The long wait...

September 15, 2010, 8:40am, my wife is in delivery room. She didn't felt anything yet but she had some blood or something sticky fluid that came out of her. We called the doctor and instructed us to go to the hospital and go directly to the delivery room. They have my wife on a fetal monitor for 20 minutes. I hope everything is OK and may she have a safe delivery.

Xavi is kicking mommy

My wife is 6 months pregnant already and I could feel my baby kicking. Feeling him kick is a great feeling (maybe he will be a soccer player, hehehe).  A feeling that you couldn't explain. I'm actually scared because it's our first baby but I'm also excited because finally we are having a baby.

We wont have anybody to guide or help us in taking care of our baby. It's just gonna be us because we don't have our parents here to help us. I would like to think of it as an adventure or I'll just charge it to experience and hopefully we could get it right. Anyway, if I really need help, I could call our parents back home. I have also been reading a book to prepare myself. I hope everything I've read could help me to become a good parent.

Well, that's it for now.

My visit to Canada

Niagara Falls was awesome. The view from our Hotel was great (unfortunately it rained). If it wasn't from the rain I could have taking more photos of it. Our hotel experience was just fair. Our hotel suite had a busted microwave and the cable did die for a few minutes. If it wasn't for the view, the hotel experience would have been bad. Our breakfast was good, Nada (our server) was great.

The Maid of the Mist ride was a treat, but of course you have to get wet. I didn't use my Nikon D90 when we took the ride. I was too afraid that it will destroy my DLSR. A friend of mine took some photos with his point-and-shoot which came handy.

Meeting my brother was great. I last saw him since September 2007, when I left for US. Mika and Kira are all big. I met his new born son Javi. Leany gave Hazel her used maternity pants (thanks for that). 

Seeing Toronto from was a great experience specially for me who is afraid of heights. My wife even had her picture taken from the glass floor.

Well, I guess that's it for now about my Canada experience.

It's a boy!

It's a boy! The doctor said when we asked him during the fetal anatomy scan yesterday. The baby is also healthy and well. To hear the doctor say the baby is healthy and well was good enough for me and the gender of the baby was just a bonus. As the ultrasound was done by the doctor, I could see my baby moving his hands. It was open and with complete fingers. The doctor tried to scan the face but he can't get a clear view because the baby was covering it with his hands and he's moving a lot.

The doctor did a great job explaining everything we need to know about our baby. He was funny and energitic. I was really comfortable and very confident that we have enough information to know about my baby, thanks to the staff in SonoScan in Forest Hills, New York.

Well, that's it for now. Time to shop for the baby's stuff.

By the way, I'm naming my baby "Xavi".

Excited for tomorrow...i hope it's a boy...

I had a dream a last week that I was playing with a little girl, so, I'm lowering my expectation that it will be a boy. But people say that dreams are always the opposite of what will happen. A lot of our friends are saying it's a boy because of my wife's tummy is kinda pointed in shape. Whatever will be the result of the anatomy scan tommorow.

I will gladly accept it. I will update this tommorow...got to go back to work

Nikon D90...at last....

Last Monday my Nikon D90 finally arrived.

Nikon D90 is a little heavy than my old Nikon D60. The settings of the camera is great, I made my adjustments easily. Maybe because I'm used to Nikon settings. I first used a Nikon D100 which was owned by my brother. I used to practice with it until I bought my own DSLR. My first DSLR was the Nikon D60. The Nikon D60 was great, specially for a person who was practicing and trying to learn more about photography as a beginner. It helped me a lot understand what is Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO and all the basics I need to learn on photography.

When I got my Nikon D90 last monday (thanks to B&H for their fast delivery). I was so excited to try my hands on a D90 that I forgot to took pictures with it while opening it. I also ordered a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 lens, Lowepro Flipside 200 and a Sunpak tripod. The Tamron lens was great. It was sharp and really great for low light, but, It does have a slow focus sometimes. I love the bag and the tripod fits well on the bag and it's light.

So, far, I'm loving my D90. I can't wait to shoot with it on the weekend...if the weather let me...

Byebye D60...Hello D90!!!

