Bombing...yes, I said bomb!

***SEE UPDATE BELOW ORIGINAL POST***

Okay, I wasn't really planning to blog about this...because I didn't want to alarm our families. But apparently it has been on the news in the States, and some of them have already heard about it.

There was a bombing yesterday afternoon at a large shopping mall here called Glorietta. It is only about a mile from our apartment. The hotel that we lived in for 2 months when we first arrived sits directly on top of the Glorietta Mall. So this is a place that we go OFTEN--which makes it a little more scary! Brett and I actually had lunch in a restaurant just last Saturday that sits right on top of the place where the bombing occured (we were celebrating finding out what the baby was--and me actually being able to finally get out of the house for a couple of hours).

Here are some pictures of the damage:

[You can read more about the blast on CNN by clicking on the blog title above]

Brett is actually out of town for work right now (Nice timing or we may have been at the mall buying Halloween costumes for the kid's party today). And when he called last night to talk to me about the bombing, he said he was surprised that I didn't sound really worried. Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet, but I'm really not THAT worried. Although, one of my first thoughts after I heard about the bomb was, "So....this is how it feels for people in other countries who deal with bombings EVERY SINGLE DAY!" There's just always that uncertainty.

I guess you just have to have faith that what's supposed to happen will happen. And I feel like if we are doing what we are supposed to, we WILL be protected. Hopefully, our families can have that same faith and not worry TOO much!?! :o) We always knew this was a risk in coming to live over here. So I think I was a little more prepared for it. You just don't think it will ever happen to you though! We are all fine, and surprisingly enough I DO still feel safe. I haven't really felt unsafe at all. So here's to another crazy thing that I get to check off my list of "Things To Do": Survive a bombing in a foreign country.

Now that's not something you get to do every day!!

If you're keeping track, so far I've survived: an earthquake on foreign soil, a trip to a very scary foreign Emergency Room, hopefully I'll survive the birth of our fourth child in a Third World country, and now I've even survived a bombing!

How many of you can say that you've done all of that?!? :o)

So....you ask, "Are we having an adventure over here?" To which I reply, "YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!"




***UPDATE***

So....the authorities here started out saying that it WASN'T a bomb at all, but a gas stove from a little vendor outside the mall that caused the whole thing. Then, they said it WAS a bomb. Now, they are saying that it wasn't a bomb or a gas stove, but a pocket of gas released from a septic tank under Glorietta. Here's the problem: #1) A terrorist group has already taken responsibility for it who wants their leader released from prison, #2) There was no fire afterward--like you would expect from a gas explosion, and #3) It was such a strong explosion that it blew a hole from the basement storage area (where they think it originated) clear through the roof on the 3rd floor of the mall. And this is a LARGE mall!!! I just can't see how gas from a septic tank could cause that much damage. It just does not make sense. So now they are having investigators from the U.S. come in to see what they think--and THANK HEAVENS for that!!!! Finally...someone who actually knows something instead of just guessing what caused it! Can you tell I'm a little frustrated with things!?! Well, I AM!!! EVERYTHING is like that here....no one really seems to know anything. You can't get a straight answer from ANYONE about ANYTHING!

This is one of my more frustrating weeks....can you tell??? It is hard to describe it for someone who hasn't lived it--but my friends here ALL understand completely. Some weeks you just CANNOT take another "wait for awhile ma'am," or them sending you off in the wrong direction just to get rid of you, or the blank stares that you get when they either don't know an answer to a question--or don't want to answer your question because they cannot just come out and tell you that they "don't know"!!

Here's a perfect example of what I mean:
A friend wants her kids to take piano lessons. So she was asking around for someone at church that could teach them--both so she could help someone from church out with a job and money, and so she could get her kids lessons. She was told of a lady that played. When she inquired to other people about this lady, they wouldn't answer her questions about "Can she teach piano?" Basically, she got blank stares with no responses (typical here--rude back home!). So someone went to her and asked, "Would you be willing to teach piano?" This lady would not give a straight answer back. She would not say yes, and she would not say no. So they finally went to her daughter and asked if her mother would teach piano. The daughter said, "My mom doesn't even play the piano." Ughhh!!! So the lady wouldn't answer the question because she didn't want to admit that she COULD NOT play the piano!!!! Talk about FRUSTRATING!! Either you play or you don't...isn't it as simple as that?!

And that's just how life is here...with everything! Either they DON'T KNOW the answer and won't tell you that they don't know, or they DO KNOW but won't answer for fear of disappointing you with the wrong answer!

