Taking the Plunge Together

Advanced Merry Christmas! :)

2009-11-03T07:43:00.000+08:00

So, how was your long weekend? We spent it at home, save for Saturday when we went to SM Sta. Rosa since we had no power from 3AM when the wind was just going crazy. Bagyong Santi was mostly strong wind, not much rainfall (at least in our area). On our way to SM, we saw a lot of trees that fell down, some Meralco posts also fell...it was something like Milenyo. But thank God, power was restored by 8PM (unlike Milenyo where it took days!).

Okay, back to happy thoughts :P

Early Sunday morning, I was baking pancake muffins for breakfast (but we still had rice and sisig hehe). Monday naman, I baked Madeleines. Hay, the pancake muffins were okay but the Madeleines, so so lang...I was expecting them to be cookie-like kaso parang muffin pa rin. I am still a beginner when it comes to baking so I follow the recipe to the dot. That's one thing that I notice with baking (versus regular cooking), I can't play around with it pa. We were just lucky to get this recipe for carrot cake from Allrecipes.com which turns out really fantastic...as in baking goddess fantastic! LOL. So, unting practice pa.

The weekend was also spent playing with Ethan, watching his DVDs with him, eating an apple, some chips, some cookies with him. It was also spent laughing at his antics. Oh, and one thing we're really proud of...he can count from 1 to 10!!! He knows the sequence but he doesn't know how the number looks like yet. So we take it a day at a time. Good thing he stays with Grandma or Lola at home, he gets good exposure to educational stuff.

Ethan also loves to dance! And he's quite a performer, loves it when we are amused with his performance - even requesting for claps hehehe.

He does get mischievous from time to time - getting a bit hard-headed and insists on what he wants. But we get firm with him in a way that he knows that he's not the boss around the house. But in general, he's even-tempered.

He can also hold conversations with us. He babbles while telling us what he and Papa saw during their walk to the park (birds "tweet tweet", rem = worm, with matching wiggly finger, and ants!). Sometimes it takes a few repetitions before we understand what he means but he has his way of making us understand. One time during his bath, Grandma was just waiting for him to finish playing inside the pail. He called out "Mah! Mints". Mama didn't understand at first so she asked him what he wanted, and he repeated "Mints". Seeing that his Grandma didn't understand him, he gestured with his index finger (making it like a dropper) and that's when Grandma understood that he meant Vitamins. Because that is their routine, he will take his vitamins while still inside the pail :)

I could go on and on but what I really want to say is that the little boy is really growing up. Looking at him, I feel fulfilled that I have been part of this miracle, this gift from God.

Baby#2, is that you calling? :)

Going 3-0!

2009-10-23T08:07:00.002+08:00

In 2 days, I will be hitting the big 3-0! :P Hmm...milestone.

Turning 30, I wish I could be more of a hands-on mother. I mean, I'm doing my best to be there for Ethan but I feel like it's not enough. I would like to be able to read, play, dance, sing with him more. I'd like to be able to prepare his meals, lull him to sleep, wash his clothes...in short, I'd like to take care of him 24/7.

But that's not currently possible. So I continue to do my best to take care of him when we're at home together. And I really wish my temper doesn't get the best of me.

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My birthday also signals the coming of Christmas for me. In exactly two months' time, it would be Christmas.

I used to think that my birthdate is cool because I have the same day as Jesus's (the 25th). Hehe.

Christmas is almost here and I'd like to start with Christmas shopping hehe. On my list, I've only bought 3 pa lang. I plan to give out baked goodies na lang (like mini carrot cakes or madeleines). This would be DIY gifts - I'm even planning to make the gift box myself.

Hopefully, my plan will push through :)

Choles

2009-10-13T07:41:00.003+08:00

One thing that's bugging my mind right now is A's high level of bad cholesterol. (ugh, I know!)

He found out about it on a recent free cholesterol check that they had at work. He couldn't believe it at first so he went for another test and consulted with an endocrinologist as well. Well, the test came out the same - he did have a staggering level of bad cholesterol!

Why the endocrinologist? Because A has a thyroid problem. And he read somewhere that hypothyroidism can cause high cholesterol (slow metabolism and all that!). A used to have hyperthyroidism sometime during college (I didn't know him yet then) and he went for radioactive iodine treatment. His hyperthyroidism stopped alright, but the RIT burned through most of his thyroid, hence, he now has hypothyroidism. (I know, grr, right?)

So, now he is hypo and the endocrinologist prescribed him with hormones to help his system get back to "normal". This hormone supplement will be, sadly, for life. Hay. Sad. But then life has to go on.

And so, this led me to look for healthy recipes online. I saw this recipe for tri-veggie pasta sauce and pesto chicken at the Yummy website and I tried it out last night.

The verdict?

Two thumbs up from the hubby and a ginormous appetite from the kid! I was really glad that they liked it.

They were bitin pa nga because I cooked a small portion of spaghetti lang because I was hesitant that we'd like it - sayang kasi ung noodles. Hehe, nabitin tuloy :P

We thought that the chicken would taste blah, but surprisingly, it turned out flavorful. Of course, compared to the usual fried chicken, it was more bland - si Mama yun ang sinabi, wala daw bang asin. Hehe.

It was also my first time to use spaghetti sauce made from fresh tomatoes (usually kasi store-bought spaghetti sauce). As I was cooking it, I had to add more spices to make it more flavorful. I also used more of the parmesan cheese, instead of salt, to bring saltiness into the sauce.

While I was cooking the sauce, it tasted bland for me. Siguro nga kasi you'd look for the taste of meat that's usually present in spaghetti sauce. But when we incorporated it with the pasta, surprisingly ulit, masarap sya :)

Hay basta, tuwang-tuwa kami ni A lalo na andaming nakain ni Ethan (who usually has poor appetite for solids)!

P.S. I read from Today's Parent website that there's such a thing as "too much juice" which can ruin a kid's appetite. It was a suspect for me kasi before Ethan drinks a lot of juice and ends up with very very poor appetite. Coincidentally, the same day I read the article, Mama also decided to stop Ethan's juice intake muna (and just have it after meals). So as soon as I told Mama about the article, we had data na agad because we observed Ethan's appetite to improve agad. *Me and Mama have really connected brainwaves I think hehe*

Ethan's latest

2009-10-09T07:45:00.003+08:00

I'm back with a list of Ethan's latest antics:

He loves watching his DVDs - Mo-mo (Sesame Street which features Elmo), Baber (that's Bob the Builder!), Ney (Barney), Go-Go (can refer to Dora or Diego). He loves to dance and he's got rhythm! Sabi ni A, mana daw sa kanya hehehe.

- He can recognize Boots and Swiper. When we say "Swiper, no swiping!", he responds with "oh men!". Just discovered that this week. Grandma bought him a Dora CD which he watches a lot. According to Grandma, he also tries to answer Dora's questions.

He converses more and we already recognize a lot of his words. When he comes up with a new one, it's quite easy to decipher because he can find ways to help us understand him. Some of his words are:

- Hap = hat/cap, he gets confused because he has a hat and a cap which he uses. He got used to calling it a hat but when he wears his cap, he calls it a hat as well. So we also tell him that it's a cap. Maybe he got confused so he calls either a "hap" now :P

- Bang = he says this when he falls down. We don't know where he heard it and how he was able to associate falling with the word

- Another thing that's amazing is that he converses in English. I'm wondering if it's easier for him to say the words that's why he chooses to speak in English. We don't talk with him in straight English all the time, it's mostly Taglish. He also understands Cebuano because when I and my parents' talk about what the little boy did during the day for example (in Cebuano), he listens then does what we are talking about. It's amazing, really.

