Monday, September 24, 2012

milestones | sept 2012

wow, i've missed a few months! it's been a looooooooooooooong time since i've blogged about my boys' milestones. will make it quick... :)

uno's been very hyperactive lately and i've seen him show signs of jealousy toward his baby brother. but he's very, very sweet too. he's now 2 years and 5 months old and here are the things he can do:

  • yesterday, my brother let him listen to his ipod. it was the first time he heard the song good time (owl city with carly rae jepsen). the 2nd time it was played, uno was already "singing" words like good time, oooh wo oh. cute!
  • he's still afraid of his potty trainer but there are times he removes his diaper and says "wee wee," then he goes to the bathroom to pee...on the floor. crazy! ;)
  • he mimics almost everything he hears and sees! my dad loves watching sports on tv and uno looks like he's been playing tennis, golf, and boxing. my sports buff in the making!
  • uno can "play" yes-no-maybe. he pretty much says no to everything! and when he's the one asking, well, pancit and tennis are part of the categories. haha!
as for my baby dragon, oh wow! he's 7 months and 6 days old and the things he can do are just so wonderful.
  • matteo can now sit for long periods of time. he'll just sit and play with his toys or observe. 
  • can stand on his own (supporting himself by holding on to the sides of his crib).
  • he's really now very familiar with food especially his milk. there have been instances while dining, he'd grab our plates or spoons. hungry baby!
  • he likes playing with mobile phones and my laptop. maybe he should create his facebook page already, haha!
  • although he does not cry a lot, i notice that whenever i take something away from him (say he's been playing with my phone), he'd cry really loud. he knows which "toys" he wants to play with and does not want them taken from him. hmmm, what do i make of that?
those are the things i have from the top of my head. hopefully i get to post regularly. things have been crazy especially since i'm working in the graveyard shift and i don't get to spend more time with my boys on a "regular" basis.

i miss the morning shift...and sleeping with my boys the same time they are asleep. oh well... gotta go, the dragon looks like he's about to wake up. 'til the next!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

milestones | june 2012

wow. been very busy with work that i forgot to post the milestones of my boys. although i was busy and all, things have been very exciting (and funny).

today, matteo is 3 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days old. at this stage, oh wow, he has surprised me with the things he can do. check 'em out:

  • can turn to either side
  • grip is tighter
  • laughs and smiles a lot (as in really a lot)
  • can hold his feeding bottle
  • answers to questions (with baby talk of course)
  • enjoys hand sucking

aren't those exciting? for a 3-month old, i'd say absolutely yes! ;-) here's matteo holding his bottle:


and at 3 months, he's still purely breastfed!


now on to kuya uno's antics. today, uno is 2 years, 1 month, 3 weeks, and 5 days old. and here are some of his funny stories milestones:
  • 2-jun-12 - he was eating nova (multigrain snack) and i asked him if i could have, he said "wala na laman, no more" and when he said that he did a corresponding hang gesture. i know it was not a very nice thing to do, but i found it funny and clever. (the first phrase he said is 'no more' in filipino). 
  • 2-jun-12 - matteo was on my lap and uno was playing with him. i held matteo's arm and did "punching" movements and said, "punch kuya uno, punch kuya uno.' all of a sudden, uno stepped back, sat and lay on the floor in one fluid motion. what an action star! haha! 
  • 2-jun-12 - uno wanted to throw matteo's soiled diaper. so i said, "ok, please throw." i wasn't able to thank him immediately when he got back coz i was busy cleaning up matteo. uno blurted, "thank you kuya uno." i guess that's his way of letting me know i forgot to thank him. hehe.
  • 1-jun-12 - was lying in bed when uno went inside the room, looked in the mirror and said, "pogi yun o!" (that's handsome!") hahahaha! when he saw me laughing, he ran to me, hugged me and blurted, "nanay, love you much!" i think he was embarrassed.
  • 26-may-12 - without telling him what to call his new nanny, he just started referring to her as "ate" (big sister). awesome, right? 
  • 13-may-12 - was surfing the net and uno was just watching. then all of a sudden, he says, "nanay, lie down tayo, off na." (mommy, let's lie down, turn it off). after he said that, he wanted to close my laptop. i think he was too bored just watching me surf. hihi.
  • 7-may-12 - uno looked at matteo after i carried the latter out of the carrier. he then climbed on top of the drawer connected to the full length mirror. i thought he was going to look at himself in the mirror again, but he just increased the speed of the wall fan. so sweet!
  • 7-may-12 - this was a wonderful morning to wake up to. uno woke up to matter's cries. i changed the little one's diaper first. so, by the time i was prepping him up for feeding, he was really, really crying. uno approached us, tapped matteo's legs and said, "it's ok, it's ok. tama na." (it's ok, it's ok. stop crying.) isn't that absolutely adorable?

