Happy New Year 2017

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Every end of the year, I make sure I get to share this idea with all of you. I believe that this will help each and everyone of us attain our goals for ourselves, for our families and most importantly offering everything for God's greater glory.

One great way to begin the year is to know where you are going. This is what it means by the following lines: Begin with an End in Mind (Covey), Definiteness of Purpose (Napoleon Hill), & Vision (Maxwell).

Here are the steps:
1) Pray
2) Personal Mission Statement
3) Gratitude List for the previous year
4) Theme Photo for the coming year
5) Goals for the coming year
6) Monthly Goals
7) Claim Jeremiah 29:11 and Proverbs 16:3
8) Action Steps to achieve the goals
9) Monthly Gratitude List
10) Evaluate & Revise Accordingly

Here are the details:

1) Pray.
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans".
-Proverbs 16:3

When you offer to God all your plans, He will give you the wisdom, knowledge and strength needed in order for your plans to succeed.

2) Have a Personal Mission Statement.
"Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day: I shall not fear anyone on Earth. I shall fear only God.I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth.And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering."
-Mahatma Gandhi

Live with a purpose. You have a purpose in life. You know in your heart what's most important to you. In fact, your mission and values are expressed every day, by how you live–you just may not realize it.
For more inspiration, click these links: http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/ and https://www.stephencovey.com/sample-mission-statements.php
and http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhendricks/2014/11/10/personal-mission-statement-of-14-ceos-and-lessons-you-need-to-learn/

3) Gratitude List
Let's start by listing down the times God has been faithful to bless us in 2016. List down 10 or more things that you are grateful for in the past year. 

4) Theme Photo
Steps on how to create your theme for the year: http://annrosselle.blogspot.com/2016/12/your-theme-for-2017.html

 5) Write down your 2016 Goals.
"When you lose the capacity to dream, you lose the capacity to love."
-Pope Francis

Part of dreaming is having a planner with you where you can jot down your dreams/goals and your steps to achieve them. So for those who still don't have a planner for 2015, it's not yet too late. Drop by Papemelroti and get a very useful and budget friendly planner for only P20 or you may also invest on a good planner which will really help you achieve your goals for the year. But for those who really don't have the budget to buy one, I found this sample planner in http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/mediaengine/public/files/31_sampleplanner.pdf which you can reproduce for personal use. You may categorize according to the aspects of your life. 

6) Further write down your Monthly & Daily Goals.
For more exciting planner samples, you may check this out: http://www.passionplanner.com/get-the-passion-planner-2016

7) Claim Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." and Proverbs 16:3"

8) Act Now.
Actualization is an important step. You have to work on making your dreams come true. 

9) Monthly Gratitude List

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more."
-Melody Beattie

Every month, you need to evaluate your goals and tick the ones you've achieved. These achievements will be part of your gratitude list. The monthly gratitude list will remind you of the times God has been faithful to you. 

10) Evaluate & Revise Accordingly

Find your vision, and let it guide you in all that you do. ~John Maxwell

Hope this helps. May overflowing blessings, success & happiness chase you endlessly! God bless!

Love lots,
Ate Rosselle ♥

Gratitude List 2016

Pre-Planning 2017// Let's start by listing down the times God has been faithful to bless us in 2016. List down 10 or more things that you are grateful for in the past year.

Theme Photo 2017

I started out this 'Theme Photo 2017' campaign by asking my friends what are their themes for the coming year. Many has responded and I am very excited to share their theme photos. I tried to customize it depending on the personality of the persons. Enjoy viewing the theme photos!

You want one too? Comment on this post and I will create your very own theme photo for 2017! 

Note: When grabbing photos, please acknowledge the owner. Thank you! 

Your Theme for 2017

     "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

-Proverbs 19:21

On the last day of the year, you usually set some New year's resolutions in which you make a promise to do an act of self-improvement like lose weight, exercise daily, drink more water, quit smoking, etc. Now fast forward to December and you find yourself evaluating the resolutions you wrote and none of them were fulfilled and then the cycle goes on and on. Isn't it time to forego writing resolutions and explore something new?

 

It's time to build your year right by setting a word or theme like saying, "This is the story I want to write for myself this year!" The goal is to come up with one or two powerful action word that will serve as your theme for the year. 

How do you choose that one powerful action word? 

STEP 1: List down at least 3 goals for every aspect of your life. 

Visualize this: “Where do I want to be [Financially] by December 31, 2017?”

Example: 

• Pay off debt by March 31, 2017.
• Save ____ by Dec. 31, 2016.
• Open a life insurance account by June 30, 2017. 

