an extraordinary path to parenthood

my soon-to-be driver

mari — 2010-02-05T08:30:00Z

The little girl has fascination for cars. She loves to look and play with them. She has a pair of magnetic cars (these are used to hold notes on our ref) that she would always want to play with. In fact, she loved it more than her dolls. In the morning before her tatay leaves for work, she should hold the steering wheels first. She would just hold it and make a few turns and she would be satisfied.

These days, she is more into action. She also enjoys the rides found at amusement centers. She likes those with steering wheels that she can hold and play with. Last time we went to the grocery, she found a new 'tambayan'. She was so engrossed with the rides that she doesn't want to go home anymore. She is contented even if we don't drop tokens as long as she sits and plays on the cars.

Now, whenever we go to the grocery we make sure that she takes her ride. This will surely make her behave at the stores. Too bad that the grocery store where we shop do not have those carts with steering wheels for kids.

Anyway, have to get back to my shopping list. I need to make sure that I include Anilox cleaner on it. It has been ages since I am wanting to buy one from the store. I just kept forgetting because it is not on my list

ate Gwen-Gwen

mari — 2010-02-02T06:44:00Z

We address her with this name nowadays and so far so good. She has been responding to it well and I think she loves it. Often times, she would kiss her little sister when she sees me lying down. When we ask her who is ate, she will instantly point at herself. But our dear ate Gwen is still a baby at her age. She always wanted to be carried around and even cuddled no matter how hot the day is. She would hug and kiss me just to get my attention. Whenever she is awake and she sees me within distance, she wants to be near me as much as possible.

There are times when I pity her because she hasn't gotten 'all' the attention yet and soon she'll have someone to share with already. But we make sure now that we will make up for it. We shower her with so much love and attention. We also make sure that we are always here for her from her waking hours until her sleeping times. There are even times that we bring our netbooks to bed so that she won't feel alone.

Having 2 kids in a row has its advantages and disadvantages. With balance and sharing, we will surely be able to shower them both the love that they needed.

valentine's gifts

mari — 2010-02-02T06:36:00Z

This years Valentine's day fall on a Sunday. This is also the day after baby Gwenks' 13th month bday. Last year, we had an advance Valentine's party since we celebrated baby Gwenks' first month. That time, we had cake and pasta and ice cream I think. Then on the Vday itself, tatay bought me and baby Gwenks' our flowers

This year, I am looking forward again to what tatay will give us. For sure he won't miss the chance giving me and the little girl flowers but will he also give us something that has loose diamonds on it? Will he give another jewelry piece just like he did last Christmas? Or will he save the money for our Baguio trip? We'll wait and see... but if it comes from the heart then it is more worthy than anything else.

first firsts this weekend

mari — 2010-02-01T03:44:00Z

There are several first firsts for baby Gwenks this weekend...

* First Swimming Lessons -

* First Birthday Party that is not held at Jolibee

* First Real Ride at the Carousel

* First Dentist Appointment

But there are no photos to share...

So instead of thinking about it again and again, I'll just read on information on rheumatoid arthritis. Lola Nanay (our neighborhood lola) is always in pain when her arthritis occurs so I may find something that can lessen her pain.

lost files

mari — 2010-02-01T03:12:00Z

I am to be blamed for this. I accidentally deleted all photos taken this weekend.

Our weekend get-away started saturday night when tita Tine invited us for an overnight swimming. We were supposed to go to Calamba but ended at the neighborhood pool. Since it was already late and the little girl was already sleeping, she took her dip at the pool only in the morning. We were supposed to go to Nuvali for some photo opps later that day but other family members were too sleepy already. So we just continued with our initial plan of attending Isa's bday party at Pixie Forest in Alabang. We got home around 7 in the evening.

While watching Mel & Joey and their discussion on Earthquake 101, I was tinkering on the digicam and looking at the day's pictures. Maybe I was fascinated with steel buildings and how it is safer to have one these days, I accidentally formatted the memory card. Imagine my face when I saw the 'No Image' words on the cam. I was so devastated about it that I was not talking for a few minutes.

Hay... if only...

new year pics

mari — 2010-01-21T03:13:00Z

Some of the pictures during our Christmas vacation at home.

family vacation

mari — 2010-01-20T03:35:00Z

Hopefully we can have one by October of this year. The only problem is whether we will bring little Stef with us or it will just be the 3 of us. We are now anticipating for zero fares or minimal fare trips if it would be an out of the country trip. On the other hand, we can bring baby Stef with us but our destination would either be Baguio or Bacolod.

