Babyland beckons...

TOMATIS PHILIPPINES

2009-08-16T10:06:00.000+08:00

short burst of the force...

2009-05-23T10:58:00.003+08:00

Because I haven't posted anything in so long, I am on a roll today!!! It's almost lunchtime, but couldn't resist doing a mini post on Quito's birthday bash. Our theme was unconventional to say the least...

In the spirit of Quito's (past) 1st birthday... May the Force be with you! Have a great weekend!:)

away we went!

2009-05-23T10:46:00.001+08:00

A week after my birthday beach weekend, Chicco and I flew to Macau with his family sans the kids. I was sad and scared to leave Quito behind (he stayed with my mom, much to her delight!), and I wasn't sure I'd have fun since I knew I would be missing him so much. Well, miss him I did, my phonebill can attest to that! But honestly, it was great being able to get away from everything and have a vacation with Chicco like we used to. After all, our last trip out of the country (before we became parents) was our honeymoon. Although I missed Quito, I realized that I missed Chicco too. (Awwww!) So it was nice that we were able to spend time together again without much responsibilities bogging us down.

We had a blast! We stayed at the Venetian Hotel which was really nice...man, I kid you not, the suites were super lovely! I wanted to take so much stuff home hahaha...like the ashtrays, toilet paper holder, box for coffee and sugar packets.... but of course I didn't. Promise! We tried our hand at gambling (With Chicco even going as far as the Grand Lisboa at night to play Poker...he lost and I kept thinking to myself "Sayang...I could've bought the new Longchamps hobo with that!" heehee!)...I stuck to the slot machines though since I was never any good at cards. :p We were also lucky enough to catch the Cirque de Soleil show Zaia, which was fantastic. God knows how long I've been dreaming of watching a Cirque de Soleil production! The show was like something out of a dream...with all these acrobats gliding through the air, dancing and singing. Lovely!!

And of course, there was the food. I think I must've gained like 10 pounds with everything I ate. Yikes! My brother, who blogs about his culinary adventures, recommended several restaurants for us to try on our trip. If I remember correctly, the only one we had a chance to try was Morton's, which did not dissapoint quality-wise (since I love steak). It helped that the servers were Filipinos and they were super friendly, and advised us that the servings were so big we could share. Naturally at the end of our meal, they gave us truckloads of Morton's after-dinner mints and matches which we gladly took. (hehe) Too bad we weren't able to try his other recommendations, but the rest of the stuff we ate was great too. I especially loved the breakfast buffet which stuffed me so much I was set for the whole day. :)

OH and what made this trip even more special was that Chicco surprised (and thrilled!) me by buying me a birthday gift that I have been wanting for around three years. Hehehe! (And no, it wasn't a Goyard.;p That I'm reserving for our next trip to Paris...someday...someday!)

Coming home to Quito was the best! When we picked him up in my mom's house, not only did he squeal happily, he hugged me so tight and kept looking at my face as if to make sure that it was really me. His huge smile made me feel real good...my little boy not only (for sure) knows who I am, but it seemed like he missed me just as much as I missed him. Needless to say, Chicco and I spent the next several days just hugging and kissing Quito to our hearts content hehe!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2009-05-23T10:21:00.005+08:00

March, my birthday month, signalled the start of a flurry of activity that was full of fun, family and good times. :) We celebrated my birthday by trekking all the way to Montemar for the weekend. I had a great birthday, surrounded by my family and my bestfriend in tow.

My brother made super duper sangria, which we just mixed with Sprite (ordered from Montemar of course!) and we drank that the whole afternoon. Beach view, drinks, sounds, friends and family... it was perfect. :) (But then by the time night rolled around, we were all so tired and tipsy we could hardly make salubong my birthday anymore. Oh well, I guess not only are we getting old...that sangria must've been really potent!)

It was also Quito's first time to swim in the ocean (and in the pool!). I really didn't want him to swim in the pool, but it was so hot and the water looked so inviting... thankfully, he didn't get any allergies or (worse) a skin disease. hehe. Q LOVED the water!! Too bad, because I am vain, I will NOT post any pics of Quito swimming with me! (hehe, I wouldn't want to scare anyone away after all haha!). It's a good thing Chicco's titas from Canada brought home Swim Diapers for Quito, he was able to use that in Montemar. I also armed myself with Skeeter Guard (these anti-mosquito patches you can stick on your clothes), and what do you know, no mosquito bites on my baby boy! (And on me!)

It was a really happy weekend. I'm glad everyone (especially Quito) enjoyed. :) I've always celebrated my birthday out of town (save for last year, when I was pregnant) and i'm glad that Chicco and I were able to follow our yearly "start of summer" tradition just like old times. :)

Quito in his Superman Hoodie towel after his morning swim. :)

I'M ALIVE!!!

2009-04-27T09:26:00.002+08:00

Just a quick post to say that i'm alive and well hehehe. :) Quito and I have had a whirlwind of activity the past two months...between two out of town trips, one out of the country trip, my birthday, Quito's birthday, last minute stuff for Quito's first birthday party AND balancing everything with work...I hardly had time to go online at all! But it's been a fun two months and I have sooo much updates on Quito's life.

Just a quick update: Quito has started to take his first steps!!! It happened last week, in our bedroom. Chicco and I were playing with Quito on our bed, and he suddenly stood up and took four really quick steps on his own! I almost fainted with delight! As of now, he's still practicing again though. So i'm not sure if it was a fluke event, and he's really not yet going to start walking on his own.

That's it for now...how are you all doing? :)

if you build it, they will come...

2009-03-08T10:50:00.005+08:00

Here I am a week before my birthday, trying to call on the Law of Attraction (hehe!) and willing the universe to conspire for and with me. I am building my "Birthday Bag Shrine" right now! Haha, i'm such a dork I know. :p Well, it's a Sunday morning and Quito is still napping, so I've got time on my hands for the first time this weekend! :D

Anyway, here are some LV Bags that I want....

Saw a girl with this bag in Pepper Lunch one time. It's really nice. Plus the name, Trevi,
reminds me of my Roman Honeymoon. :)

I super want this Damier Speedy, since I don't own a Speedy.

My friend has a bag like this, and I think it's really nice. I will own this someday. :)

THIS BAG I WANT WANT WANT!!!!

So now, I have built a shrine for LV Bags I want. Come hither and celebrate my 29th year with me! Mwahahaha! *sigh* Doesn't hurt to dream. :) And you never know right, the universe is always watching.. ;-)

because life isn't all haha heehee...

2009-03-06T08:22:00.002+08:00

It's March!!!!

I've been feeling out of sorts lately, and yesterday afternoon I think I had a breakthrough... I've been birthday blues-ing the past couple of days. I'm turning 29 (twenty-nine!!!) in a couple of weeks, and although I don't really have any reason to be depressed, I've just been feeling so out of sorts. This happens to me every single year before I celebrate my birthday.

BUT I really do have tons of stuff to get excited about. After my oh so uncharacteristic and quiet birthday celebration last year (I was pregnant after all)...this year we'll be trooping down to the beach for my birthday weekend, with family and friends in tow. So i'm looking forward to:
1) Quito seeing the ocean for the first time (I'm still debating whether to let him swim or not.),
2) My brother's special sangria (yipee!!)
3) Three days of fun fun fun!

Apart from this, the hubby and I are taking a trip with my in-laws to Macau a week after my birthday. We won't be bringing the kids. My heart hurts thinking of leaving Quito behind for a few days. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep straight through the night since i'm so used to him being beside me. BUT i'm soooo racked with guilt because even if I'm sad to leave him behind for a few days, i'm also looking forward to the trip and time alone with my husband. You see, the last time we went on a trip together was our honeymoon. We found out we were pregnant a few weeks after we got back, so no more travelling for us. :p Oh well. I'm sad, anxious to leave Quito (but he'll be with my mom anyway) and also excited and happy. Siiiiigh. I'm loonybins already. Hehehe.

I'm also trying to preoccupy myself with thoughts of my birthday gift. :) Heehee. Chicco has been teasing me that he will buy me a pair of "Jimmy SHOES" in Macau. Hmph! We'll see...we'll see...

Anyway summer is here! AND it's sooo hot! AND i'm turning 29! Aiiiieeeeeee....where have the years gone????

something to smile about...

2009-03-04T10:18:00.003+08:00

One Sunday evening, Quito's ninong Mervin came by and took snapshots of us. :)
Here we are in Quito's play area, posing for the camera. :)

Notice how I can no longer button his shirt! He's grown soooo much!
I love the little elephant print which is why I still make him wear the shirt around the house. Hee!:D

giving him an edge...

2009-03-04T09:42:00.004+08:00

Quito and I had a very busy February...he spent his days going with me to the center to do his Tomatis program. :) He is the youngest child so far (at least in the Philippines) to do a Tomatis Program. Hehe. And why did I enroll him? Well it's simple really, I just want to give him the best tools I possibly can to help make him a happier and better-equipped young man! So far Quito has started saying "Mama" and "Dada" (but indiscriminately at times), clapping his hands and climbing all over everything on our bed! I attribute this all to Tomatis! Since he started, that is when he seemed to become more self-aware and more curious about the rest of the world. Hopefully Tomatis will also improve his gross and fine motor skills, and his ability to listen properly so he can learn more things. I'm also looking forward to him having a more relaxed and positive outlook in life. :)

But of course, it's not all because of the program...since the hubby and I have been spending so much time with him lately, it's only natural that he seems to be blooming more right before our very eyes! He's such a happy happy joy joy little boy, and getting to be so fidgety! He's got the world to conquer, and us parents are his willing minions. Hehehe!

I've had my hands full with so many things to do...so i'm hoping I find more time to blog about Quito soon. :)

he stands!!!!

2009-02-04T08:50:00.003+08:00

Quito pulled himself up for the first time...check out his "trying to be brave" face. Hehe!

Now he stands and cruises all by himself, super brave and excited!

It's a good thing we practice co-sleeping or else we'll probably be waking up to Quito trying to escape out of his crib! I've actually caught him a few times trying to raise his leg over the bars. Good thing his legs are too short, and we've lowered the crib a bit more. So for now, his crib is where he practices walking and our bed is for sleeping with mama and pappy. :)

Can you imagine, my one teeny weeny boy is now standing, trying to walk, and slowly asserting his independence! Where have the months gone?!?!?!

Quito goes to Fontana...

2009-02-03T10:33:00.002+08:00

We spent the weekend with my in-laws in Fontana, and boy oh boy did Quito enjoy! All the rush rush stress of packing was worth it, when I saw how Quito would shout in glee and his face would light up when he would play with his cousins. :)

Chicco and I spent last Friday going around Divisoria looking for stuff for Quito's first birthday. While we were there, my brother-in-law called to let us know that they were able to get a 3-bedroom villa in Fontana, so what was supposed to be a Saturday day trip for us suddenly became a 3 days, 2 nights stay. I was panicking since we were supposed to leave at 8PM Friday night, and it was 4PM and we were still in Divisoria. Unpacked, with Quito and yaya at my mother-in-law's house! To be honest, I don't know how I managed to pack my things, hubby's things AND Quito's things without having a nervous breakdown. And I was able to pack everything in under an hour, mind you. (Well I ended up forgetting our toiletry kit, so we ended up buying stuff at the duty free shops...yippee!) To all mommies who've ever taken their babies on out of town trips, i'm sure you know how it is...Babies have soooo much needs! Whenever we go out of town I always end up bringing half of Quito's room. Haha! (There's clothes, towels, bath tub, toiletries, medicines, asthma inhaler, bumbo seat, pack and play, toys, blankets, diapers, milk, bottles...what have you...)

Good thing I was able to find several stuff to lessen the size of Quito's bags when we go out of town. First things first, I do not bring his bath tub. We got an inflatable bath tub from Rustan's (It's a super cute Safety 1st duckie tub that quacks when you squeeze the beak!), which packs flat so I have more trunk space for other things. Secondly, I don't bring Quito's sterilizer. I bought this nifty thing from Chicco in Baby Co. called "Dissinfetante", which is a disinfectant liquid that can replace sterilizing when the sterilizer is not available. (This used to be in tablet form, like alka-seltzers) I have used both these things on Quito's last four out of town trips...Subic, Mimosa, Baguio and Fontana. Total space-savers, which means not only can I bring more toys for Q (like his car!), I was able to buy more stuff at Duty Free! Now all I need is to buy an extra umbroller as Quito's gigantor stroller takes up half our trunk space as it is. Then we'll have so much trunk space and be free as birds! hehe! :)

Since Quito's still so young, and he has super sensitive skin, I didn't let him swim in Fontana's water park. But definitely, next time I will bring an inflatable pool for him so he doesn't feel left out when his cousins troop to the water park without him!

Pictures to follow!:)

riding in cars...

2009-01-26T08:46:00.004+08:00

...with my boys. :)

Quito learns to drive. :)

To say my son loves riding in the car is an understatement. Not only because he seems to understand that riding in the car means we're going somewhere ("pasyal") but also because there's so many things to stare at, like giant buses, other cars on the road, etc. Nowadays, it's rare that Quito falls asleep in the car...he's always so busy looking out the window, or playing in the backseat or squealing in delight (my son is highly excitable).

all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

2009-01-10T10:49:00.002+08:00

Quito's first tooth broke out of his gums in December. It was the front tooth on his lower gum. A few weeks later, Quito got his two front teeth (upper gumline) for Christmas! :) To celebrate this milestone, I gave him pears (which I craved so much for when I was still pregnant with him) to snack on. He loved the pears, and I think the coolness (they were refrigerated) plus the crunching sensation help his teething woes.

So now I give him pears as a snack, apart from his organic teething biscuits (which somehow make him end up smelling like seasoning after hahaha). We cut up the pears and put it inside his teething feeder (another BPA-free find which I purchased from The Soft Landing), then off Quito goes chewing and mashing the pears to his heart's content. :)

Gnawing away!