- "Come" or "Walk" = come with me or walk with me. He usually pulls your hand when he says this and brings you in front of the refrigerator. Then he says,

- "Pen, pease" = Open, please. Then he proceeds to find what he wants inside the ref.

- "pen, cose" = Open, close. He does this while opening and closing his hands.

- "up, don" = "Up, down". Beware, because he wants to ride on your legs while you mimic a seesaw.

- He can also associate verbs with common nouns that go with it. For example,

- Ethan is driving (or riding) a...(he responds with) Car
- Ethan is reading a... (he responds with) Book
- Ethan is writing with his... (he responds with) Pens
- Ethan is brushing his... (he responds with) Teeth. and he can enunciate the "th" sound
- Ethan is wearing his... (he responds with) Hap
- Ethan is watching... (he responds with) TV
- Ethan is drinking... Fee (that's coffee, patay na) or Juice

I made a bed cover for him (which also included several pillowcases) which had Spongebob as design. He used it for the first time last Tuesday. As soon as he saw it, he exclaimed, "Wow!" sabay higa at hug sa bed nya. Hehehe. Worth it ang pagod ni Mama :)
He also loves to dance to the tune of Hokey, Pokey. And the theme song of Backyardigans, as well as Hi-5 songs.
EDIT (10/13/09): He can identify colors na rin - he knows red, blue, green, yellow, orange, violet (vlet), black, and white. He also recognizes numbers - one, two..three..four..five..six..eight (hehe, he skips seven), ten! (he also skips nine).

He's drinking more milk now but eats very small amounts of solid food lang. Kaya pag napansin naming may gana, we take the opportunity to feed him solids talaga. I read that too much juice can lead to this, so we try to minimize his juice intake.

Malapit na ang Christmas, we're going home to Davao pohon :)

Ondoy oy oy!

2009-09-28T09:34:00.002+08:00

How are you? I do hope that you're okay.

I thank God that my loved ones are safe...save for an uncle and his family whom we've last had communication with last Friday night. They live in the Lamuan area (in Marikina) and they were staying in the 2nd floor of their house since the first floor was also flooded. They only had raw spaghetti noodles to eat and some milk for my cousins (who are around 7 and 8 yrs. old and one of them celebrated his birthday last Saturday pa talaga). Up to now, we don't have any news about them...I really pray that they're okay.

We were also in Marikina last weekend. Saturday morning we were on our way to Marikina from Sta. Rosa. We left around 7am and dropped by Concepcion Market pa because mama had to do buy stuff. We left around 8am and were on our way home (to SSS Village), we were in a hurry because SSS gets flooded when heavy rain pours. As expected, several streets were already flooded so we decided to wait it out by the church (which is in an elevated area). We saw the water reach up to waist level.

Around 11:30 we decided to look for some place to eat. We saw Cafe Feliz and had lunch there and decided to continue waiting for the rain to stop and the flood to subside. By this time, electricity was already cut off. We reached home around 4pm when the rain subsided and flood water dropped to about the level of the sidewalk. We saw some cars wade through the rain so we decided to follow. It was quite difficult because there were a lot of debris on the street.

Worst thing that happened to us was the blackout. Just the incovenience of having a blackout. Phone lines were also down. Thank God water supply wasn't stopped. We are very thankful given the situation of other parts of Marikina, Pasig, and Rizal province, we were very blessed.

Oh, and A fell into a manhole (well, his left leg). He had to get anti-tetanus shots last night. We went to Concepcion to have him checked but ended up going home ulit kasi hindi ma-contact ang HMOs. We didn't have any cash either (well we had about P400 but it wasn't enough to get the shots), ATMs were all offline. In the grocery, there were a lot of people buying basic supplies like water, food, clothes, slippers. Some of them had no homes to go to. Grabe talaga.

The next morning, my parents were on the 6:30am flight from Davao so we had to go the airport. We went out at 7am, went around Marikina for an hour then decided to go back because roads were still not passable. Thank God for my BIL and SIL who offered to meet my parents for us. We were only able to go out of Marikina at 2PM but we still had to look for a passable route. The roads were all muddy, there were vehicles left on the street some that were all muddy inside. SM Marikina's carpark was covered in mud and the Marikina river was still churning out muddy water.

We were back home in Sta. Rosa around past 5pm. Thank God that in our area, there was no flooding that happened.

Nakakatakot ung experience. I feel sad for those who lost their homes, who were stranded on their rooftops with no food nor water, especially those who had babies, kids and elderly persons with them. It was really a tough day for the Philippines. But it should also serve as a wake up call for everyone to always be prepared for the worst.

I really do hope that we all learned a lesson from this experience. A lesson that we do not forget with the passing of time sana.

Second trip to the dentist

2009-08-24T08:06:00.003+08:00

We brought Ethan to the Abesamis Dental Clinic in Festival Mall for his second dental visit. It's been six months since we first brought him there. The night before, I was preconditioning him about his visit telling him that we'll be visiting the dentist tomorrow and he'll be asked to open his mouth. His reply? "De...De..." [Hindi, hindi.] Uh-oh.

We had to wait for 30minutes before we were accommodated so he had the time to play on the slide and with the toys in the waiting area. As soon as we went inside Dra. Ama's clinic, he started looking around. He agreed to sit on the dental chair at first, but when the overhead light was switched on, he hung on to Albert and started saying "De...De..."

And that's when the crying started. Because Tita Doc asked him to open his mouth so she can count his teeth. He really didn't want to. Big, fat tears were streaming down his face. Akala mo talaga kinakawawa. Hehe.

The little boy has 13 teeth now, 2 (or 3) of which are erupting pa lang. Tita Doc advised us to make our visit more frequent (within 2 months' time) until he gets accustomed to his dental visits and hopefully he won't be as scared next time.

Buti na lang, covered ng HMO nila A, meaning no cash out for us. Hehe.

I started to take out his other toys from the box and I'll be keeping some of his toys na rin. That way, I can rotate his toys. Nagsasawa na rin kasi sya sa ibang toys nya. I took out Thomas the Train ("twain"), a fire truck ("tuck"), a xylophone, and his magnetic writing toy.

We're having a roll with the writing toy! Even though I'm not much of an artist (ehem, hindi magaling mag-draw), the little boy can still recognize what I drew. He knows the train, car, tree (tee), kite (kai), fan (fon), phone (fong), TV (veevee), moon (mun), star (tar), plane (pane), house (haw), chair (cha), bed (bed), bee (bee, with matching cog = hug and kiss), butterfly (bfly), feeding bottle (dede), straw (tow), and several other items that I can't recall right now *memory loss*

He watches Sesame Street, and he has a new favorite now. Previously he loved the Get Up and Dance ("Den") episode, now he likes the Alphabet Jungle as well. He pronounces the letters after they are named, inuunahan pa nga minsan! Ah, the sharp memory of kids.

He also recognizes some of the numbers. One time I heard him and A counting. A said "One.." and Ethan continued "..Two...Twee...Fo..." I'm not sure if he made it to five. Although this is still inconsistent, depende sa mood. Hehe.

