Iskwater

I didn't grow up poor. We're middle-income as both my parents worked, we owned our home, we need not worry about tuition fees and there was always food on the table. Aside from that, my parents had savngs, insurance and owned land.

But my parents, hardworking people from poor and large families, raised us in simple living. They could have afforded to buy us the latest crazes and purchase hi-tech appliances but that wasn't ther cup of tea. But again, we never really went without.

They raised us right in the heart of Manila... in Paco, Manila to be more specific. It was convenient because we're close to everything and Mom usually gets reassigned to different field offices so it helped living in the center of the metropolis. So, I am a Manila Girl through and through.

My Baby on the other hand, though not filthy rich, lived a more sheltered/privileged life. He grew up in a village in Las Piñas (BFRV), they've always had cars, they have a resthouse, he studied in La Salle Zobel. So when we got together, I introduced him to more of Manila than he was used to seeing.

And then we got married and my parents offered the use of the apartment house beside our home... which was convenient for Jojo and I, being newlyweds and not having to pay rent... and convenient for my family, because I was able to monitor my siblings and Pyro's treatments.

At first, it was really hard for me to watch my husband deal with everyday living in Manila, dodging kids playing on the street, dodging dog and poo and drunk men. He told me it was hard for him too, but that he's taking it as a challenge to strive to earn more and take me out of there.

Then, we were finding it harder and harder to commute to my in-laws... and feeling bad when they go out of their way to bring us home on Sunday nights (something they did without complain so long as we'd visit, because they like having us around). Parking has always been an issue where we live but we couldn't deny ourselves anymore... so, enter Baby Maxime.

But parking is still a problem. And since my Baby has been working odd hours, he went home yesterday very much fatigued... only to be woken up 4 times by neighbors who were asking him to park Maxime elsewhere because they supposedly have first dibs already on the street (though technically, nobody owns the street and it should have been a first come, first served basis seeing that its public property). Worse, one of our neighbors (legendary for her lack of breeding and kindness) had the temerity to diss my family in front of our other neighbors... and call my brother (who drives my father's Big Horn) and my husband (who drives Maxime) squatters where parking is concerned.

I could have confronted that whale of a woman... but it would have been pointless. Like what I said, her reputation as a difficult, obnoxious woman is legendary. But of course, she shouldn't let me hear her abusing us personally because i've never been one to 'suffer in silence'. Anyway, hubby and I are weighing our options and avoid the many hassles of owning a car without having a garage. Needless to say, it looks like the chances of us looking for another home will be happening sooner than I expected.

And I really felt so bad when my Baby commented that nobody has ever referred to him as 'squatter' and sighed. Awww. But good man that he was, he didn't let it bother him for long... and we proceeded to tickle each other for a good two hours last night. :)

*~*

We've decided, after weighing everything, that we'd have the Palawan trip over Halloween.

*~*

May my check-up tomorrow yield more informative results... and explain the rapid weight gain despite my exercising and dieting efforts.

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I have been negligent lately on bloghopping, forgive me girls!

More In Love

My Baby almost had tears in his eyes last Friday, when i got back from my 3-day conference, as he told me that he had to go and leave me (after I've asked him to be home that time because I missed him) because of work. He went home the next day at 6 PM to join me and friends for a seafood fest at Seaside... and was cool enough to allow himself to be coaxed into joining us at White Bird, a gay bar where 18-25 year-old males gyrated with their members out. He was also loving enough to not oppose me getting massaged (well, the masseur was gay anyway) at that place while he had to endure exhaustion, homosexuals and men wearing next-to-nothing.

The next day, he also gamely chauffeured me back and forth to Lipa... so I could say goodbye to a favorite aunt and uncle who are migrating to the US.

