My 30th Birthday Celebration

Thank you family and friends for all your messages and greeting...my life woulnt be this happy without your friendship and love. I wish to spend more happy memories with you all. here's a link to the album of my 30th birthday.

Updates...

I know, ive neglected this site for quite sometime..i got so busy with work and with Enzo. But i promise to upload our pics on Saturday. Yes, i will be home that day (thank God). I miss blogging, and i miss you all...thanks for checkin on me :) And by the way, my account got deleted in Friendster, so ill see you on Facebook then..Add me up

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

My Enzo is soo grown already.. Look at him in this picture..he is such an adorable kid...always smiling at the camera..mana kay mommy :) This is his first thanksgiving celebration. We were in manila last year thats why we didnt have the chance to celebrate it. Today is the D day! the long wiat is over...SHOPPING DAY!! yey.. for more pics click on this link http://babyenzojarett.multiply.com/photos/album/92/Enzos_1st_THANKSGIVING_CELEBRATION_

My Happy Mothers Day!

my first mothers day experience was a very nice one. randy made me feel very special. it was a 3 day celebration...we didnt go to work on friday, we spent time with enzo..had his pictorial and randy brought him to his office for awhile....while i started my shopping!! haha! then we ate lunch at Zen Sushi..a buffet resto in woodland hills...food is just okay..and then back to shopping again..bought enzo another pair of jordans..(cute grabeh), then more shopping at topanga mall..ooh nordtsroms, my fav store! the most complete nordstroms ive been to. Randy bought me these from Shu Uemura...

just what i needed...an eyelash curler...

and everyonw knows how much i wanted to try this cleansing oil...i love it soo far..let you know my thoughts and review after a month..i am also trying the anti aging night gel..oh we'll see..

AND ofcourse, it doesnt end there....Randy gave me a new CAMERA!! yehey! ang babaw ko..he knows kasi i love taking pictures, so he bought me a Cannon point and shoot..i was soo surprised, i am just wishing everyday will be mothers day!..heres my new cam..take a peek!!

• 8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16x 22-inch prints
• 3x optical image-stabilized zoom
• 2.5-inch PureColor LCD II monitor
• Face Detection; Motion Detection Technology automatically reduces blur
• Captures images to SD memory cards (not included)

Technical Details

• Sensor: 8.0 Megapixel
• Size: 1/2.5 inch
• Image Resolution: 3264 x 2448
• Movie Resolution: 640 x 480
• Memory Included: 32MB Memory Card
• Storage Media: MultiMediaCard
• Storage Media: HC MMC Plus Card
• Storage Media: SD/SDHC Memory Card
• Storage Media: MMC Plus Card
• Compressed Format: DPOF 1.1
• Movie File Format: AVI motion JPEG
• Optical Zoom: 3x
• Digital Zoom: 4X
• Combined Zoom: 12x
• Focal Length: 6.2mm - 18.6mm
• Focus Mode: TTL - AF
• Focusing Range: Normal: 12 in./30cm-infinity

Sudden Change...

I stayed home the whole day today...And spent time with my little boy. It still amazes me how something so little can affect my life in such a big way. Hmm, let me count the ways...

1.) Before, it takes me an hour to prepare myself.----> Now, it has to be limited to half an hour only... cause he cries when im not around.

2.) Before, i eat with my two hands...Now, one hand na lang, cause the other hand is to hold him.

3.) Before, i can watch my favorite shows on tv whatever time i wish, Now, it has to be lights out by 9pm so he can sleep.

4.) Before, I can surf the net, update pictures on my blog every night. Now, i consider myself lucky if i can hold my laptop in a week. As he grows, he demands more playtime and attention.

5.) Before, i had a night life, Now..its over! all over!! :)

these are some of the things that changed ever since i had enzo...but you know what? amidst all these...i realized that i do not regret having him in my life. I thank Him every single day that i wake up beside this little man. Enzo is such a darling. He is such a sweet little kid. Its a never ending learning process of motherhood that i still have to take..Its especially difficult raising him here in the US, where theres only limited help as compared to if we raised him in manila...Mothering my son, Enzo, is a challenging but a rewarding role. Who says life would be easy? No one i know...but at the end f the day...this face is what inspires me to do more and do my best !

Love you so much HUNEY!

New Year , Good News, Bad News and more....

This is actually my first post for 2008..Its been crazy eversince i got back from Manila...Back to reality once again, time to work, time to make money and time to pay your bills!!! haaaaayyyy, kamiss tuloy manila, we just eat and go shopping and enjoy...good life man!

here are some of the good news...

Dec 31, 2007 - first time we heard Enzo scream..it sounded so cute.Randy and i just laughed.

Jan 10, 2008 - Enzo knows how to open and close his hands already...(yehey) im sooo proud

of him..i know close-open is sooo old school already but nevertheless, im

really really happy and i called randy ryt away, because he flew back home

ahead of us and he didnt get the chance to see it for himself.

Feb 02, 2008 - Enzo's first day of trying solid food...oh boy he liked it soo much. He's takaw like me :) We started him with rice cereal and he was trying to hold the spoon cause he wanted more....how cute..Next week, we will try a diffrent flavor..Im just praying he would not have allergic reactions to it.

Here's the bad news sooo far .....

Jan 17 - Jan 23 - I got sick and was on antibiotics for a week..

Jan 19 - Enzo fell from the bed...I brought him to the doctor on Monday cause i was sooo worried..Thank God he's alryt... i felt sooo bad this day, i felt soo helpless cause i was sick and my meds make me drowsy talaga, and here's enzo who needs me..hay naku..

oh well, so far here's whats happening to me...whats more to come, i dunno but i hope i get through it all :)

Happy new year everyone!!!! may we have more blessings this year...

GVS Reunion at Central (Sort of)

Since i have no time to update yet, here's a post from my good frend tenten and some pictures of our so called mini reunion...(www.schmenten.blogspot.com)

Of all the days of the week, Cathy Levanza-Cipriano picked Sunday to have our grade school reunion. At Central BBQ Boy Grill. Of all the times I've been here with the GVS crew, Rosan is surprisingly absent.