I sold my Nikon D60 plus kit lens (18-55mm zoom lens) to my sister in law. The camera has only 5039 shutter count, which is not much for a used camera. It has no scratch and other problems on the camera. It looks new and feels like new. 

It's a good camera for people who wants to in start digital photography. It has nice menu layout, very simple and easy to navigate on the menu. A Nikon D60 is kinda similar to a Nikon D40. I think it has the same body but different processor and pixel size. 

I will be buying a new DSLR, A Nikon D90. It's a more advance camera than the D60. I would consider it a prosumer camera, because, I know a lot of photographers in the Philippines use this camera to shoot weddings. It's much cheaper than the D300s but the photo quality, they say, is the same with the D300s or to the much cheaper D5000.    It shoots videos in HD too, just like the D5000, but limited to 5 minutes only. I will also buy a new lens (Glass for most photo enthusiast here) which is the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 which is good for low light because of its high aperture. 

I guess that's it for to day...I will update this when I got a hold on my Nikon D90.

12 Weeks in My Wife's Tummy

Excited Dad? Yes, I am.

Last friday, we went to the doctor to have my wife do her screen test. The screen test will determine if the baby has defects like down syndrome and others. Fortunately, the doctor said basing on the ultrasound the baby is OK but we still have to wait for the blood test. Hopefully, all is well and the baby is healthy.

First Picture of my baby..

8 weeks and 4 Days old in Mama's tummy

I can't believe it. Seven Months from now I'm going to be a dad. I'm excited and at the same time I'm afraid. Afraid because I'm going to be a dad for the first time and I don't know what to do. I know I'm good at kids and I love them but I'm talking about me being a dad. I'm afraid of the What If's of being a dad, "What if I can't give my baby anything he/she needs?", "What if he/she will get sick" and all the what if's of being a parent. Excited because I will finally have a child that I could love and take care of. 

When I was younger I promised to myself thatI will be a good dad like my father or even better. I will be the best dad that my baby will ever have. Now, in seven months my time will come to fulfill all my promise. See you soon.... 

New York!

Today a friend visited us here in New York City. It was a cold day again but still we have to give our friend a tour. It was a short tour of the city because she came here around 3pm. We just went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockeffeler Center and Time Square. For dinner, we stopped by at Jollibee and ate Chicken Joy and Spaghetti (I know, you'll probably say "Jollibee of all the restaurant in New York..sa Jollibee pa jud"). For a pinoy who is not from New York (for she is from Delaware), you would really love to visit Jollibee and Red Ribbon.

It's good to see old friends, specially if you've not seen them for a long time.

 

*Some of the pictures are not taken today, i used my old pictures (St. Patricks, Rockefeller center and Times Square).

*My wife and Lendie on the last picture. Taken in Chase Bank Center near Radio City.

Chocolate Muron experiment

The past days, my aunt asked me if I know how to cook chocolate muron. I told her I don't but my wife's lola knows. So, I called Lola Laling and asked her how to make it.


Chocolate Muron is a delicacy Leyte, Philippines (some say Samar). It's what we usually give to our friends in Cebu as pasalubong from Leyte.




Here's how I made my version of Chocolate Muron.

Ingredient:


1 1/2 Cup of Rice Flour.
1 1/2 Cup of Glutinous Rice Flour
2 Cans of Coconut Milk
10 pieces of Tableya
1 1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Butter/ Margarine
Finely Chops into tiny pieces Peanuts


Wrapper: 


Banana Leaf


Procedure:


1. Mix the Rice Flour and Glutinous Rice flour while it is dry.
2. Cook the dry mixture with the coconut milk. ( if the mixture is a little dry just add a little water like 1/2 cup of water)
3. Always stir the mixture until it is kinda sticky.
4. Add the Margarine/ Butter and stir it until it is properly mixed.
5. Add Sugar and mix it properly.
6. Divide the mixture into two. 
7. Set the 1st Half at the side and Add the melted tableya/chocolate on the other half of the mixture until it is properly     
     mixed.
8. Now, You will have 2 side. The White Half and The Brown Half. It is ready to wrap.
9. After Wrapping, Steam it for 30-45 mins.
10. Let it cool down before eating. It makes 15-20 pcs. (If you like to make more just double the ingredients.)


