Tag!

Tag! I was tagged by April (who was tagged by Jody, who was tagged by someone else :).

At first I dont know what is April is talking about on my tagboard, so I decided to check also Jody's TAG!... so here it goes....

20 THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I don't eat chicken.
2. I'm married for 4 years (Nov. 24, lapit na!)
3. I love Constantine of the American Idol.
4. I love to sing and dance.
5. I'm a government employee.
6. I can be hyperactive at times.
7. I enjoy going to Divisoria and shop 'till I drop!
8. I love party planning.
9. I don't know how to cook.
10. I don't see my daughter and husband everyday / I'm a weekend wife and mom!
11. I attended Grade1 at the age of 5 and graduated from College at the age of 19.
12. I started teaching HS Computer Education at the age of 19.
13. I started to work as a Promo Girl at the age of 17.
14. I took fertility pill.
15. I have inverted nipples.
16. I don't know how to swim.
17. I have a typing speed of 55wpm.
18. I have urticaria (skin asthma)
19. I have a Bobby Andrew's looking husband (hehehe)
20. I love blogging too!

I'm tagging Ana, Mich, Tina

Lapit na ng Birthday ni Janelle...

Noticed my Lilypie banner? Lapit ng mag 2 years old ng unica hija ko. Shes growing up so fast and Im so proud of her. Last night, I was surprised because she noticed the Letter "O" and the letter "S" print on my T-shirt. She said "Mommy! O" while pointing at my T-shirt and then pointing to another "O". After a few second, "Mommy! S". It was surprising kasi hindi pa naman namin sya tinuturuan ng letters kasi baka di pa niya kayanin, pero with the skills that she is showing now, mukang tuturuan ko na sya.

So ano na bang pinagkaka-abalahan ni Janelle ngayon, now that shes 22 months ?

1. Dora forever! She knows all the characters of Dora the Explorer including Boots, Benny, Isa, Tico, Senior Tucan, Troll, Swiper, Map, Backpack, Papi, Mami and Diego, etc.

2. Can count from 1 to 10 in English and Spanish.

3. Can dance the Jollibee dance while singing "Aayo Ayo! (Dito tayo dito tayo na pautal)

4. Can dance Pinoy Big Brother while singing "Inoy...Mundo...Mo....Takot....Mo!"

5. Can tell/point the following shapes and colors: Triangle, Square, Circle (triangle as her fave), and red as her fave color.

6. Can pray to Papa Jesus "Amen"

7. Can immitate KC Concepcion Shampoo Commercial "....Ever"


8. At marami pang mga kalokohan.

A must read for parents...

I cried after reading this forwarded text message...

While dad was polishing his new car, his 4 year old son pick up a stone and scratch lines on the side of the car and his fits of anger dad took the child's hand and hit 8 times, didn't realize that he hit the child's hand with a wrench...

At the hospital his child said "Dad when will my fingers grow back?". Dad was so hurt, he went back to the car and kick the car a lot of times...sitting back, he look at the scratches the child made.... It read "I Love You Daddy!"

Pinoy Big Brother at ang Himig ng Pag-IBIG Choir

Katulad din ng maraming Pinoy na gising pa ng alas diyes ng gabi, isa ako sa mga tagasubaybay ng Pinoy Big Brother. Madalas natutuwa ako sa mga karakter na nakatira sa bahay ni Kuya, madalas ding naiinis ako kahit wala naman silang ginagawang masama sa akin. Pero sabi nga nila "reflection" daw ito ng pagkatao mo.

Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang maipagkumpara ang mga karakter ng mga "housemates" sa mga taong kakilala at nakakasama ko araw-araw. Hindi ko maiwasang ipagkumpara ang mga "housemates" sa aking mga "choirmates".

Ako ay kabilang sa Himig ng Pag-IBIG Choir at mula ng mabuo ang groupo noong 1999 nakita ko ang paglago nito. Ibat’ ibang mukha, iba’t ibang karakter at iba’t ibang personalidad.

Sa aming grupo, mayroon kaming mangilan-ngilang "RAQUEL" na ang nais lang ay mapaganda ang aming "performace" pero bossy ang dating sa iba. Marami din kaming pasaway na katulad ni "UMA". May ilang katulad ni "RICO" na laging tulala, marahil ay iniisip din ang kanyang ex-gf. May mga katulad ni "FRANZEN" na masyadong mahiyain at kulang ng "self-confidence" pero mayroon din naman palang ibubuga. May mga hyper at pasikat na tulad ni "NENE", may mga malalambing at maalaga na katulad ni "CASS" at "JENNY". May mga mapoporma at lapitin ng "chicks" katulad ni "JB" , heartthrob na katulad ni "SAM" at matinding magmahal katulad ni "SAY". Marami sa aming "JAYSON" na patawa at masarap kasama. May ilang ding "searching" na katulad ni "CHYX" at katulad ni "BOB" na mahilig mag-analisa ng sitwasyon.

