If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you already knew one thing about us that Hubby and I never fail to do is enjoy a good meal together. Ian really loves to eat at Japanese restaurant (Hokkaido RamenSantouka, Ginza Bairin, Mitsuyado Sei-Men, etc.) name it and 100% guarantee that we will try it. So one afternoon after our maternity photo shoot, Ian suggested that we should have a good / late lunch at Yabu. Wow! Finally, were able to try the famous Yabu: House of Katsu.
 
Surprisingly, there are no long queues of people in the waiting area as we arrived, so we were ushered immediately in to a corner near the counter and kitchen. I love the ambiance, there are comic wall art showing a snipper of Yabu history as well as the wine bottles hang on the corner.  I told my husband to just order me anything, I’m not a picky-eater kaya kahit ano gora ako except pala sa raw foods which is prohibited to a pregnant woman like me.
 

While waiting for our orders, one staff gave us a small bowl with black and while sesame seeds. Like in Ginza Bairin you need to follow the Katsu Ritual - grind it, pour the with katsu sauce, mix and dip it which serve as the dipping sauce for your pork or chicken katsu.  I did all the grinding, pouring and mixing because I really enjoyed doing that. Hehe.
 The tray of condiments added pleasure in your meal. They had three different dressings placed in tall bottles - Sesame Dressing, Wasabi and Shouyu Dressings. They also provide katsu sauce, chili oil, chili powder, salt and Japanese pepper.

We started our meal with a glass of fresh mango shake and unlimited house blend iced tea. Syempre alam nyo na kung ano akin dyan, I got mango and it was sweet and delicious.
House Blend Iced Tea Php 95.00 / Ripe Mango Shake Php 100.00
After a few minutes, the food came and the portions were definitely more than enough. Ian ordered for Rosu Pork Loin Sets (120 Grams),  ¾ inch-thick, juicy pork cutlet with a trimming of fat and deep-fried in crisp golden panko. According to their menu this dish is made with certified U.S pork for a softer, tastier dish. This set served with unlimited Japanese white rice or organic brown rice, miso, soup, Japanese pickles, unlimited servings of organic shredded cabbage with your choice of dressing and a bowl of fruit. Wow! Nice! My husband loved the cabbage, he even asked the waitress to refill his bowl for 5 times. O db sinulit ang unlimited cabbage. Hehe.  As per my husband, their dressing was delish and the meat was pretty good, the crispiness is just right because it was cooked to perfection.  
Rosu Pork Loin Sets (120 Grams) Php 355.00
My husband ordered Chicken Katsu Set for me. It consist of ¾ inch thick chicken breast fillet and like the Rosu Pork Loin set, it was served with unlimited Japanese white rice or organic brown rice, miso, soup, Japanese pickles, organic shredded cabbage with your choice of dressing and a bowl of pineapple fruit . The chicken fillet is so soft covered in golden panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and deep fried for crispy goodness. The chicken was delicious and tender, not too tough nor too soft.
Chicken Katsu Set  (90 grams) Php 310.00
Overall, Yabu: House of Katsu never disappoints! We enjoyed the ambiance and most importantly the food. We really enjoyed eating at Yabu, we were so full I could barely get up. The meal is kinda pricey but considering the portion sizes, quality of the food plus great place, you’ll get your money’s worth and did not regret a single second of our experience. So what are you waiting for, go to the nearest Yabu store and try their authentic Katsu in the country.


Yabu: The House of Katsu
2nd Floor Mega E SM Megamall

Mandaluyong City

Today marks week 30 of this pregnancy. Wohooo.. Two more months to go, makikita na naming si Rhian! #excitedmuch

Anyway, I wanted to share with you our experience with Nice Print Photography last November 16. (We really wanted to invest in a professional photographer to get the quality of photographs we were wanting.) As I mentioned on my previous post, we had our 1st ever Maternity Photo Shoot at Nice Print in Megamall and we were so excited about it. We brought our own props although Nice Print has their own; we prefer our photo shoot to be more personalized.