Anyway, it's always good to see familiar faces... and faces I haven't seen for quite a long while! Edgar, Howie, and Doris were present! I haven't seen Doris since... grade school graduation! Which is like... 16 years ago. Heck. That's a high school graduate.

Of course, we reminisced about those good ole days when we were the prince and princesses of the Dark Blue bus. Couldn't help but remember old flames and classmates. Cathy reminded me of the time when I "sold" her to one of her suitors in exchange for 2 Sweet Valley High paperbacks.

Mariless was explicitly telling Vanessa to make use of her extensive network for some match making. Us single girls aren't getting any younger, and she has taken the proactive route to make things happen.

Carl still had a dirty mouth (mind, heart, body, soul). Edgar kept bringing up Shirome.





Most surprising part of the evening was the revelation of this budding romance. Howie and Doris (grade school friends who reconnected a few months ago through a common friend) are dating. Soooo cute!




Howie showed us his masterpiece of a tattoo. Wow. Michael Scoffield eat your heart out.




Cathy kept making comments about her being "manang" because she's married and has a son (the cutest baby boy). She also shared that she and Randy are considering going back to Manila for good. This of course, excited all of us. More reunions in the pipeline!

Enzo at 6 Months

See my album for more pictures....

Happy 5th Month Enzo

a date with my (not so) liitle boy

after days of going out and late night escapades...i told myself that saturday is the best day to give enzo my undivided attention...i stil attended a wedding last friday ad went home very late..late enough for me to be able to play with my boy...so our date begins with a check up with his pedia at makati med...the doctor we came to see is randy's pedia when he was still a kid..i find it cute, that both my boys are seeing the same pedia..hehe.dr. reloza said enzo looks so much like the dad ..she was soo happy to see us:)

Enzo is 27 1/2 in and 17.8 lbs

dr. checkin on my sweetie

then, we went to high st., fort bonifacio for some strollin'. im told kasi by one of my friends that theres this one store there that sells carseat adaptors fro bugaboo strollers, the kakuriputan in me strikes again, so there we went hoping i can get it cheaper here in manila since theres not that much tax...only to find out that the price is just about the same...damn !! ...

i saw enzo staring at the toys, the colors must have caught his attention...i saw him staring the toys, so i didnt think twice cause i didnt want to leave empty handed did, i bought him the rattle bracelet and he just kept smiling when the yaya put it on him..

he's almost half of me huh??

HIgh St., Fort Bonifacio

then, we proceeded to market! market! to meet the rest of the kids and mom..so we were ahead of them and we were able to shop and look around...this is the part where i really really enjoyed......SHOPPING GALORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nataranta na ako, and dami bargains..super super gud deal..hehehe...the next thing i know, i was out of cash na..and i was calling my mom to the rescue!!! :) i wanted to buy more...surprisingly, i just bought a couple of tops and everything else was for my little boy...i think he likes to shop too !! all the saleslady were greeting him and he would smile and coooo back at everyone he sees...(pwera usog sana) haaay, im just one proud mom,,enzo is such a happy baby talaga...

syempre, di pa nagtatapos dyan, at around 430pm, i had to bring enzo home na cause ia had to meet with my sis-in-law for dinner and more shopping...we met in BF homes pque, she took me to a resto called Cafe francais along aguirre st, bf homes pque..the seafood pene pasta was good..(i did forget to diet talaga) sarap kumain eh..then next stop was RUINS !! hehe..super shopping till 10pm, haay this is addiction na ata :) oh well, im on vacation naman, so may excuse...

then i saw msgs on my phone, enzo was crying daw for an hour na, pinapauwi na ako ng mommy ko, everyone was sending me messages...then i rushed home na...i got so worried that a lot has tried to contact me...haaay, this week, ill try to spend more time with the kids..ill probably bring them to a playground or something...

Enzo's 4th month birthday

The day before his 4th month birthday, we went to see his pedia for his 2nd dose of vaccination. I was proud of him that he did not even cry. His doctor said he's good natured daw...But then i got busy that day, that i forgot to give him his medicine on time (it happend twice ..consecutive) ..i felt so bad because he had a fever and we had to rush him to the ER the following morning...what was worse was that..it was his 4th month birthday!! i felt so much guilt...he had a fever of 103, and its all because of me :( i kept praying that he'll be fine...Thank God that our baby is a healthy one, he showed no signs of being affected with his temp at all, he was very active, so we were sent home after an hour....whew!!! Randy and i decided to just celebrate his birthday quietly, so he can rest right away..We are also leaving for Manila the next day Nov 4 so i really didnt want him to be sick cause i know he'll be uncomfy in the plane...im soooooo sorry again sweetie, i promise it will NEVER happen again.

Family Picture

Happy 4th Month Enzo !!

Enzo's 1st Trick or Treat

We attended Nestle's Wonkaween 07 with the kids...We all had a great time!! Enzo got a lot of goodies...Its so sad that Randy couldnt be with us to see our Enzo on his 1st halloween costume.......TIGGER!! Everyone loved him...he looked sooooooooooo cute...im one proud Mommy!! Happy Halloween everyone! Enjoy! Enzo's deadly smile... One proud Mama   CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS

Enzo with his helmet

Ive been noticing that Enzo's head is becoming flat already. He's been lying on his back all the time and they say its also part of the reason..but how can i prevent it? when he is at his bouncer, his swing, he lays on his back..I already tried putting pillows on his back so he would sleep sideways but everytime i wake up, he is on his back again..Our friend Janis visited us one day and told me about this helmet...and so i bought one for $25 and immediately tried it on...so we'll see how it goes...

Happy 3rd month Enzo!!!

We celebrated Enzo's 3rd month once again at my sister's house. We had a small family gathering and Enzo was happy to spend this day with us. We all love him soooooooooooo much....Even the kids enjoyed playin' with Enzo...He is more responsive now. He is such a happy baby ! Happy 3rd month sweetie....mmmwaaah... Enzo enjoying daddy's kisses with the love of my life More pictures

Enzo does the YOGA

Today was a great day for us, we started by meeting our new pediatrician at her clinic at Los Angeles, we decided to switch his pedia for a reason but ill just leave it at that, i want to make sure i dont bad mouth anyone... And besides, im in a good mood today ! Enzo's check up went well, my son looked happy, he kept smiling whenever the doctor talks to him...he didnt cry...is it a good sign? i dunno !! but i feel good this time.....