STEP 2: If I accomplish these goals, what kind of person do I want to become? 

• I want to be financially independent. 
• I want financial breakthrough.
  

STEP 3: What is the importance of achieving these goals? 

• These goals are important because I need to prepare for my future.

 STEP 4: Now it's time to pick that one powerful word! 

• Invest 2017
• Financial Freedom 2017

Last Year, I started this practice of setting a theme for the year. My theme for 2016 is Exciting 2016. I aligned my goals and values to that one powerful word which is Exciting and truly 2016 brought me so much excitement in my life like going to the US for the first time and being pregnant mom-to-be. 


For 2017, I decided to pick the word Growth. Why? For two main reasons: 

• I will be giving birth in 2017 and my new priority is the growth of my baby in all aspects and
• I also want to grow in all aspects of my life most importantly in my relationships with other people, my spiritual life and my career.  

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
-John 15:5

What is your theme

for 2017? 

Guess How Much I love YOU?

Little Nut Brown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears.
He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

"Guess how much i love you," he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Bid Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms." But I love YOU this much," he said.

Hmmm, that is a lot thought Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as High as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.

 

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.

 

"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.

"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

" I love you as high as i can HOP!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

 

"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown hare and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.
  
Thats good hopping,thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.

He was almost too sleepy to think anymore.

Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night.

Nothing could be further than the sky.

"I love you right up to the MOON," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Oh,that's far" said Big Nut Brown Hare." That is very far."

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves.

He leaned over and kissed him good night.

Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile," I love you right up to the moon AND BACK."

Photos by: Mark Jopette Bryle Bongolan

My Baby Bump Journey

April 18, 2016

Three weeks after we arrived from our US vacation, I met an accident. I bumped a car inside the village and just four houses away from the house. I felt like it was a sign that something great is about to happen. 

April 19, 2016

Nikko and I became together after he bumped his car in 2012. So because of the car bump, I thought we will be having a baby already since good things happen after every bump. But lo and behold, I had my usual menstrual period for the month of April. 

May 21, 2016

I was a more than 5 days delayed already. This isn't normal. 

May 22, 2016

We bought a pregnancy test and poof I saw two lines on the test kit. I cried. It was the most genuine tears of joy I ever had in my entire life. 

May 23, 2016

We bought another pregnancy test kit and I tested positive again. Confirmed. I am pregnant! 

May 24, 2016

I downloaded Baby Center and entered the first day of my last period - April 19, 2016. Baby Center confirmed that I am 1 month pregnant and that my due date is on January 24, 2016. 

June 4, 2016

We had our first OB check up not related to my polysistic ovaries and endemetrial cyst. Yes, you read it right. I have the two things which hinders women from having a baby but that didn't stop God's plan for us to have a baby! Wink, wink! Doctor asked us to undergo ultrasound to check on the status of the baby. Ultrasound report says, "Within a well-decidualized gestational sac is a yolk soc and an embryo with good cardiac activity." Hooray! Baby is okay!

Meds my doctor advised me to take: Folic Acid 

June 15, 2016

We are 8 weeks pregnant and that's 2 months now! The whole month of June was a different one. I got tired easily. I don't want to write which is unusual for me because I love to write and write and write. 

My cravings? Buko, Ilocos Empanada, Danggit, Sunny side up egg, Mister Kebab's Special Chelo Kebab. 

July 13, 2016

We are 12 weeks pregnant! I encounter some headaches, vomiting and heart burn. Doctor even asked me to drink some medicines to prevent the symptoms. Every time I eat corned beef, I vomit after. Oh, how do I love corned beef again? 

July 23, 2016

We did another ultrasound to check on the status of my endemetrial cyst and PCOS. Hence, we also had a view of our growing baby!

 

August 10, 2016

We are 16 weeks pregnant! Hello 2nd Trimester. Love for writing is starting to come back. Symptoms are starting to die down. I am regaining my energy. During this time, I had an unusual craving for Tonkatsu. Every time I eat out, I look forward to eating Tonkatsu and unlimited salad at either Yabu or Katsu Sora.

August 13, 2016 

Check ups are beginning to be early morning dates at Jollibee followed by some afternoon lunch at the Medical City cafeteria. Oh how I look forward to monthly check ups, the simple joys of life.

September 6, 2016

We are 20 weeks pregnant! As of last ultrasound, I was diagnosed as placenta previa meaning placenta is very low and if its doesn't go up in due time, I need to go through cesarian delivery. Praying.. praying.. 