Last Friday morning, out of nowhere, Ethan put on his slippers and wore his hat, pulled on A's hands then pointed at the door. "Ba..." labas daw sila. Saan ka pupunta? "Ide..." Sa slide daw. Ano pang meron dun? "wing" (Swing) Tsaka ano pa? "Ee-o" while he gestures up and down. Seesaw daw. Ayun, nag-aaya sa playground. Mainit na e, mamaya na lang hapon. "Later in the afternoon" sabi ni A.

Around 4pm, hinihintay ko lang mag-aya ulit. Saktong nagising si Albert sa siesta nya, ayun na nga, nag-aya na ang bulilit. Sabi ko kay A, kelangan nyang tuparin ang usapan nila. Hehehe...punta na namang playground.

Ang dami nang kakulitan ni Ethan. Matigas na rin ang ulo minsan. May paiyak-iyak na ngang alam e. Alam na rin nya ung magpapabigat ng katawan pag ayaw nyang umalis sa kinatatayuan nya, kaya no choice ka kundi buhatin sya. Pag umiyak (nagdadrama), madali din naman siyang i-appease so ok lang.

Nakakapagod pero nakakatuwa. Almost 20 months old na sya. In about four months time (pohon), may 2 year old na kami ni A. Iba-iba naman daw ang temperament ng mga bata. Sana hindi totoo ang "terrible twos" na title kay Ethan. Hehehe...

2009-08-12T10:14:00.002+08:00

This is heart-wrenching.

http://momsformoms.multiply.com/photos/album/1/Dr._Jose_Fabella_Hospital#

As a mother, my heart goes out to these wee ones. And really grateful to be blessed enough to have access to better hospital care. We have the luxury of choosing which hospital to go to and be able to afford the high-end ones (but opt not to). Our companies' health benefits cover our dependents (for a minimal fee) and allows us to have regular check-ups.

It was difficult to view the album and I found myself tearing up. Totoo nga ung sabi ng nanay ko dati sa isang naglilibot na pulubi na dala-dala ung anak daw nya na nilapag lang sa semento kahit tanghaling-tapat. Sabi ng nanay ko, kung talagang anak mo yan, hindi mo matitiis na ilapag sya sa semento.

Because the heart of a mother is just too full of love for her child.

That's why it saddens me to see 2-3 babies sharing one bassinet. There are several more stories to tell... and several people have already started raising funds to help Fabella. You can check out the BagHag, Chuvaness, and MomsforMoms.

On my part, I'd like to purchase Earth's Best diapers from Handy Dandy diapers (as suggested by Moms for Moms) since for every 10 packs that they sell, they pledged to give one pack to Fabella. This way, I'd be able to help not only Fabella Hospital but also the environment (I have yet to check if I'd be able to save some money as well, hopefully it's cheaper than the commercial one that Ethan currently uses).

Government hospitals are really run-down...e ito pa man din ang takbuhan ng taong-bayan pag kelangan nilang magpa-ospital at wala silang pambayad sa mga pribadong ospital. Ang laki-laki ng tax na binabayaran ko, bakit walang improvement na nakikita sa health care at edukasyon? Primary needs ito... well siguro kasi napupunta lang sa dinner sa Le Cirque.

2009-08-11T08:26:00.002+08:00

It's time for another Ethan update :)

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Yesterday, I received a blank message from Mama. I was typing out a message when another one came in. I thought Mama just made a mistake but when the second message turned out to be another blank, I immediately knew what happened.

So I sent her a message, "Ma, ginadulaan ni gamatoy ang imong cellphone. Nag-send ug 2 ka blank message sa ako." [Ma, pinaglalaruan nung maliit ang cellphone mo. Nag-send ng 2 blank messages sa akin] To which she replied, "Lagi, makatulo pa unta ang maldito. Maayo na lang nasakpan nako." [Oo nga, makakatatlo pa sana tong maldito buti nahuli ko.]

In the afternoon, we talked about it again then Papa said, "Ay mao diay. Nag-send pod sa ako ug 2." [Ay kaya pala, nag-send din sa akin ng 2.]

Toink! So the little boy was able to send 4 blank messages pala! Ubos ang load ng grandma! We were laughing, and guess what, the little boy was laughing as well. Hay sus.

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Last week (when we had rainy weather), A was washing the car and the little boy wanted to go with him. I told him we cannot go out because it was raining, the most we could do was watch Papa from our small porch.

He immediately pointed at an umbrella...e mejo slow itong nanay nya, sabi ko pa, "Ay yes, umbrella..." but he kept on pointing at the umbrella, then I had an epiphany (haha exagg) and I got what he meant!

He was telling me pala to use the umbrella so we can go out even if it was raining. Hay!

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He has almost memorized his alphabet chart (well not the letters but the pictures that represent the letters).

He knows the apple, bee, cat, duck, egg, fish, goat, horse, kite, lion, mouse, nest, owl, pencil, rabbit, sun, tree, umbrella, van, and the xylophone.

If you ask him to point at the egg, he points at both the nest (which contains eggs) and the egg.

He can vocalize (approximately hehe) - bee, duck (kack-kack), egg (geee), fish (ish), kite (ayt), lion (this one he can only mimic the growling sound hehe), owl, tree (teeee), umbrella (bralla), and van.

If you ask him what is the color of the book of the little pig (in Three Little Pigs, one of his favorites), he will answer greeeeeen.

Then if you ask him what the color of the sky is, he will answer....greeeen. Hehehe obvious bang ito lang ang alam nyang color? :D So when he says this, A corrects him by saying "Nooo, the sky is blue." Kaya ngayon when you ask him what the color of the sky is, he will answer "Greeeen. Noooo." hehehehe...

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As I've said, The Three Little Pigs is one of his favorite stories. As soon as you open the book to the first page, he immediately says "Ba-bye". Because the first page shows the little pigs saying goodbye to their mom. When asked what the little pigs' baon is, he enumerates "Baaa. Cheee. Dede." [Bread. Cheese. Milk.] (And one time he told A, "Cooo" - Coke din daw hehe).

The next page shows the first little pig with his house. When asked what the house is made of, Ethan says "Stowww". [Straw]

The second little pig's house is made of? "Ticks" [Sticks]

The third little pig's house? "Tone" [Stone].

And then the big bad wolf appears. The picture shows the Big Bad Wolf peeking at the first little pig's window and the little pig is sweating. So, the Big Bad Wolf asks the Little Pig, please let him in. What does the little pig say? "Noooo." Then he points at the sweat and says "Cry". Umiiyak daw ung pig hehehe.

The next page shows the straw house blown apart. Ethan mimics the wolf blowing strongly at the house. He does this for the next page as well which shows the 2nd little pig.

When we reach the next page, the 3rd little pig is shown drinking coffee. The little boy wants to move to the next page which shows the wolf falling into a pot of boiling water. Ethan then shouts and taps his diaper - napaso daw kasi ung wolf. Then his shouts turn into whispers...kasi patay na daw ung wolf kaya mahina na ung sound. Hehehe.

The End.

Repeat 100,000 times :P

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Another favorite is the Sesame Street DVD, particularly that episode entitled Get Up and Dance. Kung tape lang un, pudpod na un sigurado.