So can I just scream already!?!? Ugggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I think I've gotten it out of my system now....I'll be okay! REALLY! Oh what I'd give for someone who "says it like it is" right now!!! Bet you never thought you'd hear ME say that, huh! :o)

Any guesses?!

And it's a.......?!?

If you're gonna guess--you better do it QUICK before you scroll down....





















Keep going.......






















Hurry and guess!!




















It's another..........

































BOY!!!






Just look at that face!
He may look a little "alien-esc" right now, but I'm sure he'll be a cutie when he comes out!! :o)

My doctor had to keep looking cuz he was a little shy. But she DID see something....and usually if there's something--there's SOMETHING!!! So it's not 100%...but I have NO doubts! There WAS something there! :o)

The year mark

Its hard to believe that exactly one year ago today we were on our way to Manila! I was too worried about such a long flight with 3 small kids to be scared or realize what I was really getting myself into! But to be honest...I was just glad to be done with the packing and the enormous stress of the preparations!! Afterall, the whole thing happened VERY fast! We found out we were going to Manila on August 16th, 2006--I remember becaise it was the first day of school for Parker (as if that's not a stressful day anyway!). Brett started work in Manila on August 25th--yep, only a week later! Told you it was FAST!! He was there for a month, and only came back a week before we all flew out in October. Meanwhile, I was home in Texas with our 3 kids trying to figure out how in the world we were going to make this work! And did I mention that the one time that I've had to take one of our kids to the ER was while Brett was gone?!? It was NOT a fun few weeks for me! But we all survived and made it to Manila none the less!!

So....how do I feel about things now that we've been here for a year? Well, I have mixed emotions. I am really glad we came...what an adventure it has been for all of us!! We've learned so much! But there are LOTS of things that I really do miss. So I've decided to share with you the things that I like and hate about being here....as well as the things I miss from home.

Here it goes...

Things I LIKE about Manila:

Having a DRIVER to drop me off and pick me up right at the door! (Although I DO miss walking-- sometimes).

Not having to carpool to get the kids home from school.

It always GETS DARK by 6 pm...so we can often fake the kids out and get them in bed extra early!!!

FRESH MANGOS: But mostly just the mango shakes...Yum-O! The pineapple is good too!

Movie theaters with assigned seating where you can bring in ANY food you like....
or even have it delivered right to your seat!

Our SWIMMING POOL!!!


Greenhills shopping...and bargaining!
I am a big-time "Suki" (return customer)! Not to mention the monthly BAZAARS with TONS of fun finds!!!

Not having to clean the bathrooms..especially since we have 5 of them!!

The BEACHES, traveling, and snorkeling!!

Things I DISLIKE about Manila:

TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, and again--TRAFFIC!!!
You never know if its going to take 15 minutes or 2 hours to get somewhere.

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hate having "help"!!! I don't like having someone else
washing my underwear, or going through my drawers. There is absolutely NO privacy here!!!
And to be quite honest, it's easier to just do it yourself! Everything is always moved and put away where I can't find it. I've decided that to have things messy is not always such a bad thing....a house CAN be too clean and clothes CAN be ironed too much--in case you were wondering!!

TEXTING: It can be a good thing, BUT....
Everyone ALWAYS texts here instead of just using the phone. And there are NO answering machines!
You have to keep calling until someone actually answers the phone...which could take a VERY long time!

Getting the kids off to school at 6:30 AM....it makes for a VERY long day!

POLLUTION....allergies and asthma are a big problem!

It's just plain DIRTY here!!! The first thing we do when we get home is wash our hands with soap and water...for a long, long time!! Hand sanitizer is a MUST absolutely everywhere you go!

NO toilet seats and NO toilet paper!!!
You can never count on having either of them. Not to mention clean bathrooms!
You think potty training is hard in the States...you have NO idea!!!

People always STARING AT US and touching the kids. Its like we're celebrities...and in a sense we are. But I hate that people think they have the right to touch the kids and take pictures of them all the time. Its unnerving! It especially happens when we go out with the double stroller...they don't have those here!! An American family with a double stroller is a HUGE attention grabber here!

The term "Out of Stock"
This is something we hear EVERY day! It has several meanings, and you can never be sure which one they are using. #1 I don't know if we have it, and I don't want to look--so I'll just tell you its "Out of Stock" so you'll go away. #2 I have no idea what you're even talking about. And #3 It really IS "Out of Stock".

The term "For Awhile"
We are always told to wait "for awhile". The problem is that you never know if it will be
5 minutes or 5 hours!!!Sometimes they just leave you long enough for you to get impatient and leave...
with no intentions of ever helping you in the first place.

Things I REALLY MISS from home:

Living in a HOUSE with a yard instead of a 60 story building!

