When I woke up this morning, a little voice in my head told me that I was going to have a bad day. I woke up late and there was nothing to cook for Mr. Frost's breakfast but eggs. Indeed, the beginnings of a bad day.

But the Goddess in me opted to go against the forces of nature and decided to have a great day.

I brewed some coffee for Mr. Frost, as well as for my parents, who haven't had coffee yet. Then I woke Mr. Frost up, gave him his coffee mug, and told him to get dressed quickly because we're having one of his favorite breakfasts.

McDonald's Big Breakfast Muffin with strawberry preserve.

We took the cab and asked the driver to drive through McDonald's at The Fort. For Mr. Frost, he opted for the equally heavenly Sausage McMuffin with Egg for convenience. With strawberry preserve, of course. Not just one, but I got him two of that!

We ate our breakfast at the office, at our own workstations. Believe me, as soon as I finished eating, there was no doubt in my mind that this is gonna be one of the best days of my life.

Around 11am, our creative director asked me if I want to go to one of our projects' press conference at TGI Friday's Glorietta. I said, "Free food? Hell, yeah!"

So we went there. I helped a bit in preparing the goodie bags for the press, had looooooooots of iced tea, had fun at our picture-taking, and savored my free lunch . I know I'm not supposed to eat lots of sweets, but their brownies were so delicious I had three.

Here are some of the pics during the presscon. I feel so good looking at these because they show that my face has filled up.

L-R: William, Toby, Joie, Pam, creative director Mark, and me.
No, I'm not hogging the goodie bags! I'm helping give them away! Really!
The TGIF staff are going crazy over our freebies, and there I was, showing everyone my underarms!
Here I am, messing up Patrick's shots! Hehehe!
Well, I'm really tired of people saying I don't look "pregnant" enough , so if you still think nothing really changed on my appearance, you can keep it to yourself because you can talk all you want but I won't hear a thing . I'm happy I gained weight, no matter how little, that I don't really care about what others may say.

The day isn't done yet but I am positive nothing can ruin my mood. Well, that excludes unexpected unfortunate events.

And I have DECIDED to have a great weekend as well. You guys have fun, too.

ROCK AND ROLL EVERYONE!!!

I've been really slim or payatot, if you will, since time immemorial. Here's a couple of pics before I got pregnant, way before the wedding.
















And when people ask me, "Meng, kelan ka ba tataba?" ("Meng, when will you gain weight?"), I always say, when I marry and bear a child.

When I got pregnant, people still wondered why I don't look like it. That they look more pregnant than I am. Finally, now that I am on my 20th week, there's no denying that yes, indeed, I AM PREGNANT.

Check out how I look now and compare it to the pics above!
















Thanks to my officemates Jerry and Patrick for taking the pics!

Here's another couple of before-and-after pics.
BEFORE
AFTER
Can you still see the little hole above my bellybutton on the "AFTER" pic? A navel ring used to be there. Yes, I have a pierced navel. I got it during my Puerto Galera vacation last May 2004. The navel ring has to go to make sure I don't experience any problems. As soon as I give birth, I'm getting a new navel ring. Yey!

An officemate showed me this video, knowing how I worship Michael V.



That man is a god!

If you're having problems viewing the video here, click the title to view it on YouTube. Be patient, as it would take time to load, just like any YouTube video. But I can assure you that it's worth all the wait.

Enjoy.

My mind is all messed up from the things happening around lately that I've lost the ability to string together words sensible enough to post on this blog.

SkyClad came over to unwind with Mr. Frost and me yesterday. Unwind, meaning spend hours on the PS2 and trash-talking each other.

Funny. What used to be a weekend-long "geek" party with the Wednesday Group has been reduced to mere hours of PS2 pleasure with only three people. And nobody's to blame. It's an inevitable part of growing up.

Simon Woo has moved to Australia and is now happily married. Nocturnal Sun, the first to get married in our circle, has his own family obligations to attend to during weekends. Mr. Frost and I see him everyday at work, though. One of us, however, just vanished without a trace. Kojiki simply doesn't want to be found.