did you enjoy those stories? i know those were not really milestones, but it shows uno's cleverness and grasp for what's happening around him. i think he's still advanced compared to most boys his age. and i find that amazing! :D

work and breastfeeding has really taken its toll on me. i've lost so many pounds and most days i only get to eat one meal. i've been getting fever on some days. i'm now down to 98lbs, which is really underweight. i hope workload gets lighter so i can go home to my boys right away, play with them more and breastfeed matteo more. so, here's hoping to more time with my boys! 'til the next milestones update... :D

Sunday, April 22, 2012

milestones | baby dragon and kuya tiger

today, matteo is 2 months and 4 days old.

even before he turned 1 month old, he could already lift his head high whenever he's lying on his stomach. His other milestones to date:

  • smiles back
  • responds with sounds
  • weighs 11lbs



for his 2nd month, we celebrated with 2 dozen kk donuts! ;-)


as for kuya uno, i'm happy that he can now speak in complete sentences. but most of the time, it's in filipino. i need to talk to him in english more since everyone else in the house is using the vernacular. here are a few of uno's antics:
  • my underwear was on my leg and uno accidentally kicked me (he was playing with his shoes on). my underwear got dirty and i told him, "i won't bring you with me to the mall anymore. say sorry." he replied with, "sorry panty." hahahaha!
  • i was wearing my heels and looking at myself in the mirror. when uno saw me, he blurted, "wow, sexy nanay!" hihihi... (nanay is mommy in filipino)

looking forward to more wonderful milestones from my boys!

my only concern is, uno's getting jealous of matteo lately. i've been giving them equal attention, but it doesn't seem to work. uno wasn't like this, only started last week i think. how do i address this? any suggestions?

oh, and yes, i went back to work last monday. i'm happy to say, matteo is still purely breastfed. hope i can keep this up for the next few months! :D even though i'm only getting around 3-5 hours of sleep, my breaks are for "harvesting" milk, i only get to eat 1-2 meals a day, and i'm sleepy and tired all the time, i know my hard work will pay off big time. so i guess, this is also a milestone for me. :) oh yeah!

Saturday, April 14, 2012

uno turns dos, part 1

for uno's 1st birthday, i originally wanted a pool party but i had a difficult time looking for a place. so we ended up celebrating his birthday at lazer extreme in market, market. 

i contemplated on whether or not it is wise to celebrate uno's 2nd since i just gave birth last february and i'm on a really, really tight budget. but i thought, the next time his birthday will fall exactly on a weekend is when he turns 7. that was my deciding factor. silly, i know. ;-) so with only 2 weeks left before the big day, i put my party planner hat on and frantically figured everything i wanted in my head.

the place
i've been googling pools for rent since forever, when all this time my mom knew about this place just a few blocks away from our house. pictures of pools from google looked ok, but this is by far the best i've seen.

first off, there's a lounge area with super comfy seats, colorful stools & pots, paintings, and cool furniture.



this was a day before the party. wasn't able to take 
better pix, sorry. see the pink cloth on the left? 
those are the seat cushions when not in use.



look how thick the cushions are! i swear, they're  super comfy! 
given the chance, i would sleep on them. :)



here's a view of the lounge from the pool.
(above pic was taken by my sister, trisha)


now for a kiddie party, the pool is huge!



shallowest is at 4ft (left) and deepest is at 12ft (right). 12 feet?!?!?!?!
coz there's a diving board on that part, that's why. :)



here's a view of the pool & lounge near the entrance.


and from the opposite side, here's a look at the entrance gate.



i hope you're getting an idea of what the place looks like. from
this angle, the lounge and pool are on the left, while the garden
is on your right (behind these wooden benches).


garden?! yep, there's a garden where you can do different kinds of activities.




from the entrance, this is a view of the garden.
(can you picture what the place looks like now?)


