Happy Holidays!

Have a merry Christmas and wonderful new year everyone! Be safe always. :)

From my family to yours.

Meet Owen Royce

Although very late, I'm glad that I'm finally writing this post because I've been wanting to.

I would like you to meet Mr. Owen Royce Bation Carree. I delivered him via c-section on on October 21, 2012 at 8:01 PM. At 35 weeks and 6 days, he weighed 5 lbs. 10 ounces, and measured 19.5 inches.

Owen Royce are his first names but we just use Owen all the time to call him. His middle name Bation is my maiden name. In the Filipino tradition, the baby automatically uses his mother's maiden name as his middle name, and Brandon and I agreed to go by this tradition.

Right now, our world revolves around this little man. We're very excited that he's finally here and can't take our eyes off of him. We look forward to seeing him grow and learn to do different things, but at the same time we're also saddened by the fact that he's physically maturing too fast and will miss him at this sleepy stage.

I maybe biased but he's the cutest, sweetest baby I've ever seen. We love you very much Owen Royce!

Read Owen's birth story here.

27 weeks

Trying on a cute dress at TJ Maxx. I didn't buy it 'cause I'm too cheap to shell out $40+ on a dress that I'm probably not gonna wear again after this baby is out.

101 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

Five years. Half a decade. That's how long Brandon and I have been married as of today. I don't know how we managed not to kill each other ;). We have so many differences and only a few things in common. It's through teamwork that we've made it this far, but I gotta admit that my husband deserves more credit than I do. He's the stronger link in our relationship that has always kept things from falling apart. We were both 23 when we got married and had no idea how much amount of work is required for a happy marriage. We just wanted to be with each other, able to hold each other everyday, and grow old together (perhaps we imagined ourselves as Noah and Allie too much.). The past 4 years was far from fairy tale, but Brandon has always shown me his determination to make our marriage work, that I'm not alone in going through trials and fighting against the threats in our relationship. We've been through so many difficulties but not once has he shown any sign of giving up, and I believe his commitment is one of the biggest reasons why we're still together. My husband is not perfect (and I don't wish he was nor do I ever want him to be). But while I complain to him about some small things he does (such as leaving his clothes on the floor, or speeding up at a yellow light instead of slowing down), I have A LOT more reasons to be thankful for having him. These are only 101 of those:

