Where'd my blog go?

Xian's birth

I was on my 38th week of gestation and couldn't imagine waking up the next day still pregnant. I gained 40 lbs in this pregnancy, way overweight. Good thing I'm healthy and the baby's healthy, complications should be rare.

I was already getting more and more impatient. On my 35th week, I noticed reduced fetal movement. I drove myself up to the hospital emergency room for a non-stress test. This, upon the prodding of my husband who was out of town at that moment. Of course, after my telling him of my concern and worry. Getting inside the labor room, the usual "Di pa diay ka due?!" surprise looks from the people around no longer surprised me. I was a whale, it was understandable.

36 weeks and nothing happened. 37 weeks, I started planning to attend my daughter's school's family day which is to happen the week after. I bought 2 kgs of chicken wing, marinated a day before and instructed the yaya to cook them crisp early the next day.

November 26 was my brother-in-law's birthday and Christening of his firstborn. I was ninang, in all my bloated glory. When my husband reviewed the pictures, he told me "kaanakon na kaayo ka'g nawong!" Must be the flared up nostrils. That night on our way home, I drove the car from Ayala to our house because the husband has to ride his bike home from his office. Yes, I still fit in the driver's seat but barely.
I didn't get much sleep during the night. Not the usual uneasiness brought about by the uncanny physique of a pregnant woman. It was different. I kept on waking up through the night for bathroom trips I lost count. I woke up at 5:00 am that Sunday. The Sunday that we are to attend my daughter's school's family day. I felt the contractions but dared not wake up my husband and daughter. I wanted them to get all the sleep they can since family day's gonna be tiring. I started timing my contractions using a trial iPod app. The intervals are already consistent and the intensity varied from moderate to very painful.

At 6:30 am, I woke up my husband and told him about the contractions. I even considered going to the family day thinking the baby won't be out that soon anyway, judging from my first experience. When my face started to contort during contractions, my husband grew uneasy and unsure about my suggestion. We ended up sending our daughter to the event only to perform their field demo accompanied by her aunt and nanny. They went back home right after.

It was 9:00 am when we finally went to the hospital to get admitted. I calmly walked to the IE room, that being not my first. I was surprised when the resident said I'm 6.8 dilated. I was amazed at how fast it progressed. My doctor, at this time, has been notified.

You might be surprised on how composed and calm I was when I got in. It was because I did all my research and had a birth plan in place. The birth plan that my doctor and the pedia fully supported. I wanted a natural, painkiller-free delivery and requested to room in with the baby right after. I wanted to establish breastfeeding right away and I felt that being groggy from all the painkillers would not help with my goal. I also knew that I have a big baby, and knew that I can still deliver him vaginally. In the slim chance that I can't I have outlined that as well in my birth plan. Everything is progressing as planned.
6 CM is the start of active labor. The pain is becoming more and more intense and came in closer intervals. Still I hang on. Natural all the way! At 8 CM, my doctor arrived. I was on my side the whole time since I discovered I can manage the pain better with that position. I brought a handheld massager to help ease the pain when contractions come. My doctor was a total darling. She massaged me everytime the contractions came and talked me through it. Deep breathing became more and more difficult. I kept on telling the baby to work with me, that we're a team.

My water burst when I was fully dilated, it was 11:00 am. All I wanted to do by then was bear down as I felt the baby bore down inside me. I helped myself into the wheelchair that's to transport me to the delivery room. When I got there, I notice there's a staircase by the delivery table. I did not notice that the first time! And because all I wanted to do was bear down and deliver, I climbed up to the surprise of the medical staff. Hoisted myself up and got ready.

All the fuss and noise inside the delivery room faded and I focused on the voice of my doctor. When my doctor said push, I gathered all of what's left and pushed. Believe it, I got Xian out in one push, all 8 lbs 11 ounces of him! The shape of his head is a testament to that.

As soon as the baby was out, he was placed in my breast and was guided to latch on. He didn't. I wasn't worried, all I can think of is how red and wrinkly my baby was. And even if he resembled so much like E.T., he was the most beautiful thing in the world. The feeling of finally being able to meet and hold him was exhilirating. Overwhelmed by so much joy, I ignored the latching issue. Maybe he wasn't really that hungry. I did ate a lot for the whole duration of that pregnancy.

After a while, the nurses gave up on working out the latch and cleaned him up, took his Apgar score. He got a whooping 9.10, how about that? He wailed like he owned the whole unit. It was a joy to hear! He was placed in the nursery while I was stitched up but that was all the nursery time he had. At the recovery room, he was brought to me. He latched on without so much of a fuss. He slept in my arms for the first time and I was wide awake enjoying and relishing every single moment.

We went to our room together. He was a bit jaundiced but all in all, I counldn't wish for a more perfect birth and I was wide awake to experience it all.

This Xian is a trooper, that I can be sure of.