Quito: "I love pears!" :)

baby you can drive my car...

2009-01-10T10:43:00.003+08:00

... and yes i'm gonna be a star...beep beep beep beep yeah!!! :)

One of the best gifts Quito received last Christmas was a "car"
from his doting Nona. Every morning, before and after breakfast,
he "drives" his car around the first floor of our house. Super cute! Hehe :D

lady killer

2009-01-06T10:43:00.003+08:00

Quito wore a suit to his Tita Tootsie and Tito Bem's wedding up in Baguio. He was petted, cooed over, hugged and carried by so many people (strangers included) and I was approached by so many women gushing over how handsome my little boy is. What can I say, my son is a lady killer hehehe! ;-)

the Christmas rush...

2009-01-06T10:12:00.003+08:00

Last Christmas really crept up on us! One minute it was November and I was preparing my Christmas gift list and our holiday season battle plan, and the next thing I knew, the hubby and I were running around like headless chickens trying to find perfect gifts for everyone in between all the parties, family get togethers and Quito time. (And work of course! Thank God for the uber long holiday though hehehe!) Traffic was terrible as expected, parking a nightmare as usual and the malls were jampacked with last minute shoppers like us. But for some reason, in spite all the STRESS of last minute Christmas cramming, I was so full of Christmas cheer and delight...so excited that after all these years Chicco and I were celebrating Christmas with our very own son. :)

What a jampacked holiday we had...Christmas eve and Christmas day celebrations with our dear families, our barkada Christmas party, two weddings, two out of town trips and lots of family bonding time for me and my little family. :) Quito was such a little trooper...no matter how tiring and activity-filled his days were, he would always have the energy to play, laugh, and amuse us with his Quito-ness. Hehehe.

Christmas Eve was spent in my in-laws home, and all the members of my husband's clan joined us for dinner, drinks and the annual cousins exchange gift. Quito was up til past his bedtime, playing with his cousins in Lola's old room until around 10pm when I put him down for bed. I woke him up at midnight (Bad mama! But it's Christmas!) so he could take part in a bit of the Christmas greeting festivities, but after around 15 minutes he just conked out in my arms.

Christmas Day was fun fun fun...we were so excited to open all of Quito's gifts! (More than Quito was, that's for sure!) I was so kilig and happy, knowing that so many people cared enough to make Quito's first Christmas extra special by giving him a little token or a gift. And I loved Quito's look of delight whenever we would show him a new toy we had opened for him. He was screaming his head off in glee at the end of our christmas gift opening session. Then off to my abuelita's house for our annual Christmas lunch with my family, where Quito played with even more cousins and we stuffed ourselves with even more food! That evening we had dinner with my in-laws (Swiss Inn yum yum yuuuuuuum!!!!) after hearing mass. Quito was super fast asleep practically the entire time!

The Saturday after Christmas found us zipping through the North Luzon Expressway towards Pampanga for my cousin Pat's wedding. It was a beautiful intimate affair held in Holiday Inn Clark. I was so glad we booked a villa, so we were able to stay overnight (and have a few drinks to cap of the evening) with my sister, ninong bunny (who followed after the wedding to sleep over hehe) and my cousins. The day after we arrived home from Clark, off we went to Baguio for my cousin-in-law's super fab wedding at the Country Club!

Baguio was soooo cold!!!! But the trip was really worth it...Quito was just the cutest little boy in his pseudo-winter outfits. Tootsie and Bem's wedding was beautiful and memorable, and Quito was such a dapper baby in his tiny 3 piece suit. :) We stayed until New Year's day, hied off to Manaoag to pay homage to Our Lady and had a last fiesta with my husband's clan in yummy yummy Matutina before heading back to Manila.

Amidst all that flurry of activity, Quito got a cold. :( and a cough. AND an asthma attack. Thank God we were back in Manila, where he is still recuperating. Haaay this last sickie ordeal is a post all unto itself.

So that was our Christmas holiday in a nutshell. How was yours?

Will post pics soon.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!!!! :)

something that made me think

2008-12-08T22:20:00.002+08:00

I just read through my emails and I came across this disturbing one that seems to be making the rounds in Manila...it's about this Atenean named Tracy Isabel Borres and her blow by blow account of her immersion experience with an Aeta community in Pampanga. (Immersion is viewed as sort of a rite of passage for every graduating Atenean. We choose to spend a weekend with either fisher folk, urban poor, an aeta community..I can't remember the other choices sorry, it's been years since I was a senior.) My groupmates and I chose to spend a weekend immersing ourselves with an Aeta community, just like Tracy did.

While I don't remember every single detail of our weekend, I do remember feeling some apprehension and fear. Because I'm deathly afraid of heights, and I didn't realize at the start that we would be going up a mountain. And also because back then, I was a sheltered teen-ager and I just didn't know what exactly to expect. (It's something of a quirk of mine, I don't like surprises much...I feel so much more at ease when I know what to expect of situations.) I won't lie and say that going through my immersion was a walk in the park, I had my moments when I wanted to give up (missing my bathroom was hard but I REFUSED to be a super primadonna)..but I didn't. And I walked away from that weekend with a greater understanding of the world, and of myself.

I guess what I'm trying to do right now is process how what this Tracy girl wrote made me feel. The subject of the email I got was something like "Shameful Atenean". And I think that's primarily what I feel...ashamed (for her). Naturally, she has every right to enjoy her freedom of speech and all that. But it's just so sad and shameful. And shallow. Sure, I won't pretend that I have never had any "diri" moments (not just in immersion)...but to actually talk about it the way she did...just seems so crass and pa-cool. And it really is NOT COOL when people try to come off as super privileged and mata pobre.

I really believe in the saying "To whom much is given, much is expected." And the expectations don't just pertain to donating monetary amounts to a charity...I think that it's the ability to feel compassion for others that matters the most. To be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes and walk away from that experience richer in spirit.

AAAAAAgh. It's just so dissapointing. And embarrassing. Sayang sayang sayang that this poor little rich girl missed the whole point of immersion...if she wasn't so stuck on reminding her posse of just how spoiled and wealthy she is, maybe she would have walked down that mountain a better person. But then again, I don't know her so I guess I shouldn't judge her. *SIGH*

christmas in november

2008-12-06T23:30:00.003+08:00

*** This is a seriously delayed post...Pretend it's still November...hehehe....***

We bought Quito an Exersaucer!!! Woohoo! :D

I have been salivating over this Evenflo Exersaucer ever since Dr. Nuguid told me that it's a good (award winning) toy for babies. Hubby and I were in Rockwell doing errands, and while I was having some gifts wrapped in that gift-wrapping shop he decided to walk over to the temporary location of Baby&Co. to kill time. He went back to the gift wrapping place and told me he had a surprise for me in Baby&Co. Lo and behold, it was an Exersaucer!! I got so super excited, since I was already going to buy one on Amazon and just have it shipped here in time for Christmas...good thing I didn't. hehehe. :)

Okay, well...it wasn't the actual type I wanted (I wanted to get the ABC 123 whatever model)..but I was just so happy that they finally carried Exersaucers here that I bought it right away. I was smiling the whole day!

Chicco and I decided that we would put up our Christmas Tree that weekend so we could display Quito's first Christmas gift. And we also agreed that we wouldn't wait for Christmas day to open this particular gift...hence the need for the tree to be up na. We planned to just make Quito pose with the gift beside our tree, and pretend it was on Christmas Day for posterity's sake. Not that Quito would know right? (Well, someday if he reads this then he'll know...Note to Quito: sorry anak, we were just so excited for you!)

Here's some pics of Quito's First Christmas (in November, hehe!)...

Super excited parents...Quito liked pounding on our gift.
Maybe we should buy him a drum set?

Finally tearing the wrapper! Quito LOVED doing this! :)

Discovering the Switcharoos for the first time...

I think this is the moment it sank in that this contraption was pretty cool and all his. :)

My super happy and excited baby boy :)

my futbolista

2008-11-16T06:59:00.004+08:00

Future Henry ? Heehee a mother can dream!

Quito was just the cutest little futbolista last Halloween. Hmmm, maybe he'll end up as the first Filipino on a Spanish futbol team someday! Haha! He wore the original uniform of FC Barcelona (without the shoes...FCB socks only, baby pa!) and toted around a little futbol to complete the look. Quito joined his cousins Ate's Ania & Maita for some trick or treating fun at Valle Verde, along with a bevvy of fairies, vampires, witches and super heroes. He seemed to enjoy himself, since he loves watching kids nowadays...but I think he'll enjoy more next year. :) So that was Quito's first halloween party.

How about you, how did you spend your halloween? :)

Six Months and counting....

2008-11-15T16:55:00.005+08:00

I've been really REALLY busy the past couple of weeks, hence my lack of updates. I hope I'll be able to update this blog more often again. Quito and I have been really busy honing his skills (or as his Pappy calls them "Quito's tricks") like sitting up unassisted (Although when he gets excited or starts reaching for something he tends to fall flat on his face, hehe so cute!), grabbing stuff, eating his solid food, close-open (with his hand -he's not interested yet), and crawling. He's been creeping for quite a while now, and just recently we noticed that he was already perfecting his "crawling stance", complete with butt in the air and legs perfectly poised for a leisurely crawl on the bed. He still needs more practice, but it still amazes me that only six months ago all Quito could do was lie down, poop and cry mostly. I am and I think I will always be in awe of his developmental milestones. :)

Here are a few pictures of Quito, will be posting more maybe tonight or tomorrow. :)

Celebrating with a cupcake on Quito's 6th month :)

We got Quito a walker (the closest thing we could find to an Exersaucer) so he could sit upright and play which he loves. He loves all the doodads and bells and whistles of this walker. (Which I put on our bed so he can't actually "walk".)

I love these pajama's of Q. He looks like a little Dalmatian when he wears this. Too bad he'll be outgrowing it soon!

A few months ago, I ordered several BPA-Free stuff from The Soft Landing. One of the stuff I bought was a JeJe Vibrating Teether, in anticipation of when Q will start teething. This vibrating teether massages the gums, which is supposed to help his teeth break out of his gums I guess. He's been drooling and gnawing away to no end for a few weeks already. So I know it's only a matter of time before his little teeth will start emerging!

That's all for now...will be posting more soon!!! :)

bumbo fun!

2008-10-17T18:33:00.002+08:00

Here are some pics of Quito and his Bumbo seat. Soooo cute! And I believe it's helped him sit up, I swear! :)

Whee!!! :)

Quito and Mama (trying to hide my fat behind Quito haha!)

Love it!!! :D

yum!!

2008-10-09T08:31:00.002+08:00

Breaking news...I just read in Inquirer that Royce will open this November in Rockwell!!! HOORAY!!! No more trooping to Konbini and getting disappointed that all the Royce goodies are sold out! (I keep forgetting to reserve.)

ALSO...to all frozen yogurt lovers out there...my tita has finally opened a stand-alone yogurt shop in Rockwell too (gosh...Pepper Lunch, then Royce and now this...I heart heart heart Rockwell!). Check out Lulubelle, located in the new children's section(near the mac shop, where the bowling place used to be). Lulubelle's frozen yogurt is the same one as the one they serve at FIC's Ice Cream Bar. Yum yum yum!!!!

preggy tag!

2008-10-09T07:55:00.003+08:00

Thanks Nikki for this tag!

Preggy Facts:

1. Who did you first inform about your pregnancy and how?
My husband! It was the week after we got back from Europe (when we were there palang, he was already suspecting that I might be pregnant and wouldn't let me take any ponstan for my migraines!). My husband bought me 3 pregnancy tests the day before, and I took the tests while he was snoring away. I was so shocked when the tests turned out positive!!! We went to his parent's house to tell them right away, and then trooped to Makati to let my parents know of our happy news. :)

2. Maximum weight?
Shoot, this is my HUGEST issue now! I've never been this gigantic. (Up to now!) :( I gained around 50 lbs, and so far I've only lost around 20lbs.

3. Cravings?
Pears, soft-serve vanilla ice cream, pineapples, CPK's Spinach and Artichoke Dip and...LV bags! Hahaha! :D

4. Aversions?
I couldn't stand my husband's smell the first few months. And the sweaty smell of my kids (I was still teaching preschool during my first trimester) after outdoor play time. :( Oh and I was extra OC about the dirt level of my floors...my helpers had to scrub our floors every single day since I wanted them gleaming white all the time!

5. Morning Sickness?
More like Night Sickness for me! I would get soooo dizzy!

D Day Facts:

1. Number of Kids/Deliveries?
One

2. NSD or CS?
CS

3. Girl or Boy?
I have a baby boy! :)

4. AOG (age of gestation) on Birth?
ummm I forgot...I think around 34 weeks

5. How long in labor?
I was induced for two days, endured the IE's and ended up giving birth to Quito via CS. (I had APAS which was why I was induced and Quito didn't descend due to multiple cord coil hence the need for a CS)

--------------

Share your pregnancy and birthing stories to my fellow moms - Jammy, Carol, Sab, Jenny and MM!

Here I am in the Birthing Suite hooked up to the fetal heart monitor, having contractions and super excited to finally see and be with Quito!!!

Blue Eagle THE KING!!!!!

2008-09-26T13:13:00.003+08:00

Yahoo!!! :D

Go Ateneo, one big fight!

Quito and I had a great time yesterday. We watched the game on TV in my mom's house with his Ninangs Anna and Marga and Anna's friend Jill. All four of us are die-hard Ateneans, so it was really fun! We had so much fun jumping up and down, cheering and screaming when we won. Hehe.
There was a point in the game when DLSU was able to shave Ateneo's lead to just 3 points, I think I was so tense that Quito got tense too. Poor baby, he decided to just sleep in my arms during the entire 2nd half of the game. As in, he slept through our shouting and jumping up and down when we won!