101 REASONS WHY I'M GRATEFUL FOR AND LOVE MY HUSBAND:

1. He's a good person.
2. He's my best friend.
3. He's a Christian and has a strong faith in God.
4. He works hard.
5. He chose me.
6. He's committed to our marriage.
7. He's excited to have our own family as much as I am.
8. He's seen my worst and still loves me.
9. He wants the best for us.
10. He desires to be a good father and a better husband.
11. He makes me feel like the most important person/thing in his life.
12. His eyes don't stray.
13. He trusts me.
14. He gets what's important in life.
15. He always does the right thing.
16. He asks for and values my opinion.
17. He helps save.
18. He would do anything to make and keep me happy.
19. He's not controlling.
20. He acknowledges his mistakes and faults.
21. He works on his weaknesses.
22. He doesn't criticize when I make mistakes.
23. He's forgiving.
24. He not only puts up with my dramas but always tries to please me.
25. He constantly tells me that I'm beautiful and smart.
26. He's supportive of whatever I do or want to do.
27. He's someone I can tell absolutely anything to.
28. He asks me if I'm OK whenever he notices that I'm in deep thoughts.
29. He had  a very romantic marriage proposal.
30. He cried when we were pronounced husband and wife.
31. He tries to make me feel beautiful whenever I feel insecure.
32. He doesn't smoke, drink, do drugs, or gamble.
33. He says thank you, please, and sorry.
34. He trusts me with the finances and appreciates my budgeting skills.
35. He loves my family.
36. He's protective of me.
37. He's not a whiner.
38. He's respectful not only to me but also to other people.
39. He loves to make me laugh.
40. He cares when I'm sad.
41. He's someone I can be goofy with.
42. He laughs at my silliness.
43. He's not shy to make fun of himself around me.
44. He likes to surprise me.
45. He says "I love you" at the end of each phone call or IM conversation.
46. He makes sure to call back ASAP whenever he missed a call from me.
47. He cuddles with me before he goes to sleep at night and before he gets out of bed in the morning.
48. He gives me kisses before going to work and when he comes home.
49. He calls to let me know where he is.
50. He loves to hold my hand in public.
51. He opens the car door for me almost every time.
52. He never makes me clean the litter box.
53. He thanks me at the end of most meals.
54. He thinks I make the best hot wings.
55. He gives me random bear hugs and tells me random "I love you's".
56. He doesn't make me load groceries in the car even if I offer help.
57. He makes sure I carry the lightest grocery items.
58. He unclogs the toilet even if I'm the one who clogged it.
59. He patiently waits 3 hours of me getting ready.
60. He takes a break from playing video games just to snuggle with me (and Wyatt).
61. He helps me with laundry.
62. He can baby talk with me.
63. He gives pretty good massages.
64. He takes commands.
65. He doesn't mind when I go shopping or what I buy.
66. He wants me to buy nice things for myself (and not be cheap once in while).
67. He's being sweet when I'm grumpy.
68. He goes in the bathroom with me when I'm afraid to go by myself at night.
69. He carries my purse in public when my shoulder starts to ache.
70. He doesn't mind buying feminine pads for me at the grocery store.
71. He watches chick flicks with me.
72. He talks with me on IM everyday because he knows I'm bored at home, and worries when he sees that I'm not online.
73. He tells me when he's worried, scared, or depressed.
74. He loves animals.
75. He's a geek.
76. He is low maintenance.
77. He cleans the toilet when I ask him to.
78. He takes out the trash.
79. He tries to put up with my PMS/pregnancy hormones.
80. He helps me get out of bed because my prego belly is getting so big.
81. He let me pick the name(s) for our baby even though he had a few in mind that he liked better.
82. He helps me make the bed.
83. He takes me to my photo sessions and even helps.
84. He laughs at the little things I say.
85. He thinks it's cute when I cuss because of my accent, and laughs.
86. He thinks I have the cutest butt. 
87. He's someone I can talk about everything with: politics, celebrities, cultures, etc.
88. He has a good hygiene.
89. He remembers special dates.
90. He lets me choose where to eat out.
91. He loves Chinese food as much as I do.
92. He takes care of his gadgets and other stuff.
93. He puts his arm around me at Church and holds me close when the speaker bores him.
94. He doesn't mind that I have a big crush on Niklaus Mikaelson and Adam Levine.
95. He listens to me talk about The Vampire Diaries episodes.
96. He listens to even the most non-sense stories I tell.
97. He listens to my rants.
98. He doesn't swear (that much).
99. He's a big IKEA fan like me.
100. He's a safe driver.
101. He doesn't care that I hate roller coasters.

5th anniversary photo of us, in the car...on the Toys R Us parking lot. :D

Marinara Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This recipe was Brandon's idea. He loooves marinara sauce. One night I made grilled cheese sandwiches with basil pesto added and we both thought the taste was too strong (I even used only a little amount of pesto after reading on the nutrition label that it had high fat and sodium content.). "What about you use marinara sauce instead, next time? That would be absolutely delicious!!!" was B's suggestion while trying to finish his second pesto grilled cheese sandwich.  And that's how this simple recipe was created. Since then we've been making this twice a week for dinner. We especially love it partnered with spicy chili soup... on a rainy evening. :)

RECIPE

Serving: 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices whole grain bread (or your choice of bread)
• butter
• marinara sauce 
• 2 slices mozarella cheese
• finely shredded parmesan cheese

I did not put measurement for the butter, sauce, and cheese since they don't need exact measurement and can be adjusted to your liking. For the marinara, at first I used Victoria all natural marinara sauce. We both liked the taste but because it has tomato chunks (which adds weight to the sandwich), I switched to Emeril's home style marinara. It's Brandon's favorite sauce for spaghetti.