Monday morning, I woke up almost in tears, having dreamt vividly that my Baby has married another woman, and what's more... he wrote this magazine-style spread for that wedding... In the dream, I was crying, having already left him, wondering how i'd break the news to my co-CWL that my husband wasn't true to me after all. Both still only half-awake, I called his name and asked him if he's married somebody else. Confused, he stirred to wakefulness and asked me what's up... and I told him...

And his old bedroom (we were at his parents') rang with his laughter...

And I, upset still by the dream, threatened to punch him... to which he responded with more delicious laughter.

So I half-punched/hit his arm many times and was about to start kicking him too... when he enveloped me again (and pinned my legs under him) in his arms, showered me with kisses and told me that he could never marry anyone else.

(But of course, he announced the incident to his family... am guessing it tickled his ego some too!)

The rest of the day, he made sure I ate what I wanted to eat... and we cuddled and played with Iya.

I asked him if he's sad that we still haven't conceived yet, and if there's some resentment with me. He told me he's sad, of course, but not really THAT sad that he can't think of anything else and not enjoy being married to me. When asked the same question, I truthfully replied that there is some sadness that we might have to bend over backwards just to be pregnant, and that i'd probably feel a little bad if we find out that he has the problem... but not enough to blame him nor berate him, since I know he'd probably feel worse (and vice versa). He then asks me if i'd still have married him if we knew from the start that he's impotent... and I told him there's a great possibility that I still would have since I really haven't met a nicer, gentler, more loving man. Then he tells me that even if I was barren, he'd still have married me... and he wouldn't marry anybody else. Again, he told me, he just couldn't.

After making love last night, he returned to the bedroom with my massage oil... with a sheepish grin on his face... his lower back was aching. I was more than happy to oblige. But after that, he tried his best to meme me to sleep.

Separating this morning was painful... and I texted him that I already miss him and feel bad, having been forewarned that he'd be working late nights the whole week.

What's more, we're postponing the Palawan trip to sometime in November... because my boss will be leaving this October and I couldn't possibly go on leave just when we're still adjusting at work.

And I have the blues about work too... and my Baby has been loving enough to call and comfort me... and even assure me that he's ok about supporting me, even if I resign from my work now.

Sigh.

How can I not miss my wonderful, bouncing husband all the time when he's just really a loving, loving man?

And it's amazing to me that I could be falling more in love with him...

Babies and Beginnings

My Baby's loan application was granted, so we were able to get our first car within the week. It's a blue Isuzu Hilander and it's our new precious!!!


Meet Baby Maxime (photo taken at my in-laws' home)


The first name I thought of for the car was actually Suzy (since it's an Isuzu) but my BIL's ex was named Suzette... and then I thought of naming the car from someone from Harry Potter and Jojo decided on Hagrid's girlfriend, Madame Maxime, since it's a big car.

All weekend, we've been playing the song compilation from our wedding while riding Maxime :) And of course, we can't wait to embellish it and accessorize it and just really make it our own. Of course, we still have to save up for a spare tire for it (it's spare was stolen) and buy all the required tools. And of course, we'd have to really rationalize our spending now that our disposable income has been greatly diminished. But still, the vanilla packet hanging by the dashboard, the newly-installed back mirror and the scrounged-up 12-CD changer/player/whatever have all marked it as ours :) And MIL is so sweet as to give us towels and sponges for the car... and FIL also gave us a jack for it. (Actually, the 12-CD something was given by BIL in exchange for a new radio for his car since the 12-CD something isn't compatible with what he's driving).

*~*

One of hubby's friends got married last Fridat at a beautiful ceremony at St. James the Great Parish in Alabang. We wish them nothing but the best!


Mark and Sujee


Oh and by the way, Sujee is actually a wedding supplier... a make-up artist :) She actually has a lot of w@wie clients :)

*~*

It was nice going home again to my in-laws again yesterday (Saturday). My siblings-in-law all fell in love with the BOP IT toy, even my parents-in-law tried playing with it. And it's great that they'd be laughing at each other as they have a go at the toy :)

Chin (SIL) bought a pirated copy of SUKOB and we all watched the movie at their living room... some of us asking questions (coz we didn't quite catch the dialogue), some cowering under throw pillows, some distracted by the sounds Baby Iya was making as she tried catching our attention. We feasted on KFC, and lots of viands FIL bought upon learning that we're staying the night, and the guavas I bought.