October 1, 2016

Woke up very early for OGTT which is Glucose screening and tolerance tests during pregnancy. I didn't know that there will be 3 extractions every hour starting 7:30am and I have to fast 8 hours before the 1st test and during the whole duration. During the last extraction at 9:30am, I was really starving but we need to rush to the main hospital for our Congenital Anomaly Scan appointment at 10am. During the scan, baby was too shy to show up. The doctors had a hard time identifying the gender so they asked me to go walk around for 15 minutes and come back. Upon coming back, the baby showed up! But the doctor was not sure of the gender yet so she said, "It looks like a girl!" 

October 5, 2016

We are 24 weeks pregnant and that is 6 months now! How fast is this journey called pregnancy? Every step of the way leads me closer to my baby. 

October 15, 2016

We work up early, scheduled for Breast ultrasound and had breakfast at Jollibee. We had our usual check up and requested for 3D/4D ultrasound from our OB. After, went straight to the Breast center for the monitoring of my right breast nodule. As we were so excited, after the breast ultrasound, we went straight to the Women's Health Center and scheduled our 3D/4D. Good thing, there was no line so after a few minutes, the procedure was done. We saw Baby C and confirmed that our baby is a GIRL!

October 26, 2016

We are 27 weeks pregnant - 7 months now! Hello 3rd trimester! I am starting to easily feel tired and I feel hard to breathe. I also feel some numbness in my hands every time I sleep. 

November 5, 2016

Now that we are on our 28th week, OB asked us to visit her twice a month already so we woke up very early and went straight ahead to the hospital. My doctor was the head of the OB-GYNE department of Medical City so she has a lot of patients and upon arriving at the hospital, even with an appointment, we needed to put a number beside our name just to ensure we are served first. This day was so exciting because after our OB check up, we attended a Breastfeeding class hosted by Latch Philippines. Nikko and I learned a lot and are so excited to practice everything! As Nikko says, we are now breastfeeding advocates! 

Medicines that I am drinking at this time: OBmin with DHA, Calciumade, Iron and OB added: Supraneuron B Complex.

November  19, 2016

30 weeks now!  
Medicines that I am drinking at this time: OBmin with DHA, Calciumade, Iron and OB told me I can discontinue Supraneuron because it doesn't help ease my carpal tunnel syndrome.

December 03, 2016

32 weeks now! So far everything is normal.

Medicines that I am drinking at this time: OBmin with DHA, Calciumade, Iron and OB added: Supraneuron B Complex.

December 17, 2016

Our last OB check up for the year! Jeric and Nel went with us. Did our normal Jollibee routine and went to Dr Vicencio's clinic. So far, everything is going smooth. Doc asked me to do another ultrasound to check the location of my placenta. I was previously diagnosed as placenta previa then low lying. So before I meet her on January, I have to finish the ultrasound. 

December 27, 2016

We are now 36 weeks! That means we are on the last month of the pregnancy. I had another ultrasound to check the status of my placenta. Good news! It's high lying now! Meaning, I can go through normal delivery.

January 07, 2017

For this OB check up, I was scheduled to do GBS to check if I have some infections and DTAP vaccine. I had my first cervix IE (internal exam) and Doc said it is still close.

January 14, 2017 

10 days before due date! GBS result is negative. Dr Vicencio did an IE and my cervix is still close so she gave me an additional med - Eveprim Evening Primerose Oil. It is used to soften the cervix. Doctor also asked me to do Biophysical test because I lost 3 pounds. She wanted to make sure that the baby is okay. Good thing, results are ok. Baby scored 8/8. Good job baby!

Medicines that I am drinking at this time: OBmin with DHA, Calciumade, Trihemic, Supraneuron B Complex and Eveprim. 

January 17, 2017

I woke up in the middle of the night and saw some bloody discharge in my underwear. I woke up Nikko and asked him to bring me to the hospital. At the pre-labor emergency room, I was asked to change to hospital gown. Doctors asked me to lie down. Doc Vicencio's resident doctor did an IE and said my cervix is close. 2 other interns checked the heart beat of baby and contractions through a machine. I lied down for about an hour and results are ok. The resident said, my cervix is beginning to open hence resulting to bloody discharge. She said, without back pain and contractions, its not yet real labor. 

January 18, 2017

I woke up at 4:30am and the bloody discharge increased. I texted Doc's secretary Ate Meann who told me to come and see Dr. Vicencio. At around 9am, I checked my discharge and it is still flowing like it's the first day of my period. I went to see Doc and she told me its normal and nothing to worry about. She did an IE and my cervix is still close. She asked me to do another Biophyisical test to see the status of baby and once again, Anika scored 8/8 perfect! After the test, Nikko fetched me and I wanted to hug him so tight. 

(to be continued...)