Happily Ever After... And Then Some.

lifesavers for the first 3 months

2010-03-25T12:16:00.005-07:00

i think my "i have a newborn" phase is over now that Luna is 3 months old. (i wonder if i can still use her as an excuse for wearing sweatpants on most days. but hey, at least my maternity jeans are now back in storage!)

since i benefitted from all the product reviews in various message boards, blogs, and online forums, i think it's time for me to pay it forward... here is my list of lifesavers for moms with a toddler and a newborn, and who do not have the luxury of help from a visiting parent/sister/aunt/family.

1. Abdomend Recovery Belt
recovering after my first c-section was quite challenging. i could walk, but with a hunched back because i was afraid to pull my stitches. after my stitches healed somewhat, my tummy still felt jiggly and not in a remotely cute way... every laugh or cough i made created a rippling feeling in my tummy. ugly, ugly feeling. so this time i looked up belly binding, which is done in most asian countries. my sister had a c-section and she told me that she had a binder on in the hospital.. everyone does apparently. google brought me to Belly Bandit, but i figured that wouldn't work for me since its purpose seemed to be more for fashion than function. then i found the Abdomend belts, which seemed to be aimed more for recovery, rather than i-want-my-tummy-to-shrink. so i got in touch with the canadian distributor and she helped me figure out what size to get, and how to use it. i was even able to use it during pregnancy, since my tummy felt so heavy. and boy did it save me from backache. post-partum, i used it 2 days after my c-section. it helped my walk around the hospital room and bend lightly so i could pick up Luna, and walk to the car when we went home. i used it everyday when we got home, and felt more confident walking around since i felt my stitches were being held in place by the belt. it also helped me with the jiggly feeling; since i was held in by the belt, it didn't feel like any part of my tummy was hanging out like flapjacks. it also made car rides more comfortable; i was even able to drive 3 weeks after my c-section. of course it goes without saying that when you have a toddler and a newborn, the toddler will most certainly accidentally hit your tummy area at some point. the belt helped protect me that way too! it could be my imagination, but it seemed i shrank way faster this time around - even aldo noticed. but haha it doesn't take away the fact that i still have a c-section tummy, if you know what i mean.

2. Baby Swing
i wish i had a swing when Amori was born... it would have made my life a thousand times easier! this time, i borrowed one from a friend, just to try it out. a week or two later, i wanted to buy a brand new one but decided to be practical since Luna won't be in it for too long. it worked great for us, especially during rush hour in our house - when Amori is home from school and i am preparing dinner. i may not have a yaya to hold my newborn, but at least i've got help in the form of a swing!

3. Meal Plans and Frozen Meals
i am now a firm believer in make-ahead or frozen meals, and meal plans. it just makes life easier. now i wish i had a bigger freezer!

4. Swaddling
again, i wish i read The Happiest Baby on the Block when Amori was born. even aldo was skeptical in the beginning, but soon enough he was swaddling and shushing Luna to calm her down. today Luna is still a swaddling addict. i swaddle her at night and she sleeps 5-6 hours, as opposed to an unswaddled 3 hours. i think i'll continue doing this til she doesn't fit her swaddling blankets. LOL

5. Sleep Sacks
i learned about sleep sacks a bit late during Amori's infancy, but still used them and loved the concept. since Luna was born in the winter, i had her in a Halo fleece sleep sack and a swaddling blanket during the day, and a full swaddle for night time. now she sleeps in a Perlimpinpin sleep sack and a receiving blanket to swaddle her arms. i wanted a grobag sleep sack but figured i'd get a canadian brand and support local products!

my #1 life saver is still aldo though. i am extremely thankful that he took all his vacation days when Luna was born (when Amori was born he only took a week off!) because i was able to rest and recover properly. i can just imagine how easy recovery must be in manila where there is abundance of help!

accidental earth mama

2010-02-25T23:26:00.007-08:00

Luna had a bad - and I mean what-a-bad-mommy-you-must-be kind of bad - diaper rash that scared the hell out of me. At first I thought it was because I missed a diaper change or two since I was sick at that time... but it looked way more intense than the forgotten diaper change kind so I brought her to the doctor, who said that it's because she has sensitive skin. So I changed her diaper brand, and went from Pampers Swaddlers to Huggies Pure & Natural, plus put the prescription cream that I was given. Five days later, the lesions weren't as big and scary, but were still there and I had noticed too that her poo diapers were a little bit too many. So I waited another 2 days and when the rash was still there, I decided to change her formula from Enfamil A+ to Similac Sensitive, a lactose-free formula. Lo and behold, the poo diapers lessened and the diaper rash healed. I should have known earlier that she was getting a bad reaction to her milk!

Although her rash has healed, I don't think I want to go back to the scented Pampers diapers. The Huggies Pure & Natural though costs double the price of Pampers so I figured maybe cloth diapering was worth looking into. So I started looking into cloth diapers and got so confused. Apparently it isn't like when our mothers used to put us in cloth diapers. Now there are pockets, prefolds, all-in-ones, and hybrids. I got even more confused when I went to a baby store to look at the products they carried.

So I decided to go into what seemed logical: prefolds + biodegradable and flushable liners + waterproof cover. I figured I should test the waters first and see if I can handle cloth diapering, versus getting all sorts of cloth diapering systems so I got 2 covers and 10 prefolded cloth diapers to start. Oh and Snappis too... which are great since the thought of pins scare me. I'm a week into it and so far so good! It's not as bad as it seems... although I don't do it 100% though (I'm not that crazy... yet!). I'm currently cloth diapering at home, and doing disposables at night and when we go out. I've been lucky too: no poop in the cloth diapers yet! Somehow whenever she's in cloth diapers, it's all pee! But we'll see if I can stick with cloth diapers until the solid food stage... seems unlikely but I'll give it a go before I give up.

I think I am now an accidental hippy: I drive a Hybrid, I cloth diaper part-time, and I wear my baby in a sling. LOL

Now if I could breastfeed full time, that would really complete the stereotype. No such luck on that end though, it's the same old story.

what a week

2010-02-05T23:44:00.003-08:00

last week...

aldo went back to work (from a 6-week leave, a.k.a. the luna holidays).

amori had a 39 degree fever and a pretty deep and productive-sounding cough.

3 days later, i got it too.

then there was luna to feed, change, and rock to sleep.... and amori to bring to preschool/daycare while i felt really achy and feverish.

last but not least...

Toyota gets shoved into the spotlight with recalls. we thought our 3-week old Prius was safe since it was not on the list but a recall seems to be in the horizon since Toyota has admitted that the 2010 model has a faulty brake design. WTF! so far i haven't really noticed how it will supposedly accelerate slightly when you hit a bump or a pothole (thanks to the city being all cleaned up and spiffy for the olympics!). i hope Toyota offers a fix on this - i've grown to love it and gotten pretty attached. we were supposed to have it tinted, and a bike rack attached but we're holding off til this problem is resolved. dammit Toyota, why fail us now?!

what a week. we're all still alive (car included) so here's to hoping for more good things to come.

oh and look who's starting to give us smiles...

Luna Catalina

2010-01-15T23:07:00.009-08:00

She was born on December 10, 2009 at 8:30AM via a scheduled c-section. No labor, no drama. We just walked into the maternity wing of the hospital on the day we were scheduled; I got prepped for surgery, and then wheeled into the OR... and then Luna was out!

We had a tough time finding a name and when we did, it got a bit controversial... my parents didn't like it, other relatives didn't like it, yadah, yadah, yadah. But we loved the name Luna so the night before she was born, we stuck to it.

The name Catalina comes from Aldo's grandmother - much like Amori's second name Eleanor which is a combination of our grandmothers.

We didn't realize it until my cousin pointed it out but when you translate Luna Rivera to English, it is literally Moon River.

So she's here, our lovely little Moon. She's a good baby... eats, sleeps, poops, doesn't scream much. Either that or we're too tired and preoccupied with Amori to notice otherwise. LOL

We're still trying to figure out the juggling act with 2 kids in tow but we're getting there. The first few times we tried to get out of the house with the 2 kids it took us an hour because Luna had to be fed in between... but now it's getting better. We're actually on time when we hear mass!

Aldo's been on leave for the last 6 weeks so somehow it has felt like a vacation for me - at least I've got help despite the sleepless nights. Next week he's going back to work so I'm going to experience my new-normal routine.

Amori's still at her school/daycare 3 days a week so Luna and I are going to have a few days to clean the house, cook, and sing silly songs.

So for now... happy new year, happy new decade, and cheers to the new member of our family!

T minus 8 days

2009-12-02T11:57:00.002-08:00

the date has been set: december 10.

i'm currently a mixed bag of emotions: excited to see the new little one, relieved to get this pregnancy over and done with, nervous about parenting 2 children, and anxious about another c-section.

this time around, i think i'm more prepared of what's to come. i do know it'll be a rough few weeks, but i'm hoping that breastfeeding will be possible this time around. if it doesn't work, then i'll know when to quit and forget about pressuring myself like last time.

but before that happens, i've got a long list of things to do, knowing that i'll be stuck at home all thru the holidays!

waiting

2009-11-26T08:32:00.002-08:00

37 weeks and waiting! i'm finally off work and the change of pace is wonderful. i feel privileged that i get to bring amori to daycare, have at least 8 hours to do stuff alone, and cook dinner at my pace. LOL

i've seen the OB-GYN last week but still no c-section date from the hospital. argh. at this rate, i might go into labor before they book my c-section! so as of today.. i'm still playing the waiting game: waiting for labor or a c-section date, whatever comes first.

at least i've got my bags ready.

isn't she lovely

2009-10-14T13:27:00.004-07:00

my little princess (see her headband of power? LOL) is a chatterbox and a powerhouse of energy. she loves her markers and sketch pads better than any of her dolls (any new doll is her favorite for a maximum of 24 hours. after that, the doll is pushed into her ever-growing bin of stuffed animals and dolls.) she's a highly verbal child that picks up words very very quickly even if it's in chinese, french, or tagalog. she can count and sing a few songs in chinese (they are taught in her preschool daycare), knows the days of the week and count in french, and knows several tagalog words.

