And it's a BOY!

Last Friday, Lem and I went to the OB (a different one - an OB-Sonographer, Dr. Joyce Silao) and had our fetal anomaly ultrasound. Apparently, not everyone does this, mainly due to the high(er) cost of the procedure. It is highly recommended though, for those with history of congenital anomalies in the family. But Mitch told me she did it on her 5th month check up so I told my  OB I wanted one. She then issued a request for the procedure to be done.

Like most mommies-to-be, I was hoping for a girl. I am not really  girly but I guess this 'preference' is mainly because I already have a nephew and another one on the way (My sister-in-law is giving birth this July to another baby boy). So, my mom was betting I'll give her her first grand daughter. On the probabilities scale, that would be one out of two. She is also hoping the grand daughter will look like her. Hehe. Medyo mahirap na yata yun.

Lem, of course, wants a boy. Someone who will 'inherit' his toys. Someone for whom he can claim to buy toys AND then share the toys with. 

For this ultrasound session, the doc made me lie on my back, put gel on my tummy and proceeded to scan/massage the ultrasound (computer mouse-like)contraption over my belly. It was the longest, most amazing ultrasound I've had to date! The last time we saw Baby LJ (at 6 weeks and 6 days), he looked like this:

Now, less than 4 months later, Baby LJ looks like this: (that's his profile) 

 

He was moving a lot that Dr. Silao had a hard time counting his fingers and toes and checking his vital organs. Hmmm...I guess that means baby LJ will be quite a handful when he arrives.  For one and a half hours, Dr. Silao patiently revealed to us the wonders of ultrasound. Yes, that tiny moving thing is our baby. And yes those are his hands, his feet, his stomach, and kidneys (!). And that yes, that's a penis. His penis.

I have to say, it took me quite a while to see what Dr. Silao was pointing at (and what Lem so easily detected). I had a hard time figuring out the orientation of the baby. Apparently, they were looking at baby LJ from the bottom. Like so:

Can you see it?

Now that we know we're having a boy, we can amply prepare for his arrival (read: shop for baby stuff and cute clothes).

We can't wait to see our baby boy!

At 13 weeks, baby hied off to Batanes to escape the summer heat and to enjoy the rolling hills and breath taking view. S/he enjoyed the low-altitude flight on SEAir's 32-seater plane. No bike ride a la Iza Calzado in the movie (Batanes), though!


S/he also had a mini-shoot by the Chanaryan sunset courtesy of Tita Fabulosa:




 

(Or, how BF's pink and blue screwed up my knowledge of road signs. )

Because I've been driving pretty much since I was 16, I thought driving in Australia would be easy -- once I got the hang of driving on the left side of the road. But I thought WRONG.

Kasi naman, kung anu-anong road signs ang nilalagay sa atin. I totally forgot the basics. Do you guys remember most of these signs from your theoretical exam?

  

 

Wala lang. Naisip ko lang how much easier it would be if we stuck to international road signs.

This, of course, is found only in Australia. Hindi na kasalanan ni BF yan.

 

Photos courtesy of: http://www.discoverfrance.net/Boutique/Travel/Car_Rentals/road_signs.shtml

This was how the trees in my Uni looked like when I arrived in July...

It was freezing cold then. Not snowing (because Sydney doesn't get that cold), but cold nonetheless - especially when the wind blows and it rains and you're walking without an umbrella or a really really warm coat.

Almost overnight, spring arrived! It never ceases to amaze me how it can be cold one day and really hot the next. These are the very same trees. If you look closely, you can actually see the first leaf buds (!) ...

Some days are warm enough to go to the beach! May, Chester, and I went to Bondi two weeks ago. Last week, I was in Coogee with my classmates. Apparently, almost everyone in Sydney had the same idea.  The bus to Coogee was full of people in bikinis, sarongs, sun dresses, and surf shorts, even some carrying surf boards. Parang excursion!

This is Bondi beach...                                  And this is     Coogee...             

 

 

 

 

 

Even the malls are on a spring frenzy! This is David Jones welcoming spring:

Unfortunately, spring also means my essays are due soon.   So, instead of enjoying the beach, I've been cooped up in the PostGrad Lab.

Sometimes, I can go as late as 10 pm!  Akala ko, after the Bar, I'll never do that again.

 

 

 

Some nights, I get a reprieve. And I party with friends.  I've never been a beer drinker but, as they say, when in Australia, drink Australian beer! And when with German friends, taste German beer!   (And so on and so forth...)  And when served expensive Johnnie Walker Blue  Label whisky, do not refuse. Hehe. But is all good. And is all in moderation. Pramis.

This is us celebrating Sarah's 22nd...          And Reni's 23rd... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is us simply celebrating...

This Sunday, we're flying to Alice Springs and driving 3000 km back to Sydney. I'm excited about driving on the left side of the road! I heard the Outback is not as populated as the big cities are, so that's good for me.

And that's why I have to go back to my essays. Will post more pics after my Alice Springs trip!

p.s. thanks, myles, i got this delayed posting idea from you.

This is Empanada One:


Location:  Vigan Ilocos Sur
                  (malapit sa church)
Price     :   P30.00
Judges  :  Lem, Ia, Onsot, and   
                  Myles
Verdict  : Bland!!! Hindi sulit.
                 Talaga bang original
                 empanada ito?


