May 31, 2013

First Visit to the OB

Mox and I have always been vocal of wanting to start a family as soon as we got married, so a part of our wedding preparations was going to the doctor to see if we are physically capable of making babies immediately. Hehe.

First on the list is going to an OB-Gyne. Honestly, in my 25 years of existence, I have never been to one. I never really thought that I needed to see an OB because I have never experienced any major problems when it comes to my cycle. Even my mom told me that it was not yet time to visit one; she herself didn't go  until she was 28 years old!

But since I have been hearing things about PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and other scary gynecological problems that may affect our chances of getting pregnant immediately, I decided to go and visit one. I first went to MegaClinic in Megamall to have myself checked by one of their resident OB-Gynes there, but I found her too masungit and condescending. She even diagnosed that I might have PCOS and prescribed some meds for me to take. I was not that convinced with her diagnosis (plus I really don't like her attitude) so I went to Medical City to seek a second opinion. Yes, I know this hospital is quite expensive, but luckily, I have my HMO card to thank for! Haha!

This time, I did my research and found Dra. Judy Ong-Fuentes. There were a lot of good reviews about her, and she's apparently one of the senior OBs in Medical City, so I'm really confident that she would be able to possibly refute the first OB's "diagnosis". Haha, ayaw ko talagang maniwala sa kanya na may PCOS ako! 

During our consultation, she first asked questions about my menstrual cycle, sexual history and other personal questions. She then explained how the female reproductive system works, even using a model to further illustrate her point. In fairness, naintindihan ko siya kahit mahina ako sa science. Hehe. She suggested that we do a routinary pap smear and  then a transvaginal ultrasound to find out if I do have PCOS

What is a pap smear? It is the most common test used to detect any abnormalities in the cervical cells that could result in cervical cancer. Ideally, every woman should have a pap smear after the first sexual intercourse or after the age of 21, whichever is earlier. Apparently I am already late in doing so because I am already 25, but hey, better late than never right? Then the pap smear should be done every one to three years until the age of 65.

On the other hand, the transvaginal ultrasound is a test used to a woman's reproductive organs, including the uterus, ovaries, and cervix. This is done by inserting a probe, called an inducer, down there. The probe is covered by a condom and lubricant. Sounds scary noh?

I was scared to do both because I heard that the procedures could be painful, and I'm a sissy when it comes to pain. Hehe. For the pap smear, Dra. Fuentes asked me to take off my underwear, lie down and put my feet on the stirrups. She then insert a speculum that will open up my vagina, making it easier to swab some cells for examination. She then checked both my cervix and uterus with her fingers. The procedure only took about 10 minutes tops, and luckily, I didn't feel any pain. It just felt weird, but not painful. I do have to wait for a week though for the results.

Then I had to go down to the hospital's Woman's Health Center to have my transvaginal ultrasound. Even though it was a weekday, there were a lot of patients in the center. I was actually number 59 on the list! After an hour of waiting, it was finally my turn. They had me remove my pants and underwear, wear a hospital gown and empty my bladder before the ultrasound. And just like the pap smear, I lied down on the examining table and put my feet up the stirrups. The doctors then inserted the probe to examine my reproductive organs. There was mild discomfort during the test, especially when the doctors began pressing down on my cervix, but overall, the whole procedure was painless. I was worried over nothing! Hehe.

The results came surprisingly fast, only a few minutes after the procedure. I couldn't really understand all the medical terms, but from what I garnered during the conversation of my attending doctors, my ovaries are all clear; I was negative of PCOS! Yey! :) Of course, I had to go back to my OB next week for her to interpret my results better, but still, at least my worries were alleviated.

My ultrasound results
To all brides-to-be out there, it's really a must to visit your OB before your wedding. Preparing for your wedding is not just about choosing the best suppliers; it's also about making sure that your bodies are in the perfect shape for you to have your future family. :)

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May 23, 2013

Brunch at Maja's Home Cafe

I have been waiting for the opening of Maja's Home Cafe ever since I've heard that Ms. Maja plans to open a cafe that will serve the food that Passion Cooks is famous for. And since we couldn't afford to have Passion Cooks as our caterer, the only way for us to taste their uber-delicious dishes again is by visiting their cafe.