2011

Before 2011 started, I mentally listed down the things I want accomplished before the year ends. To wit:

1. Get pregnant, have a baby, hopefully a boy this time. Oh yes, this was planned.
2. Learn how to drive because if and when I get pregnant, I don't want to go through the unmentionable experience of riding a smelly cab when my hormones are all spiked and morning sickness was a bitch. I want to drive myself when the hubby is out of town or is unavailable. Also, so I can drive and fetch Xofi from school.
3. Major house remodel.

There are hordes of other things I want done and accomplished, but those above are the big ones. The smaller ones I can basically live without. So have I done those biggies? Hell yeah, except for the house remodel thing. Sadly, it was not because we weren't ready, but it was because we can't find a contractor decent enough who can deliver through. And by the time we thought we found one, No. 1 came and we have to have the house free from construction hassle. I had Xian last November 27, 11 in the morning. Coincidentally, it was also Xofi's school's family day. One we've been preparing and have every intention to go. We had to let Xofi go accompanied by her nanny and her Auntie Han because I cannot bear the thought of her missing another dance event (she already missed the UN celebration because we had to go home to Ormoc). The short but fulfilling labor and delivery of Xian Ellis is a different story altogether.

Driving is a bittersweet experience. I love the freedom it brings. I can now go to late night parties with girlfriends without having the husband wait up to fetch me. But the undisciplined drivers that our roads seem to harbor is beyond imagination. I would like to put it in perspective. I think these people are decent and respectable. I don't think they'd cut queues when they're falling in line personally. I think, however, that the politeness evaporates the moment their hands come in contact with a steering wheel. They think they own the road and they shouldn't be made to wait. That is the time that I would like to murder these self-entitled ones. 

All in all, it was a very fulfilling and blessed year. Despite the snags along the way, I can never complain. I have the most loving and supportive husband I wi ll never trade for Brad Pitt (for Johnny Depp, maybe, but only for a night). Xofia is a darling, acting like an Ate and never did violently exhibit her jealousy towards the baby.

Xian lets me sleep through the night as long as he can grab the boob anytime he wishes to (this does mean that I sleep with a boob hanging out, thank you very much!).

Needless to say, I am happy and contented and is exactly where I should be. Thank you, 2011. Now, it's time to take 2012 by the horn and see what surprises this new year brings. Happy new year, everyone! Cheers!

Whoever said parenting is easy?

Somewhere along the line, I may have lost the connection.

From a very short meeting with her teacher, I learned that Xofi had hit two of her classmates in two different occasions. When teacher called for her attention, she'd stick her tongue out and cross her arms in defiance. She also learned to purse her lips and roll her eyes for additional emotional effect.

That very day, the moment I came home, Xofi got a timeout and was grounded from watching TV for one week. She took it real well and understood the situation. She knows the reason behind the punishment. It took an impression on her that I've never seen her do those stuff again. Whenever she'd ask for just a little TV time and whenever I am about to give in, I remind myself why I'm doing it and I call on the husband for support.

I also had a little conversation with the nanny. First, the nanny herself provokes Xofi. She'd tease her and knowing how strong Xofi's personality is, Xofi would always fight back. I told the nanny to please stop the teasing as that will only bring out the tiger in her. Being the parents, it would be doubly hard for us to teach our daughter the right manners if she's always interfering with what she thought is only out of fun. Please let us understand that to a toddler, our idea of "fun" is not at all fun to her. The nanny still resort to teasing sometimes. I don't know if she's dumb or stupid or callous, or all of the above, but I see to it that I call on her whenever she does that. I also understand that the nanny doesn't have the same upbringing as I do, so I have to work on my patience on that department.

Second, we have a bully of a neighbor. The kid is of the same age as Xofi but Xofi's physically bigger. The kid hits people for no reason at all and cusses like a sailor. I learned that the kid hits Xofi just for fun, and Xofi hits back because it's the right thing to do. 'Atta girl, but I told my her to stay away from kids like him. I told her, bad advice or not, to not play with bullies like him. True enough, when he sees the kid in the neighborhood, she'd hide and go back to the house. One time, it was too late for her to go hide, she pushed his bike away from her and told him not to come near him.

If it's one thing you can do better growing up, it's choosing your friends wisely. I know I'm not always there to tell Xofi who to keep and forget. I sure don't wanna do that. I just want her to learn to trust her judgment and know what's right from wrong.

I don't want to lose the connection again and forget that my daughter is going through a time of rapid brain growth and leaps in emotional and cognitive skills.

Much ado about a name

And rightly so. The name that we'd give our son will stay with him for the rest of his life. It's just right that we spend most of our time thinking about it. With Xofia, I already knew the moment I learned that we're having a girl. Xofia Enia are modern and shortened versions of my grandmothers' names. With this second baby, it wasn't as easy. Even if I passed the naming responsibility/burden on to my husband, I couldn't help but stick my nose into the process.

