Watery Wednesay # 1- Cool spring water

This is my first entry to Watery Wednesday. These are my cousins having fun at Timoga Spring in Iligan City, Philippines. The splashing of the cold water made it hard for them to strike as what they call their "HUNK" pose..LOL!

Thankful for...

" Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~William A. Ward.

I want to Thank God for the Blessings that come my way.

1. Yesterday, Abay and I went to my OB-Gyne for my pre-natal check up. Everything went well. I'm thankful that my baby is fine. It was always good to hear her heartbeat.

2. My doctor told me that the baby is now positioned well.

3. The doctor didn't ask (again) for professional fee for my check up. As far as i can remember i have only paid once for the last 7 months of my trip to her clinic.

4. I was given 5 packs of ANMUM milk from my doctor. We were supposed to buy ANMUM milk after our doctor visit but instead i was given milk for free. LOL...

5. We went to SSS afterwards to file for my maternity benefits. I'm so thankful that the filing and processing were done in less than 30 minutes. Glad that the people whom we approached at SSS were so helpful and kind.

6. Lastly, I thank God for giving me a loving and patient husband who went with me through all these.

Weekend Snapshot # 1- fun in d' sand

These are my two adorable nieces Kyzzie and Avie. They love the beach and enjoys playing on the sand. They're both so cute and pretty that i cant resist to share this photo with you. By the way this is my first time to join weekend snapshot. Hope you like it.

an interview with GOD

Let me share this beautiful thoughts from GOD. A friend sent me this through my email.


I dreamed I had an interview with God.
"Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?"

"If you have the time," I said.

God smiled and said: "My time is eternity and is enough to do everything; What questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

"What surprises you most about mankind?"

God answered:

"That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.

"That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.

"That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived."

God's hands took mine and we were silent for awhile and then I asked...

"As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile:

"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.

"To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.

"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!

"To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.

"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

"To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

"To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.

"To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.

"To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."

I sat there for awhile enjoying the moment. I thanked Him for his time and for all that He has done for me and my family, and He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer."

Have a Blessed weekend everyone...

wish to be there...

A friend of mine way back during my nursing days, shared with me this picture which he took when he visited London. It's the picture of the famous London Eye (Millenium wheel). It is the biggest ferris wheel in Europe and has become the most popular tourist paid attraction in the UK. I wish to visit the London Eye too but take note, I am not however too eager to take on a ride with it because i have a not so good encounter with a ferris wheel when i was just a child. hehe. I just hope to admire the view and take a picture of it for myself. Well someday, i'll be there...

Has justice been really served for Maureen?

I was totally shocked and at the same time pissed off to what i heard on the local news that a convicted murderer after 13 years was released after President Arroyo approved the commutation of his sentence. Convicted killer Claudio Teehankee was arrested for killing Maureen Hultman and and John Roland Chapman on July 13, 1991. The victims Maureen and John and another friend Leino were coming home from a party at around 3am along Dasmarinas Village in Makati City. Teehankee drew out his gun and shot Chapman in the chest, killing him instantly, he then shot Leino, hitting him in the jaw and shot Maureen on the temple. Leino survived while Maureen died 2 months later. The murder case gained wide publicity this is due to the fact that Claudio Teehankee, Jr was the son of the late former Chief justice Claudio Teehnakee, Sr and the brother of former Justice Undersecretary Manuel Teehankee. In short he came from the most influential family. It took 4 years before the conviction was made. The judge sentenced him to reclusion perpetua(life imprisonment). Based on the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, Teehankee should serve at least 40 years incarceration. The Hultman's and the rest of the filipino people like me were shocked when the Philippine President granted executive clemeny to Teehankee. The laws says that a convict can only be eligible for pardon if he already served 30 years imprisonment and if the convict already reached the age of 70. Teehankee has just served less than 20 years and he's only 62 years old. Therefore, the convicted killer is still not eligible for executive clemency. So what happened then? Why was he given clemency? What has happened to our justice system? Speculations says that the President is close to the Teehankee family. Though, Philippine Justice secretary Raul Gonzales was quick to defend the decision of Mrs. Arroyo saying that Teehankee has served his due and eligible for clemency. They also defended that Teehankee had a good behavior while in prison. That is full of crap! There are a lot of people who are in prison who deserve pardon than Teehankee. But because they are are not powerful and influential people like Teehankee, a lot of prisoners who deserve clemency are denied of it. That goes to show how unfair our justice system works. I just could not understand why the President granted his release. What on earth was she thinking? The man committed a heinous crime. How would the President feel if it happened to anyone of his family? Would she be happy about it? Would she still grant clemency to him? It's a shame that this is how our justice system works.

We are a family

"We are a family like a giant tree branching out towards the sky, we are a family we
are so much more than just you and I. We are a family like a giant tree,
growing stronger, growing wiser, we are growing free."

