The Perfect Gift

Before anything else, 

I want to greet everyone...

It's Christmas eve and while the whole family is waiting for the clock to strike midnight, I took this time to write my Christmas post. I have so many things to be thankful about. :-)

This particular Christmas is a special one for the Estante's. It's because all the members of the family are here. Eejay's dad came home from abroad after years of not being able to spend Christmas with the family.

For Eejay and I, it is even more special because of the perfect gift God has given us - a baby boy who is well on his way in less than 2 months from now. 

Indeed, if not for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we won't have the life, grace and blessings that we are enjoying now. Because God loves the world so much, He chose to become like us. He was born as a human child in a manger, and eventually died on the cross for our sins. He became poor so that we might become rich. He became sin for us so that we might become righteous. 

Christmas is not about material gifts, preparing a grand feast, and all commercialized meanings the world has invented to make money out of it. It's about remembering the Father's great LOVE for us through the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and acknowledging that He was born to live and to die, so that we might live and enjoy an abundant life today. 

May you have a meaningful and happy Christmas, 

and a blessed New Year, too! 

God bless us all!

At 28-29 Weeks: Miracles

I am now on my 28th week, which is the beginning of the last trimester! Yehey!

Dra. Bendita said something today that made me think that my pregnancy is indeed blessed and a miracle from God. She said that she was trying to remember who among her patients had a sub-chorionic tear early in her pregnancy and miraculously continued with a healthy one. Then, she finally remembered that it was me. Remember the bleeding episode during my first trimester? I was advised complete bed rest back then and not to push through with our return travel to Iloilo. That's the reason why we decided to stay here in Koronadal until I give birth on February. 

Even though sub-chorionic hemorrhage or tear is quite common among pregnant women, still, it's a condition that one should be careful to address. According to Dra. Bendita, not everyone is lucky enough to continue with their pregnancy up to full term. But for me, I don't consider it luck. I know that God healed me and He is the one who keeps me and my child safe and healthy. God has already seen our future and I believe that we are meant to have this baby. 

Finally, we were able to secure an ultrasound referral to the same radiologist who diagnosed me with uterine tear last July. We're going to see him tomorrow and we're going to find out our baby's gender! Finally! :-)

Here are the details of my prenatal check-up:

AGE OF GESTATION: 28-29 weeks
BP: 110/80
WEIGHT: 128 lbs. (I gained 2 lbs! The baby is definitely starting to pack some weight!)
OTHERS: Received 2nd shot of Tetanus Toxoid
VITAMINS: VitaZinc OB (in the morning) and Sorbifer (1 hour before evening meal)

From the clinic, we went to the SSS (Social Security System) office with the only intention of updating my membership status (including my husband's), for us to finally get an ID and continue voluntary contributions for future use (like another pregnancy or for retirement). I was already convinced that I won't be able to get any maternity benefits since I was not able to update it after I resigned from my previous employment. Little did I expect to receive another miracle today. The nice gentleman who advised me did a good job finding a way to make me eligible to claim my maternity benefits. Thank you, Jesus! He surely has His ways of blessing us.

Count Your Blessings

Now that I'm not working and staying at home most of the time, I get easily bored with my life and I have a tendency to feel down and anxious about a lot of things. I also can't help but miss my family in Manila and our life back in Iloilo. I know that these feelings are not healthy for the baby, especially that I am fully aware about the risks of prenatal depression being another emotional health concern for every 1 out of 10 pregnant women, aside from postpartum depression. I refuse to be a part of that statistic!

So, one sure way to drive the blues away is to see beyond my lack and start counting the blessings God has given me. I just want to take this opportunity to share what I am thankful for. :-)

Family and Friends

The support we are getting from our family and friends is very overwhelming, even from the beginning. Thank you for celebrating our victories, for lending us a hand whenever we need help, and for lavishing us with prayers, love, words of encouragement, and also for blessing us financially and with other material things without asking for anything in return.  

Hubby's New Job

When we decided to stay here in Koronadal, my husband also started looking for a more stable online job. In a just a few weeks, he was able to land a full-time article writing job for a big SEO company that does not only pay well, but also cover our internet bills. My husband is even more blessed because he finds the job very easy and only works 5 to 6 hours maximum per day instead of 8 hours. This is because he is simply fast and good at what he does. Haha! Thank you, Lord, for your favor and for giving us the strength and wisdom to produce wealth.

Unexpected Blessings 

As I've mentioned in my previous post, even if we're staying at my in-laws' house here in Koronadal, we are still maintaining an apartment in Iloilo where we plan to go back to on April next year. That means, we are still paying for the rent and utility bills. Surprisingly, a friend from Manila asked me the other day if she can stay there for an indefinite period of time, since she will be temporarily assigned by her company to work in Iloilo. She agreed to share half of the rent payment, and as a result, we'll have extra money to put in the bank for our baby. Indeed, God is commanding blessings to fill our storehouses! Thank you, Jesus!

Daily Provisions

Ever since we stayed here at Mama Daday's (my mother-in-law), we have been enjoying God's daily provision of our basic needs, such as a home to live in, food and water, free OB check-ups, and a supply of prenatal vitamins and milk, and even occasional treats (trip somewhere, new clothes, etc.). 

Loving Husband


I am just happy and thankful to God for giving me a husband who is always there to cheer me up and show how much he loves and cares for me. He just knows what to do or say whenever I'm feeling down...whether it be a kiss, a hug, or bringing me to the mall to eat pizza or whatever I'm craving for. He is simply the best! He is not just my husband, but my best friend too. I love you, Honey!

How about you, what are you thankful for?