Back 2 the Bonfire!

We're back...

The memory of the last Ateneo Celebratory Bonfire was still fresh from our minds, as we drove to Ateneo yesterday (Saturday, Oct. 10) to attend the Bonfire again – and really, all I can remember from that were 2 things: I was able to get pictures up close of the Ateneo Blue Eagles players… and second, the mud (lots of it actually). It was held last year at Bellarmine field and the fact that it just rained prior meant that despite the grass, when loads and loads of people walked on the field, it was a mudfest!

Well that was last year… and this year, we’re BACK to do the BONFIRE once again!

It was a better organized event this time around as they held it in front of the Blue Eagle Gym, on the cemented parking lot. The stalls were placed better, there were chairs and tables arranged all throughout the venue, and most of all… NO MUD! Shawie and I arrived just in time, there were just a few people reserving seats and on the grounds, and we were able to quickly reserve good seats, buy merchandise, and buy our food for the night. Jonats and Claire, and Benjo and Kit attended the celebrations with us… together with the whole Ateneo community of course. It was a happy experience seeing whole families (with their kids in complete get-ups of blue!), students from elementary to highschool to college, and alumnus all celebrating together, having fun, and being proud of being part of Ateneo.

After we got our shirts, we changed to them right away and took shots right then and there (hahaha, couldn’t wait to wear them)!

Back2back baby!

This time with my wifey, my honorary Atenista!

Jonats and Claire

During the presentations, we thought only the Juniors and Seniors Basketball teams would get presented… but it so happens that there were a lot of teams who won this year for Ateneo… and all of them got equal shared of the stage.

• Ateneo High-school Swimming Team – 5 peat
• Ateneo High-school and Senior Judo Teams – 4 peat
• Ateneo Golf Team
• Ateneo Juniors Basketball Team – Back2back (beating 1st seed La Salle this year)
• Ateneo Seniors Basketball Team – Back2back (beating La Salle last year, and UE this year)

Ateneo Juniors Basketball Team - Back 2 back Champions!

Ateneo Seniors Basketball Team - Back 2 back Champions as well!

The presentations were hosted by Macky Escalona, Lia Cruz, Wesley Gonzales, and this year’s Ateneo courtside reporter (forgot her name :p). It was really a comedic / celebratory presentation and we had a lot of take-aways for the night that really cracked everyone up:

• the announcement that Black was retiring as coach to go up against Franz Pumaren in the elections (NOT! :p)
• Black (on Nonoy Baclao’s leaving the team this year): “We’re going to have to go to Bacolod again to find another Nonoy Baclao…“. To this Nonoy replied: “You can’t coach. There’s only ONE Nonoy Baclao.” And this after a very shy speech from Nonoy. Classic.
• Host (asking Ryan Buenafe, who’s obviously not comfortable speaking on stage): “How will you show your leadership, and guide the team next season?“. Ryan (after giving the question some thought): “Basta, 3-peat!“. Hahaha, Ryan’s angas and accompanying talen will give teams lots of problems again next year.

After some final shots of the bonfire… most of the Ateneans, us included, called it a night, wrapped it up, and went home. Others of course, stayed to listen to the bands, celebrate more and drink the night away.

Like the grass in Belarmine field that was left untouched last night, the grass truly is GREENER on OUR SIDE.

Last pictures with the bonfire at the background... GO ATENEOO!!!

 

- “Ang sarap maging Atenista…“, RAYMOND

Potang mga wisdom tooth yan!!!

I cannot, for the life of me, imagine how my @$@#$ freaking wisdom teeth (in the lower jaw, the upper are perfect) can end up in a horizontal orientation as you can see in the picture!!!

For some reason, because of lack of jaw space or another reason (the root causes are unconfirmed), the wisdom tooth may end up in different orientations from our normal teeth, and some only emerge partly in our gums or not at all. In my case my right lower wisdom tooth was only emerging partly from my gums, and was causing distress and pain because of irritation (food and bacteria may end up entering the space the partly-emerged tooth causes).

Well, after experiencing some slight pain, and having a dental x-ray, yesterday (Saturday) I finally had them removed by our family dentist in what is known as an “Impacted Wisdom Tooth Oral Surgery Operation”.

It sounds complex, it sounds bloody, it sounds painful… and after undergoing one I can tell you that it’s everything and more. Apparently, because the wisdom tooth is only partly emerged, the dentist has to cut off part of your gums to be able to extract it. And that’s not all, because it’s in such close vicinity to the next tooth, there’s no space to just grab it with a dental pliers and pull. Oh no, no, no, it’s got going to get off that easy. The dentist has to use a dental drill to somehow cut that freaking wisdom tooth in half, so that he is able to remove the first half… and then more easily remove the other half.

I’m now writing this on anti-pain meds, and with a slightly swollen right cheek… and really, all I can think of saying is: “POTANG MGA WISDOM TOOTH YAN!!!”.

Our baby’s pinaka-firstest picture!

This is our baby’s pinaka-firstest picture…. I can’t believe we’re finally having a baby. We went to the Megaclinic at Megamall last Monday, July 6, to have our first Ultrasound. Actually, Shawie and I have been holding-off (as in trying hard) on spreading the good news to everyone that we know… we didn’t want to pre-announce something we were still sure about at this point.

