Christmas, 2009

However rushed our celebration of Christmas was, we still had a lot of fun!  Several days before Christmas, I got sick and had to go on leave from work... I got the 48-hour bug and I when I was able to shake it off, my head was reeling from the medications and the fact that I still had a lot to do before Christmas Day comes.  I wanted to make it really special since it was Adam's first.

Of course, the little boy was not able to wait until Christmas Day to open his and mommy's gifts!

And then on Christmas Day, he was dressed up and ready to go and hear mass when he messed up his clothes and so we had to change him again before leaving...

We spent almost the entire day at the mall... We bought him new rubber shoes (because all his rubber shoes don't fit him anymore) and a remote control toy car with lights and music which spins and spins and keeps the little boy quiet and entertained everytime his Dad plays with it.  By the time we went home, Adam was already tired and ready for bed.  All in all, it was a tiring yet happy celebration.  Next up, New Year and the little boy's 1st Birthday celebration!

8 days to go `till Christmas!

Initially, I was planning a 12 days of christmas countdown... an everyday posting of significant events leading to the day itself starting on the 12th of December which is my Mom's birthday. Needless to say, I didn't get to do that, because I got so wrapped up with the daily activities, coupled with the rush of the season. Anyway, I'll try to post as much as I can despite the increasingly long list of my errands and must-do's.

Like I've already mentioned, December 12 marked the 62nd birthday of my mom. We didn't get to do anything special that day because it was a workday. But my sister, Lynne, cooked carbonara and we just bought bread pan to go with it, hehehe... rush na e! I didn't even get to buy her a gift (slightly kapos sa budget, e) but I promised her a full supply of her medications (she has Parkinson's Disease) come pay day. Happy Birthday Mom!

Yesterday, "Simbang Gabi" started already... nope, I didn't get to attend the mass because hubby and I got home so late the night before, tending to Adam, that we were not able to wake up at the break of dawn.

The Christmas parties have already started... the other night (December 15), I got invited to attend the school custodians' Christmas Party and it was a blast! Thanks ate Cynthia and Grace for inviting me, I was laughing my heart out at the games you prepared, plus the food was delish!

Last night, I got to sneak in a bit of Christmas shopping after work. I went to the mall and bought something for the exchange gift for our office Christmas party tomorrow. I was going to have it wrapped there also but the line was super long that I decided against it. I also got to buy Adam's first baby toothbrush and a refill of his liquid soap. When Charlie came home from work, it turns out he also went to the mall (a different one) and bought Adam a polo shirt and hip-hop shorts, which he mistook for baby pants, hehehe!

Horsey-horsey

Last weekend my dad made Adam a rocking horse.

Ok, so it doesn't look like a horse but to my son, it was! Iba talaga pag apo! To think that I was already contemplating on buying Adam a rocking horse... But of course, Lolo Dad said, you can't buy a rocking horse that's like the ones for sale before (before -- as in nung baby pa ako, nyahaha!), the plastic ones in the mall aren't that sturdy and may not be small enough for a 10-month-old baby. So my Dad bought wood on Saturday, and by Sunday... voila! Adam's very own horsey-horsey!

Everyday Battles

I know everyone has their own problems and sufferings... I know that there are more people out there who are much more less fortunate that I am and I continuously pray for all of us that we be able to hurdle our obstacles and live through each day with hope in our hearts, but sometimes it just helps to rant. There are just limits to how much one person can take -- emotionally and physically -- and when that limit is reached, you either take a breather and then have another go at whatever it is you need to do or cry and vent out your feelings to prevent implosion.

All my life, I consider myself lucky, to have been blessed with parents and grandparents who has shown me affection and has given me everything that a growing girl needs (and more). As for me, I cannot truly say that I have been vocal in showing my appreciation for all the blessings that I received but believe me, I have always been thankful. I am generally a quiet person and often keeps to myself... sometimes this trait is mistaken for being a haughty or downright mean. If they only knew... I'm just not the type to make the first step... not the type to present myself to get noticed or get attention... I'm just a shy girl with all these ideas in my head that I'd rather share in writing or only when asked to. So even as a student I have excelled in individual projects -- ones that I can really sit with and contemplate about on my own and then apply my own ideas in. Not to say that I'm not a team-player because I can be that, also. It's just that I'm better working on my own. I guess I have brought this trait along with me as I grew older and matured to the woman that I am now. It may even be the reason for this blog... an outlet of my thoughts and ideas... of my raves and rants. In gradeschool it was a "diary" (a thick pink one with the "little twin stars" on the cover); in highschool, it was "journal" (a purple hard-bound notebook with loads of stickers and dried flowers on the cover and in the pages); in college it was an "organizer" (a red cloth covered one with inside pockets filled with pictures and calling cards and post-its); and then I took a rest for several years... no more "dear diary", no more "to do list", just the occassional post-it stuck on my mirror to remind me of a chore or a shopping list... now this. Anyway, I have gotten carried away and has babbled on and on... the point is...