Ibat’ ibang mukha, iba’t ibang karakter at iba’t ibang personalidad. Pero yan naman ang nagpapasarap sa isang samahan.

Masasaya at Malulungkot na Posts

Nung nagsisimula palang akong mag-blog, sabi ko sa sarili ko puro magagandang postings lang ilalagay ko. Masasayang kwento tungkol sa akin, sa anak ko at kung ano ano pang magagandang bagay na gustong sabihin ng utak ko. Pero minsan di talaga natin pwedeng pigilan na may mga pagkakataong malungkot ang isang tao.

Nasa hospital ang Tatay ko ngayon. Nahihirapang huminga, sabi ng doctor Emphyzema na papuntang TB na daw, kaya mga isang linggong mahigit daw siya sa hospital. Okey nadin kesa sa cancer.

Sana ang susunod kong mga posts masasaya ulit. ..

Skin breakouts...

Noticed my new skin? For the past 2 weeks, I've been experiencing 2 types of Skin Breakouts...

Type A (My Blogskin) - I've been attempting to change my skin, it's my first time and I've encountered so many trials... Sounds dramatic, but it is! Last week, after attempting to paste some HTML codes from blogskins.com, and after over a hundred trial and error, I deleted my previous template settings. I was in a state of shock when I found out I lost my links, site meter and tagboard and I felt really really sad.

I woke up this morning with these problems in mind, so equipped with determination and patience to cope up with over a hundred trial and error, I found the perfect skin for me....

Type B (My Acne, blackheads, whiteheads) - After I had my hair rebonded last month, I've been experiencing skin breakouts on my T-Zone. Again I felt so so sad! How I wish I could just cut somebody's skin and paste it on my skin so I can have the perfect skin... huhu!!!

Janelle's Vocabulary 101

At 20 months, marami rami nading nasasabi ang "taratitat" kong anak! But here are some that needs more practice.

1. Janelle - nane
2. Bayad - baya
3. Barney - arni
4. Baby Bop - babap
5. Butterfly - baflay
6. Fishy - ishi
7. Pajama - ama
8. Tummy - ami
9. Tito - tsitso
10. Nanay - nana
11. Tatay - tata
12. Ian - iya
13. Feet - fi
14. Ganda - gada
15. Dora - gora
16. Backpack - bapa
17. Totoy Bibo - ibo
18. Birdy - erdi
19. Egg - ge

Time really flies and mukang nagdadalaga na din ang aking unica hija at ang hilig humarap sa salamin...

Confessions...

Everytime my officemates talks about their kids and how nourishing a mother's milk can do for babies, I can't help but feel guilty. I was not able to breastfeed Janelle, not even once. When I was still pregnant, I have read much about the benefits of breastfeeding and I even wanted to join this group of moms that promotes breastfeeding. But I just can't...

I have a confession to make... I don't have nipples... some called it inverted nipples, but it's more than that, it's not only inverted but...Oh no, I just can't describe it!. I am producing enough milk when I gave brith but since I dont have nipples, there's no way for my daughter to enjoy the benefits of my colostrum. It was too stressful for me, sometimes I felt like I'm inadequate for being a mother. They say that breastfeeding is a wonderful experience, and I'm jealous! I wanted to feel the same experience with my daughter, but I just can't...

And I just can't...

Photography 101

My interest in photography started during my wedding preparation back in 2001. Since then, I started organizing my photos and starting to shoot whoever, whatever and whenever I feel like doing so. My relationship with my Canon Digital IXUS i started almost 2 years now and as the days passes by, our bond becomes stronger and stronger. I don’t know anything about photography, I don’t even have a technical know-how and most of the times I have problems with lighting and framing.

These are what I called my lucky shots, point and shoot and being in the right place at the right time are all what it takes. They are not award winning but I would like to share with you my Magnum Opus!

Check it out at http://community.webshots.com/user/bonsky_jen

My PCOS Diary

I would like to share what I've been through when I was still trying to conceive. Here's my PCOS Diary.