it's all but why do they have to grow up so fast?!

not a paid advertisement

2009-10-07T22:23:00.004-07:00

when i was pregnant with amori i wasn't as obsessed with shopping for her - i think her grandma took care of that part fairly well. it was aldo that did the research on strollers and car seats while i did the bottles, sterilizer, toys, and slings. i think i was too preoccupied (and scared) with the thought of childbirth to fuss about baby gear. this time, however, i think i'm making up for it. i've gone crazy! reading up on reviews on strollers kept me busy for a good 3 weeks, and since i (think) know what i'll really be needing and how long i'll be using stuff for, i've kept myself hooked up via twitter, emails, and forums to know when particular things are on sale so i can get them at the best price.

at TJ's Kids this weekend we picked up a Britax Marathon in crocodile (Amori has the Onyx print already) for $50 less at their Britax Tent Sale. luckily we got there at the perfect time - we got the last one in Crocodile! the woman behind me at the cashier looked like she wanted to strangle me when she saw what i had. when the cashier told me "you don't know how lucky you are for getting that last one!", the woman piped in and said with much venom, "yeah, some people have to wait 4 weeks for that print". sorry lady, it pays to know what you want when there's a sale. LOL

we're also lucky that this time around, friends have lent us their infant car seat. since it'll only be used for the first 5 or 6 months, we were ok with using a borrowed one. the Britax Marathon can actually hold an infant but for convenience, we're using the infant car seat first - it's way easier to get in and out of the car.

we also picked up Amori and Baby #2's new ride: the Joovy Caboose Ultralight. i had already convinced myself that the original Caboose was all i needed but since i'm not exactly the strongest mama in the whole world, aldo convinced me that the ultralight would be easier for me to use since i'll be the one lifting that thing in and out of the car. good thing it was on sale too, but the $100 difference still haunts me. we were pretty lucky that the sales associate that was helping us out told us that there was a special edition that wasn't on display. instead of a silver frame, the special edition has a black frame, plus an all-weather pad that we can attach to the seat once Baby #2 is out of the car seat.

the only big-ticket item left on the list is a crib mattress since Amori is still using hers in a toddler bed. she'll eventually have a big bed but she's still ok in her toddler bed so there's no use panic-buying... although i have to admit, i entertained the thought of buying her a bed when there was a sale at Sears. but Aldo was right, we can wait another year, or til we move to another place.

next on the shopping list is a post-partum binder for me. been reading up on it and am convinced i need one because when i was recovering from my previous c-section, i had real trouble standing up because i felt my guts were going to spill out, which resulted to bad backache and a miserable me. had i known there are such things as binders, i would have gotten one. since i know i'll be having a c-section again, hopefully a binder will help me feel a little less miserable. i've seen the Abdomend Bikini Belt that looks comfortable, or the widely-marketed Belly Bandit. both are ridiculously expensive though so i'm still thinking twice. i wonder if the lesser-expensive binder at Motherhood works as well.. i hope it does because i don't want to cough up $80 for the Belly Bandit or $100 for the Abdomend Bikini Belt!

30 weeks down, 8 to go (or whenever they book my c-section)!

countdown

2009-09-17T15:18:00.002-07:00

i'm on my 28th week.

28.

yikes.

that means only 10 weeks to go before baby #2 comes out! my doctor has already told me it'll be a c-section this time because of past complications, so i'll only be pregnant until 38 weeks, yaay!

oh and it's a girl. we had a 3D/4D ultrasound done at 26 weeks. it's quite creepy to get a photo this detailed, isn't it?!

it's been a fun, birthday-packed summer for us - seems like a lot of people do give birth during the summer... which makes Baby #2 one of the rare kids celebrating their birthdays in the winter!

this summer we've gone fishing, kite flying, and eating grilled hotdogs and hamburgers like there's no tomorrow. oh and homemade pizzas! aldo has perfected the art of making his own pizza crust and is now a certified frozen-pizza snob. i've been loving the grilled pizzas he's made - it does make a difference when it's grilled on a pizza stone, on a bbq, versus baked in an oven. we're so happy we got a Weber this summer - our first bbq grill ever!

amori's been growing into a chatterbox - a dancing, drawing, tea-party-princess-playing chatterbox. i think it's safe to say she is now a little kid, and not just a clumsy toddler! funny how she is her own little person. sure, she has her bad days - like when i have to drag her out of bed so i can drop her off at preschool/daycare on time - but majority of the time, she's a pretty easy kid. unless we talk about her (non-existent) eating habits, of course. i've pretty much given up on worrying about when she will eat meat, or when she will munch on a carrot stick... her doctor says as long as she is growing, and is developmentally on track, then there really is no need to worry.

she is the sweetest thing too. the highlight of my day is when she wants a big cuddle after school. when we get home, she follows me into the kitchen with her thumb in her mouth, while she says "i'm tired" (because the current rule is: no thumbsucking unless she is tired or sleepy). or when she insists i watch tv with her before i putter around the kitchen at dinnertime. some days i wish i had househelp so i can give her 100% of my attention after school.

just the other day, i picked her up from school and she gave my belly a big hug and said "i miss my baby" - let's hope she still feels that way in 10 weeks!

other than the fact that i no longer can do the groceries by myself, i'm pretty ok. i am exhausted everyday, but other than that - i have no complaints. partly because i know this will end soon. i am sure it'll only get more complicated in 10 weeks but until then, i'm taking things one day at a time, savoring the last few weeks that we are a family of 3.

heck, when i walk into a baby sale, i get amori more clothes than the new baby! baby #2 has a lot of hand-me-downs from amori, and they outgrow things so quickly that it doesn't make sense to buy the exact same pink-and-white onesie! in all fairness though, i've gotten Baby #2 new sleep sacks and long-sleeved onesies - amori's old ones were from a different season. i just need a few more flannel blankets, bottles, and a christmas outfit and we're good to go. 10 weeks is enough time to get all those.

Forever Young

2009-08-20T23:13:00.002-07:00

aldo's been a secret fan of Rod Stewart's so after a year of watching his concerts on DVD, we bit the bullet and watched him live at GM Place. out of all the big-name artists that have performed in vancouver, we had to pick one that catered to people older than us! LOL i swear, we must have been the youngest people in the concert.

it was a great concert though... either that or we really do not get out much! at least we heard all his greatest hits like "Forever Young", "Some Guys Have All The Luck", "Downtown Train", and a few others. i must say though, all his back-up vocals and musicians were young and sexy!

at one point he started giving away soccer balls. apparently, it's his thing to kick around these soccer balls during concerts, due to his passion for football. too bad we were seated too far away from the stage to catch one!

the only bad part of the concert was the acoustics of GM Place - it sucks! we've watched hockey games here and it was ok since all you want to hear are the clubs hitting the puck or some players being shoved into the glass, but for a concert it was pretty bad. if you didn't know the lyrics to a song, you wouldn't really hear the words clearly.

but at least we got to see a rock n roll turned crooner icon before he gets too old to tour!

summer updates

2009-08-14T14:47:00.007-07:00

we're all having a blast this summer - with a new baby coming in the late fall, we're making the most out of the weather and my energy level!

we've spend time in outdoor pools, parks, and have even gone fishing! we're really happy that Amori is an outdoor girl - can't wait for her to learn how to ski when she's 4 or 5. hopefully she will be a better snowboarder than her mama.

some pregnancy-related tidbits: the first trimester went by smoothly. as during my first pregnancy, i wasn't too nauseous - the occasional wave of dizziness here and there, but no toilet-hugging episodes (thank you God!). the biggest difference is that since i have to run around and tend to Amori's needs, i couldn't really sit down much and rest despite being exhausted at the end of each day. thankfully it's summer and we got a bbq so aldo took up a lot of cooking chores. i'm in my second trimester, and things are going great. i feel like whining and complaining about mundane things but since i know this is all a part of pregnancy - and more importantly, this too, shall pass - it's all good.

(but i just have this to say: at my 18 week ultrasound, the tech told us it's going to be another girl, but by the way i look and feel, i think it's a boy. i've been feeling like an ugly humpback whale with scales on its belly!)

since a week or two ago i've started the nesting phase - the omigosh-our-house-is-not-organized-enough-for-a-baby sort of urge, so i've attempted to clean in bits and pieces... i don't have a lot of energy these days so i have had to divide and conquer. i've pulled out Amori's old stuff to make an inventory of what we need for the coming baby. compared to Amori's time, i am now more obsessed with baby things - i have specific needs that i want to address, so each thing i buy is not just an effect of marketing on me. LOL

i think i've become a bit too obsessed with customer reviews combined with my own experience! that and i'm more excited about baby shopping because i now know why and when i need something! aldo has been constantly teasing me about my stroller obsession because i've been at it for 3 weeks now. hehehe.

since i gave Amori's stroller to Lucas --

-- and we have to buy a tandem one anyway - i've narrowed down my choices to 2: a Joovy Caboose,

and a Phil & Ted's.

both have good reviews and suit our lifestyle/needs so it all boiled down to what Amori would be more likely to sit in. we went to a baby store and tried both. when she sat down in the Phil & Ted's, she asked to be taken out of it after 10 seconds: "papa get me out of here, i don't know how to get out of here!". but with the Joovy Caboose, the loved it and didn't want to get out of it. (Amori takes after her papa too, she didn't want the original Joovy Caboose, she preferred the Joovy Ergo Caboose, the much more expensive version!) add to that the fact that there is a toy version of the Caboose - and she saw it right away too, and wanted to bring it home. no, we didn't buy the stroller yet. i want to order it in purple but i'd like to make sure that it's a girl first, after our 3D/4D ultrasound in september. after all, a little boy in a purple stroller would be too... Davie St. =)

meanwhile, i'm making my christmas gift list early too as i have to complete it by the last week of november. i didn't realize having a baby in december means i won't have a lot of time shopping and wrapping gifts... worst of all, i don't think we'll have a fresh tree this christmas... i don't think having stitches + painful breasts AND unwrapping a tree will be a happy event. ugh. will have to set up a plastic tree in november so Amori won't miss out on christmas.

Amori is 3!

