It’s comforting to know that good people still exist in this world.

I was finished with lunch and I was lounging with the guys and a handful of chocolate-covered raisins when my cell phone rang. The caller ID indicated that it was my parents on their cell phone. I knew it couldn’t be good, since their cell phone is NEVER used except in case of emergency. In fact, I was doubtful whether they even knew how to use it.

My parents had been in a car accident. Thankfully, there were no injuries, but they car was not so lucky. Luckily, the scene of the accident was very close to my place of work and I was able to be there in less than 10 minutes. My folks were able to drive the car into the parking lot of Love’s Bakery while the police made a report. By the time I got there, the cops and the other driver were already gone.

I called the insurance company and got a claim started, then proceeded to phone auto body and repair shops in hopes of towing it in. Everybody and their uncle must’ve had an accident today, because all the places I called were booked and unable to take a tow-in until next week.

Dad went into the store and asked if he could leave the car in the parking lot until we could secure a tow and a repair shop willing to take the vehicle. Not only were they willing to let us leave the car there, but a very helpful employee named Sharon even got on the phone and made some phone calls for us. A mechanic from a shop down the road came by to survey the damage and determined that the frame was bent and that was beyond their capability to repair. Sharon gave me the business card of a tow company and said that if we left the car key with her, that she could hand it over to the tow truck driver so we wouldn’t have to be present when he came to pick it up. This later proved not only to be convenient, but critical to us getting the car to a repair shop today.

I placed a phone call to my favorite mechanic, Glenn, who gave me a couple of recommendations. Luckily, one of the three was wiling to take the car today. The manager even waited 30 minutes past their closing time to receive the car. She, too, determined that the car would most likely be declared a total wreck.

My folks were not too broken-hearted, since the car was already 13 years old and had certainly seen better days. As I kept telling them, the main thing is that they had not been hurt. The car is replaceable, they are not.

Everyone, from the worker at Love’s Bakery, to the tow truck driver, and the repair shop manager, had been so genuinely nice. It made a stressful situation much more manageable. It’s days like this that make me less cynical, restore my faith in humanity, and remind me that there are still some good people in the world.

So, in return, if you ever need their services, please patronize the following businesses:

David’s Auto Damage Specialists (D.A.D.S.)
Harbor Center
98-025 Hekaha Street, Aiea
Ph. 808-487-3654

Pacific Paradise Towing Service, LLC
24-hours: Jump start. Light to medium duty. State of the art on road recovery service. Motorcycles to mid-size trucks.
Ph. 808-677-8850

Ever since she discovered that I was pregnant, a lady at work would greet me by asking, “do you have an outie yet?”

My answer is always a cheerful, “not yet!” although I must admit that her question scares the beejeebers out of me.

I’ve always had a cute little innie that resembled a small slit. Since my waistline has started expanding, so has my bellybutton. My cute little innie is turning into a big, gaping hole in my tummy. Knowing my outie phobia, Hubby has started teasing, “look! It’s going to be an outie soon!”

Egads. I dread the day my cute little innie turns into a pop-up turkey timer.

So, my question is… does every pregnant woman get an outie eventually? Do outies turn back into innies after the turkey baby gets delivered?

For the past few years, the coming of Mother’s Day was always met with a tinge of sadness and longing. I’d always wonder if there would ever be a day when I would be a mom.

Today, we celebrated Mother’s Day with my in-laws at Tsukiji Fish Market and Restaurant. My 8-year-old niece Lexis gave me a lei and said, “happy mother’s day!” My oldest niece, Rachel, 17, presented me with a single red rose. Piikea, my 12-year-old niece, aptly observed, “Auntie, this is your first Mother’s Day!” I almost cried.

I’m still having trouble eating past 5:00 pm, but I managed to eat a modest amount of fresh fruit, salad, and a small portion of grilled steak. Although I left the restaurant feeling like I ate an entire cow, I managed not to get sick — which is progress indeed. Unfortunately, my bladder has gone into overdrive and I find that after consuming a lot of liquid, I have to go to the bathroom three times to empty my bladder completely. Quite inconvenient.

Earlier this morning, I also went for another ultrasound to follow up on the bleeding episode. The doctor confirmed that the sac that they saw on the previous ultrasound was now gone, so indeed, that was the cause of the bleeding and it shouldn’t be a problem in the future.

He also checked all of the vital organs and measured Baby Champuru’s growth, indicating that she is now 14 ounces and was right on track. Praise God for a good progress report all around.

And, I still say that it is truly a miracle that I am pregnant today and that it is only by the grace of God that I am able to celebrate my first mother’s day as a mom-to-be.

I just weighed myself on the bathroom scale. The needle hasn’t moved in the past couple of weeks, despite the exponential growth of my waistline.

According to today’s result, my net weight gain is 5 lbs. If you consider the weight I lost during the first trimester and subsequently gained back in the second, then it’s approximately 8 lbs. I’m only 5 months along and I feel huge already, but maybe that’s just me having a hard time adjusting to my new silhouette.

I think I need to buy bigger underpants.
Download MP3 | Buy mp3 | LEgal Mp3 Downloads | My favorite mp3 site | mega mp3 downloads
Thank God tomorrow is Friday. This morning, I woke up thinking it was Saturday. Can you imagine the disappointment I felt when I realized that it was only Thursday? Devastating, I tell you.

I meant to post a photo of my baby bump today, being that today marks 20 weeks — my halfway point.

Unfortunately, though, Hubby’s old Dell desktop finally kicked the bucket, which prompted a run to Best Buy to purchase a new laptop. It’s been 3 hours and I’m still working on setting it up. The most time-consuming part of the whole ordeal is burning the recovery disks, which do not come with the laptop. Irritating.
mp3 site |if want buy legal mp3 you may visit this site | payday | Electronic Music Community | Download Fresh Mp3 |you can find a lot of mp3 here
But this is not about the laptop, this is about me… and making it to week 20! (Boy, how vain does that sound?)

I’m a little worried about how large my tummy has become, seemingly overnight, and whether it means I’ll be carrying HUGE by the time I hit week 40. I have an ultrasound appointment this Saturday, so I’ll ask the doc. I’ve been walking everyday with Hubby in hopes of managing my weight and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. I suppose the doc will tell me whether it’s working or not.

Oh, and about that photo? I’ll try to take one tomorrow.

A pregnant woman’s bulging tummy is like a magnet. People flock to it and feel compelled to reach out and rub it as if doing so would bring them good luck. Now I know how the golden Buddha statue in the lobby of the California Hotel feels, his abdomen regularly molested by every passerby in the casino.

I don’t mind that much, really. It’s nice to see people excited about the precious miracle growing inside this pot belly of mine.

In the past couple of weeks, my stomach really made some fantastic progress. I’m visibly pregnant now and five people last week told me on separate occasions that I’m starting to waddle.

It begins.