On our way home, i was driving and tita chona kept laughing at the back seat....she took this cute picture...i could'nt help myself from smiling :) i love you Enzo !!!

Enzo does the YOGA !!!

THANK GOD FOR MUSICAL MOBILES

THANK GOD for musical mobiles....my baby enzo wouldnt stop crying that night...Randy and I didnt know what to do anymore...Randy put him in his crib and turned on his musical mobile and voila!!!! he stopped screaming!!! yehey!! now, we know that if he is in a bad mood, we just put him there...once he hears the music, he stares at the thing and listens, while he tries to busy himself by eating his hands !!! hehe

At long last...got my wedding album layout from Paul Vincent

Thank God I'm half way thru compiling all my wedidng pictures...its a relief to know that out of our 3 photogs, i already have one album ready for printing...its been almost 2 years since we got married, so i guess its about time i finish all the things i left behind...so far, this is the only thing i have accomplished..i need to choose more pictures for our album with our main photographer, and with rene g. And i have to finalize the songs for the video too..haay dami gagwin....oh well....heres the link of our wedding album layout by Paul Vincent....Enjoy!!!!

Enzo's 1st vaccination appointment

On Sept 6, 2007, Enzo had his first dose of vaccines. Poor baby, he didnt know he was going to be poked 4 times. If i can only spare him the pain i would. Randy and I kept telling him to be strong. He stares at us and responds to us by smiling as if he understands what we were talking about. I was scared and i just told Randy to be the one to hold him. I just couldnt stand seeing my baby in pain. But i still had to document everything so I just took pictures and videos..(as if i didnt watch him) hehe...



A picture w/ daddy while getting ready for my shots

Happy 2nd month birthday ENZO !!!

We celebrated Enzo's 2nd month on Sept 3, Sunday, with Tata, Mama Luz, Lola Lourdes, and my sisters family..super super cute ng bday celebrant :)

with daddy randy

with mommy ofcors :)

w/ Tata, Mama, and kids

and Lola lourdes

Enzo's bath time

See how he loves being in the water. For more videos, click on the links on the side bar :)

Enzo's Baptism Day

We are happy to welcome Enzo to the Christian world !!! On Aug 12, 2007, Enzo was baptized. We celebrated this special day together with our family and friends. A second important milestone in our baby's life :)

Enzo's New Stuffs

At one month, these are his new gears/stuffs...something that would really be very helpful in our way of life here in the U.S.,



Frosted plastic briefcase organizes all baby-related paperwork, from birth certificate and insurance information to equipment warranties and thank-you notes. I really recommend this document organizer so that all of baby's paperworks is put into order :) definitely a must-have !!

Happy 1st month Enzo

Celebrating Enzo's 1st month in this wonderful world.... :)
Enzo with Mommy & Daddy

Enzo with Mommy's Family. Thanks to mom for the yummy spaghetti (one of her specialties), and Tita Val for the chocolate cake :)

Enzo with Daddy

Announcing the Birth of our son Enzo Jarett !!!

It was early morning of July 03 when i woke up with a fever. I was chilling and I knew
something was wrong with me. I then decided to just hitch with Randy and asked him to drop me off at my sister's place. When i arrived at her house, i was able to sleep for a while and when i woke up, i took my temperature and it was 101 already. I immediately called my Ob. She advised me to take a shower and go to Labor and delivery already. And so i did. I also called Randy to and told him that i will just meet him at the hospital.

At the Labor and delivery, the nurses took me to a room, and immediately attached a fetal monitor to see if baby is doing well. My temp went up to 102, blood pressure is unpredictable. My OB arrived, studied my results, and told me that baby is better off outside than inside of me. She also explained that she cant see any signs of baby's activity. She then decided ro open me up that day...Randy & I just prayed.It was the most scariest event in our lives as a couple.

At 5:30pm, Randy and I were prepped up for the operation, then my anaesthesiologist arrived and explained the procedures, then we proceeded to the O.R. Shortly after the anaesthesia was given, i started to chill, started shaking a lot, i was asked to lie down as if ill be crucified..then i got dizzy, i can hear people around me talking but its as if i had an ear muff...minutes later, i saw Randy come in and sat at the back of my head. I felt some pressure on my tummy but i couldnt feel anything..My anesthesiologist told Randy that baby will be coming out shortly so he should stand by his camera...true enough, after a few seconds, i heard Enzo cry....i was soooo happy..i tried lifting my head to get a glimpse, but i felt soooo weak...All i can remember was that Randy was following Enzo the minute he was out...Enzo was not crying...he was literally screaming !!! my Ob and the nurses were laughing because he was sooo LOUD....we had a video inside the operating room so i was able to see the whole thing afterwards. Enzo was transferred to the nursery with Randy, before they left, Randy carried Enzo and brought him to me, but it was too quick and i didnt have my contact lenses so i still didnt see Enzo clearly.. :( I was then moved to the recovery room, stayed for 2-3 hours and was transferred to my room...then i saw my mom, sister, Randy and ofcourse, our unico iho, Enzo Jarett....

And now, may i present, our precious little one....

(this is Enzo's first picture. Taken on July 03, 2007 at 6:15pm, a minute after he was born)



little angel sent from above








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Mommy & Enzo at the hospital around 2am July 04, 2007 (first time i held him in my arms)

PRICELESS :)

Pimp my Ride !!!!!!

A gift from Mom,Dad and ate Val na rin :) a Bugaboo Cameleon for baby Enzo... :) Enzo will surely ride in style !!! hehe ....Mukhang spoiled baby na kahit hindi pa lumalabas ha, oh well, as of now, he will be the youngest baby in our family...but its not gonna be for long because my sisters are planning to have babies again next year...

The waiting game begins........