I may not always be airing my views and opinions on every topic imaginable but it doesn't mean that I don't care about them. I may not always say out loud my thoughts on a subject being discussed but it definitely doesn't mean I don't want to be bothered with them... Sometimes, I just would rather listen... weigh things out in my mind first before forming an opinion. And besides I consider myself sensitive enough to know when to open my mouth and when to shut it. Granted I don't always have to consider other people's feelings first but more often than not I try not to vent directly to the person I disagree with at the heat of the moment for fear of saying something I will regret later and ultimately cannot take back. Sometimes I just want to keep quiet and let things take its natural course... So when people -- not really involved in the issue -- MEDDLE in affairs they know very little about and talk behind my back, it irritates me in the highest level! Don't they have more important things to do rather than to speculate and put words into my mouth?! Shouldn't they be minding their own business and settle their own affairs first before involving themselves in yet another problem -- one that they don't even have the slightest connection to, in the first place?!

We all have our everyday battles... some are trivial and some more complicated... but it's the decisions we make that make us the people that we are. It's the battles we choose to take that's important. And when we choose these battles, we should NEVER let it slip our minds that other people could be affected by our words and actions... because we live in a society where each one of us is one way or another linked to another person, either by choice or by chance. Because no man is an island. Because that's just the way it is.

Time flies...

My son turned 10 months yesterday... as I was feeding him macaroni soup which my dad cooked, when I suddenly realized how big he has grown and how fast he continues to learn new things. In just two months he's going to be a year old! How time really flies...

It makes me really thankful... for his continuous good health... for each smile... for each giggle... for each hug... for his just being there... my baby boy.

At the same time it makes me also regretful of the times I don't get to spend with him... for the times he has to be taken to the doctor and I can't be the one to do that because I have to work. I hope he will grow up to know that everytime I am not with him, my heart aches... that if it were only possible that I stay with him every minute of every day, I would.

"I love you my baby boy!"

Credits: Dreaming of a Golden Night Add-On Kit by Fanette Design

What now?

When I think about it, it never ceases to amaze me how sometimes we choose a certain path with a certain goal in mind but when we reach the end of that path life surprises us with a totally different venue that we often get confused and oftentimes disoriented.  Before, I dealt differently with these "curve balls"... I used to punish myself by thinking about the choices I've made and dwelling on the "what ifs".  Now, I just take things in stride and pray that I would have the strength and wisdom to overcome the obstacles that come my way.  Recently, my mom was diagnosed with partial parkinson's disease.  Anyone who has been reading this blog in the past months would know that my mom is the one who takes care of my son, Adam while go to work everyday... Last week was a battle... I had to go on leave for a week because although my brother could help me out with Adam, he is far from experienced with regards to diaper changing, giving a 5-month old baby a bath, etc.  This week is a whole different battle -- yes, I'm back at work but my mind is constantly on the move as to how we could solve our problem with who would take care of my baby.  It's fortunate that this week my sister is on a week-long leave and is able to take care of Adam but the weeks to come after this is still a big question mark!  A nanny would be the perfect solution, of course, but hiring one isn't as easy as 1-2-3.  These days, it really is quite hard to find a nanny with whom you would be able to trust enough to leave your kids with.  (*SIGH*)

Post of the Month

I guess I have to resign myself to having just one or two posts per month... I just haven't had the hang of balancing a career, being a housewife, being a mom to a four-month old baby, having a social life and maintaining a regularly updated blog. Anyway, this is my first and maybe last post for June...