2009-07-27T13:36:00.012-07:00

she's 3 - can you believe it? i can't.

i still manage to say "two and a half" when strangers ask me how old she is.

this year's theme was the Paper Bag Princess - one of her favorite books by Robert Munsch. we saw the play earlier this year and she loved it even more. i personally like it since it's not the Disney princess happily-ever-after type, more if i-am-a-kickass-princess-and-i-don't-need-a-boy-to-live-happily-ever-after. LOL

we had it in a community center so the kids can have a lot of room to play... and clean up would be easier. much like her first birthday, we made her invitations, loot bags, and cake carry the theme.

luck was on my side when i found Cococake - an online cupcake store that made pretty fondant cakes too. i contacted Lyndsey the cupcake lady and asked her to make an 8" chocolate cake for Amori.

not only was it pretty, it was moist, not too sweet, and 100% edible. (we had a fondant cake at our wedding but the fondant wasn't soft and chewy like amori's cake.) it was well worth the splurge!

everyone went home with happy tummies - aldo and i made most of the spread and it was well worth the hard work... if we were in manila, we'd have cooks, yayas, and drivers dividing the tasks! LOL

at the end of the day, the birthday girl was one happy camper. she took home all her presents, tried them on or played with them, and ate a big chunk of the dragon. suffice to say, she lived happily ever after, too.

*******

Amori, at 3:

- has been in the preschool class of her montessori daycare since June 1. she loves it! she now talks like her 4-year old buddies... she's got a posse of little girls, and gets excited when they see each other at the daycare doors.

- talks in complete sentences and asks a lot more "why" questions. good thing her papa has the patience to explain things like why her run bike has no pedals.

- loves her coloring markers, my homemade play clay, her dollies, and "reading" her books (more like pretending to read and telling me a made-up story).

- knows how to sing "Oh Canada" (the canadian national anthem). she once asked me to sing with her and i said "but i'm not canadian yet, so i don't know the words!"... to which she gave me quite a puzzled look. but she sang it anyway. she even corrects her grandpa when he sings it wrong. LOL

- can ride a normal bike, and balance/run with her run bike. she's not afraid to fall either. she picks herself up and tries again.

- falls asleep on her own.. no rocking, pretend-sleeping, or crying... finally!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

- will be a big sister in early December! she is as excited as we are, and i'm pretty confident (or naive) that it will be an easy transition since she never gets jealous when i hold another person's baby. she kisses my tummy goodnight, and offers her baby sister/brother Goldfish crackers when she has a snack.

she cracks me up

2009-06-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

while inspecting our fridge: "mom i have no more rice pudding, you have to buy some."

*****

while looking at our new coffee table: "what is this?"
me: "it's called a coffee table."
after 2 minutes, amori: "where is the coffee?"

*****

on our way out one morning: "mom i did not bring my keys and wallet."
my thought bubble: i didn't know you had one. LOL

*****

me: "that's Barney's tail, amori. do you have a tail too?"
amori: "no, i don't have a tail, i have a bum-bum."

and she's only almost-3! i blame it on Barney, Sesame Street, and Hi-5. LOL

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

2009-05-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

this is a repost from my sister Sam's (Lucas' mommy) facebook page.

The phrase "Thank you" may not be enough to express our gratitude towards all of you.

It has been the most difficult 3 weeks of our lives; March 23 - April 16, 2009. Lucas had 5 attacks on the 2nd night after his operation at the recovery room. Each of those times, he had to be revived, his heart had to be massaged. He would lay still, and his heart would beat so slowly, almost to a halt. Your prayers for his recovery during his critical period helped Lucas survive this ordeal. He is fondly called "Lazarus" by his surgeon, Dr. Reynante Gamponia, as according to him, no kid would be able to survive what he went through at the recovery room. We stayed there for 5 days, another 10 at the ICU.

His attending physician Dra. Baby Leus, along with her team; Dra. Aurora Gamponia, Dr. Reynante Gamponia and Dra. Annabelle Corres are indeed instruments of God.All the fellows at the Philippine Heart Center, all Lucas' nurses have touched our family with the amount of genuine care and concern they have shown to Lucas.

You have helped me, Gene and Lucas surpass this difficult challenge in our lives. We are overwhelmed by the immense support given to us by our friends and relatives. As Gene and I look at Lucas, we will always remember each and every one of you who have helped lighten our burdens through your prayers and financial support.

God is good, for He has given us our son. God is good because we are blessed to have family and friends like you.

Thank you, and may God continually shower us with his grace. :)

Plan B

2009-03-25T16:33:00.001-07:00

Lucas' doctors have gone ahead with Plan B. not really sure what it is in technical terms, but it involves a graft of some sort to regulate the blood flowing into his lungs (before the procedure, his lungs were drowning from too much blood. apparently it is a much simpler procedure, one that can be supported by the equipment in the Philippine Heart Center.

He was operated on yesterday, March 25th at 7am. He is still in the recovery room, hooked up to the heart and lung machine until his vital signs become 100% stable.

My mom told me that they have booked him in a Ward in the meantime, so that they can still qualify for medical aid. (Foundations and non-government organizations that give medical aid require patients to be in wards as opposed to semi-private rooms.) It works out fine though since Lucas will still be in the Intensive Care Unit for a few days anyway. According to my mom it was quite heartbreaking to see her grandson, pre-surgery, unable to get some sleep because he was in a room with 4 other patients (and of course we all know that in the Philippines, each patient has at least 2 or 3 family members at ALL times), and there was a TV in the room. now really, why can't people respect visiting hours - especially in a hospital that is for heart patients?

so anyway... that's where Lucas is at. please continue to pray for a speedy recovery so my sister can bring him home soon.

March 21, Big Sky Mind

2009-03-18T10:26:00.004-07:00

We are still waiting to hear from the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne and the University of California, San Francisco but since it will be a private surgery, it will be costly. Lucas needs this operation at the soonest possible time so my sister, brother-in-law, and their friends have come up with a benefit jam session to raise money.

(We did get a reply from the Standford University Hospital but their cost estimate was a whopping $750,000 so the pediatric-cardiologist is looking for another hospital.)

If you are looking for somewhere to go on the 21ST OF MARCH, please please make your way to Big Sky Mind (New Manila, QC), and help us repair Lucas' broken heart.

I have no idea who these bands are but apparently the band Kjwan is mainstream. Take that plus the other bands and 2 drinks... it's well worth your P500. =)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayers... but don't stop now! =)

are you there God? it's me, Pia

2009-03-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Lucas hasn't gotten better since my last post. last week he started wheezing so my sister brought him to the doctor. she said that it was a sign of heart failure, and that they need surgery as soon as possible. monday he was admitted in the Philippine Heart Center, and was being prepped for surgery on wednesday. after his cardiac catheterization procedure, his doctors tell my sister that their surgical plan will not work because what he needs is more complex than what they can provide.

WTF?!

you would think that they would have known that 2 months back when Lucas was diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus.

or they would should have told my sister that Plan B is to look for a hospital outside of the Philippines.

to top off all this frustration, Lucas was referred to the royal children's hospital in melbourne. i emailed them and asked for the requirements, but got an "unfortunately we cannot accept overseas patients at this time".

so we're on a pressure cooker hunt for a hospital and a sponsor - Lucas needs this operation within a week or two.

so God, if you are online, this is me sending out an SOS. send my sister a miracle please.

a not-so-perfect little heart needs your prayers

2009-01-19T16:29:00.001-08:00

My nephew Lucas was born on Nov. 6th with a rare congenital heart defect called Truncus Arteriosis.

Truncus Arteriosis

Normally there are two main blood vessels leaving the heart: the aorta carrying blood to the body and the pulmonary artery that branches immediately to carry blood to each lung.

Instead of having a separate pulmonary artery and aorta, each with their own three-leafed valves, a baby with truncus arteriosus has only one great blood vessel or trunk leaving the heart, which then branches into blood vessels that go to the lungs and the body.

This great vessel usually has one large valve which may have between two and five leaflets. Usually this great vessel sits over both the left and right ventricle. The upper portion of the wall between these two chambers is missing resulting in what is known as a ventricular septal defect (VSD). In rare cases, the ventricular septal defect is absent.

The pediatric cardiologists who are looking after him have recommended 2 surgeries to correct his heart: one when he is 6 months old, and an open-heart procedure when he is 4 years old.

We currently need to raise at least P400,000 for his first operation, which will be in 4 months' time. If you have any information on how to apply for medical aid, or how to get in touch with other pediatric cardiologists abroad for a sponsorship of some sort, or any info for that matter... it will be greatly appreciated.

More importantly, please keep Lucas in your prayers because every little helps. =)

praying for a christmas miracle

2008-12-22T11:07:00.003-08:00

my one-month old nephew Lucas has been diagnosed with a heart condition. he has been seen by a pediatric cardiologist, and gone thru an echo-cardio test. it's not a hole in his heart as previously suspected, but the doctor says it may be that his heart walls are too thick. he will be seen and checked again by the pediatric cardiologist after christmas.

please keep him in your prayers this christmas.

at last, some good news on the work-front

2008-11-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

i've found work after nearly two months of sending out my resume a gazillion times. yaay! this time i'll be on the printer side of things (versus being on the agency side, as i've been the past few years). it's closer to home and amori's daycare - which means i don't have to fret over being late everyday because of the commute, and i don't have to pay a ridiculous amount for parking too! (let's just say if i didn't have to pay for parking, i'd have a new bag every month.)

on hindsight, it seems like a blessing in disguise that work went wonky two months ago because that gave me a headstart in the jub hunt sphere. seems like companies (here anyways) are starting to tighten belts by going on hiring freezes, and even asking management to step down for less benefits.

so life is still good despite the hiccups... you just have to roll with the punches!

