What I learned in four years of marriage

As I've written in this post, Daddy A and I have been together for almost a decade (more than 5 years being BF/GF and 4 years of being hubby and wifey). But having a BF/GF relationship is so much different from being married. It's really different when you share one bed, one banyo, one toothbrush (hehe joke). Most specially once you have kids, and problems that are far more complicated than san tayo kakain or what movie we will watch. That's why getting married is not for the faint-hearted, those self-centered, and those who easily give up. You really have to be ready. Ika nga "hindi parang kaning isusubo na pwedeng iluwa kapag napaso" (not like cooked rice that you can spit out when it burns your mouth - ayos ba translation ko?).

It's not about looking for someone perfect, neither is it about settling for less. You just have to find that one person whom you can't imagine life without.

Just read this timely quote from a friend's FB post:

"He's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn't going to quote poetry, he's not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don't hurt him, don't change him, and don't expect more than he can give. Don't analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he's not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's only one guy that is perfect for you."  - Bob Marley

Hope whoever reads this may find or has found the perfect one for you as well. Love, love, love =)

Another year down this crazy, exciting, wonderful road of marriage. Here's to forever dubs!

My typical 24 hours

Here's a peek into what my typical day and night looks like:
4:30-5:30am : JD's first morning feed. I try to squeeze in a pump as well on the other breast. I usually blog around this time, pero most of the time weekends na.

5:30-6:30am: Prepare for work, which includes preparing my pumping gear, cooler, my clothes, banyo rituals, and squeeze in a few kisses and cuddles with these cutie pies:



6:30-7:30/8am: Drive to the office. I say my morning prayers, I put on my makeup, and manage to eat a sandwich, all because of the horrendous traffic.



8:00-8:20am: First pump. Check emails and to dos. I also eat my cup of oatmeal or a bagel. Here is my workstation a.k.a. battlefield. You could see my pumping paraphernalia to the right. Baka sabihin nyo area ng tamad ung cubicle ko dahil ang linis and walang files. I just strictly comply with our clear desk policy given the confidential nature of our work. And I really can't work well with clutter.



8:20-10am: Work mode

10:00-10:20am: Second pump pero multi-tasking parin with work. I have a double electric pump and my hands-free bra. Take note my area is hidden and I have a breastfeeding cover. Check out my pumping gear in this post.

10:20-11:20am: Work mode

11:20-12:15nn: Lunch then afterwards brush my teeth and clean my pump.

12:15-12:35pm: Third pump and surfing the net.

12:35-2:00pm: Work mode.

2:00-2:20pm: Fourth pump and I squeeze in a snack and work parin.

2:20-4:00pm: Work mode

4:00-4:20pm: Last pump while working parin.

4:20-5:00pm: Work and prepare to leave the office.

5:00-6/6:30/7pm: Drive back home. Ugh hello again horrendous traffic! Unpredictable talaga, it doesn't matter if I leave at 5pm, I still don't get home at the same time. I even experienced pumping in the car because of the terrible traffic (I know bad driver).



6:30-8:30pm: Breastfeed JD, catch up with R on how her day was, then dinner. If hindi overtime si Daddy A, complete ang family for dinner and we get some family cuddle and playtime as well.

9:00-10pm: Put the kids to bed. I do get to fall asleep as well. Daddy A and I get to catch up on our day's happenings.

10:00pm-2am: Uninterrupted sleep (fingers crossed). Sometimes JD wakes up 12mn for a short feed. If not 2 to 3am na.

2:00-5am: JD feeds, I try to squeeze in a pump as well to make up for lost pumping time during the day.I also do some work (if meron) and blogging time as well but it's usually early morning na. Sometimes I don't get to fall back asleep narin, derecho na until JD's next feed and preparation ko for work.



So that's my typical 24/7. Somedays aren't perfect and most of the time I don't get to strictly follow that schedule. Adjust adjust lang.

Every morning I just pray to God to make me work efficiently and to bless the traffic so I'll have more time with my family.

Daddy A's birthday - The slumbook edition

It's Daddy A's birthday today! Di ko feel mag "cheesy" post kasi baka maumay kayo kaya let's do a slumbook edition instead para masaya diba?! Magagamit ko rin to na kodigo incase we join some married couples' Q&A game hehe. So let's start.

