Ba Noi's

We were supposed to go to the OB last night but the doc had to leave early for an appointment. We were very frustrated, to say the least. Plus C had to take care of a tiny emergency at work.

The plan was to go to the OB and go home early to enjoy a homemade oriental salad.

But sometimes our plans just go haywire on us.

Thank God for new places to eat at!

Ba Noi's has been on our mind for a week now. C's officemates have been trooping to this small Vietnamese restaurant for lunch for several days now.

I like Vietnamese food because of the fresh, simple and clean taste.

Perea Street, I discovered, is lovely at night. Quiet and almost homey. You don't even hear the traffic in neighboring Paseo.

There was a waiting list at Ba Noi's but thankfully there's a courtyard outside where you can sit and dangle your feet.

Ba Noi is paternal grandfather in Vietnamese.

In this restaurant, one is encouraged to use the hands and play with food.

And play we did. First we had Fresh Spring Rolls. Great way to awaken the palette. The peanut sauce could be a tad bit more peanut-y but otherwise this dish was good.

Then we had Shrimp Pomelo Salad. As suggested by the little how-to brochure on each table, we piled lettuce, shrimp, pomelo, chicken strips and sweet sauce on the shrimp cracker. I also added some wansoy. This dish was divine.

Then we had Deep-Fried Catfish with Salad Greens. C loves catfish. In Ba Noi, we learned that the best way to eat this dish is to debone the catfish, drizzle the sweet sauce on it and mix with the greens. Or you can also wrap the fish meat with the lettuce and make it like a roll. Yummy.

Eating this type of food, it takes a while for you to realize how full you are. C kept asking if we should order some more. Good thing we didn't! We felt so stuffed and the iced coffee was just a perfect end to the meal. You have to order this one soon as you're seated as it takes a while to make.

We had a great time playing with our yummy food. Ambience is alright. Simple and clean, like the food. Service is great. Food is "to come back for".

Photos by Flexi S. Sarte of clickthecity.com.

Happy weekend everyone! Don't forget to go to church and thank God for His provisions and safekeeping!

Friday Back To The 80s

Funny scene from one of the best movies from the 80s! Have a good one!

Nothe Cliph (UPDATED)

Can't bleathe. Runny nothe.

You underthand?

That is my miserable attempt at telling you about the runny nose I get each time I swim. Each time. Argh.

Thank God for google! I figured out that I might be allergic to chlorine or the water that accidentally gets into my nose is irritating my sinuses.

So, sports nerd that I am, I might check out nose clips.

They're ugly, I know. But according to the articles I've read, it really helps in preventing a runny nose after a swim. In my case, it's not just a runny nose. I sneeze and sneeze and my nose gets soooo itchy. It is so inconvenient and embarrassing. I have to tell people I don't have a virus, I just came from the pool.

I hope the nose clip works. I might be relegated to just my swim time when I get pregnant.

I so love reading sports forums. This was an interesting AND LONG discussion on runny noses after swimming. I love sports geeks!

UPDATE:

They don't work for me. Argh. I didn't realize how difficult it is to inhale and exhale just through the mouth. Especially for someone who has been breathing in the pool in a particular way since childhood. For me it's exhale through the nose and inhale through the mouth.

It's probably like learning to write with your left hand when you're right-handed.

Woe is me. I hope I can re-learn my breathing. Or else... who wants a slightly used nothe cliph? Har-har-har.

This Face

I would love to learn to put on eyeliner this way. Just that plus a good tinted moisturizer and pale lipstick.

Photo from here.

Home Office Dreams

When I was small, I used to play pretend office. I would set up my little desk with a notepad, a play telephone and a piece of cardboard I'd imagine to be a typewriter.

I'd pickup the phone and answer customer inquiries or say the boss was out. Haha.

Maybe if I had it my way then, this would've been a perfect pretend office for me. Sans typewriter though.

Don't you just love that vintage watering can?

 
Today I have a messy desk and really cramped space so I won't hazard to post my real home office table.

But someday when we get to move to a bigger place, these would be my design pegs.

Who wouldn't want to work on a long table like this next to a view like that?

I have a similar set-up of small clothespins. Big colored ones would be perfect for me now to hang swatches and tear sheets with.

I wonder how they ever get to read any of those books... How do you get one out without toppling the whole tower?! I have two towerettes by our bed and it's a struggle to get a book out at night!

This is definitely a clothing designer's work room. Love the floors and the pink hangers.

And last... work should always be a celebration. A party even! So yes to buntings and Mexican fiesta colors! Do you see the portable sewing machine? :-)

Photo and other photos of home offices from here.