This picture of the cousins was taken last December 24, 2004. The cousins are pretty tight and with every family gatherings, we always look forward to it because it's the time we get to bond again, share and make memories, exchange stories & jokes and just being silly. 4 of my cousins live outside the Philippines,so it's hard for them to join every family gatherings here. We don't get to see them as much as we wanted to. So we only get to see them when they spend their vacations or holiday's here,which is not often. This year they are planning to spend Christmas here. We are all excited and it's been 4 years since we last saw them. It will be a very merry Christmas for all of us.

care for an ice pops?

It was a hot sunny afternoon and i was craving for ice pop. So i bought one for myself and one for my puppy. heheh. See how much he loves his ice pop! haha. This is one of my puppies named Chance. He is mixed poodle and shitzu. Chance is very lovable and very sweet dog. i just love him...

Missing mama

Eversince my mama suffered a mild stroke last may 7, i have always been praying that she would soon be able to regain her strength and be able to perform her usual daily activities. She's still on continuous therapy. Her physical therapist visits her 2-3 times a week and aside from that she goes to the rehabilitation clinic at least twice every month. The last time i visited her she was improving and is able to walk with minimal assistance using the quad cane. I really miss mama. There isn't a day that i don't think of her. I am hopeful that one day soon she'll be able to walk on her own and that she'd be able to move her right side extremities. When my baby comes out, i would want her to teach me how to care for my baby. I would want her to carry her first grand daughter in her arms. What a lovely picture it would be!

When boredom strikes!

The books and articles i've read says that it is but normal that during your 7th month of pregnancy, a woman feels bored and anxious for her pregnancy to be over. It's exactly what i feel right now. Im really bored, tired, exhausted and wished that this will end soon. The things that i love most to do before are now the things that gets me bored and tired. Going to the malls, shopping and going out with friends gives me the adrenaline rush and i enjoy it. But now that i'm pregnant, i'm too lazy to do these things and when i'm at it, i get easily bored and tired and by the time i get home, i feel so sleepy.

Even if i'm just at home doing nothing, i still feel sleepy and tired. The third trimester is the most sleep challenged stage of pregnancy. With the frequency of urination, inability to get comfortable, extra weight, and preparing for the new baby, some women find themselves struggling to stay awake.

I realize now that pregnancy aint easy. They say it is an exciting experience that one goes through. I say it's true but as pregnancy progresses to later stages and near your expected due date, boredom strikes. Once this is all over excitement begins as i prepare for motherhood.

choosing a name @ 7 mos

Im am now on my 7 month of pregnancy and this picture tells me how my baby looks like inside. Cool huh? And according to the books that i've read, may baby now weighs about 3 pounds and she can now open and close her eyes. She floats, kicks, and hiccups which explains the sudden jumpy movement that i feel sometimes. Most of all she can now hear me.

Now that my baby will be arriving soon, choosing a name for her is not that easy. I looked over the internet for possible baby names and always gets a headache after my search. hehe. Although i already have decided on what my baby's first name would be, i still have to choose for a 2nd name. Chloe would be my baby's first name but i still have to decide if it would be Chloe Eunice, Chloe Beatriz, Chloe Arianna, Chloe Simone or Chloe alexa. whew, the list just never stops. haha. So what will it be? Sugesstions, anyone?

a lovely portrait

DSC00252
Originally uploaded by prettyChloe

This portrait of a young girl has been hanging to the wall near the dining area and it has been there eversince. My Lolo loved this portrait very much. As a child, i would asked my lolo who's the girl in the portrait and he would simply reply that it was me. To a young child's mind i would simply believe what lolo has told me. Then as i grew up and was on my early teens, my then younger cousin liza would asked lolo the same question regarding the girl in the portrait, and to which my lolo replied that the little girl was her. This portrait is very memorable and precious to us. My tita Linda or Tita Da as we fondly call her who died of breast cancer won this portrait from a book club.The girl in the portrait is very pretty and visitors who come into the house would always ask us who the girl is in the portrait. We really dont know who painted this portrait. We tried searching for this in the internet but to no avail. In one filipino movie which starred Lorna Tolentino, this same portrait was hanged in her house of that said movie.

Now that im having a baby girl, Abay told me that's how our baby Chloe will look like when she comes out. hehe. I could only hope and wish for that. I keep looking at the portrait and wonder what if my baby will look like the little girl. I remember what my mom told me when she was carrying me that she conditioned her mind that the baby inside her would be a girl and it turned out the way she hoped and wished for. So now i'm trying to condition my mind that the baby i'm carrying will look like the pretty girl in the portrait....

ultrasound result...

I had my ultrasound yesterday afternoon and hold your breath everyone (heheh)...it's a BABY GIRL! Hurray for those who guessed it right. hehe. A lot of people told me that i'm having a boy. So even before my ultrasound i was convinced that i will have a baby boy. So i was surprised, happy and at the same time when the doctor said that it's a girl. I've always wanted a baby girl. I guess the stork got me what i wanted to have. hehe. Abay and i are excited. He was thrilled when he saw the baby curling inside my tummy. Everyone in the family knows already and some of my friends too. They are excited for me and Abay. Now that we know the baby's gender, we will buy baby stuffs nextweek. Im excited to pick stuffs for baby girl. cool..hehe.