Part 1 ended with us entering the hospital not knowing exactly what the next hours would bring.
Morning came anyway.
And with it came the quiet understanding that the day ahead would ask us to let go of the life we had begun imagining.
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Before I begin this story, I want to anchor it to two posts I wrote earlier in my Pregnancy & Perimenopause Diary Series.
At the time, I was writing in real time — still in the “in-between,” still waiting to understand what was happening inside my body.
If you’ve read those entries:
Pregnancy & Perimenopause Diary Series: Notes from the In-Between and
Pregnancy & Perimenopause Diary Series: The Waiting, the Wanting, the Yes
— then you already know the emotional landscape we were standing in.
Those posts captured the uncertainty, the quiet hope, and the fragile possibility that a new life might be beginning.
What I’m sharing now is what happened next.
This story begins on the day we went to my OB’s clinic… on what we thought would be a joyful day — the day we were supposed to hear Baby Lux’s heartbeat for the first time.
We went to my OB’s clinic for a transvaginal ultrasound, expecting the usual moment many parents look forward to: that tiny flicker on the screen that confirms a little life is growing.
Instead, the screen showed something else.
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It’s February 1 today.
And instead of planning this post properly, I ended up rereading something I wrote a year ago — “February: The Month I Finally Choose Me.”
I didn’t mean to analyze it. I just wanted to remember how I was feeling back then.
Short answer: tired. Even a little defiant.
Hopeful, yes. But very, very tired.
What struck me most was the list I made.
On one hand, I listed all the things that were working — businesses moving forward, improvements at Oslob New Village, new VA clients, better communication in our marriage. At the time, I acknowledged those wins but somehow still felt like I was falling behind.
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A quick note before you read:
I wrote this reflection during the first week of January, when things felt clear, grounded, and quietly victorious. I planned to publish it then… but life continued to unfold.
The days that followed were full. There was HR work for Oslob New Village. Tasks included hiring and screening, as well as managing payroll systems. Compliance was also addressed. Additionally, there was the invisible weight of holding a growing business and a family at the same time.
Sleep became irregular. Regulation became a daily practice again.
I’m sharing this now from Bohol. I arrived on January 18. I am slowing my nervous system down and allowing myself to rest. The wins still matter. And so does the honesty about what came after.
This post isn’t about perfection.
It’s about continuity.
Here’s a little glimpse of our arrival in Bohol before we dive back to the first week of January….
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Lately, I’ve been feeling a shift. Not the kind you shout about online or celebrate with a champagne pop. But the kind that whispers gently: “There’s a new way to live, love, and lead. And it begins with less noise, more intention.”
If you’ve followed my journey, you know I’ve always worn many hats—entrepreneur, creative, homeschooling mama, wife, storyteller. For years, I’ve built and juggled, dreamed and delivered, crafted strategies while navigating motherhood and womanhood.
But recently, I realized something:
I don’t want to keep up. I want to go deep.
As the clock ticks closer to the end of 2024, I can’t help but reflect on what an incredible year it has been for our family. This year wasn’t just about celebrations; it was about growth, stepping out of comfort zones, making bold moves, and seeing long-held dreams start to take shape. And so, as I sit down to reflect on 2024, I feel a mix of emotions. Though the latter part of December saw me struggling with a wave of depression, I now realize it was likely hormonal — my period suddenly arrived after a delay, which made me wonder if I might be entering perimenopause.
It wasn’t just hormones, though. My VA business has grown exponentially this year — I now have 12 clients! On top of that, I juggle multiple roles in our businesses: as co-owner and Chief Marketing Officer of our hotel, restaurant, café, and catering business, all while trying to keep up with the many business and personal development courses I’ve enrolled in. Somewhere along the way, I over-fatigued my already overloaded system.
Thankfully, I have my husband, Hanz, by my side. His unwavering support, his constant reminders to take breaks, and his effort to make sure my “love cup” is always filled to the brim helped me push through. Looking back at all that we’ve accomplished this year, the sadness has lifted. It’s been replaced by a deep sense of gratitude, hope, and joy for every big and small blessing that has come our way.
