Since I blogged about the names I thought for the little cherry that’s growing in my tummy, I have received countless inquiries on where I got those names. I didn’t know that people would actually be interested…hehe. You people are incredible! I love you!

Ok…let me see. How did I ever come up with those names?

The letter “M” is probably a no brainer…my name’s Monette and my hubby’s name is Michael…so naturally, I want my kid’s name to start with the same letter. Hehe. Easy, right? :) Read more »

Posted: July 19th, 2009 under Random Thoughts.
Comments: 6

Today, of all days, is the best time to blog. Why? Because my “all-day sickness” has temporarily left me. It must be the baby back ribs I ate for dinner. :)

Oh let me share the good news: I AM PREGNANT! — for real! My family and friends can’t believe it, and neither can I at first. My husband was actually in denial for a few weeks, he said that my supposedly hard tummy must be a combination of gas and poop! What a meanie! But when all the pregnancy test kits showed double lines, he quietly took a seat in a corner and stared at me like I’m some sort of an alien. Did I tell you that men can have the most horrible reactions at the momentous events of your life?! Oh, but he has been a sweetheart after he recovered from the shock…he now cooks my meals, does the laundry, does the ironing, prepares my fruits, etc. Hihihi! If there’s anything I love about this phase in my life, it’s my princess-mode. :)

As I am writing this, my baby is 8 weeks and 4 days old. I think he or she must be the size of a cherry now. My little cherry, apparently, likes Filipino food. I crave for palabok, chicharon, siopao, sisig, lugaw, and all other pinoy food that are not found here in baguette country! And my timing is incredible…it’s either 2:00 in the morning, or when it’s raining really hard. I tried to substitute these cravings with the wonderful french cuisine that are within my armslength, but for some weird reason, I find them repulsive now. My usual french cuisine favorites no longer appeal to my tastebuds and I started to think that they smell funny! Everything smells funny when you are pregnant…even my husband! :) I hope my love for french food will come back when I give birth…if not, they will probably revoke my visa! :)

There’s a little story behind this pregnancy which I wanted to keep as a secret, but thought the better of it. To be honest, my husband and I are not really so bent on having a baby. We like the idea of having one, but with all the fertility issues that we are facing, we told ourselves that it’s ok if we don’t get to have one — we will just enjoy our lives together and tour the world, hehehe! We sort of agreed that we won’t storm heaven for a baby…we will just sort of leave it up to the high heavens if they grant us the grace. Our prayers had been like this ever since, although I’m sure our family are praying more fervently for us to have a kid…hahaha! Then one day, I came across the story of Saint Catherine Laboure and was delighted that the chapel where Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal appeared is here in Paris! I went there and was mesmerized by the message of our Lady:

“Come to the foot of the altar, it is there that graces will be showered on all those who ask with confidence and fervor”.

I don’t actually know how to be sure that I am praying with confidence or with fervor…but I thought I will just go there anyway. It will be good to have someone to talk to, even if she’s invisible, since I’m always alone at home and I’m almost forgetting how to talk! Hihihi.

So…I went there twice, hoping to be able to kneel on that altar, but every time I go there, they have some kind of an event going on and I cannot even get past the middle of the chapel. On my third visit, I was in luck! The chapel just opened and there were only 10 or so people inside. I went directly to the altar, kneeled, and told Our Lady a lot of things…and before I ended my prayer, I told her, almost just as an afterthought, that I am not sure if I have what it takes to be a mom (knowing that I can’t cook, cleaning is not one of my strengths, and I hate any form of complication), but if she thinks that I will do well, I pray that she intercede on my behalf and ask God to grant me the gift of life. I distinctly remember this moment because it was the first time that I have earnestly and sincerely asked for a child.

After that day, I went on with my daily routine, half forgetting that I said that prayer. More than a month after that visit, I found myself holding a positive pregnancy test kit in the bathroom with all the blood draining from my face. Don’t get me wrong…I am happy, but I was floored! My prayer was actually answered?! And I get to be a mom?! Oh la la…I must have some hidden cooking talents somewhere! Now, I’ve just got to find it! Hihihi!

So now, I am on this journey…and while it is not easy (queasy feeling, no appetite, sleepy, lethargic, and moody), I am thankful for the experience. It’s amazing how my nose gets bigger everyday…I actually thought it will look the same until the day I die!