This is a 4d video of baby Enzo @ 33 weeks. He smiled and stuck his tongue out..cute cute...we cant wait to meet him :) 5 more weeks to go.....wish me luck :)

Randy's 31st Bday - My 1st day of Bedrest

Today is Randy's 31st birthday and we were suppose to have dinner in a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, i was advised by my doctor to spend this day in bed :( im taking meds now so that my bp will go down..hopefully, my body responds to it.. i feel sooo guilty cause whenever theres a special occassion like mothers day, my bday, anniv, etc..he always makes it a point to plan something special for me...d bale, babawi na lang ako when i give birth :) we do have a bday celebration on June 9 with family and friends once again...atleast we get to celebrate our birthday together..

Pregnancy Updates & More !!!!

May 16 - We had our maternity tour at the hospital where i will give birth :) It was sooo cool. Randy and i were very excited to see the labor and delivery rooms, the operating rooms (for c-secs), the postpartum rooms and the recovery...Everything was explained very well. All we gotta do is prepare the admitting forms in advance and we are all set :)


May 24 - I spoke too soon when i said that my pregnancy was an easy one for me, i saw my OB just last week and she said sooo many things that made me worry...1st, baby enzo is still in the breech position, 2nd, my blood pressure is starting to shoot up, (have to thank my dad for that genes), and 3rd, baby enzo is 4 1/2 lbs already, 10 days bigger than normal...and to top it all, im at 169 lbs already...so she said, i have 3 more weeks before baby locks to its position...heres the scary part, if my bp still shoots up even if baby is in position, i will still be scheduled for a C-sec....haaaaaay....lalo ata tumataas bp sa takot !!! im just praying everything will happen just as how we planned it..im scheduled again to go back on May 31st cause they need to monitor me closely :)


May 25 - started baby enzo's nursery. thanks to my my sister val, and friends chona and carmel :) you guys are the BEST !!!

May 27 - we bought a new digital camera :) bad trip kasi nasira yung isa and we even paid the extended warranty on that...ang daya!!! i have to run after that pa but since i cant live w/o a camera, bumili na kami :) hehe..here's the first pic on our camera..



















Here are pictures of the gifts we received from the shower and a sneek peek of the nursery.. :) Enjoy !!

Enzo's Baby Shower

On May 12, 2007, we were given a baby shower for Enzo. Friends and Families gathered to celebrate with us.Thank you so much everyone for making this day very special for us...here are the pics

Enzo @ 7 Months

Im 28 weeks and 1 day preggy and here is a 4d pic of Baby Enzo. We could'nt tell who he looks like pa, pero most of our friends say its Randy. We are so happy to see him. The doctor said everything is looking good, baby is normal and healthy as of this time and he wants me to come back on my 32nd week. The notching that he found on my uterus the previous check up was gone (thank God). Randy and I are so grateful, everything is going right and we are praying for a successful delivery.

After our trip to Dr. De Vore's office, i went straight to my OB, Dr. Diego for another routine checkup..we talked about childbirth classes, and she really wanted me to attend. I told her i already went to the breastfeeding class . I learned a lot from it...i recommend that class to every mom to be..in class, they gave us baby dolls and we have to name them and hold the babies everywhere we go (ang cute cute). We are also schelduled to have our maternity tour next week, May 16. We will pre register and they will tell us and explain to us the procedures of admitting,so that we will know where to go directly.. they will also show us the room where we will stay and the operating room etc etc...randy and i are excited...i wanna see where i will deliver baby enzo...

Next week, is our baby shower...watch out for pics :)

I passed my gluccose test !!

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!! I passed my gluccose test..Here are my results:

1st Test (Fasting) - 85 to 95 , my result was 82
Then they made me drink 100ml orange juice and took another test for the first hour.

2nd Test (First Hour)- should be less than 180, my result was 159.
3rd Test (2nd Hour) - should be less than 155, my result was 132.
4th Test -(3rd Hour)- should be less than 140, but the nurse sent me home with my OB's approval because i passed the first three...so i didnt have to wait na..

Im soooooooo happy..i do not have gestational diabetes..yehey!!!..From now on, ill watch my sugar intake na talaga... :)

Indulgence is a SIN

I went for my regular checkup with my OB on friday, April 13...there, they conducted a gluccose test which will tell wether my blood sugar is above average...i was scared, i know that there is absolutely no way that i will pass that test. I was born with a sweet tooth..i eat sweets like crazy. i love cakes, snickers chocolates, gatorade drinks, and anything that has a taste of sugar...

when i got pregnant, my dessert intake doubled..its like a medicine whenever i get dizzy and nauseaus...i just enjoy eating these foods.. it felt good :) and bottomline is i am happy :)

In the doctors office, they made me drink this 50ml orange soda. They said that i shall come back so they can start the test after an hour. So i had a talk with my OB regarding childbirth classes. She's really recommending that i attend these classes before July. Ang daming aatendan, may car seat safety class, maternity tours, breastfeeding class etc etc. i have to arrange my sched and randy's sched so we can go together.

Shortly after we talked, the nurse called me in for the test.

Well, after the nurse poked my finger and inserted the blood sample into their machine, i waited....hoping for the result to be normal..the doctor said i should not go over 130...

well...i was at 149, then they had to schedule me for the 3 hour test, if my sugar is still high, i have gestational diabetes and they have to send me to a dietician who will monitor my food :( I felt guilty. I felt scared for me and the baby.

As what everyone use to say..." Talagang nasa huli ang pagsisisi". I just hope ill do good on my 3 hour test...wish me luck

Celebrating Life....

Here are some pics that we took from April's 30th Birthday :)

Date: April 10, 2007
Place: Inn of the Seventh Ray



















Moi with Joy :)



















everyone w/ the birthday girl April



flaunting my 6 1/2 months belly...

