Saturday 9: Come Dancing

So, the last Saturday 9 post I made was way back in October last year. Wow, that's been like forever! I can't believe I've missed a lot! You can definitely tell how busy of a Mama I've been.

Well, here's my first Saturday 9 for 2012...

1. When was the last time that you went out dancing?

- Honestly, it was back in 2008 (in the Philippines) when my husband came home from deployment.. We both went out the night before our first wedding anniversary, and we definitely had a blast!

2. Have you ever had an argument with a teacher?

- Oh, yes! Twice, actually..

3. Do you have a tough time remembering people’s names?

- Sometimes..

4. Would you rather change your past or know your future?

- Change my past - a lot of it..

5. What’s one thing you feel you must do in your life before it ends?

- Tell everyone I care about how much I love them..

6. How many credit cards do you have right now that have a zero balance?

- NONE!

7. What is the most expensive thing you purchased this year?

- None..

8 . If you're married, this probably doesn't apply to you, but: Are you mindful about getting tested for STDs/HIV at least semi-regularly? Why/why not? Married people: Were you mindful about this type of thing when you were single? Why/why not?

- No, to both.. Hehehe

9. If you could ask the president of the United States one question, what would it be?
- What?

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What's Next?

We've only got one more week to go and we're done with our workout! I cannot even begin to express how happy and fulfilled I feel because I got this far, and I know that I am going to make it till the very end. It has been an interesting 7 weeks so far. I've had days where I got huge bruises on my arms and legs especially during the first 2 weeks into the workout. I've read that heavy and rigorous exercise may cause bruises, which results from microscopic tears in blood vessels underneath the skin. My husband and I were wondering at first, but after reading all this, it finally made sense. There were days when I've had hard times getting out of bed because my legs were so sore from running and I literally was in pain. You have no idea how many times I wanted to quit, but my husband never stopped motivating me as well. And because I was so determined to achieve my goal, I pushed through. And looking back, I won't change a single thing for the world!

So, what's next for me after this workout?

Well, it's something my husband does at work for their PT. I don't know a lot about that type of workout routine, but he told me that if I am willing to do it, he definitely will teach me everything I want to know, and do. But I still want to continue our current workout by doing it all over again. This time, I'll challenge myself as far as how much I've improved from the first round. So pretty much, it looks like it's going to be more workout for me. [Hehehe]

I am looking forward to that new stuff that my husband is going to show me. I already got the feeling that it's not a very easy one, but like what he said, if I think I can do it, then I can make it!

Down to Six Hours of Sleep

Since my husband and I got into working out, we've both pretty much been feeling sore and really tired especially that we workout a little late because he's got work during the day. It's only during the weekends when we get to workout at a decent time. On weekdays, we start at like 9 P.M. and we get done at almost 10. Then, we just take a quick rest before taking shower and we go straight to bed.

Right now, I've only been getting at least six hours of sleep because I wake up early, too. I make sure that I prepare him food to take with him to work so he won't miss any meal regardless of how busy he gets. Plus, it saves us money. I would like to get it done before bedtime, but because we workout late, I usually am already too tired to do anything but take a shower and go to sleep. But there are times when he gets home earlier than he usually does and we get to workout at like 7 or 8 at night. That's when I get the chance to prepare his food before going to bed. It's rare, though so I'm kind of used to waking up early now, which is totally fine with me. I actually love waking up early now because I get to see my husband leaves for work, and I get a lot of things done around the house. I take care of the kids and do chores at the same time, and I still manage to squeeze in some "Mama Time".

So, yes, I don't mind getting only six hours of sleep or even less because in return, I don't feel like I let my day just go to waste because I didn't get to do much like I wanted to. And above all, I get to spend more extra time with my loves.

I think it's not that you don't have enough time to accomplish what you want to get done at the end of the day. I believe it's all about managing your time wisely.

I am learning more and more each day, and I cannot be more happier than knowing I have improved myself on managing my time having to take care of three kids and at the same time, do my responsibilities as a wife without having to sacrifice time for myself as well. It makes me feel so much better of a person now, and I owe it all to my family. They always inspire me to be better.