The place to be during those weekends was what SkyClad has christened "The Morales Dungeon", the place where Mr. Frost and I used to live. The place was a hell hole, but we couldn't care less. There was space for everyone to sit and set up his laptop, and there's enough pancit canton, Coke, and cigarettes for everyone. We were happy and having the times of our lives.

What we did during those weekends vary depending on our moods, but usually, it's a combination of one to three of the following:

LAN Games
Unreal Tournament is one of our favorites. A couple of times we are all on the same team, but most of the time, we set up two teams and try to blast the other team into oblivion.

We spent countless sleepless nights playing Diablo II, StarCraft, and several other games that we could get to work on our ancient laptops. The games we played were limited by the capacity of our sorry machines, but we enjoyed those old-school games any way so it didn't really bother us. We were satisfied being able to enjoy those games together.



PlayStation 2 face-offs

We kicked each other's butts in so many fighting games, took turns in completing quests in single-player RPGs, and tag-teamed up on the sorry asses of monsters in multiplayer games. Oh yes, we taught each other a couple of lessons, too. :)





Movie marathon
Mostly Japanese and Korean horror and gory movies, those marathons turned macho men into trembling little cowards, holding on to each other for dear life and calling for their mommies when a nice, scary scene comes up.

The guys had their moments during Ichi the Killer, The Audition, Wishing Stairs, and mostly every movie that we saw.

Magic: The Gathering tourneys
Simon Woo burned us alive with his red "I-wanna-win-fast" deck. Nocturnal Sun buried us with his black discarder deck. We hated being owned by Kojiki and his blue library-depletion deck. I screwed the guys over with my blue ninjutsu deck and, sometimes, my blue-white control deck.

Mr. Frost, had his white weenie deck and green-white control deck (damn his Plow Under and Rude Awakening cards!!!), but he creamed us with whatever deck he used, even our own.

We sometimes played one-on-one, but CHAOS IS THE WAY TO GO!!! Ah yeah!

One thing always worth mentioning when talking about our weekend sprees is Simon Woo's shameless hogging of all dropped items and gold in Diablo II. We would all gang up on this hard-ass boss, and when the monster dies, the first thing we hear is Simon Woo shouting, "Akin yang gold!" (The gold is mine!) When he hears a rare item drop, he shouts at the top is his lungs, "Akin yan!" (That's mine!) And if somebody else has beaten him to it, he goes up to the guy and says, "Oist, ano yung napulot mo? Akin na yan, hindi mo kailangan yan." ("Hey, what did you get? Give me that, you don't need that.")

He had his barefaced acts during our PS2 sessions as well. What he does during our Diablo games, he blatantly did in Champions of Norrath too. And during fighting games, we somehow had gotten used to his outbursts like, "Bawal combo! Bawal juggle! Bawal yang move na yan, whatever that is! Bawal ako talunin!" ("Don't use combo! Don't juggle! Don't use that move, whatever that is! Don't kick my ass!")

I'm saying those things about Simon Woo but I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. In fact, his antics (aside from his santol) are some of the things that made those weekends memorable and worth talking about.

We had the time of our lives during those weekends. When we're all old and wrinkly, we will be talking about those weekends for hours.

I really miss those relaxing weekends. As I've said, it's nobody's fault that we don't have them anymore. It just means that we are maturing and moving on to the next phases of our lives.

Of course we still keep in touch. The fun still lives in our email threads and occasional YM conferences. It's not the same as having the guys around in person, but hey, at least I got something.

Ah, the joy of reminiscing. Off I go to the real world now.

Yes, you're looking at a new blog design. Again.

After barely a week, my blog undergoes its second revamp.

In my previous entry, I mentioned that I'm working on another design. So here it is.

I'm still not satisfied with it , but I decided to put it up anyway. Personally, I think it's better than my previous designs:







































At this rate I'm going, you can expect to see more redesigns in the near future . I dunno, but it's starting to feel like a therapy for me. If others have digiscrapping, I have blog designing . Well, come to think of it, the two activities are not that much different from each other.