Hit me baby one more time :)

just when things get soooooo quiet and boring, i felt baby's kick last night before i went to bed...this is actually not the first time i felt him move. The first time I noticed him do his somersaults was last week of March, but it was not as strong as this one...last night , i could see my tummy vibrate...hehe :) it felt good knowing his alive and kickin'...i dunno if i should blame it on the sugar intake but our baby seems to be very active inside...i started to cut back on my carbs and sugar, im gaining weight fast enough for everyone to think that im 9 months already (kahit na 6 1/2 pa lang ako ).

nakakatuwa, eversince we found out the gender, puro shopping na kami for our baby's clothes...it didnt take that long for us to decide on the name...his name will be "ENZO JARETT LEVANZA CIPRIANO" . We also finished his baby shower registry, my family and friends are already preparing for our baby shower on May 12. I wish our parents could come celebrate with us too.

my next checkup is on the 13th of April, what will my OB do kaya? i cant wait to see baby Enzo...nakaka excite.. :) 3 more months and ill be sleeping next to someone i can call my own.. aint that great ???

My 1st Pregnancy Leg Cramps

today, i had my own experience of a pregnancy leg cramps...ang sakit pala nun? The pain woke me up in the middle of the night....i cant explain exactly how it felt...all i can say is that it was sooooo unbearable...i had to wake up randy to massage my left leg...

around 7am, it hit me again, same leg, this time, i was all alone, randy was off to work....nakakiyak ang sakit :( haay, i decided to just get out of bed and prepare for work...kahit na may remaining 30 mins pa ako dapat to sleep....

i told my friends about it, they said i should expect more of that daw...

what can i say? i cant complain...definitely can't complain :)

Its a Boy !!!!!

We are happy to announce that we are havin' a baby boy soon... :) Randy and I came to see our doctor today for a genetic ultrasound. I was sent by my OBGYN, to check on baby's internal organs such as the heart, spinal cord, brain, and bones...it was a 3D/4D ultrasound. They measured all of baby's body parts and it was very detailed.

Here is his 1st boy shot....

and here's another one...

The END of my FIRST TRIMESTER

today , i am exactly 12 weeks already..i went to the doctor this morning for another check-up. The doctor said she's not too happy with the weight gain. Ang bilis ko daw mag gain and i am not even half way yet...grabeh...she also said i can eat seafoods na daw twice a week..yehey!! before kasi, ipinagbawal nya...

kain na naman nasa isip ko..:) kaya ako tumataba eh..i gained 16 lbs already..i have to watch what i eat na talaga..baka daw kasi mahirapan ako..anyway, i had another ultrasound today...ang cute cute cute cute...sumisipa na si baby tsaka buong buo na sya...i saw our baby move na...here's a video...

Our New Year Pictures

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!! LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT 2007 !!!

Merry Christmas !!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !!! HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY ONE !!! - RANDY & CATHY

Our 1st Wedding Anniversary

This is how we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary...We went to Monty's Steakhouse at Pasadena for lunch. And we just had the best Chinese Chicken Salad ..sobrang yummy talaga !!! And then we walked sa Old Town, and then we heard mass...And for dinner naman, since this is an all day celebration, we went to Picanha , a Brazilian Restaurant located at Burbank. We enjoyed our day so much, kahit na puro kain ang ginawa namin :) who cares? sarap talaga kumain eh ..hehe, saka ko na iisipin mag diet, maybe after the holidays..haha (that's what they all say )

Bye Bye Blazer !! :(

its been almost a week now that i am not using the chevy blazer..unfortunately, nasira na sya..bumigay na sya talaga...im just thankful that it did not happen sa freeway. I was at a parking lot and buti na lang there were good people who helped..my brother in law and my sis came to the rescue din...and ofcors, what would i do without the Triple A people?..haaay, another learning experience sa akin..nakakatakot pala yun, nakakahiya pa cause i was blocking some cars and they could'nt get out.

Shortly after the incident, we bought a car !! (napa aga tuloy xmas gift ni randy)haaay salamat... it just feels gud that i drive a reliable car..it feels safer this way :) Atleast wala ng hassle....I guess kinailangan ng magpahinga ni blazer :) We will have it fixed and park it muna for now...

1st Ultrasound Visit

Today was my first ultrasound visit. I am so excited to share with you all my experience this morning...

Last night pa lang, randy and i prayed na sana makita and marinig na namin heartbeat ni baby. Kasi ever since we found out i was pregnant, the doctor never checked naman if the baby was implanted really well...so we were really looking forward to the day wherein we will actually see that there is a baby in my womb :)

I was the first patient at the doctors office, i went with my ate val. Early morning pa lang, i prepared myself na for whatever the doctor might tell me...syempre i said my ritual morning prayers, ate breakfast and took a shower and waited for my sister to pick me up.

So the nurse did the normal routine check of weight, blood pressure, etc etc..shortly after that, the doctor came in and read the results of my previous blood works...everything is perfectly normal she said :)

so we proceeded with the ultrasound, then i was speechless...i am just overwhelmed with hapiness right now...for the first time in my life, i kept my silence :)

Here is our baby's first picture...

Grabeh !!! di ko ma explain ang pakiramdam, especially nung narinig ko yung heartbeat .... feel na feel namin kasi the doctor focused on baby's pumping heart at the same time naka speaker din yung beat nya...the doctor said i can bring a VHS tape next time so we can record the whole ultrasound.

After that the doctor gave me a flu shot since flu season daw ngayon...Hayy, wala akong masabi..Ang cute cute ! Sana maging okay lahat all throughout..pls continue to pray for us :)

We're Expecting !!!

Okay...so heres the good news...we're expecting!!! im approx 6 weeks now...to all our friends and family wondering, asking and dying to know the updates in our lives eversince we got married...heres a BIG one...

we are sooo happy to find out about it...Excited pero after a while pala it kicks in...so i got scared and nervous....i took a test while we were still on our cruise...pero it did not give us a clear result..so when we got back to florida, we decided to take more tests again....so ayun...positive nga pero syempre..i couldnt believe it, i took it again mga 3 more times...it still gave us a positive result..hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala..i wanted to hear it coming from a doctor...so when we went back to los angeles, nag pa sched na ako sa OB...so she confirmed...its confirmed!!! we're expecting our first child...

mixed emotions....nakakatuwa tapos biglang nakakatakot...haaay, i bought a pregnancy journal and im writing everything down as my keepsake :)

i just hope everything works out fine..thank you all for you prayers and advices...for those who continously visit my blog, thank you so much and pls keep praying for us...

my next appointment for my first ultrasound is on dec 12...

ill keep everyone posted.. (with pics next time)

Our Carribean Cruise

after a very long wait, our trip to carribean made it all worthwhile....just got back from our cruise last saturday..oh boy!! we sure had fun...and came back with a good news tooo....here are some of our pics to Bahamas...