And so, Mox and I decided to travel to Paranaque (and pay all those toll fees) just to have brunch at Maja's Home Cafe. I was so excited that I even reserved a table for two in advance! Haha.

Albeit small, the cafe offers a quaint and homey atmosphere. After the long drive, we felt relaxed sitting at their booths with the red plush pillows while waiting for our orders. Mox even wanted to lie down and sleep! Haha! There are some cute DIY details in the restaurant, including the red paper roses on the table and the wall full of paper Star Wars troops.

The Star Wars wall :P
Red paper roses <3
And here were the food that we ordered. Prepare to drool, people.

Stark Juice (Tropical fruit juice for me; Pink lemonade for Mox)
Oriental Salad with Crispy Catfish and Tomato-Mango Salsa

Baked Prawns Thermidor
Roasted Herbed Pork with Marble Potatoes
R2D2 Cake (Chocolate Lazy Cake)
Ewok's Mango Tango (Mango Cream Pie)
Solo Panna Cotta
We were definitely satisfied with our experience at Maja's home cafe. The servings are good for one, but everything is just so rich and satisfying, that you would still be full afterwards. Plus, the prices are very affordable! Meals range from P150 to P290, with the exception of the Wagyu Rib-Eye Steak, which probably costs around P1,000. Still, sulit na sulit pa rin.

Still not convinced? Check out our smiling faces below! *This is just an excuse to post our vain pics in this blog. Hahaha*




And since we loved Maja's food so much, we even went back for the second time, but now we were with some of our W@Wie friends. Photos were taken from Cris and Tine. :)




MAJA'S HOME CAFE
111 A. Adela Building, Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque
506-2454

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May 13, 2013

Food Tasting # 18: Purpledish's Couples Night

Last Sunday, Mox and I went to Chef Velmor's private dining place at Paranaque for Purpledish's third Couples Night. Actually, the purpose of this event is for Chef to demonstrate how he would serve out the dishes to the VIP's, but Mox and I were to busy eating and planning our initial menu that we didn't really pay close attention to what he was saying. I'm so sorry Chef!

Stylento's setup for this event was quite simple, with baby's breath, some purple and white flowers, and candles as centerpieces. But Mox and I liked this styling better than their previous setup during our first food tasting with Purpledish because it looked so elegant and clean. There were no more unnecessary clutter in the table. Now this is the only picture that we took of the setup so I hope you could see the styling despite our crappy shot.


Now on to the hors d' oeuvres or appetizers! We were served four appetizers  that were arranged in a cocktail table, so we just had to go over there and pick our chosen entress.

Mox loved the first appetizer, the Mango Salsa Salad. The mangoes used were sweet and succulent, and were the perfect complement to the tomatoes and leafy greens. I actually thought it was more of a dessert than a salad because the mangoes were so refreshing! Mox and I agreed to add this to our initial menu so that's one appetizer down, four more to go! :)

Mango Salsa Salad
I was a bit hesistant to try the second appetizer, Cirkulo Tofu, because I'm not really a fan of tofu. The texture was similar to that of bread, but I really couldn't describe its unique taste. Its toppings were a bit too spicy for my liking though.

Cirkulo Tofu
Honestly, I wasn't particularly wowed by the Avocado Roll, our third appetizer. It didn't taste badly, but it didn't wasn't spectacular either. It was just okay. I couldn't even taste the avocado so this dish was a bit of a disappointment.