My wish to avail of Orlando vacation packages is still open but not in the near future. I wanted to have one when the children are bigger and can walk on their own. The time when they can move around freely without us bringing a stroller or big luggage along. This is possible, maybe 5 or 6 years from now.

If not, then we will just wait for the Holiday season again and visit the grandparents in Isabela. This time, there will be no long trips because I prefer taking the plane with the kids in tow.

balloons

mari — 2010-01-20T02:50:00Z

Balloons - c/o sis Rocks, bro Rudolf and friends - 10/10 or more

Jolibee's bday set-up was bare. They will just put balloons on the walls and that's it. No ceiling balloons or anything. So I asked sis Rocks if she still wanted to do baby Gwenks' balloon set-up even if it was not on the original location (which is the clubhouse or the resort).

She and her hubby were very much willing to do the balloons. We only communicated through FB and that's it. When we arrived at Jolibee, they were already there and the setup was nearly finished. Thank God they brought a couple of friends with them, who helped them arranged the balloons. I was delighted with the outcome. I only asked for 2 pillar balloons but they made more. They had flower balloons, wall balloons and ceiling balloons (I hope I got them right).

When we were about to go home, some guests asked if they could bring home some of the balloons. Of course I gave them some but I made sure that Ibring home most of them. Until now, one pillar is still up in our room.

Pros:
* It became a reason for me and sis Rocks to finally meet each other personally.
* They made it with love and care. It might even helped them have a quick weight loss because of the travel distance
* It was a gift and came free of charge.

Cons:
* I owe one from them. I hope to reciprocate their kindness soon

Lootbags - Divi, Reysal Supermarket - DIY - 10/10

I asked my brother to buy some from Divi last December and I bought some during last Thursday's trip. The candies and other goodies were bought from nearby grocery store. I was expecting 30 kids so I made personalized bags for each. I divided the kids according to their age level and I was able to come up with 3 sets. For every set, there are 2 different packs (one for the girls and another for the boys).

I used paper bags so that it can contain all the stuff that I bought. The small lootbag is just enough for the goodies. Aside from the 30 big packs, I also made 12 more for the balloon burst which did not push through because I wasn't able to find a mother balloon for it.

bday suppliers

mari — 2010-01-20T02:02:00Z

Not that we have lots of them, but still I wanted to share how efficient/inefficient they were during the bday celebration of baby Gwenks'.

For this party, we got Jollitown Theme plus Dora on the side

Venue - Jolibee Sta. Rosa Commercial Complex - 8.5/10
Initially, we wanted a resort for the venue. Months prior to the bday celebration, we wanted a swimming theme. But as time goes by,we noticed baby Gwenks' fascination with Jolibee. She would shout and wave at every Jolibee statue that she sees. She would also participate in bday events that we attend to that were held at Jolibee branches. This made tatay decide that we should go for a Jolibee package too.

The first venue that we inquired was at Jolibee Sta.Rosa Balibago near Walter Mart. We were thinking of the convenience of visitors from Manila but later on we changed our mind to Jolibee Sta. Rosa Commercial Complex due to its proximity and accessibility to guests coming from both Manila and Laguna. Those coming from Manila will just cross the street from the terminal, while those from Laguna (Sta. Rosa and San Pedro) will be directly in front of the store once they alight the jeeps.

We were able to talk to 'Lloyd', the one in-charge with the party packages for that day. He was nice to talk to and he explained the packages well. We were set to take the 12-2 slot but someone reserved the time earlier. The slot remaining was 3-5 which was also okay for us. We booked for 80 individuals; 50 adults and 30 children and got room 1 which can accommodate 90 people (though tatay thinks that the room is small to accommodate that number of individuals). As for the food, we ordered the Popo package for the kids and Create-ur own for the adults. One week prior to the event, we ordered for the cake since we cannot find anything that will go well with the Jollitown Theme.

On the day itself:
Balloon setup was allowed by 2pm or after the first party. The crew were able to fix the room fast. They were also able to provide for the needs of sis Rocks and company (if any). They give in to our requests like putting up the tarp, the lootbags and gift table. The party started around 3:15pm and ended right before 5 pm.