This is really dorky, but yesterday morning I happened to mention to our dear Mama Mary that if Ateneo wins the championship today then maybe that'll be a sign that Quito will be as good a basketball player as Chris Tiu. Heehee. ;-) Hey, a mother can hope right? But really, if Quito someday decides that he'd rather be on the Varsity Chess Team or something, I'll be okay with it. But Chicco and I really wish he'd be a star athlete (and hopefully play for our team in the UAAP someday, while we proudly wear our school colors and cheer for our baby boy!). Heehee!:D

***Song for our dear Mama Mary is playing in my head. (Heehee!) We pray you keep us Mary faithful to youuuuuuu.....!****

boo hoo hoo

2008-09-23T08:59:00.002+08:00

My dear hubby is leaving for a business trip to Davao and Cebu today. He'll be back Saturday evening. I've been moping about his trip for the past five days. :(

I don't know why, but our house just doesn't feel as safe when he isn't around. :(

I'm sad because:
1) I can't watch Moonlight since we watch it together before sleeping (and I don't want to watch anyway, it's so much more fun to watch our shows together).
2) We won't watch Game 2 of the UAAP finals together.
3) I won't have anyone to pick little fights with. (heehee)
4) I will miss miss miss my hubby badly!

Thank GOD for Quito, he'll keep me company until Chicco gets back! At least I'll be entertained and have someone to snuggle with at night. :)

Quito's September Part 2

2008-09-21T08:27:00.003+08:00

Quito's laughter never fails to make my day. No matter how tired or cranky I am, whenever I see & hear him laughing his heart out I always cheer up.

He has a pair of shorts I bought in Cotton Stuff (or Wee Essentials, I forget) from SM that say "Thank Heaven for Little Boys". Sigh. I couldn't agree more! :)

***Btw, to all mommies who are looking for tagless clothes for their babies - Cotton Stuff and Wee Essentials in SM have tagless clothing (kimono tops, pajamas, onesies, etc) that won't break the bank! Before I gave birth I bought tons of Quito's everyday clothes from these two brands in SM, and they are just as nice and durable as his Gerber tagless clothes from Rustan's. In fact, in my opinion Cotton Stuff uses better quality cotton. (100%, super soft to the touch and comfy - and I don't use Downy only Cycles for Q's clothes) That's all, just wanted to share. ;)

Game 1

2008-09-21T08:20:00.002+08:00

ADMU vs DLSU Game 1 today.

We aren't watching live, partly due to laziness and also because my brother-in-law's scalper is selling Upper A tickets at Php2,000.00 each! (Egad too expensive for me!) Maybe I'll suggest to Chics that we watch in Chili's or something...so I can eat chicken fajitas while watching the game. After all, I eat whenever I'm stressed out and ADMU vs DLSU games always stress me out.

Anyway...

Please Mama Mary, please please please bless our team! Go Ateneo! ;-)

Quito's September

2008-09-19T07:20:00.004+08:00

Here are some pics from Quito's September. He is turning 5 months old on the 22nd...my goodness, my little big baby boy has really grown so much. We are really enjoying him now, as he is so responsive (always talking and laughing at and with us) and everything he does is just so funny and cute (biased parents what can I say haha)!

Eczema boy

My baby boy had a nasty bout of eczema this month. I am blaming myself completely, since allergies are normally inherited (and I have very bad allergies...we're talking hives and going to the ER for steroid IV's. The real deal. Ugh!). How did Quito's eczema start? Well, he loves sucking his thumb, fingers, hand...and then he smears his hand (with all that saliva) all over his face. So his face got mondo irritated! Now, we clean his hands and face every couple of hours with a cotton pad and Dr. Edwards water. Seems to be working!

Mr. Grabby

It was this month that Quito started really playing with his toys (not just the accidental swatting of toys). He loves to grab, pull, twist and eat (Of course! My son is orally fixated...help!) his toys nowadays. A far cry from when I would put him in his Kick & Play gym and he would scream his head off after five minutes. Now it's explore, explore, explore, play, play and play for my little guy.

Tummy Time Play

Tummy time is now super fun time for Quito, especially now that he can hold his head up longer (and steadier) than ever before! He is now able to turn over, (back and belly) and can actually roll all around our bed (slowly of course). Quito also loves trying to eat his hand while lying on his tummy, which results in major drool-age on my bedsheets. (Picture above is of him playing in his room. Of course, he isn't drooling on his own bed haha!)

Yummy yummy yummy I've got love in my tummy!

I wanted Quito to start developing his fine motor skills (since he's already started grasping and grabbing things anyway), so nowadays we let him hold his own bottle. (Of course, we secretly help him but I want him to think he's doing it all by himself so he'll be more confident! Is this good, or bad of me?) Sometimes he still needs help unfurling his hands, but I can tell he loves taking charge of holding his bottle and feeding himself. That's my boy! :)

Tireless Q

This son of mine...he hardly takes naps nowadays. It's like he's thinking "I've got places to go and people to see." Hahaha! He is such an active baby. So much so, that he can play and play away to his heart's content and then it will just hit him that he is dead tired. So he'll cry and cry until he is rocked and snuggled to sleep. The minute he wakes up, after his customary 5 minute murmuray, (*Ilocano word meaning that sleepy wakefulness where you are just staring off into space after a deep sleep) he is at it again! Turn over here, grab this toy, eat his toy, chew his hand, drool all over mama's bed, kick and shout and laugh...then ask to be carried and cuddled. :)

More pics to follow! :)

what bliss is this? =)

2008-09-17T07:24:00.004+08:00

My hubby surprised me with a bouquet of long stem red roses for our 1st year wedding anniversary last Monday. I was at our center talking to my partners, when all of a sudden my driver comes up to me and without any aplomb thrusts the bouquet in my face and says "Galing kay Sir." Still, I was taken by surprise and delighted by the gesture. :)

I surprised him with a card. Hahahaha!

We had a wonderful dinner at Je Suis Gourmand at the Fort. Wine and cheese, steak, good company and conversation...all the perfect ingredients for much-needed alone time with my husband. :) It felt good being just the two of us again, (of course, we kept talking about how much we adore our son) just like the old times when it was just the two of us. We've had years of good dinner dates behind us, but this one was extra special because we were celebrating our marriage. Awwww! ;-) After dinner, we rushed home to be with our little boy right away! Hehe!

So...what did we get for our first year wedding anniversary? Chic got a new TV for our bedroom and I got earrings and a ring! Yipee!!! :D

I'm so happy that we're so happy. Such bliss we're experiencing now...Quito, good memories of our wedding and honeymoon, our new home, new business... we've definitely been blessed this year. Thank you God!

a wedding on my mind...

2008-09-14T21:51:00.003+08:00

This time last year I was downing a johnny coke while doing last minute wedding preps with my mom, sister and sister-in-law. I was one giant bundle of nerves. If I knew then what I know now, that my wedding day would go by in a blur (I've heard this from so many people, but didn't really believe them until it was my turn to experience it), then maybe I wouldn't have been so nervous. Besides, everything fell into place, as it always has for me and Chicco. Perfectly. :)

long weekend

2008-09-13T20:41:00.004+08:00

Dead tired.

This is a really loooooooong weekend for me. Was at our new center the whole day today, and then tomorrow again. And then Monday.

Oh where oh where have my carefree days with my baby gone?

Siiiiigh. This is all for Quito anyway, is what I keep telling myself.

I feel like I keep missing Quito lately. I think maybe he misses me too, because he has started waking up earlier than his 8am wake-up time (since he started sleeping through the night last July). Quito is up by 6am, and we end up cuddling and playing (after I feed him) until 8am. It is our "alone time". :)

I'll post some pics of Quito soon, he really is a big baby boy now! :)

Come one, come all!

2008-09-04T08:55:00.007+08:00

In 1947 Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis, a French ear, nose, and throat physician, made a breakthrough discovery: that one’s voice/speech is directly affected by the health of one’s ear. If all the parts of the ear, especially the Middle and Inner ear, are working well, then a person could develop optimal listening skills, have better muscle control (fine and gross motor skills, coordination and balance), and a better grasp of language and abstract thinking, including concentration, prolonged attention and memory.

Dr. Tomatis developed this finding into a method of healing called the Tomatis Listening Therapy. Over the years, the Tomatis Method has become a silver lining in the cloud for the parents and relatives of children and adults with learning delays and difficulties, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, or those with speech, language, and communication problems such as dyslexia and auditory processing problems.

Come September 14, Françoise Nicoloff, a French Psychologist who has been working with the Tomatis Method for the past 30 years will be in the country to deliver a lecture entitled “Brain Gain with No Pain: How the Tomatis Method Helps to Re-Pattern the Connections to the Brain.” It will be held at Quality Life Discoveries, #70 20th Avenue, Project 4, Quezon City, the newest branch of the Tomatis Listening Therapy. There will also be scheduled one-on-one assessments with Miss Nicoloff. For more information, please call us at 7712046 or email us at info@tomatis.com.ph.

You can also check out our website, http://www.tomatis.com.ph

Please help me spread the word about this seminar, especially to parents with children diagnosed with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder and learning difficulties. Help me spread the silver lining guys! :-)

the reunion

2008-09-01T21:18:00.003+08:00

Chic & I watched the Eraserheads reunion concert last Saturday.

MAN I love the Eraserheads!

We were on the guest list, so we thought we wouldn't have to line up forever to get in --- boy were we wrong! There was a line getting into the Fort, a line for parking, a line to enter the VIP area AND a line to confirm your name on the guest list. We waited in line for almost an hour, but it was cool, we were both so psyched to be there. :) We got in just as the countdown to the concert hit 4 seconds to go...talk about a photo finish!

Needless to say, the Eraserheads did not disappoint us. I was thoroughly enjoying the concert, even when I was super tired, sweaty and dying to sit down...I could feel my crankiness starting to creep into my system, but I didn't want to leave. Chic, ever-mindful of how bratty I can get when I get too tired kept asking me if I was okay, and we could go if I wanted to - but I couldn't bring myself to leave. Well...until the intermission. :P I was getting too tired, standing there for over an hour with no water (line was majorly long) and I was all set to tell Chic that I wanted to go already, when the band came onstage and announced that Ely Buendia, their lead singer, had to be rushed to the hospital. I almost cried during the moment of silence, when the whole crowd uttered their own prayers for his recovery. Talk about being lost in the moment. I hope he really gets better though, been mentioning him in my prayers too - I think he has a son also you know.

It was still a great concert, and I'm so thankful (to my bro-in-law Vinci for the tickets hehe!) that Chic & I were able to watch what could very well be the super duper final reunion performance of this great band. The aching feet, sweatiness and ickyness were all worth it. :)

It's too bad I didn't get to hear them play Ang Huling El Bimbo. Definitely one of my favorites.:)

...magkahawak ang ating kamay at walang kamalay-malay
na tinuruan mo ang puso ko na umibig ng tunay...

Sigh. Cheesy as it may be, that line always brings me back to my college days, when Chic & I were just starting out as a couple and we had no idea we'd come to this point in our lives together. :) yihee hahahaha!

heart swells

2008-08-25T23:42:00.003+08:00

Quito turned four months old last August 22.

Imagine! Four months ago he was super teeny weeny and always asleep!!! Now, he is very active and curious. He loves looking around, focusing on the paintings on our walls and staring at the floor and ceiling. He has also started turning over (front and back), so although he has started sleeping through the night (since his third month), I still don't sleep through the night. I am forever waking up with a start (mid-dream! drat!) to check if he turned over in his sleep. So far I haven't caught him stuck sleeping flat on his belly. Thank God too, because as I've mentioned before, sleeping on his back is anti-SIDS and all mommies are anti-SIDS (Remember, back is best!).

The best part of Quito's developmental milestones is his chuckling. It's such a joy to hear and see him chuckling his heart out whenever his Pappy or Ninong Vinci call him "Quitoboy....tabachoy!". I get so entranced and I really feel my heart swell (I wonder if other moms know what I'm talking about...this heart swelling sensation when looking at their babies?I don't know how else to describe it but it's like my heart expands.). *sigh* I'm SUPER IN LOVE with my baby!

"Pandora's box"

2008-08-25T23:02:00.003+08:00

In one of the yahoogroups I belong to, there is a thread about LV bags. A lot of the wives and moms in the group are die-hard fans. As in, so die-hard that they actually know the names of their LV bags. Hehe, I unfortunately, do not. hehehe! It's actually super fun to read what they have to say, and their stories about their first LV's. It made me feel good knowing that you can be a good wife and mom and still relish "shallow material things". Also, it's so nice to know that I am not alone -- there are other mommies out there who love bags as much as I do. hehehe!

Someone mentioned that the LV Speedy is considered the "Pandora's box" of LV bags. Meaning it is an entry-level bag into the wonderful world of Louis Vuitton, and once you buy this bag it will turn you into a major baghag who will want more, more, MORE! Hmmm. My first LV was back when I was in college, a black epi number...did I miss out on the whole LV Pandora's box thing? Maybe. I want other bags too, not just LV, so I guess I can say that I only have a MINI Pandora's box. And my bag purchases reflect how low-key I've been for a few years now (Just a few Jim Thompson and Longchamps bags being the majority of my purchases.).