A lot has happened and I wanted to blog about most of them but I guess the moment has passed me by that I cannot seem to put into words the details of what my complicated existence have been through for the past weeks... There's my son, Adam, turning four months and growing so big, so fast that now he doesn't fit anymore on the net which we normally use when bathing him so his Dad or my brother Allan would hold him in the baby tub while I bathe him.

And then there's the teambuilding seminar that I went to a week or so ago (where I took lots of pictures of but I can't seem to get around to organizing and uploading!)  Then there's also the matter of promotion (Yey! Finally!)  Now my thoughts are running faster again than my fingers could type so I better stop before I stop making sense and wait until I can post something again (hopefully more thought-cohesive, hehehe!).

Happenings

I have been remiss at updating this blog lately mainly because I have to steal time away from work to be able to do so... and it's not easy to do that considering that I have tons to do and I don't have a clerk to help me.  But aside from that, recently my 3-month old baby got sick.  He had a cough and so I was attending to him most of the time.  I had to nebulize him with normal saline solution (his pediatrician didn't want him to drink cough medicines at this early) every 6 hours for 5 days and so I was on leave.  And to top it all, my sister Hazelle gave birth, so my mom who takes care of Adam when hubby and I go to work had to attend to her and her new baby, Francesca Louise.  I had to extend my leave to care for my baby while my mom takes care of my sister and niece.  Now I am back to work and have a mountain of tasks to accomplish!  More details later... when I find more time to blog.

Three

Today, Charlie and I are celebrating our third year anniversary as husband and wife.  Today also happens to be the day our son, Adam is turning three months old.  So hubby and I decided to make a simple celebration just for the three of us.  Although hubby won't be home until 6pm tonight (he was asked to go to work today) we are definitely going to celebrate this double occassion.  While Adam is sound asleep, I have already cleaned the house and I took out of hiding our best china.  I double checked the ingredients for what I'm cooking for dinner (Tanigue Steak, Pork Asado and Chopsuey).  Charlie promised to bring home a small cake for dessert to complete our candle-lit, homemade dinner.  I can't help but smile as I am writing this because I keep thinking... "I hope all married couples are as happy as we are and as thankful for the blessings they are given."  Yes, we have our share of problems and I cannot say our marriage is better than everybody else's but somehow we manage to rise above the trials and maintain a loving and giving relationship.  Three years may be a short time compared to other marriages but so far so good and with the arrival of our baby, Adam, our love for one another has reached another level and has added a new height of bonding for us.  So to you my wonderful, patient husband... Thank you so much for loving me and taking care of me and our son, I love you!  Happy third wedding anniversary!  And to my adorable son... Happy third month birthday! May you grow to be a God-fearing, happy person.  I love you son!

April Celebrators

April marks the birthday of two of my siblings:

14th - my brother Allan who turned 29 this year

that's my brother with his girlfriend, bevs.

and 15th - my sister Hazelle who turned 22.

That's my sister Hazelle with our dog, Muffy!

To both of you, Happy, Happy Birthday and I wish only the best for you... Loveyah both!

Adam's Baptism

Yesterday, aside from being easter sunday, marked my son's entry to the Christian World. The ceremony was simple and shared with 5 other babies at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Parañaque.  The reception was held at my parents home with the help of a caterer friend who gave us a huge discount and relatives who pitched in by providing the sound system and running errands for us.  The invitations were a project I played with using photoshop and then had printed in a nearby photo developing outlet.  I did several layouts and couldn't make my mind up which one to print for the final layout so I ended up having two different layouts for the invites:

I also made a layout for a tarpauline which I had printed for only 350 pesos:

Here are some of the pictures taken during the ceremony:

The food during the reception were:  Beef with mushroom and young corn, mixed vegetables with shrimp, chicken lollipops, pork hamonado and buko pandan.  My aunt cooked spicy shrimps to add to the viands layed out for the guests and I ordered a chocolate cake from Red Ribbon also to add color and sweetness to the mix.

The giveaways were miniature ceramic displays and glass pacifiers for the guests while the godparents received tumblers with Adam's photo in it with text saying "I am a proud godparent of Charles Adam"

And here's the new christian sound asleep after the ceremony:

To all our relatives and friends who were able to attend, Thanks so much!

Baby Talk

I just wanted to share how my son and I "communicate".  Here's one of our "conversations" during our alone-time last Saturday.

Multi-tasking Worked!