The second name, we already knew. We wanted to give him a name that's taken from "Alice" -- my mother-in-law's name. So it was decided long time ago that his second name is going to be Ellis, a variation of "Elijah". Now comes the crucial part. The first name. We wanted it to start with X, the same as Xofia's.

Because it was my husband's turn to name him this time, he was deep in research after much prodding on my part. Triumphantly, he announced "Xian"! I liked it! Much like Christian with a twist, and we'd pronounce it "See-yan". Also, we liked that Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China with rich history (read: terracotta warriors).

Little did we know that there's an actor named Xian Lim. We didn't know at that time of excitement because, really, we don't watch TV anymore. As anybody in this generation is wont to do, I googled the name "Xian" and google came back with pages and pages of "Xian Lim Scandal". That sent out warning signals. Really? Somebody has a name like that, and he has a scandal?!

Call me cheap and fickle, but that really put me off. I started looking for alternative names we may like. And trust me when I say, there's not much options out there when it comes to names starting with an "X". And Ate Xofi would not let us change the name anymore. She won't stop insisting on calling the baby Baby Xian. I took it in light strides.

Until last week, I wasn't able to slightly convince Xofi to change the name. I think I have found a name I like that the older sister agrees to. I may just have to keep on broaching the idea so she'd get used to it until the baby's out. For now, I plan to just keep the first name a secret. Not for long though, this baby's out in about a month. Excited much! :D

To delete or store in a CD

There's been an influx of wonderful and worth-seeing TV shows, or maybe I'm just a late-comer to the scene. One of my favorites is CSI: Las Vegas which is currently on its 12^th season. I have followed Gil Grissom until he was replaced by Ray Langston, who in turn was replaced by D.B. Russel this season. CSI: Las Vegas has also spawned two other shows, CSI: Miami led by Horatio and CSI: New York but I still love the original series which has maintained most of its cast members, Catherine Willows, Nick Stokes, Sara Sidle, and Greg Sanders. I also love the supporting cast of Doc Robbins and his assistant Super Dave, and the eccentric Hodges, Trace Technician.

Right now, the hottest series which just ended its first season is Game of Thrones, based on the books of George R. R. Martin and I just also recorded all of the episodes. Other favorites that I have regularly followed are House, Fringe, Criminal Minds, The Big Bang Theory (Bazinga!), Leverage, and The Vampire Diaries.

Recently, I realized that I have a little problem. All of my favorite shows are resuming their runs and my laptop hard disk has already almost reached its full capacity of 500 gigabytes. I also don’t want to erase the previous episodes that I stored because I love to watch them over and over especially if I want to review what happened during the last season of the series. So, I browsed the net to find for simple solutions and I realized that since my laptop actually allows me to burn disks, I can transfer these data to a Verbatim CD-R. The size of the CD-R is actually perfect for 1 episode which I can immediately share to my brother who’s also hooked on CSI. If you are looking for cheap CDs, this CD-Rreview blog might help.

The little girl is now a big sister

 
Our little girl turned 4 last August July. My, oh my, how time flies! While she's enjoying her milestones and looking forward to being an Ate (older sister), I am bursting at the hems and look like about to pop. Though I still have another 8 weeks before my due date, I can't help thinking how big I've gotten. I don't wanna be giving birth to a 9-pounder, oh, help me God!

Our little Ate, though, seems to enjoy my pregnancy. The little brother has been receiving lots of love from her even if he's still inside me. Hugs and kisses and stroking abound whenever she has the chance. She'd also act like a big sister by telling the little brother to stop kicking Mommy's tummy whenever I complained of such discomfort. Too cute, it's too much :)

While my tummy is growing by the day, she also likes to pretend hers is growing as well. She'd announce that while little brother is inside Mommy, little sister is also inside hers. I think I may have gotten away from her wondering why her tummy's not growing by telling her that baby sister isn't coming until she's older like Mommy old.

And because she's an Ate already, she insists on carrying her heavy school bag, walk up-down the stairs by herself, brush her teeth -- because "ates don't need help".

All Mommy and Daddy want, little Ate, is for you to enjoy your childhood and don't hurry to adulthood just yet. Not much up here.

Personalized items for the season

My internet life has somehow came to a standstill along the way, except for tweeting and an occasional facebook pages-hopping/stalking. Work and the offline life are two major factors. Sometimes largely laziness.

Lately though, I've started online shopping like I've never done before. I've done transactions over the internet, and to my surprise, I found it to be very convenient and suits my current situation. The sellers respond to you in no time and you don't even have to lift your butt from your seat, just have to have those fingers working. Sometimes, I'd do the initial talks over the net before meeting the sellers personally to get the stuff. Also works fine with me.

The holiday season is nearly upon us. It baffles me all the time how the -ber months come and go, it's like there's only 15 days in a month! Oh yeah, that reminds me that I am about to give birth as well. Yay, for -ber months!