I have been thinking of acquiring a Mini Lin Speedy for a while now (I don't care that it's common!), but the thought that it might turn out to be my (GIANT) Pandora's box scares me. I only have a few LV bags (and 2 red wallets heehee!), not enough for me to say I have a collection worth talking about. What if I finally get the Mini Lin and it turns me into a baghag wannabe? What else will I start wanting...Goyard?(Yes please. Blue with my monogram. And I know when I want it...when Chic & I go back to Paris someday. So I guess we really won't go back for decades no, heehee!) Hermes? Drool. I think Chicco will kill me if I buy a Goyard or Hermes bag, and then have a heart attack after when he gets the bill, hahaha! :p

So maybe I will hold off on the Mini Lin. (*But if my hubby, who I know reads my blogs once in a while, decides to surprise me with a Mini Lin, I promise him (and my mom who buys all my LV bags for me haha - Hi Ma, love you!) that I will not ask for another LV bag for at least 3 years. Or until I get pregnant again (my prize!). Whichever comes first. heehee!) After all, I still have some stuff I want (not as big ticket as an LV or a Goyard) like my future collection of Tory shoes and at least one tote! ;-D siiiiiiiiiigh.

And I actually think not owning a speedy has kept my Pandora's box closed. :p

I'm on a roll!

2008-08-13T22:45:00.006+08:00

Like the true proud mama that I am, here are a few pictures of my little boy in all his cutie pie glory...

Quito: "Look ma, baby push-ups!" :D
Quito can now hold his head up and do tummy time play for extended periods of time. Sometimes he even rolls back on his back all by himself. :)
Quito: "Mama, what am I doing here?" :(
What can I say...sometimes he likes his car seat and sometimes he just doesn't. :p

My favorite boys :)

Quito with his cousins Enrique and Xavi. I think kawawa naman the girls
once these guys become teen-agers hehehe!

Quito's chicks
My sister Anna, my mom and me are just some of Quito's chicks.
There's also his Mumsy, Ninangs Chachi, Marga and Des to name a few.
Hopefully we'll be his only chicks for a very very VERY long time. (Like until he graduates college. LOL!)

my new best friend

2008-08-13T22:24:00.002+08:00

Meet my new best friend the Exergen Temporal Scanner. This is a thermometer which measures body heat by way of the temporal artery (which is found on the head). I used to use my Safety 1st Ear Thermometer during times when I would worry about Quito being too warm. Up until last Tuesday when he did get a fever for real. I thought my old thermometer was alright, but when I was trying to get an accurate reading for Quito that day it was giving me really fluctuating results. So Chicco and I decided to use a rectal thermometer on our poor baby boy, who not only absolutely HATED it, he also tried to wiggle away from under my hands as if trying to get away from the vile thing! (Which of course made me nervous...what if the thermometer broke? All that mercury...)

Quito's pedia uses the Exergen Thermometer, and everytime it's used on Quito in the clinic I am amazed at how easy it looks to get a temperature reading. You just scan the Exergen on your baby's forehead! Lucky for us, we were able to snag our doctor's thermometer - he offered to lend it to us (I think out of pity because Chicco & I must've looked like super desperate first-time parents hahaha!) but we wanted to keep it forever and ever (You can only get this in the States I think, and I do not want to wait for it to be shipped here.) so we asked him if we could just buy it. Luckily he agreed. YAY! Chic and I went on a temperature reading frenzy hehehe! Chicco was scanning Quito's forehead every 30 minutes. Me too! We were scanning our foreheads too. How dorky noh? Hahaha!

It's my new best friend! Especially right now...I just scanned my son's forehead a few minutes ago and the reading was 36.8. No more fever! Yahoo!!! :D

call the doctor quick, quick, quick!

2008-08-13T18:43:00.003+08:00

Quito woke us up at 4:30am yesterday, crying and kicking in his crib. I thought he was just hungry so I prepared his milk and picked him up to feed him. OMG he was HOT! Right away I checked his temperature (with our ear thermometer), and although the reading was 36.9 he was very warm to the touch. Chicco woke up while I was quietly freaking out, and we proceeded to freak out together. Quito fell asleep again and since we were so worried, we ended up trying to watch an episode of Monster Quest on dvd. Fast forward to 9am, Quito's temperature was already 38.5C. I called his pedia, Dr. N., right away and was instructed to give him Tempra and come see him this afternoon.

Quito was due for a few vaccinations yesterday, but those were cancelled due to his fever. Apparently Quito has a cold, which triggered his fever. My poor poor baby. I think I will never bring him out in public ever again, I can almost picture those evil germs wafting through the air in Rockwell and polluting him on-site. :(

He's still sick now (but his fever is down THANK GOD!) and is on TONS of medicines. Turns out I am not the type of mom who can do the "natural way" (alternative medicines or no medicines at all, just sponge baths and prayers). While I was pregnant, I read so many arguments about how alternative is the way to go and for a minute there I was sold. But then, knowing me and my easily frazzled nature...bring on the meds and make my baby well asap!

Quito's first fever was such an ordeal for me and Chicco. We have been by his side round the clock. I think Quito's enjoying it hehehe! Anything for my little man!

Chic's big 3-0!!!

2008-08-11T10:54:00.010+08:00

Chicco turned 30 over the weekend!

We had non-stop celebrations starting Friday night (well, Chicco started celebrating Thursday night by taking his employees out for dinner and drinks hehe!) and needless to say, I am still recovering from all the partying. Friday night found us in this videoke place on Tomas Morato Ave. called Centerstage. We booked two large rooms for our 30+ guests, all of whom just loooove singing their hearts out! Personally, I don't enjoy videoke so much (I must be part of the 1% of Filipinos the world over who doesn't like videoke) but I found myself belting out 80's rock ballads and ABBA songs in the wee hours of Saturday morning. (Must've been all the scotch and rum cokes hehe!) It was a really fun night, which ended at around 4am.

Happy Birthday!!!

The next day (Chic's birthday!!!), we had a late lunch at Choi Garden in Greenhills (Located where Country Waffles used to be). This place always has so many cars in their parking area, so we were intrigued. (Many cars=many diners=good food?) We had a really enjoyable lunch of fresh seafood, shark's fin soup, duck and so many other yummy stuff...I highly recommend this place to everyone who loves Chinese cuisine.

My boys wearing identical shirts :)

Quito and Ninang Chachi mesmerized by the Lapu-Lapu

And baby makes three! :)
(Cranky Quito wanted to sleep)

Dinnertime found us at Aubergine with our family. This is just the second time Chicco & I have eaten here, and I super love it! I have a feeling it might soon overtake Le Souffle as my favorite restaurant of all time! (Yes it's that good. Or maybe I always order the same thing so I never get disappointed hehe.) The food is excellent, they have this nifty electronic pepper mill that I covet AND the presentation or plating of the food is fantastic. We went through around four bottles of wine (which my dad & brother brought), it's a good thing they didn't charge us corkage anymore hehe. (Well, we were a party of around 17 after all.) To all you foodies out there, my brother wrote about our dinner and posted some pictures in his blog.

After dinner we dropped by Barcino and had a few glasses of wine before calling it a night.

I was glad when we got home and saw Quito sleeping soundly in his crib. :)

65% Stay-at-home-mom

2008-08-08T08:25:00.005+08:00

I have been one busy little bee the past couple of weeks!! Because.... i'm preparing myself for going back to work! Yes friends, I am going back to work again - only this time I won't be teaching in a preschool anymore. My husband invested in a biz with my brother, sister-in-law and some of their friends and I'll manage it. Thank GOD it's near my house AND before I told my husband how much I wanted to be a part of this business I really made sure that this endeavor of mine will not take me away from my Quito completely. It's a good thing my sister-in-law runs the original business in Alabang, she was able to explain to me all about her flexi-time etc. Because although I miss having somewhere (also) important to go to everyday, I DO NOT want to prioritize work over my family.

What's the new biz? It's called Tomatis.

So I have been traipsing back and forth to Alabang the past couple of weeks for training. I am SO tired!! I never thought that it would be so tiring! Because apart from having to work, there's my travel time that adds to my fatigue. But since I don't want to sound too whiney, I have to say that I am enjoying this. Although I get sad whenever I think of how I might miss out on a Quito milestone, or that i'm being a bad mom for wanting to work even for a few hours during the day - i'm looking on the bright side...since I'm a part-owner of the biz in QC, I can bring Quito to the center once in a while. And since it's near my house I can get back to Quito easily!

I bring Quito with me whenever I go to Alabang. Once he stayed with me at the center (and he was a super good boy!), he stays in my brother's house or I drop him off in my mom's house in Makati too. He seems to be enjoying the change of scenery too, and I am relishing that even if i'm working I can still spend lots of time with him.:)

So here's hoping it all works out for me in the end! I'm nervous, excited, a little guilty that I won't be a 100% stay-at-home-mom anymore (I estimate just around 65% of me gets to stay a SAHM hehe)...but I know this is going to do me a world of good. And in turn, it'll (hopefully!) make me a better wife and mother. :)

Quito gets baptized!

2008-07-31T06:25:00.007+08:00

Finally!!! I have pictures of Quito's baptism! Here are some pictures of the actual baptism, which was held at the Santuario de San Jose's Baptismal Room (I don't know what it's really called! But it's this nice, private room right in front of the entrance to the administration office.) last July 19, 2008.

My mother-in-law & my mom with Quito...both super doting grandmother's!

My little boy fell asleep as soon as we got to the church, he woke up when the holy water was poured on his head (He loved it, I think he thought it was bath time hahaha!) and he only started crying when it was almost over, he freaked out and got angry due to hunger. (That's my boy!heehee!) :P

Happy parents on a happy day. :)
(I should lose some more weight. Around 20 lbs to go! Sigh!)

The three Francisco Xavier's. :)

My daddy & my father-in-law, Pappy, are tokayo meaning they share the same name. During our wedding, both my dad and Pappy expressed their wish that should Chicco & I have a baby, they want it to be a boy and that we should name him Francisco Xavier. No problem for me, since I love things that have to do with family legacies AND I like the name Francisco Xavier as he was a Jesuit. :)

The Montaner Family :)

The Vecin Family :)

Chaos reigned supreme at the Baptismal Room that day! :)

Group shot of everyone who attended Quito's baptism. With so many family members and friends there (they all wanted to witness Q get baptized instead of just high tailing it to the reception), chaos reigned supreme! But all's well that ends well, we had fun and I was so touched that so many people came (and this is inspite of the ADMU vs UP game which I think we won hahaha!)

I'll post the reception and after-party pics soon! :)

thank you's

2008-07-21T22:22:00.003+08:00

Quito's Baptism was a success!!! :) I can't wait to get my photos so I can post them!
We had a great day, Quito was such a good boy...he didn't cry all throughout the ceremony (he was fast asleep). Even when the priest poured holy water on his head we didn't hear a peep from him. In fact, he smiled...I think he thought it was time to take a bath again, hehehe. :D

Thank you's to:

1. Fr. Mac Reyes, SJ - thank you for being a part of yet another milestone of our little family (Fr. Mac is the family priest of my husband's family, he was the priest who officiated our wedding rites and blessed our first home!).

2. Pappy, Mommy, Daddy & Ma - You are the best grandparents a little boy could ever have! Quito is so blessed, and Chic & I too. :)

3. Quito's Ninongs & Ninangs - Thanks for being on time (haha) and for loving Quito as much as Chic & I do! (And also, thanks for rejecting Satan for Quito!!!)
***Special mention to Ninang Des who not only baked a fantastic 2-layered fondant cake, she also baked many many batches of white chocolate macadamia blondies and snickerdoodles for Quito's souvenirs (Good for 100 boxes! You are the bestest friend any girl would love to have!!!)...it was a hit! Even at 1am, people were scavenging around for any left-over souvenirs hehe!***

4. Gen, Rachel and the rest of the staff at Discovery Suites. - We had a wonderful time! Thank you for making the food super good, for making the Columbus Room look so beautiful, for your wonderful service and for the smoking room hahaha! (Chicco's friends had a grand time thanks to the smoking room hehe)
***To my dear friend Gen, thanks for all the help...even until the next day, when I thought Des's cakestand dissapeared egad! Sorry again for waking you up!***

5. Digiprint - My bro, Migs, pledged the invites and the photographers. A big thank you to you! And to your two guys (I really hope that you got your "best" photographers ha! hehehe!)

6. Our families and friends - Thank you so much for your presence last Saturday. It meant so much to me and Chic, seeing everybody at Quito's baptism and reception. We really appreciate all the love, prayers and support you have given our little family. Thank you also for the thoughtful and great presents!

7. Quito - Thank you my baby for being so wonderful, and for making me and your pappy so proud and happy! You are our biggest blessing from God. We love you very very much sweetheart!!!

Siiiigh. Our little guy is so lucky....from day one, he's been showered with prayers and so much love from all around! I hope he grows up to be a good, morally upright, respectful, kind-hearted and God-fearing man. :)

lazy days

2008-07-17T17:55:00.003+08:00

Quito and I spend our days in a haze of playtime, sleepy time and eating time! I am thoroughly enjoying these lazy days with my son, just hugging and kissing him, carrying him and walking around our house, playing games with him and talking to him (he replies with coos, gurgles, smiles and laughter!) and watching him sleep (I love stroking his head while he is transitioning from wakefulness to sleep, so peaceful!).

I was just telling my husband this evening that I'm enjoying Quito now more than ever. He's turning out to be a pretty happy baby, always laughing and smiling at us (Even at 4am...ack! I ignore him at this time because I want him to fall asleep right away...and me too! Baaad!). Siiigh.

Quito laughing out loud while playing in his activity gym :)

(No he is not about to sneeze, he's laughing heartily at the sound of the chimes! heehee!)

He loves being propped up on pillows so he can "sit"!

My simple joys. :)

Quito wants....

