malling with hubby and bea

just came home from an afternoon of malling. sent our nanny home early with the condition that she comes tomorrow, a sunday. we were supposed to go to mapua first so that hubby can request for a transcript of records from his alma mater, but we realized that we were not going to be able to beat the 5:00 deadline, so we decided to just go to SM City instead. we went and bought long-sleeved shirts for hubby, some ties and a belt. stuff he needs for his new job. =)
after the shopping spree for hubby, we decided to eat at burger king. when we got there, we discovered that they didn't serve apple juice and spaghetti anymore. we didn't want bea to dring soda, so i had to buy some juice and spaghetti from jollibee. (bea's fave)

after dinner, we went strolling... we let bea lose from her stroller, and she just went off... walking/running from one shop to another, laughing out loud. =) it's been a while since i last visited this mall, it has changed a LOT! for the better. they have new shops, a new portion, the block, and a lot more improvements. we took bea to toy kingdom, she just loved it!

fun fun fun!

photo hunt::: flexiible

this week's theme is flexible. i can't think of anything else. so, i twisted my fingers and took a picture with my camera phone... tada! we used to this as kids, pretending we were crabs and these are our pincers. why we do it, i don't really know.... hehehe... out of boredom i guess! =)

friday's feast

Appetizer
Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?
the usual, sour cream flavored popcorn and soda.

Soup
What year did you start using the internet?
hmmm. i can't really remember. probably '98 or '99

Salad
What is your first name in Pig Latin? (Here’s how to speak it if you don’t already know!)
arenkay... hehehe

Main Course
Name something you are picky about.
fruits, i try to eat only fresh ones.
and utensils. i can only eat if i have matching spoon and fork. i'm uncomfortable eating with mismatched spoon and fork =)

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: I ______yesterday and I ____ ____ today
i wasn't able to go online yesterday and i plan to make up for lost time today. =)

flowers for me?

there was a time when i used to badger my hubby about his not giving me flowers anymore…like he used to… years ago. I would sing “you don’t bring me flowers” by Barbra. This is a double whammy coz my singing is intended to annoy him more… =)

then now, after years of marriage, I am more on the practical side. I see flowers as the pretty little expensive temporary things that they are…

of course I’d be lying to myself if I say that I’d be happy never to see a single bud ever again. *wink* *wink* *hint* *hint*

the medium

last night hubby and i finally finished the 2nd season of prison break. at last! then we started our new series... the medium with patricia arquette. at least with this one, whenever an episode ends, you have a sense of closure since a case is often resolved, unlike with prison break, every end of episode leaves you drooling for more... oh well. last night we were able to go sleep after only one episode of medium. hehehe...

i just wish she'd get rid of her bangs or at least try a new hairstyle... =)

cranky bea and answered prayer!

bea has been so cranky these past few days! we can't understand why. she'd wake up crying in the middle of the night, a couple of times a night! yes, we are really bothered by this. why is she so cranky? is she coming down with something? is there something bothering her, an ache somewhere in her body... i try to ask her but the wailing just continues. it takes a long time before we can pacify her... usually by carrying her.

we are all so tired. patience is wearing thin. last night hubby and i prayed over her, asking God to cover her with His mantle of protection, from any harm and illness. then, a miracle happened. she slept like a baby! no more crying, no more tossing and turning. a good night's rest! Thank you Lord!

St. Luke's Medical Center - Philippines

according to the St. Luke's website:


The foremost and the most admired hospital in the Philippines




Today it is the foremost and most admired hospital in the Philippines and an acknowledged leader in Asia. St. Luke's delivers on its mission of healing by gathering under one roof the finest medical expertise, the most sophisticated medical technology and facilities, and a deep-rooted culture of compassion. It supports this mission with research and continuing education for those who serve. The total dedication to quality and caring of the St. Luke's family is what distinguishes the hospital as a center of healthcare excellence in Asia.


