What makes you happy?

I am embracing life’s simple pleasures amidst my pregnancy condition of being in a bed rest state. It is hard. But in the 4 months that I’ve been housed in our bedroom, I have found little things that make me smile, happy and excited. It’s not that hard after all. But it’s not that easy too…

I am on my 21^st week of my pregnancy and have gained 21 pounds already. The numbers are quite horrifying I tell you. I’ve been thinking of that all day yesterday after my doctor’s visit but she talked sense out of me and now I am okay. I used to be an active person doing things here and there, always moving, always on the go. But now, I am stuck in bed with no major movement at all.  I know I will probably gain more and more but like everyone would say, it’s all worth it in the end. I am just so enthusiastic about our baby. As I write this entry, I can feel little joyful things moving in my belly. I am overjoyed.

What makes you happy?

I can probably go on and on with my list because there’s just too much of it. But I just want to be grateful for everything, that I want to remember it through my writing.

- Mornings. Oh how I love mornings! Waking up early seems to feel excruciating but I am one of the few early birds who catches the early worm. 

- Sunshine. The sun is the most beautiful thing that hurts. It hurts as you squint your eyes upon its glorious brilliance and beautiful as it sheds lovely tears when you look at it as it sets.

- Breakfast. I am a very morning person and I am always eager during my first meal of the day. They say, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

- The Food Network. My husband Jules was so sweet when he decided to install Cignal HD for our viewing pleasure – in this case, mine specifically since I am home 24/7. What delights me is the food channel as I am a foodie myself. My favorites are Giada de Laurentis and Ina Garten. I love them both so dearly that I save most of their recipes that I will try someday.

- Visits. A friend, family, or anyone. Once our bedroom door opens, I am always on the verge of looking for who comes in. When you are at home most of the time, you feel joyful the most in the company of others. My favorite visitor would have to be Valiant, our nephew, who is undeniably smart and cute all together; and my sister Marki, who tells me mind-blowing stories.

- Yogurt and Granola. Its like Cookies and Cream. Enough said.

-  Salad and Greens. I know. Yuck right. But I love them. I’ve always been a salad eater. To basic vinaigrettes and those rich oil-based dressings – it doesn’t matter. My current picks are the Hearty Italian Salad and Asian Oriental with Mustard Dressing of Big Roy’s. They come in a nice take out box that falls in very much handy and resealable when you decide not to finish it right away.

-  Cookies. High-fiber ones. Or those with Oats at least. The last cookie I ate was Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by my cousin Amanda who makes yummy cookies. I miss my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies though. Someday, I will get back on my baking.

- Blueberry Muffins and Cupcakes. Blueberries are good anti-oxidants. The muffin batter is bad. But they go oh-so-well together. I received a box of 6 muffins last month and I was so pleased by it. I sometimes eat it for breakfast with yogurt or snack on it on a lazy afternoon. Blueberry Muffins by Lorenzo’s Café are my favorite. On to Cupcakes - My favorite would have to be Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting and Red Velvet Cupcakes. Who doesn’t love ‘em? When in doubt, always eat a cupcake. I know I have to stay away from Sweets ultimately. But there are just days when you feel like really eating them. I will try my very best to say goodbye from the deadly sweets as my weight is highly increasing. Boo.

- Cream of Pumpkin Soup. It has to be one of my favorite soups. It is full and creamy. One particular day, I craved for this soup and ordered it through my cousin Juni and I got the soup along with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Homemade Bread Chips that they freshly made. I had it for lunch and dinner. Period.

- The art of gift-wrapping. Youtube, Pinterest, Tumblr, name it, you get lots and lots of ideas of how to do it yourself and make things pretty.

-  Ribbons. During our wedding last year, we received tons of gifts from everyone. They were all wrapped wonderfully. Of course, I saved and salvaged all the ribbons worth recycling because ribbons are not that cheap anymore, most especially the pretty ones. I placed them all in a paper bag and just recently I organized them by colors using old brown folders. It’s always good to be able to recycle and reuse them one day.

-  Flowers. Fresh only. I always have fresh flowers ever since I received a vase one Christmas. I would fill them up with orchids, birds of paradise or absolutely anything that I can find from my Mama’s garden and would finally place it on my bedside table. Up to now, the vase is still alive although the colors are a bit on the lighter side already from the many years it has withstand time.

-  Bookmarks and Envelopes. This is currently my darling past time. I find myself awake at midnight folding my envelopes and tucking them all together. It’s addicting. It makes me happy and accomplished. I wonder what to do with all the bookmarks and envelopes that I have made through time.

- Jules and Pregnancy. I have to admit. People around me are extra pleasant and careful. I love it. Especially how my husband treats me. He tells me I am beautiful despite my weight gain and my pimples and always wants to sleep very close to me that at times I have to push him away because my tummy is getting bigger and it is very hard to sleep already. He also annoys me at times when he bullies me and calls me ‘mother hen’ or ‘warrior’ for having broad shoulders and would compare me to the Olympians we see on TV. Yesterday, he went for a quick trip to Cebu and back and as he was on his way there, I sent him a text message saying, ‘I love you’. He replied ‘I love you both’. It totally made my heart melt. Isn’t that the sweetest thing?

- Camilla. She is my Papa’s niece and she is just the most precious thing ever. My Papa emailed me a photo of this cutie-patootie baby and he tells me that I should get the photograph printed and should place it on my bedside table so I would see it all the time. The sight of her makes me smile.

-  Power of Prayer. God listens all the time. I know a lot of people have been praying for my baby and myself; and I will always be grateful to them for such kindness. I in turn pray for family and friends most of whom are taking various exams; and to people whom I don’t know as well. Just recently, I joined the whole world in praying for the Philippines as flood was all over major towns and cities and was really bad. There will be better days. And God is always amazing!

-  The gift of laughter and bedtime stories. Jules and I talk about his day and mine before going to bed and we end up talking a lot. Sometimes, he would tell me horrible stories and some juicy ones. Laughter is the best medicine. And when you and your loved one laugh together, nothing compares to that wonderful feeling. It is priceless. The stars were definitely meant to be…

Have a Happy Weekend!