So anyway, as what one is wont to do before the holidays: get ready with the gift ideas. I was hopping the online stores to check for exceptional offers and happen by a GoPromos review and I just have to go and take a look at the site. The site offers a variety of customizable promotional items. Being a sucker for anything personalized, my mind is working in double time what I wanted done. So hey, instead of the traditional Christmas card, why not a customized digital magnet calendar sent to all our friends and families? I can even use their studio tools to create my own design! OK, getting giddy like a child here.

Since the holiday season is also a time for companies to scour for promotional items for giveaways to clients, these advertising keychains might just be the perfect giveaway that my husband's company need. We use keys everyday, and isn't keychains the best medium to get your company byline across the majority of the populace at a reasonable price? I should know, I get reminded everyday to be environmentally-conscious from my "wisdom-and-respect" keychain.

The TV Verdict

I am not a TV person. Never was, and never will be. I detest this medium. This box that silently sneaks up on people's subconscious and shape their minds and beliefs. This medium that quietly makes you "want" something you don't really need. This stupid box that feeds you all these kinds of information and never pausing to give you time to think for yourself. I hate channel surfing and wasting time unfocused. Oh yes, I am not a TV person in that way. I prefer to be a conscious TV viewer. I figured, even without a cable subscription, I can still watch my favorite shows, thanks to the internet.

Now, back to this box called the TV. Some 10 years ago, we bought a flat-screen Sony TV. The thing with Sony is that even after all those years and moving houses, it's still working. The thing with Sony is that the hardware is so perfectly built that even if the TV technology from when it was famous of has become obsolete, it's still continued to show good picture. And by gosh, aren't we tired of this big ass (literally) TV sitting atop our console? I've sworn never to buy another TV until this other one renders itself damaged and unrepairable. My husband though, has other ideas. Like the boob-tube that he so loved, he's been ingraining in me how wonderful it would be to have a new LED TV with its HDMI features and whatnot. I usually just smile and pat him in the back "Not until the Sony dies." Very patiently and slowly, he has planted an idea in my mind that a LED TV is what we need, what with Xofi and our shows downloaded from the net, it would be so easy to just plug in our 1 terrabyte HDD and go on a movie/tv series marathon. I smiled and patted him in the back "When you have extra money to spare."

I broke. It wasn't easy, but I did. I gave in. That was the opportunity he's been patiently waiting, it was the opening.

One weekend, when S&R was on a sale, I forced my husband to come with me. Me being a sucker for bargains and 50% off sales, appealed to threat and used my preggy card. So we went there, and S&R TVs were all displayed by the entrance isle where the hubby gawked and lusted after. I walked straight, didn't pause to even look at the TVs and got the stuff we needed for at least half a year. When it was time for us at the cashier, he excused himself to gawk and lust over the TVs some more. I let him, never thinking he'd actually get one. But I had doubts. When he got back where I was, he said we're going to SM to check and compare prices.

"My, he's really serious!" I thought. After the obligatory comparison of prices, we went back to S&R and bought the 32-inch that came with a free home theater system. I think it was the home theater that got him. I still don't believe that I'd get a better viewing experience with this flat-screened LED TV. I still believe in our big-ass, antique Sony TV afterall.

He's in-charge of setting up the hardware, I was in-charge of getting the wirings and connections done. After this, we settled on the couch and tried the TV. He plugged in the 1 TB HDD, and true enough, it was way, way better than the big ass Sony. The pictures are crisp and clearer, you can actually see the actors' pores and if not well made-up, their blemishes! The colors are more defined and the sounds are crystal clear. Above all, we don't have to move a muscle to press anything to play the next episode on a folder, it simply does for us! I'm sorry big-ass Sony TV, I'm a convert. Samsung LED convinced me. I'm shipping you out to Borbon with Mommylola.

However, that enlightening experience was short-lived for that day because Xofi didn't like the movies we're watching. She wants Hi-5, and she wants it now! She still reigns, afterall. Mommy and Daddy exited, albeit with a satisfied grin.

CAS results: Everything looks OK

After the not-at-all-pleasant experience with All About Women in SM, my hopes of getting a Congenital Anomaly Scanning done is still there. Peace of mind can't be bought. During my daughter's Intramurals opening in their Talamban campus, we stopped by Dra. Canoy's clinic to get a nod on the CAS.

She agreed that because Xofia had ASD, my pregnancy is high-risk. Though there's very little we can do if ever we find something on the CAS, at least it would make us all prepared for whatever's to come. She's confident that I can take it having experienced Xofia's ASD. All I wanted is to be informed and be ready.

Right after getting the CAS script from her, we went straight to Cebu Doctors' University Hospital to get the CAS. When the sonologist learned that my first child had ASD, she was so focused on the baby's heart. After she got all the measurements and confirming Dumpling's gender, she was just looking at his heart. What got me worried was when she asked for another doctor to look at the reading for another opinion. She said that other doctor is the resident heart "expert". In my mind and heart, I was crying out loud: Please be OK. C'mon God, Dumpling's heart should be OK!