Cheat Day

I had some coffee this afternoon. Had a splitting headache and didn't want to take medicine. The only solution I had in mind was coffee. Sure did the trick! Haha.

Now my head is whirring and filled with new ideas!

On the homefront... I'm soooo glad I am not pregnant this time. Phew. We thought we were! And we're not supposed to get pregnant yet! We would've definitely gotten a scolding had we slipped up. Hahaha.

Seeing the doctor on Friday to know what our next steps are. Excited. Trying not to be afraid.

Little Rewards

As I write this, the sewers and our househelp are having lunch downstairs. I can hear them laughing and exchanging stories.

This pleases me a lot, that they are happy. I somehow feel fulfilled that they can laugh and talk and share stories while they are here. That they are not huddled over work and afraid to make a sound.

I feel that I am doing something right.

That's all for now as I am rushing some things. Hope you are having a great week.

Happiness Is...

... a carefree bike ride with your bestfriend.

Happy Monday everyone! Busy busy busy day and week for me! Here's praying for a great week for all of us! May the weather be fine and may we find time to exercise. Hahaha!

Photo from here.

Getting Back

Went for a swim yesterday. Finally.

Also went for a run last Monday.

I'm glad to be swimming and running again and realize that the worst thing one can do is to totally stop exercising. Exactly what I did when I was preparing for pregnancy number 3. I thought then that slowing down would also relax my body and cause it to accept the pregnancy better.

My new OB told me to resume exercising again. To go back to competition form if I wanted to. Because, according to her, my tactic of stopping didn't help anyway to keep the pregnancy.

So now I'm slowly trying to get back to form. And my oh my is it PAINFUL. If muscles could wail...

As I was doing laps in the pool, I realized how I used to be concerned with speed. Timing my runs and my swim laps, trying to be faster each time. Now I'm just focused on finishing. Haha. Feels good though not to be under pressure. I can just enjoy each stroke or each step and hear the water or the crickets.

Good to be back. Now if only the muscles would stop wailing...

Aging *Hopefully* Gracefully

Lately I've been feeling old. You know that feeling, right? Do you? I'm a few ticks shy of 40 *gasp* and I don't know if I'm aging gracefully at all.

Then I saw this hilarious post and felt better. Hahaha!

Am I the only one who secretly rejoices when she sees an actress who's gotten a bit chubby? Haha. That's how I feel when I see Ashley Judd. I'm glad she's put on some weight and seems more "realistic". Makes me feel normal.

But still, I'd love to lose some weight someday. After having kids maybe. C promised I can get a running coach after I give birth. When that time comes. Woohoo!

Legs

Love the legs on this model. Not skinny and boney as most models tend to have. The outfit looks cute too. Imagine the coat for rainy days. :)

Photo from here.

Remembering

I know we will never forget Jellybean. But I just want something to remember her/him by.

Initially I thought of getting a tattoo. But then C has to be convinced still. So I thought of getting a really nice big chime for the veranda. I had something in mind already but alas it has been sold out.

So unless I find a suitable chime, I just might take the plunge and get a tiny tattoo like this one.

What do you think? Come on, let me know. Don't be shy. :)

Photo from here. I love her blog and her style.

Saturday Picnic In UPD

Got pasta from Kiss The Cook.

Nero for C and Puttanesca for me.

Afterwards we went to Technohub to get a drink. We forgot to buy drinks for our picnic!!!

I love how they've left alone these mighty old trees.

Dive In!

Saw this today and thought how cool it would be to swim in a lap pool like this!

It's Monday and after staying up late for Wimbledon and World Cup, I have sore throat. C and I went for a massage last night and I think it backfired on me. I feel like bruised fruit. Haha.

Hope you are having a fine Monday and here's to a good week with lots of joy and pleasant surprises.

Photo from here.

July Inspiration

I love Miu Miu. Always have. Always will. I am such a huge fan of Miuccia Prada. It's like when I see a painting and I know almost certainly if it's a Van Gogh. I see a dress or a skirt and I am almost always sure when it's by Miuccia.

This photo is my desktop wallpaper right now. To remind me that quirky can still look polished.

Bag Lovin'

An aunt sent me this bag. I LOVE it to bits!!! It's made of soft leather and I can't wait for it to get old and weathered, like any good leather bag should.

C isn't too fond of the heart accessory but I love it. It's cheesy and it's me! :)

I Miss...

I saw this today and confirmed that I miss coffee. Pregnancy preparedness made me give up coffee. I miss it! I miss frothy cappuccino with a good sprinkling of cinnamon.

I miss being thin.

Which leads to missing fitting into my old clothes.

I miss running till I felt I was going to die.