2008-07-17T10:33:00.003+08:00

Quito's baptism is two days away, and boy am I excited!!! I didn't spend a lot of time planning it, and I think I started planning a bit too late but I'm hoping everything turns out okay. :) So many people have been asking me what Quito wants (haha more like what I want!) for his baptism...so I've spent some time concocting his wishlist. How I wish we get everything on the list hehehe! :D

Here are some of the things I'm hoping we receive:

1. Evenflo Exersaucer

This was highly recommended by Q's pediatrician, as it is an award-winning toy that provides plenty of developmental activities for babies. It's just too bad that this wonderful toy isn't available in Manila... Actually Quito's ninong Vinci is leaving for Canada next week and he graciously offered to bring it home for the lil guy. Thing is, it's around 18 to 20 lbs heavy and I imagine packaged in a bulky giant box...he might have a hard time bringing it back home, so (sigh) nevermind. Calling on all of my relatives and friends in the US! Anyone willing to pack this in a box and send back home to me heehee! ;-D

2. Board books by Eric Carle (Like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider and my favorite Little Cloud!)

Eric Carle is a wonderful children's book author & illustrator. I find that his books are not only appropriate and entertaining for very young children, but they also introduce basic math and even science concepts without shoving them down a child's throat. And obviously exposure to books at a very young age helps boost a child's vocabulary and love for reading. So many positive things! It is my fervent goal to build a library of Eric Carle board books for Quito and any future children Chicco and I will have, as I have many happy memories of reading and being read to as a child and I wish to give that to my kids as well. :)

3. Safety Blankets

The thought of SIDS gives me the heebiejeebies!!! My mom already got me one to try on Quito on her last trip, (he hates blankets and swaddles and would either kick them off or wriggle his way out of them in his sleep) and not only is it convenient (I just zip him up at night and it's off to snoozeland for us) it gives me peace of mind knowing he will not accidentally suffocate in his sleep. Since we have just one safety blanket, I want more!!!

4. Tiny Love stuff

I love Tiny Love! I am sold on their developmental toys and how age-appropriate they are. I'm sure Quito would love to have the Activitot Stroller Trio and some Tiny Smarts! So many wonderful opportunities for learning through play! (Of which I am happily a proponent of, being a former preschool teacher in an amazing progressive school hehe!)

5. Chicco stuff

Just because it's my husband's name heehee! And they have the cutest little rompers! ;-)

Siiiiigh...so that's a few of the things I'm hoping our friends & relatives give Quito. And of course more importantly, the love and prayers he'll receive on Saturday (and every single day!) as he officially becomes a part of God's fold. :)

the search for my true blue!

2008-07-15T05:17:00.006+08:00

It's the UAAP season once again, and just like I do every year I am now wishing I had a "Mama Mary Blue" bag to use when Chicco and I watch our school play. We haven't watched a game live this season (missed that win over DLSU! Scalper tickets were too expensive, drat.), but it's fun watching in our den, curled up on the couch with Quito. (We are hoping that by exposing him to the games now, he will grow up to be a basketball player for our school. HEHE!)

BUT STILL, I am still searching for my perfect blue bag. (For past seasons, when I would wear white to a game, I would use my blue & brown Longchamps bag, but it is older than the hills. Time for a change, hehe! :p)

Too bad LV has discontinued this color. I don't know why I never got an epi in this color, it's such a pretty hue of blue! :(

Now this...I want a blue one!!! And I want to personalize it too! Haaaay....next year...next year...

Of course, apart from my search for the perfect blue bag... I am wishing and praying (to our dear Mama Mary!) that we actually win this year. ;-)

Quito...Quito...Quito!!!!

2008-07-14T14:52:00.004+08:00

Here are some pictures of Quito taken last month...

Quito loves his boppy!

Enjoying some tummy time action.

Peeking at mama in his sleeper (which he's outgrown!).

My super curious little boy! He loves observing everybody & everything!

Wearing his dad's favorite shirt and making a funny face hahaha!

He smiles and laughs a lot now...so we're enjoying him more. It really is so rewarding seeing him smile at us and laugh at our attempts to entertain him. :D

bath time is fun time!

2008-07-10T15:05:00.007+08:00

Bath time is bonding time for Quito and me. He loves the water, and even as a newborn I did not have any problems bathing him (thank GOD!). Well...when he was newly born, I was terrified at the thought that I had to give him a sponge bath. I was so scared of his umbilical cord stump and also of his circumcision wound, so much so that I hired a midwife to help me out hehe!

But as he got older (and bigger too!) I gained my confidence and got so excited to finally start bathing him in his tub. I'm not sure if I started using the tub too early or too late - Quito was using his bath tub when he was a little over a month old. (His stump fell off after around 11 days from his birth, but I waited to make sure everything was completely healed.) Needless to say, bath time is so much fun! Quito loves feeling the water on his skin, and I can tell that he loves it when I pour water on his head to wash the suds away.

Save for a few times that he would accidentally poo in the tub, Quito's bath experience has been very trouble free. My goodness, the first few times that this happened everyone who was in our house at the time would come and watch and have a good laugh. Yes even the yayas, although they had to clean up the mess right away so we could resume his bath. Thank goodness they have good dispositions! Too bad his daddy hasn't tried bathing him yet, maybe when Q is much older and can hold his head upright already. For now, bath time is just for mama and Quito (and Yaya Helen who assists me). :)

I can't wait for Quito to start playing in the tub. Hmmm...time to start scouring the net for awesome and fun (and BPA, PVC and lead free!!!) developmental bath toys for him. ;-)

freak out!!!

2008-07-08T00:41:00.005+08:00

Everything is practically super peachy in our world right now, and I say practically because there is trouble brewing in paradise. You see, Quito of the strong sucking instinct has been using a pacifier to help soothe him and lull him to sleep. Yes, I take full responsibility, it is completely my fault for even allowing his mouth to come into contact with a pacifier. Thing is, (and I am not trying to make dumb excuses here) at the time when I started giving him the pacifier, he REALLY needed it. There was a time when NOTHING could soothe him, and NOTHING could lull him to sleep. Too bad, it became a bit of a crutch for me, Chicco and yaya. (And yes, I was fully aware of that possibility. I just thought it wouldn't happen to me....silly silly mama. Tsk tsk.)

Quito is 2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days old today. Yesterday I decided to stop the pacifier-use. AND IT'S SOOOO HARD!!! He just refuses to sleep, he cries and cries and cries and turns purple, and he really looks so forlorn without his soothie. His Tita Tootsie, who was here tonight and saw his "I want my pacifier" meltdown, told me "Chiars, it might be like smoking...you can't expect him to just go cold turkey." So his Ninong Vinci (who was also here) gave him the pacifier for less than a minute. The minute it was in Q's mouth, you could immediately see the look of pure heaven on his face. In less than a minute he was calm and fast asleep. (And this was after a loooooong time that I was carrying him, rocking, swaying!)

So now what do I do? :(

I want Quito to be happy. I want Quito to sleep well. And I know the pacifiers really soothe him, especially when his nerves start getting frazzled. (Like his mama of the perennial frazzled nerves--how I wish I had a pacifier of my own hahaha!)

But I also want Quito to grow up with the ability to self-soothe. And I want Quito to have nice teeth and a non-deformed mouth (My mom scared me over Sunday lunch that Quito would have bad teeth and a deformed mouth due to his pacifier use! FREAK OUT!). So I have to stop using the pacifiers now before he gets hooked forever.

Is there someone out there who can tell me what to do, what works, what helps... without the judgements on my very bad call? :(

(Oh by the way, he has been trying for the past few weeks to suck on his thumb/fingers/fist. I've caught him at it, trying to self-soothe. Thing is, he's still kind of uncoordinated, he can't "shoot" his hand into his mouth so well. And he's having trouble keeping his hand in his mouth. ) HELP!

My Barca Wish List :)

2008-07-06T04:26:00.010+08:00

Chicco and Quito are sleeping! Now I have time to myself. :)

Was just thinking how nice it would be if we could go back to Barcelona...

I want to appreciate Gaudi's genius all over again...

And of course, enjoy my Marques in the land of Rioja, hehehe ....

Because I am still pretty spoiled (one of my secret shames!), I am thinking of all the stuff I want my brother to buy for me when he goes to Barca this year. :P so here's my Barca Wish List:

1. FCB jersey (maroon and the new blue one) for Quito :)
2. AND a personalized one for Quito (and ME!) :D
3. Other cool stuff from Camp Nou
4. Chispas (I still have 2 bottles, but what can I say, I'm a hoarder. Especially since according to my brother they are discontinuing Chispas. Horrors!)
5. Casa Amatller Chocolates (Esp. White chocolate)
6. TOUS jewelry (because my wedding anniversary is coming up haha)
7. Maybe a TOUS Bag too (Didn't like the designs last year)
8. Dinner in El Rus and Asador del Aranda! (HA!)
9. White Chocolate Filipinos :)

and to top my Barca Wish List off:
10. I wana go back with Chic and this time with Quito!!!

Guess we have to save save save AND wait for Quito to get a bit older! ;-)

we will miss you lola!

2008-07-04T06:58:00.007+08:00

Chicco's beloved Lola Anita passed away last Saturday, after weeks in and out of Cardinal Santos Hospital. Although we had all been forewarned about her passing, and we all know that she is finally pain-free and at peace in heaven, there is so much sadness in her leaving our family behind.

Chicco, Lola and I on our wedding day last year.

Lola was truly the much-loved and admired matriarch of the Rosales clan. She was a very strong-willed, accomplished and wonderful lady - someone whom I think seemed to be "born ahead of her time". Back in her heyday, when women were more or less expected to be merely in the background living through the daily toil of family life, Lola finished her degree in Pharmacy at the University of the Philippines and continued on to be a businesswoman. Apart from this, she also became the first woman councilor of her hometown of Dingras, Ilocos Norte. (Talk about blazing a trail for women in politics!) And yes, she was also a devoted wife and mother (to eight children no less-as a mother to just one boy I have to say that I truly an admire Lola for having raised eight equally strong and accomplished children, one of whom I am lucky to have as a mother-in-law :-) ).

Last night we had a tribute to our dear Lola at her wake. All of her grandchildren recalled their fondest memories of Lola, and spoke about the ways she had touched their lives. There was much tears shed, but also so much laughter. I could not help but shed my own tears for her as I recalled the little memories I had with Lola.

When Chicco and I were still dating, back in college, I remember how sometimes I would come from school and get dropped off in Chicco's house. While waiting for him, I would try to catch up on my Philosophy readings (yes I was a nerd haha!) in their living room. When Lola would catch me there, she would always sit with me to entertain me and ask me questions about what it was I was reading. I'm sure she wasn't all that interested to hear all about Kirkegaard and whoever, but I knew she was trying to get to know me - the girlfriend of her beloved apo Chicco. I'm hoping that she approved of me even way back then!:) Fast forward to several years later, Lola and I would enjoy many many conversations...she would become my companion whenever I would wait for Chicco in their home. There were times when we would just sit companionably watching TV, and also times when I would accompany her while she would eat at the dinner table. (She would always invite me to join her to eat and when I would decline saying that I had already eaten, she would tell me something along the lines of "Good, you are so fat." hahaha! You just gotta love her!!!) I did my best to care for her in my own way, by always asking after her when I would see her and do little things like help make sure Lola wouldn't bump her head when being brought in and out of the car and check if she was comfortable.

It was very hard not to admire, respect and come to love this unforgettable woman.

Freaking out!!! (About BPA)

2008-06-28T10:42:00.002+08:00

In line with the whole BPA hullabaloo, I have completely flipped out and changed all of Quito's feeding paraphernalia from Avent to different BPA-free goodies.

I was truly getting sick with worry that some Bisphenol-A had already leached into my baby's milk (especially when I could still breastfeed and I would heat my expressed milk in the bottle) and was already causing all sorts of evil endocrine disruptions in his young body. I was mad at myself for having bad allergies and migraines since I cannot breastfeed Quito exclusively anymore due to my own medication (which I need in order to be able to care for him properly! *sigh* Such is life!). It would have saved me a world of trouble, worry and moolah if only I could still breastfeed him direct. (Not that breastfeeding was a walk in the park for me, remember my last post?)

So what's a freaking out stay-at-home mama to do? Why go on the internet of course! HEHE :D
In between trying out the Bfree bottles available in Rustan's, I was ordering new BPA-free bottles on Amazon to be brought home by my bestfriend and a cousin-in-law. After days of deliberation, I decided to buy these bottles:

MAM ULTIVENT BOTTLES

Not satisfied with just bottles, I also ended up buying BPA-free pacifiers. I got a Sassy MAM pacifier, and at my husband's request I got this:

Heehee! I'll post a picture of Quito using this Billy Bob Pacifier once I upload his latest pictures. (Things are a bit crazy now in my house, we just moved to a new house so everything is in shambles!)

AND THEN I stumbled upon The Soft Landing which is a wonderland of BPA and PVC-free items. Check their site out if you need help making informed decisions on what products to purchase for your children, they even have a blog that talks about different products and how they fall on the BPA and PVC spectrum.

Needless to say, I went crazy ordering more stuff. It's a good thing my mom decided to go to the States around two weeks ago. I was able to buy more things for Quito (this time feeding & teething paraphernalia, in anticipation of when he starts growing teeth & eating solid food hehe!), since my mom would be able to bring everything home for me. :)

Will post more pics and try to talk more about all the BPA-free goodies I found. Who knows, I might be able to help some other frazzled mama someday!:)

bye bye breastfeeding

2008-06-27T12:00:00.006+08:00

To say that Quito loves to eat is probably an understatement. From our first few days at home after he was born, he was already a voracious eater - we barely had any difficulties latching him on, in fact the hard part was getting him unlatched! Even as a newborn baby Quito had such a strong sucking instinct, that right after I delivered him and we latched him on he was able to do so, frazzled nerves and all. (Frazzled nerves for both of us hehe!) Needless to say , the road to our successful breastfeeding relationship was full of tears (mostly mine). And a lot of pain. (All mine. Other nursing mommies reading this probably understand that when I say pain, I mean PAIN. Think bleeding nips. Not even a sight for sore eyes! Ouch!)