December 2, 2002 - Its my 1^st day of cycle after being delayed for 19 days. Finally! When I visited Dra. Macapagal 2 weeks ago I told her about the possibility of not ovulating. With no blood work or any tests, she prescribed me Duphaston and Clomid right away and was advised to have TVS on cd12.

December 12, 2002 - I went to Healthway this afternoon just to inquire about their price for TVS. Ellen advised me to seek for a second opinion and recommend Dra. Nelinda Pangilinan. She’s also affiliated with St. Lukes and accepts Medicard. So it’s fine with me. During the consultation she asked me the reason why I had my miscarriage last March. I really don’t know, all I know is that my Little MJ has fetal bradycardia. Dra. Pangilinan advised me to have a TVS on cd5, OGTT 75mg, FSH + Estrogen on cd2 to check if I have hormonal inbalance which she suspects right away after telling her I have irregular period. She also asked for my histophatology record and to stop taking Clomid.

January 3, 2003 - Its cd1! My period is not late and I have a 30 day cycle already. Maybe its because of the Dupasthon which I took last December. I did not respond to Clomid.

January 7, 2003 - Its cd5 and I had my TVS with Dra Pangilinan this afternoon. Inside the TVS room, I was praying that no tumor be seen inside my uterus or anywhere. I was in a state of shock when she told me that the reason why I am not ovulating and why I have irregular period is because of polycysts. From the word cysts, I cant help but asked her how to treat it. Do I need to undergo operation? Confidently she answered me that there are medicines for this syndrome. She prescribed me Duphaston and was asked to have my OGTT test so she can give the right dosage of Metformin.

She’s very accomodating and she explained me well. But that doesn’t stop me from my depression.

January 11, 2003 - Finally I found time to have my OGTT test. No food or water for 12 hours and I was taken blood samples 4 times with 1 hour interval. The test was very stressful.

January 14, 2003 - Dra. Pangilinan saw the result of my OGTT and told me that I am insulin resistant. Hour 1 is above the normal. She advised me to start taking Metformin 500 mg 3x a day for 3 months. She also advised me to return to her on my cd1 to cd3 on March to check if we can stimulate ovulation.

January 18, 2003 - I have nausea and I vomitted because of Metformin. I also started taking Duphaston for 10 days.

February 3, 2003 - Its cd1. Again it’s a regular period. Maybe I am responding now to Duphaston and Metformin because there are no more sharp pains, no heavy yellow discharge, and no more cramps, and the best of all no more hunger fangs.

February 4, 2003 - Its cd2. I took FSH and Estrogen. Hoping that the results are normal so I can start taking Clomid by March and be able to conceive very soon….

February 10, 2003 - Got the result of my FSH at 8.7 . Based from what I read, I think its normal because the normal value for follicular is 3-12 mlu/mL. No result yet for my estrogen. I was asked to get it tomorrow before my consultation.

February 11, 2003 - My Estradiol is below normal (13.55). That is the reason why the follicles does not reach maturity. Still wait for the 15^th day to check if I’m ovulating or not.

February 26, 2003 - I’ve watched Etc on infertility. It focused more on Artificial Insemination and IVF instead of medicines and other PCOS condition. Should I consider that as an option?

April 3, 2003 - It’s the 3^rd month of my fertility treatment and I had my first CD. I reported right away to Dra Pangilinan because she advised me to visit her on my first CD. She prescribed me Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) 100 mg to be taken daily in 5 days starting CD2. She also prescribed me folic acid to be taken daily for 14 days. I was scheduled on the 12^th for my TVS to monitor the growth of my follicles. She will give me back-up on the 15^th if in case there’s no big developments.

April 6, 2003 - Its my 4^th day of taking Clomid, and I felt a little dizzy and nauseated. I guess this is what Dra. Pangilinan is telling me once I started taking the Clomid / Metformin combination.

April 12, 2003 - Its my 10^th cd and its my TVS schedule for follicle monitoring. My Polycysts has been transformed into a follicle and I have already 1 dominant follicle which is ready to pop anytime. My uterine lining is so thin at .1 and Dra prescribed me progynova for 3x a day for 3 days. She told me to have my TVS again on April 15.

April 15, 2003 - Had my TVS at Laguna to monitor my follicles, 3 dominant follicles found and will pop anytime. Was advised to have sex of April 16 and 18…Will I have triplets?

May 3, 2003 - My period is late. I have cramps and sharp pains on my breast. I might be pregnant already.

May 5, 2003 - Took the pregnancy test twice and its both POSITIVE. Finally, the long wait is over………

More Lessons...