Wrapping


I didn't wrap it like the way they usually wrap it. I just place the two together and roll it in the banana leaf, fold the ends and placed it on the steamer.

My Mom's retirement photomontage.

Pregnant

My wife took this test pack just a day before her menstruation cycle.

Finally, my wife is pregnant after 3 years of marriage.

We are so excited that we tried 2 brands of Pregnancy Test packs just to make sure of the result.

All the test results says positive.

Photoshop Mobile for Iphone

If you wish to have a better photo using your Iphone. Then you need this Photoshop Mobile for Iphone. It's a great apps for Iphone. You can edit your photo's with it like Cropping your picture, Adjust the Exposure and other stuff. Most of all it is free.

http://mobile.photoshop.com/iphone/

Lloyd Umali Live...

Lloyd Umali had a show at Bistro Filipino in Jamaica, New York. It was a good show and most of the pinoys loved it. Personally, I didn't know much about his songs but because he is a filipino artist I watched the show. It's not about being baduy but it's about going out and having fun with your friends and your wife. The show had a surprised guest, Stella Ruiz who watched the show and was being called by Lloyd to sing a few song. She wasn't really a good singer but she wasn't bad too. She's still pretty and sexy.

Lloyd sang mostly 80's rock songs. I did like it when he sang one of my favorite from Bryan Adams "Summer of 69". What surprised me is he only sang one song from his albums. I can't remember the title but It was in tagalog.

Well, It was a good night and a good show for $20.

4th of July

...Here I am again after a month of away from blogging...4th of July had past and I realized I haven't made any post last month...

...Last 4th of July we had a Bar-B-Q party with Dorothy's family, Rogie and Orestes...The food was great and the singing never stopped...Unfortunately for us though, we are not able to see the fireworks because they had it on the other side of Manhattan (Hudson river side)...I was not able to capture the fireworks with my camera but I captured the party moments...

Game 7 anyone?

Last night was the best 2009 NBA playoff basketball game I've watched on TV. It was game 6 between Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics (my L.A. Lakers rival). I'm rooting for the Celtics (the team I despise) in this series because I think Celtics (aside from the Lakers) is the legitimate team that could beat the Cavs, and eventually meet my L.A. Lakers in the finals again (that if Lakers wins all their playoff series).

The game was from the start very physical. You could see pushing, elbows and shoving in the game. The referee tried to control it but when emotions really plays, I dunno what would people do. I was watching close at Rondo because he did throw a hard foul against Brad Miller and decked Kirk Heinrich on game 6 and didn't even received a technical foul on that game. On game 7, Rondo pull Heinrich into the officials table and only got a flagrant 1 foul. I could see the officials don't wants to make any bad decision that could make an impact on the series. For what Rondo did, I think he deserves to be ejected or if not, suspended. I would prefer ejection over suspension though. NBA should explain why they didn't eject Rondo on the game. He did cause a ruckus on the game by doing it to Heinrich. Well, after all of the circus or should I call it side shows, the game was really great. Ray Allen had a playoff high with 51 points for the Celtics and John Salmons had 35 points for the Bulls. They just cant be stopped last night. The game went into 3 overtime. It was a thriller and guess who made the winning shot. It was a fast break dunk by Noah. He made the steal off Paul Pierce and dribbled all the way to the basket (which I think took forever for him to reach the basket) and a dumb shooting foul by Paul Pierce that sent him to the bench with 6 fouls. The Celtics countered a two that made it a one point ball game. A miss from Heinrich that gave Celtics the last chance to get the win but a good defensive play by Derrick Rose by blocking Rondo's shot. The Bulls win.

What a game it was. It made my housemate scream OMG all night. She want the Celtics to win the game last night. I was for the Bulls. I want to see the Celtics get tested before they face LBJ's team. Maybe they could find ways to stop Lebron again (just like last year) and face the Lakers. Lakers will beat any team from the east. Lakers will be the 2009 NBA Champions.