i only had around 50 guests and i can say this can easily fit around 100 people. i've been told this has been used for a debut and even a wedding! can you believe that? how awesome is this place! :D (nope, not getting paid to praise and sort of advertise this venue...hehe)

if the pix are not good enough for you to choose this for your party or event, below are a few more reasons i can give:

1. you can save on decorations since the place is already full of colorful stuff - the tables, chairs, pots, etc.
2. speaking of tables and chairs, you can use them if you're not getting a caterer.
3. it may not be obvious but the garden has trees. and these trees i believe are a big help in keeping the area cool.
4. it's not far. here's a map just to give you an idea.



blue dot is the venue.


5. and last but not the least, rent is not expensive. (but i think it varies on the # of guests you have)

the only problem i have is there's only 1 shower room. although i didn't hear any complaints about that.

so there you go, i hope those helped. :) i won't even think twice in renting this place again. an officemate is thinking of using it for team building; my niece has suggested it to one of her classmates for a teen party; and if staycation is your thing, why not bring your family here? :D

will tell you more about uno's party in my next posts. ;-)

Saturday, March 31, 2012

baby dragon

wow, it took me more than a month to say that i've already given birth. having a toddler and a newborn can really get your hands busy. but i'm lovin' every second of it. ;-)

if you noticed  my new tickers, one of them indicates my baby santino matteo is now 1 month, 1 week, and 6 days old. time flies so fast and in a few weeks, i'm going back to work. bummer.

i barely have time to update this blog, so this is just going to be a quick post. take a look at a few pix!



i gave birth on 18 february 2012 at 8:25am. santino matteo weighed in at 6lbs 8oz and 
was 51cm in length. (he's heavier and longer than his kuya uno!)



here he is after a week - tanned from all that sun-baking. :)



matteo getting a kiss from kuya uno on his 1st week. <3



this i can truly say is a priceless photo. i was just taking pictures of us and in this one,
he was smiling with me. cute!


and finally, here's a pic of my tiger and dragon catching some zzz's.



<3 <3 <3


that's all for now. need to catch up on some sleep to. this weekend is going to be busy as i'm preparing for uno's 2nd. yipee!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

diy photoshoot

like any other pregnant mommy, i'd want a professional to capture images of me and my tummy. but, i thought to myself, why not make my own photoshoot? 

so i did. :D and you can do it yourself, too!

here's a list of what you need:

a good camera
tripod
room with wide windows
time (between 9am-11am)
cloth (big enough to use as costume)
cloth (bigger enough to use as background)
masking tape
and last but not the least, an assistant a.k.a. your photographer (in my case, my niece - who was also my hair stylist)

i fixed my room a bit and turned it into a makeshift studio. prepped everything then worked on me - took a quick bath, put on make-up (while my niece was braiding my hair), wore my bandeau and cycling shorts, then figured out how to wear the cloth.

one quick tip before you do this: check out some pegs. i didn't get to see any inspiration before we started so it was pretty much an anything-goes shoot. but it turned out great! i just need to install photoshop and edit the pix.

check out the unedited photos from my diy shoot!






and here i am with my niece ayel, who was really helpful and game!



the pix just need editing and they're good to go! whatcha think? :D 

total cost: php20 for the white cloth (the bigger cloth is a blanket, hihi).

Friday, January 6, 2012

keep walking

no, my post is not about drinking and getting drunk (although it is the tagline of one popular alcoholic drink). i literally just want to remind all pregnant women out there to keep walking!

walk! yes, walk! it's the simplest and can be the best form of exercise for pregnant women.

i am on my 32nd week and i weigh 117 lbs! i've only gained around 20 lbs but guess what? my baby's weight is in the average range. ;-) everything is a-ok!

one thing i track whenever i walk is my sweat. weird? well, it's just that i make sure i walk a lot but not to the point i'll sweat or tire myself out. i'm pretty much following what the doctor ordered: walk as tolerated. 

although i feel hot a lot, i just find it easier to walk even with a big belly. my balance is not off unlike my 1st pregnancy where i had to walk like a duck. haha! plus, i don't easily get tired.

since i missed being "tall", i wore wedges today at work (and i just wanted to show off my legs, hihi). a lot of my colleagues were protesting but i assured them i'd be ok.