Alas, right when Quito and I were finding our rhythm and the pain of battered nips was subsiding, I started getting intense migraines and vertigo all over again. It came to the point where I was afraid to hold Quito especially during his night-time feeds lest I lose my balance and hurt him. It was also around this time that my allergies began bothering me again. I'm not sure if my migraines were triggered by my lack of sleep (I was only getting around 4 hours a day on a good day. Mostly because I wanted to stay awake to watch Quito all the time, and sometimes because my incision was hurting and I couldn't sleep a wink.), or due to my emotional stress (I was going through the letdown of my hormones and was a weeping, crazed mess. What a rollercoaster ride!). My milk supply was also diminishing slowly, nevermind that I was eating fresh malunggay for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus malunggay capsules in between, drinking lots of fluids AND pumping away. I started supplementing with NAN 1 HA as recommended by my pediatrician, since my little boy ate A LOT from the get go.

I finally went to see my immunologist (for my allergies) and neurologist (for my headaches and dizziness) for help and answers. My consultations with both led to the same conclusion...I would need to take medication for both afflictions. Which meant bye bye breastfeeding. To be honest, I was already beyond stressed out about my milk supply and how I couldn't satisfy my son's hunger by myself...and at first knowing I had a way out of breastfeeding was a relief already. I was tired of feeling guilty all the time that I lacked milk and that it was so physically & emotionally taxing for me to breastfeed Quito. And then I started feeling guilty about not being able to breastfeed him at all. So much so that I was already imagining that Quito was looking at me with contempt, and thinking that I was being a bad mama. Vicious cycle!

Good thing everyone around me tried their best to be supportive. Especially Chicco, whose feelings & opinions matter most to me. Slowly I did my best to let go of all my guilt, regrets and sadness about the breastfeeding issue and decided that I would just be happy. After all, these are the most precious times of my son's life, his first few months of life...something I can never get back. Do I really want to spend these moments secretly unhappy over something I could barely control?

And so nowadays Quito is exclusively formula fed. He is healthy (thank God!) and gaining weight (Rapidly! Must be the formula.). Most of all, I think he is happy and thriving. I bond with him by giving him the bottle whenever I can. We hold hands and I always make it a point to hug him and kiss him and tell him that I love him so very very much while he is feeding. He looks up at me with contentment in his eyes, and recognition (Am I imagining this?) and I feel like he understands. So it's not so bad. We make do with second best, and I compensate by making sure that my second best is the best. (Best formula for him, safe BPA-free bottles, Dr. Edwards water only...)

I think Quito's starting to smile. When he smiles at me it sure washes all the guilt away!

my parallel universe

2008-06-24T12:30:00.003+08:00

*** Here I am, attempting to join possibly millions of women the world over who have blogged about their feelings, thoughts, reactions, etc upon watching the Sex and the City movie hehe ;D ***

It was wonderful seeing Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha again after so many years of reruns. The movie did not disappoint me - from the story line, the witty banter between the four friends and the fashion (my GOD those bridesmaids gowns...beautiful!!! And I told my husband the next time I get pregnant I want Charlotte's clothes haha!).

As I expected, I ended up relating to Charlotte the most. Ever since, it was always Charlotte I could relate to...what more now that I'm married and have a baby. I also expected that I'd wax nostalgic about my time in New York. And boy did I ever. Those were some of the best times of my life, fresh out of college, living with my best friend and cousin, Cas, and hanging out with some of the greatest friends I could ever have.

I remember how me, Cas and our dear friend Sam would have SATC marathons...spending the whole night drinking coke (not diet! the real thing!) and eating junk food while watching episode after episode on our teeny tiny TV in our old apartment. We would also smoke our lungs out on our balcony when the story lines would hit too close to home. Siiiiigh. Like the SATC girls, we had our fair share of storms, issues, good times, great conversations and fashion moments. (Yes I had those haha... I think when I finally came home I was all "New York-ed out" that I started choosing to be a plain Jane/manang hahaha!) My goodness how we related to those women in our own ways! I guess all girls did (and still do).

When I think of my time in New York, not only does it feel like a lifetime away, it's become some sort of parallel universe for me. I was such a different person back then. Watching the movie just brought it all back... the sights, the sounds, the memories (even the smells!) of one of my best-loved cities of all time.

Siiiiiigh. I loved reminiscing with Cas. Someday we will go back to New York, with our husbands in tow. When we lived there, Cas and No were "just friends" and they would talk on the phone long-distance every now and then. Chic and I were already boyfriend and girlfriend (from college!), and we were weathering through our long distance relationship. And now, we're happily married to the boys who figured much in many of our ala Sex and the City issues and conversations with our girlfriends. It will be nice, so perfect, if we could show Chic and Nolan around our version of the city someday. :)

Oh, and Quito will go with us too...we'll take him to FAO Schwartz on Fifth Ave. and buy him a nice toy. And then since we're on Fifth already, Chicco can buy me something from Henri Bendel or Van Cleef and Arpels hahaha...I wish!!! ;-D

freaky friday

2008-06-13T11:59:00.004+08:00

It's Friday the 13th. Hmmmm.

Wonder if any freaky stuff will happen today?

goodbyes

2008-06-12T14:59:00.001+08:00

My sister's boyfriend is leaving for Montreal tomorrow. For good.

SAD!

He's been a part of our lives for four long years, even during important milestones in my life like my wedding day and even the night I gave birth. He was privy and witness to many of my family's events/issues from the mundane to the earth-shaking. He's my sister's best friend and constant companion. My heart is so heavy just thinking of how sad the two of them are right now. :(

We took them out to dinner last night, and for some reason I couldn't stop crying. There was a huge lump in my throat the whole night starting from when Mark said goodbye to my mom in our house. That would be the last time he would set foot in our house, which really has become like his home too.

I'm sad for Annsy, am sad for Mark, am sad for their situation. I know that everything will fall into place for them, and sooner or later they'll be able to make sense of their destinies. But right now it's so sad. I remember the feeling of helplessness and true grief I felt when I too had to say my goodbyes to Chicco way back in 2000. I left for New York, where my family arranged for me to live for two years so I could learn some independence and spread my wings. I remember the uncertainty...the not knowing if we would see each other again, if we would still feel the same way for each other....

When we were much younger, Chicco would always toast "To the wounds that never heal!" We always used to laugh when he said that, because being so young we never really gave much thought to our tomorrows, nor did we think that we would all have wounds that may never completely heal. And so here I am, being an ate, breaking my heart with worry and sadness that this will be my sister's God-shaped hole, her wound that will never truly heal. Her soul scar. I wish I could stop her from feeling the way she is right now. Mark too.

Mark if ever you chance upon this blog someday - thanks for making my sister so happy, and for making her feel understood. Thanks too for being my friend, especially during those Sundays when I needed the company. Those times I won't forget. :) I wish you all the best things that life can offer you. I also wish we'll all see each other again someday and it'll be just like old times. Take care dude, we will really miss you!

Goodbyes are inevitable. It is really one of the most painful parts of life, having to let go.

the dreaded C-O-L-I-C!!!!

2008-06-11T09:36:00.006+08:00

Quito has colic. This is something I've been dreading from the time I was pregnant with him, as I read quite a lot of literature on colic and heard a lot of horror stories about the non-stop crying. It sounded so tough, to have a baby who cries the entire day for no apparent reason. More than that, I kept thinking to myself that if Quito ends up with colic then I am a bad mom. :(

So I read many many books, like this and this. Some of the stuff I read (and some of the advice I received from well-meaning relatives and friends) was contradictory, some sounded so antiquated and some made perfect sense to me. To prevent myself from getting too overwhelmed (which is something that happens to me A LOT hehe!) I thought to myself "If ever Quito is a colic baby I will just do what I feel is right for him."

True enough this is what I find myself doing everyday now. I do get frazzled (especially if we've tried everything to calm him down and he is as purple as an eggplant already from screaming his lungs out) and there are moments when I doubt myself, I feel like a bad and incompetent mommy and also times when I get so frustrated. Times like these, I try to remind myself that:

1) Q is just a baby and crying is his way of talking to us,
2) I am not a bad mother, I always have Q's best interests at heart and
3) I will do what I feel is right for him. (Trusting my instincts as a mom is not something that comes to me naturally, so I do struggle with this everyday.)

And so no day is exactly the same as the last. No colic "cure" works its magic all the time. There are days when Quito refuses to sleep unless he is in my arms, there are also days when he seems more comfortable in his sleeper. There are days when just rubbing manzanilla on his tummy works wonders, and there are also days when I have to resort to using his pacifier to calm him down and then some gripe water (A must have! Woodwards gripe water is natural, which is why I prefer to use this over medicine like Relestal).

Our days are filled with trial and error discoveries and mini-triumphs...all leading to one thing, the comfort and happiness of little Quito. =)

Quito calming down after a crying spell.

Everybody says that babies outgrow colic after three months. I don't know if this is true for all babies, especially since I am starting to have this sinking feeling that Quito is a high-need baby. Hopefully he will outgrow it. I do want him to be comfortable and happy all the time (is this even possible hehe?). And if he doesnt - if it turns out that he is indeed a high need baby- then we will just do our best to make our days a little bit better one trial and error discovery at a time. =)

the first day of the rest of my life...

2008-06-05T10:46:00.007+08:00

...began on Monday, April 21, 2008.

Chicco & I had spent the weekend gearing ourselves for the possibility that I would have to give birth to Quito earlier than expected. I had already undergone several stress tests to make sure that Q's heart was strong and he was not in distress yet despite the lack of amniotic fluid (& strong enough to handle labor contractions if ever I do get induced).

So...Monday...off we went to Dra. Madamba-Burgos' clinic to get the results of my APAS blood test. We had already packed our hospital paraphernalia and everything was waiting in the car. My test results showed that I had an antibody of APAS, which could very well explain (finally!) my contractions, pains, sudden loss of amniotic fluid and the depressingly advancing ageing state of my placenta. I underwent another fetal heart monitoring at my ob's clinic, thank God Quito was still doing very well. That's my boy...my little fighter...raring to be born! =)
Due to the test results, my ob had us admitted into the Birthing Suite to begin my labor induction. I was terrified!

Of course, being the crazy, laid-back couple that we are... Chic & I decided to have lunch with Cas in CPK Rockwell where I had my very favorite Spinach & Artichoke Dip (I craved for CPK practically every week during my 2nd & 3rd trimesters!). We also panic bought some crossword puzzle books (for chic) and magazines (for me), just in case we got bored waiting for the induction to kick in. Last lunch and shopping before all the blood and gore and Baby!!! aiiiieeeee...

We went to Makati Med at around 3.30pm and I "checked in" at the fourth floor....Once in the birthing suite, I was given buscopan (to help thin my cervix) and pytocin (to induce labor) via IV. The IV hurt, my hand got so swollen and numb, but I had to put on a brave face and forge ahead. My contractions felt like bad cramps, but nothing I couldn't handle (the very uncomfortable and almost super painful ones I dealt with via my cleansing breaths c/o my lamaze class!). Unfotunately, my contractions were irregular and not strong enough to push me into the active labor phase. Repeated IE's also showed that the most I had dilated that day was 1cm. Bummer!=p

The next day, I woke up and had my "last meal of the day" (in case I go into labor) at breakfast. Double bummer! haha! Chic and I were talking about what we thought was going to happen. He was insisting that I was going to suddenly go into active labor and give birth already. I was thinking that my labor induction would fail and I would be sent home. After waiting for 24 hours, with contractions and all, enduring all those internal examinations and my puffy numb hand...the most I dilated was around 2cm. At around 5pm my ob decided to perform a caesarian operation and scheduled me for 8pm that night.

I felt a mixture of excitement and tremendous fear. I have a deep-rooted fear of blood and needles, I could not even have blood tests done on me without my dad holding my hand to out me at ease. Sigh, what a big baby haha! Immediately, my excited husband began texting all our parents, siblings, cousins and friends ... the moment we had all been waiting for was almost here. In a few hours Chicco and I would be parents. Cas and Nolan immediately rushed to Makati Med, with my novenas and rosary in tow (and tabo for the days to follow hehe). The rest of our family members started arriving, creating a very excited and noisy bunch outside the delivery room. (I was told after that our family created so much noise, the guard had to remind them to keep quiet several times!)

I was brought into the O.R. and prepped for the procedure. I was oh so scared getting strapped onto the operating table, good thing my anesthesiologist gave me a nice relaxing "cocktail" to relax me before doing the epidural. heehee! :) next thing I know I am being injected in my spine, I remember Chicco walking in and sitting near me, I remember the big lights overhead, this beeping sound (maybe my heart monitor or something), feeling like I was being rocked from side to side, and finally....a tug without pain and (I was holding my breath at this point) then my son's cries!!! First thing I saw when I looked at Quito being whisked to his special table (I guess a warming table of some sort) were his sideburns hehe..like father like son! And then Dr. Nuguid carried him to me, and I was face to face with my (freaking out) baby who I got to kiss!

Dr. De Jesus (my anesthesiologist) told me "Okay Chiara, i'm going to let you sleep now."

I came to still in the OR, after my c/s. The residents and nurses were talking about the "baranggay" keeping watch outside the delivery room for Quito's birth. They were very excited that they saw someone "showbiz"...my brother in law and Quito's ninong, Vinci. hahaha!!! I opened my eyes while the resident was still trying to find a vein to extract blood from me for Cordlife.

I wanted to skip the recovery room and go back to my room, I wanted to be with my husband right away so we could talk about everything that just happened. I was also very excited to see my son and hold him.

Francisco Xavier V. Montaner was born on April 22, 2008 after months of happy anticipation, and more than 24 hours of labor induction at 9.09pm. He weighed in at 6.6lbs and was 19 inches long.