The pictures speaks for itself....i had soooooooo much fun..sarap mag travel !!! :-)

Daddy's 56th Birthday Party

it was my dad's 56th birthday....and yes, he did celebrate it with us again...my mom, together with my sisters and brothers in law organized a luau party for him...everyone enjoyed the party..we started at 12 noon and ended at 12 midnight na rin...one hell of a party!!! my tita malyn, got most of the people drunk, they sang, danced all throughout the party...plus the kids enjoyed too...cause we also had games for the little ones..

Labor Day Long weekend is over....

sarap mag vacation... :) nag off na ako friday pa lang but i was at my sisters place the whole day. i planned on fixing my clothes but then tinamad ako (as usual)...so naglakwatsa na lang ako kila ate val ..hehe

on the evening of friday, i went out with randy and april...our experiment for restaurants continue...telling ourselves whats in and whats not...

My dad flew to texas so i dint see him till monday...

on saturday, randy and i had a breakfast date at marstons in pasadena..this resto is recommended by our good friend april. it was such a nice and cozy place...the line was not bad because we were early i guess..

after that, we proceeded to our favorite hobby which is shopping, so we went straight to chino hills spectrum and went crazy at norstrom rack, heehheeh...grabeh..thinking about the damages incurred over the weekend...heres what we bought..

burberry watch, shirts for randy, blouses for me, shoes,perfume, and a garmin navigation system. whew!!! magkakasakit ata kami :)) super aga ng holiday shopping namin

it was a fun long weekend, and it made it even more fun celebrating it with the whole family at Newport Resto...grabeh, sarap ng crabs....kakagutom..pig out talaga..

wish i could share a pic, pero we were all so hungry to do that... :)

Mom's Arrival

we just got home from my sisters place. my mom arrived from manila and syempre we opened her boxes for pasalubongs..it was soo funny because i remember when we were little, me and my sisters would always bug our parents for our pasalubongs...(we still do sometimes..hehe) pero tonight, the kids were all around her...alliah, alyssa, and lauren were all over the place..they were so excited to see their pasalubongs, and then lauren made sure that she had everything her two ates' were getting. she's sooo funny. we were just watching her...si baby paige naman, was just looking at the three girls..naguguluhan sya..ang cute nila tingnan..i remember our good old days..ka kamiss at parang ang sarap bumalik sa pagkabata...

The Prince

Finally!! the one and only prince in our family!!!! Aldrich Earnest Levanza Lim was baptized yesterday...yehey!!! I am sooo happy for him...Aldrich is sooooo cute...he had pink eye nga lang during his christening thats why he was sooo cranky..pero cute na cute pa rin...Reception was at Royal Buffet in Chino Hills, since he is the first boy in the family, my sister splurged on this celeb...from the cake, giveaways, and all the other goodies...hehe...but everyone enjoyed....who wouldnt???



this is a pic taken during a weekend getaway at Magic Mountain...where everyone enjoyed the hurricane harbour swimming.....i didnt swim but instead took care of baby aldrich and put him to sleep...

HUGE SURPRISE !

i received a call from a representative of megaworld phils today...and she goes" hi ms. cathy, this is jennifer of megaworld. i am calling you because i wanted to get your email address cause ill be needing your signatures on some docs." so syempre i asked why...then she told me that my mom and dad bought a condo for me and my sisters in Bellagio, Fort Bonifacio...i was soooo surprised...so happy, i felt like i wanted to cry...i remembered them bigla...i got chills when i found out...and then jen said that..."your parents actually instructed me to tell you that this is their surprise cause they know ill be talking to you..." lalo ako na touch...

hay naku...i just miss my parents..even if me and my sisters are married na, they still surprise us with a lot of things....they still treat us like we are still their babies...how i wish that we could all be together again... cant wait to see them..they'll be arriving 3 weeks from now...i thank the lord for giving me the best parents in the world..they have been so good to us...they provided us well, i am sooooooo blessed and will forever be thankful...

Sabado Night

Pics from our weekend gmik with friends.

Thank God Its Friday

haaay, its about half past seven, i woke up at 6:45am with a stomach ache..wanted to sleep more but couldnt. so i just grabbed my laptop to do some blogging (which i really miss doing) :) this week has been soooooo busy..(as always) i also have been in and out of the doctors office...i always have this stomach ache which sometimes is soooo unbearable...i had to do lab tests to see what it realy is..its been bugging me for years already, the doctor said he will also be checking on my pancreas and liver. scary! but id rather know before its tooo late...a lot of my friends tell me its stress daw from work....they said my mind can handle it but my body cant so i always think that i am not stressed at all...oh well...

this week, ive been in touch with my mom and my dad ..we call each other almost everyday. They have this unit called VOIP, its a voice over internet phone..so they call me like theyre here lang...okay na okay kasi i can call them anytime...

my dad went to hongkong for a business trip, and he bought me a palm treo cellphone which ive been wanting to get since ive been in the real estate business.. yehey...im excited!!! my mom will be coming over next month and my dad will follow din a few weeks after..he will be celebrating his 56th birthday with us...so we are preparing for his birthday party...grabe! kainan ulit.. :)

gotta go and start getting ready for my 9am meeting...

Hornblower, Marina Del Rey Adventure

Hornblower Brunch Adventure

At the deck.....pic pa rin !!!!












Enjoying the comfy couch while listening to great music

Paige Alison's Christening

It was Baby Paige's Baptism on Juy 16 2006. She is the second daughter of my sister Valerie...she is sooo adorable...ang cute cute talaga..every morning, before going to work, i always pass by my sister's place to get a glimse of her and Lauren. Lauren is her ate.....me and randy are the principal sponsors, so syempre since wala pa kaming baby..feeling namin kami ang parents..take a look at our pics...