Pros:
* The crew and hosts were able to make the party lively. Special thanks to tita Hazel because she was actively joining them in their spiels.
* Their dance presentations were a plus. They did 2 dances, which is not common to Jolibee parties.
* The party was well-organized and was made within the designated time.

Cons:
* The room was small for the guests. If we had more than 80 people inside, it would have been difficult to move in between tables.
* They cannot contain the crowd when Jolibee went in. The picture taking was 'magulo'.
* The package we ordered was not followed. They only informed me about this when guests were already finished eating. The sundaes were not served, instead they were insisting that I just avail of the additional mascot in place of it. I opted to have an upgrade for the desert since I feel that the food is somewhat 'bitin' for the adults. I upgraded to ice craze which was served only when the guests were already leaving since it took them sometime to prepare for 50 pcs of it.
* I lost a bag of chocolate and several lootbags, which I left inside a box though I would have given it to them if they only asked for it.

Overall - We were satisfied with the Jolibee package that we had. If we would have another party, we will definitely go to them again. I'll just make sure that I won't end up getting any adult acne on the last minute.

sleepy mode

mari — 2010-01-20T01:40:00Z

The preggy mom is in sleepy mode. I have been tired the past days because (1) we don't have any house help and (2) we were preparing for baby Gwenks' bday party. Now I am making up for the sleep that I was deprived of. Thank God I can sleep anytime with comfortable bed and pillow without the need of any special sleeping aid; and thank God I have someone to look after baby Gwenks whenever I feel sleeping.

If I remember it right, I wasn't like this on my first pregnancy. I wasn't always sleepy but I am only always hungry. Anyway, each pregnancy is different from each other and with baby Stef, I am more relaxed and less conscious

hemorrhoids during pregnancy

mari — 2010-01-18T05:35:00Z

I have not given enough posts for my little Stef...

According to WhattoExpect dot com, the 25th week (the week that I am now), is the week where Hemorrhoids start to appear or to be felt. During my last pregnancy, I didn't experience this so I hope this won't happen again this time. On the other hand, I still want to prepare for it. In line with this, I have been researching for hemorrhoidal treatment, especially the natural treatments. I prefer this since it is easier to deal with it. I also prefer drinking more fluids and taking in food with fibers to prevent constipation. These are still the best methods for me.

success

mari — 2010-01-18T02:59:00Z

The party last Saturday went well. To rate it out, it was a 9 out of 10 party. As hosts, we were truly happy with the outcome.

We started the early though I still wanted to sleep. I slept at around 2am but the little girl won't play with her tatay only. She wanted to include me in their cuddling. So by 6, we were downstairs and fixing the lootbags and preparing the things to bring to the party. Later on, I was cleaning while the 2 went out for a walk. When they got back, little G was already sleeping.

We went to the venue at exactly 2pm. Some guests were at the nearby mall already, spending the time off. Sis Rocks, hubby and 2 of their friends were also at the venue preparing the balloon set-up. I was so sorry that they had to wait for sometime because there was still a party held at the place.

The party started around 3:15pm. We had to start at this time because tatay might have an 'emergency call' and he doesn't want to miss anything. Friends and guests started coming in as the party went along.

We like the hosts for the package. They had dance presentations that interest the guest. Little G was even dancing with them.

The party was fun. I was busy distributing lootbags during meal time but still I can feel the guests enjoying every bit of it. I was just disappointed with my pictures. I wished I had the best acne treatment before the party but I can't since I am still preggy.

celebration!!!

mari — 2010-01-13T14:56:00Z

Gwen Mari turns one today!!!

... and we had a simple celebration for it. We went to church early to thank God for giving us our dear Lugee. Later in the afternoon, we had spaghetti and cake. We also ate 'kankanin' that mommy brought from Isabela. There were just 7 of us at home. Me, tatay, Gwen Mari, lola Butchay, tito Jon, lola Mommy and tita Ace. Both side of the family was represented.

The bday celebration will be on Saturday. It will also be just a small party, this time with neighbors and closest friends. No one will avail of the orlando hotel reservations since it will be more fun being at baby Gwenks' first bday celebration

cousins

mari — 2010-01-07T11:54:00Z

I wish the 3 girls had a picture together but I guess little Agatha is still too young to join the 2 older girls. So far, these are the only pictures that we had of them.

Next time, on tita Ace's wedding, there will surely be a group picture of them. They will be flower girls on the said event. I hope we can also let little Stefanie join them. The more the merrier... the family's really growing!