Okay, that's it! For now, I'll lay off on the designs and spend more time writing better and more interesting blog entries.

(For those who can't wait and just want to know Baby Frost's gender and see Baby Frost's first pic, you're free to scroll down and ignore the wonderful story behind Baby Frost's first kicks. )

I'm writing this entry at home and I'm posting this online first thing on Monday morning.

It's a Saturday night but this entry isn't just about what happened today. I was just too preoccupied and, as Mr. Frost said, "high" on the recent developments in our pregnancy.

As you may have witnessed, I got busy with designing blogs. After my own blog's makeover, I did a design for a friend. Then I finally did Sikei's long overdue replacement for his outdated website.

After designing two other blogs, I find myself unsatisfied with what I did with my own so I'm working on another redesign. But I want it to be the best I've done so I'm taking my time.

Thursday, June 15
For the first time, I felt Baby Frost "kick" inside my tummy. Actually, I've been feeling those kinds of movements inside me but I ignored it because it was hardly noticeable I sometimes think I was just imagining it. But that afternoon, I felt him "kick" hard. I freaked out at first because I didn't know what it was. I placed my hand over my tummy where I felt the movement, and there it was again. When I felt Baby Frost's "kick" against my hand, I knew.

I was chatting with Mr. Frost that time and I immediately told him what I was feeling. Here's a part of our conversation that very moment.



Later that night, I told Mr. Frost that I forgot to write something about Baby Frost's first kick on my blog. He said it's alright because I was still "high" from the joy I felt. Indeed, it was a different kind emotion. I cannot describe how I felt, and still feeling, and I refuse to do so as my description might not do justice to my emotions.

Friday, June 16
Yes, it was a different kind of high, but I felt like something was lacking. I wanted Mr. Frost to feel what I'm feeling. I wanted so bad for him to feel his child's first evident sign of existence.

Baby Frost kicked again that afternoon (albeit not as hard) while Mr. Frost was around, but he didn't have the chance to feel my tummy.

That night, we we're watching Fantastic Four on DVD when Baby Frost started getting all hyper again. So I took my tummy out and placed my hands over it. Mr. Frost tried to feel Baby, but in vain. He gave up and looked at my tummy instead when he actually "saw" Baby's kick! He saw part of my tummy rise as if something pushed it from the inside. He quickly placed his hand over that part and felt Baby Frost kick hard twice!

The look on Mr. Frost's face was truly priceless, and I was so glad to share Baby Frost's early movements with him. I was so filled with emotion that I cried right there and then. After assuring him that those were tears of happiness, Mr. Frost hugged me and I stayed in his arms until I stopped crying, which was about 10 minutes later.

June 17, Saturday
If you noticed, I have been referring to Baby Frost as "he," or "him," or "his." That's because BABY FROST IS A BOY!

That's right! So, I guess that proves a point now, doesn't it, Nocturnal Sun?

We went to the laboratory to undergo some tests, including an ultrasound that told us Baby Frost's gender. Here are Baby Frost's first pictures:




Not that we didn't want a girl. It didn't matter, actually. We're just so happy to know what Baby Frost's gender is.

Now, we're having a little bit of a difficult time deciding what to name him. We have agreed that if Baby is a girl, her name will be Cerise Valerie Lynn, after Mr. Frost's late mother, Valera Lynn. We haven't decided on a boy's name yet.

Mr. Frost wanted to retain "Keith" as the second name, preferably, and the first name to start with a letter "C." He didn't like my suggestions because he said they sounded gay . But we do have a couple of names in consideration already. And no, Simon Woo, your suggestion isn't one of them.

Oh well, we still have months in our hands so everything's cool.


I am addicted to Baby Frost's kicks.

Seriously.

Now that I am aware of his movements, I always want to feel him move around inside my tummy. Whenever I get the chance, I put my hands over my tummy and wait for Baby Frost's kicks. When I feel him move, I remove my hands and see if I can see a little hump on my tummy. The hump that is Baby Frost's kick.