When the other doctor came in, the sonologist asked her to confirm her reading. She thought everything's OK but just wanted confirmation. Half of the scanning time, they were looking at the heart and that got me all the more worried. After a while, they both said that everything looks OK. I heaved a great sigh of relief.

Tomato-Based Pinoy Beef Stew

I used to shun beef in my cooking. Mainly because I don't have the patience to wait for an hour or so just to cook the meat to a tender. Also because I can't find a good beef meat provider, until after Rustan's opened in Ayala and S&R.  The price of beef cuts is also a minor drawback. During this pregnancy, I don't know why but I've been craving beef mostly so the price concern flew off the door to pamper my preggy self. So, to overcome the first obstacle which is impatience on my part, I'll have the help cook the beef to a tender in a simple linagang baka style. When I get home at night, I'd whip up a 15-minute beef stew in varying bases. This one's Tomato-Based Pinoy Beef Stew.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic, pressed and peeled
• 1 med-sized onion, chopped
• 3 med-sized tomatoes chopped
• 2 med-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 small can whole peeled tomatoes
• half a small can of liver pate
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 lb pre-cooked to a tender beef cubes
• salt

1. In a big saucepan, heat the oil and saute garlic and onion until translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes.
3. When tomato peel start to peel off, add the potatoes.
4. Cover and cook potatoes for about 3 minutes.
5. Add the whole peeled tomatoes, mash while mixing well.
6. Add beef broth, liver pate and carrots. I always add the carrots towards the end of my cooking because I like them a bit crunchy. Let simmer.
7. Add beef cubes and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Add salt to taste.

Pretty easy, eh? As long as you have an already tender meat to work with. Consume in moderate amounts and be mindful of those arthritic joints.



Take me to HOME COOKING tab

Are doctors perpetually late?

We decided to have our Congenital Anomaly Scanning done in All About Women in SM Cebu. Because we thought it's convenient, heck the clinic is in the mall, what's more convenient than that? We thought wrong.

At 22 weeks, my initial worry has peaked. I'm not sure if I'm just naturally paranoid, but being a mother of a kid with congenital heart defect, I wanted all bases covered while the Dumpling is still in the womb. I wanted a Congenital Anomaly Scanning. I wanted to do all that I can to prevent any congenital defects while I still can and at the earliest time possible.

My OB-GYNE is currently on vacation, and I forgot to ask for a request before she left. We went first to Cebu Doctor's University Hospital Women's Center. They'll do the CAS at P1600 but we have to have the doctor's request. I didn't have that. I called AAW in SM, and they'll do the scanning without the doctor's request but at P2500. I didn't mind, I wanted it done no matter.

At 22 weeks, the doctor said the baby is still too bony to be doing complete anomaly scanning. She told us to go back 2 weeks after. She volunteered to give us an initial ultrasound report, but none of the details of the anomaly scan as this will be done when the baby is 24 weeks of gestational age. Appointments are set and clarified. Yesterday, we went back there 30 minutes before the appointed time. We were told that the doc will be arriving at 3:30 PM because she's still attending a meeting. We decided to wait since we're already there. We used our time shopping for stuff we don't need yet but might.

We went back to the clinic at 3:00. At 4:00, still no doctor. At 4:30, we asked if we can have a refund because my back is hurting from their uncomfortable chairs, and what a waste of time it was. The staff said they can't because payments are non-refundable. The staff explained that they're looking for a reliever doctor to cover the rest of the patients, but it should be Dra. Abu who should do the CAS. We didn't have a choice, we had to wait for her. Somebody suggested to contact Dra. Abu and let her know the situation in the clinic. Somebody answered they won't because Dra. Abu already said she'd be in by 3:30. We asked the staff if Dra. Abu knows what time she'll actually be in, they didn't know for sure because she's still in a meeting. I gather from the discussion around that that meeting was for a social event the next day, it wasn't some case of life and death. My opinion wasn't asked, but I told the staff anyway that they should just have cancelled the patients when they came in and not let us wait for four hours. I told them that this is my second pregnancy and I've never waited for a doctor this long; and how inconvenient this has become. At 5:00, we decided to go. They can't pay us back, and they can't pay the time we wasted from waiting, why wait some more?

Before heading out the door, my husband got up and gave them his calling card telling the staff to let the doctor call him because he's demanding a refund. The staff realized that my husband was a lawyer and easily regretted for saying the payment was non-refundable.

When we were in the car, a text from AAW came saying that we'd be refunded of the 50% that we paid. Reply: That is unacceptable. Another text saying that they'll deduct the initial scan that Dra. Abu did. Reply: Still unacceptable. We didn't ask for that ultrasound, it was your boss' idea, we wanted a CAS. If you're not paying us the full amount, you'd be forced to spend more than the P2500 we paid if this goes any further. Another text saying that Doc said it's OK to refund the whole amount. Reply: Please have the amount ready, my messenger will pick it up tomorrow.