Now, its time to get back to work. Time to fix baby Gwenks' lootbags. There will be three sets for three different age levels. One for infants, another for toddlers and one more for bigger kids. There will be towelletes, toys and candies for each level. Definitely, no electronics for them. It is not really child-friendly as you know

new year loots

mari — 2010-01-04T14:00:00Z

This is how our Christmas tree looked like even if it was already New Year's eve. There were even some gifts at the back of the chair and even some more under the table. In addition, last minute 'pahabol' as gifts for the kiddos were also added before 12 midnight.

After opening the gifts, she had handful of them. In fact, it took almost hald the space of our traveling bags. We ended up borrowing tita Ace's balikbayan bag to accommodate everything. her loots range from clothes to more clothes and lots of clothes. She also got pairs of shoes, baby bags and some toys. There was no insurance quote, though I wished there was someone who gave her an educational plan

In this picture, you can see lil G holding the scotch tape. I think her tita Ace was still wrapping some gifts for her angels that time. Lil G was insisting that she hold the tape while it is not being used.

happy face... again

mari — 2010-01-04T13:38:00Z

These words brighten everybody's face when lil G taught them how to do it.

These has been the magic words for those who wanted to see baby Gwenks smile with them in the pictures. I can say that she has been the center of attention in every occasion that we went to. She would only smile when she hears the 'happy face' words... even she is already close to tears. Her lil aunts and uncles wanted to take her pictures so they kept on making her do the happy face mode.

When we left my grandfather's house, happy face meant the 'happy face' of lil Lugee. This is now their new term for 'smile' when having their pictures taken.

This reminds me, I should also remind my dad regarding his schedule for his rv repair. I think he forgot about this already since he was busy taking care of his apos. Two were already handful for him... what more if lil Marthina grows up plus baby Stef on the side. It will surely turn his house upside down

back to reality

mari — 2010-01-04T13:28:00Z

After a week of staying in Isabela,we are finally back home. It was tiring but very memorable. This is the first time lil G went home there. I think she enjoyed it too. She spent New Year with a blast. She enjoyed watching the fireworks. She was wide awake the whole time. Since we were only present on New Year, gift giving was held this time. She loved receiving gifts, she even learned how to open them.

Now, all of these are kept in our memory box. We are now starting the year with just the 3 of us again. No house help , no other person in our home. It is tiring but I hope we survive till one comes around. There will be lesser time in front of the PC again even if work related to best hair loss products is offered. Though tired,I will surely find time to check mails. I still need to finish stuff for baby G's first birthday... which is like 11 days to go.

Time to move! Time to go on...

merry Christmas

mari — 2009-12-22T08:10:00Z

Here is something for everyone who take time dropping by my babies' blog...

Enjoy the Holidays everyone.

new year, new life

mari — 2009-12-22T07:52:00Z

In a couple of days, we will welcome 2010. This means that new hope is given to everyone to start all over again. 2009 has been a good year to our family. Here is a little rundown of the many blessings that we had.

January
- the birth of our darling Gwen Mari through NSD
- this started our sleepless but more meaningful nights

March
- we were able to have little Gwen baptized
- Tatay went back to Makati to finish his training

April
- we survived the first trimester

July
- Tatay got promoted, Jobs in IT are in demand and he is so lucky that he is into it

September
- we found out that we are pregnant again, another blessing to celebrate

October
- party conceptualization starts

December
- party plans finalized
- celebrating first Christmas as a family
- first trip to Isabela

Christmas plans

mari — 2009-12-22T07:42:00Z

This is our first Christmas with the little one. We haven't thought of any particular family tradition to start with. The most that I can think of is spending it with the family and eating Noche Buena together. We will also have to let her open her gifts, as she wants to tear anything she can get hold of now (which reminds me, we haven't bought one yet :p I wish that there is some who offers call center services that accepts gift orders and have it delivered as well )

For this year, we will start the day by attending the mass and later on drop by to some of her ninongs and ninangs. We will also go to Pacita to visit her lola and other friends there. Before going home, we might drop by the mall. This is with the hope that there would be lesser people by now, if not then we might just go on the 26th. I still have to do last minute shopping for other gifts that we will bring home to the province.

It's that simple. Nothing fancy. What's really important is being together and celebrating the true essence of Christmas.