I get teary-eyed everytime. And Mr. Frost goes crazy when I cry.

Got tagged by Mal'akh...

Instructions: Name ten of life's simple pleasures that you like the most, then pick ten people to do the same. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used.

1. MRT escalators (especially when you walked from Paseo de Roxas through Landmark and Glorietta)
2. Peanut butter
3. An email from a long-lost friend
4. A refreshing bath on a scorching day
5. An unexpected hug or kiss from Mr. Frost
6. The Frost family's goodnight songs
7. Warm milk in the morning
8. A tidy bedroom upon getting home tired from work
9. Not having to do laundry :D
10. Relaxed chit chat with my father

And I'm tagging...
1. Mr. Frost (of course...)
2. Shala
3. Liz
4. Mai
5. Janix
6. Jacque
7. Tricia
8. Charie
9. Techtor
10. Pao

Note: These are the things on top of my mind as I am juggling with several things right now. I just didn't want put this on hold. It's just too inviting...

Finally, the long overdue makeover has taken place. The domain of the Goddess has a new look! And the Goddess is proud to say that she did the design all by herself. Almost all by herself, that is.

Well, of course, my knowledge of HTML codes is limited so I had to get help. Thanks to youpmovei of BlogSkins.com, I got the codes of this simple yet beautiful blog skin, entitled walk.run.FLY. Then I modified it to fit my personality. And now you see the result of my patience to create something on my own.

I must say that I really love how my blog looks now. It has my favorite color and Mr. Frost's favorite pictures of me. I did the images from scratch, using the original image as guide for size.

And I also changed the headings on the sidebar and my self-descriptopn, just to give my blog a bit more flavor.

Now you know why I haven't been able to post an update earlier! I was too busy looking for a skin to use as a guide! :)

Nothing much happened the past few days. The previous weekend was long because Monday was Philippine Independence Day. Mr. Frost and I were able to get several hours of relaxation to prep us for this week.

Oh, and another thing, I'm temporarily unreachable through my mobile phone until Friday because my unit is at the repair shop. Minions, you may reach me through Mr. Frost's mobile phone.

I'm still admiring my work so nothing "kwento"-worthy is coming out of my sorry excuse of a brain. Sometimes, I surprise even myself.

I'll try and post something much much better tomorrow.

Last Saturday, June 3, was our 6th wedding "monthsary". We don't really celebrate our monthly things; most of the time we let the day pass without acknowledgement. Except, maybe, for the occasional "Hey, it's our <insert number here> nth monthsary. Get off the PC, it's my turn to play." But that doesn't make our relationship mean less.

Some people may think we're being unromantic, but if you really know us, you wouldn't be surprised. We're not into ceremonializing "monthsaries" because we don't let a day pass without celebrating our love for each other.

We don't need an occasion to do so.

We did go out last Saturday. It was supposed to be a get-together for the Wednesday Movie Night group; unfortunately, some people had last-minute emergencies to go to. And we planned that way before we realized what date it was gonna be. So does that qualify as a "monthsary" date?

But okay, just for "kilig" factor's sake, let's say it does.

We watched the latest X-Men movie (Finally! See Mr. Frost's review of the movie here.) We brought a family-sized Greenwich Special inside the cinema and I ate almost all of it. Man, Baby Frost is so takaw!

Afterwards, we went to do our grocery and Mr. Frost bought his fishies, much to Sikei's delight. Then, I asked my brother to pick us up as getting a cab was next to impossible due to the heavy downpour.

There's our so-called date.

I enjoyed every minute of it not because it was our sixth wedding "monthsary," (my apologies to the monthsary fanatics, but I really don't think there's such a thing) but because I get to spend another work-free day with Mr. Frost.


For me, today is month 6, day 3 of our honeymoon. Also, Baby Frost is 17 weeks and 2 days in my womb and in 159 days, sya naman ang maghahasik ng lagim.

Prepare yourselves for the terror.

