I've actually memorized the words from reading it day and night.  He would sometimes coo along though most of the time, he would look at the drawings.  He is particularly fascinated with the book shelf when I get to read about the kitten.  He also lingers longer when we get to the baby hedgehog.  Lately, he likes running his nails against the velcro because of the sound it makes.

I would read him another book, from one of the Dr. Seuss books he received from Tita Pia.  I have a bias for "The Shape of Me" since it was the book I read to him while he was still in my tummy.  I think it is also the most visually appealing for Alon since the illustrations are mostly in black and white with lots of contrasts and interesting shapes.

After we read, I'd give him a massage if he would let me. When I get to squeezing his little toesies, I'd recite "This Little Piggy."  He usually gives another of his big smiles when I do that.  After our massage, I'd either put him in front of the mirror or by the window.

When he seems to get tired of staring out into the world or looking at the little boy in the mirror, I'd pass him on to his yaya so I can get ready for work.  By the time I disappear from view, he'd whine which tells us he wants to go out to the grounds already.  Too bad for the little one, I prefer that he go down with me so he'd have to wait it out.  When I am ready, I'd take him from his nanny and we'd go down together.

By the time I say goodbye, I feel that I have enough quality time with Alon to power me up for the rest of the day. I'd walk to the jeepney stop remembering his smile for dear Nanay.  That is definitely a good start for a beautiful day. :)

7 years

It was under a tree somewhere near the Ateneo car park that THE conversation happened.

"Ano ito?"

Usually this question comes from the girl, but strangely enough it was the boy who asked.  The girl was not really expecting this question to come up any time soon.  It has just been three weeks of going together on dinners and movies and gigs. 

Never imagined myself getting in a whirlwind romance, but there I was.  But the question was asked.  Long story short, then friendster relationship status would have shifted from "it's complicated" to "in a relationship."  Not that I really bothered with that part of the profile. Hehehe!

It has been seven years since.

To celebrate, the hubby and I will be watching SPIT at Quantum Cafe.  Thanks to Groupon, we were able to get 50% off regular rates.  And I can't wait.  Not only because Jan and I have not yet had a decent date in ages, owing to moving houses and preparing for a baby but because I have not seen a SPIT gig in years.

It's a perfect celebration.  Watching silly people to commemorate our wonderfully silly seven years as a couple.

And the food is healthy enough for me too! Wheeee!

happy birthday, mahal!

it has been a year since my last post. hehehe! doesn't mean, i have not much to say about married life though.

anyway, happy birthday to my sleepyhead playmate!

i love it that we can get very silly. like little children who just can't stop teasing each other.

i love knowing that i will be journeying the rest of my life with you.

to more crazy moments and to more travels! i am certain of those. same as i am certain of you.

welcome to the latter half of 30s, old man. :P

happy birthday, mahal!

it has been 35 years since the world welcomed you into her arms.

while i have known you for a much shorter period, five years to be precise, every moment with you has been a blessing.

you confuse me.

you baffle me.

you make me scratch my head.

you make me laugh.

you are silly with me.

you can be so downright corny.

but every little bit of you makes me understand what it means when you say, i love you more to day than yesterday.

happy birthday. :)

<-------o------->

in sickness and in health

Damn.

J and i are both quarantined because of conjunctivitis, aka sore eyes. J just discovered that the American version of the disease is called pink eye. Anyway, there are five of us in the house which have it. The other half have thankfully been spared, and hopefully it stays that way.

The last two days, J has spent mostly sleeping and lying down. I'm not a great fan of sleeping especially when I am not tired, so most of my rest day has been spent playing facebook games, trying to catch up on scores and increasing my level.

Our joint activity has been watching movies. We've already seen Joey Gosengfiao's Temptation Island, Hot Fuzz and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. I also played catch up with "Magkaribal," the best bitcheserye in town. LOL.