I was exactly 28 weeks when we had our photo shoot and you know what our baby is so cooperative that time. Di sya sumakit or I was so comfortable during the session. So sharing with you some of our favorites photos from my maternity photo shoot with hubby and rhian. Sorry for the maternity photo overload...it was so hard to narrow it down!

Check out our pictures and let me know what you think. ^_^

Edited by: Ian Villareal 
I think the best thing about being pregnant would definitely have to be seeing just my belly grow and seeing like, Wow! There is, you know, something inside of me. 
I truly loved being pregnant and feeling what was going on inside my body and watching it change. 
She’s the greatest gift we've ever received..
You never understand life, until it grows inside you.
A grand adventure is about to begin.
My husband, who always has great ideas, asked our photographer to shoot him while kissing my stomach but the photographer suggests him to just put his one ear to my tummy na parang pinapakingan nya si baby. So I had to stand straight and Ian got to down low to the ground to shoot straight across me. This was one of my favorite shots of the day, not including my head just my stomach and Ian. This photo makes my baby bump the subject without competing my pretty face. Naks! This is now my husband’s profile picture in Facebook.

This photo was definitely a favorite of mine and is now my profile picture in FB.



We wanted to try something different, shooting with Rhian’s 3D photos. Nice huh?!




One of the most difficult poses during the photo shoot because I need to raise my right leg to create a better body line. #tiisganda but this was one of my favorite shots of the day.



Overall, I must say that I have one fantastic photographer. All photos are superb! Now, while we were so excited for the arrival of this little girl, I know that the major changes in our life will start to begin. Our life won’t be like it has been for the last 1 year and half years. These changes and adjustments is a big challenge for us but with God as a center of our relationship, we are now ready to face it with hold hands. 

Did you see the latest craze on Facebook News Feed and even in Instagram? Well, I just want to introduce the newest applications that went viral recently, the Moment Cam. This camera application makes your picture into drawings or caricature. Users of mobile devices based on Android and IOS can use this application. You’d be able to find / download it at the play store in Android Devices or in iTunes on Apple devices.

Moment Cam is very simple; you can choose the option of taking photo or choose among existing photos in your gallery. Once you get your face, you need to choose your gender and it automatically attaches to cartoon bodies of anime like drawings or caricature. You can edit the photo by clicking the buttons below such as Face Edit (face, hair style, glasses and eye brows), Background, Signature and you can share it instantly.

So I decided to download this application because I don’t want to miss the trend. Hehe. So presenting my Husband and I’s moment cam photos.


Nice right? So what are you waiting for, download the newest and hottest application and upload your moment cam photos in FB and IG. 

After my OGTT at Fortmed Makati last November 15, we went at Robinson’s Place in Manila for my 2nd 3D/4D Ultrasound. I was hungry that time, hello fasting ako for almost 12 hours kaya imagine kung gano ako kagutom nun, knowing na may super active baby girl sa loob ng tyan ko.. Haha.
My husband chose to dine at Gerry’s Grill because he was craving for some Inihaw that time, talo pa nya naglilihi db and with no second thoughts, I just agree with him. We were ushered at our table and handed us their menu. It wasn’t our first time at Gerry’s Grill so we are familiar with their menu. Ian ordered for Liempo, this is just a normal grilled pork served with calamansi and chili, actually mas masarap pa timpla ko ng liempo compare sa kanila. Hehe. But it’s still good though.
Liempo Php 195.00
I ordered for Kare-Kareng Baka,(which I was drooling for quite a while), a combination of beef brisket, tripe and oxtail in peanut sauce. Oh, I love this dish! It tasted really really good. The vegetables were crunchy, the beef and ox tail were tender plus the sauce was rich. Nom nom.
Kare-Kareng Baka Php 325.00
I prefer plain rice while Ian ordered for Garlic Rice.
Plain Rice Php 35.00 / Garlic Rice Php 39.00
Ian chose Iced Tea while I ordered for Fresh Buko Juice for my UTI.
Ice Tea Php 76.00 / Buko Juice Php 76.00

Overall, our bellies craving for good food were satisfied. Thanks to Gerry’s Grill!