What my birthdate means ?

Your Birthdate: June 8

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money.You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet.A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job.Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss. Your strength: Your undying determination Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle Your power color: Plum Your power symbol: Dollar sign Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

New York, Mexico and San Francisco Trip

Eversince we got back from Manila, randy and i planned on going on a vacation..we felt like we deserve all the relaxation this year because we barely went on one last year since we were preparing for our wedding. It was fun and exciting as we try to discover new things, new culture, new food..we went to New York, Mexico and San Francsiso...our next journey will be at Catalina Islands, we are also going to Magic Mountan sometime July, then on november, our much awaited Carribean Cruise..yipeee!! we are sooo excited... This year, we will be travelling and we will try to spend much time together while we still can...To see more of pics

After all...

whew! after all the wedding preps..i am now back to reality..im finally back in l.a. i miss blogging..i have not updated since i arrived, i miss my mom and dad, i miss the people in our office who helped me with the wedding..and most of all, i miss my badminton playmates, tito rolly, blandie, and omak...hahha...i have so many things to share...wedding kwentos, pics of our trips...., etc etc...watch out for our pics in NYC...(coming soon !)

Supplier's Rating

i am still amazed with the outcome of our wedding up to now. thinking about that night still gives me the chills. i still receive good feedbacks and comments on our wedding and we are sooooo grateful to everyone who made it a success...yes a SUCCESS !!! i hope this would be of help to other soon to be brides...enjoy your preps...

Church: San Agustin
Rate: 9

we chose this church because when randy and i were still dating, he brought me there and told me that he will marry me on that church. i am sooo amazed with the interior of this church. its not tooo big and not tooo small. its such a perfect setting. sound system is great! It is a nine because it started like 10 mins later than scheduled :( but overall, all the guests loved our ceremony





Hotel: Manila Hotel
Rate: 8














they have a huge selection of breakfast buffet. food is great. the rooms(atleast the ones we chose) are clean. ive been gone for awhile and ive been hearing a lot of neg feedbacks on this hotel, so when i came back home, i requested to inspect the rooms that i will be taking. the hotel staff were cooperative. they pretty much gave me everything i wanted. i specifically requested rooms at a certain floor level, requested rooms facing the bayside, wood parkay flooring cause i dont really like carpets all, sliding doors..bottomline is i am happy with their service.

Florist: Rex Rosario
Rate: 10

he is one of my fav suppliers. he gave me a good package and he was sooo patient with me and helped me with a lot of things. everyone loved my bouquet.someone who i can really recommend.








Musician: JJS Entertainment
Rate: 7

john is very nice. he gave me his best team on our wedding day. the soloist who sang my bridal march had a very beautiful voice. it made everybody cry including my groom. this is my favorite part of the ceremony. i felt every word. i tried not to cry but when i was nearing the altar and saw my groom crying like a baby, i couldnt hold back the tears any longer.. we were looking at each other as if no one were there..iba pala ang feeling ng church wedding !! i will remember this scene forever..

here, i made sure...that the sound was not sabog at all..
the only thing i did not like about this supplier is that there were songs that they played that were not on my list. this happened during the reception..pero sa ending part na, i was sooo into the planning that i remember every song that was to be played, i was still coordinating my wedding heheheh...

Souveneirs: Wilson/Ramil
Rate: 10

they executed our wedding cd exactly the way we wanted it..they are sooo professional. the guests loved it.


Guestbook: Gerri Diokno
Rate: 10

i love her..shes my soul sistah! she helped me a lot. she made impossible things happen for me. im so maarte kasi when it came to the small details of the wedding..baliktad nga eh, the major ones, i just let it slide, but the details, heheh super picky.. i will recommend gerri for all your wedding needs... :)

Cake: Angelyns Cake
Rate:10
angie was soo easy to talk to, she so talented and shes very organized. i depended on her too much and she delivered way beyond my expectation. she did not give me any hassle at all. what a smooth experience !!!


Ento Gowns: Fashion Forward
Rate:10

everyone liked their gowns. they were all a perfect fit. beadworks are intricate, simple and elegant. they found me the color i really wanted. and they made my moms gown so sooo nice kaya hmmm, mom looked 30 yrs old lang.. :) heheh love you mom, i know ull be reading this . mwah, but yeah, your a bomb! can i have ur necklace pullleeeeezzzzz ?? :)









HMUA: Levy Branzuela
Rate: 10

our makeup artist for soooo long. he works fast and knows what i want. so i was so comfortable all through out. he did not leave me till reception, he was there for re touch, and for support. kaso nga lang, he's inlove with my husband :) heheh
















Photographers/Videographers
WARNING: this is quite long






Official: ATmosphere, 3 camera men, 2 photogs
Rate: 10
the production staff were all friendly and made me laugh each time. they are soo comfortable to work with. they were also cool with the idea that i had 2 more back up photogs.

i called for a meeting for all three companies. i really felt the tension between them, and after a few jokes, hmm...they all were getting along.

2nd Photog: Paul Vincent Photography
Rate: 10
the coolest guy i ever met. he seemed reserved at first, pero makulit din pala. hes sooo talented and i love his work.

http://www.photonski.com/paulvincent/randycat

3rd Photog: Rene Gaviola
Rate: 10

the serious guy. he does his research talaga. he was sooo nice to me. he was always ontime for our meetings. he is sooo professional.

I just love this team !

www.renegaviola.com/cathy

Reception: Father Blanco's Garden
Rate: 10


my dream reception was put to reality, the lights, the table centerpieces, the setting, haaaay...the place is soooo magical !! i cant stress it any further....

Caterer: Makati Skyline
Rate: 9

accdg to the guests, food was very good, they gave us a lot of freebies, everything was all clean, buffet tables were decorated really well, flowers were fresh, restrooms were clean too.

Bridal Car: Greg Ching
Rate: 9




Mr. ching is a very nice guy. he was on time, and he himself drove me to the church. :)

Invitaions/Placecards: 2 RC printing
Rate: 10

i kept it really really simple...clean, elegant on a pearlized paper. love love love it.














