One Fine Tuesday in October

October 24, 2006

Josephine made sure that I spend this day with her as she declared it with authority that I am not available to play badminton. She said that I was hers. No one opposed of course. As for me, I found it sweet and I was happy to spend it with her.

at 9:30am. Check Up

We went to Primecare in SM Bicutan so she could have her Fasting, Blood Sugar (FBS) check up. The clinic almost didn't accept her anymore the other attending nurse accommodated her. Good! After two (2) minutes it was over! The result was given the next day.

at 10.00am. Breakfast and Tour

The mall except the clinic was still close. So, we waited for the stores to open and decided to have our breakfast at Pancake House. I had classic pancakes and brewed coffee and Josephine ordered for blueberry pancakes and a cup of decaf (her last one until she gives birth). After that, we just strolled around SM department store and our feet lead us to the baby section. :) The first time we canvassed for our baby's goods like strollers, cribs, car seats etc., hmmmmmm.. it got me excited. I loved the feeling. We bought children's books. The first baby book of our baby which could end maybe in the trash can. :) I swear, I will not buy shortened stories anymore. We will buy a new set even if it will turn more expensive.

at 11:00am. Shower Time

We had a scheduled lunch with our friends, Tina and Arland. Tina is leaving and we just decided to have a simple get together before she leaves and spend 2 1/2 months in UK. Anyway, we went home first from SM Bicutan because we have not taken a shower yet. hahahahahahaha.

at 1:00pm. Lunch

D'marks Pizza.That's where we had our lunch with Tina, Arland and Tes. Nothing especial with the pizza. Good thing my appetite was there yet so I didn't mind what we ordered.

at 2:00pm. Malling

We bought cinema tickets, The Departed. We had to wait for 3 more hours to watch the movie. Enough time to mall around. First stop. Music One. Bought our first Christmas CD. Second stop. Nike Store for women. Left the store empty handed. Third Stop. Powerbooks. We looked into baby names and its meaning and then just read until we had to go to the cinema.

at 5:00pm The Departed

Good movie. Entertaining, violent but light, all stars cast, a lot of actions and suspense.

at 8.00pm. The Departure. hahahahaha

We listened to our Christmas CD in the car and went home safely. We had our dinner as soon as we arrived and then slept.

Whew! Maybe the greatest day this week. That would be our pre-get away activity. Two days more and then off we go for our much deserved rest and time together. alone.

Just something I realized along the way

1. Approach everything with love and understanding
sometimes Jospehine and I would argue over something. petty or sometimes big ones. it donesn't matter. we've somehow managed to go beyond the arguement. there are times that one's ego will sneak out and show its face. that's where self understanding should be used. if the arguement countinues out of ego then it will not end. i stepped on the break. getting angry at each other is not worth it. sometimes though, we continue to argue but let it be. as much as possible it shouldn't be taken personally. "if no one gives in then maybe no one should". i mean, we are still two different people and we allow each other to think differently. we shouldn't change each other. Yes, we would share the same values, beliefs, perspectives etc but not all the time. "we are still two unique individuals who entered into a commitment into a lifelong getting to know other and no matter what we discover about each other, our commitment stays".

2. Affirm your love to one another
it is important to know it and believe it by heart even if it isn't verbally communicated or expressed. but it still feels good to hear "i love you" from one another. isn't it? Especially in moments of great struggle or plainly being low on juice emotionally when you just sigh the whole day, not in the mood to talk, so many things to think and do and then your spouse will just tap your shoulder, or receive a warm embrace and whisper in your ears, "i love you". wow! how it helps to put things in proper perspective knowing that in this sometimes cruel world someone beside you love you truly.

3. Learn to celebrate each other's victories. small or big.
what are victories? anything that your spouse has given his/her time and effort with. it could be something that could be finished in a minute or big ones that require plenty of time. it could also be for you or for somebody else (work, friends, her/himself, community etc). Support, remind and then celebrate later on. the important thing is that you show you are happy with your spouse's accomplishment.

4. Surround yourself with good people.
it depends of course how you define your "good people". my good people might not be the good people the others have. it depends a lot on how the two of you define it. the point is, there should be enough people around you to support and your relationship and the same time be of service to them as well. have friends and nourish this relationship. if there are times when the two of you feel like the world is against you then here are people who will be willing to share the weight of the world.

5. Get away and have spend time alone, together.
even if you have a house of your own. it is a good idea to get of the routine and go somewhere else and plan out some surprises a long the way. inhale new air, bathe in a different water, walk along in the sand together hand in hand, wake up to see the sunrise and spend quiet time together as you watch the sun set. i think it is really important to create this "common experience"that both of you made together. it something to look back for. create, "create create good memories and fill up your life album".

Last pages of a chapter

The Nearness of You

It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me,
oh no It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation,

oh no It's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you


Going through this wonderful experience with Josephine is really something to remember for years and years to come. I look at her with amazement. Seeing her being transformed by our baby in her womb makes me feel proud of what we've accomplished so far. She is going to be a mother and I know that she will be very good at it. I can see her eyes glowing whenever she looks at the mirror and sees her womb expanding. I can see how she is starting to develop that unique closeness with our baby that a woman and her child could only comprehend. I feel so happy witnessing this. Less than four months to go and soon We will be able to cradle our baby in our arms.

A simple family with hopes and ambition. We will be turning two (2) this December. I love her when we met and still that love is growing everyday. Yeah, maybe we are still too young in our marriage life to say with finality that this love will lead us beyond the end of time. I don't want to sound too corny but I believe in my heart that we will be together until we go old and until we see each other again in heaven. There is still a big room to discover about each other. While we've known each other for years and we've basically understood our dynamics, I'm sure the changes in our lives give us more mysteries to solve, understand and accept. Who will Josephine be when she becomes a mother? I have no idea? How will she handle a husband and a child? No idea. The answer will come very soon. I have no fears because Josephine is a good person with a good heart. All I know is that God is starting to enlarge my heart for Him to be able to give more love to share to my wife and child.

Passing of days does not mean an end but actually it signifies a start of another day. Today and few months from now, we are about to close another chapter of our married life and what a way to start a new one. We welcome our baby in our lives with open arms and we ask God, our Father to guideto be Christian parents that we ought to be.