Hmmmm... what else do I miss? Not much I guess if that's all I could come up with.

I'm willing to continue missing those things for a couple more months to a year if it means having a healthy pregnancy. And a baby in our arms at the end of it all.

Photo from here.

Pretty

We are going to make a dress for a young lady who is getting married in November. She'll be wearing the dress for her despedida de soltera aka bachelorette party.

We are soooo excited to make her dress.

Here are some of our design pegs. Ah, pretty... it never goes out of style.

Photos from here, here and here.

Here Comes The Rain Again

It's been raining so hard lately. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that a little hard rain makes me think of that day that Ondoy (international name Ketsana) came and flooded so many places and took so many lives. I pray we will be spared from something like that.

I got a call from an aunt this morning. She had heard about our last miscarriage and was offering help in finding a doctor to help us. I really appreciate how my family helps in times of trouble.

I just find it difficult to explain to people what our condition is. Most often we are referred to a fertility specialist. Maybe I'm just defensive but I always take pains to explain that we do get pregnant. Quite easily, if I may say so. It's the carrying to full-term that we have problems with.

It's that my body doesn't recognize tissue coming from C and so it treats the pregnancy as an infection and fights it. That's the simplest explanation. I wish the solution can be as simple.

Our new OB told us I might need to have daily heparin shots. We asked the immunologist over the weekend (when I got my 4th LIT shots) and she said we can have the shots once a day or twice a day, depending on the dosage that we get. We'll have to do it for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Heparin is a blood thinner and from what I've read, it gets processed by the body easily and I guess get's peed out quickly, hence the need for the daily shots.

Whew. The road ahead...

Don't Hold Back

I'm excited to be a mom.

But worry too about a lot of things, one of them is if I'd change and become staid and boring, always wagging a finger at my kids (yes I'd love two please) and saying NO.

Read this today and thought I'd bookmark it to remind me and bring me back in case I get lost along the way.

Having a great weekend. Watched Knight and Day with C and really loved it. It's silly, funny and exciting. And Tom Cruise's smile. Awesome.

Breakfast Dates

I'm a sucker for breakfast dates. Even with just my book of the moment or a favorite hat or pair of earrings. Any excuse to have a relaxed, quiet breakfast. I love it most when it's a week day and everyone's gone rushing to office and the people I'm with at the breakfast place are retirees talking about packaged tours and Facebook (yes, them oldies have Facebook!).

Today I was on my way to the patternmaker at 615am. When I got back to the house, I just had time to eat a slice of mango then had to bring C to the train station. On the way back, I decided to sneak off to a date with this:

Max's Chicken Longganisa

I'm fond of Starbucks or McDonald's (yeouch!) for on-the-go breakfast but really... nothing beats our native chicken longganisa (Filipino sausage) and fried rice (with two eggs, not just one like in the picture) and proper cutlery. The longganisa has the right sweet and spicy taste and dipped in garlic-filled vinegar, it was perfect. Mmmmmm!

And it comes with coffeeeeee!!!! I know I've quit but once in a while there's just no escape. So I had a cup this morning and my oh my how de-caffeinated I've truly been. I felt so majorly AWAKE after that cup. And I felt like I could see better. Hahaha! I got home in less than 10 minutes. The car felt like Herbie.

Hope you are having a swell day. TGIF!

How Pretty Is This?!

Love the fabric, the nail polish, the rings... ahhhhh everything! I'm not a bow fan but yes, even the bow. It just ties the whole look together. ;-)

Picture from here.

(Still) Summer Days

Though it has started to rain (almost every afternoon in our area), most days it still feels like summer.

Some of the things I saw yesterday:

A reminder to me not to pass this route at lunch time. High school kids get off school and the next batch waits on the other side of the road. Takes forever to get through. But I love seeing kids in school. That's where they're supposed to be.

In between client meetings I had time for a swim. Look at that gorgeous sky! I turned two shades darker. Thank you, Mister Sun! :)

Christmas Moments

I had a Christmas moment in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf last night.

I don't know what led to it. Maybe the ethereal-ish song playing in the background was nearing a crescendo as I contemplated the pattern on the overhead lamps plus all the yellow lighting. It just felt like Christmas and I was so happy in that moment. A few seconds of unexpected bliss.

I'm quite sure you have those kinds of moments too. Perhaps when a plan falls into perfect place? Or when your haircut or hair color turns out better than you expected? Or when you put on a pair of pants and they're an inch or two loose? Or just when you can space out and stare at overhead lighting? Haha.

May those moments sneak up on us more often!

The Dog Days Are Over

My current favorite. Makes you want to get up and dance!

I'm Ready To Tell You About Jellybean

This is our family photo. C, me and our Jellybean.