I read everywhere that being moody is perfectly normal for pregnant women. And most of the time, you are not aware of your mood swings. You feel you are acting normal, but in truth, you are being the world's biggest bitch. Unless, of course, if you are normally that bad.

Even if you are aware of your mood swings, you can't stop yourself from being an occasional (or for some women, regular) witch. You know you are being a pain in the ass, but you feel the need to release the anger, angst, or whatever it is you feel when you're moody. Releasing your emotions, however negative they may be, makes you feel better. Or make you think you feel better.

You know you're being irrational, but you just can't bring yourself to give in to what the other person is saying because you HAVE to have your way. So what if you make a living hell out of somebody's life? You don't care as long as you get things done your way. Having everything done your way makes you feel better. Or makes you think you feel better.

You know you're being a burden to somebody, but instead of easing up, you can't stop yourself from making things worse for that person. You don't give a flying crap as to what others feel when you're around. So what if you're taking people for granted? Only your feelings matter. And thinking that makes you feel better. Or make you think you feel better.

And that's depressing. Causing irreparable damage without meaning to. Being a pain in the ass without even knowing it. And when you do become aware of it, you can't stop yourself from letting it happen.

I think something about being pregnant requires a woman to be a prima donna. Being the world's purest and kindest soul cannot save you from the "curse." Forgive me if my comparison seems disrespectful, but I’m sure even Virgin Mary had her own of share of attitude while carrying the Heavenly Body.

People who must or wish to be with you on a regular basis must understand that unless they have mastered the virtue of patience and understanding, they would not be able to withstand your special powers of darkness.

But don't worry about it. You already have enough on your plate to be bothered by your mood swings driving other people crazy. If, for a minute, your hormones got the better of you and made you walk all over somebody, make up by apologizing as soon as you realize what you have done. Like you always do.

Last night, I gave Mr. Frost a well-deserved treat: a night out with Nocturnal Sun, who has been inviting us incessantly to go and watch alternative bands with him.

First, they had a couple of drinks at 6.5 with several officemates while I stayed at my workstation to mull some things over (If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented? What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men? If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call the resulting company Fed UP?).

Then Nocturnal Sun dragged us to 6Underground, which was closed. So we went SaGuijo.

It's a tiny house that the owners turned into a bar where kids go to watch alternative bands play. And when I say "kids", I mean young people who were born in the late '80s and early '90s. Kids who grew up knowing that "emo punk" is a genre of rock. Kids who have a twisted idea of what rock really is.

Anyway, the first band was interesting. The vocalist was a Joan Jett wannabe. The drummer was the "youngest of the ex-dictator's brood" (FHM May 2006). The guitarist was a cross between a gay, a geek, and a frustrated coño boy. I didn't see much of the bassist, but Nocturnal Sun said she was hot. And don't ask me about their music. Please, I beg of you.

Thanks to the second band, our expedition was not a total waste of time.

Sandwich was much, MUCH better. They've been around for quite a while now so, as Mr. Frost said, they SHOULD be good. He also said that, and I agree with him, Raymund Marasigan has the makings of the legendary Pepe Smith. And that is a good thing.

Anyhoo, the small place was so crowded I just wanted to get out of there and be able to breathe. I almost fainted if not for the not-so-iced tea I had in my hands. The people craned their necks, stood on their toes, and inched their way to the front, but I stayed back near the bar. I love breathing way too much. Besides, I just want to hear the band play live. I wouldn't sacrifice breathing just to see them in person, I see those guys on TV all the time.

When we got home, I was hungry but was too tired to eat (and I didn't know what I want to eat). I was ready to ask Mr. Frost to do what little laundry I still have to do when he hugged me and thanked me for letting him unwind. That and one kiss gave me all the energy I need to do the laundry AND play one game on the PC.

The heat, the hunger, the exhaustion... All forgotten...

I gotta stop now before I get all mushy again. I might not be able to stop myself and give Mr. Frost a big wet kiss right now, in the middle of his meeting.