May kakumpetensya na kami sa TV kasi pag feel nya, he just says "Mo-mo! Mo-mo" over and over again. Elmo daw kasi. "Den" - he wants to dance daw. And he does. He follows what the kids and Big Bird are doing and dances.

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He follows instructions na rin like, "Ethan, please give this to Papa". Or "Ethan, come here. Hug mo ako, gusto ko ung may sound. Kiss din, ung may sound." And he proceeds to do these.

Sabi nga ni Grandma, tumatanda na daw. :)

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He also loves books. When we go to SM Sta. Rosa, SM has a stall selling books. Ethan immediately goes there and browses through the books. Nakakatuwa, at least nagbunga naman pala ung mga time na nilaan namin para i-introduce sa kanya ang books...pati na rin ung pagbili namin ng books para sa kanya, at least, na-appreciate na :)

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In 4 months time, he'll be turning two. Kaya nag-iisip na ako ngayon kung pano ang magiging celebration namin nun. But most probably, it will be with family lang :)

2009-08-06T08:10:00.002+08:00

I was 6 years old and in Prep at the time of the EDSA Revolution. According to Mama, she fetched me from school that day and I was hesitant to leave kasi baka ma-mark daw ako na absent LOL.

I remember yellow ribbons and the Laban sign and of course, Cory Aquino. I guess, she was my first president, i.e., she was our president nung nagkaroon ako ng malay tungkol sa mundo. Hehe. I remember she visited us at the Ateneo (de Davao University), we were all lined up at the backfield and she arrived aboard a helicopter. I remember she was in yellow and the grasses were swaying to the strong breeze made by the helicopter.

I don't know now whether I saw the actual coverage of EDSA Revolution on TV or just flashbacks. But I saw a lot of people, soldiers, private citizens, nuns, priests, families gathered together and around tanks.

Of course, I knew about Ninoy. And I really view the dictators as bad people.

Bayan Ko was our Prep graduation song. I still know the lyrics of Magkaisa and Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo (which I view as our version of We Are The World hehe).

These past 5 days, we were glued to the ABS-CBN and ANC coverage of Cory's wake and burial. My father was crying especially during the eulogy of Mel Mamaril. It was heartbreaking. You can feel his sincerity from his speech and the way he saluted Cory afterwards. I got goosebumps when the EDSA songs were sung.

It was inevitable. But still, I felt sadness when it finally happened. Farewell, President Cory and please continue to watch over the Philippines.

2009-07-20T14:43:00.003+08:00

If you knew me way back in my grade school days, you'd never think that I'd grow up crafty. I was just ~~wading~~ way over my head in those Home Economics classes in Grades 5 and 6. I didn't have the patience to do my projects, much less stitch a good running stitch or crochet a perfect knot. I even had my mother beautify a Work Ed (back in Grade 4) project of a small box made of popsicle sticks BECAUSE to her horror, her only daughter, was making a hideous draping of some boring cloth on the box.

Of course I exaggerate at my mother's horror. LOL. But really, my mother is the artsy type. Very creative, very full of ideas. Our house is her masterpiece - she really wanted to study Interior Design but my grandfather was very strict and didn't want her to study outside Davao City. (Sshh, she doesn't want to broadcast that but there I go :P)

But I digress.

I don't know the specific time when it started but I just know it was during college. Maybe I got in touch with my inner self (aka may sariling mundo). I started with cross stitching because that was one craft that I've sort of liked and found easy to do. Then it progressed to sewing just recently.

I started buying Real Living and Yummy magazines instead of fashion magazines. Maybe I was nesting, having my own family, starting to get domesticated and all that vibe.

Or maybe it has something to do with economics as well. Haha. I've always been a sucker for bags (aren't we all? Hehehe) but my ~~stingy~~ thrifty side just tells me that I'll be paying for something which I'll just set aside later on. And on closer inspection, it made me think that I could sew something like it.

So I started scouting for DIY websites. And believe me, there are A LOT! My favorites are instructables.com, tipnut.com, and about.com. These sites just give me a lot of craft ideas.

These also provide recipes which I try out from time to time. I choose those with ingredients that are easy to find. I now have 8 types of dried herbs on my cupboard to experiment on taste. I've grown to like celery and the nice aroma it brings to dishes. I have balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, oyster sauce and chili flakes on stock as well. Just yesterday, I experimented on a stir fry recipe which I just thought of on my own - just used logic to decide on which veggies and meat would work well together. And I'm glad it turned out delicious (hehehe love your own!).

More recently, I also started making my own (costume) jewelry. I saw an ad for a 1-day workshop on making jewelry which I wanted to attend but couldn't find time for. Then DIY flashed on my mind again so I started to look for jewelry on my favorites sites and voila! I found several tips and tricks from my trusted sites. I just had to buy my beads, findings and tools from Quiapo - that much I knew from reading local magazines and talking to friends who share the same hobby.

Now, when I walk around the mall and find cute bags and bling blings, I'm still tempted but a voice inside my head stops me because it whispers..."You can make that yourself for less the price". LOL.

I didn't think that I would turn into this crafty person but I'm really glad I did. Now I have an outlet and this shared passion brought me and my mother closer. We gush at the same stuff now although crocheting is still a challenge for me (I just can't make relaxed stitches!).

Grandpa and Grandma are in town!

2009-07-02T07:58:00.002+08:00

Grandpa and Grandma arrived from Davao yesterday and will be staying for at least 3 months. Papa has requested for office transfer to Tagaytay so that they can stay longer and Lola can take some rest from her almost-2-months stint with Ethan :P

Since last night, the little boy has been ~~glued~~ attached to his Grandpa. He woke up early this morning and managed to kiss us good morning (managed because Grandpa and Grandma weren't up yet). But as soon as he saw Grandpa, haaayy...na-dedma na kami ni A hehehe.

He wanted to go upstairs and play with Grandpa kaso paalis na kami so sabi namin babay. He agreed to stay and wave goodbye to us (from our porch) as long as Grandpa was with him.

Nyahaha. Matindi.

----

The little boy has a lot of antics now. Nakakatuwa.

He knows the actions for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (un nga lang kelangang naka-fast forward ka pag kumakanta kasi mabilis mag-shift ung actions nya hehe), and Ang Maliit na Gagamba (yes, he likes the tagalog version more than the Eensy Weensy one. When we start singing eensy weensy, he says "Ba-ba"...gagamba daw).

He has this book entitled My House which shows several stuff found inside a house. There's a:

Sink - Ethan, what do we do in the sink? He makes the action of washing his hands.
Shower - What do we do in the shower? He makes the action of washing his hair (the same action he does when asked how do we shampoo)
Bed - What's this? Beeee. What do we do on the bed? He looks for something soft like a mattress or the sofa bed and lies down.
Door - What's this? Dooooo. Then points to our door.
Chair - What's this? Chaaaaa. Then proceeds to point at our dining chairs.
Table - Proceeds to point at our dining table. What do we do on the table? He puts his hands together as if in prayer (but this is still inconsistent, sometimes he does it, sometimes not).
Window - Points at our window.
Radio - he places his fingers to his ear and dances...

When asked what he and Papa are going to buy in the bakery..bread and? Cooooo (coke). Patay na.

He sways to Barney's song...you know, the I Love You song...and hugs everyone when we get to the "...with a great big hug..." part.

