My Other Babies

I miss my nephews so much. I once dreamed we spent a whole day together. Playing and goofing around. If I didn't have a family yet it would probably be possible.  I took care of them when they were babies. I'd love for it all to happen again. It was pure joy. In my heart, I still call them my babies. Even if they only recognize one auntie. Even if it's announced time and time again who their favorite tita is.  Oo, bittter ako. Inggit ako. Masama ba? Mahal ko sila e. Kebs mo.

Fingers crossed, I'll get to spend more time with them when they come home to the Philippines for school. Tingnan natin. Sana payagan ako.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't.

I'd give away everything I had if it meant having a close relationship with my brothers and sisters-in-law; for my nephews and niece to know who I am and that I love them so much as if they were my own children. I'd settle with a simple and humble life just so I could have back how things were before.  I am not one to ask for things. More often than  not, they are given to me.  Though I know I am lucky, I'd do away with it all to have what we used to have. 

The last time I saw my brother, he only said one word to me. "Why?" It was about  a cousin or a neighbor I think. Most painful New Year ever. It was awkward, quiet, and forced. Nothing real about it. And I don't even know what I did wrong at the time.  * very very long sigh * 

a little inspiration

I know I promised to tell you my son's birth story in my next post but I just don't have the time nor interest to write about it. Anyway. Maybe I need a little inspiration. I was chatting with Abba when the subject came up.

Abba: i'm thinking of new banner for my blog

Yoshie: ako rin

Yoshie: ay mali
Yoshie: think of a new banner for my blog
Yoshie: you do it
Abba: lol
Abba: ano ba gusto mo?
Yoshie: di ko alam
Yoshie: hahaha
Abba: but you're so tamad to blog!
Yoshie: i know
Yoshie: lol
Yoshie: malay mo
Yoshie: ganahan ako
Abba: lol
Abba: for you it's just gonna be all white
Abba: tapos
Abba: nakalagay sa gitna
Abba: yoshieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Abba: heheheh
Abba: ahhaha
Abba: liit pa
Abba: tapos black lang
Abba: lol
Yoshie: am i that boring?
Yoshie: or insignificant?
Yoshie: or little?
Yoshie: or plain?
Yoshie: hahaha
Abba: hahahha
Abba: plain

But seriously Abba, my blog needs a new look. It never had a look to begin with. Crap it's just one of the Blogger templates. Isip tayo. Este isip ka. lol. Excited na ko! Sige na. Baka nga ganahan ako mag blog lagi. Maybe then you'll stop bugging me.

Ok. So, for my next post, i absolutely promise to introduce you to my son Ty, how we came up with his name at the last minute, and his birth story. Promise. Promise. Promise.

The End.

Yoshie...eee's Back.

Yesterday I came across a friend's new blog and remembered what it was like when I first started blogging -- how excited I was each day to post an entry even if it was just some cute funny pictures of my twin nephews; how I enjoyed writing and photo blogging so much. Today, as I rock my baby boy to sleep in his bouncing chair, I finally get the urge to blog. So here I am, sitting on the floor with my laptop, next to my baby boy who is finally sound asleep (morning nap). I realize it has been close to 11 months since I last updated this thing to tell everyone that I was 7 weeks pregnant with my first child. Even Abba was bugging me to go back to blogging even if it was just to talk about the most boring thing. "Just make it sound interesting", she says. I wish I had blogged regularly during my pregnancy so I could go back and remember how much I enjoyed those 3 trimesters. Boy did you guys miss out on a lot. I'm pretending I have a lot of followers of this blog even though it's limited to 2 people. Abba & Russ. And at this time even they're too busy to even surf the net for a little socializing. lol.

So....how has everything been since I was last here? Absolutely wonderful. I had a really easy pregnancy. No morning sickness whatsoever. Lucky lucky me. The only thing I needed to eat nearly everyday was easy to find - oranges, ponkans, kiat-kiats, Berry Orange juice. Remember that threatened abortion thingy? Well it wasn't anything like that. It was just a mild infection which was easily treated. Found that out when I switched OB's. Which I'm glad I did. I definitely felt more secure when I switched to my sister-in-law's OB. She took great care of me and everything went smooth sailing for the remaining 2 trimesters (I'll tell you my birth story in my next post).

I got a surprise baby shower from my officemates right before I went on maternity leave. My Team Spain babies rock. They connived with my husband. They had to. I was already giving them a hard time keeping it a surprise. But still, it was a success. My dream spa bridal shower came true in the form of a nail spa baby shower. I was punked at Posh Nails in Ali Mall, Cubao. They reserved the entire salon. A manicure, pedicure and a little bit of massaging was just what I needed. And every single gift came to good use. That's because i asked for them. I so love wish lists. lol.