Event Stylist: Balay Kandila
Rate: 10

hats off to ronald ! he knows what he is doing, he made me those photolamps and boy! my guests admired it so much :)
























HIGHLIGHTS:

Aside from the bridal march, my guests said that their fav part was the recep. they said that they were never bored because we had a good program lineup. during entrance of the guests, latin and bosa nova songs were being played and there also was a live coverage as they come in..i had 2 big projectors...enough for everyody to see whats happening.

i chose songs that are not really the conventional ones. can u imagine our parents, our PS and ento dancing to Usher's "Yeah" ..they were sooo cool..i still remember my dad dancing during their entrance..hehe

and our entrance ofcourse..they made us go around muna the place before we sat down to our spot.

the speeches from everyone was also a highlight, hay..i feel like this wedding is all about crying, laughing, and crying and laughing...para kaming kulang kulang...hehehe

the AVP was the fav of them all..and not only that, after the reception, we also showed "the making" of the wedding, where they will see how everything was planned and put together, credits, the thank yous..etc etc. i personally liked this idea talaga :)

and lastly, Randy surprised me...he surprised me with our first dance !!! we totally did not count that part of the program kasi because i didnt like that idea at all and we both agreed we will not include that...i was shocked when i heard him call me after his speech, i was just literraly looking at him...(hoping i heard it wrong )....he told me, while dancing, that he heard this song while he was on the plane...and he just felt that it was the perfect song for me daw...so he said " i changed my mind, i wanna dance with you" ....and the song is michael buble's "YOU & I" ....it was such a moving experience...the words are sooooo touching...at this point, i was lost..... we were just staring at each other...it felt like it was just me and him at that time"...unexplainable feeling..

Our Wedding bears ...

Thanks Lola Lourdes ! She made the suit for the Male teddy bear and the veil for the female teddy bear..We had wrapshop to personalize a ribbon for us and we just tied it around the bears and it looked so cute all together. Our flowergirls and bearers will surely love this...

Wedding Place Cards, Menu Cards, Missals, etc

Our Guestbook by: Gerri Diokno

I am so happy with the outcome of our guestbook. the design is from adesso albums. but since our polaroid camera is not working anymore, we had to customize another one which will fit in a fuji instax. i really am so happy with how it turned out to be. its even better cause Gerri added personal touches to it. She added pages wherein the names of our Wedding Party are all there and its on the first three pages of the book...it came with a handmade box and a silver pen. It looks very elegant. Like it a lot :)

The front page with our picture








The pages where in the guests will write their wishes after we take their pics....

Production Meeting

Today, we had a production meeting with the all the videographers and photographers for our wedding. We talked about a lot of things and we all had a wonderful time. They all met and exchanged ideas, suggested stuffs that would make our wedding more beautiful. My photographers will be:

Atmosphere as our Official videographer and photographer, Paul Vincent Photography and Rene Gaviola Photography. They are all so nice. The exchanges of views and ideas was really very helpful for each of us.

One more check on my to-do list. Yipee!!

Something Borrowed...Something Blue :)

If there's one more reason why i look forward to our wedding day, this would be it. My mom lent me one of her favorite jewelries. Sapphire stones with diamonds around it. My mom is a HUGE fan of the late Princess Diana, and that is the reason why she has this piece. I am sooo lucky i was able to borrow this from her. I tried it on and I just love wearing them. I dont even want to return them... I just hope that i get to have it for keeps :) Asa pa ako :) hahaha

This is quite Difficult !!!

I never thought that invitation preparation can be this difficult, My gosh, i did the inserting all by myself, nakakpagud pala, sometimes nakakalimutan ko natuloy mag insert ng maps and reception cards, buti na lang na re recall ko. haay!! ...kakapagud pala ito

Our gifts for the Wedding Party

For our Principal Sponsors who are a couple, we wanted to give them something thats really handy and something that they can easily put in their luggages when they get back to the states. So, we will give them a Mikasa Clock. Bought this at Ontario Mills,Ca.



For the Principal Sponsors who are not a couple, we will be giving the ladies a Mikasa Jewelry Box. This is really very cute when you get to see this real time. It has a gold ribbon design and a diamond at the middle. Prciey but i got what i payed for. :)


For the Groomsmen, and the male Seconary Sponsors, we chose Cole Haan initial keychains..I bought this at Camarillo Outlet in Ca. The rest, in Cabazon Outlet...


The rest of the gifts are all miniature cakes that will be placed beside our wedding cake as decoration. Haay, naku, my problem na lang is our gifts for our 3 sisters..Sila na lang and we are all done :) yehey !!!

Our final Wedding Cake

I got our Invites today :)

i finally got our invites....it turned out exactly the way i wanted and expected it to be...clean and simple...on a pearlized paper. my next task is to finish distributing by next week.

My Trial Makeup

Today, I had my trial MU at around 1pm. Well, the comments are good and overwhelming. But some of them suggested that i should add pa daw my hair accessories. So, meaning i have to contact na my supplier to make me more of these accessories. I tried on Hair and makeup with the veil so that my my makeup artist will be familiar with the kind of veil that i will be using, and atleast i get a glimpse of how i will look like with the veil. Levy Branzuela has been our make up artist eversince. So here's my first trial. Very clean and simple..and the most important thing is that i still look like meeh :)

Reception Setup

We had our Food Tasting last Saturday. I was with my mom, dad and yaya elsa. We all had a great time. Lerma, Nattie and Ariel (Chief waiter) of Makati Skyline really took good care of us. We liked all the fud that was served. They even made us taste the ones that we did not pick.

Since there is an ongoing wedding, we were able to see the setup. Atleast nakita namin ang ambiance ng Father Blanco's Garden at night. It was so funny, cause usapan namin we will just take a peek, pero syempre my dad ....hmmm talagang pinasok at nag check pa ng sound system...hahahah di pa na kontento... Nagulat talaga ako cause i heard my name all over the place...oh no!! my dad is on the microphone!!! "Cathy! test! mic test! can you hear me back there?" my gosh, nakakahiya talaga..he's sooo funny !! Talagang hands on si daddy sa pag prepare ng wedding namin...

so the final menu is set already..at last!!!