 i don't know what i was doing here, but i'm posting it anyway. hahaha!





super adore my new shoes! 3 and a half inches, i think - and i never wobbled! balance. balance. balance! thanks to minutes of walking. wanna see a close-up of my shoes? :D




so again let me say to you, keep walking! 

but please, don't walk to lose weight, that's a big no-no during pregnancy. unless of course your ob-gyne gave you the go signal. in any form of activity, always get your doctor's green light. :)

Thursday, January 5, 2012

wear it proud

when i was pregnant with uno, i bought several pieces of clothing from different maternity stores. BIG mistake! looking back at how i dressed up then, i feel like i missed out on a lot. i should have showed-off my tummy more and let others see that pregnant women are sexy!

i also realized that the items i bought were actually expensive and they were really unflattering! that is why with my current pregnancy, i only have 1 piece of maternity wear - the 1 pair of jeans i bought during my first. yep, recycled. but i don't think i'd even wear it again. i remember the garter to be really annoying and itchy. so it's probably just going to hang in my closet, hehe.

one thing that my friends noticed about the way i dress now is that i almost always cinch my outfit with a belt. like i said, i want my tummy to be the focal point of my get-up. so belts play a big role in emphasizing my tummy. ;-)








most of my "maternity" clothes were bought from regular women's stores... some even from the teens' department. haha, oh yeah! the top i'm wearing today can actually double as a dress, without the preggy belly of course. that means after i give birth, i can still definitely use this top. 

all i do is just get 1 or 2 sizes higher. i'm a size small, so i just get either a medium (if from a lady's store) or large size (if from a retail store for teens). but you'd be surprised! there are times i can still get away with a small sized item. like the dress i was wearing in this post or the dress i wore to our year-end party:




 i was 28 weeks at the time of the party and that's a size small. nice, right? rockin' mommy, rockin' body! woot! lol

so you see, you don't really need to spend on maternity clothes. buy regular clothes that you think will grow with you and your tummy. make sure to get ones with stretchy and cool fabric. i say, a pair of maternity jeans is not really necessary. leggings are more comfortable for me and less-straining.

and don't forget that comfort is always the key. if you're not comfortable with an item or let's say it's tight, don't bother. you might end up not wearing them...until probably after you give birth. or even a few months after you give birth. ;-)

i'm back with a bump

happy new year!

wow. it's been how many months since i last posted something. but i am now back and yes, pregnant again!

i've been quiet about my pregnancy but when i finally announced it, here's what i posted on my facebook account:





i am actually already towards the last stretch of my 31st week. whew! time flies by so fast and i only have a few more weeks to go before the big day!

can't wait to post a lot of things about my 2nd pregnancy. although, i feel bad about not being able to post about uno's milestones. :( i'll squeeze in as much info as i can.

all i can say is, things are a lot different compared to when i was pregnant with uno. and one of them is my new motto: say no to frumpy clothing! haha! i mean, seriously. i was heavier with uno and my clothes were totally unflattering. so this time around, i want that sexy-preggy look. in fact, i actually feel sexier with my tummy and all. so why not flaunt it, right?

most of the time, i make sure my tummy is the focal point of the outfit. that equates to tight clothing - but not too tight that my tummy (and baby) can't breathe.


 


ain't it more beautiful when you're just loud and proud of your tummy? :) my friends refer to it as my "traffic power." hahaha! it's 'coz i find it easier to cross roads with my preggy belly protruding and all.

oh, let's not forget the other elements of the outfit: accessories. i just feel naked without them!




sorry about that doorknob. hihi...

well, what do you think? (also, would that be my official pregnant pose? "turn to the side and put one hand on your waist, the other supporting the belly." hahaha! too early to tell, maybe. we'll see...)

dressing up for two doesn't mean having to wear frumpy clothes. i say, wear it loud and bring on the bling! ;-)

that's all for now. i hope i get to blog daily. i've got a lot of things to share about this 2nd pregnancy, so watch out for that!
 
but before i finally go, here's a glimpse of my little water dragon:
 
 



nice nose, right? =D and yes, his chinese zodiac sign is the water dragon, which is said to be very lucky! uno's a tiger and my 2nd baby's going to be a dragon. my own version of: crouching tiger, hidden dragon. haha!

more of my tummy, being a mommy, and my babies in my next posts. please stay tuned!