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 15-16 Weeks

We went to the OB earlier and I'm now on my 15th to 16th week. I am officially starting on my second trimester. Yahoo! My blood pressure is still the same (100/70), and I gained 1 pound, so that makes me 125 lbs. heavy. Baby's fundal height is 10 cm. I was given a new set of vitamins called Hemobion OB and was reminded to drink milk (Anmum) religiously.

There's really nothing much to blog about today. I'm just really happy and hoping that I continue to feel better, and let the following months pass by without any problem. I know that God is in control of my life and my baby's as well. I also thank Him for having a mom-in-law who makes sure that I am well fed and taken care of. Most of all, I thank God for my husband who is very patient and loving with a (sometimes ^_^) demanding pregnant wife like me.

Jesus Loves Me!

JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW!

Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me, He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide
He will wash away my sin
Let His little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me, He will stay,
Close beside me all the way
He's prepared a home for me
And some day His face I'll see.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

I sing this song to the little one in my tummy and to remind me that even though our baby is still a tiny bean-like creature inside me, Jesus is the strength and the life that sustains him/her. Jesus is the only one who can see our baby right now. With that in mind, I know that God is taking care of him/her inside me. And that whatever happens, the truth shall remain...Jesus loves my baby and Jesus loves me!

Separation Anxiety

I think I'm having separation anxiety! :-(

Last night, when my hubby called from Iloilo, I couldn't help but cry...(or maybe it's just the hormones kicking in!) I also found it hard to sleep. I'm not used to not having him around. When we got married, I was certain that I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Now that we're having a baby, I know that I simply can't live my life without him.

Good thing he's not an OFW (overseas Filipino worker), like our fathers who used to work as engineers in the same company in Dubai. They've been working there for more than 20 years. At present, my father is still with the company but my husband's dad already got a new job in Singapore. I can't imagine how our moms managed without them by their side throughout those years and even until now. They are definitely tough ladies who deserve all the good things in the world or be given the most prestigious award!

Both my husband and I spent more than half of our existence without our dads, and believe me, it has affected our lives in so many ways. Regardless, we love our parents to bits! We also thank God because we have come to know Him as our Abba Father who never left our side. Now that we have our own family, we resolved never to be separated from one another.

So, Honey, if you're reading this...just wanna say...

I love you. Come back to us safe and well. Baby and I are just waiting here. This is going to be the last night that I'm gonna sleep on this bed alone..and don't forget to bring me some cheese tarts. ;-)


See you tomorrow!


Love,


Joey

Our Boracay Honeymoon

Just got back from our Boracay trip! Thanks to our dear friends who made this long-overdue honeymoon possible! :-)

Date: May 5-7, 2011

Where: Boracay (located in Aklan, Western Visayas, it is known for its powdery white sand and considered as one of the best beaches in the Philippines, and the rest of the world.)

Getting There: Local airlines have daily flights from Manila to Kalibo or Caticlan. Since we were coming from Iloilo, we traveled 5 1/2 hours by bus.


Accomodation: BalingHai Beach Resort

It is a secluded resort with its own beach, which makes it a perfect getaway for honeymooners like us who needed privacy and some peace and quiet. The resort was built strategically to look as if it's part of the surrounding natural environment, hence the cottages were all hand-made and designed with treated wood, cement and rocks. It's a bit far from the main Boracay beach area (15-min tricycle ride at the most) where more resorts, clubs, shops, dining places and water activities are being offered. 

We stayed at the "Tree House" cottage. Here's a sneak peek:

Hopefully, on our next trip to Boracay, we'll have our own kid to bring along. :-)

Ovulation Calendar For Baby Planning

My husband and I got married last May 17, 2010. We both agreed to not have a baby yet on our first year for the following reasons:

1. to give ourselves enough time to adjust to one another as husband and wife

2. to establish a place that we can call home

3. to be financially stable

Honestly, the only thing we were able to achieve fully is Reason#1. The rest, it's safe to say that we were only able to fulfill half-way. But, God has a way of telling us not to worry too much about these things because His provision will surely come. And they definitely did.

So, a month from now, we will be celebrating our first year anniversary. A group of close friends promised to give us a honeymoon package to Boracay as a post-wedding gift. Yay!

Just to be sure that the "honeymoon" works, I looked up an Ovulation Calendar on the internet to find out my fertile days. According to experts, it is best for a woman planning to have a baby to know her most fertile days in a specific month to increase the possibility of getting pregnant. However, this method is best used by women who have regular menstrual cycle. Otherwise, there are other indicators which can help you determine if you are fertile or not, like tracking basal body temperature, cervical position and cervical mucus.

Here's the link to the ovulation calendar I used:

Ovulation Calendar - This free ovulation calendar can help you determine your most fertile days.

Stay tuned to know if it worked for me! ;-)