We didn't ask that they pay us for the hassle and for the time we lost from waiting. All we wanted is for them to be professional enough to let us know what to expect. And we wanted our money back because technically, there was no services done anyway. We didn't want that initial ultrasound, it was only 2 weeks after my ultrasound, why would I want another one right after? If my husband was not a lawyer, would they be willing to negotiate with us and actually refund us of the money we spent for non-service? I doubt that.

This is not a bad rap for doctors. I know doctors had to attend to hospital patients and I understand why they're almost always late in clinic duties. But I also personally know  these doctors to be considerate on other people's time. My OB-GYNE is the only doctor I know who's never been late on an appointment. Xofia's pedia always makes it a point to explain why she's late in coming in the clinic. Xofia's pedia-cardio always arrives earlier than us on appointed times. If she's late, she'd call us and let us know. These doctors give us their phone numbers which we use very discreetly and only when absolutely needed. We have high regard for these doctors who didn't think that their privacy are gems that should be protected by not giving patients their cellphone numbers. In return, we don't call them on unholy hours, we wait unless it's an emergency. For somebody as paranoid as me, I had to really work on my worries at 12 midnight when my daughter has spiking fever and not call the doctor.

PS: The receipt they gave us has no TIN in it. It wasn't an official receipt, for sure. There was no BIR notice of some kind pasted in the clinic. We're actually thinking of reporting them to BIR. Heck, we're paying exact amount of taxes here, let everybody share the burden in fattening up this country's corrupt government official.

Racism and kids these days

Xofia has never been judgmental based on appearances of people. When we had our vacation in Pearl Farm last summer, Xofia was particularly fond of this male African guest, they even had pictures taken together.

Imagine our surprise when she said she'd never want to live in Africa because the people there are dark and have frizzy hair!

Their current lesson in school is about the seven continents. I raised this with her teacher, and the teacher said that she only described the people living in Africa as "dark-skinned and curly-haired". I learned from her that the moment she said that, another from the class said that they'd never want to be friends with people from Africa because they're dark. I am not sure how the teacher responded to that reaction, but it certainly gave Xofia (and probably the rest of the class), an opinion about dark-skinned people. A not-so-nice opinion at that, and even bordering on racism. So far, I've raised my kid in a judgment-free environment until this instance. Sigh, the things you sacrifice just to get your kids out into the real world.

Read on and see how racism is a real problem: Death penalty now a possibility in alleged Mississippi hate killing

Beef Shank Caldereta

We have a favorite place that me and my lunchmates at work frequent to to have our fill of the sinful beef pochero, Cebu style. Cebu style, because the Manila pochero is cooked and seasoned differently than what we're used to here in Cebu. I think the closest thing of the Cebu pochero is the bulalo from Luzon. We went there for lunch yesterday all the while thinking that I'll be having pochero again for dinner since that's what we told the househelp to prepare. The husband dutifully suggested that instead of pochero, we can ask her to make beef caldereta instead. However, dutiful or forgetful, he didn't call the help and we ended up with pochero anyway. I wasn't worried. As long as the beef is already tender, I can do anything with it in 15 minutes max. So I suggested I'll make the caldereta myself having been absent from the kitchen for so long already.

In cooking pocheros, I seldom use pochero cut. I find that they're more of bones than anything else. Beef shanks, however, has all the generous serving of gelatinous thingy, meat and bone marrow.  I used beef shanks, pre-cut into half-inch with their marrows still intact. Here's the transformation of the mediocre pochero to a creamy, filling beef caldereta.

Part I (yes, there is a Part II)

• 2 thumb-sized ginger, pressed
• 1 whole onion, peeled
• half a head of garlic, peeled
• 4 slices of beef shanks

1. Place everything in a thick-bottomed pot.
2. Add water enough to cover the ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil until tender. Meat usually gets tender when water is reduced to half. Just make sure to keep the heat in med-low.
4. Separate the meat from the soup.
5. Strain the soup, discard the spices, set aside the broth. You now have a homemade beef broth you can use for your caldereta and other cooking.

Part II (I told you)

• 1 large potato, cut in squares or bite-size pieces
• 1 medium-sized carrots, cut in the same size as the potatoes
• 5 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 medium-sized onion, cut in half, then quartered (gets mo?)
• 1 medium-sized can of whole peeled tomatoes or 8 fresh tomatoes cut in wedges
• 1 small can of liver pate
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (I only had Eden, so I used this)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• beef soup
• salt to taste
• brown sugar (optional)