In Fitness and In Health

My husband and I started working out together about six weeks ago. It's a type of workout that not all people probably like, but definitely is a good and effective one. We are both dedicated and we promised we'll finish the whole thing together. (I'm not going to disclose what type of exercise we're doing because I am not here to advertise for that or something.)

Anyway, my husband already leads PT at work, so pretty much, he does two to three workouts a day. Two at work, and he always makes sure we get to workout together when he gets home. It's our other way of spending time together. We get to have fun and at the same time, we're doing something to keep us fit and healthy.

(taken right after we did our workout)

I do look up to him when it comes to stuff like this because he really is a workout junkie, and he does push me through all of it every time. Believe me, our workout is crazy and if you don't have that motivation to achieve your goal, you won't make it. I have almost wanted to quit a couple of times, but because I had him to help me through, I made it - and I'm still on it!

We're like three weeks away from getting the whole thing done, and I must say, I have lost a lot of baby weight (fat) that I gained from my pregnancies. And believe it or not, my clothes that I wore before I got pregnant, fit me again! I'm glad I didn't go crazy on wanting to buy new clothes after giving birth. I think that decision motivated me even more to really get back into my pre-pregnancy size, or even more fit. I have never felt so much better in my life as far as being fit and staying healthy like I do now.

I cannot thank my husband enough for the support and the motivation that he never fails to give me! In fitness and in health, we work as a team because we share common goals - stay healthy and strong, and be good example to our little ones.

I love working out with him and, though we get to do it late because of his work, I still wouldn't want it any other way. As long as we get to workout together, it doesn't matter if we end up finishing at midnight, we'd still go for it. Sore or not, we got to push through. And I must say, everything we've done in the past 6 weeks is paying off. Definitely worth the saying, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN!".

Yoga Sounds Good

My husband and I already got our own yoga mats that we use on some parts of our workout, but because we really don't do pure yoga, we hardly use them. We only pull them out of the closet when we're doing abs workout, which is only done once a week. Wait, I take that back. I use mine more than he does with his mat because I do a different type of workout when he's at work. I see to it that I get to do something not-too-intense to get myself a lot stronger and slowly but surely lose all that weight I gained during my pregnancy. It's both our goal now to stay fit and healthy, and I want to get back into shape and get even more fit than I've ever been in my life. We want to set a good example for our children.

And since I am not doing intense workout, I've thought of trying out something else, a light one that I've never done before, like yoga. I've always wanted to do yoga but I never got any chance to because I've been pregnant 3 times in less than 3 years. I would love to do stretches and all that to become more flexible, and at the same time, improve my posture and muscle tone. I've read that yoga makes you physically healthy by doing various poses and mentally fit with different breathing exercises. And that's what I need to be doing! But of course, before anything, I want to make sure I have the stuff I'll need so I won't have to worry about getting them later on, especially that I'm just a beginner. I'll definitely get one of the yoga bolsters so I have something to use as support when doing some poses, if needed.

We got our mats online and we got them on a really good deal, so I am hoping we'd find a bolster without having to pay a lot, too. Although I would love for me to get one, I still don't think I'd go for one that I won't be comfortable spending a big amount of money on. I'd just have to settle with a mat for the mean time.

SS: The Her Head Is Part Missing Meme

Back on one of my favorite weekly memes! It's been such a long time, and I cannot wait to get on at it!

1. What is your most annoying habit?

- Is biting nails considered an annoying habit?

2. What habit would you change of your partners? (come on no-one is perfect!) [Editor's note: Not only does it assume you have A partner, but it is written as though you have multiple ones. If you do not currently have a partner or many partners, simply tell us about your last one. BW]

- None. I'm probably lucky to have a husband who doesn't possess any habit that I would want to change because it can get annoying..

3. Horrors or Chick Flicks?

- Oh, I love horror movies! So, definitely horror.

4. What is the most outrageous thing you have done in the back row of the movies?

- None. I haven't sat in the back row before, and I wouldn't waste money to go in the movie and do something else. Let alone, outrageous..

5. When have you lied to get a job?
- I haven't, and I wouldn't!

6. What one thing is on your list to do before you hit 30, 40, 50 or whatever significant birthday is next?

- Ride on the back of a camel and cruise the Sahara!