For the past several days now, I have been cramming to accomplish several unrelated stuff:  finishing preparations for my son's christening on Easter Sunday, filling-up numerous forms and compiling document requirements for my upcoming promotion () and filing for refund of the overpayment of a loan deducted from my salary.  Now, I am happy to report that I have finally finished two of them and am now concentrating on putting on the finishing touches to my son's baptism preps.  And here I thought doing all these at the same time is making things more difficult and longer to finish...  At least now I only have a few more errands to run (finalizing the menu with the caterer, finishing the DIY giveaways and printing and distributing the invitations).

Meanwhile, Adam turned two months last March 26 and although we were not able to celebrate it like when he turn 1-month old, he definitely has grown bigger, heavier and stronger.  He often coos, gurgles and sometimes even shouts at us when we are talking to him.  He even chuckles once in a while now.  It really is amazing how fast babies grow and develop!

Three Kings

Last Saturday my cousin Levie had a celebration cum Thanksgiving for having passed the Nursing Board Exam (Congrats Levie!).  It was also an opportunity for a family get-together and photo-ops.  Since it was the first time that "the three kings" - that's what our relatives call my son and the sons of two of my cousins because they were born a month apart and they're all boys - got together, most the cameras were focused on them.  Of course, the pictures included their mommies so here they are...

That's me and my baby Adam, my cousin Tin-tin and her son Ethan, and my cousin Erika with her son NC.

upper photo: us again, this time with Inang Chayong (our grandmother); lower photo: Me with Adam

and this is me again with my son.

Of the three, Ethan was born first (Dec. 4, 2008), then came my little Adam (Jan. 26, 2009) and then NC (Feb. 13, 2009).  It was our Uncle Jim who coined the "Three Kings" bit.  He even said Ethan was going to be called Mel (short for Melchor), Adam was to be Gas (short for Gaspar) and NC would be Bal (short for Baltazar).  Of course only Uncle Jim calls them that, hehehe!

Back to Work

Today is my first day at work after my 2-month maternity leave... so far, I have texted my mom twice inquiring about Adam and it's only a little past 9am (I left the house about 7:45am).  Ganon yata talaga, hirap iwanan ang baby even when you know he's in good hands.  Specially since a couple of days after he turned 1-month old saka pa naka-latch on ang baby ko so I have been mixed feeding him (breastfeeding in the afternoon and at night and bottle feeding in the morning) eversince.  Anyway, to take my mind off Adam for a while (as if!) I have decided to update this blog and then concentrate on organizing the accumulated paperwork that I have to accomplish.  Time seems so slow though when you want to be somewhere else...

Going Home

Tomorrow, Adam and I are going home... Charlie has finally declared he has less overtime work from tomorrow onwards and so he'll have more time to bond with Adam when he gets home, that's why we have decided that it's about time we go home to our apartment.  It will also serve as our practice for when I go back to work.  The plan is that I will bring Adam to my parents house in the early morning before going to work and fetch him from there after office.  I am crossing my fingers that this plan would work because we don't have a nanny for Adam yet.

My going home means even lesser updates for this blog because I would have to dedicate more time to Adam and my mom and sisters wouldn't be there to look after Adam while I go online.  Besides, I only have a prepaid internet connection at home and I doubt I will remember to reload...

So to my readers (if there are any)... please bear with me and expect more updates from March 20 onwards because by that time I would be able to access my blog more often (during lunch and coffee breaks) at the office.

Adam turns 1 month old

Time really flies when your having fun... Yesterday my baby is one month old. The fact that I already have a baby has hardly sunk in and yet here he is, my adorable little treasure. Next thing you know my maternity leave would expire and I would have to go back to work na... I still can't imagine leaving my precious baby every morning and not see him again until around 6pm but I know things will work out. So how did we celebrate Adam's 1st month? Well since hubby had overtime work, we celebrated it late at night - around 11pm na with just a simple late dinner and with hubby and I blowing a single candle on an icing-topped cupcake I bought earlier. (Too bad we don't have pictures kasi in all the excitement we forgot na).

