Welcome to our Blogspot :-)

For many of you its been quite sometime since we've seen you and so much has happened since then! We hope to keep you updated through this blogspot and hope you'll visit often!!!

Its cliche, but time flies! We can't believe we've been here in Manila for over a year already. Since this is my first post, It will be kinda long, but hopefully not boring! There have been many changes, but yet many things remain the same.

This month has been a busy month for us. First, we found out the gender of our baby, 18 weeks into my pregnancy. Its a GIRL! We are so excited. Then, Zakary celebrated his 5th birthday on Sept. 3rd and I celebrated my 30something birthday on Sept. 11. Raf and the boys showered me with plenty of surprises and gifts. I feel SOOO blessed.

Raffy's busy with work and with football season. He enjoys keeping up with his Bruins on Sunday morning and with the NFL on Tuesday morning (Monday night football here!) using the Slingbox (thanks Rick!!!). Raf's also still in therapy (having suffered a basketball season ending ACL tear in March). He's doing very well with therapy and is now running and sprinting. He just has to pass his hop test and will be able to start playing basketball again. He's also playing golf regularly and is scoring in the 80's! Life in the Philippines does him well as he's able to balance being a husband, father, provider and athlete exceptionally well!

Nik had amazing time in school last year for 3rd grade. For the first time he had a male teacher whom he really admired. His teacher was also part of the coaching staff for the school's varsity soccer team, which of course impressed Nik and he had made great friends with the boys in this class. His now getting into his second month of the 4th grade and this school year brings many changes. Firstly, his new teacher is dramatically different from last year's teacher, in personality and in teaching style. Additionally, he and his group of friends were split into different classes, but at least he has one of his closest friends here in Manila in class with him. This year brings changes for Nik both academically and emotionally, but Nik's up to the challenge of course. He's really becoming an independent young man and at nearly 10 years old, already a young adolescent. He loves his ipod and his music, especially Fall Out Boy (he's watching the concert with his dad and cousins on Friday and is so thrilled). He is still very particular about his hair and his clothes (something his dad says is my influence of course!) He is also enjoying golf lessons and golfing with his dad. And, as he says, for some reason he's into Pokemon. I guess this is weird for him since Pokemon has been around for ages and he's just now getting into it.

Zak turned 5 and of course we think he acts like a 15 year old. Zak is very social and very wordy. He knows what he wants and no one is going to tell him otherwise. He's enjoying school, although sometimes I think he's beyond his pre-K classes and is ready to move on to high school already! At the end of last summer he began reading efficiently and by this time he is reading up a storm! He also loves the computer and says that his favorite thing about living in Manila is his computer (which of course he shares with his Kuya/big brother). He's a whiz on the internet and he loves online games (in his age range of course). Zak especially loves to order around everyone in the house, but he proudly tells everyone he is 5 and doesn't need a yaya (nanny) anymore. He loves pretty girls and is such a flirt! He has many girls around him in school and other activities, but still misses his 3 pretty girls in the states.

As for me, what can I say I'm busy with mommyhood and with the pregnancy, and enjoying every minute of it. This pregnancy has been dramatically different than my pregnancy with Nik and Zak, which respectively were a breeze to get through as I had no symptoms or issues really. This pregnancy is the polar opposite....I guess that's why we suspected we were having a girl from the moment we saw the + pregnancy test. In my first trimester, I had all the symptoms: nausea, fatigue, nausea, spotting, moodiness. Did I say nausea? I'm now in my second trimester, the nausea continued in the early part of the 2nd TRI, but tapered off eventually. The fatigue is still there, but I'm not as sleepy as I was in the 1st TRI. The moodiness is definitely still around, but its not as bad. Overall, yes I can honestly say this baby is a GIRL just by the difference in my pregnancies alone!

As for work, I still continue with my medical transcription, which I enjoy. We recently opened a new company called Lookgood Industries, which primarily is a ready-to-wear clothing line. Our first venture is called "Limelight" available at the SM boutiques here in Manila. I'll post the DVD of the pictures so you can see our first collection. Some business prospects for LGI in the near future is a maternity and nursingwear line as well as a mensware line. Our goal is to eventually open our own independent store here in Manila. Its very exciting work, but also very challenging to operate a business in Manila. Nevertheless, I am enjoying my work and have a great team to work with.

Anyway, I'll continue to post here as often as I can and with pics too. Feel free to post your comments. We'd love to hear what's going on with all of you around the world!