- I wanted to cry when I heard christmas carols in the malls (Well, this happens to me every year– everytime ‘ber’ season hits)
- I wanted to cry when I saw Alyanna carrying a furry, girly bag on her shoulder (She’s growing up to be like me!– minus the furry and girly)
- I wanted to cry when Alyanna pulled out baby wipes from her furry, girly bag after dinner to hand each of us some wipes.
“Mika, here. Wipe your mouth. It’s dirty.”
- I wanted to cry when Alyanna went inside the cafe ahead of us and started to fall in line by herself.
“Dad, what will we order?”
- Lately Mika has been very talkative and I think, “Waaah! She’s really being a toddler now!”
- Lately Mika has been trying different stunts to make us laugh and I think “Waaah! She’s growing up to be like her dad na!”
- Lately Mika has been singing a lot….a LOT! …and I think “Sniff! She’s growing up to be like her sister… ”
- I just saw the red cups (from Starbucks) now and I felt mixed emotions in my heart thinking that Christmas is really here!
…which means that another year is about to end, and a new one is about to begin.
…which means that my kids will be growing up… some more.
…which also means that I’m not getting any younger. (yikes!)
…which reminds me how time flies.
…which makes me think, How have I spent this year? Did I make it count?Did I get to do the things I planned to do at the beginning of the year?
…which makes me think some more: Do I love God more now?” Do I know Him more than I did last year? , Did I get to bond with my kids and teach them the best way I could this year?, Do I love my husband more now? , Did I get to support him and show my respect and admiration for him and serve him to the best of my ability this year??
…Time is the ONE resource that we all have equally and, once spent, none of us can take back– yet it is the resource that so many of us take for granted.
…Yup. These red cups ought to remind us to “…number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
*I am reposting this recipe I shared last January 15, 2009. Unfortunately, I lost my old file which included the picture. I shall edit this post once I find it or I make a new batch and take photos of it!
Due to requests of some dear friends, here is a “recipe” of the salad dressing I had for one of the Christmas dinners I hosted here at home:
**oh no! warning: i really do not know how much of each ingredient I used…so I guess for those of you who haven’t tried it, just pour and mix until you find a taste that’s to your liking? Basta it’s supposed to taste a little tangy yet light…
…oh wait, ok i’ll try to imagine the measurements…. here goes….
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp garlic, super chopped
2-4 “strips” of anchovy fillets (as we all know, this is quite salty so you might want to try to go for 2 first)
2-3 tbsp lemon
mustard (this would really depend on how tangy you’d like your dressing to be)….i think i put in about 2 tsp. of this
honey (i see this as the “equalizer” of all the other ingredients)
* I suggest you “pound” the garlic and anchovy fillets together first before mixing in all the other ingredients
* oh, and it helps to base the amount of mustard to put it on the color of the dressing….it should be a very pale yellow
Now, what to toss in with this dressing?
romaine lettuce
shrimps (i marinate mine with the dressing before cooking it)
By now, I’m sure you’re pretty much all set and ready to go into labor.
As important as getting all of mom’s gadgets and baby’s things ready, is making sure that daddy is all packed and ready to go, too! Here is a checklist that I hope would help you as you get everything set for the big day. I will also include some random tips that come to mind as I go along typing…
- Food (I must say it again, nothing with a strong smell please!)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Cellphone
- Your wallet ….and make sure it has cash!!
- Watch
- Book / Ipod …anything to keep you preoccupied in case labor progresses slowly (in our case, ipod and a deck of cards were very helpful)
- Paracetamol (just in case the hunger/lack of sleep/tension gets the best of you and your body suddenly decides that the time of labor is also the best time to act in protest)….husbands, we appreciate and love you, but when it’s labor day, don’t expect any help from anyone when it comes to meeting YOUR needs
- Towel
- Change of clothes
- Slippers
1. Remember, you’re in charge of the camera and all other documentation gadgets
2. You may want to have some copies of the patient information, too
3. Put all necessary documents in one envelope and take on the responsibility of handling them
4. Even if your wife is most probably the one who packed the bags (labor bag, baby’s bag, etc.), please know where everything is, so when she’s in too much pain and asks for something (or too groggy and would need to wake up and nurse the baby), you won’t have to ask her what and where that lip balm or burp cloth is
5. We know you love us and you do feel for us, but in your effort to comfort us during labor, please don’t ever imply that you feel our pain…When tempted to say it, just DON’T.
6. Go with the flow. Most of the time, the techniques we learn in birthing classes just don’t seem to work all of a sudden. Relax. That’s just how it is….go with the flow…
7. A week or two prior to the due date, get enough sleep and rest. You’d be needing it. We need you to stay strong for us.
8. As much as possible, don’t take on too many appointments around this time either.
9. Plan ahead– where should you position your camera? What’s the best angle, just so you can see the baby as he/she comes out and yet make it censored enough to show your family and friends?
10. Don’t show signs of panic– even if you’re about to have a heart attack. Pray with your wife and for your wife out loud. Remind her of your mantra. Tell her how well she’s doing. Realize that your mere presence and support give her a thousand times more strength and courage as you BOTH go through this.
*Dennis, thank you for being a great great labor partner! You’re the best! ‘Till next time…. (after many many years)
Every weekend, the girls sleep in our room. This means that every weekend we all have to squeeze in to fit in one bed, which also means that every weekend I put myself at risk of getting kicked in the face (FYI: history shows that my nose is a favorite target of these two little creatures).
Here’s a conversation we had one night:
Me: “Mika, don’t fall ha!”
Mika: “Mom, why you always say ‘don’t fall’? Why?”
Me: “Eh, because you always fall off the bed! You move around too much even when you’re asleep!”
Mika: “BUT Jesus is beside me! So even if Daddy’s not here and I’m on the edge it’s otay. I will not fall bee-tos Jesus is beside me!”
This answer ministered to me. Mika had every reason to be as concerned as I was about her falling off the bed. She really does move around a lot in her sleep. She has also managed to fall off the bed quite a number of times, even when the set-up seemed impossible for her to fall. Involuntary sleeping “habits” and her past experiences should have given her every reason to fear staying near the edge of the bed, but simply bee-tos she believed that Jesus is always beside her, the “ow-ies” she got in the past did not matter to her one bit.
I wonder how many times we end up moving in fear because of things that have happened to us in the past (or in my case, just the thought of things happening, period). How many times have we stopped ourselves from doing something that we know God has called us to do because we figure that logically, the chances of favorable things happening is very small, if not impossible?
If only we would learn to say, “It’s otay, I will not fall bee-tos Jesus is beside me!”
Moms, I know that there will be countless times when fear would kick in. Will my kids be safe? Will my kids grow up loving God and obeying His Word? Will we be able to send them to school–all the way through college? Will I be able to parent my kids well?
We could always find something to worry about. Instead of doing that, let’s just repeat after Mika:
“It’s otay, I will not fall bee-tos Jesus is beside me!”