Vital statistics: height - 5' 9 1/2", waistline - 33-34, shoe size - 10 1/2
Hobbies: playing PSP, videoke
Sports: volleyball, basketball, boxing
Favorite basketball team: NBA-Miami Heat, PBA-Alaska Aces - pag talo yang mga yan, bad mood na yan
Favorite basketball player: NBA-Dwayne Wade, PBA-Calvin "The Beast" Abueva
Favorite athlete of all time: Manny Pacquiao - di rin mapakali pwet niyan pag may laban si Manny
Favorite color: Blue/Green
Favorite song: After All (by Peter Cetera and Cher)
Favorite ulam: Kare-kare
Motto: Be good so that others will be better
Other trivia:

• His father gave him his name. All his brothers and sister were named by his mother (and all of his brothers had their father's name attached as a second name). His father was given the choice when he was born. So he asked his officemate "Pre ano bang magandang pangalan? Gusto ko ung parang lumilipad." Thus his name, which I may say he lived up to. Daddy A always seem to soar and strive for greater heights. Salutatorian yan nung high school at cum laude naman nung college.
• He does the grocery in our household.
• Mas matagal pa yan sa banyo kesa sakin. Andaming seremonya at kung anu-anong pinapahid.
• Kung hindi daw siya nag asawa malamang pari na siya ngayon

Etong matindi, kaloka or kalokalike?
Nung binata pa daw siya, eto ung mga sinasabing kamukha niya:

 

Hmm, pwede ;)

Pero nung naging tatay na sya eto na ung sinasabing kamukha niya:

In fairness, hawig niya rin si Matt Ranillo nung kabataan niya:

Images above from the web

Peace mahal! Sana wag ka magalit sa mga sinambulat ko hehe.

Happy 31st Birthday Daddy A! We love you so much. Thanks for being a wonderful husband and father. May God continue to bless you with many more years.

A decade of love and counting

Wow more than 10 years na pala kami nagbobolahan hehe este nagmamahalan ni Daddy A. And because it is our BF/GF anniv, I made this timeline for posterity of what our relationship underwent through the years. I'll save the story of how we met and how we fell in love for another post (siguro sa wedding anniversary naman namin).

2003 - Pinaulanan ako ni Daddy A ng mga Winnie the Pooh gifts nung college. Secret admirer lang ang peg nya. Magugulat nalang ako meron ng gift sa loob ng bag ko, or may pinabibigay daw sakin. As if hindi ko mabubuko na sya ang nagbigay hehe. Dumating din ung prom, at sinayaw niya ko. May moment pa kami dun sa piano sa hotel: he played "Tell Me" while I sang. Then came graduation day, board review (madalas kami magkita sa library or mag simba), then the board exams, and oathtaking. He actually mustered enough courage na magpakilala sa magulang ko nung oathtaking. Sabi siguro ng parents ko "sino un?" hehe. Then we found ourselves working for the same auditing firm. At dun na kami nagka-aminan ng feelings namin cheesy!. Pero hindi pa kami official ha (siguro MU - mag-unggoy ungguyan lang), hindi pa raw siya ready for a relationship chos!  baka daw kasi mag pari pa siya.

2004 - We still found time during the busy season at work to have lunch or overtime dinner. We attended the firm's events together such as outings, sportsfest games, teambuildings and Christmas parties. On July 30, we officially became a couple.

2005 - We endured another busy season. Despite out-of-town clients, we found time to talk on the phone or write letters/notes. We attended the firm's outing (in Batangas) and teambuilding (in Baguio) as well as various sportsfest games. Midyear, Daddy A transferred to a different department in the firm. Medyo na lessen ang pagkikita namin kasi iba na ung area niya and he also had to mingle with his group mates during lunch/dinner.

2006 - We now had our creative weekend dates such as at the Manila Zoo, National museum, or CCP complex. We also went to Tagaytay for Daddy A's parents' wedding anniversary.

2007 - Daddy A left the firm to pursue the academe, while I transferred to a different department. This was a shaky year for us, probably because of coping with different work environments and seldom seeing each other. Despite a few weeks of cooling off period, we were back together strengthening our relationship more than ever. We attended more events/occasions (such as weddings, reunions, parties) with his side of the family.

2008 - We went on various outings such as with his side of the family in Eagle Ridge and Bohol with his co-faculty. We also attended various weddings of our friends. Daddy A eventually proposed and we became engaged on our 4th year anniversary. Since then we became busy with planning the wedding and attending bridal fairs.

2009 - Was tough for our wedding preparations since Papa was initially diagnosed with lymphoma. We just trusted God and He never failed us. We were able to enjoy precious moments with the family such as Daddy A's mom's 60th birthday celebration and the pamamanhikan. Our prenup pictorial and wedding pushed through as beautifully as we had envisioned and we went to Tagaytay for our honeymoon.

2010 - We became pregnant and gave birth to R. We celebrated our first year wedding anniversary at Sofitel and took the Manila Bay Sunset Cruise.

2011 - We now had regular family days, out of town trips, and dates, simply enjoying each others' company. We celebrated R's first birthday.

2012 - We continued with our family bonding moments and celebrated both my parents 60th birthdays as well as Daddy A's father's 65th birthday. We had the opportunity for a couple of months to have regular lunch dates when Daddy A decided to go back to corporate and work in Makati. Swerte ko rin at sabay kami pumasok at umuwi, hindi ko kailangang magdrive. We also had our first out of the country family trip to Hong Kong. After that, I found out I was pregnant with JD. We also had our family trip to Ilocos.

2013 - Though it seemed to be a difficult first half of the year for us with the passing of Papa, the coming of JD into our lives made it easier to bear. We look forward to more precious moments with our growing family.