He waves (more like close-open hehe) goodbye and says "Ba-ba" then gives you a flying kiss.

"Ba..." may mean ball, balloon, bag. When the syllable is repeated, it may mean, baba (as in go down) or babay. Car is "ca..." and a motorcycle is "vroom". "Ka-ga" is karga (he wants you to carry him). "Dee" (or is it "gee"?) is the TV.

He can shout out his lungs saying Mama but when he says Papa, it's a mere whisper. When you ask him to say it louder, he says it A BIT louder but can only manage Pa. Hehehe.

I could go on and on but then you'd get bored hahaha.

----

Our maid-of-honor is on her wedding preps as they plan to march down the aisle next year. Ehem ehem...and I'm her...matron-of-honor. Ooohhh...that sounds so...matronic bwahaha.

This led me to taking out from the baul aka external HDD my files when A and I were on our wedding preps. When I saw the excel files and my folders - gown designs, bouquets, hairstyles, shoes, etc...I realized that I had LOTS of files to maintain then. It really brought out the OC in me. And so I gladly passed on the files...

I'm really excited because this would be the first time in years that I would be attending a friend's wedding...can't wait! For now, diet...pano kaya mapapaliit ang braso? Di bale ang tummy, pwedeng idaan sa cut ng dress. Hehehe.

2009-06-23T11:13:00.002+08:00

I am a Papa's girl ;-)

I am the eldest and the only girl so I guess, my being a Papa's girl is a given hehehe (although even my younger bros are also close to Papa). His experiences as a kid have always been a source of inspiration and pride for me. Knowing what he went through and what he has become, it brings tears of pride to my eyes (the sentimental me, who would have thought that I have it? hahaha).

My father is not perfect (who is?) but I consider him the best. Seeing how he (and Mama) dotes on my kid now, always reminiscing about how I was as a kid and how similar Ethan and I are (and I have proof of this, I just need to scan my old baby pics hehe), I'm just happy that so much love is showered on Ethan.

One thing I've learned from him is to stay humble. And kind (okay, that's two). I may be mean and give out snide remarks from time to time but when it comes to people who remind you to be thankful of what you have, I'm a softie :P

I also see how much he loves and cares for Mama - he may not be the expressive type but I know. I can't express how, but I just feel it. And that was something that I looked for in my then-future-husband.

And I'm glad I found that in A.

He's very patient with my tantrums (hehe, parang nasa terrible twos pa rin ako) and my impatience. He's very hands on with Ethan and I can see how close the two of them are. I'm just glad that God chose another best for me.

2009-06-10T10:23:00.003+08:00

With my very busy schedule (ehem, work within the week and laundry during the weekends - and of course, being with Ethan), I find it really convenient to e-shop. I've mostly shopped within Multiply but have bought from a couple of eBayers as well...we even purchased our dining table through the internet! Hehehe. It's quite convenient, I look at their products online, I email them my order, pay via bank deposit, then wait for the products to be delivered on my doorstep!

I frequent Indigo Manila for Ethan's needs - their Jar of Hope and our bestfriend, the Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me insect repellant. When we moved to Sta. Rosa, there are a lot more trees in the neighborhood and this meant more insects - particularly mosquitoes. Ethan is the "kagatin" type (just like me) and on him, the bitten parts darken as well. So the two products I mentioned above really help me a lot.

The Jar of Hope relieves the itchiness and the insect repellant prevents the bad mosquitoes from getting near. We just have to be vigilant and reapply every few hours or so. And the products really work because since then, he doesn't get all those nasty bites anymore. And I don't need to worry about DEET (unlike OFF lotion) because it's made of all-natural ingredients so we can reapply as often as we want.

During a recent shopping episode, I also purchased a bar of soap from them (it's supposedly made for baby's skin) which I've yet to use.

Another recent purchase I made is from One Planet Noah - this time, the products are for moi! I have skin asthma (eczema, acute dermatitis, whatever else it's called) and I easily get rashes from harsh soaps. But I adore soaps with a yummy smell. Yup, that's my dilemma.

When I chanced upon their website, I saw all the minty soaps and I just wanted to try these out! Again, these soaps were made from natural ingredients so it would mean that's it's mild and thus, less chances of having rashes! Just like those bars of soap that I bought from Ilog Maria. So I bought a lot of soaps (6 bars, to be exact) and a jar of their body cream.

I've been using the body cream (which has VCO but doesn't feel greasy at all) and my skin feels just like how it felt when I used regular lotion. But the beauty of using this particular body cream is again, the natural ingredients! In a way, it's relief that I'm feeling knowing that I lessen the incorporation of synthetic stuff onto my body (because food nowadays has those, and I still use regular shampoo and etc etc).

I've also tried using the cream on my face (and have just recently switched to the sunblock from Indigo Manila) instead of the usual product (from Pond's) and I've seen less breakouts. I know, it's supposed to be a body cream but it says it's mild enough for baby's skin so it should be okay to use on my face. Hehehe.

So here's the stuff I bought (apologies for the bad lighting, busy ang aking photographer hehe).

2009-05-25T07:02:00.002+08:00

After I was done with my not-so-humongous (well, not as high as last week's) pile of laundry last Saturday, I finally got the chance to watch movies and some episodes of Chuck (the TV series). I watched Twilight (I know! Just now!), got midway through Baler (had to stop because Ethan was asking for dede), and Confessions of a Shopaholic (Again, yes, just now!).

Honestly, I found Twilight (the movie) to be boring as opposed to the book. I mean, yes, there were a lot of sappy parts in the book wherein Bella was just waxing romantic over everything and anything about Edward but the movie...was just too boring for me. I don't know, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I liked the book.

Then, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Hmm, what can I say but...was it really based on the book? I read the book, and there were about a million (okay, exagg) details that were different in the movie. Becky was the same annoying shopaholic (sorry, I find her annoying because she just couldn't help herself and buy all those stuff that she didn't need while she was neck-deep in debt. Sheesh, doesn't she think?! Oops, that's the frugal side of me, unleashed!) but Luke became a different person. And Alicia Longlegs wasn't gunning for Luke at all (at least in the book)! It was more of her being a freak and a snob but it was about her job and not Luke.

Now Baler, this would be half-baked (as I haven't watched the whole film yet) but I find Anne Curtis's intonation very not-Filipino :P In fact, it would be easier for me to believe that Jericho was the pure Filipino and Anne the half-Spanish character. Hmm..baka naman may twist? Hahaha. Let's see.

At least, Chuck was great! I was again intrigued by the plot and can't wait to finish the last 2 episodes of Season 2. Hope I can still watch it tonight :)

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movies (except for Twilight pala). Just couldn't help but comment. By the way, in between movies, aside from checking on the washing machine, I was playing Text Twist...that one, it still brings me to an all-time high even if I play it again and again and again.

Was a great weekend for me, hope it was the same for you! :)

50 Things you love and hate

2009-05-15T08:29:00.002+08:00

...about raising a toddler.

I chanced upon this article from the latest issue of Working Mom and found myself relating so much with what the author wrote. So, I'd like to share it here.

---
50 Things You Love and Hate about Raising a Toddler
by Chary de Guzman-Mercado
Working Mom vol.9 no.4 (May 2009)

My children's toddlerhood is becoming a distant memory. But I do remember a few things - some of which are simply adorable and make me wish I could have another baby just to see it all again. But some are so annoying I am glad my kids are past that stage. Here are some of the most endearing, and most irritating moments to expect from the average 12-24 month old.