1. Use the same pot you had the beef cooked to a tender. No need to wash. Heat the cooking oil.
2. Saute the garlic and onions.
3. Add the potatoes. Cover for a minute or less. Make sure the potato slices aren't sticking to the pot.
4. Add the tomatoes. Let simmer for a while. This is why I like to use canned whole tomatoes, the juice is just enough to make a tasty sauce.
5. Add the liver pate, mix well.
6. Add the tenderized meat. Mix well, make sure the meat is coated with the saucy tomato mixture. Cover for a while.
7. Make sure heat is at medium. Add beef broth, about 2 cups. You have to estimate, just don't drown the meat with the soup. Let simmer for a good 5-10 minutes. the sauce should start to thicken at this time. If it didn't, you added more beef soup than necessary :)) if this happens, let simmer some more until sauce starts to thicken.
8. Add the peanut butter. Mix well and make sure it's fully dissolved into the soup. I was running out of time and didn't wait for the whole thing to get dissolved, my brother was able to eat a lump of it. LOL!
9. Lower down heat some more. Add shredded cheese and let it melt.
10. Season with salt and a bit of brown sugar. turn off heat immediately after desired taste is achieved. don't overcook as the cheese will curdle. The brown sugar is optional. I just added it to cut the sourness of the tomato.
11. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley. Char!

Sorry, no photos. The preggers was way too hungry or matakaw and started eating right away.

 
Take me to HOME COOKING tab

Where have I been?!

February 8. That's how long ago I wrote something for this blog. I wasn't pregnant then. And a gazillion of things have happened since.

• I got pregnant. We learned about it on the first week of April. We've been planning to get pregnant since late last year. We already learned it's gonna be a boy, whoop! We're scheduled for a Congenital Anomaly Scanning on the 23rd. Hope everything will be well, God willing. Xofia has pretty much understood what an older sister is. She's getting more and more responsible and less demanding especially if we remind her that she's an "ate" already. I'd like to think that this addition is doing her more good.

•  Our house is about to cave in on us. It's imminent. I can see the signs everywhere I look. The termites are eating up what available wood the house has. We've started to embark on a major project of house improvement, and so far, I've talked to 3 contractors who can't seem to understand how I wanted this done right away. I'm not sure how difficult the task I gave to them, but I'm pretty sure it's nothing out of the ordinary. I hope the third one delivers, and let's get this started with already! 

• Our car, the ever trusty Honda Civic got into a bumping accident with another car, and is now sporting a renewed bumper. The shop did a very good job, my husband can't see any piece of evidence that will remind him of that blooper. And the accident happened on our daughter's birthday party. Yes, we were in a hurry to pick up last minute party supplies and we forgot we're not the only car on the road. It happens. :)

• The sister visited for about a month. Everything good and happy and memorable and sweet. I hope they visit more often. I wish US is not that far.

• Xofia's in school, the "real school" as she puts it and is learning a lot of things. The one I'm most thankful for is her learning about junk and healthy foods. And this girl has got the willpower like I've never seen in any 4-year old. She understands that she can eat junk but not too much. She likes Pringles and mallows much. Pretty much the only ones she can't stop eating. These days, she'd say she'd only eat 4 chips of Pringles because it's a junk food and it's not good to eat a lot of it. And she told me that she should not be bringing mallows to school. I think if the teacher had her way, she'd tell me herself. Ooops! Sorry, teacher! But really, teacher, chocolate - a junk food? I'm not a fan, but you may want to rethink that.

• I visited HongKong for the 2nd time. This time with my mother, hubby and daughter. I can't quite get enough of the shopping, I wanted to go back. I actually planned to go back late this year, but then I got pregnant. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise: I don't get to spend for shopping. Hah!

• No-barfing morning sickness for this pregnancy, yay! Unlike when I had Xofia, I was barfing every hour or so. I had to eat something so that the acid had to stay low and I'd actually be barfing food, not acid through my esophagus. This time around, I'd get almost sick everytime I feel a little bit of a hunger pang. Result: eat all the time. So I'm like an eating machine right now. I got a different kind of sick: sick worried how I'm gonna get rid of this extra pounds I've piled up. I'll cross the bridge when I get there, promise.

• We think it would be cool to give our little boy the same name initials as Xofia. So yes, XES. Power in a name, err, initials!

• I realized I have never cussed so much in my life until I started driving. A lot of psychos with their hands on a steering wheel are roaming around our streets, no one is safe. Sometimes, I'd dream that I were a mercenary killing those bastards and cleaning the streets from the lot of them. My gosh, I need an outlet for this rage! I should start writing again.

 

Take me to HOME COOKING tab

The blessing of all blessings

I was talking to Xofi on the phone yesterday and when she told me she made wee-wee on Ate Myrna's bed. I asked why, and she answered "Because I was sleeping!" Really, who knows what you do when you're sleeping? And then she promised to not do it again and that she was sorry.

Everytime she does that, I can just so easily forgive and forget. Heck, make wee-wee again on anybody's bed, I won't hold a grudge :-)

When I said that I had to go, her "I love you, Mom" and telephone kisses are just the sweetest.

When we got home, she was already in bed but not yet sleeping. She's always eager to show-and-tell her day, I guess she was waiting for us to come home. When her dad told her he's tired from work, she just hugged him tight and said "I love you, Daddy..." It's the best de-stressing ever.