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Facts About Adam

• He would always calm down (even during a loud cry) whenever I sing "The Alphabet Song" to him (only me, kasi my mom and sister tried singing it to him pero he kept on crying, hehehe!)
• He can drink up to 3 ounces of milk every two hours now
• He can already hold his two-ounce bottle while feeding
  
• He becomes beet red when he cries or gets irritated
• He smiles a lot during the early mornings specially after his 4am feeding and even coos at you when you talk to him
  

A Youre Adorable - Unknown

Halo-Halong Kwento

Ok... so, a couple of days ago I was bragging about my son's smilestones and then the same day that that post was published we had a little scare with Adam. Around 8pm of Feb.16 as Charlie was carrying Adam, he noticed the little boy was looking up earnestly as if trying to follow something way beyond the reach of his line of vision and so his neck was slowly stiffening and his whole body bending because he was arching his back. Hubby and I thought he was just stretching or something and then when his eyes started to cross and no amount of calling him and trying to divert his attention was working we started to panic already. Buti na lang my parents were there... the next events were kinda blurry na basta before we got to the point of rushing him to the nearest hospital, Adam calmed down na and when we checked for his temperature it was only 37.4 naman so we just applied kool fever on his forehead and I called his pediatrician to ask if we should give him something. Dr. Ong replied naman that we should just monitor his fever and give him paracetamol drops (0.3 ml) every 4 hours until his temperature goes down to normal. And so hubby and I together with my parents started our vigil with the little boy. His normal demands for feeding wasn't there and so we had to wake him up every 3 hours pa for his milk pero he would feed heartily naman when offered. Buti na lang dito pa kami sa parents ko, otherwise Charlie and I wouldn't have known what to do. Now the little boy is back to normal, feeding every two hours nanaman instead of three...

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On a lighter note... I was fortunate enough to have been included in the top 20 list of the "My Shopaholic Confession" post for Nuffnang, unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the awarding because Adam was sick nga... but anyways, congratulations to all the winners and I hope you had fun... I'll just have to watch the movie with hubby later.

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Have you noticed how hot the weather is getting lately? Anyways, I was thinking sana of a garden venue for Adam's baptism reception pero if the weather is going to be hotter than this by March, I'd have to scratch that plan and go with an airconditioned venue instead. I have started making the layout for the invitations already and I already know what the giveaways would be... The list of Ninongs and Ninangs is incomplete pa (di pa decided si hubby dun sa final list nya kasi!) but we have already inquired sa church and we're just awaiting the release of his birth certificate on the 28th.

Smilestones

These past few days has been a flurry of events making it uber difficult for me to find time to sit still and write about it here, but let me try to recap some of them as best as i can:

Feb. 8 was the day Adam's belly button stump fell off and so the next day, I was able to give him a full bath.  Slightly scary for me because it's a first but we were able to conquer that challenge quite well naman with the help of my sister, Hazelle.  Also, the same day I gave my baby boy his first full bath (Feb. 9) I was able to clip his nails for the first time.  But I still put mittens on his hands until now kasi his nails are still quite sharp and I don't want him to scratch his face.

Feb. 14 was Adam's first trip to his Pediatrician.  Yes, Valentine's day, I had a date with my son to his pedia.  Dr. Ong was so surprised to see Adam again (he's my boy's pedia na kasi when I gave birth).  His first question was "what have you been feeding him?" Ha?! As if I could feed him anything but milk na... It wasn't super obvious to me kasi how my son has grown in the past 3 weeks because he's with me everytime but for someone like his Pedia who hasn't seen him since he was 3 days old, Adam's growth is more pronounced.  My baby now weighs 8.9 lbs. and has grown to 52 cm. in length.  "Very good!" according to Dr. Ong.  Wow, buti naman my baby's growing well... my only frustration is that I am not able to breastfeed him.  I give him milk that I pump from my breasts once a day lang kasi I only get a couple of ounces of milk from me tapos the rest of the day I feed him milk formula na that was initially given to him in the hospital.  Anyway, it's the first time Charlie and I didn't celebrate Valentine's Day with a date or special home-cooked dinner man lang but he still gave me a cute flower arrangement with a teddy bear naman when he came home from work.

Feb. 15 was the day my nephew Ethan Lebron E. Mediante was baptized and so it was the first time Adam was able to attend a family gathering.  Actually, hesitant pa ako to bring Adam kasi nga di pa siya nabinyagan but my cousins and Aunts were insistent that I bring Charles Adam to Ethan's baptism since the reception naman is going to be at my Aunt's house so Adam isn't really making unnecessary gala.