The Team Spain girls after all the nail pampering.

Right now, I've resigned from work to become a full time mom to my baby and to concentrate on a sewing business my mother and I will be setting up.

Man do we have a lot of catching up to do. Thing is, my time's up for this post. Ty's awake and hungry. Laters!!!! Til his next nap!

So good to be back.

7 weeks

Thursday & Friday morning, July 9 and 10: After 2 home pregnancy tests, I find out that I am pregnant. Yey!

Monday, July 13, 2009: I go for a check up. 7 weeks pregnant! Can you believe it! Almost 2 months already! I'm due February 25. What blew me away even more was to hear our baby's heartbeat when I had my first ultrasound. Never saw it coming. All I could do was smile. Like a little kid hearing a voice on the telephone. lol. Too bad Ron was outside in the hallway. Next time I have an ultrasound I'm gonna ask for him to go with me. But I think for Ron, seeing the pics of the ultrasound was enough for the time being. I swear he was gonna break up in tears. My big baby. lol. Here's our first view of my real baby. My Little One:

For now, I'm resting for the week. May have been threatened abortion. Or maybe not. Either way, it won't hurt to be extra careful. Pray that we're healthy! Mwah!

back again

So I just finished watching Game 4 of the Cavs-Magic playoffs. Cavs lost. Bummer. It was a pretty good game though. I lost a few breaths and my heart skipped a couple of beats. lol. Anyways, man has it been a while since I visited my blog. The last time I posted was last year only by force (thanks Nestlee. lol.).

So in a nutshell:

• I am now Mrs. Ronnie Reyes. I keep forgetting that I have a new surname. lol. Jocelyn A. Reyes. I still need to say if over and over. lol.
• I've reached 1 year of working at my current job. Achievement? lol.
• I've gained weight since the wedding. A lot of it.
• No, I'm not pregnant yet.
• I'm addicted to nail polish especially shades of red (and I've infected my team mates)
• I need to lose weight. again. lol.
• And, I just got a new hair cut.
  

Contrary to this picture, we are happily married. lol.

Jillian Iyanna Arellano (JIA)

I forgot that I wrote this and saved it as a draft. Better late than never!

************

Born on July 8, 2008. Despite lacking sleep from the night before and coming straight from work, I just had to be there when Jia was born. I made it in time to hold Flor's hand and wish her luck. Though nervous and scared, she was quite the opposite in the video.

Ok, so now after watching the vid, don't you think Jia has an amazing set of lungs? Holy cow. We could hear her testing her vocal chords while she was in the nursery and we were outside waiting for them to show us. Note: the nursery is supposed to be sound proof. lol.


That was Jia then. Here she is after she's air dried. lol. (around 6 months ++ old)

Cutie!!

Blogging by Force

I'm posting these pics because Nestlee is forcing me to. She claims she needs a "pampasaya". I think I should rename this blog to Holiday's and Hunter's Blog. lol. Can't blame you though Nes. They're adorable as can be. Hope this makes your day!

Here are the twins on their regular "walking" training one afternoon.

Holiday...the braver one
(or probably just has more patience & perseverance) lol.

Oops! Steady....steady.....

Hunter...training... (5 minutes earlier)

Hunter...5 minutes later. lol. "I'd rather count my fingers. It's less tiring."

the twins with Mum and Dad


Holiday showing off

Hunter & Mum

Hunter at the beach in his surf suit

Cheers!!! Big EarSsssszzzzz!!!!

AND HERE'S THE FINALE:

dare I say it comes from my side of the family?

Today, Holiday's walking on his own. A little wobbly but getting more and more confident. Hunter on the other hand would still rather crawl. He's got an amazing appetite. Won't pass on anything. lol. They said his legs can't carry the weight. lol. Hurry up kids! Pano sa wedding ko!!!

Partners in Crime

How cute is that?

6 Months

It's now 6:28am. Woke up at 4:20 after 14 hours of sleep. There's nothing else to do now but blog. Nobody's online. I've exhausted my interest in browsing Friendster and Multiply and Facebook. Maybe in a while I'll update my wedsite (which only a few people have seen). It's not finished yet.

Speaking of weddings, in exactly 6 months and 10 days ours will be here. Still a lot of things to do. I have yet to book a hair and make up artist (HMUA) and to find a designer that will accommodate my budget for the gown.

6 months. 6 months left to lose all that extra weight. People are telling me to start. Man, is it really that bad? lol.

6 months. 6 months more of planning our perfect wedding. Just a bit more and we'll be down to the hard part. The small details and bits and pieces that would be the least of one's worries on a wedding. lol.