when bea got sick we brought her to st. luke's since her pedia holds her clinic there. we stayed in "kiddie land" for 3.5 days... from sunday night to wednesday afternoon. we were checked in a semi-private room. there are two patients to an air-conditioned room. we shared a bathroom, which had lukewarm water and was clean. we had enough space. we had cabinets, drawers and tables to put our stuff in. companions had a long upholstered bench to sleep on. they changed the sheets everyday, plus whenever the patients soil their sheets (which was often in our case!). they cleaned the room twice a day, and gave us a roll of tissue paper and soap everyday. personnel were very courteous. they assigned a nurse per patient, which was ok with us since the assigned nurse really did focus her attention on bea whenever she came in the room, which was often, and usually with a trainee in tow. they had a pantry nearby where they had a hot/cold water dispenser, bottle sterilizer and a microwave oven available for anyone to use.





food was great! except for one dish (i think it was meatloaf, but it didn't taste good) everything else was yummy! they thought about the presentation too. who said hospital food had to taste bleech?! too bad i wasn't able to get pictures of every meal, they were that appetizing to look at, that we usually just dived in!


the bill was a bit steep as expected, they bill you for every needle they poke in your body. so what if they didn't get the needle in your vain the first time? they'd just open another pack and bill you for everything... we even got billed for a ROLL of plaster... for the plaster the used to tape in the IV to bea's hand. i told the nurse i think they ony used a couple of inches, definitely not a ROLL, so i took whatever was left of the plaster home.... i paid for it anyway. =)


for every day that we stayed there, i was getting uneasy, i knew the bills were getting higher. good thing they had an online billing system where in you can inquire about your latest bill. you can choose to see just the total amount... or a detailed list of everything charged to you, every medicine, every cotton ball...(i suggest this one so you can check if you actually used all those items) and you can print it too. so you can go back quietly to your room, look at your latest billing and PANIC privately. lol!

in fairness, they reversed the cost of some unused medicines without me asking them. =)



when we were ready to leave, a representative from the pharmacy talked to us about the followup medicines bea had to take, the dosage, the duration... this was something new, in the past the doctors were the ones who usually do this.


hospitalizations are never good experiences, the stress, the sleepless nights, the expenses, at least St. Luke's (despite of or because of the high bill) made our stay a bit more bearable. i really felt they gave extra effort to make their patients feel comfortable and well-taken care off.

photo hunters:: classic

it's been a while, but i'm back photo hunting... this week's theme is classic and what i am posting is the classic comfort food for many people, hubby and me included... PIZZA!!!

friday's feast # 167

Appetizer
How much money do you plan to spend this upcoming holiday season?
i plan not to spend so much this year. we are neck-deep in debt as it is... =)of course i would love to get nice things for my daughter, she'd be the exception.

Soup
What was the last television show you watched, and was it good?
i am watching prison break. it is soooo addicting! last night i watched cold case. i love this series too!

Salad
If you had to paint the walls of your living room tomorrow, what color would you choose?
i'd color it blue. i always loved the color blue, with yellow accents.

Main Course
Name something clever or practical you have thought of that should be invented, but hasn’t yet.
an intelligent car horn that can shout out expletives whenever you encounter jerks on the road. it should be able to detect the degree of stupidity being encountered by the driver... and shout out the appropriate messages... (talk about road rage!)

Dessert
List 3 things you would like to receive as gifts this upcoming holiday season.
a new digital camera, mp3 player, psp (yep, i am a techie!)

it's been a while since i joined the feast... it's great to be back!

bea's new do

thanks to the declared holiday today, nov 2, hubby and i got to stay home today with our bea. sadly our nanny copped out on us again, since one of her kids is sick... again. oh well. anyway, i think we coped just fine. too bad hubby didn't get that much rest. =(

i took the chance to give little bea a haircut. i just trimmed her bangs, although daddy kept on saying i cut them too short, i think her hair looks just fine. =)

we went back to the cemetery today to visit her grandparents from daddy's side.... and of course mommy is not about to miss this photo op!