we love you

even before we met you.

Dear my love Kylene- you have grown so fast my love. You have fully occupied my tummy now. You will be ready in 3 weeks time! The world is sooo ready of you.  It is so awesome here. You wake up and you will see the sunlight, there are birds in our front yard in the morning, & we will spend sooo much time under the sun in your first few weeks. I will continue to sing to you your favorite lullaby. If you feel like waking up in the middle of the night, I will dance you through till you slumber. I want to touch you now---I really do. Are you excited to see me too? Do you hear how your dad's loud snore at night? He calls your name in the morning. Do you feel Ate Cheyenne kisses you in the morning? She likes kissing my tummy, wondering if you can feel it. I told her that you do and its your favorite!

Meantime, keep growing.
We wait for you our Princess. Actually, a lot of our friends and family awaits for you. Here's some of the sticky love notes last weekend for you! Yeah, told you the world is awesome!

Week of Thanksgiving

Prayer granted! 

I have specifically prayed for this here >>>>when I am silent. 

God, I am very thankful! All praises to you alleluia! We give you back the glory and thanksgiving.

My mum's flight is set on Sunday, 4th August- I ask for your travelling mercies. 

and Kylene is really kicking hard nowadays---she must be very strong now, I could feel. Thank you God. The last scan last Saturday shows my baby in breech position , strong steady heartbeat but could be a small baby compared to average size. And, there is nothing to worry, she'll be apples ( Aussie slang for she will be alright) 

Lord, you made things beautiful in its time! 

I am so looking forward to more blessings! 

Next is my delivery and my bub's arrival. 

Eventually, my sissy's PR visa! 

I am claiming it all LORD. You will grant it I know! 

curls

"Mom, this is the most bongga hairstyle I had so far." Thank you, mom.

Liwat jud sa kaartehan ni Mommla Wenifreda! 

Pay off time!

One of the many responsibilities of owning a home is paying for council rates!

So, here in 4 quarterly installments. Salamat aron di pod kaayo bug-at.

I am putting this into writing because I want to remind myself to keep my focus! Once upon a time, I was a wasted accountant to my own finances. I don't want to do that again!

So, if I were to make some estimates;
Here's what our quarterly household basic expenses would look like;

Electricity     300 ( which could increase heaps on winter)
Water          300
Council        350
Mortgage   7,008

TOTAL     7,958 or 2,652/month.

In addition, are the monthly ESSENTIALS;

before school care	100
home insurance	60
health insurance	60
school fees	150
TPG	70
vodafone	80
groceries	600
petrol/transport	300
hanmudo lessons	85
piano lessons	120
JAC lessons	232
TOTAL	1857

So, monthly total would be approximately 4500 but its been 5k and beyond in reality.

This is a BUDGET- a guide. Because---I can explain. Of course, we eat out, we buy clothing, shopping!!! etc! So, I have the right excuses. We did enjoy the splurge! But anyway, we did survived. Met the savings target. So, we are still OK.

Yehey...am very conscious now. Up to the challenge! It's budget time!

But when I discussed this budget stuffs with my hubby- he was floored. He got scared :-)
He is indeed from MARS!

how much?

i am seriously wanting to join the budget game. let me start with the simple things. Like Groceries for instance. It's been sky high 200/week these past months. Ridiculous. Tsk tsk.

Alright, let me be the budget conscious mama from now on. I might probably browse catalogs and play the chasing game---which supermarket sells discounted stuffs that we need this week. I also need to stick to the LIST. oh my, this is HARD :-) ( welcome to the first world! ) 

Given that I won't be paid fully for the 4 months within my maternity leave ( I will have to squeeze a little) I need to practice it NOW. Urgent! Pronto! 

I wonder how much does a normal household spend for groceries weekly?

when I am silent

It means I am patiently waiting.
and praying,


for my mum's visit VISA
for my daughter's arrival
for my sister's PR VISA
for cleansing of my SOUL. So help me GOD.

JOYs of SUNDAYs

We planned to set up our cot early Sunday morning. Chuck was sooo ready at 830 but we couldn't find the screws. I totally forgot how it looks like and he insisted I was the one who hid it. BUT I couldn't remember AT ALL!

It clogged my sanity the whole morning---I can't focus. But we need to attend church at 1030 for Carmelite Feast Day- Cheyenne is a member of the church children's choir and she is scheduled to participate in the mass. We are bound to join Cheyenne on her rollerblades day to the park afterwards  but I can't relax--the screw screams at me in my prayers. I am screwed.

So, we went to the park.
Here she is very happy to be back to the rolls again!

We asked her to try climbing this tree since Chuck and I were really good at this back in Bohol when we were kids with the mansanitas! But she is stuck in there hanging without any idea how to progress.

We've chatted to this old lady (on her 50's) walking with her dog on a beautiful Sunday afternoon! and she let Cheyenne do the walking. She got really agitated! with the giggles and told me if she could have a pet in 5 years time.

We went home and I immediately grabbed the basket where I could potentially hid the screws---which I already looked into in the morning and just like magic----I found it!
So, we have installed it and found the perfect spot in our bedroom to keep it.

My prayers are answered. I would be devastated if we can't put this up. Our good friend lends this to us. So, it takes a relaxed mind to finally seek for it!

case CLOSED.

it's been 8 years

since we have been making mem'ries. Family of 3 will soon become 4! We can't wait to see you our baby love Kylene ( we have finally finalized your name)

God--- we are bound to receive another gift, we will wait for her patiently. She will come to us when she is ready. I could feel she is very agitated too. She likes music just like her Ate Chy. I think they will share the same passion of "singing in the shower!"

While preparing for your arrival, I pray that you will be healthy and you come out without complication. You are our little baby, will be pampered and will make sure, your arrival will be very comfortable just how we kept you beautifully comfy in mum's tummy for 9 months. Sure , there will be adjustments but we will work it out together.

 I am praying too that I will get as much breast milk that you needed and we will bond together---mum and you. Mum will spend 6 months of undivided attention, just staring at you, holding you close and making sure you have my warmth when you needed it. i love you. we love you. we will wait for you.

The Past

There are things in my life that doesn't vanish to oblivion.
They recur- most often in my dreams.

In a form of regrets, wotifs, grudges resurrected, pain and anger coming back - it comes in all forms of nasty shape I couldn't imagine.
If I choose to dwell and act on it, i probably be a different person.
 I don't try and strike perfection nor lie to myself. But even if I choose to forget the nasty images of the past, there are days like today that it would all come back to life!

It shows the past ------the regrets ---------and it lingers like a ghost.