Directions:

1. Preheat skillet over medium heat.

2. Butter one side of one of the bread slices. Spread marinara sauce on one side of the other slice.

3. Top the marinara sauce with the mozarella slices.

4. Place the buttered slice of bread on top of the marinara sauce and cheese layer, buttered side up. Sprinkle  parmesan cheese on top.

5. Place the sandwich on the skillet, buttered (and parmesan-ed) side down. Grill until parmesan is crusted.

6. While waiting for the bottom side of the sandwich to brown, butter the top side and sprinkle with parmesan.

7. Flip sandwich over and continue grilling until the mozarella slices are melted.

Enjoy your marina grilled cheese sandwich! :)

Healthy Chocolate Banana Smoothie

This stuff is delicious! I'm even taking a sip right now as I'm typing this. It is so sweet without even a pinch of sugar added in it, and so thick I can pretend I'm eating chocolate ice cream...minus the guilt.

This smoothie is good even without the chocolate flavor, but I'm a big chocolate fan so I made it into a banana chocolate smoothie with the addition of unsweetened cocoa. The amount of cocoa is just right to give the smoothie a chocolatey taste without overpowering that of the bananas. I also added oats, something I learned from Katie of This Chick Cooks blog, for more fiber. If you don't like the texture of oats in your food, trust me, you won't even notice it as long as you powder the oats in the blender.

RECIPE
Servings: 3-4 glasses

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 8 frozen bananas, sliced*
• 3 cups Almond Breeze original unsweetened milk
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

• Blend oats first until powdery
• Add the frozen bananas and milk. Blend until smooth and all the banana chunks are gone.
• Lastly, add the cocoa and blend until all ingredients are mixed well.

*Tip: Peel and slice the bananas before freezing them.

As mentioned, this smoothie is very thick so you might wanna add milk if you don't like the consistency. Also, it tastes best if served immediately. I made a pitcherful and stored the leftover in the fridge, it didn't taste as good the next day.

25 weeks

This is my I'm-tryin'a-look-like-a-model-but-it-just-ain't-workin' look. Haha! No, this is actually my face whenever Brandon hints that he's done taking pictures. :D

 And this, I can't decide between color and b&w. Which do you like better?

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

I can't wait for this summer to be over. Sorry sun-loving people, but the season is not for me. Give me rain and thunderstorms everyday, and I'll be one happy person...okay, maybe not everyday because who likes flood, right?. Living in Florida, I just want it to be winter all year long. Weather in the 60's and 70's, mmm...

One positive thing about summer is strawberry lemonade. This, I'm a big fan. The sweet citrus-y taste is heaven in my mouth and the coolness running down my throat invigorates my soul. So today I made some, and for a minute, forgot what summer was like as I gulped down a glass of my fresh limonada.

I was ready to use my frozen strawberries but saw fresh ones at Walmart sold for very cheap.

I don't have a juicer so I just quartered my lemons and squeezed them one by one. I started with 2 lemons but ended up adding 2 more. I like my lemonade a little bit on the sour side.

I can't believe this yummy drink is so easy and cheap to make, and better yet, a healthy alternative to my other favorite: Pepsi (which I've been avoiding as much as I can now that I'm pregnant).

RECIPE
Adapted from: laylita.com
Servings: 3-4 glasses

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh strawberries, cut in halves
• juice from 4 lemons (or more/less depending on your taste)
• 2 tbsp. sugar (or to taste)
• 6 cups water, divided
• ice cubes

Directions:

• Puree strawberries in a blender with 2 cups of water.
• Add the fresh lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water. 
• Strain the berry-lemon mixture into a large pitcher and add sugar. Stir.
• Serve over ice.

Go Chick-Fil-A!

For those of you who haven't heard/read or aren't aware of the news, Chick-Fil-A and it's CEO Dan Cathy have come under attack after the latter publicly gave his opinion on gay marriage saying:

"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that … We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that."

