Giveaway Galore!! Win a Diaper Bag from ManilaBaby Shop!!

I love joining online contests as I've won my fair share of prizes from such events. This time around, manilamommy.com is hosting another contest where the winner will get a diaper bag from ManilaBaby Shop. I would love that diaper bag as we bring a lot of stuff with us whenever we go out with my son.

For contest details, visit the ManilaMommy website here. She has noted the stuff that you would need to do in order to win.

Good luck to us!

At Last!

At last, after 7 long years, I'm done with my MBA!

I started 2nd term of school year 2003-2004. It was as if yesterday that I climbed those stairs going to the RCBC Campus of DLSU inquiring about their MBA program. Next thing I knew, I was asking for an application form.

Seven years later, the De La Salle Professional Schools is no longer an entity but was merged back into the De La Salle University fold. Instead of having a separate graduation ceremony, we will join the 1000 other undergraduates and masteral graduates who will attend the graduation ceremonies.

I actually stopped for two years due to work and personal reasons. I promised my husband that I'll go back to school when I have more time and I did return last year.

I took my Oral Comprehensive Exam on August 5. It was the last step before I receive my MBA degree. It entails presenting a core subject paper that you did during your MBA and defending whatever it is that you put there. It was quite brutal this term as there were a lot who did not make it. Thankfully, I made the grade and it tops as one of my most memorable moments ever. The relief that I felt afterwards was so great that I burst into tears when the panel chair delivered the verdict. I knew he was saying something after he said "congratulations" but I cannot remember anything anymore. All I could think of was, "At last!"

Though I was hesitant at first, looks like I'll be attending the graduation ceremonies. I never did enjoy my undergraduate graduation as I was sick a week before and I was not able to attend the practice and other ceremonies. At least now, hopefully, I can experience it fully 14 years after I left De La Salle.

As a postscript note, my original panel was supposedly Prof. Aleister Cruz, Prof. Michael Joseph and Prof. Benedict Avila. Thankfully, Prof. Cruz pulled out as he was a college friend and it would be a conflict of interest if he stayed in my panel. I don't want my passing mark to be marred by any hint of favoritism. He was replaced by Dr. Tony Concepcion.

Sick Basti

Last week has been very harrowing. Not only did Basti get sick, but I was scheduled to take my Oral Comprehensive Exam which was the last step for me to get my MBA degree. But thankfully, we all got through with it all in one piece.

Basti's low grade fever (if you call 38.5C as his highest temperature as low grade) started Thursday, July 29, 2 days after he got his annual flu shot and his 3-in-1 booster shot. We all thought it was due to the vaccine so we didn't give it second thought. We just gave him his paracetamol dose and we all went through our daily grind.

On Saturday, his fever was still there and I was beginning to worry especially when I saw him just lying there. My son is very active and he refuses to just sit there and do nothing but that was what he was doing. I resolved that if he doesn't get well by Sunday, we'll bring him to the ER.

True enough, his fever returned Sunday and we took him to the Asian Hospital ER.

I was surprised by the number of kids that were in the Emergency Room that day. There must be a bug going around that would entail kids being rushed to the ER on a Sunday afternoon. Whatever case, we just have to continue with the paracetamol and bring him to his pedia the next day.

Basti was given his tag and as a precaution, they took a blood sample to rule out dengue. The results were available in less than an hour and good thing, his platelets were at a normal level but we were advised to return the next day as the levels were low-normal.

The ER doctor said that Basti must've caught a flu bug or could be roseola.

His fever still returned Monday morning so we returned to Asian. Though his pedia is not expected in until 330 but we were there at 1130 to have Basti tested again for dengue. I was surprised when the laboratory said that they will only release the results after 6 hours as there's no stat request. I had to call Basti's pedia, Dr. Clemente, to request for stat. Good thing the laboratory agreed to rush the results with minimum fuss. They did however, made me wait for another hour before I got the results. Thankfully, his platelets were higher compared to the previous day.

When we saw his pedia, he agreed to the ER doctor's pronouncement but he suspects it could be roseola. He told us that the fever will abate by Tuesday and by then, spots or rashes will come out with is indicative of roseola. I was also give then option of having Basti confined but after a discussion with my husband and in-laws. We resolved to just take care of him at home.

True enough, Basti's rashes and red spots came out the day after and his fever no longer recurred. I breathed a sigh of relief especially when he returned to his old, "malikot" self.

No doubt there will be more days like these. I just hope I'm strong enough for all of them.

The sun will come out, Tomorrow!

That song has been reverberating in my head today as tomorrow will indeed be a big day for me.

After 7 long years, tomorrow will be the culmination of my MBA studies. I will be facing a panel of three professors who will quiz me and determine if I really learned anything in my years of studying. My fate will be in the hands of these three people.

I am nervous as hell. At first, I was pretty nonchalant about it but when the date approached, I started to panic. In my former job, I am always prepared for meetings and such and even if I tried my best to prepare for this, I still feel that I am not ready. But I cannot delay the inevitable. I already postponed for one term and I cannot put this off much longer. If I fail, then I fail. I just have to find the strength to go back, re-do my paper and face my panel again. Whatever the case, I am preparing myself for the worst.

Though I know my panel with even one of them a friend, I do not want to take their "nice-ness" for granted. I know I have to earn that passing grade and that degree. I know I can and I have to believe that.

Wish me luck. By tomorrow, I will know.