US election fashion

2008-10-23T09:29:00.004-07:00

raise your hand if you haven't heard that the Republicans spent $100k on Sarah Palin's makeover.

i think she needed all the help she could get.

but Cindy McCain.. i don't know. spending $300,000 on one night only sounds a bit absurd, especially during a US recession.

according to Vanity Fair:

Laura Bush
Oscar de la Renta suit: $2,500
Stuart Weitzman heels: $325
Pearl stud earrings: $600–$1,500
Total: Between $3,425 and $4,325

Cindy McCain
Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000
Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500
Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000
Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000–$25,000
Shoes, designer unknown: $600
Total: Between $299,100 and $313,100

when times are tough, the innate stylish ones always win. Michelle Obama doesn't need to spend tax dollars on beautiful clothes. she may be in an H&M dress but she looks every inch like a First Lady.

meltdown mondays

2008-10-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

monday mornings are dreadful in our household. the adults have to get back to the working week rhythm, and the little one needs reminding that she has school and has to get out of her comfy pajamas.

usually there is kicking and screaming, and sometimes even a little bribing to get her dressed and out the door. more often than not, we are all late since it takes more than 20 minutes to get her dressed.

i feel exactly the same way. if i weren't the adult, i'd be kicking and screaming too.

for the past 2 mondays, amori has gone to school clutching her pajamas and blanket, and in mis-matched clothes. plus sandals instead of shoes even if it's 10 degrees outside.

well at least she's got clothes on.

ah mondays.

stuffed

2008-10-14T12:27:00.002-07:00

canadian thanksgiving weekend was b-u-s-y. for the first time in years, we had lots of friends and family to visit - so we're not complaining!

sunday lunch was at our place - aldo prepared fish wrapped in bacon and dressed with lemon mayonnaise + whiskey bread pudding (thank you Gordon Ramsey!).

a few hours later, we were off to a friend's house for traditional turkey dinner.

monday lunch was at my in-laws - chicken relleno, gravy, mashed potatoes, and apple crostata (thank you ina garten, barefoot contessa).

dinner then followed at another friend's house, this time it was chicken curry and pumpkin pie.

that night, when i was putting amori to bed, she yawned and said "i'm so tired!".

happy canadian thanksgiving!

*photo taken at our friend's place. while the adults were chatting away, the little on played with the fridge magnets and did this!

save your $5.95

2008-09-16T12:30:00.005-07:00

Hollywood has bastardized My Sassy Girl.

if, like me, you were hoping that the Hollywood remake of My Sassy Girl would bring back the giddy, and wonderfully warm, sarcastic moments of the Korean original... think again.

this remake is wrong in so many aspects i don't even know where to begin. the actors were blah (although i did like the girl's haircut and cool clothes LOL) and didn't have chemistry, the cinematography and scoring is cookie-cutter, and the story wasn't very endearing. if i didn't watch the Korean version, i wouldn't have understood why on earth this crazy woman was lovable. heck, i didn't even think the guy was funny, clumsy, and kenkoy enough to pull off the dynamics of the original version.

a more detailed review is found here.

disappointment rate is as big as an extra large bucket of extra buttered popcorn, plus an extra large soda. good thing the rental was free because of the points we had accumulated on Roger's Video Rewards.

Il Mare was a better remake.

ring around the roses, a pocket full of posies

2008-09-15T09:36:00.003-07:00

this morning's headline shouted "Financial meltdown rocks Wall Street"

Wall Street spun into crisis mode this morning as Lehman Bros. (LEH, news, msgs) filed for bankruptcy, worries grew about the future of American International Group (AIG, news, msgs) markets around the world tumbled.

Shares of Lehman plunged $3.48, or 95.3%, to 17 cents per share. AIG shares slumped $8.09, or 66.6%, to $4.05 this afternoon.

News of Lehman's demise sent stocks plunging by midday.

At 12:20 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 251 points to 11,171, weighed down by AIG and Bank of America (BAC, news, msgs). The Nasdaq Composite Index had shed 30 points to 2,232, and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 24 points to 1,228.

last week the company i currently work also laid off a lot of people (although they didn't file for bankruptcy), myself included. it's a crappy, crappy time.

ugh.

goodbye to summer

2008-09-08T22:51:00.006-07:00

vancouverites must be lucky this year - it's still warm, and it's already September!

since it was presumably one of the last weekends of the fleeting summer, we spent the afternoon at spanish banks where the kids sand-bathed and ran around like crazy. it was pure joy to watch them run, jump, dance, and roll around in the sand. they truly put a new meaning into "dance like no one is watching". it was nice to just sit, watch, and listen to the afternoon pass by - if you're a working mom, you'll know how rarely that happens.

oh to be a child and have no care in the world except when your tummy grumbles.

UP Naming Mahal

2008-09-02T12:45:00.002-07:00

after all those early monday mornings in the UP campus when everyone had to stop whatever they were doing when the national anthem and UP song played, i never really memorized UP Naming Mahal.

now i get the i-love-my-school loyalty... after 10 years away from the UP campus. LOL.

papa productions 2008

2008-08-08T09:57:00.003-07:00

new super-short films from Papa Productions:

Amori's Room (a.k.a. There's A Bear In My Room)

Biker Chick

her first bike

2008-07-30T13:52:00.003-07:00

aldo's been caling 15 bike stores around Vancouver for this Run Bike. apparently, it's so in demand that parents are calling all bike stores and placing orders like crazy. finally, someone called aldo back to tell him that the shipment was coming in that day so off he went!

it's really for a 3 year old but since amori did so well balancing on her Trunki, we couldn't resist getting her a real bike. it doesn't have pedals so it'll teach her how to walk with a bike and later on, how to balance herself on the seat.

so far so good, she's been loving it!

she's 2!

2008-07-21T12:09:00.008-07:00

amori turned 2 in manila and celebrated it with friends and lots of family (compared to the 5 family members she has here!). her birthday fell on the same day as my sister's wedding, so we had her party on sunday, the 13th of july. thank God for kid parties in manila - we had a fuss-free party at KFC in Jupiter St., and all we had to do was be there... of course that's unheard-of here where it's DIY all the way!

it was great to be around cousins, titos, titas, lolos, and lolas... something that we don't get on a regular basis.

the only bad part was Chuckie the KFC mascot. he scared the hell out of amori. to this day, she still says "scared Chuckie". LOL.

at 2 years old, amori:
- talks in 3-word sentences
- easily jumps, runs, crosses, and squeezes into playgrounds
- can remember what she can and cannot touch
- likes to draw and scribble
- knows that Play Doh cannot be eaten
- has food preferences (a.k.a. is a picky eater)
- peed in her potty once!
- likes looking at pictures, and recognizes familiar people in them
- still does not like any kind of meat
- knows which key and fob to use for the front door
- is addicted to ketchup
- always asks "what's this?"
- hums and does the actions to "wheels on the bus", "itsy bitsy spider", and "twinkle, twinkle, little star"
- can eat, and prefers to eat by herself, and does it with minimal spills too!

the list goes on and on... but i'm not about to bore you with it! =)

who would have thought 2 years would pass this quickly?

WTF!

2008-07-07T21:26:00.002-07:00

"Pati yung pagpo-pronounce ko ng Tagalog ko, medyo minsan may pagkabaluktot, talagang nire-rehearse niya na hindi puwedeng ‘mayor.' Di ba talagang ‘meyor'? At natutuwa ako ‘pag napapanood ko yung preview after every take. Aba, ang galing ko mag-Tagalog!" hagikhik niya.

*****

"Gusto ko nang mag-ibang bayan dahil gusto ko ring maranasan ang isang normal na buhay. Maging isang Gretchen Barretto na hindi kilala ng kahit sino. Puwede akong madapa na hindi pinag-uusapan," says Gretchen Barretto.

such an effin' poser. reminds me of those filipinos who "forget" their tagalog after a year of being away. as if!

amori's new Trunki

2008-07-07T11:23:00.004-07:00

we're off to manila for my sister's wedding (which falls on amori's birthday too) - and since it'll just be me and amori again (a new mortgage + rising fuel costs does not make a happy traveling family so aldo's not going), i need all the help i can get.

aldo's mom works at the airport and she saw a passenger with a Trunki. we couldn't order it online because it was too late, so i frantically looked for a distributor in manila as well (apparently it's available in Rustan's and Baby & Co.). thank God most stores here are online - we found a store selling one here!

she's loving her Trunki and refers to it as "car" or "ride". she got up at 6:30am today to get it from her closet. i hope the novelty doesn't wear out too quickly!

oh canada

2008-07-01T21:30:00.005-07:00

happy birthday canada!

New BC Booster Seat Law

2008-06-30T13:42:00.001-07:00

Starting July 1, all children over 40 pounds (nine kilograms) are required to be in booster seats until they are 4'9" (1.45 metres), or until they turn nine years old.

Luckily I am over 9 years old, or I would have been an inch close to being in a booster seat. LOL.

complicated

2008-06-09T23:38:00.003-07:00

... is always the path we seem to follow.

we bought our first place.
amori started daycare.
i started a new job.

all in the last 10 days.

stress levels are at an all-time high but hey, at least we're getting somewhere!

our quickie trip to manila

2008-06-05T08:37:00.013-07:00

the universe has conspired to give me a free ticket to manila this year so we went in april. =)

yes, the plane ride was a looong one especially because it was just me and amori on the 13 hour trip... thank God it was an 11pm flight, and amori was asleep for at least 3 hours out of the 13 - that's better than nothing! and it helped too that the flight wasn't too full so we got a whole row to ourselves.

we stayed for 2 weeks, and my top priority was to bring amori to a proper beach where the water is warm (in vancouver, there are beaches but the water is always too cold, and the sand too black). i would have loved to bring her to boracay, but maybe next time.

we went to caylabne and she loved the water, playing in the sand, and being with lolo, lola, and ninang!

she also had a meet-n-greet party (saves me ten trips to see ten people) and met her cousins, lolos, titos, and new friends.

our old couple-friends are now parents too

with tita sheng and cousin sachi

amori even had a chance to go to a small preschool for a day. it was her very first time to be in a school setting and i was in awe - she followed the teacher, tried to play with her little classmates even if she couldn't understand what they were saying! (one kid said "hindi ko makita, alis dyan"... and amori just stared at her, not knowing what she was talking about. LOL)

encountering sand for the very first time

before we knew it, it was time to go home. another 13 hours in a packed plane was not very fun but the sacrifice was worth it. amori now says "sarap!" and "naku!"... it's so cute!

i bumped into an old friend who was in business class while amori and i were in economy, sharing a seat. talk about reality check. LOL.

baby boom

2008-03-04T22:36:00.002-08:00

4 out of 5 couple-friends we have in vancouver are pregnant... we're at that age when people start having babies, or on their way to baby #2, or it's the after-effect of winter LOL. or it could just be a case of secret baby-envy - when you want something and suddenly everywhere you turn, there's a pregnant woman!

happy valentine's day

2008-02-14T22:10:00.002-08:00

aldo sent me flowers at work, mid-day!

a dozen long-stemmed roses that must have cost about the same as (1) dinner; or (2) a pair of shoes; or (3) a snowboard that's on sale. LOL.

but nothing beats the kilig factor of getting delivered flowers though. =)

it may be a marketing-driven holiday but hey, it's nice to have a day dedicated to love!

happy valentine's day... here's to the flowers, candy, wine, and expensive dinners that this day brings!

neoprint

2008-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

remember those days? or even further down memory lane... foto-me booths!

fast forward to 2008... may Photo Booth na right on our dinner table! LOL. no instructions in japanese though, or funny borders on tiny stickers.

so while papa was away at a hockey game, amori and i had nothing better to do.

obviously, a laptop is too much of a temptation for a curious toddler. we couldn't even get a decent photo because amori wouldn't sit still for 30 seconds (yes, too much to ask for a 1-year old!).

papa productions' 3rd!