 

 

Anyways, Adam was quite a good boy sa mga "outings" namin.  Unfortunately, he was specially cranky the past couple of nights kasi he was asleep the whole day.  Everytime we are in the car kasi kahit di pa time for him to sleep, he falls asleep na so pagdating sa house ayaw na niya mag-sleep.  Hay naku after his pedia visit 4am na kami nakatulog kasi iyak siya ng iyak.  Tapos last night naman 3am na kasi ganun din... he doesn't want to sleep yet.  Buti na lang ngayon dito lang kami sa haws kaso naman super init today so he's making a bit of a fuss din.  Sana lang di na siya irritable later.

Sleepless in Sucat

Adam is now 13 days old and we have been staying at my parents house eversince we came home from the hospital.  I have heard warnings and all kinds of advice about the sleeping habits of a newborn but I didn't really think much about it until now... It really does take a toll on you after several days... the erratic sleeping habits of your newborn, I mean.  Most of the time, mornings and afternoons are peaceful enough and are quite manageable but its the late nights and early mornings that are quite taxing.  I mean, just when you think he's finally going back to sleep, he fusses again or demands another feeding.  Oh, but I'm not complaining though, I am totally ok with this if only to see my little boy smile or hear him coo...

I have also learned to heed the advice of most mothers to take advantage of his sleeping time and make it an opportunity to catch up on some Zzzs myself.  I also try to stay vigilant in the late evenings and early mornings when Adam oftentimes make a fuss because I don't want to disturb my mom and dad so much and wake them unneccesarily.  But that's also a challenge since my Dad is super in love with Adam (my dad calls him "Tutoy") and every tiny noise Adam makes would cause my Dad to pick him up or tell me to feed him even when I know he's still full, hehehe, grandparents talaga!

My Shopaholic Confession

Hi! My name is Heidi and I'm a Shopaholic! 

I have always been a bit out of control when it comes to spending time and money whenever I get near a mall or even the remotest of "tiangges" but I really thought I have been cured of this "addiction".  But I was mistaken!  It seems, my recent giving birth has just elevated my being a shopaholic to a new level.  If before, my shopping tendencies were just limited to trinkets and the occassional expensive, branded, items for myself... now, I have discovered a different kind of happiness whenever I buy something new for my adorable baby boy!  And just like most mothers out there, I wouldn't settle for just the "ok" stuff... I browse the shelves and display cabinets for the best (which are almost always the most expensive) baby things and don't even think twice as to how big a dent it's going to make on my budget or if my baby already has it in a different color.  All I can think about is... no, wait... I don't think much when I'm shopping for little Adam, I just say "oh isn't this cute" or "this would be perfect for Adam" and buy, buy, buy!

And then of course, the minute I got home my mom made just one comment and I was brought back to reality... That most of the stuff I bought, my son doesn't really need... they're just darn cute... that I probably wouldn't be able to pay for my purchases (I used my credit card when I ran out of cash, which wasn't very long after I filled up my cart with baby things) until my son celebrates his first birthday... that I still have a lot more important stuff I should have spent the money on!  This made me think of an upcoming movie adapted from a book I read a year or so ago... Confessions of a Shopaholic.  Hmmm... hubby and I will have to make it a movie date and see this movie if only to see my shortcomings from a different perspective and maybe... just maybe I'll be cured.

Catch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" in Cinemas on February 18, 2009!

Happy Family

I just can't get over the fact that I'm a mom now... I mean I should have been getting used to the idea since I was carrying a huge belly for several months before Adam arrived but it really doesn't hit you until you see your baby face to face and get to experience his day to day activities.  Granted a week-old baby doesn't have that much activity to talk about but its the everyday experience of being with him and seeing him open his eyes or smile in his sleep or cry or even the mundane tasks of changing his diapers or giving him milk that would really make one realize... I'm a mom!

Anyway, here are more pictures of us at the hospital:

...as we were about to go home from the hospital:

...and our first days at home (my parents' home):

Indeed, I can say that Charlie and I now have a happy family... despite his protests that he would be happier with a couple more kids! Ngek!  The memory of labor pains are still too fresh to even think that I would go through all that again...  Yes, Charles Adam is worth all that, but for now... This happy family is content.