1. Budding independence leads them to insist of feeding themselves, even if they end up getting more mush on their clothes and the floor. They also treat food on other people's plates as open game for sinking in their grubby little paws.

2. The fussy eater has discovered a new trick to end feeding time struggles - just push the whole plate off the table and smile.

3. They discover food they like and eat more than you think could possibly fit into their tiny bodies - and then prove you right by barfing it all out in the car.

4. The threat of choking is ever present. Older siblings can't wait for toddlers to turn three so they can finally own toys with small parts.

5. Even after taping rags or styrofoam pads to table edges, they find some random corner to bump into.

6. Your TV is now devoted solely to playing Barney and Baby Einstein in an endless loop. Your sanity hangs by a thread. [this is also true for reading books! - che]

7. They discover how much fun it is to paint. Too bad they discover this gift while wielding your favorite MAC lipstick on the cream-colored sofa.

8. They rummage through your bag or dresser to "hide" your things in the trash, the laundry basket, or your shoes!

9. Instead of shape sorters, they prefer to see how things fit in sockets, electric fans and drains.

10. Your bed, the couch, the rug and random corners all smell like the ghost of a very large, not-yet-toilet-trained dog.

11. These unsteady eager walkers have no sense of gravity, and you constantly try to break their falls. You now have a slipped disc that can only be fixed with surgery.

12. Drool, drool and more drool...On your shoulder when you carry them. On your parents when they greet them. On someone's birthday cake when they join the blowing.

13. They disregard you, and you constantly need to redirect them. Wait for me to get a tissue!! Keep your diaper on! Don't wipe your nose with your sleeve! DON'T TOUCH THE POOP!

14. For toddlers who love baths, the struggle is getting them out before your water bill bleeds you dry.

15. For those who hate baths, it's rushing to get them clean before the neighbors complain from all the yelling.

16. In either case, the bath is always followed by a chase around the house to rein in a wet, naked toddler.

17. This is the age when "advanced" toddlers get a handle on toilet training, and demand to be brought to the bathroom to expel two drops of pee...

18. ...while the happy slacker celebrates donning of a new diaper by promptly pooping into it.

19. They holler during haircuts like it's a trip to the guillotine, making everyone wonder if you abuse your child in private. You resort to cutting his hair at home, and people wonder why your kid has that odd bowl haircut.

20. At the toy store, they want to buy expensive, development-stunting toys. When you summon the backbone to refuse them, they hurl their bodies to the ground crying. When you try to heave their dead weight off the floor, they act like all their muscles have atrophied.

21. At restaurants, the sight of all that sharp silverware and breakable china is the ultimate turn-on. Nothing short of a Baby Einstein video can break their determination to see if these objects will break when thrown.

22. They talk away when you want quiet, but when you try to impress your friends with their advanced speech, they turn mute. [or pretend-talk away into a cellphone but when someone is actually on the other line, they just sit there, listen and smile - che]

23. They cry at the top of their lungs the minute you get on the phone with your office.

24. Everything at the playgroup is "mine". Any child that violates that understanding must have her hair pulled, preferably when that child's parent is watching.

25. When a toddler's toy is "grabbed", biting the offender is a great option for settling differences.

But for all that pain and humiliation, the payback is more than adequate. No longer the newborn that seemed preoccupied only with drinking, sleeping and defecating, toddlerhood is when you see how their minds work, how their preferences are formed and their fears faced. Even fathers who were perplexed and alienated by the newborn become more comfortable dealing with the less fragile toddler.

26. Toddler's chubbiest and juiciest parts (like cheeks and toes) - can be peppered with kisses by Mom and Dad, because they are big enough to be handled with ease. Unlike older kids, they don't wipe off your kisses either.

27. They can say many words in the cutest, sometimes most inexplicable, ways, i.e. "oosh" for shoes and "tappity" for food. [or "o-wa" for Dora and "mo-mo" for Elmo -che]

28. When they cannot explain what they want, you have to read body and face language to guess. The expression for "I want to poo" is a killer!

29. Some walk only on tiptoe, making them look like they are ready to fly into your arms.

30. Everything they put on their bodies looks great - be it the latest fashion trend sized down to fit them or just a diaper.

31. They still have that baby smell of milk and powder, unlike the smell of sun and sweat that comes with older children.

32. They never ever have bad breath, even after chugging eight ounces of milk and taking a nap. [Amen! And the smell of their breath...ooh, I just love it. In fact, I purposely breathe in Ethan's breath while he yawns hehehe - che]

33. They have no hang-ups about dancing in public, including flashing their underwear to get laughs.

34. When they fall asleep in your arms, they mold their bodies into yours, and it's pure bliss. [and their faces, ah, you'll never see how much of a dynamo he is once awake -che]

35. They can be sitting on a monobloc chair and believe they are riding a horse, driving a race car, or piloting a spaceship into outer space.

36. They innocently wave at complete strangers and stare openly at gas attendants, street vendors, and, their favorite - bald people. [this list includes salesladies, people queueing with you, waiters/waitresses, etc -che]

37. They think they can enter a TV show or movie the way Steve "skidoos" into a Blues Clues scene.

38. They pretend to be reading, even when they are holding a book upside down.

39. They have no preset notion of tune or melody so are extremely forgiving of your tone-deafness.

40. Their idea of "pretty" is not dictated by fashion magazines. You could still be wearing your old pajamas and still be called "beautiful" by your adoring toddler.

41. Eager to be grown-up, they distinguish themselves from other babies by pointing and saying "baby".

42. They can dispense hugs, kisses, smiles, and other tricks on demand, or just when you are about to lose your mind. [ooh love these especially those hugs na madiin (haha ung may tunog) and those kisses with sound - che]

43. When you enter the door after a long day at work, they yell "Mama" and reach out for you in a way that melts all the stress away.

44. As the rebellious stage is still about a year away, they will do the "close/open", "beautiful eyes", "where is the light?" routine whenever you prompt them.

45. They have a look of pure amazement when they taste goodies like ice cream or chocolate for the first time.

46. They show inestimable happiness at the simplest of things like birds on the ground and the moon in the sky.

47. They never fake joy, sadness or anger - their emotions are genuine and communicate rather than manipulate.

48. They remind you to pay attention because everything in their eyes is new and fresh.

49. They already seem to know that being with Mama and Papa is better than being with Yaya...the separation anxiety when you leave is a heartbreaker, but the joy of reuniting is priceless.

50. They have that light of intelligence in their eyes as they begin to understand the world around them - that demonstrated affection breeds reciprocity , talking is the fastest way to get what you want, and actions like scampering towards birds elicit delightful effects.
---

See, I really enjoyed reading that article. :)

We've moved!

2009-05-11T08:53:00.002+08:00

Finally, we've moved house. Successfully. :P

The lipat bahay truck arrived at 7am last Saturday and we started loading our stuff around 7:20. We were done by 8am, travelled to Sta. Rosa and done unloading by 10am.

We're still like an evacuation center right now, with all the boxes and stuff. So far, we've cleared up the living room and the dirty kitchen area. The kitchen is semi-set up already. The ~~beds~~ futons (aka mattress sa sahig) are set up in their respective rooms. I also prioritized Ethan's closet. But the rest are still in boxes.