2008-01-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

papa productions proudly presents...

SHOE!

amori's 12 days of christmas

2007-12-29T22:06:00.001-08:00

amori's been watching this Barney Christmas DVD for almost a month now and last Christmas Eve, we were shocked that she had memorized all the actions to The 12 Days of Christmas! there's also a part where the little girl in it signs Joy To The World.. everytime that part plays, Amori "signs" along with her (although mostly Amori looks like she's flapping her arms in a random way but heck, she's a bright girl to me!).

(but she does know how to sign though - even if it's only to say "more" when she's eating. LOL. i taught her how to sign it for one full day - when Maya was around for a play date - and she started using it since then. the rate of how they learn is awesome!).

ho! ho! ho!

2007-12-25T00:37:00.000-08:00

our pop princess

2007-12-13T00:18:00.001-08:00

she's taken a liking to music, and we've encouraged it further by enrolling her into a weekly music class for toddlers. it's so much fun watching her enjoy all the activities in class.

(i secretly think that she will be a teacher's pet in the future - she always "helps" the teacher distribute or put back instruments from/to the bin! she also isn't shy - she laughs out loud, shouts in appreciation, and dances!)

oh and she loves the Bee Gees! aldo put on a Bee Gees concert DVD and amori started dancing and clapping her hands! who needs Hi-5 or Barney when the Bee Gees are around! LOL.

let it snow!

2007-12-12T23:53:00.000-08:00

december started off in a very winter way this year.

the snowfall was great although it did catch me off-guard... i hadn't gotten amori's winter gear ready yet and it was already snowing - yikes! so off to the mall we went, and grabbed all the winter stuff in her size. this time, it was shopping guy-style... a.k.a. no dilly-dallying, walk in the store, find her size, and off to the cashier.

amori played in the snow for the very first time, and she wasn't too keen about it at first. she did appreciate it from our apartment window though, as she kept on saying "snooooowwww" over and over again while looking outside. but when we brought her out, she was hesitant in walking on the snow-covered ground. (if you were wearing snow boots for the very first time, you would find walking a bit of a challenge too!).

she didn't want to wear gloves or any kind of hat despite the freezing temperature so after 20 minutes, it was time to go back inside.

oh well... it was a start. maybe next time it snows she'll be running around throwing snowballs like a pro!

deja vu

2007-10-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

aldo's been away on a business trip for a week now and it feels oddly familiar to be talking to him from halfway across the globe, in different time zones.

same old long distance relationship, different time.

LOL.

i'm glad we're not counting months this time though - i don't think i'll survive toddlerhood alone!

trick-or-treat!

2007-10-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

amori's pumpkin bucket was full of goodies (good job at being cute amori - you got mama and papa lots of chocolate!) and she had fun knocking on people's doors to ask for candy (truly her father's daughter!). best of all, she wore her love bug costume without fidgeting - even the hoodie!

hope you had fun trick-or-treating too!

snip, snip

2007-10-23T23:29:00.000-07:00

amori had her very first professional haircut today at the Hair Loft in Granville Island.

i thought she would be squirmy and restless but thanks the the zebra chair and Elmo, she seemed oblivious to the snipping.

15 short minutes and 3 inches of hair later...

ain't she cute??? hehehe. the lady who cut her hair said she has never cut that much hair on a one-year old before!

it's fall!

2007-10-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

the change of season always gives us crazy weather so when it's rainy and soggy outside, amori's busy with her mobile phone...

or with her stack of books (flipping thru them and/or ripping them apart is more like it!).

but on crisp, sunny days, she's busy planning future holidays and ski trips with maya.

or running around without a care in the world.

after all, it'll be winter soon and the rains will keep us indoors all over again (UGH!!!). on a happy note though, i am loving the change in landscape... the trees are turning red/orange/brown, and most streets are covered in leaves - it's definitely the picture-perfect time of the year.

amori's bag of tricks

2007-09-30T00:38:00.000-07:00

where to start, where to start. the trees are turning red and the skies are getting gray. it's getting chilly, and we've had to turn the heater on tonight... forget milking the last days of summer - our fleece jackets are out!

amori is such an entertainer these days. i am in awe of how much of a sponge she is. after only a few days of the same toothbrushing routine, she now knows that the next step after getting the toothbrush and putting some toothpaste is turning on the tap. the first time she turned on the tap for me i was totally stunned.

then there's knowing that i've got food in the car whenever she hears plastic being crinkled. she recognizes the sound and goes "num... num... num" - much like the seagulls in Finding Nemo - and reaches out from her car seat. LOL.

there was this one time too that she stole a muffin from my bag. she was rummaging thru my lunch bag and before i knew it, she was walking out of the kitchen with a muffin in her hand... she knew that she had to take it out from the bag too.

and the latest trick we have on our list is raising her hand and saying "ME!" whenever i ask "who's a pretty girl?". hehehe.

of course it also goes without saying that i am chasing her around most of the time. i've said goodbye to walking aimlessly around the mall - i now have 15 minutes tops to get what i need. any more time after that and amori starts climbing out of her stroller - out of the 5-point harness and all.

she's growing into such a fearless and brave little girl that it's almost scary. she's one of those little kids that end up getting lost in the mall because they simply do not look back at their trailing parents. so it's a really good thing that online shopping is an option here. LOL.

i wish i could really keep memories in bottles... i would probably have a rack of them by now.

plus one

2007-08-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

we're both a year older, and hopefully wiser and smarter.

(aldo's the one who turned 30 by the way. LOL.)

i am omnipresent

2007-08-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

first there was lycos and some other build-your-own-website-site that i can't remember... then there were my livejournal and this blog. and then there's my friendster, myspace, and multiply pages. now into the bandwagon called facebook* i jump into.

talk about having my little corner in cyberspace! i don't even know why i sign up for these things LOL.

*facebook here is what friendster to us back in the philippines was a few years ago. crazy!

my picky eater

2007-08-13T12:44:00.001-07:00

remember the Star Margarine campaign in the early '90s... the one with Star Margarine on rice being really good for kids?

there must be some truth to that concept because Amori will only eat rice if i mix a little butter with it.

LOL.

(i know some purist moms will shudder at the thought but with my picky Amori, i'll do anything just so she'll eat anything other than bread, cream cheese, and fruits!).

recently i've tried making Amori some a thai-style fried rice of sorts, and paella - and she ate those. seems like she doesn't like plain rice! oh and no meats for amori too... she spits out chicken or meat. i hope it's just a phase... or maybe she's a vegetarian! LOL.

papa's girl

2007-08-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

aren't they cute? =)

here's to hoping that one day (hopefully before amori's 18th birthday), i will have the time to put together a proper scrapbook for amori. i've saved all the photos, trinkets and whatnots, first locks of hair, hospital tags, ribbons, and stickers... all i really need is time and quiet space.

one day.

Formula For Disaster

2007-08-04T21:13:00.001-07:00

i wish i were still in college - writing, researching, shooting, and editing investigative pieces such as this.

i wish that breastfeeding in the philippines will be encourged by more moms and doctors, as much as it is here.

... but having felt the pressure to do so isn't a great, positive experience. when it was my turn, i felt like a bad mother for not being able to do it for amori, and it took me a great deal of time to get past it. (heck, i even went as far as asking/telling the hospital nurses that maybe i had plugged ducts that's why the milk couldn't get out - insane, i know... i laugh at it now but it wasn't so funny at that time!) but at the end of the day, amori's weight gain was still the priority, whether it was by formula or breastmilk (so i still made pilit and did both for a while LOL).

so i still say breastfeeding is the best if you've got milk!

****

since i'm posting about breastfeeding, i just had to mention... aldo and i were watching Without A Trace last night, and it was about a filipina nanny accused of kidnapping/murdering an infant. in the end, it was the baby's mom that accidentally killed the baby - she was breastfeeding the baby in bed and suffocated the poor child. the mom was too drugged (anti-depressants for post-partum depression) to realize she killed her child (which is too dramatic already - i think any mom would have woken up at one point!). the father of the baby then tried to cover-up the accident by giving the filipina nanny a wad of cash, telling her to disappear so that the mom would not realize she killed her own baby.

yes, another reason to typecast filipinos as nannies. (i was once asked by a local why most filipinas here are nannies. i couldn't give a concrete reason why. why nga ba?)

1 2 3 4... Hi-5!

2007-08-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

Barney has now been temporarily shelved. Amori now loves Hi-5... i guess the upbeat songs, fancy costumes, and all that dancing is much more fun to watch than a purple dinosaur.

Hi-5 was originally aussie - with a filipino in it (Kathleen De Leon)!

but we only get the US version on tv and on dvd though... but there's still a filipino in it - Kimee Balmilero!

we've been watching way too much Hi-5... i can't get their songs out of my head.