Anyway... he deserves this break much more than I do. However, the upside to this itchy scratchy situation is we get to just hang out in our room. Watching him sleep, eyes puffy and all, I can not imagine being stuck in this uncomfortable situation other than him. :)

praying together

i hardly have the spiritual discipline for a decent prayer before going to sleep, much less structured prayers like the rosary and novenas. but for some reason, i really like going to mass. especially after several sessions with fr. jett villarin explaining the meaning of the signs and symbols of the mass.

i particularly love the idea of why it is bread and wine. for bread, the dough is kneaded over and over and over to make it the perfect bread. for wine, it is crushed to make the juice which has to be fermented to become wine. simply put, the final 'output' of bread and wine go through a process before they become the delicious food that they are.

anyway... i feel doubly content when i go to mass with j. maybe because like i said previously, i feel that being married to j is God's sacrament of His love for me. sacraments are said to be 'symbols' of God's love. i'm not sure if it is appropriate, but i often hold his hands during mass because i am reminded of my gift.

one of the best marriage homilies i have come across talked about a couple's love is like a braided hair. if there is only two strands, it would untangle. but a third strand makes it hold and makes it stronger. the priest sad that God is that third strand. makes perfect sense to me.

and after that, i decided that i shall make sure to factor in God in my next relationship. interestingly enough, j was an answered prayer. long story for another day.

i think we are still in the honeymoon period of our marriage (which i hope we can stretch as long as we can!), but i do hope in the next years of our togetherness, we do not forget to factor in God in our relationship. to remember that we are each other's symbol of God's infinite love.

my one and only love

It was another one of those nights when J was bringing me home to Sta. Ana. He brought a tape (lost to Ondoy) to play some Sting on the way home. It was a pleasant surprise when he asked me to listen to a particular song. And an even better surprise hearing him sing along with it. He told me it was his song for me. Kinilig lola niyo! That was a rare moment of an verbal expression of love. I couldn't help but feel good.

The song became my bridal march played on the organ and violin. It was lovely. :)

MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE (lyrics)

written by Robert Mellin & Guy Wood

The very thought of you makes
My heart sing
Like an April breeze
On the wings of spring
And you appear in all your splendour
My one and only love

The shadows fall
And spread their mystic charms
In the hush of night
While you're in my arms
I feel your lips so warm and tender
My one and only love

The touch of your hand is like heaven
A heaven that I've never known
The blush on your cheek
Whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own

You fill my eager heart with
Such desire
Every kiss you give
Sets my soul on fire
I give myself in sweet surrender
My one and only love

The blush on your cheek
Whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own
You fill my eager heart with
Such desire
Every kiss you give
Sets my soul on fire
I give myself in sweet surrender
My one and only love

My one and only love

a promise

I made a promise to myself that when I get married, I will not mind being publicly affectionate. Not in the disturbing to others kind of way, but just the "I'm with this dude" kind of way. I always had this notion that married couples who still hold hands and act like they're bf-gf are way more romantic.

I'm keeping true to that word. :)

(thus absolutely cheese entries to this blog. ;p)

mishu

for the first four years of our relationship, married life included, the hubby and i spent our time mostly apart. people ask me how we were able to maintain the long-distance relationship. i ask myself that too. we were just able to. despite the fact that we don't get to talk every day.

but now that we get to spend every day together, i actually tend to miss him more. i feel it strange to leave the house without him going with me. so when we see each other again (even if it was just a matter of three or four hours) i feel so excited to be with him again.

another cheesy moment. but i guess that's why they call the first two years the "honeymoon period." but i demand an extension given that we spent 13 months apart during our first 19 months. ;p

to sleep perchance to dream

Prior to getting married, I would sleep six to eight hours and still feel exhausted upon waking up. It was one of those post-wedding days when I realized how much more restful my sleep has become.

This has become more evident when I was away for my studies. My bed was comfortable, my pillow okay, yet I slept light and restless. It was not because I was away from home. I have slept in so many beds for most of my life given my job so it could not be a case of 'namamahay.' When he was finally able to come to Netherlands, I again had the gift of restful sleep no matter how tired my day was.

Now I'm back home. Sleep is still good. It must be because my only source of stress is thinking about what time I need to farm. But I still attribute it mostly to having someone's hand to hold before dozing off. Cheesy but true.