That's okay. Everything will be arranged. In time. :P

We also went back to the house in Muntinlupa to clean up, throw out the garbage and give the keys to our landlady. I miss the house, we've got good memories with it. We stayed there for 3 years.

It was Ethan's first home. And it was our venue for all his cupcake birthdays. We had no problems with the house itself. It was getting a bit crowded, but we could've adjusted.

Our concerns were with its location. To get to the house, we had to go through a narrow alley (could fit one car at a time), then go through a narrower gate (could accommodate only 1 person at a time). In case of emergencies, we would have a problem getting out, or for the rescue people going in. And we had to prioritize that concern, because Ethan is left at home with only his lola every working day.

So now, we feel safer in our current home. It's also a shorter drive to work, meaning, we leave a bit later than usual and most importantly, arrive home earlier!

And oh, one more happiness for me! We are now close to a branch of Conti's!!! Drat, that wouldn't be good for my already-heavy weight. I need to start going on regular walks around the neighborhood! :)

Fit to Work...

2009-05-07T08:51:00.002+08:00

...but still need to consult our company doctor.

Much as I want to stay at home, I really need to go back to work (kasi mauubos ang sick leave ko hehehe). Anyway, I can function even if I my eyes get itchy once in a while. And I brought my eye drops with me :P

I was able to pack some more stuff yesterday and watch 3 episodes of Gossip Girl Season 1 (ep 9-11). Yep, that's how delayed I am in watching all these tv shows hehe. We're done with True Blood (season 1), no latest episode of House Season 5 yet, neither that of Chuck. But we've started a new series Leverage and have 1 last episode to watch to complete Season 1. Nakaka-addict. Hehe.

Okay, back to packing. We're almost done with the small stuff (yun ang mas mahirap i-pack e) siguro kaya na yun for tonight. Tomorrow night ewan ko lang kung makatulog pa kami hahaha. We scheduled our move on Saturday (pickup by the truck by 8AM)...dapat lang talga matapos namin. Although pwede pa naman kaming bumalik on the 10th to get whatever stuff we may leave behind. And drop off the keys to the landlady.

I'm starting to miss the house. Because it was our first home after we got married and it's the first house that Ethan knows. We stayed for 3 years din pala sa house na ito. Nakaka-miss but we have to move on. We'll always have our memories of it naman. Hehe. *Drama na ito*

On another note, gusto kong mag-shopping! Hehe. Sa Divi or sa Quiapo or anywhere na mura :P Kaso saka na lang pag nabili na namin ung mga priority na bilhin..like a dining table. Saka na lang ung iba :P

Gotta go to the clinic...sana hindi na ako pauwiin hehe.

Diagnosis

2009-05-05T14:00:00.003+08:00

Waahhh!

I'm being sent home because I have viral conjunctivitis a.k.a. sore eyes. I dropped by our clinic this morning and the nurse placed eye drops on my eye (of course, where else? Duh!) and asked me to come back after 2 hours.

The redness didn't subside after 2 hours so she placed something (I guess it was some eye drops that is intended for sore eyes) and told me to come back after lunch. If the redness subsides, that would mean that I do have sore eyes.

And so I'm sent home and made to rest until tomorrow. But I can't go home yet. A can't go home right away (he has a lot of stuff to finish first) so I have to wait for him until later.

Since I'm filing the afternoon as a sick leave anyway, I intend to do no work-related stuff a.k.a. surf the web until it's time to go home. Hehehe.

Sana lang talaga hindi ko mahawaan si Ethan. Please po, Lord.

2009-05-05T09:35:00.002+08:00

It was quite a busy weekend, and I feel that I still lack hours of sleep.

Friday had us waking up early to load all the stuff we'll be bringing to our new house (rented) in Sta. Rosa. We had to go there early so we can clean up a bit, transfer the stuff we brought from our plastic boxes to the cardboard box and leave it there.

But when we got there, the former tenant (who's my officemate) hasn't packed all his stuff yet so we couldn't really clean up the house much as we want to. So we just transferred our stuff, A cleaned the bathroom upstairs (since hindi pa sila nakakaligong mag-ama), and had our incenso smoking of the whole house.

After that we headed for Sampaloc since it was Lola Paz's birthday. We stayed there until around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and went home to Marikina. As soon as we arrived, I had to take our laundry and set-up the washing machine.

Then Saturday morning, A had to bring our car to the shop to have the gas tank cleaned and have the aircon fixed. Boohoo. The aircon needed a new...whoa, I forgot what it needed...but it took us down by P8T!

Not to mention our pagod during the whole day kasi kelangan ni A magpatay-oras para hintayin ung kotse. Ako naman, I still had laundry to take care off (had to handwash those) then give Ethan a bath, and basically take care of him the whole day. My mag-ama were sleeping by 9pm but not me. I had a call from Davao (parents) and talked to them and my tita until 1AM!

Sunday was much better, we got to sleep in the morning. Then came Pacquiao's fight which lasted for like a split second (haha exagg)...galing din. Mas matagal pa yung paghihintay haha.

On our way home, we dropped by S&R Alabang kasi wala lang. Haha. Gusto ko lang maglibot. Had our merienda and bought ice cream (sumakit lalo lalamunan ko kasi anlamig hehe). And when we reached home, no rest pa rin kasi I had to continue packing our stuff.

Monday, I took a leave from work but we still left the house at 6AM to bring some more stuff to Sta. Rosa. The former tenant has packed some stuff and cleaned up the sink kaso meron pa rin syang mga gamit so again, di pa kami nakapaglinis.

We left before 9AM kasi we needed to bring the little boy to his pedia for his monthly check-up. But when we got to Asian, hindi nag-clinic si pedia. Boohoo. We ended up spending the rest of the day in Festival Mall. Libot sa Ace, daan sa Booksale (still no crossword puzzles huhu), sa St. Paul's (I really want to buy Sacred Heart and something of Mama Mary, deciding if the Mediatrix or the Immaculate Heart for our altar - yes, meron na rin, finally), grocery nang unti.

THEN, when we got home, we still continued with our packing. And after dinner, I ironed our clothes pa.

Hay grabe, very very hectic. Pero oks lang, this too shall pass :P

This morning pa pala, when I woke up, nagmumuta ang aking eyes (sorry for the term) and namumula. I dropped by our clinic earlier, the nurse dropped some EyeMo. Buti na lang, nawala na ngayon ung pangangati at pamumula. Ayaw kong magka-sore eyes!!! :P

---
Read this from chuvaness blog: http://chuvaness.livejournal.com/597001.html waaahhhh!!! I want, I want, I want!

Swimming in Davao

2009-04-27T09:15:00.005+08:00

Before anything else, let me tell you another amazing story about the little boy.

Yesterday, we made a quick trip to SM Marikina to buy a gift for another cousin who had the same birthday as Sabrina's. While A was paying for our purchases, Ethan started pointing at the character pillows on the nearby shelves. I spied Dora and Spongebob on one shelf so we got closer.

I asked Ethan who it was (I was pointing at Dora). And he replied, "Do-wa" (or something like that, I can't really spell the word he said but you'd understand that he meant Dora).

I was stunned. And I couldn't believe my ears. So I tried moving his attention to other stuff. After a few minutes, we went back.