Gerry’s Grill
3rd Level Space #198 Robinson’s Place

Manila

I really wanted to have a maternity photo session ever since I got pregnant. I love the nudity, draping cloth or anything that will focus on my growing belly so last November 16, we had our Maternity Photoshoot at Nice Print in Megamall which I purchased at Cash Cash Pinoy for only Php 1,975 valued at Php 3,950, the package includes Family or Maternity or New-Born photos from Nice Print Photography, 6 pcs 2R, 6 pcs 3R, 2 pcs 5R, 1 pc 11x14 frame and 1 CD containing all soft copy shots. What a deal right?!
Our photoshoot was schedule by 1pm, we arrived at the store 15 minutes earlier so we can prepare our outfit and props. We were so excited, as in. So sharing with you some of our behind the scene.  Thanks Hon for the lovely shots. (Taken using Samsung Galaxy Note 3)
Lights. Camera. Action! 
Some of our props.
Mr. and Mrs. Villareal 
with paper roses :) 
Smile ^_^

And now, I’m so excited to post some of our Maternity Shots from Nice Print. So stay tune for my next updates.


I really believe na lahat ng buntis, swerte. Why? Ever since I got pregnant, I always won at the raffle or contest. Yes! Can you imagine that? For almost 8 years na kong nag wowork, never pa nabunot ang name ko sa raffle especially during Christmas party or any gatherings but now, halos sunod sunod akong nananalo. Yehey!
My first contest that I won was the Colorname Giveaway from then I found myself busy in joining the online contest. So sharing with you the prizes that I won recently.
 Old Navy Onesie and Trader’s Joe Crunchy Cookie Butter

4 pcs Small Diapers

From Greenbelt 

2 tickets for The Producers (A New Mel Brooks Musical)
Php 100 worth of GC from Burger Company



Thank you all for choosing me as one of the winners in your contest/freebies. Till next time! By the way, thank you baby rhian, swerte ka talaga sa buhay namin ng daddy mo.. I love you anak!

Dear Baby Rhian, we are so glad to have you. You know what, I have loved you from the start; you are a tiny miracle lying closely to my heart. You are growing inside me and you have caused me some uneasiness, yes you baby! From heartburn and shortness of breath to sleepless nights even those whacked-out emotions, ika nga ng daddy mo sobra sobra ang pagka mood swing ko.. Thankfully most of it has stopped.  Baby, you’re getting bigger each day. It’s still hard to believe your inside me! You’re my little girl, growing in me. What a miracle!

You have made such a big change to our life baby. We promise to keep you safe, to protect you from all you may fear. Your presence is being waited, the time is coming near. Mommy will be strong for you, just hold on baby. I might be a little scared but I know everything will be okay because God is with us and there are so many people praying for us. It’s okay with me if you kick too hard and do crazy acrobats in my tummy at least I know you’re fine. Each day I sense your presence, each day you quickly grow, each day I hear your heart beat is the most precious moment with you.  

You have filed our life with joy with your little kicks and your heart beat that we hear. What a blessing! We will keep this moment as a special way and remember this as a very special time of our life.  As we wait for your arrival, you daddy kisses and touches you every day. Always waiting for you to move and when you finally do, his face light up with joy. Kung makikita mo lang mukha ni daddy mo for sure mapapangiti ka rin tulad ko.  You know baby, his love for you is unconditional and true, believe me.  

Your life will bring so much joy in our family and I can’t believe that we are making a family of our own with a loving mother, father and a healthy baby girl! Daddy and Mommy love you so much! You are the greatest blessing that God gave to us.

I’m waiting ‘til January 2014 though, to give you more time to grow. So for the meantime, just relax and enjoy in my tummy ha. We love you our little girl. See you soon!

With love,

Mommy RN

Weeehhh.. I’m so excited to write about our 3D/4D experience for our Little Princess. It’s all worth it! Anyway, my husband and I have wanted to have Rhian’s picture taken in 4D for a long time, since there is no 4D packages in Makati Med we decided to try Baby Ultrasound Company in Robinson’s Manila. Our first option is the In My Womb in The Link Landmark but after comparing their packages, Baby Ultrasound is much cheaper.