Anyway, our niece Iya is just amazing! She likes sour stuff! At age 6 months, she's not yet really supposed to be eating mamon (at least, if you're to follow the usual pedia's advice of only almost-liquid cerelac-type of food) but she actually loved sucking on the guava I bought. And what's more, despite the initial sour face she gives upon tasting anything sour, you can actually feed her calamansi! Anyway, here are her more recent pics... and you can see pics of her being made to suck on guava (we squeeze calamansi on the guava, ahehe).

If that isn't enough, here is a video of BABY SOURFACE :)



*~*

While trying to share my weekend high with the family I married into, my hubby's busy compiling songs to burn as wake-up music while driving... tomorrow, we'd have been together for 6 years and 5 months :)

I love you, Baby!

Splurged On

To be honest, the weekend found my Baby and I engaged in a series of petty fights... one of those things that inevitably happen when there's such disconnect during the week (due to his weird hours and my illness).

Still, Jojo let me splurge on groceries and also bought tickets for the Smackdown Wrestling Event this October (so I can scream and drool and go ga-ga over Undertaker!!!). And... while at the MoA kanina, he bought me another bag-full of Kopi Bun and... this:


Bop It Toy (?)

The highest scorer is me... but only at 21 because I really have poor hand coordination. Now hubby's mock-threatening to miss work tomorrow just so he can master it. :D

Oh and if all goes well... we might be buying our first car (second-hand) this month... and uhm, missing Palawan in October for something bigger in November.

If all goes well and it's really written in our fate... :)

7 Months Married
Late update, I know.

My Baby was supportive enough to make sure he didn't have to work weekends so he could accompany me to my Uncle's wake in Lipa. Unfortunately, he couldn't be absent during the week so he missed the burial, and all my relatives who were asking for him.

It's also been a trying time for me last week, getting sick Tuesday, attending to the wake and burial Wednesday-Thursday, and then having another scare because my sis had on and off fever again so I brought her to the doctor again Friday (turned out to just be a mild case of gastroenteritis)... and I was suffering from allergic rhinitis the whole time.

Saturday, hubby decided to finally give in to my request and treated me and his whole family to goods at Ilog Maria as a belated monthsary celebration. He had to fork over some P5,000 for all the goods we picked up (honey-based products like soaps and massage oils and clay... as well as honey, royal jelly, bee pollen and cider vinegar). After that, we went to the Market in Tagaytay for some bulalo, chicharon bulaklak and produce-shopping (santol, pinipig, tawilis, etc).



*~*

Was having some emotional moments... and hubby was quick to assure me that i'd make a good Mom someday and we'd be good providers and loving parents. And because I love him so, I tested the massage oil we bought on my husband... he told me he slept so well because of my TLC.

*~*

We missed my Baby's family... and spending time with them (and playing with Baby Iya) also made me miss my own family. Haaay.

By the way, MIL has already framed all the pictures i've had developed... so our wedding pics have joined the long wall and table of their family pictures. Another sign of belonging in another family. Another sign of being loved and accepted by another family.

*~*

Jojo's workweek still requires him to work loooong hours, resulting to lack of sleep also at my end. For the life of me, I just find it so hard to sleep without him beside me... so i'm getting more sicker. Anyway, I stayed home again yesterday because my allergies were so bad, and he stayed home too, opting to just work from home. He cooked soup for me, and ordered KFC when I was awake enough to really eat.

Of course, we also managed to squeeze in some loving-loving (ehem). And I was really able to sleep all day yesterday because he was around... so I was able to rest enough and go to work again today.

Sigh. Such love for and from this man.