And then Empanada Two:

Location:  Laoag, Ilocos Norte
                  (sa Dap-ayan, near I. Norte Capitol)
Price     :   P30.00
Judges  :  Lem, Ia, Onsot, Sharon, and Myles
Verdict  : Yummy! Thanks to Bokal Kris Ablan for 
                  recommending it!
                

Even Luke seems to agree:




And finally, Empanada Three:

Location:  Batac, Ilocos Norte
                  (in front of Batac Church, near Marcos 
                   Museum)
Price     :   P30.00
Judges  :  Lem, Ia, Onsot, Sharon, and Myles
Verdict  : Yummy din! I think it ties with the Laoag empanada. Sharon
                  thinks it's the best-tasting among the three. Kasi naman,              
                  nakalimutan ata lagyan ng  longganisa yung Laoag empanada
                  niya...)

We don't have pictures, though. Mabilis naubos eh! 
             

Someone has to go with me to Palawan and Camiguin ASAP!

Tara na, biyahe tayo!

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out atLakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Received this through my email. Anyone who can relate, raise your hands!

If Bridget Jones were a lawyer, her diary would read like this:

Hours spent at work: 14.2 (v. good); billable hours: 5.7 (v. bad); minutes spent staring out window: 97 (needs improvement); minutes spent mentally reliving conversations and imagining what I should have said instead of what I did say: 46 (excellent); no. of times let ringing phone go to voice mail: 2 (v. bad, College of Law lecturer said this was sign of professional incompetence, but calls were from mother, so okay).

8:00 a.m.
Leave for work feeling energised, confident. Yesterday, managed to soothe clients, appease opposing counsel, and impress partners at work. Practice will now operate as efficient, well-oiled machine.  Only nagging issue is opinion letter, which is two weeks late. Two weeks is not very long. Anyway, opinion has been researched. Mostly researched. Must simply look up a few more cases, put thoughts into writing. Very easy. Will be finished by 10:30 a.m. at latest.

8:45 a.m.
Arrive at work. Listen to repeated voice mail messages from disgruntled client. Review two letters from angry opposing counsel.  Note that senior lawyer has entirely redrafted the letter I wrote.  Learn that Court of Appeals did not accept bundles because pages  numbered in improper manner. Feel dismal and deflated. Stare out window. Consume engineered food bar for breakfast.

10:30 a.m.
Have spent last hour returning voice mail messages by leaving  voicemail messages. Will start opinion letter now. Will be finished by noon, no problem.

12:00 p.m.
Opinion letter not finished. Cannot decide whether to address client by first name. Must go to Aerobox class at 1:00p.m. to relieve stress and promote fitness. Have missed last seven classes because of work. No job is worth sacrificing my health. Must go to Aerobox class.

2:00 p.m.
Missed Aerobox class because of last-minute meeting with very important new client. Am introduced as junior lawyer who will be working on the file. Client amazed, asks how such a young girl can possibly be lawyer. Grin frantically while trying to think of charming but assertive response. Saved by senior lawyer, who steps in to sing my praises as top-notch organiser of discovery documents. (After all, hard to justify junior lawyer's fee if clients believe she is merely the coffee and copy girl). Client promises to send over 57 boxes of documents straight away.

4:00 p.m.
Come out from hiding spot behind the 57 boxes of documents. Inform senior lawyer that, despite my numerous emphatic promises, opinion letter is not quite finished. Explain that the warranty issue has turned out to be more complex than originally thought. Babble on about complex law of warranty generally. Pause awkwardly. Senior lawyer stares blankly, then says, "It's not a warranty, it's a guarantee." Am incompetent, cannot be proper lawyer.

4:45 p.m.
Telephone call from opposing counsel, requesting adjournment. Remind  opposing counsel that this is fourth such request. Point out that I  had once asked for indulgence and been denied, thus causing me to  work inhumane hours. Opposing counsel appalled by my disrespectful attitude, says it is contrary to Rules of Professional Conduct. Am cruel and possibly unprofessional person, cannot be proper lawyer.

5:00 p.m.
Telephone call from second opposing counsel, requesting adjournment. Thinking of Rules of Professional Conduct, I agree. Opposing counsel amazed, says I am most agreeable person he has dealt with all month. Am pushover, cannot be proper lawyer.

8:30 p.m.
Last remaining non-lawyer friend calls to ask whether I got tickets to upcoming show as promised. Pause. Consider how to get out of  promise. Speak with bright, bossy tone: "Yes, yes, I did assume responsibility for that matter. However, you undertook to advise me as to whether we would be joined by third parties. As that undertaking was left unfulfilled, I reasonably believed that my responsibilities had been waived." Friend, disgusted, hangs up. Feel pang of guilt. Feel pang of emptiness because once-vibrant social life has died. Stare out window. Decide pangs are related to hunger.  Consume engineered food bar for dinner. Read back issues of The Lawyer.

10:00 p.m.
Must complete opinion letter. Will not, under any circumstances, leave work until opinion letter is beautiful, finished product.

11:00 p.m.
Opinion letter almost done. Have written succinct introductory paragraph, and set out convenient headings. Must just insert actual opinion. Could work until 2:00 a.m. to get it done. Much better, though, to arrive very early next morning, when mind will be fresh and rejuvenated. In fact, going home is in client's best interests; assuredly I will work more efficiently tomorrow. Take taxi home. Realise I have forgotten office password for credit charge. Must pay driver with change. Driver annoyed, refuses to give receipt.

3:30 a.m.
Unable to sleep. Too worried about how to claim taxi fare without benefit of taxi receipt. Wonder if time spent worrying about this can be recorded to any file...