Here’s a month-by-month look back at the highlights of this unforgettable year. (Note to self: I hope to blog about each of these things in more detail this coming 2025…)
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As I sit down to recount the adventures of my 2023 holiday season, I must admit that this recap may come a bit late. It’s already March, and I actually created the vlog last month at a time when I was feeling a bit down. However, if you’re in need of some travel inspiration or just want to relive the magic, this is the video for you! It’s never too late to catch up on the fun! So, grab some popcorn and watch it here or down below:
The holiday season of 2023 was a whirlwind of adventure, relaxation, and memorable moments. As I sit down to reflect on the experiences of those days, I’m filled with a sense of gratitude for the opportunities I had to explore new places and create lasting memories. In this blog post, I’ll take you through my holiday recap, sharing highlights from my travels and the lessons I learned along the way.
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As we celebrated our 9th anniversary as a couple, we embarked on an unforgettable journey to NuStar Resort & Casino, a place where love, adventure, and family bonding merged into a perfect paradise. Nestled amidst the serene landscapes and azure waters of Kawit Point (formerly Kawit Island), NuStar Resort & Casino stands as a beacon of luxury and entertainment. This tropical paradise offers an exquisite blend of world-class accommodations, thrilling casino experiences, and breathtaking natural beauty. I created a vlog below that will take you on a virtual journey through the captivating NuStar Resort & Casino and explore the reasons why it has become a must-visit destination for travelers seeking the perfect blend of relaxation and excitement.
Saving and paying for the wedding of our dreams has been a beautiful journey… at least for me and my now husband, Mahal. It really pushed our boundaries to the limits. There were times we thought we wouldn’t be able to deal with all the anxiety that came with it but every time we remind ourselves why we’re doing it, we start feeling calm again and we go back to enjoying the process which actually started when I turned 44 Feb. of 2022, then got engaged April of that year, then got married civilly November of that same year, and finally had the beach wedding of our dreams last May 5, 2023.
For me, personally, having achieved our dream beach wedding was not just a one-day thing like what most people say where many splurge money and some end up regretting it or worse, incurring huge debts. This is why my younger self wouldn’t have agreed to pay for what we paid for, just to get married. My younger self valued marriage more than the wedding day itself. Well, my now 45-year old self values my desires, my dreams, my life partner, his dreams, our relationship, our son, our family, our marriage… that’s why we did what we did… which felt like the longest wedding celebration in history, lol! It is not even finished yet because we haven’t had our beach wedding honeymoon series yet… just our engagement honeymoon and civil wedding honeymoon series. 😉 And whenever we hear our 7-year old son say that our wedding (he always refers to our wedding as the wedding of us three, so cute!) is the best experience and event he had experienced in his entire life every chance he gets, THAT, to us, is priceless in itself and makes it all the more worth it. I’ll share with you his wedding speech below.
Even if time turned back, we won’t have it any other way. After all, money is just money. We can always earn it back. Heck, we’ve already earned it back. We spent for a dream we were sure we can afford and we wouldn’t have done it otherwise. I feel like we’re financially wise like that… to only spend for what we can afford to pay for in cash the moment it needs to get paid, not sooner, not later. This is why for me, having planned for our dream beach wedding has been a long process of knowing myself, of getting better, of getting in touch with what is okay with me and what is not; and how strong and resourceful I can be to make this little long-time dream of mine happen with the help of my husband. No one else helped us pay for it. It was just me and my Mahal and I’m so proud of us!
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It’s been two months since we did our dream beach wedding! It happened on May 5, 2023 at 5PM, dusk, my fave time of day. Happy 2nd Beach Wedding Monthsary to us! My blog is on US Time Zone but it’s July 5 now in the Philippines. I’m starting a beach wedding series and this would be my first blog post about it. If this is your first time to get to know me, you can go back to my previous post about our pre-wedding film which would also connect you to a series of my wedding engagement posts. I’m sort of an OC kind of person and I just want the documentation of my memories organized. This is in case I get Alzheimer’s in the future (I hope not!) and honestly, just doing it this way makes me so happy. It’s like I get to relive each moment as words pour out of me… Teehee. So, let’s start…
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HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL DADS! 
…especially to my Mahal, Bebeko, Bebe, Tuz’s Dada… we wish you the happiest Father’s Day! You are the greatest support to our little family and Tuz is truly blessed for having the coolest, kindest, funniest, loving, and most doting father! You are our safe place, our haven, the source of our strength. Thank you for being our protector. I am so blissful and joyous that I got married to you, God’s miracle, and together, made a fantastic little family. We love you so, so much Dada… Now and forever…
Have a fantastic Father’s Day Weekend, everyone! This is just a short post since we’re off to another adventure! Ciao!
Til my next post!
MomTraNeur 