Target: Oh how I miss you!!!

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Going to the grocery store and finding EVERYTHING that I need!
And especially having more than one brand to choose from!!

ONE-STOP shopping where I can actually buy everything from clothing to toilet paper in one place.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

I know this is a crazy thing to miss...but when you have unregulated food it gets a little scary!
I really miss NOT having to wash my fruit and vegetables with bleach! I also REALLY, REALLY miss
having clean eggs w/o ( Oh, how should I put this....?!?) chicken do do all over them!!! I also really miss buying eggs from the refrigerated section instead of just off a shelf.

TRAFFIC RULES that are sometimes actually followed!

NO SMOKING LAWS

FRESH BLUEBERRIES-I've never seen them here, and even if I did...they would probably cost a week's salary!

Okay, well I guess that's a pretty good list. I decided to ask the kids what they thought too:

LIKES:
PARKER- People from all over the world, jeepneys & MRT train, new language
ADDISON- Swimming pool, International School
LILY- Riding on the airplane

DISLIKES:
PARKER- Pollution!!!
ADDISON- Couldn't decide!
LILY- Had no idea what I was asking her!

MISSES:

PARKER- Sometimes we can't call grandparents because of time difference.
ADDISON-Her pink Barbie bicycle.
LILY- Again, had no idea what I was talking about!

So there you have it! After a year of living here we are definitely more accustomed to the way things are in the Philippines, but we still do miss A LOT of stuff from home!!

And so the countdown to going home begins...

Parker's Bday, 1st science project, and a laugh...

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY PARKER!!!

The train birthday cake, of course!

I'm finally getting around to posting Parker's birthday pictures. His birthday just happened to fall on the same week that I was in the ER and ended up on bed rest. So the poor kid didn't get to have much of a birthday celebration. We had planned to go bowling as a family, but I couldn't go and Brett DID NOT want to take all 3 kids alone. Which, who can blame him...I wouldn't either! But Brett was very sweet and did MAKE cupcakes for all of Parker's class!! Parker was so excited to have his dad bring cupcakes into class on the Friday before his birthday!!! Hopefully that made up a little for having to miss bowling. His birthday was actually on a Sunday, so we had cake on that day. And then Brett took Parker and Addie to see "Under Dog" in the theatre the next afternoon. They both came home saying their favorite part was during the bloopers when he said, "Have no fear, Underwear is here!" :o) They thought that was so funny--and we're still hearing about it!! So Parker ended up having a very elongated birthday celebration--which I really don't think he minded one bit!

Brett didn't want to wrap the presents, and I couldn't. So we decided to just put them all under a blanket and let Parker grab one at a time. He LOVED it!! This may be the beginning of a new birthday tradition at our house! :o)

The presents:

A scooter (thanks Aunt BA and Uncle Lance!), a new lego set, and a new geo trax train!!!

Parker also got to do his first real school project in his 2nd grade class. He was supposed to demonstrate something that he's good at. Parker LOVES science, so we decided to let him make a volcano and have him demonstrate how to make the lava come out. He also insisted on adding his lego men and trees to bottom so that they could get killed by the lava...typical boy!!
And his class LOVED it!!! They don't do ANY science in 2nd grade here. They actually don't do science until like the 4th and 5th grades--kind of odd! So none of them have really experienced anything related to science. Its kind of sad because that is Parker's favorite part of school. So the kids thought Parker's volcano was pretty neat! His teacher loved it as well...and even told him he can do a science project in class ANYTIME!! She said they didn't have any time left for questions because Parker was so excited and just kept talking about his volcano. Parker was so happy about it, and I'm just glad that he had such a good experience with his first class project! He told me, "It went so good, Mom...and it all thanks to you and dad for helping me!"

Now for the laugh...and its a good one!

Parker lost another tooth recently. That makes 3 total. Since I was confined to bed once again by my doctor, I couldn't get up to make sure the Tooth Fairy came. Brett had to go to work, but decided he could come home around midnight to check on the Tooth Fairy. When he got home he left all the lights off so he wouldn't wake anyone up. The next morning before school, Brett came running into our bedroom yelling, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I started getting worried that something was really wrong! Then Parker comes in holding a 500 Peso bill ($10) in his hand saying, "Look what the Tooth Fairy left me!!!" I looked at Brett and he was completely shocked that the Tooth Fairy had given Parker THAT much money! Meanwhile, Parker was ecstatic and already planning what he was going to buy!! Apparently the Tooth Fairy can't see well in the dark and mistook a 500 Peso bill ($10) for 50 Pesos ($1)! I don't think the Tooth Fairy can afford to make that kind of mistake again!! :o)

okay, okay.....

