Eating Healthy!

One of my lunch meals: lean meat burger
over a bed of fresh greens

Since my OB is very strict on the "1pound weight gain a week only" rule, I'm now very careful and mindful of my diet. It really isn't difficult, since I do watch what I eat even before I got pregnant. Extra effort lang now since additional weight is also being added to my scale by growing baby Aria. :)

So I'm now trying out a two-week diet program from this online food site - kitchenelle.multiply.com. It's actually phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. Since I need carbs for the baby, too, I just add whole wheat bread or cereal to my meals. The meals are all delicious! And because everything is prepared and ready to eat, it's hassle-free and I don't have to worry much about what to put on my plate.

Check out their healthy menu and diet options! You can pay online thru your credit card, and they deliver the meals to you a day in advance. Go to www.kitchenelle.multiply.com

Meet Aria!

After such a long wait, I finally had my ultrasound today. I wanted to have a Congenital Anomaly Scan done, that's why my OB made me wait a bit longer. The CAS wasn't required. I just asked for one because I wanted to be certain that my baby was developing well inside me. 

And here she is!

Our beautiful baby girl. Aria Asis-Carilo.

Aria Asis-Carilo. Alvin and I were such proud and happy parents as we watched her on the little screen while the doctor showed us every little detail of her body. Alvin was beaming, I was smiling and crying at the same time - just like during the first ultrasound. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of seeing that little ball of life moving and breathing inside you. Ibang klase!

Aria was moving while the CAS was being done. She was moving her arms, opening her mouth, wiggling her feet. And while we watched the movement on screen, I was feeling the motions inside my tummy, too. It was wonderful! No, actually wonderful is an understatement. 

My husband and I are so thankful for this incredible blessing. And knowing that the little one is normal, healthy and doing A-OK inside my tummy is once again another answered prayer. Thank You, Lord! God is good all the time. 

In a week's time, I shall be entering my 7th month. Last trimester! I'm exclaiming a whoop of joy for making it this far so smoothly. Here's hoping that everything will be smooth-sailing until I give birth in April. I think one of the reasons why my pregnancy has been such a terrific journey is because I'm happy. I truly am! I'm enjoying every moment of this new experience. Oh yes, there are times (a lot of times, actually) when I felt like a huge mommy elephant. But I'm always surrounded with so much love and positivity that the bad vibes are always overshadowed. And my husband telling me every single day that I'm beautiful - that works wonders, believe me. 

We'll be seeing Aria again in February for the 4D ultrasound. Can't wait! 

Thank You, God! 

Brekkie!

Save a hundred calories by opting for an open-faced sandwich, says fitness experts. So I make myself one, with cheese and fresh tomatoes, washing it down with a glass of cold Silk soymilk. Healthy mom = healthy baby!

:)

:(

Woke up this morning to news of couples breaking up. Actually, 2012 has started with a lot of break-ups. And it's always a sad, sad thing. I have gone through a terrible split myself in 2008 (which I will always remember as the most tumultuous year of my life) and I know how it feels - the emptiness, the feeling of being lost, the sadness that's like a black hole sucking you into its vastness.

The pain eventually dulls and the wounds heal. And most of us come out of the ordeal a better and stronger person. It just shows how humans are really wired to survive any emotionally catastrophic event in our lives. People will always say, This too shall pass. But of course, a breakup is still...well, heartbreaking.

2012 is supposed to be bringing good luck, they say. I guess if you're going through something terrible right now, you can hold on to the truth that this will turn out to be good for you in the end. God really does know best. Hang in there!

"Sometimes it lasts in love, and sometimes it hurts instead. ~Adele"

Look!

I've reached my 6th month already! Wheee! After two more weeks, my husband and I will finally be finding out if our baby is Adam or Aria. We can hardly wait! And I am such an excited mommy!

:)

Sundays are LOVE!

It's a cold, rainy Sunday here in Manila. Perfect weather for a day of no work, actually. I woke up next to my husband as always, but this time there's something new to look forward to - the little kicks my baby sends out from my tummy almost every morning.

Don't you just love Sundays? Doing nothing, being lazy, without feeling the least bit guilty. And having rainy weather like this is always an added bonus.

As my hubby and I sit in front of the TV with some hot chocolate, I smile thankfully for these simple pleasures. Thank You, God, for always keeping love and laughter in our home. Right here with my husband and our little one in my tummy is exactly where I want to be.

Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday, too!