And so the best adventure of my life truly begins...

waiting...

2008-04-17T09:27:00.004+08:00

My fluid is back up after weeks of drinking TONS of water, all of Quito's clothes are washed and ready in his little dresser, his things are arranged around his nursery...even his yaya is ready for action! So here we all are, waiting, waiting, waiting for the little guy to make his entrance into the world. *sigh* can't wait! =)

Every time Quito kicks or rolls (man, like the loch ness monster lives in my belly I swear..the way he makes it ripple!) I only get more excited to be with him in the flesh. I do have my little fears and apprehensions...fear of blood and needles and the pain of labor and delivery... apprehensions over whether I'll be a good enough mom, will Chic and I be really good parents?, am also kind of thinking about how having Quito with us will change our relationship. BUT STILL, I am enjoying this...happily waiting for my little boy to be born. The aches and pains have magnified, his movements are very strong and sometimes (at least to me with my low threshold for pain) borderline violent already... I guess that means he is getting really stronger by the day and maybe he really is raring to make his presence felt already.

SIIIIIIGH. This seemingly endless waiting...can't wait for it to be over....and then my little boy will be in the world. =)

must rehydrate

2008-04-01T01:37:00.005+08:00

Summer's here... I realized it around a week or two ago, when I felt so warm and sweaty I couldn't sleep. This was in spite of the aircon blaring at its coldest - somehow my room just wouldn't cool. I have been having such a hard time dealing with the heat - from getting insanely dizzy, extra extra irritable and extra extra uncomfortable (this is my 3rd trimester after all)- I finally chopped my hair off the other day. I am planning to lop off another inch or two in a few weeks since I am still sweating and warm all the time.

My last check-up was last Friday, and HORRORS! My ob/gyn saw that I have very little amniotic fluid left (Level of 6 which is not super bad but I think 5 is considered bad already,something like that). Poor Quito...living in a drought-y place when he should be swimming around in peace. So now I must force myself to drink even more fluids than before...minimum of 4 liters a day. Not a hard thing to do since I've been drinking water like crazy anyway, I always feel so parched and dehydrated due to the heat. Also I must make an effort to drink mineral water, not distilled - thank GOD our water dispenser water is alkaline ionized and not distilled. So I still get the minerals that's good for me and Quito.

Apart from the low level of amniotic fluid, my doc said it seems that my placenta is "old", or grade 3. Which is not good because this might be hindering Quito's absorbing the vitamins and minerals he needs from the food and supplements I take in, and also limit his oxygen. Soooo....I might be induced on my 37th week. I am hoping that Quito and I hold out for at least our 37th week together. Well, I'm pretty sure we will. Quito's heartbeat is strong...he kicks and moves forcefully as if to tell me "Mama I'm here I can't wait to meet you!"...sometimes I think he is trying to tell the world "Watch out, am almost there!" hehe =D

Oh my. The heat is really on.

28

2008-03-19T09:24:00.005+08:00

I turned twenty eight a few days ago. Twenty eight!!! As always, I spent the last couple of weeks before my birthday "birthday blues-ing" and reflecting on where my life's headed. After years of my life being "same old, same old" - I must say that my 27th and 28th birthdays have so been the most significant, milestone-wise.

For so many years, all my birthday celebrations have been spent partying with friends out of town. In a way, my birthday symbolized the start of summer for us and was always met with endless rounds of drinks, grilled burgers (hehe), chicco's spaghetti and more drinks.

Twenty-seven was a milestone because it was my last birthday single. Chic and I were in the middle of planning our wedding, and we were so giddy with excitement and full of hope for what was to come in the months ahead. Twenty seven was the year when I got married, when I took my first tentative steps away from under my parents' wings (and am still tentatively stepping away, it's a looong process hahaha!) and the year I got pregnant with Quito.

So here I am at 28. There was no 3-day drunken spree party for me and my friends this year, no first out of town trip to mark the beginning of summer. The night before my birthday, Chic and I watched TV and talked to Quito in my tummy while waiting for the clock to strike 12. Well, by the time midnight rolled around I was already half-asleep, Chicco was rubbing my back and I remember thinking to myself that it felt nice being married. =) We woke up bright and early the next day, and rushed to our Childbirth Prep class in Santuario. Then Chic & I had a cozy lunch for two at the Jeepney bakery (hubby was craving for crepe samurai, yumyum!). We tried to walk around the mall after, but we were both so sleepy so we went home instead. Dinner was in my all-time favorite restaurant Korea Garden (hehehe), and I spent it with my in-laws and mom. (Daddy and Ann and Migs were all out of town) And then we hung out in Cas and Nolan's condo for a while and headed home. Quiet perfect day. =)

For a few hours after dinner I thought I was going into labor!!! Quito kept moving around wildly (wilder than usual), and I started getting shooting back pains. I don't know if it was because I was tired already or if I ate too much (it's kind of hard not to when there's beef stew and shrimp bulgogi in front of me), so instead I'd like to think that my son was dancing around my belly celebrating my birthday with us! =)

So that was twenty-eight. This year will be a continuation of my first year as Chicco's wife, and it's also the year I become a mom for the first time. Yipee!!!

*** And I'm looking forward to 29...hopefully I'll be celebrating out of town again, this time with my Quito boy in a sling on my hip and Chicco (drinking tons of scotch!) by my side hehehe. =D***

picture picture!

2008-03-12T08:16:00.009+08:00

FLUKE! Super yummy food and pastries! (Cream puffs are a must try!)

(Fluke is at A.Venue Bldg, Makati Ave.)

Clothesline of baby clothes for decor... thanks Steph and Uno!!!

My hostess with the mostest...hehe.... sandwiched between my diaper cake (which Chic thought was a real cake too at first hahaha!) and my yummy yummy chocolate cake! (and yes, it tasted just like the cupcakes of my wedding cake mmmmmm!)

Me & Fluke's main girl, my cousin-in-law Mayette =)

My souvenir...a diaper pail filled with marshmallows and a giant chocolate duck! YUM!!!

Playing the "Yo Momma's SOOO FAT!" game, where guests had to guess

just how fat my waistline has become hehehe. Here's Ann measuring my waistline...

All 41 inches of it. hehehe. =P

Chic and I sandwiched between the non-edible diaper cake, and my chocolate cake. MMMM.

Is it just me or did I suddenly swell up during my shower?

(I ate tons of lasagna,mini tacos and burgers AND cream puffs at this point...but haven't attacked my cake.)

With my high school buddies =) Miss them all the time!! *sniff*

With my mom, Annsy and Chic, and my sisters-in-law and cousins-in law

(and super adorable niece!!) on the Montaner and Rosales sides. =)

SHOWER TIME!!!

2008-03-10T22:24:00.004+08:00

The Baby Shower.

Is it overly dramatic to say that the Baby Shower is like a "rite of passage" for moms-to-be? Hehe! (Just like the stag parties and bridal showers are rites of passage.)

Anyhoo, my fab sister Annsy planned and hosted my baby shower over the weekend. It was in our cousin-in-law's family's restaurant Fluke at A.Venue bldg, Makati Ave. (*in front of the old Orange, for those of you who remember that place in time...*), (***TRY IT TRY IT! The food is yummy home-style cooking, AND the cream puffs are SOOOO GOOD!***)... it was great seeing everyone come together to celebrate the waiting for Quito, with me and Chic. =D

Annsy did a fabulous job...from the planning, to the entertaining everyone with games, making sure everyone was well-fed (first to eat: Annsy! hahaha!), giving out prizes (with matching posing!) and making sure the food didn't go to waste (thanks to her friends who also came in droves to eat and join in the fun!). I am soo lucky to have a sister like her (yes, even when we fight I guess I'm still lucky hehe)... she really did everything she could to make sure I would be super happy with everything. Go annsybird!!!

Of course, Anna had some help...and I have to say, if i'm lucky to have a baby sister like Ann, she's lucky to have friends like Steph, who provided the concept, decor, made the souvenirs (man those duck chocolates!!! I want more!) AND my super duper cute diaper cake! Thanks Steph (and Jungie - for making the eyes of the chocolate duckies hehe!), you guys are the best!!!
Steph is a mommy too, and a super creative one at that! Get in touch with her if you need a diaper cake for a christening, homecoming or a baby shower... and also for your other baby shower needs. =)

It was a perfect day. I got to spend time with my family and friends (many of whom I haven't seen in ages, as I have been sooo busy resting at home haha). AND Chicco and I received so much goodies for Quito. (Hay Quito, you're not even born yet but you are so loved, cherished and spoiled by so many people. It's not just me and your pappy who are super excited to meet you, you have a whole bunch of titas and titos, grandparents and cousins who are eagerly waiting for you!)

Thanks to everyone who came, my family is so blessed to have all of you supporting us, praying for and with us, and basically celebrating life with us every step of the way. woohoo!! =D

ack!!!

2008-03-05T21:57:00.004+08:00

I just re-read my earlier posts and I'm pretty embarrassed by how emo I sounded. (Not that there's anything wrong with emo! It's just...MAN! I sound sooo depressed.) Well am not depressed, it just helps that I have this blog to vent and rant and rage and express some feelings which are deemed "not good for the baby" by my hubby and my parents. So thank God for blogs! =D

On to Quito news...

OOH our nursery (aka Quito's day room*) is slowly taking shape...our crib is set up already, our cabinet/diaper changing table was delivered yesterday, and am so excited for Chic to assemble Quito's stroller (we're restraining ourselves so the stroller doesn't collect dust as we still have a couple of months to go before he actually uses it!).

* Why day room?* Well, I am planning to practice co-sleeping with my baby. =) (Shouldn't be too hard, after all am already co-sleeping with a giant baby hehe!)

luna de miel part 2

2008-03-05T08:47:00.005+08:00

At the airport at the crack of dawn! (with Chic the Korean and my bro-in-law Vinch)

Freezing our butts off outside Schiphol!

I forgot where we ate but I remember the food was good =)

Soaking up some culture at the Rijksmuseum

Somewhere near Dam Square (love the Dutch houses!)

Hanging out with Boy George at Madame Tussaud's
(Vinch's wax figure behind us hehe)

Passing the dutchie on the left hand side! (Pre- Coffee Shop!)

Spinning with Tiesto

(we obviously spent a loooot of time at the wax museum! haha! It was also a bit creepy for me cos I kept thinking about that movie House of Wax...aiieee!)

With Chic and my sis-in-law Chach somewhere...

Hanging out by a windmill

(I know I look like I'm wearing the SAME clothes everywhere...it's just that I only brought this one thick coat, as Chic and I were determined to travel light so we'd have more space in our suitcases for things we'd end up buying. So yeah, I survived my eurotrip with one jacket only! Hehe!)

So that was our Amsterdam trip! We all enjoyed exploring Amsterdam (instead of just Schiphol in between transfers right) and I would LOVE to go back and just stay in the museums all day.(our hotel was in the museum district so all the museums were walking distance... The Van Gogh was fantastic. Too bad we weren't allowed to take pictures of the paintings.)

Siiiiigh. Someday Chic and I will find our way back there. =)

la luna de miel

2008-03-02T09:52:00.007+08:00

I finally have our honeymoon pictures in my computer after 50 gazillion years! We got them printed too, so finally I have started my dream hobby...scrapbooking! hehe!

Honeymoon backgrounder:

1. Initially we wanted to go to Macau! (I still want to go there..perhaps when Quito is older.)

2. My dream honeymoon destination was Disneyworld in Orlando,FL. Haha! Well...I love disneyland and it really is the happiest place on earth right?

3. My brother, so disgusted with the idea of me and Chic traipsing around Disneyworld like little kids (why not!) on our honeymoon (not romantic but childish was the argument if I remember correctly..oh well), suggested that we go to Barcelona instead. The original plan was that they'd (Migs and Ria) join us and we could make a side trip to Costa Brava by car. Just spend a few weeks in Barca exploring and relaxing...

4. Alas, things did not go as originally planned...Migs went to Barca a few months before our wedding so another trip in one year was out of the question. It would have been sooo great if we went there with my bro and sis-in-law in tow...oh well maybe in a few years we'll be able to go again.

5. Instead our trip became a full-blown super fun family trip with my in-laws!!! (I know, I know, a lot of people found it weird that I didn't mind having a "honeymoon" with my in-laws around - but well, they're a really fun bunch and I figured it would be a good way to ease into my new life as part of their family.)

6. Hubby wanted us to have a special trip just the two of us, so we planned a trip to Rome before flying back home.... so there...that was our "real honeymoon".=)

7. OH and we planned our trip on our own...no travel agents!!! Chic and I had so much fun researching and making reservations online, calling the hotels to confirm our bookings... I think we ended up being more excited about our trip than about our wedding day for a time. haha!

It was the best trip ever!!! Although I kinda started the whole paglilihi (pregnancy symptoms started kicking in) thing while on our trip...getting tired easily, gaining weight, getting turned off by the taste and smell of ciggies and wine, looking haggard and i swear my face started changing on the trip... We still had the best time. (*when we got back from our trip, I found out a week later that we were indeed pregnant already!! Yipee!)

I'll post some pics in a bit...got to get ready for Sunday lunch at my abu's house...my dad just called to tell me we're always late hehehe! =D

good things naman

2008-02-22T01:34:00.004+08:00

After that terrible negative post... here are some good things I know I should focus on:

1. I love Chicco, warts and all. Time and again I have always chosen to love Chicco. And he is a great husband and the best friend a girl could have. Truly! I'm just soooooo crazy now.

2. Our baby Quito. Saw him on ultrasound and another 4D session the other day. I love him so so soooo much. Me and Chicco are parents!! We're finally growing up together and doing all the things we always dreamed of and talked about back when we were teen-agers!!

3. We are going to start buying Quito's things...crib, stroller, room decor stuff.... silly things we saw online like this "I love Quito" tote bag (for Quito the capital of Ecuador hehe).