I realize that I haven't posted for a month...haven't even put Parker's bday pics up yet. What kind of mom am I?! Sheesh! Thanks Jocelyn, for the kick in the pants!! :o) I have a GOOD excuse though....really!

The Truth:
I've been feeling a little-- (more like A LOT) like I got hit by a bus (or a jeepney for those of you in the Philippines)!! At my last appointment my doc gave me permission to get out a little....by going to the swimming pool and to 1 hour of church on Sunday. HOORAY! I can't tell you how excited I was to finally get out of the house!!

The Problem:
I haven't been able to do any of those things because I just feel so darn yucky. I am convinced this is NOT the normal pregnancy yuck..but everyone keeps telling me otherwise. Even though I've had permission to be up and doing things...I've pretty much just been in bed feeling miserable. Whenever I tell Lily my stomach feels yucky, she says "It's okay, I'm here Mom!" She takes care of me! And when I REALLY feel yucky she tickles me or makes funny faces and says, "I make you happy, Mom?!? Your tummy not hurt now?" That is why Heavenly Father gave me her.....to make me happy!!! I can't help but smile when Lily's here taking care of me!!! :o)

A minor setback:
So the last few days I have felt EXTRA yucky. And I've been having some BAD contractions (yes, I am only 3 months...scary!) with some bleeding. So my doc wanted to see me right away and make sure the baby wasn't detaching more. We met her at the hospital and did another ultrasound. The good news: The baby is completely fine...quite rambunctious for this early actually. My doc says, "Either this baby wants to control your life, or it just likes to see me a lot!" :o) Have I mentioned that I LOVE my doctor!?! She canceled ALL her appointments yesterday (except for seeing me) because she had a high risk woman in labor and wanted to stay with her! That would NEVER happen in the U.S. I'm in really good hands if something does go wrong!! Anyway, back to the bad news: I am stuck in bed AGAIN for at least the rest of this week. Can I just scream?! Agghhh!!! Not that I probably won't be there anyway because of feeling just plain yucky all the time...but there is something about being FORCED into it that is NOT so appealing. And did I mention there's a bazaar on Monday??? Hello...its a "ber" month too!!

Note for those of you NOT in the Philippines: They start celebrating Christmas here as soon as we hit the "ber" months....SeptemBER, OctoBER, etc. Christmas music is already playing everywhere and Christmas trees are for sale...and it's not even close to Halloween yet! Crazy, I know! But they LOVE Christmas here....one month just isn't enough for them!!

So the bazaar will have TONS of Christmas stuff! And there is some stuff I REALLY want to get. I had to miss the last one...I CAN'T miss this one too! Its the highlight of my month. Maybe I really will have to just rent a wheelchair!!!

Oh, and one other thing that I don't think I've mentioned yet: I am not immune to Rubella. I just had a shot after Lily....had the same problem with her. I had to stay home from church for 2 months because there was a chicken pox outbreak in our ward--and that was in Texas! So I've got that to worry about too...which is another reason I haven't been to church yet. They just put 4 wards in our little tiny building and there are people everywhere...many of whom are squatters (no homes). So I'm extremely worried about this whole Rubella thing...it is a third world country after all!! My doc said to stay away from crowds. Ha! That's laughable here!!

Welcome to my CRAZY life!!!

Update on the babe...

The one plus to having problems early on in pregnancy is that you get LOTS of ultrasound pictures of the baby!! :o)

Our visit to the doctor went well today. Again, there is good news and bad news to report. The good news is that the baby's heart rate is VERY good!! The baby also grew exactly like it should have, which means it is getting properly nourished. The bad news is that there is still an area where the baby is not attached to the uterus. If you look at the picture above, the baby is in the middle and the black area on the upper left is where the baby is not attached. Babies should be fully attached by the third month. So there is still a chance that the baby will completely attach in the coming month--which is what we're hoping for!

My doctor's main concern now is that she doesn't know if my hemorrhage last week is what caused the baby to dettach....or if the baby was already dettached before the bleeding started. Basically, she doesn't know what caused the bleeding or if it could happen again. So I am still on bed rest until I go back to the doctor in 2 more weeks. She IS letting me get up and move around the house a little though....which I am SO looking forward to!! She did say I have to stay in one place at a time for awhile. So no going from room to room or following the kids around...and as little walking as possible. But at least its better than being stuck in bed ALL DAY!!! Brett even figured out that I can use our computer chair with wheels on it as a wheelchair to get around the house w/o walking....yahoo!!! :o)

My doctor was also VERY pleasantly surprised that the baby is doing so well....she said she really didn't expect for things to look so good. The baby looks perfectly healthy! So the prayers in our behalf have definitely been working!! A big thanks to all of you for your prayers and concern!!! Its nice to know that even though we live clear across the world, our family and friends are still supporting us!