Unless you have been very, very lucky, you have undoubtedly experienced events in your life that have made you cry. So unless you have been very, very lucky, you know that a good, long session of weeping can often make you feel better, even if your circumstances have not changed one bit. ~Lemony Snicket

Surreal.

There are times when I wake up in the morning next to my husband, I stop and say to myself, "Wow! I'm already married to him."

We've been together for almost twelve years, married for a year and 4months now, and my heart still does cartwheels sometimes when the thought of forever with him suddenly hits me. Sometimes it still feels so surreal. And it will never stop feeling so wonderful.

:)

Happy 2012!

And just like that, it's a brand new year! Time really does just zoom by when you're having fun.

Me at 5 months :)

It's been a terrific ride, the past year. I learned and tried new things, got to travel for free, take lots of beautiful photos, spent time with family and good friends and wonderful people. And the highlight of 2011: my pregnancy. Yes, folks, my husband and I are having a baby! As I write this, I am already entering my 6th month. The experience is so beautiful, I'm telling ya! I am one of the lucky few without morning sickness, complications or even excess weight gain. Well, the controlled weight gain is mainly attributed to my continued exercise regimen and discipline at the dining table. Meaning, hard work. But all in all, my pregnancy is running smoothly. So far, so good. I am very, very thankful.

The baby's already moving actively, too! When my husband and I woke up yesterday, January 1st, he placed his hand on my tummy when I told him that baby was awake, too. And he felt the little one move for the very first time. Alvin was so happy, and beaming like a proud daddy! It was such a beautiful way to start the new year.

My goal last year was to make it a learning year, and the most important thing that I learned is the value of family. This year, I aim to count my blessings more often, to be more positive, to blog more often, to not sweat the small stuff, to spend more precious moments with people who matter and worry only about things that are important, and to become the best mom that I can be.

I lift my heart in a prayer of thanks for the wonderful year that passed. Here's hoping that 2012 will be even more awesome!

Happy new year! :)
 

Dear Jo,

I can't begin to tell you how much I love Harry Potter.

I first started reading your books in 2008. I was a fan of the movies first before I discovered the marvel of your written creation. My friends, who were already fans, persuaded me to read your works, telling me that they were so much more than children's books. And they were right. I found myself completely embracing every story, falling in-love with the characters, being enchanted by Hogwarts. It was magic!

I really cannot explain why once I've picked up your book, any of the seven which I have re-read a hundred times, I get lost in this world of witches and wizards. I feel that I am also part of Harry's army, struggling to end Voldemort's evilness once and for all. I feel like I am friends with the boy who lived.

That is the magic of your creation. You penned a masterpiece that has brought millions and millions of readers around the world together, regardless of color, regardless of age. Your vast imagination drew the images of Harry, Hermione and Ron, Dumbledore and Snape, Voldemort, Bellatrix, Sirius Black, Fred and George - the movies brought them to life - and we, the readers and fans, have made them legendary. Isn't that truly phenomenal? No other work of fiction has greatly influenced the world.

Now, as I wait with the rest of the Harry Potter fans scattered all over the globe to see the last movie, I am not only filled with anticipation and excitement. I am also filled with a sense of loss. I am certain that this sadness is mirrored by many of Harry's followers. For ten years, we've always had something to wait for, to look forward to. The publishing of the next book. The release of the next film. After the last installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, there will be nothing left to be unveiled. A tragedy I cannot fathom.

This morning, I was watching your goodbye speeches at the red carpet event of the London premiere, and cried along with you, Dan, Emma and Rupert. Saying goodbye is so sad. However, what Dan said was right. The story of Harry Potter, your marvelous creation, will forever live in our hearts. Therefore the magic will never end. It will continue to live on in the hearts of fans, and in the generations to come as we pass on our books to our children.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Miss J.K. Rowling. You've brought us back to reading. You taught us to believe in magic. Thank you.

I know that there won't ever be an eighth book. But if, in the future, you find yourself inspired once again to pen a story, we will be more than eager to read again, to hop on the Hogwarts Express again, to re-open our hearts and welcome back the boy who lived.

Sincerely,

A

P.S.

If you ask me who my favorite character is, that would be Severus Snape. I personally believe that he is the greatest fictional character ever penned. After reading the last book and learning about all that he did for Dumbledore, for Harry, for Lily, all of his sacrifices, I was completely won over. Snape is incredible. You have created a truly amazing character. And for that, I give you not just a round of applause, but a standing ovation! Bravo!