6 months. 6 months left before my life and my priorities totally change. My decisions will now affect not just me, but Ron too. And hopefully, if we are blessed, a small person will join us next year. Hihihi.

6 months. 6 months left of being an Arellano and before I become a Reyes. Wonder how life will be after? As it has always been with me and Ron, better. We're better together.

As for my wedsite, i'll launch it soon. Yuck may launching pa. lol. As if.

Team Spain

I awake to a dark room after 14 hours of sleep. Hey, it was day time when I went to bed for a nap. What gives? Oh yeah, then I remember, my days are back to front inside out and all screwed just as my friggin' body clock is. Ah, the perks of having a call center job --> None. Just the money and friends. You lose your social life because all you want to do is sleep. And even if you get enough sleep, you're still tired coz sleeping during the day can't compare to the sleep that normal people have during the night. lol. Anyway, despite this erratic schedule that i have, work is good. Petiks. Stress free. Excellent pay. And a lot of new friends. Some definitely worth keeping.

This is TEAM SPAIN:

Some of the funniest and mischievous people that I know. One crazy bunch.

dad's turn

April 8, 2008. A week after Mum's birthday, it's Daddy's day. I didn't get to call him coz their land line was busted. But made sure he read my text message. Seems the old man had a great bday with a surprise gate crash at our place by our filipino friends. Potluck mania. I wish I was there. I miss Dad even if sometimes I don't get his drift. lol. Love you Daddy.

happy birthday mummy!!

This morning, I go home today from work with only one thing on my mind: Mum. It's her 61st birthday today. I wonder what she's doing. Taking care of the twins? Driving to town to run some errands, grocery shopping or going to SM (segunda mano)? Apparently it was the last one. lol. I call 2x to greet her. Still not home. I text her: "hoy. lakwatsera. umuwi ka na. kanina pa ko tumatawag." (yeah. we're like best buds. lol.)

It's a treat though that i get to speak to Ate Leslie. I miss her. I hope she's doing ok.

It's been 2 hours since i last called. I call again. It rings.

Mum: hello?
Me: mum!
Mum: oh! (tapang noh?)
Me: happy birthday!
Mum: oh thank you!!! kumpleto na araw ko!
.
.
.
and so on and so forth.

3 minutes after we say goodbye: I'm still smiling. Thinking of mum's stories of the twins. Mum's laugh. How things are going well with Kuya & Ate's clinic. This year just might be a good year after all. Even for me. :)

ain't looking like nothing over 60.

certified & contemplating

So we made it through nesting and now we're on the floor doing what we do. It's fun. Well, earning alot and not being so stressed with the work itself. But hell, the schedule is killing me. Shifts starting at 12mn, 1am, 1:30am...and next week 3:45am. Crap. It's scary going to work. As Dave said, Cubao is the place to be.... ROBBED. lol.

So anyway, last Friday, here I was, chatting away and then Chiqui sends me a pm. We catch up. Miss the old times. And she mentions an opening at her company. P&G. No work experience needed. No CPA license required. And according to her...the offer is irresistible. Way more than Stellar plus this is a day job. A normal job. And it makes me think. It's exactly what I need. Especially when I'll be starting a family next year. Wow. A normal life. And I'll even be using what I tried so hard to pass at UST. lol. That is...if I pass exam and the nose bleeding panel interviews. So there Chiqui was, waiting for my reply. And what do i say you wonder? "Yes!" Why not? It's worth a shot. Who knows, by some miracle, i might even pass.

*UPDATE* I didn't. I wish I could blame my lack of sleep and and rest that morning after my shift but I don't believe in mental block. So...either I'm getting dumber every year or it just wasn't meant to be. I'll take the latter just because it makes me feel better. lol.

Twins update

To my friends who are avid fans of my nephews Holiday & Hunter, here are a few photos for you to go goo-goo gaga over:

at exactly 1 year old

Day-Day's space suit

*DO NOT DISTURB*

"come on! let's go!!!"

weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!


Shaolin Day-Day (parang si Jairus ng Kung-Fu kids)


Hunter's real twin brother


this time pool time is really FUN time!!!


new hair cuts (Holiday: "where'd my hair go?")


sooooo cute. gigil!!!!


one of the biggest brightest smiles that never fails to brighten my day


clap your hands, clap your hands

I miss these kids so much. Mum told me that sometimes when they tell Hunter, "call tita", he'd get a cell phone, get the screen to light up, then place it over his ear and say, "Heyo tita!". Isn't that adorable? And yes, it made me cry. Hopefully one of these days I'll get to hear that over the phone. lol. *UPDATE: apparently Holiday does the same thing!!!*

Oh, and here's a video I took of Holiday while I was in PNG.