After 6 hours of surfing the net and reading through bloggers knowledge page, I was able to customized my blogpage. Whew! I downloaded Mozilla Firefox for me to be able to use the Blogger Image feature and viola!!!! I did not stop until I was able to add more links, guestbook and counter stats.

Well, that's me! If I started on something and was hooked on it, I will not stop until I get what I want. I remember when I was still TTC (Trying to Conceive), I did not stop praying, visiting my OB-Gyne/Fertility Expert/Endocronoligist religiously, taking medications and exams such as FSH, OGTT, OGCT, Follicle Monitoring etc..., luckily I was able to conceive in less than 6 months.

So what's the moral of the story? Determination, Perseverance and Discipline + Luck = a blogsite with photos, guestbook and counter stats...hahaha!

HTML! Oh My!

It's my second attempt to blog and I'm beginning to enjoy the complexity of HTML. I was really inspired by reading some of my friends blogs and here I am now, customizing settings and scrolling through my template and do some magic with cut and paste. Yes, I admit, I am a newbie!

I dont know what's with blogging, but I'm beginning to feel its addicting effect running down my veins. I started talking to myself, smiling and laughing in front of my PC, started texting friends on the 'how's' of it, shouting "YES!" whenever I have a succesful cut and paste and most of the time thinking on what will be my next entry.

I still remember the feeling when i had my first post. It's not that easy, I spent 5 hours composing my first entry and it's very emotional for me. Well, I still have so many things to learn and do. I still have to insert pictures, have to add more links and to get to know more HTML and the heck of it. Oh My!!!

Pagbabalik Tanaw

Ang bilis ng panahoon, parang kailan lamang ay punong puno ng lumbay ang aking puso sa kadahilanang hindi ako mabiyayaan ng isa man lang supling. Ngayon, naririto ako ng punong puno ng pasasalamat sa Panginoon sa kanyang binigay na biyayang hindi kailanman matutumbas ng kahit na ano pa man, isang napakandang anghel na ang pangalan ay “Janelle” na ang ibig sabihin ay “Ang Diyos ay mapagbigay!”

Sa tuwing nagkakaroon ako ng pagkakataon na makasalamuha ang ilang kapitbahay na may kasalatan sa buhay, nababalot ako ng ibat’ ibang klase ng emosyon. Nalulungkot ako para sa kanila sa kanilang sinapit, ngunit ako ay natutuwa sapagkat hindi naranasan at mararanasan ng aking anak at ng magiging mga anak ang buhay na tulad sa kanila.

Sa bawat bagong gamit, damit, masasarap ng pagkain at ilan pang mga bagay na ibinubuhos ko sa aking anak ay ganon din ang luhang pumapatak sa luha ng kanilang mga anak sa tuwing makikita nilang nilalaro nito ang kanyang mga bagong laruan. “Nay, bili din tayo non…….”, mga katagang madalas kong marinig na may kasamang sama ng loob sa sinapit ng kanilang buhay.

Sa mga mata ng mga batang ito, nakikita ko aking buhay nung aking kabataan, madalas din akong makaranas ng kasamaan ng loob dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay. May mga pagkakataong umiyak dahil sa kagustuhang magkaron ng magagarang damit ngunit hindi man lang nagkaroon ng sandaling pagkakataon na maisuot iyon. Naaalala ko pa ang bawat listahan ng utang namin kay Mang Lucio, nakakahiya mang mangutang ng tuyo at gatas na malapot para sa hapunan namin ay wala akong magawa dahil ako ang panganay. Mangilan-ngilang beses din akong nag-ulam ng mantika at asin, ilang tasang kape na din ang aking nainom na mula sa binusang bigas at ilang beses din akong nagsuot ng nakangiting sapatos na pilit pinapatikom ng ‘rugby’. Tulad din ng mga batang aming kapit-bahay ngayon madalas din akong makaranas ng pagkainggit sa mga batang may kaya sa buhay.

Sa panahong ngayon na ako ay nakakaranas ng kaunting kaginhawan sa buhay, nais kong kahit sa kaunting paraan ay makatulong sa mga batang katulad ko din noon…, mga batang salat sa pagkain, laruan at mga bagay na nakakapagpasaya sa musmos nilang isipan. At sa tuwing makikita ko ang aking anak, lalong napapaalala sa aking isipan na magbigay…,dahil ang pangalan niya ay “Janelle” na ang ibig sabihin ay “Ang Diyos ay mapagbigay…”