Lakers for life.......

Ginamay (Bisaya) or Menudo

Ginamay or Menudo is a Filipino dish similar to beef or pork stew but sauteed style.

This is what I love cooking here in New York, I could cook the dishes that I really want to cook because I could find almost all of the ingredient I want. Back when I was in Johnstown, PA, It was hard to cook something very Filipino. I have to travel 1 1/2 to 2 hours to be able to buy from the oriental store in Pittsburgh. In New York, I just have to walk a block or two and there I am in the oriental store buying the ingredients I need for my Ginamay.

This dish is actually one of my favorite, so, I kinda love cooking it. I remember cooking this dish almost everyday when I was still in college. I like it because it's sweet (I got a sweet tooth) and I like anything that has tomato sauce (that's why I like spaghetti). Sometimes, I cook this with condensed milk instead of sugar to make this dish sweet and it makes the dish creamier.

So, this is how I made this dish:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb(s) Chicken Liver (Cut in small pieces)
1/2 lb(s) Pork cube (Cut in small pieces)
2 pcs Carrots (Cut in cubes)
2 pcs Potato (Cut in cubes)
2 Bell Pepper (Green and Red)
1/4 Green Beans or Snow Peas (Can be cut in halves or as it is)
1/4 Cabbage (Chop in small pieces)
2 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
1 Onion (Minced)
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Hotdog (Chop in slants)*
Raisins (as desired)
Sugar (as desired)
Salt (as desired)

Procedure:

1. Saute garlic and onions (Don't let the garlic and onion get over cooked**).
2. Add pork and let brown or done.
3. Add the liver and let it cook for a few minutes (maybe 5 - 7 mins.) then add soy sauce (maybe 2 or 3 tsp).
4. Add potato and water and let it simmer until the potato are soft.
5. Add the carrots and green beans or Snow Peas. Let it simmer for 5 Mins.
6. Add tomato sauce and let it boil.
7. Add Sugar and salt to taste. (Add sugar and salt gradually until you think the taste is enough for you***)
8. Add the cabbage and let it simmer for 3-5 mins.
9. Serve it hot and good to eat.

* I prefer the hotdog made in the Philippines (Purefoods Tender Juicy hotdog) but it's ok if you could find any in filipino store as long as it's the red one.
** The reason you don't let the garlic and onions get over cooked is it could affect the taste. It could make the dish bitter because of the over cooked garlic and onions.
*** To make your dish taste good, It's better to add salt and sugar gradually because sometimes we don't know when is enough for the dish to taste good. We don't have the same taste buds as they say or In this part of cooking, you add it as you desired until you are satisfied with the taste.

My first Parking Ticket

Hay! I feel so dumb today when I got my first parking ticket. I paid $115 just to park on that spot. Well, It's a result of not reading the signs before parking. So, from now on I will read the signs and I will try to be cautious to avoid parking tickets or any tickets because it's so expensive. I could had bought a new external hard drive with that money.

It will never happen again...I hope...

Welcome to blogging

"Hello world!" is what most newbie say on the programming world.

Blogging is a new experience for me.

It's hard to write something that would be a good topic specially for a person who could not write something unless his drunk or has a deadline to beat. In my case I am that kind of person, I need a deadline or beer to inspire me on writing about something. I need to be depressed or upset just to write something. I need to be drunk so that my head will feel heavy and ideas will just come on my mind. I need to have a deadline to really feel the need to write, I guess it's adrenaline rush for me.

I remember back in my college days. I have to write a story about somebody else in my literature class. I drink a couple of beer and a few hour of being alone just to write a good story. Well, the result was good and I think I had a very high grade for that. I guess being drunk or feeling depressed could make my mind work, and eventually could make me write something that make sense.

Today, I'm not drunk but I'm feelin' lonely today even if my wife is in the bed sleeping (tired from work). I feel lonely because I wasn't able to talk to my Papa, Mama, Mannix and my favorite brother Nikko (our youngest) over the internet because their audio has a problem again. I missed them so much that it made me write about me blogging my first blog.

Again, Hello World!...