7. Classic or modern films and why?

- Can be both :)

8. If you were a vampire who would be the first person you would bite?

- My husband.. I watched the Twilight movie, and they (Bella and Edward) had a hard time making love to each other because the other was human. In that case, if I bit him, he'll transform into a vampire and we'll have no more problems when it comes to that. Hahaha..

9. If you had the power to make one thing better, what would it be?

- End wars all over the world to make it a much better place for everyone to live in..

10. What makes a great blog?

- Great and real stories of different people from different aspect in life..

11. What was the inspiration that brought your blog to the blogosphere?

- I love to write. Period.

12. What easily ticks you off (puts you in a bad mood quickly)?

- Getting annoyed when I am not in the mood, and worse, when I am so tired..

13. How many children do you have?

- I have 3 great kids; 2 boys and a baby girl.

14. Is there anything you have ever regretted writing on your blog?

- None that I can think of right now.

15. What’s your favorite blog post you have written this year so far?

- I just started writing again today for this year, so none for right now..

16. Do you ever enter other bloggers competitions, and have you ever been lucky?

- I haven't, but I've thought of joining next time. And I hope I'd be lucky ;)

17. If you could be anyone else for the day, who would you choose and why?

- Oprah Winfrey.. I just like to see what she does in her day to day life that's making her earn so much money in a year.. hehehe..

18. If you could time travel to any period of history what era would you visit?

- Jesus Christ's time.. I want to experience how it's like being alive along with Him, and see Him in a human form..

19. If you had to be genetically modified, would you rather have a third arm, a third leg, a second head or some other modification???

- I would want a pair of wings :)

20. Which Disney character can you most relate to?

- Cinderella :) [I cannot think of any other characters anymore..Hehehe]

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I Need To See a Cardiologist!

I seriously need to call and make an appointment to see a Cardiologist. Lately, I have been experiencing difficulty of breathing again and I easily get tired even when I am not doing something strenuous. I know something is not right because those are symptoms of my heart problem, and that's letting me know that I am not doing good. The last time I had my heart checked was still back in the Philippines in April of 2008 - that's 4 years ago! I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse in 2003, and since then, I haven't missed any appointments, not until I got pregnant in 2009.

I still remember how scared I was at my very first doctor's appointment. I couldn't believe that I've had this type of congenital heart disease all along and never found out about it till later on. I remember they hooked a holter on me for 24 hours to record my heartbeat and to check on what activities I did that made me really tired and the ones where my heart remained at its normal rate. I had to write every single thing I did within that whole 24 hours the holter was on me. I had to go back to the hospital the next day to have them remove it and to check the result. That's when they referred me for further tests. It wasn't fun, the whole process! But, I'm glad the doctor found out what was wrong with me and I was given the proper care and medication I needed. I only had to stop taking my heart medication when I found out I was pregnant. And I haven't been back on my medication till now. I guess, that's one reason as well. But I'll never know until I get seen.

I need to know when my husband could take a day off from work so he can take me to my appointment before I make a phone call. I'm hoping for the best!

Can I Say, I'm Back?

Today, I will be updating this blog and will make some changes to the design. It's such a long story on why I haven't been on here for almost three months.

Hubby is calling me in the bedroom, so I will be back ;) *wink..wink**

Continuation....

Anyway, the reason I have been away for so long was, my blog's domain registration expired and I couldn't renew it because it was set to automatic renew. I did try paying the one year subscription fee, but apparently, it didn't work. I had to wait till this month (March) for the automatic renew to take effect. I'm not going to lie, though, I missed my blog and I got so worried that it might have been hacked or something and that I lost everything I've worked so hard for on this blog. I even called the web hosting company a couple of times to help me resolve my issue, but they weren't able to provide the help I needed. Until I decided to just wait and see if it gets renewed or not. And if it didn't, I would have transferred my blog to a new web hosting service, or, I might have just hosted my own domain. I swear, I never want to go through that whole fiasco ever again! That would be the first and the last time I'll deal with that type of issue.

I do have a lot to write about. And I cannot wait to get back on track and write as much as I did before.

It's just so nice to be back!