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*

Back in PNG

It’s been a week and 2 days since we arrived here in Papua New Guinea. How’s our trip you wonder? Unbelievably unforgettable. Make that just UNBELIEVABLE!!!! We knew what was coming when we lined up for Immigration. Twins started crying. We had 3 bags of hand carry. No one offered to help us when we were both trying to make milk for the babies while carrying them at the same time. Nobody offered to help drag our bags as the line moved. All they did was say,”Awww…are you sleepy? Hungry?” Aww my ass. I wanted to tell the man behind me, “For crying out loud, a little help would make a big different than your stupid awws”. And to think he was carrying a light bag. What happened to all the gentlemen in this world? Gone? Gay? Hold it, in this situation, the gays are more men than the straight guys will ever be. Man I was so pissed off. We were lucky that a lady out of nowhere walks in the middle of the room and says, “Where are the twins?” When she saw us trying to wave our hands, she escorted us to the Special Assistance line. Thank God for motherly instinct and sympathy. Lol.

Anyway, the moment we stepped on the plane, the twins took turns testing their lung capacity and decibel extent. Thanks to them, in a matter of minutes, everyone on the plane knew who we were –“The ones with twins”. About 10 minutes after take off, both are already sound asleep. Yey! No need for Benedryl syrup to put them to sleep. Lol.

We arrived in Port Moresby Airport at around 4am. Our domestic flight was supposed to be at 8:50am but it was an hour delayed. So boarding would be 9:50am. Lucky for us, our flight was delayed. Not just 1 hour. Not even 2 hours. But 5 friggin’ hours!!!!! It was pouring outside. Though the lobby was air conditioned, it was humid. Hunter sweated a lot. Holiday wasn’t very happy either. Poor babies. For a couple of moments I thought I was gonna collapse. Carrying Hunter for hours isn’t exactly a piece of cake. Throw in the fact that Ate Leslie and I had only about a couple hours of sleep, well, you get my drift don’t you? Here are a couple of pics of me and the twins while waiting for our domestic flight:

To cut the story short, we made it to Rabaul Airport. Seeing all the land down below made me remember PNG again. I couldn’t help but say to Ate, “Have you ever seen so many coconut trees in your entire life?!!!” Lol. Believe me, I wasn’t exaggerating. Everything was green. And blue. The deep blue sea. Oh it felt good to be back in the land where I grew up.

The Arellanos (missing Joey & Flor)

Mum & Dad invited most of the Filipinos for dinner that same night we arrived. It was hard to be lively and friendly. We were exhausted. And that my friends is an understatement.

Anyway, we’ve pretty much adjusted to everything here. The Simple Life. The next day Ate and I had already toured the whole town. Not much to see. Not many places to go to. Mostly supermarkets. The beach is less than half a kilometer away from the main road. So that’s a lot of sea for you. We haven’t gone swimming yet though. Rough waves. Weather here is very moody. One minute it’s sunny, then all of a sudden the winds stun us with speeds of a super typhoon and then the rain comes pouring down. After that, it’s sunny again. Whoopey. Lol.

I miss the Philippines a lot. Especially Ron. It was hard to say goodbye. We both cried. This is the first time we’re apart and for so long. 3 months. You know what they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Thank God for the Internet. Tomorrow Ron will be meeting up with Joey to get the keys to my place so he can chat with me whenever he wants. I’ll be able to see him too!!! Yey! Good thing I bought that webcam right in the nick of time.

I better end this entry. So sorry for the long read. Internet here is dial up not to mention expensive. So, yes, I am dying as we speak. I don’t really have much patience for the slow speed. I even wrote this entry in Word first and then copy pasted it to my blogger to be practical. Ang saya saya. Hahaha!!!

Anyway, I’m out for now. Twins are asleep with Mum. Ate and Kuya went to the supermarket to buy a few things. Dad’s asleep in front of the tellie. It’s a pretty boring Saturday afternoon. I’m starting my Turbo Jam workout again today. Too much food this lady has eaten. Too much food. Lol. It’s time to burn those extra calories and lose those flabs. Wish me luck kids. Lol.

Tata!!!

wedding preps update

Last Saturday, Ron and I were on the mission to finally decide on a wedding photographer. With me leaving on Wednesday (and yes that's tomorrow), it was either now or next year (which of course is out of the question coz all the good photographers would be booked by then. lol. So yes, it had to be now. We started the day with Center Table Catering's food tasting at Fernwood. Joey tagged along. Where there's food, there's Joey. Either that or Joey's already been there. lol. Anyway, all the while, I was texting Oly Ruiz of Metro Photography (actually since the night before) who was in Laguna at the time on a photo shoot.

I came across their website on Weddings@Work. Loved their shots. Couldn't get them out of my head. And Oly's emails were...I don't know...had that personal touch. I love how their work was...as they described it...contemporary, new, fresh, not weird, not too much, not so ordinary -- "representative of the feelings during the event - the happiness, the excitement, the fun". I liked the sound of that and I had a feeling Ron would too. Sure enough, he did. It was a blessing that Oly offered to meet us that same day after his Laguna shoot. Ain't he flexible? :) It was a spur of the moment thing. 6pm at Galleria.