This caused a national uproar and the company has since been under fire, with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel even planning on preventing Chick-Fil-A from expanding in their respective cities. And this is is the sad part of the drama. Why crucify a man for being honest? It's okay for other corporations such as Starbucks to publicly support gay marriage but it's "bigotry" when Chick-Fil-A has the opposite stance? I personally don't have anything against gay people. In fact, I've always had gay friends and they're usually always the ones who give me a good laugh. I have yet to meet a homosexual male who is not funny. But it's another story when someone's freedom of speech is threatened. Can someone not speak his mind without the disagreers crying out loud? Just like everyone else, Dan Cathy is entitled to his own opinion and belief. If you don't agree with him and don't want to support his business, then don't eat at Chick-Fil-A. No need for war.

To show our support for Dan Cathy and his company, Brandon and I attended the Chick-Fil-A appreciation day which was today, August 1st. Earlier that day, the one closest to where we live had crazy long lines, both inside and at the drive-through. We waited to go there until 7 hoping it already slowed down, but nope, it was still packed.

Inside, it was like there was a Justin Bieber concert going on, except that the store was full of oldies who were friendly and courteous, instead of screaming teenagers.

And outside, there was a non-stop flow of cars at the drive-through.

What surprised us was that we got our sandwiches faster than we expected, in about 20 minutes or so. We were expecting to wait for at least half an hour. Kudos to the Chick-Fil-A staff for the great service despite the probably hundred times more pressure for them that day!

Spicy chicken sandwich, mmm...

"Americanized"

July 13, 2012 was a special day for me. After 5 years and 1.5 months of continuously living in the United States, I officially became an American citizen. Finally a huge break from doing all those immigration paper works and costly processing fees, not to mention the waiting game and emotions involved.

There were 95 naturalization candidates from 42 different countries (including me in my 5 months prego belly), joined by their families at the oath ceremony. The courthouse was packed but it felt good to be in the same room with people who were once in the same journey as I was, people who maybe complete strangers but shared the same joy and excitement I felt that day.

America's Largest Home, and IKEA

Off to Asheville, North Carolina! 

If you don't like wearing a seat belt (who does?), you'll even hate it when you have a prego belly...especially when you're driving 9 hours. But other than that, I was super excited to finally get out of town for a few days.

While in Asheville, we had the chance to visit and tour the beautiful and huge Biltmore Estate. According to the wikipedia, the estate covers about 8,000 acres. It has it's own winery, beautiful gardens, a five-diamond 213-room hotel which is called the Inn on Biltmore estate, and a mansion.

This is the mansion, called the Biltmore House. It is currently the largest (175,000 square feet) privately-owned home in America, and was originally owned by George Washington Vanderbilt II. It is run by his son and grandson now.The mansion has *gasp* 250 rooms in it (hide-and-seek would be really interesting here). We didn't get to check out the inside of the mansion but we were told that it takes 3 days to tour the entire interior.

Several movies were filmed at the Biltmore Estate including Richie Rich and The Last of the Mohicans.

                            Grapes were dangling everywhere.

They were so tempting, it was hard for me to just look at them. So I convinced the husband to pick me some. As soon as he did it, the alarm at the winery went off...just kidding! But seriously, I kept looking around to see if someone saw us, although I was ready with the defense that I didn't see a "no picking" sign. Ha!

We didn't have time to go around the whole estate. It was past 6:00 PM and drizzling. But here's a map to show you the rest of it. :D

We drove by the city of Atlanta! I wish it was closer to where I live, although a 5-hour drive isn't that bad.

Wait! Is that the blue store with a yellow logo I see:D

When we still lived in Salt Lake city, Brandon and I would always go to IKEA on weekends. It's one of the very few stores we both really really like. Since moving to Florida, I haven't been to an IKEA store in a year, and this is the closest one we have. What to do if I happen to pass by one? 

Find the entrance fast!

What originally was a plan to "just swing by and smell the store" turned into a furniture shopping spree! Lots of assembling to do soon.

Good thing we didn't drive a truck for the trip and these were all what we could fit in a Chrysler 200.

A quick baby bump pic while waiting for Brandon to start loading the car with the boxes. :P