This was taken on May 10 before we left the house to vote. We were very excited to vote. Very serious about it, wearing white (that's what you should've worn to signify that after all the election color wars, that day was for the country, regardless of the color you supported), folded sample ballot in pocket, umbrella and an ice pack for me to keep cool.

The lines to vote were very long. Our first automated elections and the election officers and the voters were still getting a hang of the new system.

If I recall correctly, it took me less than 30 minutes to vote.

Here I am outside the precinct, excited and happy to have used my pregnant woman pass.

Wearing a dress that would pass for a maternity dress, for emphasis. I even had my ultrasound report in my bag, in case they needed proof I was pregnant.

On May 15 we went for another ultrasound and saw Jellybean for the very first time. I was 7 weeks and 2 days. We cried.

C and I should've had a picture here together. Us three.

Here's C at the hospital cafeteria where we got a snack while waiting for the ultrasound printout.

We kept on tearing up as we looked at the video he took of Jellybean and her very strong heartbeat. 171bpm. Next to getting married to C, that moment when we saw Jellybean was the happiest in my life.

We found out we were pregnant on April 17 at 8:15 am.

We loved her and the thought of her. We talked to her many many many times during the day. I quit coffee. And chocolates. I switched to C's side of the bed so I could sleep on my left side. We sang to her. Wrote to her. We made a blog so we could write to her everyday. I used a special Van Gogh notebook that Gina bought for me from Paris to jot down letters to Jellybean when I was away from the computer (I almost never use a notebook unless I had a second piece to just keep for my collection) Ginger (our labrador) knew I was pregnant. She followed me around and almost never left my side. We loved Jellybean. So much.

But we lost her. On May 26 I went for an ultrasound because I thought I was bleeding. Only to find out that Jellybean had gone to heaven. Just two days after we saw her.

I am amazed that I haven't cried while writing this. I thought of what to say here as I was driving home from buying groceries. I felt weepy in the car. But now there are no more tears.

I keep thinking what I would be now if I didn't believe in heaven. What I'd be now if I didn't know Jesus. What I'd be now if I wasn't sure of heaven. What I'd be now if I wasn't sure that Jellybean is in heaven and that someday I will see her and hold her and hug her and tell her personally how much I love her. Okay that makes me cry. I know she knows we love her. We told her several times. And I've prayed many many many times to Jesus to tell her we love her and we would've wanted to see her and have her here. That is my only wish.

I have no regrets. I have no more bitterness. I was angry. Very very very angry. At our old doctor. At myself. At God. For several days. Weeks.

But I know God can take my anger. My disappointment. He never changes. His love and goodness and lovingkindness don't change. I know this. I am sure of this.

We miss Jellybean. We think about her often. We talk about her often.

Somewhere in those dark days, God made me realize that I had to move on and be happy. That I had to learn again to hope and be fearless. We owe this to the baby we will have again. We can't be detached. We can't be afraid. We have to learn to hope again and laugh again and have some innocence again for the next pregnancy. We owe it Jellybean and her sibling/s.

During those dark days I thought I wouldn't make it through. But God saw me through. I guess that's what I want to tell you.

And I wanted to tell you too about Jellybean. She was a good kid, our first baby.

Photo For Posterity

This is a newly constructed road that I pass through whenever I go to Mang Nado the patternmaker.

It must've been finished maybe just a month ago. Before it was truly finished, passing through this road felt like being on a road trip far from the city, with dogs and chickens and children playing casually, oblivious to traffic which consisted of me and the occasional tricycle.

The road is long (like a song) and wide and right now it looks fresh and clean. Soon enough it will be busy with a jeepney line plying the whole length then maybe in a few years there will be a Starbucks on it. Hahaha.

I woke up very early today to bring fabric for cutting to Mang Nado. It was so early C seemed upset. I don't know why but maybe he's not used to me being up and about before he was. Haha.

The road was almost empty and I thought I'd take pictures so that someday I'd be cool and have some old pictures to share on Facebook (or whatever time-waster we'd have then) of this road when it was young and traffic-(and Starbucks) free.

Morning Fix

Since quitting coffee, I had to find a new morning fix.

Good thing I found Caroline.

I get inspiration on what to wear from her wonderful site.

Love you, Caroline!

Photo from here.

Cool Change

College was a period of immense discovery for me. Adventures, heartaches, independence, bad haircuts and cool songs.

If I had an ipod back then, this song would've been one of the most played tracks. Anthem to getting over a heartbreak, getting a new haircut, going on a road trip, or just riding the bus with nowhere to go and nothing to do but look at old buildings.

Enjoy.