We went to visit Andre Photography first. Horrible traffic. Couldn't even find the place. And turning back to look again would be suicide. More horrible traffic. We decided not to go visit Joel Francisco Photography for the same reasons. Headed off to Galleria and waited for Oly. We got there before he did but embarrassingly enough, he was at the meeting place before us. We couldn't find Figaro. lol.

The meeting when well. Oly was very warm and friendly. Humble and open to ideas and our concerns. He showed us samples of their albums. We liked their coffee table album and were pretty much impressed with how he presented their company. Then he reaches into his back pack for a piece of work wrapped in white soft wrap. Lo and behold...their blow up portrait. My eyes lit up. It was beautiful. Very classic and antique-ish. Ron liked it too. It was on an artist's canvass and mounted on a wooden frame. Scratch proof and water proof. Like the paintings at Starbucks. After that...we were sold. Oly's warmth & friendliness made a major impact. Especially to Ron. It was like talking to a friend. Ron didn't want someone who was purely all about business. Oly was perfect.

So there you have it, most of the major suppliers are booked.

Church - Magallanes Church
Reception - The Blue Leaf
Videographer - Playback Productions
Photographer - Metro Photography

I can now go to Papua New Guinea in peace. lol.

Hunter's Portfolio

I've been an absent blogger for a long time, so I'll just post some of the twins' latest pics. Or maybe I'll just start from present and work back. Whatever clever. Ayan Berdini! Hope this brightens up your days. More to come. (Click the images for a closer look).

Hunter at his best:
Hunter at what he does best?:

Hunter at his grossest:

Hunter at his cutest:
Hunter at his grumpiest:
Hunter at his coolest:

Hunter at his sexiest:

Hunter at his naughtiest:

Hunter at play:

Hunter scared:
Hunter standing:
Hunter sleeping:

Hunter playing innocent:

And lastly, Hunter losing:

Holiday's up next. Tomorrow.

14

Finally, we see some light. Last night Kuya left for Papua New Guinea. He had to go ahead coz Air Niugini's fully booked. Couldn't let his ticket go to waste and risk not being able to get another booking. As for Ate Leslie, the twins and I, Mum was able to pull a few strings at Air Niugini. We're booked on November 14. Yup, Wednesday next week. Funny how the day we've been waiting forever for seems to be too soon now that it's here.

I've got a few days left to spend with Ron, Joey, Flor and to decide on a wedding photographer!!! My golly gee wow.

only the patient shall be rewarded

So it's been ages since I last blogged. Sorry. Just got so...so...what's the word....lazy? lol. Nothing seemed worth blogging about anymore I guess. You could also say that each time I tried to blog, I just couldn't find the right words. Anyway, here's an update:

The twins are bigger and heavier than ever. Crawling all over the place. Smiling and laughing and giggling and rolling over. Hunter grabs everything he can get his hands on. Everything just has to go through his hands and then to his mouth. His latest achievement? Breaking his Lola Beck's Php25,000 crystal bowl that was on display with all her other crystal --------- Hunter: It wasn't me

thingies. Fast hands that kid's got.
Fast hands.

Holiday's more attentive than ever. Shooting you a killer smile every time you greet him. Still needs to grow more hair though. Hunter's got thick spiky hair. He didn't leave much for Day-Day. They've got teeth now. No wonder Holiday kept throwing tantrums and fits for a week. He's an angel again after his first front top teeth erupted. And what about Hunter you ask? We didn't even notice nor feel his teeth erupting. They just popped out one day. 2 big (and I mean big) front top teeth. Numb that kid is. Numb.

You may be wondering what I'm still doing here in the Philippines. I should be in Papua New Guinea by now on vacation. Well, I'm tellin' you buddy...you and me both. PNG Immigration's communication system sucks. Big time. We've been waiting for the twins' dependent visa for 2 weeks now. Will the twins be walking by the time they arrive? Crap. They suck. Immigration I mean. They've never been reliable. I just keep telling myself..."Only the patient shall be rewarded". If their visas don't come this week, Kuya's leaving without us next Wednesday. Us being Ate Leslie, Me and the twins. Dad said he'll fly here to pick us up. Too costly. What a waste for him to fly here just to help us take the twins to Papua. I guess Ate & I can manage. We might as well make it happen.

Hmm...what else....Oh! WEDDING PLANS!!! Our wedding date is set on December 20, 2008 at Magallanes Church. Reception will follow at The Blue Leaf. We have a videographer already...Playback Productions. As for photographer, we have yet to compare the rates and quality of work. Ron & I are struggling a bit with the reservation fees and down payments. But I think we can manage. More details of our wedding plans to follow.

So I guess....that's all folks! After this entry, I'm hoping I find my zest for blogging again. Laters!!!

What-eva!!!

I know it's been like forever since I blogged. But here's something I just couldn't resist sharing. Baby Ally's got to be the cutest thing i've ever seen. Well, that's second ofcourse to my cutie twin nephews.