And surprise, surprise…I am actually getting caught up with everybody’s excitement on my pregnancy. I spent the whole evening yesterday searching for baby names and have narrowed it down to two:

If it’s a boy, we will name him Mathieu Lyle

If it’s a girl, we will call her Maggie Lavergne

I guess the countdown begins for Feb 6, 2010! God is truly amazing! :)

Posted: June 27th, 2009 under Random Thoughts.
Comments: 11

This is a little bit late, I know…but I just can’t bring myself to write about Easter Bunnies when I overdosed on them last weekend.

I was innocently taking my walk on my usual route and I realized that the chocolatiers of Paris all came up with their own versions of Easter Bunnies. They were all provocatively displayed in their stores and I must have seen a thousand chocolate bunnies staring at me on my way to the grocery. To be honest, I almost went inside one shop which sells Lindt Easter Bunnies. But my, I will be the tallest one in there! Out of delicadeza, I opted not to go inside and just leave the chocolates to the kids. Sigh. It sucks to be an adult.

But as I am writing this…I now wish I did get myself one of those Lindt Easter Bunny chocolates! But at least I can keep this picture / advertisement as a testimony of how life sucks when you get past 13…

Posted: April 15th, 2009 under Random Thoughts.
Comments: none

I grew up with the Gboys as my extended family. These crazy guys from Ateneo are like brothers to my husband, and so they are family to me as well. They spent four eventful years in high school together…so you can just imagine the bond and the love they have for each other. Eventually, a lot of them got married…and some are still getting married. And this post is about the video that some Gboys (including my hubby…what a surprise!) filmed for their beloved classmate, Gibby, who got married to Sab last March 28, 2009. My hubby decided to be part of this video because we know that we won’t be able to go to their wedding as we are already en route to Europe on that day. I watched the filming of this video — which took a whooping four hours or so (for the love of Gibby and Sab) — but, I’ve never imagined that it’ll turn out this nice, and this crazy!!! The song choice is really meant to be corny to add to the humor…and well, the acting is meant to be “boy band-ish” too. Gosh, I have never laughed so hard…I can imagine how pleasantly surprised Sab was during her wedding day with this being part of the wedding reception program. I mean, who would have thought that they have friends (who are all professionals, by the way) who are willing to be this cheezy?! Hahaha! That’s what friendship and love do, I guess. :)

To Gibby and Sab…we love you and we are soooooooo sorry to have missed your wedding. I sorely missed all of you after watching this video, and it has definitely made me feel lucky to have so much love in my life through you both and the rest of the Gboys family. Indeed, indeed…there is much love to go around.

NOTE: This video was conceptualized and edited by John Unson — a really talented guy. You should hire him! You’d be crazy not to. :)

Posted: April 10th, 2009 under Random Thoughts.
Comments: 3

I stared at the little pizza on my hand with disbelief. This was the same pizza flavor I ate some eons ago before boarding the same KLM flight en route to Amsterdam, and then to Paris. Some things never change. I took a second bite and it finally sank in — I’m staying in Paris for the next couple of years and the pressure to learn French is definitely on! I hope I’m not too old to learn a new language. Sigh. Another bite. Thanks to KLM for the free food which distracts my thoughts.

We arrived a little over 10:00 in the evening and the chauffeur was diligently waiting for us outside Charles de Gaulle Airport. I took one look at his sleek car and I wondered if he will seriously load all four of our big luggage there — it might hurt his car! And guess what, he really did load them all up, and even carried all of them up to our apartment in the 7th floor! Nice guy, huh?! We got him through My Flat In Paris, an agency which I highly recommend if you want to rent a vacation apartment in Paris — which is more practical than booking a hotel room, by the way. More of that on another post.

I am writing this post because Paris never ceases to amaze me. When daylight came and I took my usual walking route from our apartment to Champs Elysees, then to Eiffel Tower, the sights still took my breath away — just like when I first saw them. Indeed, some things never change. :)

Allow me to share some Paris sights here. I hope that I will someday welcome you in the City of Lights. Who knows? :)

Posted: April 8th, 2009 under Random Thoughts.
Comments: 4