... I'm assuming that it won't be long before Barney gets back inside the DVD player!

let's go!

2007-08-02T18:39:00.001-07:00

Branson Missouri is the Live Entertainment Capital of the World - they've got a lot of museums, several rides, outdoor parks, water rides, a Go Kart Track, miniature gorf courses, and a number of golf courses... what more can you ask for? To top if off, you can bid on your own Branson vacation - you give them a budget to work on and voila, a package customized just for you!

amori's room

2007-08-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

aldo has finally cleared out amori's room. a few more weekends to go and it'll be ready! i've been thinking of what her room's theme will be - i'm still undecided, but it definitely won't be Dora. i was searching for kids bedding online and found The Very Hungry Caterpillar sheets ... not too sure about a hairy caterpillar on the pillows though, but it's cute - not to mention a great book to read to amori!

daycare failure

2007-08-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

daycare did not quite work out for us.

amori would cry whenever we'd leave her. of course that goes without saying that what followed after those tearful goodbyes were also tearful 5-minute silent pauses in the car between aldo and me. it was too much of a heartbreak to see amori unhappy in daycare - even when aldo would pick her up, she wouldn't be her usual smiling and shouting self. at first we thought it might just be an adjustment period sort of thing, but on the 2nd week we had enough.

i know other daycare parents say that it takes time for the kids to get used to being dropped off but heck - i'll pass. everytime we'd pick up amori she was so filthy too - which made me more unhappy and angry. she'd smell like dried-up milk and crushed cheerios.

i thought it was pretty simple: find a daycare with an available space, give a deposit, bring her there for a few days before leaving her for full days, and leave her happy everyday after that. apparently it isn't so.

just like dating, it's a trial and error thing so we're not completely giving up. we're still on the hunt for a good daycare that she'll thrive in - but we're in no rush this time, as it'll most probably better that she's slightly older next time around.

now she's back with her babysitter and she's (more like we are!) a lot happier. at least no more coming home with stinky clothes and sticky fingers!

amori's birthday trip to the vancouver aquarium

2007-07-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

on her real birthday, aldo and i took the day off to be with her - and treated her to a trip to the aquarium! at first we thought she'd be disinterested and bored in an hour or two but lo and behold, she loved the whole place and stayed alert and interested the whole afternoon!

we saw the beluga whales (which, to my surprise, are quite flabby - kind of like what your tummy looks like after giving birth LOL),

watched Spinnaker and Laverne jump really high into the air,

saw different jellyfish, anemone, fish, and a really big sea turtle!

on our way out we passed by the gift shop where amori picked out the newest member of our family, Shelley the sea turtle.

amori really is a little girl now - where did my floppy cooing baby go???

duck, duck, goose!

2007-07-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

one day amori started saying "quack, quack, quack" when she saw the rubber ducky in the tub, and the stuffed ducky she had in her crib. which qualifies as the very first sound/name-connection she made. thus, the rubber ducky theme.

papa made her invitation

and thank you cards... he even included the lyrics to ernie's "rubber ducky" song hehehe.

i made the cake... well at least half of it. i got a sheet cake and placed the duck on it, frosted it to make it look like a duck, and squiggled the "happy 1st birthday amori". oh and put the candle on it too. LOL.

we spent a good 3 hours at Michael's putting together a perfect loot bucket - and happily found squeaky rubber duckies, ducky soaps, and a wooden basket to make up a bath bucket.

we had the party at amori's godparents' backyard. they had maya's wading pool set-up, and we brought the giant rubber ducky.

we had burgers hot off the grill, salad, pasta, booze, chips, and a bucket full of drinks. too bad we all forgot to take photos of the food, drinks, and decorations!

it sort of felt like our wedding - it was over before we knew it! after the cake was sliced and eaten, and 3 other kids had blown the candle - everyone started saying bye-bye.

and then there we were, all the important people in amori's happy and eventful life.

the wading pool, the sun, and the giant ducky were too much to resist for amori and maya so in they went.... which later on, became bath time! we dunked them into the pool - clothes, diapers, and all... and they had the best time ever.

to be honest, before the party i was feeling kind of low because amori wasn't having a grand 1st birthday celebration that's the norm in manila. i had no hundred-people-to-invite list, no caterer that needed to be hired, or a dozen tables of 10 to worry about.

in the end - celebrating with everyone that mattered, decorating and deciding on details, and painstakingly making my daughter's own birthday cake (never in a million years would i have thought i'd make half a cake!) - are apparently all it takes to celebrate a year of parenthood! thank God we didn't have an en grande party - imagine all the loot buckets i would have had to make! LOL.

complete party photos are here.

Rubber Ducky, Amori is ONE!

2007-07-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

A year ago today, a little blessing came into our lives.

july 12, 2006

july 12, 2007

Happy 1st birthday AMORI!!!

Sunday's the big day... and rubber ducky, it is! =)

go fish

2007-07-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

aldo got hooked on (no pun intended) fishing a few years back, and is still quite passionate about it til now. to date, he has 3 fishing lines, a float tube, a whole toolbox worth of lines, sinkers, and tools, and a rather professional-looking fishing gear bag that converts into a seat. last summer he only made it out to the lake once after amori was born, but this year he hopes to get out there more. we were at buntzen lake last week and there were quite a number fishing. since we had to stop for lunch at the lake while on yet-another bike ride, he quite enthusiastically and happily explained to me the basics of fishing once again - plus the importance of getting the right fishing tackle to attract the right kind of fish. it's quite interesting actually. maybe before the summer ends we'll go on a fishing trip so all these fishing lectures aldo loves giving me will be put into practice.

buntzen lake

2007-07-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

it was canada's birthday last weekend. =)

so what better way to spend the extra days off than to go to Buntzen Lake for a bike ride. (what's more canadian than joining all the granola-crunching hikers and bikers in the mountain/lake reservoir ey?!)

uh-oh, bears and cougars???

it was a great trail - challenging is the best word for it. it went uphill and downhill, so off and on the bike i went. LOL. (if there were a quitters exit i would have taken it but heck, there was none.)

we made the mistake of going on one of the hiking trails. thirty minutes into it, we looked ahead and it seemed impossible to finish the whole thing with amori's chariot in tow so we just went back the same way we came.

amori was such a great sport thru the whole trail - she even fell asleep on the way back despite the heat and the fact that she was in the chariot for more than 2 hours!

downward dog - baby edition

2007-07-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

amori's downward dog peekaboo.... bet you can't do that! LOL.

in a party rut

2007-06-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

oh god. amori's first birthday is just around the corner and i still can't think of a theme for her party.

i'm all over the place.. first i wanted a Lilo & Stitch theme (but found it too hard to get the party supplies), then a luau theme (but later decided it was too boring), then a beach theme (ho-hum), then a rubber ducky theme (too boy-ish, but amori loves rubber duckies so i'm still considering it!), then a princess theme (this is definitely the if-all-else-fails-theme)... WAAAH!!! all i really want is a pretty chocolate cake, yellow and pink balloons, ice cream, and lots of sunshine in maya's garden!

ACK!!! how can other moms have perfect party plans MONTHS in advance???? i must be a badly uncreative mom to not have thought of this way earlier!

... but there is still hope. i've always had better ideas right at the finish line - so siguro by this weekend i would have made up my mind already! LOL. all it takes, i'm sure, is a good stroll at Michael's, Toys R Us, and Party Bazaar!

post-its so i won't forget

2007-06-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

amori's growing at such a rapid rate that i can hardly keep up.

she's officially walking now.

and having tons of fun at the playground on weekends.

it's been (and still is!) a crazy month and ACK! only a few short weeks til her first birthday.

can't we just be on Pause instead of Fast Forward for a change?

a new routine

2007-06-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

this whole working mom situation sure brings new meaning to the word busy.

i wake up at 6, turn the coffee pot on, measure amori's formula into the dispenser, fill her bottles with water, prepare her breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and her extra clothes. by the time i get to pull clothes off my closet, it's already 6:30. i wake up aldo at 6:45, say good morning to amori who is awake by then, put my socks on, gulp down my coffee, then dress amori for the day. we drop her off at the babysitter's at 7:30, then off to work we go.

after 8 hours at work, we (try to) beat the rush hour traffic going home and pick up amori by 6.

before i can even sit down and put my feet up, i have to make dinner, feed amori, bathe her, and do our whole evening rituals. for the past week, that has been the highlight of my days.

so by the time i get to eat, sit down, and breathe, it's 11.

then we do it all over again come 6am.

and to think, when i was still in manila, i thought i was busy because i had 12-hour work days, had to drive thru manila traffic. that sure sounds like a vacation, now that i've got a hundred things to do in 24 hours. LOL.

today's headline

2007-06-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

a filipino is in the front page of most local newspapers today - which is quite sad and disappointing, since it was about a husband murdering his wife.