Avocado Roll
Our last appetizer was the Sardines and Feta Bruschetta. It was similar with the spicy salmon bruschetta that we ate during our first food tasting. Again, the bread was soft and chewy. However, the sardines were too spicy and tasted too sardine-y? Haha! I like sardines when it's covered in tomato sauce, but on its own? Well, not so much

Sardines and Feta Bruschetta
After cocktail hour, we were served our first course: the French Onion and Cheese Soup. We were not served soup shots this time; instead, the soup was served in a large bowl, Chef said this is how they will serve soup to the VIPs, so I know my VIPs will have very satisfied tummies afterwards. Haha

French Onion and Cheese Soup
This soup is a definite must-try! It was thick and creamy, with a hint of cheese that was not so overpowering. I practically finished my bowl of soup just minutes after the waiter gave it to me. Patay-gutom lang ang peg! Haha! But seriously, that's how good the soup was. And since we couldn't decide between the potato pumpkim soup and the french onion and cheese soup, we decided to just get both! See, problem solved. Haha!

Our second course was a familiar pasta dish: the Beef and Veggie Lasagna. It was topped with two big slices of Baked Norwegian Salmon in Lemon Butter Sauce. I won't go into the details on these dishes since we've already tasted them during our first food tasting. But everything was delicious and so filling! I only ate about three bites of the lasagna, and yet I was already bursting to the brim. Busog-lusog!

Beef and Veggie Lasagna with Baked Norwegian Salmon in Lemon Butter Sauce
For our third course, we had the Mushroom Risotto, 10Hr Slow Roast US Beef Belly, and Oriental Chicken Roulade. We loved the beef belly! The meat was so soft, succulent and tender! Just one swipe of the knife and the meat would come right off the bones! It was the perfect complement to the sticky texture of the mushroom risotto. I couldn't remember the taste of the oriental chicken roulade though. It was definitely upstaged by the beef belly. I guess we still have to attend more food tastings to find the perfect chicken dish for our wedding. *Yey, more food tastings! - inner Nat*

Mushroom Risotto, Roast Beef Belly and Oriental Chicken Roulade
Now for our desserts! We were served Macedonia Fruits, Bluer Than Blueberry and Devilish Food Cake. I won't talk about the fruits and the blueberry cheesecake anymore since we already had those during the first food tasting, so let's get to the devilish food cake. It's the bomb! Seriously, this cake is a dream come true for all chocoholics like me. The cake was moist and soft, and the bittersweet chocolate sauce balanced the overall sweetness of the cake. Gaaah, ang sarap niya!
Macedonia Fruits, Bluer Than Blueberry and Devilish Food Cake
We were actually served a special dish: the Seabass En Papilotte. But I really couldn't comment on it since I didn't taste it at all. I was just too full to take another bite. But it looks promising. Hope that we could taste this during our next food tasting.

Seabass En Papilotte
VERDICT: Again, this food tasting with Purpledish further confirmed that we had made the right choice for our caterer. We just love the food, and now even the styling! :) Just a side note, we had leftover lasagna and desserts from the food tasting, and we only remembered about it a week later. But the food still tasted delicious! Now, I'm craving for more Purpledish food. Haha!

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May 9, 2013

Kilig Moments for the Day

Kilig Moment # 1

Earlier today, I showed Mox the website of Composed Band, our band for the wedding, and he kept on raving about them! He especially loved their rendition of Michael Jackson's "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." He even said that their rate is actually quite affordable, considering their caliber and talent. Baka daw malugi sila sa amin! Now he's even more excited for our wedding because he finally has the perfect band that will play his song for me. Magpapractice na daw siya ng song number niya! Hehe!

I just feel so happy that he finally recognizes all my efforts in finding the best suppliers for our wedding. Nakakakilig! :)

Kilig Moment # 2

My florist sent me a private message in Facebook, thanking me because she was able to book three clients who found her through my blog. :) It's so nice to know that I was able to help fellow brides, and now suppliers too, just by writing about our wedding preparations. Wala lang, may saysay rin palang mga pinagsasabi ko dito. Haha!

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May 2, 2013

His and Hers

If other couples have their couple shirts and couple rings, we have our couple watches and nail polish. And no, we didn't intentionally match our nail polish to our watches; it was just a coincidence. Hehe.


Ang swerte ko lang at nasasakyan ni Mox ang mga ka-weirduhan ko sa buhay. Next time, may nail art naman yan! Hahaha!

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