I Should Have Seen This Coming

Dearest friends,

I have been keeping a secret for quite some time now, and I feel the time has come for me to confess.

Four months ago, I tested positive for hCG.

As you can imagine, this news came as quite a surprise to me and David. I underwent several tests to validate the accuracy of the result and all of them came back positive.

Things changed since that fateful day. Now, I’ve become slower, weaker, and sometimes, more irritable. I get tired very easily. Oftentimes, I fall asleep just watching TV and yet, I keep tossing and turning every night, unable to find a comfortable position. From what I have read, things will become even more uncomfortable in the coming months.

But I’m ready to face the challenges of this condition. Thankfully, I have David by my side. He has been very supportive and understanding. Without him, this would have been very difficult. (He is, by the way, partly responsible for this.) I also know that you, my friends, will be there to support me, and I thank you for that.

Finally, I take solace in the fact that this condition will not last forever. It will, however, bring forth a responsibility that I will carry for the rest of my life.

To learn more about hCG, click here.

A Peaceful New Year’s Eve

Last year, we welcomed the new year with a bang. Actually, plenty of it, considering all the firecrackers we lit.

This year, we went the peaceful route. Since this was our first New Year’s in the house, we declined an offer to join relatives for a celebration.

Instead, David and I spent it alone in our house. We had a nice home-cooked meal, sat by the fireplace, watched the ball drop on TV, and toasted with milk (mine) and chocolate milk (his) in wine glasses. We called family and friends to wish them well. Then we cuddled. In silence. Just our hushed voices and the crackling fire.

It was the perfect way to end a crazy year, and usher in more craziness to come.

Holiday Hangover

This was the first holiday spent in our house. (Last year, we spent Christmas and New Year’s in the Philippines.) David decided to have the whole family over for Christmas Eve and I gladly stepped up to the challenge.

Ambitious as I was, here’s what I had on the menu, almost all of it homemade:

APPETIZERS:
Honey Dijon Mini-Chicken Drumsticks
Mango Galettes
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Avocado and Goat Cheese Dip with Plain Tortilla Chips
Garlic Salsa (from a jar)
Cheese and Crackers (Smoked Gouda and Port Wine Cheddar; all store-bought)

MAIN COURSE:
Honey-Glazed Ham (store-bought)
Breaded Turkey Cutlets
Sotanghon
Green Beans with Lemon Butter Topped with Toasted Almonds
Mashed Potatoes (made awesomely by my sister-in-law)
Sweetened Yams (another awesome creation by sis-in-law)

DESSERT:
Leche Flan
Apple Pie (courtesy of pop-in-law)
Coconut Custard Pie (store-bought; didn’t quite work out!)
Coffee
Hot Chocolate
Eggnog
Bonus: I adorned the Christmas tree with a variety of chocolates so guests could “pluck” them from the tree.

Hungry yet?

I had everything planned a week in advance, but as always, nothing ever works out as smoothly as one intends. I was going to start cooking the day before, but all I managed to do that day was marinate the little chicken drumsticks.

The following day, realizing I had my work cut out for me, I woke up extra early to get things rolling. I re-organized my schedule and managed to finish preparing the appetizers just as the guests started to arrive.

The main course was easier to prepare than I thought. But I have to say, had it not been for David’s help, the whole thing would have been a big mess.

End result: Everyone loved the food and had a great time. After all our hard work, seeing the satisfied faces of our guests was all that mattered. That, and opening the presents.

Next up—New Year’s Eve. Quite the opposite of Christmas Eve. But more about that later…

Happy New Year!

Well, hello!

New Year, New Me.

I'm back and I hope to stay around for a while. Many things happened while I was "off-line," and I'll try to talk about them as much as I can.

Lastly, I took the liberty of adding links to some blogs I frequent. If I forgot anyone, or if you want your link removed, please let me know.

I miss everyone and hope to hear from all of you soon.