3D/4D Ultrasound isn’t really necessity, but highly recommended. J This procedure was able to produce fine images and video of your baby moving in the womb in full color. O db super nakakaexcite yun, makita in advance ang face ng baby mo.. This experience in one of the things that you will never forget as the whole can be recorded on CD, DVD and printed as glossy photos to treasure forever.

I called Baby Ultrasound to make a reservation but according to them, they accept walk-in clients. The staff also told me that the best time to have this procedure done is at 28-31 weeks, and I’m already 29 weeks by the time of our schedule ultrasound. Perfect! As we review their packages, we opted to get the Gold DVD Package at Php 3,300 come with a 3D/4D Fetal Imaging session, 6 superior quality colored photos, 1 CD-ROM containing images of your baby, 1 DVD recording of baby moving in the womb set to music with 3D slideshow, Gender Determination (if requested) and FREE rescan if gender could not be determined and if the baby is non-cooperative during the time of scan, this is a good deal already.

We got a peel at our baby’s face via 3D/4D ultrasound last November 9, Ian and I were so excited to see our little princess but she’s such a camera-shy, the nurse kept on poking my tummy to wake her up but you know what my baby were pretty annoyed. Look at this picture! (By the way, the ultrasound room has huge TV so we were really able to enjoy watching our baby girl inside my tummy.)

Nakasimangot na si Rhian.. Hihi. 

Sometimes, Rhian was hiding her face in with her little hands that’s why we couldn't get a good look, but we just wait for another minutes if Rhian would move a lot. We never give up! So here are some of her pa-cute pictures.

Our little girl gave us a beautiful smile. I think she knew we were looking at her.
Hikab Hikab rin pag may time.. :)

According to the sonologist/nurse who assists us during the procedure, our baby was already tired. The placenta and umbilical cord were floating around my baby’s face. Okay, flashback…. Before we went to Baby Ultrasound, we had to go in Sucat for Sabina’s christening, then after that went to Makati Med for my monthly check-up and proceed to Robinson’s Manila. Okay, kasalanan ko na super dami naming pinuntahan kaya for sure pagod na si baby. Sorry baby!

The sonologist advise us to come back after a week for free re-scan, for sure by that time our baby is more cooperative and just make sure that I can feel her movements more. So last Friday, after my OGTT test we decided to visit Baby Ultrasound again to see our baby’s movement. I wrote my name in their list and opted to take our late lunch, gutom na gutom na ko since almost 14 hours na kong walang food and drinks, huhu.. #fasting. We had our late lunch at Gerry’s Grill and proceed to Baby Ultrasound after. Unfortunately, as the sonologist check our baby she’s not cooperating. Waaahh.. Dinidikit nya face nya sa placenta ko to cover her beautiful face. Naku naman anak.. We found out that you’re not supposed to eat and drink before getting the ultrasound because for sure our baby will go to sleep when I’m full. Waahhh…

We have no choice but to walk around the mall to wake up my little princess, gising baby! I’m so tired that day so I asked my husband to buy me some ice cream, for sure gigising si baby kasi malalamigan. After almost 2 hours, we go back at Baby Ultrasound to check for baby rhian. Finally, we got to see our baby’s face clear. Wohooo!!!!


Chubby Cheeks :)

We were already happy and cried up with what we saw. We’re in love with our little princess. The OB told us that she looks exactly like my husband. Waaahhh.. NO!!!! Ako kamukha ni baby.. Hehe.


Ian and I are so happy and grateful to have our baby girl. She’s healthy, beautiful baby growing inside of me. Here's our little baby girl. Isn't she just adorable?


 


Oopppss.. Our singing baby, with matching saludo pa ha. Pakitang gilas ka Rhian ha. Good Job!


Finally we have our baby’s first ever video, and you know what we watch it every day because it takes all our worries and problems away. Will post her video soon.


It was such a wonderful experience of having a first glimpse of our child even before she is born. We’re so excited to meet her in a couple of months, 2 months should I say. We love you baby rhian!