Honestly, I didn't mean for it to happen! It was an accident. But really, you gotta admit, it's funny. lol. Love you Day-Day!!! You're gonna be famous bebe...on Bitoy's Funniest Videos. lol. Sorry bout the end part. I dropped my phone to pick up Holiday. lol. Don't worry, he wasn't hurt.

almost there

We made it to nesting. Just one more week. Hopefully we'll all make it. Russ and I are still on different shifts. This time I'm on the shift before hers. Anyway, it has been the bestest 2 weeks of training that I have ever experienced. Our trainer Dave is the best. Hell, it didn't feel like training. Too much fun and laughter. To celebrate all of us passing PST and test bed, we all went over to Gen's place yesterday. Loads of fun. Was a farewell party too. I'm gonna miss Dave. Wish training could be longer. lol. Anyway, we're just 5 days away from becoming probi's. *fingers crossed*

Wave 9B! Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!

With Gen, Dave and Zen

my new buddy Russ

time to celebrate

enjoying Dave's KFC dinner

a new beginning .... again

It's been exactly a month since I got back from Papua New Guinea. Until now I am missing the twins and everyone else. One of the hardest things I had to do was leaving. I still catch myself crying when I hear Holiday's favorite song "No One" by Alicia Keys and when it's 11:30pm and I remember that's the time I sing Hunter to sleep with "The Power of Two". They're growing so fast. And I can't wait till they come home this October. They won't recognize me, but still...they'll be home. For 3 months. Kewlies. I wonder what they'll look like. How fast they can run. What they'll look like in their cute little suits on our wedding. *giggles* Soooooooo cute!!

Anyway, I know this blog is long overdue. Just an update. A week after I got home, I tagged along with Russ when she applied at Stellar Global Solutions in Cubao. Yeah. Call center. IP-Relay Operator. The pay? Wow. I couldn't resist. lol. To cut things short, we both passed the Interview, as well as a week or so of Soft Skills Training, and now we're on our third day of Program Specific Training. Oh da ba. Kaching! Kaching! Kaching!!! lol. Wish us luck that we pass. Though we're not in the same class nor shift, I've found a new set of friends. The funniest bunch. I've got a new Russ in my life. But this time he's a she but is really a he but wants to be a she. Gets? lol. He's one of the funniest people I know. Kinda reminds me of Abba. But just how he makes me laugh. lol. Love you Babba!! Aside from Russ, there's McKai whose introduction goes - "I'm McKai. And no I'm not anorexic. I'm not bolemic. And I don't do drugs." Yeah, she's that thin. Got a couple of piercings and is the lead guitarist of a band named Sink. Cool I know. Then there's Lee who loves to drink. She used to weigh 43kg way back when she religiously dragon boat rowed (or whatever you call it) I think was about a year ago. She once modeled her rock hard abs for that Del Monte 202 commercial. (I think). Anyway, drinking 3 bottles of Gran Matador in 4 hours ALL BY HERSELF and all the beer drinking kinda paid off. So there. Another funny one. There's more of them. My new friends. But I gotta cut this thing short. (i know i know, mahaba nanga e!!!)

Anyway, I'm off. Gotta hit the showers. I think I've finally adjusted to the night shift. Today I slept like a baby. And now I'm definitely ready for training. Maybe my brain will actually work this time in class. Til next time! Promise, I'll make sure it won't be next month. Hahaha!! Ciao.

Here's a pic of the twins on one of their afternoon strolls on the front lawn:


And here's our attempt at trying out their first baby pool:

Pool time is Fun time!!!! Yehey!!!

WOOHOOO!!!

Now I can talk.

It's official. Joey called us yesterday. My sister-in-law Flor is pregnant!!! Woohoo!!! Once again, as I did when I found out my other sister-in-law was pregnant least year with the twins, I was jumping for joy with both hands raised to the heavens. Thank you God!!!!!

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE AGAIN!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!

I swear I think I had some sort of premonition. lol. The other night I dreamt that Ate Leslie was being told by a doctor that she was pregnant. I know it wasn't Flor in my dream but it did have something to do with a pregnancy in the family. Right? lol. I just wanted to say that I had a premonition even if it was just some dream. lol.

I'm so happyyyyyyyyy!!!!! Wee!!! Yey!!! Whoopeee!!!!

fingers crossed

This morning, we got an overseas call from my brother Joey. He had great news to share. And I was literally jumping and dancing with joy. Ate Leslie was dancing too. Hahaha. Anyway, I won't tell the news just yet. I'll wait til we're 100% sure of things.

Sana sana sana sana sana sana sana....

*fingers crossed* *eyes wide shut* *praying for the news I want to hear*