4. We are sooo blessed to have parents like we have. Both sides really go out of their way to show us that they care so much about us. I have always felt so blessed to have parents (and siblings) like mine, and now I have in-laws that are so great too.

5. God loves me. I know it, I've felt it and I feel it still.

6. Like all horrible things I've had to deal with in my life...I know ALL THIS WILL PASS. Everything will fall into place.

another UGH day

2008-02-22T01:04:00.006+08:00

okay today was another super UGH day that I just have to get off my chest...

1. Someone very close to me suffered a big loss today (last night to be exact) and I am so heartbroken for her (and her hubby). I can't even bring myself to talk about it in full.

2. Hubby went to sleep at 5am na, coughing and coughing. Again I felt so terrible, helpless, stressed out...what have you...

3. Cried my eyes out from 5am to 8am. Finally falling asleep in exhaustion. Baaaad for Quito I know, I keep apologizing to him for having such a weak pansy mommy. =(

4. Had another crying session tonight -- am currently reading this depressing book about a married couple and one of them dies...it upset me so so much and it is really one of my greatest fears. So I started crying and crying- for the story, for this day and I think largely as a way for me to relieve myself of all the stress and worry I've been carrying around with me the past few days- and Chic burst into our room I think to tell me one of his silly jokes and he caught me hiding under the pillows crying my eyes out and hyperventilating. ***I think I got a bit of those braxton-hicks contractions due to the stress of it all***

5. Am currently stewing in the other room. I cannot relax, my GERD is acting up, both my legs are cramping like crazy, my headache is back. STRESSING OUT. And I wish my husband would go out of his way more to "ease my suffering." A good backrub would be nice, massaging my legs that feel like marble even better. But he is so engrossed in watching wrestling and basketball and Jun Lozada and everything else on TV to go out of his way. *sigh* I can be so selfish I know, he has his own stuff to deal with now.

I know, I'm horrible to the highest degree for even putting my baby boy through all these negative emotions. I can't stop myself though. Lord help me, please help me be stronger and less emotional. For my family, especially for my baby. He feels my pain, and I can feel how he makes it his own too. My poor baby.

Tomorrow is another day. I need to just shake things off and be my old self and just do my best to find the good things in the mundane.

frustration, resentment and a whole bunch of other ugly stuff

2008-02-20T12:32:00.004+08:00

Have you ever felt happy yet sad and mad at the same time?

It's weird but that seems to sum up how I've been the past couple of weeks. Am I losing it, crazy with hormonal surges already?

I'm already entering my 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and I'm happy to say that everything is going great with Quito. He is developing well, kicking stronger and stronger everyday and I'm really happy and excited about him coming into our lives and having my own little nuclear family. Of course, there's the underbelly of pregnancy...what I call now as "the dark side" --- the aches and pains that come with carrying a baby, the sacrifices and life changes, the never-ending "body woes" like excessive weight gain, fear of stretch marks, the protruding veins, weird boobs, linea nigras and dark lines and discoloration sprouting up everywhere on your body. I could go on and on talking about that...but you know what, it does freak me out but it's not what's getting me down and out these days.

My husband is quite sick...he's been coughing for a very long time and since the beginning of this year we've been going to specialists trying to get to the bottom of his unceasing, bad bad baaaaad cough. Finally after countless consultations, medicines, xrays and a CT scan that left me on edge for almost a week... we know what's ailing him and he is getting the proper medication and care he needs. Borne of an unhealthy lifestyle - excessive drinking, smoking and staying up late all the time - hubby's lungs are in a weakened state, he has developed bad allergies and asthma and is prone to bacterial infections. I now make sure that everything is disinfected and dust-mite free (I have anti-dustmite sprays, room disinfectants, anti-allergy pillows, beddings, mattress protectors...the works!) and my poor husband has been ordered to rest, meaning no gimmicks, no drinking, absolutely no smoking and an extended leave of absence from work. In spite of all this, his cough has not stopped yet, and I'm slowly losing hope that he'll ever really recover from this. =(

So what is making me sad and mad? It's so selfish I'll never have the courage to say it out loud in front of other people, so I'll just say it here. At least I can let it out somewhere. I'm so sad that this is happening, my heart breaks whenever I see my husband doubled over coughing like an old man. I feel helpless, powerless to help him, to ease his pain and discomfort. And it also makes me mad sometimes...especially those times when I too am suffering from my own aches and pains. I resent how we aren't basking in the rosy glow of Quito's impending arrival, I resent how my husband sometimes cannot attend to me and help ease my discomforts since he has enough of his own, I resent how I can see myself slowly becoming a nagging wife (forcing him to eat more fruits, making sure he takes his medicines and drinking enough water like a drill sargeant, getting mad at him for not trying harder to sleep early, so many things I could go on and on really). I just want what's best for him, that's all. And he's so tigas ulo sometimes, you really have to nag and still he won't follow.

So there. Not everything is perfect, reality really bites and here is the first trial of our married life. I'm doing my best to be a good wife, to stick to my vows of for better and for worse, in sickness and in health. It's really not that easy, and there are moments when the stress of it all really gets to me. And that makes me madder. And sadder. I hate it that we have to deal with him being sick, apart from us preparing for our baby's arrival. In life there really are no perfect situations I know, and all I can do now is offer all this up to God and hope that He continues to give us strength to weather all this.

some updates...and your thoughts please? =)

2008-02-05T12:44:00.001+08:00

Babies are on my mind all the time. Especially mine. He's all I can talk about, he's all I really care about now. HMMMM.

I'm bigger than ever, having gained 20 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight (as of last week). There are days when I freak out about how fat I am (don't get me wrong, I was never a rail thin girl to begin with, but this is really a whole new level for me!), but more often than not I am so super happy that I am gaining so much weight for the best reason in the universe. And I've been enjoying the dressing up part of pregnancy, I love looking like a mommy-to-be!!!

Lately though I've taken to wearing just plain maternity t-shirts from Gingersnaps (you know, they look like ordinary cotton tee's, just more tent-like) with maternity capri pants I had made. (I just feel more comfortable, although kind of frumpy.) And flipflops. I don't even want to wear my good old white chucks. My feet aren't swelling or manas (yet!hopefully never!), but I just can't stand that constricted feeling. The only pair of flats I can stand to wear now are a chocolate brown pair from schu that seem to have some sort of padded in-sole. My feet are taking such a beating now, I guess because of the weight gain... so I'm extra sensitive about comfort. (I used to be a total foot massage junkie...I would even book myself for two hour foot massages twice a week just because I loooooved how relaxed it made me. Alas, preggo me can no longer enjoy this luxury.)

On the home front... Chicco and I have started scouting around for Quito's baby essentials (Baby & Co.! SM! Rustan's! Even Babyland-yes it's still alive!!! Amazon.com!)... like a crib, pack & play (although I've been told by at least 2 parents that the pack & play can double as a crib...is this true? thoughts anyone?), stroller.... I want Quito to have the coolest, cutest, safest stuff-I guess like all mother's want for their children. It's just a bit funny cos Chic and I were thinking of all the baby "must-haves" available nowadays and how when we were babies we didn't even have car seats just mom and/or yaya holding us in the car. Our mother's survived (as did we), and did great jobs raising us and caring for us the best way they could... so it kind of makes me put all these "must-haves" into perspective. However, Chic and I were babies 29 and 27 years ago respectively...so things like scientific advancements (?) and more awareness on child rearing have to count for something right?

More on Quito and our little family... we got to see Quito again last Wednesday at Dra. Madamba-Burgos' clinic. I soooo loooove going to my ob-gyn, because it means we get to see Quito. Dra. told us we could go for our 4D ultrasound na soon if we wanted to so like the eager beavers that we are...off we rushed to this 4D place in the mall. Haha! Let me tell you, the experience was surreal. Seeing Quito move around in real time was just so magical for me, and I had to stop myself from crying my eyes out. I could see my baby boy playing and floating around in my amniotic fluid!!

So although I initially had strong "instincts" that I was carrying a baby girl and took to looking at all these pink fluffy girly things... I am sooo completely in LOVE with my son and am so thankful that God gave me and Chicco our little Quito. =D yahoo for us!!!

Quito has a new cousin!!!!!

2008-01-16T19:03:00.001+08:00

YES!!!!

I just loooove this new year! Cas just called me to confirm that she is 5 weeks pregnant!
Wonderful news, because for as long as I can remember we have talked endlessly about how cool it would be if we would have children at the same time. Not just because they'd end up growing up together like Cas & I did, but also so we could give our husbands a hard time together (hahaha just kidding Chic and No!!)!

Babies are really a blessing from God, and I believe that the arrival of our babies this year (only months apart!!! Destined to be soul siblings just like their mommies from the start!!) is something that will bring much joy to our family.

Sometimes I truly believe that my cousin is my soul mate, my soul sister from another mother (who incidentally is my second mom!). There is absolutely no part of my life that Cas and I did not go through together. In fact we used to joke around that we're a package deal "Buy one, take one." Hehe! Is it all part of God's plan, serendipity, destiny, the universe conspiring for and with us... that we continue to experience life's biggest journeys together?

I am sooo excited for my baby Quito and Cas's little one to grow up together. Can't wait to watch them see the world together too, just like Cas and me. =D If this isn't a testament to our no-fail mega cousin power, heck, I don't know what is!!! =D

Hooray for all these wonderful blessings! And this is only the beginning!!!

monday

2008-01-14T12:05:00.001+08:00

Today i woke up missing my old job.

I was a pre-school teacher, and I was lucky enough to have shared my days with some of the most amazing and lovable children in the world. I had to stop working December of last year due to some contractions I was experiencing, as recommended by my Ob-Gyn. It was very very hard for me to give up my job- It gave me a sense of purpose (like in my own little way I was contributing something good to the world), and apart from that, there is really nothing that can beat being with young children day in day out.

My husband and I had numerous discussions, some of them heated, about my job vs. health. For him it was a non-issue - pregnancy and motherhood was my new life, my new "job". He felt (and continues to feel) very strongly about how I must prioritize our baby over anyone else's babies, and be able to get the rest (more than enough if possible) I need to avoid any more contractions and stress issues like high blood, my never-ending dizziness, etc.

I was torn between wanting my "old life" back and being super thankful and overjoyed that we were blessed so quickly with a child. There were pieces of me that mourned my former life (after all it was only a few months ago, weeks even, when I could still run and bounce around with my kids in school, enjoy going out with our friends til God knows what time, smoke and drink and eat all the junk food I wanted without worrying about someone else) and I was so sad thinking of all the things that would never be quite the way they used to be. But well... that's life and I knew deep down that accepting my new life, my new "job", was just my first step into motherhood.

Right now, although I love to psuedo-complain about how bored I get having to rest at home all the time, I will never trade the feeling I have whenever I feel our baby kicking and playing inside me. Sure it's uncomfortable at times, and some days are worse than others... but just knowing that for the rest of my life I will have a child who will always be a student of my own to teach, to run and bounce around with, to nurture and protect with my life...well it makes every sacrifice seem worthwhile.

It's just that today I woke up missing being Teacher Chiara, and smiling like crazy with my wonderful wonderful kiddos.

Bye bye old me!

love is in the air

2008-01-12T03:59:00.001+08:00

My best friend Des got engaged over New Year's, and I am just ecstatic!!! She's still in San Francisco now finishing up a pastry course in Tante Marie's, and I cannot wait for her to come home. (So she can meet my baby!!! So we can hang out on Saturdays again!!! So we can start planning her wedding!!!) Carl and Des, like Chic and I, have been together forever... since we were in college...the era of Sweet Inspirations eat-all-you-can Mongolian BBQ, thinner thighs and all night drinking with no hangovers the next day (our livers weren't as pickled as they are now haha). I am just so happy that these guys have finally decided to take the plunge too, and I get to be a part of their wedding entourage (dance of joy hee!!)!

My bridesmaid, the soon-to-be-bride with her fiance on my wedding day =)

To the future Mr. & Mrs. P... wishing you a lifetime of the purest truest love, because as a group of wise moptops once sang "All you need is love!" ;-D

memory lane

2008-01-10T12:27:00.001+08:00

I was going through some pictures I found stashed on my computer and I found this semi-ancient picture of Chicco and me in Subic. I'm not sure if this was in `03 or `04, but it was during one of my annual Subic birthday bashes. Super fun times!!! =)

And here's an even older picture...from 2002, the day I arrived home from living in NY!!

Too bad I can't find any of our old college photos...it's probably in some folder on chicco's computer. We used some of the old pics for our wedding AVP I think. But here are some other photos of Chic and I through the years...

And here's a picture of us on the night he asked me to marry him (December 5, 2006) =D ...

Finally, on our wedding day, September 15, 2007...

And here's our latest family picture taken during my childhood friend, Deepa's, December 30, 2007 wedding...

I still get a kick out of reminiscing about the path Chicco and I took to get to where we are now. Must be all those hormones making me more sentimental than usual, especially now that our baby is getting bigger and bigger! =) I'm still in awe over how the two of us have grown up through the years, how we've changed, but also how we've managed to somehow stay the same. Does that even make sense??

chuckleberry and me

2007-12-28T09:10:00.002+08:00

I'm happily married to my greatest dearest chuckleberry-est friend!!! It's been quite an adventure for me and Chicco...from dating in college, enduring a 2 year long distance relationship, enjoying being young and carefree together, surviving our own "quarter life crises"... breaking up after seven years (crazy time!!!), getting back together and getting engaged around a month and a half after that (beginning of even more crazy times!!!) ... nine months later finally becoming Mr. & Mrs. M.

And now here we are...happily waiting for our first child to be born and enjoying being newly weds at the same time. :)

We've truly been so blessed, Chicco and I.