Kent Spencer, The Province
Published: Tuesday, June 05, 2007

VANCOUVER - Orlando Mangaoang was charged with first-degree murder of his wife yesterday as about 20 family members and friends looked on in Richmond Provincial Court.

i remember watching Orlando Mangaoang in the news a few weeks back because his wife was missing. he could barely speak english during the interview. the news slant then was that his wife was a gambler, owed a huge sum of money, and always went home empty-handed, owing more money than ever.

when police found the body and searched their home, a huge piece of carpet was missing, and a receipt for a bag that the wife's body was found in, was found.

so much for hoping that one day filipinos will get more respect around here, and be known for so much more than just being nannies and caregivers.

legit earnings

2007-06-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

i'm fairly new to the blog reviews game. i signed up for it a few months back, but never really tried posting anything until fairly recently. i was afraid it was one of those scam posting schemes - and with my luck with online scams, i was always afraid of the risk. but then i posted once, twice, three times and voila - there it was, a PAID post. i've only earned $21 so far but considering i've only had to write about stuff i wanted to, it's a sweet deal. at least that's half a shoe, a couple of magazines, or a week's worth of coffee! better yet, at least now i know that PPP is a legit way of earning with blogging - so sign up and start earning!

no longer a baby

2007-05-29T09:43:00.001-07:00

my baby is no longer the cooing, smiling, peacefully-sitting, pee & poo machine that she used to be.

well she is still a pee & poo machine... only more messy and mobile. LOL.

nothing is safe from hurricane amori. papa's cell phone didn't even survive her exploring hands and mouth. poor papa now has no mobile phone - it's been added to amori's toy bin because the only functioning button left is the on/off button.

she loves switching the following things on and off: the tv, the dvd, the xbox, the cable box, and the floor lamps. if you didn't know that she was nearby, you'd think there was a ghost in our house, with all the on/off surges.

the newest thing on the list is climbing her old bouncy seat.

it used to be her favorite seat.

now it's her favorite stepstool.

she is extremely curious about everything around her - even the dehumidifier.

and wherever amori was, you know she's been there because she leaves a trail (of things for mama to pick up!). it's like a crime scene everyday.

but all in the spirit of learning and FUN.

welcome to toddlerhood.

a year of baby boys

2007-05-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

for some strange cosmic reason, most of our married friends are expecting little ones this year - and 4 out of 5 are going to be pushing out little boys into the world.

josephine and marvin welcomed paolo andrei last feb. winky in ohio just delivered baby zachary thomas this week. duke in turkey is playing the waiting game, and is set to deliver anytime now. mara in virginia is due in the summer.

jenn and jm in bangkok are waiting for their baby girl. she will be the only girl so far this year! unless aids and ria's (in manila) little bundle is a girl too... haven't quite heard if they know if it's blue or pink onesies for them though.

now if only we were all in one country, then it would have been easy to pass around pregnancy and baby gear!

in transition

2007-05-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

this week is the official end of my (almost) year-long stint as a full-time mom.

taking amori out for a walk in august 2006

and what a year it has been.

another playdate at maya's house, may 2007

it's been a bumpy ride to say the least, but it's been great.

amori exploring the contents of the bedside table

we're in transition now as i prepare amori for the changes coming her way - a day-long babysitter for the month of june, and daycare in july. i feel lucky and blessed that everything fell into place at such a dizzying pace. the day after i got a call to say i got hired, i found a babysitter. and the day after that, one daycare called informing me that they have a slot for amori in july. thank God i placed her name in their waiting list a few months ago! (at least out of the 5 waiting lists amori is in, one had an open slot!)

i feel privileged to have a fair share of mommy experiences that i never knew i could have... i baked cookies from scratch, cooked amori's food (which is why she doesn't like jarred baby food), cooked dinner nearly everyday while tending to a baby, folded laundry in neat store-like piles, moved to a new place, made homemade stuff for aldo's bake sale at work, and pretty much was amori's servant 24/7. i know it's a norm to canadian moms but for this filipina princess, surviving DIY motherhood is the biggest achievement ever!

mama's salon

2007-05-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

i discovered that amori sits quite still when she's watching something new - thus a great opportunity to cut her hair! it was her first time to watch the Teletubbies so i quickly snipped the ends of her hair. i never got to the front part because by then, she had noticed i had scissors in one hand, and a ziploc bag of her hair in another.

at least i don't have to worry about detangling her hair because food/milk/snot get stuck in it! oh and it's a lot easier now to put a bib on her too!

almost walking

2007-05-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

amori has been cruising effortlessly for the past few weeks and i'm sure it's just a matter of days or weeks before she starts walking unassisted. as of now, she still holds on to furniture or anything that's near - like mama or papa - as she walks on by.

this was taken on mother's day.

we just got home, and i just took out her pigtails - that's why she looks like a porcupine!

anyway... she's not really leaning into the table/ottoman anymore, i think she has yet to realize that she can actually walk already.

oh and she can climb up a flight of stairs already... at my in-laws, she loves going up the stairs... thank God we don't have stairs in our place!

sniff, sniff... they do grow up lightning-fast.

my first official mother's day

2007-05-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

aldo and amori gave me a great first mother's day.

i had a balloon (not quite sure if i still qualify as a new mom though LOL),

flowers, a card (that was soo cute - it said what they lack in tidiness, they make up for enthusiasm!), and a whole bag of chocolates!

although the day started cloudy, the sun came out in the afternoon so we went on a bike ride and stopped at the steveston playground where amori had her very first swing ride.

i think she got a bit overwhelmed at the swings, slides, and tons of gravel so she wasn't exactly laughing out loud.

chocolates, new bikes, sunshine - what a way to celebrate motherhood!

happy mother's day!

2007-05-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

to the mom readers of this blog: tin (seth's), monina (topher's), rosabel (zachy & cara's), sam (maya's), aggie (matthew & martha's), jannah (jamie & caitlyn's), cherrie (deanna's), josephine (polo's), kat, duke (a baby boy very soon), and all other moms who don't leave comments... cheers to all the hard work, love, patience, and wisdom!

(... horaay, am officially a part of a special holiday. )

and to my mom (that i wish were here today)...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

welcome to our house, Barney

2007-05-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

i played amori's Barney video (thank you Tito Marvin and Tita Josephine!) for the very first time last week since she seems to be bored of the baby einstein stuff.

i watched amori be seriously mesmerized by Barney for a full 3 minutes - which is a feat nowadays because she gets bored easily, especially with videos!

what is it about that purple dinosaur that kids love??? oh no, i think i'll be singing "I love you, you love me..." in my dreams now.

hmm is Barney the new Big Bird?

customer relationship management

2007-05-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in the business of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) since my first job, but have never really touched the databases til I started working here. The real estate agents I worked for had a huge database of clients that I had to update/manage/troubleshoot on a daily basis. Boy was that a tech challenge – the program they were using was so complicated that I constantly had to call the customer service line for help.

It’s great that technology is constantly updated and upgraded, even crm programs. It gets better and better every time, and hopefully when I go back to work sometime soon, the program I’ll be using will be less confusing and more user-friendly than the previous one I was using. After all, what kind of a co-worker will I be if I spend majority of the day trying to navigate my way thru one program that will supposedly make our daily tasks easier!

soon-to-be-trailblazing amori

2007-05-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

summer is nearly here! it's been warm the past couple of days - 16 degrees during the day! last summer we were pretty much indoors because we had a newborn but now that amori's pretty much a toddler... it's time to join the families outdoors!

aldo's family summer project is to get bikes for all 3 of us - that way we can start doing other stuff besides go to the mall (it must be a part of our filipino genes). LOL. we got amori a chariot cougar so she can be a part of the action too... we tried it yesterday and it's great!

we still have to get her a proper helmet though - hopefully she won't get too annoyed with it being stuck to her head. hmm but if i know my daughter, she'll be pulling on the straps til she gets the helmet off her head!

kaartehan na yan

2007-05-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

i've been following kris aquino's birth experience on youtube (hey nothing like a little drama from home LOL)... fine, she had complications during the birth of her son and all but heck - ang arte! this is literally milking the whole birth experience for full-effect media pity! if she didn't give birth in manila, i'm sure doctors and nurses would have told her all the pain is normal (aka don't complain you wuss!).

disclosure policy

2007-05-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

This policy is valid from 07 May 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. We write for our own purposes. However, we may be influenced by our background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

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retail therapy

2007-05-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've gotten the hang of shopping online ever since I got here in 2005. It's so much easier to just browse on stuff online, especially when since more often than not, it's soggy outside. At least there's no need to put on 2 layers of clothes, pack Amori into her stroller, put the rain cover, and run to the bus stop in time for the next bus. Plus I don't have to feel pressured to buy something everytime a sales associate asks me if I'm finding everything all right.

I swear - I've turned into a real mommy because I now use coupons on a daily basis. (And I used to wonder if there really were people clipping coupons!). Even when shopping online, there are really useful online coupons codes that I can use in Children's Place - free shipping on swimwear! That saves me $5 on shipping fees! I can't wait for summer... I'm getting Amori this.

a post-it for me

2007-05-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

i've thought, agonized, and had sleepless nights thinking about returning to work or staying at home for what seems like an eternity. ok maybe not an eternity but more like 3 months at least.

and i think now i've come to terms with my decision.

i'm still stringing things and thoughts together in the hope that reminding myself everyday for the next 2 months about the decision i made will make me feel less guilty, angry, and confused. my mind is still incoherent, so this reminder will do for now.

who knew motherhood outside of a third world country would be this difficult.

our search for daycare

2007-05-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

To say that Vancouver has a daycare problem is a big understatement. Almost all the big and established daycare centers are FULLY booked - for years in fact. I once called a popular daycare to place Amori in their waiting list and to my horror, the person I was speaking to said the current list has 300+ kids in line!

I’ve been looking for one since October last year and to this day – nothing. I've been depending on online resources since the child care referral agencies seem to be closing down one by one. I've come across daycare in Hamilton and tried my luck - lo and behold, I found a few places around here. At least I don’t have to literally roam the streets and knock on family daycare homes because they have great search features using postal codes and child age. It actually narrows down the number of people I have to call/beg/charm.

Wish me luck. I need lots of it.

dear duke

2007-05-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

this has been saved in my drafts folder for 10 months... but since duke is asking... it's time i clicked on the publish button.

*****

motherhood, epidurals, and dirty diapers are so different outside of the philippines. the once-universal truths we believed had to be shoved into the hospital waste bins the moment we were checked in. in retrospect, i've learned that:

...the childbirth experience is full of curveballs that you take one step at a time.

i thought i was going to have a predictable birthing experience... my vain worry was how i'd look while pushing, or if it would look funny if i wore colored socks. none of that ever happened. i never even had to put my feet up in the stirrups. the doctors did all induction methods but nothing worked. hmm... my reproductive organs must be as stubborn as the rest of me.

i thought i was physically strong enough to not have an epidural - but 4 hours after i was given oxytocin to speed up my labor, i was more than happy to see the epidural lady. LOL. but i wasn't prepared for the intensity of the epidural experience either... i thought it was just a jab in the spine... i didn't realize that it took quite an amount of concentration to stay perfectly still while my back was arched like a cooked shrimp, thru 3 strong contractions. the effects are worth it!