And when it's finally time to sleep, she'd cuddle and whisper, "I love you, Mom. Good night, see you in the morning." She's easily the sweetest.

Pork and Eggplant in Oyster Sauce

I got a DM from J that she was looking for my Pork and Eggplant recipe and did not find it here. I didn't know I don't have it here until she told me. Drats haha! So anyway, J, here it is:

• 1 slab (about 1/4 kg) pork belly
• juice of 3 kalamansi
• black pepper
• 3 eggplant, sliced thinly,
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 bulb onions, sliced
• 2 red plump tomatoes, sliced in wedges
• oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Mix kalamansi juice and desired amount of black pepper
2. Rub the meat with the kalamansi/pepper mixture. Set aside.
3. Saute garlic and onions in hot oil.
4. Add meat. Stir. Cook until lightly browned.
5. Add eggplants. Stir well. Cook covered until desired softness.
6. Add tomatoes.
7. Season with oyster sauce according to taste.
8. Turn off heat.

Take me to HOME COOKING tab

I'm driving! Well, learning...

For this year, the major house renovation has to take a backseat. I guess we'll just wait until our ceiling collapses on us, by then we won't have a choice. Of course, I'm hoping that the ceiling will understand the financial difficulty and waits until we really do have the budget.

Barring that, I'd have to occupy myself with simpler things but with greater impact on the nearer future, granting I'm not already preoccupied as I am.

Xofi will be schooling soon. Before I start scouting for schools, I finally conceded that I really do need to learn how to drive. Well, for several reasons, actually. And that is not counting the self-serving ones.

So, off I go, with my friend, enrolled in a driving school. We had our first two hours the next day. My first observation was how people are so inattentive of their safety and the safety of others, and yet the population is booming!

The driving instructor kept telling me that I don't have to look over the rear-view and side mirrors that often as long as I'm staying on my lane. But hell, cabs sprout in all directions -- left, right, back, front, up, down. It's crazy! Tell me, how can I stop paranoia from checking the mirrors all the time? Who's telling that they're not gonna bump my behind when I'm not looking?

On the other hand, it eases down the expectation of seeing some gory roadkill few blocks ahead.

My recurring thought (i.e. encouragement) when I'm about to plunge into a traffic jam that's seemingly impossible to get out of: If I can get it out of here alive, I can drive anywhere. That's the beauty of driving on Philippine roads.

Still loading...

While waiting for the new year fireworks magic of Marco Polo, everybody's wondering why the countdown hasn't started yet, and where are the fireworks already? Xofi answered matter-of-factly, "the fireworks is still loading." Everybody within earshot had a good laugh with that one.

Yesterday, when asked why she hasn't made poopoop yet, she said, "the poopoop is still loading!"

Today, I totally understand and can totally relate. Bernadette is still loading.

Have patience, World.

Xofi and Classical Music and why I'm missing all those Wonderful Shows

Of course, I wanted Xofi to like THE ARTS, but, can I have my movietime back?

Xofia has gone to liking classical music like I've never seen her into something before. It all started with me burning a collection of classical masters which she'd listen to in wide-eyed wonder. This made me stop playing the music because, hey, my intention is for her to sleep through it, not stimulate her into forgetting to sleep. OK, I know, bad mommy!

One weekened afternoon, me and my husband decided to hit the bootleggers of ye 'ol downtown and check for new kids show collections. To our luck, we chanced upon Little Einsteins. Little Einsteins teach these little kids arts and music appreciation by integrating significant music and arts into the "adventure". This piqued her interest, so I started playing the classical masters at around 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. The music was like jutes. It enhances whatever mood she's in. When she's jumpy and all over, multiply that by 5. When she's sleepy and slow, she'd go to dreamland even before the first score is halfway.

The music has acquired different titles, too. Mostly they're called Little Einstein song, or Classical Baby song, or BumbleBee Song, or I Love Balloons Song, or just generally, Classical Music Song.

So, whenever I wanted her in bed right away, I wait until she'd slowed down from the day's activity and plug in the music. Off to la-la land she goes. And she brings me with her, and who am I to fight the power of classical music? Goodbye TV shows for me.

Then out from the caverns of her disc collection, she dug out the Classical Baby. The Classical Baby was an HBO feature, and there were only 2 episodes from that CD. (I'm not sure if there are more, but we definitely did not find more). I remembered putting it away but couldn't remember why. These days, there's nothing on our TV but Classical Baby and Little Einsteins.

One night, me and my husband were watching Blind Side (after eons of not watching home movies together), in the living room. Xofi just won't stop bugging and terrorizing us into giving in. She'd get her Little Einsteins CD and like a bee just won't stop buzzing "wanna watch Little Einstein, wanna watch?" again and again.

By the time there's peace, I'd be too exhausted to watch my own movies.