Well, we couldn’t contain it any longer… because the moment the doctor taking the ultrasound told us that there’s already a heartbeat and was pointing at the Ultrasound monitor tracing the figure (albeit small at this point of course) of our still-forming baby… we TEXTED like CRAZY! I texted everyone in my contact list… as in everyone… even those that I had not contacted for a time now! This time, nothing’s holding us back… sure na… WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!  :)

Some little factoids about our baby:

• As of July 6, the baby is 0.99cm.
• Based on that size, the baby is 7 weeks and 1 day old.
• Based on this age, the baby is expected to come out into the world on Feb. 21, 2010.
• Based on Shawie’s period schedule though, the baby might come out a little earlier, Feb. 16, 2010. (baka Valentines day pa!)
• And the best factoid of all: The baby’s Heart Rate is 148 bpm (beats per minute)… which according to the doctor is very, very healthy!

Can’t Hardly Wait,
Raymond

We’re going to have a baby!!!

I should have posted this on the exact date we found out for sure Shawie and I were finally going to have a baby – July 1, 2009.

Shawie wanted to do a couple of Self-Pregnancy tests already because it has been 3-4 weeks since her last period. I still didn’t want her to though, in retrospect probably because we have been disappointed a couple of times in the past… and I didn’t want the feeling we had during those days to end, the feeling that… yes, we were finally having a baby.

But she did convince me still, because if we’re going to know we should already right? She’s been missing her period for a month already, and she didn’t want to take anything (meds, food, etc.) that could be harmful if she was indeed already pregnant.

And so it was on that cold Wednesday morning of July 1st, 2009…  amidst me sleeping on the bed recovering from my night shift the night before… Shawie took 2 Pregnancy tests (yes, 2 just to be sure, and of different brands)… and returned to me shouting and crying “Baby… we’re going to have a baby!“

We certainly could not express the joy and gratitude we felt that day (although, thanks to my nightshift I think during that moment I was still more sleepy than overjoyed). This will be one of the most exciting, happiest, 9 months of our lives (although realistically speaking, the baby’s 2 mos. old already according to the OB when we had our check-up… so it’s only 7 mos. left )…

Thanks Lord.

It’s positive!!!

2 tests pa ha, different brands, to be really, really, really, sure…

Goodbye, to the best father-in-law in the whole wide world…

Daddy Roger, as I usually call Shawie’s dad, passed away last Thursday, April 23, at around 5am in the morning. I never did get a chance to speak of what I thought of him during the burial ceremonies (since we followed the Knights of Columbus ceremony, of which Daddy Roger was a high-ranking member of, only one member of the family, one close friend got to speak). But in case I was to speak of how Daddy Roger was, for me, and what I would want to tell him, this would be it:

“Daddy Roger, gusto ko lang pong sabihin, na maraming maraming salamat… sa pagtanggap nyo sa akin bilang isang anak na din at miyembro ng inyong pamilya. Ni minsan, kahit nung boyfriend-girlfriend pa lang kami ni Sharon, hindi ko naramdaman na hindi ako welcome sa bahay nyo, sa pamilya nyo. Alam nyo, napakarami naming in-common ng daddy-in-law kong eto… minsan iniisip ko nga totoo yung hinahanap ng babae yung pinakamalapit sa characteristics ng daddy nya:

• mahilig kami pareho sa mga laruan – laging bumibili si daddy Roger ng kung anu-anong mga remote control na helicopter, kotse, at kung anu-ano pa sa Divisoria. Ako naman pagkakitang pagkakita excited ko agad na lalaruin yun at magpapabili din ako sa kanya pag nagustuhan ko!
• mahilig kami sa chocolates – laging pagdating namin sa bahay nila at meron silang mga chocolates, sasabihan agad ako ni daddy Roger ng: Raymond, may mga chocolates dito para sayo! At buong puso at ngiti ko naman silang tatanggapin!
• Siguro masasabi nyong “childish” kami dahil sa mga katangiang eto, pero ako naiisip ko na siguro mas masayahin lang kami kaysa serious. Mas magaan lang ang loob namin sa mga bagay bagay kaysa mabigat. Mas makikita nyo lang kaming nakatawa, kaysa nakasimangot. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. 
• at last siguro, gusto namin pareho (eto hindi ko alam kung gaano ka totoo pero isasama ko na din), na ang mga asawa namin ang magtatrabaho at kami ang magstastay at magrerelax sa bahay! Hahahaha.

Sobra-sobrang mamimiss ko ang mga bagay na to, at hindi lang eto, kundi lahat ng mga maliliit na bagay (pagalok nya lagi sakin na subukan kumain ng buro, paghingi nya lagi ng mga bunga ng puno naming langka, pagbibili nya ng paputok at paghingi ko sa mga eto tuwing New Year, at marami pang iba) na bumubuo sa pagkakakilala ko kay daddy Roger. Paalam daddy… ngayon madalas pa kaming umiiyak pero alam mo na kahit lumipas na ang mga araw at hindi na kami ganon kadalas maiiyak, habang buhay naming mararamdaman ang kawalan mo sa pamilya natin. Maraming maraming salamat ulit sa pagtanggap mo sakin.”

Before I show you guys pics of daddy Roger’s wake, I was just thinking… our company’s Bereavement leave of 5 days doesn’t really apply to me because daddy Roger isn’t a direct relative. But I think it should, because, while he may not be my father by blood… I feel he is truly one by the love he showed me and the rest of his family.

~~~~~

From Daddy Roger’s Wake

From Daddy Roger’s Wake

From Daddy Roger’s Wake

From Daddy Roger’s Wake

From Daddy Roger’s Wake