Salamat Po!!!
("thank you" in Tagalog)

Placental Abruption

This is the condition that Katie has.

Placental Abruption

Its a doozie....

Are you ready for our latest Philippine adventure?!? Boy is it a doozie this time!!!!

I ended up in the ER Tuesday for quite a few hours. And it was NOT a fun experience, let me tell ya!! Let's just say that it was the ONE time that I actually wished I was in a U.S. hospital! They wouldn't let Brett come in with me, so I was left to go it all alone. It was a little scary to say the least…nightmarish may be a more correct term.

The good news in all of it is that I'm pregnant (7weeks)....the bad news is that there are some complications. I had a pretty good-sized hemorrhage Tuesday afternoon. They did an ultrasound and found out the baby is not completely attached. They did find a VERY strong heartbeat though, so that's good. And the baby looks to be healthy in every way. They gave me a bunch of shots to help stop the bleeding and help the baby attach. Now we just have to wait and see if it works. I have a GREAT doctor who I trust completely! I'm on COMPLETE bed rest for at least the next couple of weeks...maybe a month...until they find out if the shots worked.

Long story short: It looks like I'll be missing my Tuesday class, church, and everything in between for at least the next few weeks. So much for taking another trip in the near future...but at least it's a good excuse for them not to give me a new church calling! :o) I ought to be home free on that one! Truthfully, I think I'd rather have the calling though. We may even have to hire a yaya (nanny) to take care of the kids, which I am SO dreading and swore I would never do. But like my doctor said, this IS baby #4...he (or she) knows he has some competition and has decided he wants me to himself for a little while! :o)

So.....

Apparently "experiencing an emergency room in a third world country" and "having a baby in a third world country" are 2 things that I get to cross off my "To Do" list!!

Trip to Cebu

We took a spur of the moment trip to Cebu this past weekend. Brett had to go for work, and we all decided to go with him. Cebu is about an hour flight South of Manila.

The kids had a blast at the Shangri La Mactan Island Resort where we stayed. There was a kids adventure area that we were able to leave Addie and Parker in for a kids party on two of the nights. One night they had a magician/juggler show, and the next night they had a bubble show. Lily was too little to stay by herself, so she got some extra "alone-time" with mom and dad.

We spent quite a bit of time at the beach in Cebu

We got to feed the fish bread, and schools of fish would swim around us. It was really fun!

The kids loved playing in the sand!

We also rented a kayak.

Addie LOVED it!!!

Lily, however, was not so thrilled. She had been grumpy all day! She DID NOT want to go in the kayak. She cried for a little bit, and then we realized she was asleep...slumped over in her life jacket (which made a darn good pillow!). The waves had rocked her right to sleep. So the rest of us held onto the kayak and snorkeled while she slept. It was WONDERFUL!!!

The poor girl was just plum tuckered out!!!

While I was taking care of Lily I had lost track of Parker. I was getting worried when I couldn't see him....and then I looked over and found him burying a Chinese man in the sand!! What in the world?!? Crazy kid!

While we were at the beach that day, there was a wedding at the Resort. It was for a Filipina and a white man...imagine that (not sure if he was American or Australian)! We got to watch the bride walk down the isle--although I think someone forgot to sew her dress up!!!

Visiting Bohol

The Chocolate Hills:

Philippine legend has it that the Chocolate Hills are either the teardrops of a giant, or the debris of a battle between 2 giants.

Climbing up to see the Chocolate Hills, and the kids resting once they reached the top...it was a LONG way up!!

Tarsier: The world's smallest monkey

This monkey fits in the palm of your hand. Their fur is VERY soft...and boy can they jump! You're not supposed to hold them, but when no one else was around they waved us over and started putting monkeys on the kids. I hate to say it, but there are times that it pays to be American here!! Of course they expected a donation out of it...but I'll pay a few pesos any day to hold a monkey!! :o)

And...

Just in case you were wondering....

This is how you move when you're in the Philippines: You rent a Jeepney, stuff everything you own inside, then you hang onto the back and off you go!!

We also saw quite a few jeepneys that were packed full with like 20 people...some hanging out the sides and the back. That's not unusual at all to see, but what was unusual in Bohol is that they didn't just pack the inside of the jeepney with people and have others hanging out the back--they also had about 20 people riding on the top of the jeepney as well!!! It was quite the sight! I couldn't get my camera out fast enough to get a picture though...bummer, I know you would have loved that one Jocelyn!! :o)