I love you Dubs! I thank God for what we are and what we have now. I look forward to forever with you.

Land of Gangnam style, Jang Geum, Geum Jan Di, and Jun Pyo

In two days my dear hubby, Daddy A, will be flying to the beautiful land of South Korea for a 5-day faculty development and educational trip. Yep, I know what all of you are thinking:

I tried to convince him in so many ways:

Me: Wag ka na tumuloy please! Tandaan mo may asawa ka na buntis at may anak ka pang maliit. Wala bang travel advisory or ban?! I don't care kahit kaltasan ka sa sweldo para sa ticket na bayad na, wag ka lang umalis pleeease....

Daddy A: Wala namang travel ban Mahal. Na-brief na rin kami ng travel agency kahapon about safety and to dos there. Sila daw bahala magrepatriate samin kung sakaling magka-tension. Tsaka sinabi nila samin maganda daw dun at safe. Mura daw ang mga stuffed toys dun. Diba paborito ni R si Pororo? Bilhan ko sya dun. Tapos ung Face Shop daw laging sale dun. Ano bang gusto mo bilhin ko sayo?

Me: Ah ok. Safe naman pala. Lista ko mga pabili ko ha. Ayus!

Honestly bukod sa hindi naman siguro i-risk ng University ung safety nila dun, it's my hubby's first time there. I wouldn't want to deprive him of seeing another beautiful country. Kung may sponsored trip din ung firm namin sa ganung place, gorabelles lang din ako for sure.

Although I'm such a praning person, I want my loved ones to experience beautiful places, capture sights and wonders cause that's the way to truly appreciate and live life to the fullest. I know someday R would go on fieldtrips, camping etc. I hope I would have enough courage to allow her to go through all of those despite negative news we've been hearing left and right. Because I myself was allowed by my parents to experience those and they are now stored in my memory bank.

So to dear hubby, magdadasal nalang ako ng taimtim for world peace, pababaunan kita ng madaming call cards, ung laptop for Skype, contact ng Philippine Embassy dun and of course our camera. Please capture the beautiful sights there and create lots of memories. I-post ko yan dito sa blog ko =) Sana nga makita mo lahat sila:

Image from the web

Image from the web

Image from the web

Keeping the love alive

Lately my posts have been mostly about parenting and I haven't blogged anything about my hubby and how we keep our love burning naks! Baka mamaya isipin nun katawan nya lang ang habol ko hihi!

Well in our exactly 9 years and 4 months of being together (that's 7 months of being MU or mag unggoy-ungguyan lang, 5 years and 4 months of being BF/GF, and 3 years and 3 months of marriage), we've had our share of fights, suyuans, lambingans and certified patok dates that manage to add excitement in our relationship.

Here are examples:

1. Fun and wholesome weekend dates - Nung BF/GF pa kami our dates were on Saturdays. We usually go to museums, zoos, and exhibits. Nagvi-visita Iglesia din kami and do corporal works of mercy like visiting the poor and the sick (super religious kasi ng asawa ko at muntik na mag pari). We also go malling and watch movies. Nagpipicnic din kami sa parks like Quezon City Circle or go biking and eat street food sa Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Sa hilig din namin kumanta nagvivideoke kami.
2. Weekly dates - Now we are hubby and wifey, we regularly have our dates on a weekday because weekends kasama naman namin si R. We either have lunch (this was when he worked in Makati) or dinner together (after he picks me up from work). We watch movies, or go bowling and billiards. Kung traffic and tamad na kami lumabas, we just watch DVDs/cable shows and have popcorn at home (pagtulog na si R).
3. Sweet nothings or nothing sweet - My husband is not really the type na pag merong occasion bongga mag gift. But what I love is he never fails to surprise me kahit walang okasyon. Nung nag-aaral palang kami sa UST, I don't know how he would sneak and put something in my bag like a stationery pad, a cute key chain etc. Also, when we used to work together in Makati, I would just find some gifts pagbukas ko ng locker ko (like trinkets, perfume, little notes etc.). He would also write letters if he's on fieldwork out of town (OFW lang ang peg). Then the usual flowers/chocolates on holidays, anniversaries and special occasions will never be forgotten (war kasi yan paghindi hehe). There's also the pasalubongs like isaw, cheapipay pizza and buy one-take one burgers. During coding he brings me to work and picks me up and we have our wonderful conversations in the car.
4. Anniversary/holiday dates - We usually go on staycasions like hotels. For our first wedding anniversary, we took the Manila Bay cruise, watched fireworks in MOA and stayed at Sofitel.

Our BF/GF dates (wag nyo nalang pansinin ung makalumang hairstyle ni Daddy A noon)

Our hubby and wifey dates

Ok ngayong alam nyo na mga pinaggagawa namin, walang basagan ng trip hehe. It just helps that we enjoy common stuff and the simple pleasures in life. Our conversations during these dates vary from the mundane to serious issues like politics and the economy, and of course we like to reminisce a lot. It reminds us of how we fell in love with each other and makes us fall all over again.