Update 14: Long time, no blog

Forgive me readers, it has been a long time since I last blogged. Things have been pretty hectic here with being a new mom and recovering from surgery. Andrew is a joy to be around but sometimes it can be very trying. Especially when you are going on only a couple of hours of sleep. I find it rare to get out of the house as when I do have a free moment I want to spend it sleeping. Andrew is sleeping at max four hours at a time but it fluctuates a lot depending on how his tummy is and how much he has had to eat. When he wakes up he is up for long stretches of time and wants to be cuddled and enjoys looking at you and cooing.

Things slow down a lot in Manila in the summer. A lot of expats leave to go home for the summer so a lot of social activities get cancelled. It is rainy season, and it rains almost every day. We’ve had a couple of typhoons with one where the eye of the storm was right over Manila. However, a typhoon is not the same as a hurricane. The wind is pretty strong and there is a lot of rain, but nothing like the hurricanes in Florida or New Orleans. The real damage happens afterwards with mud slides in the provinces.

I haven’t done any day trips or anything new since giving birth so I don’t have much to report. I have gone out for dinner twice (without Andrew). Once was to Pepatos - a great Italian restaurant - to celebrate Camilla’s birthday. The other time was to a Filipino restaurant with Dave’s client. Let me tell you, the food is definitely different. Pig knuckles and pig skin are very popular. They eat the whole pig here, from snout to tail. Rice is the main staple and ice tea is very popular. Vegetables are pretty much nonexistent. I also went to a gay karaoke bar with some of Dave’s colleagues. The other type of karaoke place is like you are singing in your own living room and we wanted to feel like we were at a bar and the only place we knew like that that was close by was a gay bar. For those of you who know me from previous karaoke outings, you know that I can’t sing very well. In the Philippines, it appears as though everyone else can sing amazingly. I chose to sing ‘BINGO’ - yes the children’s song, and my main song selections, the Gambler and Sweet Caroline. Dave sang ‘If I only had a brain’ from the Wizard of Oz. Dave did a good job. I... well... I sang.

I have updated Andrew’s Web site so there is some news there. I've also uploaded some more pics - including some professional ones (however they are only low res). Other than that, I should get back home. Hope all of you are well. We are thinking of you and hoping to see you when we go back home in October.