Mama: "Who's this again?"
Ethan: "Do-wa!" (again, same pronunciation, which I can't spell)
Mama: *stunned*
Mama: "This one?" (pointing at Spongebob)
Ethan: opens his mouth twice, mouthing something like pa-pa. Hmm.

Still can't believe it. By this time, A has finished paying so I called him.

Mama: "Pa, listen to this. Ethan, who's this?" (again, pointing at Dora)
Ethan: "Do-wa!" (it took him a few minutes this time, probably wondering why Mama kept on asking him hehehe).
A: *laughs* "Very good!"

Needless to say, we were amazed.

----

Okay, back to regular programming :P Here are a few pictures of the little boy when he made his swimming debut.

(Note: the pool's depth, if it can be called that hehe, is about up to my knees. So I had to crouch the whole time. The little boy had the water level up to his chest when he stands on the pool floor)

When we tell him to kick and try reaching us, he kicks with all his heart and flaps his arms as well :P It's really great to see him enjoying the water. We even bought him a lifesaver but got to use it for only a few minutes. He preferred being held.

Here we are posing with his Tito Jearl (yup, that's my cousin).

Ooh, that sweet smile on the little boy's face. It melts my heart everytime.

Projects

2009-04-20T16:03:00.008+08:00

(Note: started this post last week but only able to post it this week, had some problems in copying the pics...admin problems, not technical ones hehe)

Finally, the pics are here :P

The first project was a bag - hand-sewn po kasi wala akong sewing machine hehe. It's made of canvas and the design was conceptualized and hand-painted by moi, as well. It has a lot to improve on pa, kahit ako hindi masyadong masaya sa kinalabasan nung pic, sabi nga ng kid bro ko..."Parang ni-paste lang ung baby". Hehe, ganyan ka-brutal un.

This project took about a month to finish.

The second project was the Peter Pan costume for the little boy. This was made in Davao, and I was helped by Mama and Auntie Belen (since this time, I had sewing machine to use kaso hindi pa ako marunong gumamit hahaha).

I thought long and hard on how to make it with the least effort so I thought of using a ready-made green shirt and tights. Gaisano Mall (in Davao) was selling a Peter Pan costume but was quite big for Ethan...buti na lang din coz we didn't really like how it was made hehehe. Mama and T Belen just copied how the collar was made.

We started with 2 green shirts (the other one was for the hat and the collar), a pair of tights (we initially bought a white one and planned to dye it however we saw a green one in another mall so we decided to use that one instead), and red felt paper (for the feather)...

After all the cutting and sewing, here's his costume:

He had a great time at the party yesterday. Didn't want to sit still, was roaming all around the party area, picking up balloons, pushing on the high chair (which had wheels), requesting us to place him on the high chair and wheel him around the area, danced to the music (and got for himself a prize, when I say got, I mean it literally - inabot ung nasa mesa at diretso papunta sa akin para iabot ang prize, di na naka reklamo ang host hehe).

2009-04-17T08:34:00.002+08:00

I'm back in the office already (since yesterday) but didn't have the time to post an entry (as if someone cares! haha).

Anyway, as you've probably noticed, still no post on Ethan's costume nor that of my bag (both were already done, BTW). And, the pictures of our Davao vacation as well. Hopefully, I'll be able to upload those this weekend (when I'm done with the laundry and stuff hehehe).

Just would like to say that the costume turned out well (at least for me) -- Mama helped me with it hehe (actually, she did the sewing and the collar...all I did was cut the sleeves and the hems...and oh, sew the hat as well :P).

Will have to buy a belt and toy knife for the little boy so that we have the complete costume. Have one more week before Sabrina's birthday - plenty of time, I might say (that's the procrastinator in me who's speaking).

Still have plenty of projects to make - my bags (fabric is still waiting for me hehe - note to self: find a pattern!), and I'd like to learn crocheting as well. I know the basics (took it up during our H.E. class in Grade 5) but would really like to make something that is worth keeping. Haha.

To top it off, we will be moving house soon. Still finalizing stuff before we can schedule our move though.

That's all for now, back to work muna...

2009-04-07T20:38:00.003+08:00

Writing this post from my old room, now my brothers' room. Buti na lang may DSL na dito hehe, madali lang mag-internet. Hehe.

Already bought the materials for Ethan's costume, will start tomorrow. Kasi nagpagupit pa ako kanina..at nagpa-foot spa. Imagine this, haircut with hair spa + foot spa + pedicure + my mom's haircut...all in at P500! Hehehe. Kakatuwa.

I should really start posting the pics that I've promised to post. Sana magawa ko bukas.

Am a bit worried though kasi ang little boy walang ganang kumain. Not sure if naninibago lang kasi sya. Sana ganun lang. Hay.

Eto na lang muna...

2009-04-03T08:09:00.003+08:00

Just the other night, I was again amazed.

We were already about to sleep, lights were already turned off but the little boy can still see that outside our bedroom, lights were still on. Bumangon. I told him, "Halika na dito, tulog na tayo, tingnan mo o, madilim na. It's time to sleep." Ang sagot, "Di..im?" And he was able to repeat it. And I know that it was a question from his tone. So I replied, "Yes, baby, madilim na po. Tulog na tayo." And he proceeded to lie down beside me again.

It might be trivial for some, but for me, it was amazing.

Soon I will be able to hear him talk non-stop. Hear him ask never-ending questions. I just pray that we will be able to provide him with the best support to nourish this part of his development.

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Last day of work for me before we head off to our vacation! :) We'll be flying to Davao this Sunday and will be back on the 15th pa. Hay sarap. Can't wait! :)

2009-03-30T16:08:00.003+08:00

THE bag project is finally done.

But I have yet to take a picture of it, so there. I'll post it once I've taken that picture hehehe.

The little boy turned 15 months yesterday. And we visited his pedia last Saturday for MMR shots (kaching! kaching! there goes the money again). He's now 79cms tall and 10kgs heavy.

It's amazing how much he responds to our questions like..."Gusto mo pang kumain?" (this is usually asked when he's really getting restless while we're still eating) to which he responds with a shake of his head. "Gusto mo nang maligo?" - an emphatic nod here.

Ooh the little boy is very much a waterboy. He loves to take a bath and play with water. Can't really wait to see his expression when he sees the swimming pool. Just the sight of a water fountain brings such a sweet smile to his face!

He has several books (the newest being that of animals) and he can identify the horse, duckling (where's the rubber ducky?), monkey (Pano ang sound? Hoo Hoo Aah Aah with matching shaking of his arms), fish (to which he makes the swimming gesture), lion, owl, rooster (to which he makes a high-pitched shriek when we ask him how the rooster sounds - his version of cock-a-doodle) and the cat.

From his book on shapes, he can easily point at the moon. This book also has pictures of monkeys and rubber duckies, which he also identifies.

He can point out the motorbike, car (Pano ung sound? Prrruurrt), airplane (wherein he gestures that the plane is flying up in the sky), train (San ung chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-choo choo train?) and the ambulance (San ung wee-yuu-wee-yuu ambulance?) from his book on Things That Go.

As I've said, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Not to mention how he responds when we ask him to show us his beautiful eyes (the blinking) and how a baby smiles (big smile with chinky-eyes) and how the dinosaur sounds (raaar).

Hay ang sarap :)