...the english language is not universal. somehow, describing pain and the consistency of discharge was quite difficult. i think it took me a lot of phone calls to different medical organizations - the BC nurse hotline, the hospital's maternity nurses, my doctor - before the people concerned actually acted on my complaints. in the end, i just went to my doctor and showed her my underwear. LOL.

...a c-section is really not that big a deal. sure you've got stitches and are drugged up to numb the pain but hey, nothing Tylenol 3 can't block. i couldn't believe it - in manila, moms get 6 f***ing hours in the recovery room after a c-sention. six. s-i-x. i spent 1 hour in recovery - and i almost wanted to cheat on the ice pack tests they did so that i could go back to my room and see amori!

...DIY is rewarding. just like Ikea furniture. rooming-in a newborn is a norm here so whether you can stand up or not after the birth is your problem. but there's nothing like first sleepless nights and meconium-laden nappy changes to make you realize you're a family now. it's a lot of hard work - not to mention i-want-to-strangle-dear-husband-for-snoring-too-loud moments - that will only make you better parents.

...the days in the hospital feel like a vacation compared to coming home. for one thing, meals are cooked for you! no dirty dishes, no pots and pans. plus all the hospital gowns, blankets, and sheets you use will be washed and folded by someone else! hmm for the laundry reason alone i don't think i'll be opting for a home birth in this lifetime!

...all first-time parents are confused. i cannot count the number of nurses we bugged for the most insane reasons - baby crying for a long time, black poop, bleeding nipples... which were, in fact, all a part of the newborn baby experience.

our birthing experience was great. tiring, sleepless, and painful... but great nonetheless. cliche as it may sound - all the bad stuff is wiped away by little smiles and giggles. i'm sure it would have been easier on me if i were back home - my family would have been there to help me out and let me recover properly. self-pity caused me gallons of tears from the day we went home from the hospital to 3 months after, but i wouldn't have had it any other way. after all, this kid is mine.

by the book(s)

2007-05-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

i was reviewing my library card's history the other day and couldn't help but shake my head in almost-disbelief. you can actually tell my state of mind by the books that i borrow and buy.

what's on the nightstand right now:

The Working Gal's Guide To Babyville
by Paige Hobey with Dr. Allison Nied
- an easy read, which is great when i only have 2 hours of me time in the evening. it has funny anecdotes about motherhood... more importantly, it made me feel that all moms start out confused about the work situation - with some inspiring stories about how other moms have done it.

The Milk Memos
Cate Colburn-Smith and Andrea Serrette
- i thought this was similar to the Babyville book but apparently it's more for moms who go back to work and have to deal with breastfeeding (ergo pumping regularly in washrooms - that must be quite difficult!).

Jamie's Dinners
by Jamie Oliver
- the best roast chicken recipe!

Parents Canada
- their maiden issue is all about moms who have made different choices - to go back to work or stay home? a good read for me since most friends back in manila can't relate to the dilemma i'm facing.

but a few weeks ago it was all about:

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
by Elizabeth Pantley
- another easy read. her tips helped me realize that an evening routine is what amori needed!

First Meals
Top 100 Baby Purees
by Annabel Karmel
- so steaming and pureeing baby food may not really need a book of its own but i did get great ideas for fruit/veggie combinations from her.

Real Simple
- i heart martha stewart magazines... they make home keeping look easy!

Real Simple Celebrations
- for that perfect dessert party. nice crafty ideas for people who have the time for it!

during my pregnancy i was still reading chicklit - only all of the characters were pregnant too:

The Yoga Mamas
by Katherine Stewart

Little Earthquakes
by Jennifer Weiner
- jennifer weiner is a funny chicklit writer but i still think Good In Bed is her best work.

now i wonder if InStyle will ever find its way back into my regular reading list.

so what are you reading right now? =)

new toys

2007-05-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

mom's wallet and keys!

she complains whenever i try to get my wallet back. i wonder why she's fascinated with it... there isn't even money in it. LOL.

whenever i'm on the computer, i let her crawl around and play. the past few days she's been busy with the filing cabinet.

yummy mummy reality

2007-05-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

i used to think that being a stay-at-home mom meant dressing up in white capris, pastel tops, and cute sandals. well at least in the philippines or during the summer here. i also thought it only meant being an active PTA president or having tea parties with my daughter and her friends. or teaching my young infant sign language to make her the next baby genius of her generation.

then i woke up to domestic-goddess-yummy-mummy reality.

being a SAHM means constantly preparing food, snacks, bottles, and diaper bags; picking up toys around the house at least every 6 hours; cooking dinner; cleaning and disinfecting toys and surfaces at least everyday; and walking several blocks to the library for baby playtime. no one-hour lunch breaks, 30-minute showers, or cute capris and sandals (not really good for walking 5 blocks!). in this new world i find myself in, throwing on whatever is clean and on top of the closet pile is the norm. if i'm lucky and amori is sleeping before we have to leave, i can actually eat like a normal person versus wolfing down everything in 5 minutes. or if i feel i look like a zombie, i squeeze in a minute or two to put on make-up. (make-up is another mommy discovery - i've never been one to wear make-up religiously but these days, there's a LOT of black circles to hide!).

don't get me wrong though... i'm not complaining about the chores - i love what i do for amori and aldo. nothing coffee, a little concealer and a good pair of shoes can't fix. =)

i'd like to think that if we were in manila, that wouldn't be the case. to begin with, hampers in manila are always magically emptied and clothes reappear in closets neatly pressed and folded. (i was so shocked and amused when our trusty old yaya even pressed amori's burp cloths and pants in manila - i've never pressed any of amori's things! LOL.)

which brings me to the point of this whole rant. i absolutely hate it when new moms in the philippines complain about how stupid their new maid or yaya is when they are "in training". or how some even whine about being tired when really, all they have to do is mind the baby or feed it once in a while. at least no cooking, cleaning, or folding laundry involved. i nearly choked on the piece of toast i was eating when one mom's concern on her impending delivery was if the bikini cut on a CS delivery would be visible if she wore superlow jeans later on. i mean come on, the reality is that you'll have a muffin top for the next year at least... or the next logical goal is to fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans and still look the same way. what she should be really concerned about is how to take care of a newborn... but i assume there's always a yaya or her mom to do that.

i guess it's because that's how we all grew up. princesses, albeit in a third world country, but royalty nonetheless.

i just had to say that out loud. no offense meant to anyone.

oh and if you're wondering... amori's taking a nap and i had time to sit down in front of the computer. hehehe.

a birthday party!

2007-04-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

not amori's... yet. =)

it was zachary's 2nd birthday - the first birthday party amori has ever gone to! there were lots of kids, Little Tikes swings and slides, more adults, and a big white-icing-frosted-chocolate birthday cake.

Amori wanted to play like the big kids but she's still too little to get on the swings and slides, or even go up and down the fort her papa built.

she loved observing the other kids though... and then again maybe it was only because it was her nap time and she was really sleepy already. thankfully, not cranky... just a bit glassy-eyed.

but she got her second wind and was awake enough to check out the giveaway from the birthday boy.

it sure feels different BRINGING a little one to a kid's birthday party. i used to just be one of the Titas that takes photos, helps with the cake, and distributes loot bags!

going back in time

2007-04-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

i'm sure you remember this as clearly as i do:

here's the show that came after it:

according to Wikipedia:
"A new Superbook series is currently in pre-production for 2007 release."

yaay! at least there is hope out there for cartoons that are not meant for adults!

oh and it's available on DVD too!

scammed!

2007-04-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

i've been looking for work-at-home jobs over at vancouver.craigslist.org - some of the ads are for admin assistants who can telecommute and transcriptionists. one day an ad for a data entry position popped up so i replied.

here's the reply i got:

"We are part of a growing enterprise started by 3 stay-at-home moms looking to earn income from home. This is a legitimate offer for self-motivated people wanting to make some extra income. You have the flexibility to work WHEN you want and HOW MUCH you want and therefore dictate how much you earn. This is a great way to make money for stay at home moms & dads, college students, retirees to pay off holiday debt, or just supplement your existing income.
Position Description:
We are looking to fill 15 positions by 4/27/07.
Your responsibilities will involve processing responses from online ads (this process is fully covered in the step-by-step training.) You may choose to work part-time or full-time, and earn $100-$300+ per week. You do not have to contact anyone by phone.
All you need is a computer with a valid e-mail address and basic typing skills. Each ad takes approx. 15-20 minutes to process - you will have a virtually unlimited amount of leads so you may work as much as you want and at the time you choose. There is no contract to sign and the amount of work you choose to do is up to you. This opportunity has unlimited possibilities - a perfect option for anyone whom wants their work to revolve around their life, and not the other way around.
Compensation:
You will be paid $10 for each order that you process. Payments will be made directly to you The typical rep will make $30-50/day with 2-3 hours of work."

either i'm too naive or too desperate for a work-at-home job that i didn't see thru it. i ended up paying the $10 to see what it's all about - only to get a 10-page "training manual" that basically says i have to repost the ad that i read if i want to earn. in short, con more people and get their money too.

now i'm not about to send more bad karma into the world. i don't understand how some people can do this kind of thing. the person who posted the "ad" - who says she is Kimberly Jennings (even on PayPal) even sent me a message with the "training manual":

Pia,

Welcome to the team! Congrats on taking your first step toward earning supplemental income. I have attached your training materials. (Sorry it's taken me so long, I've been running errands all morning).

Regards,

~Kimberly

kainis. i know it's bad to wish ill upon anybody but... may all her teeth turn black and fall off one by one til she can only eat baby food. and may she have perpetual hemorrhoids from this day forward. hmph!

so please, please, please learn from my stupid mistake and be extra careful when answering work-at-home jobs. the worst part is that people seem to be targeting stay-at-home moms these days... why, why, why???

obviously because we are desperate for jobs that will spare us from leaving the kids in daycare.

the easter that was

2007-04-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

i feel like a real grown-up now... because last easter, i was a quintessential cooking mom. i was fussing in the kitchen over my first turkey lunch - it took 4 hours to roast the 6.5 kilo turkey, and prepare stuffing/dressing and gravy from scratch (no wonder people just buy the pre-cooked sets come thanksgiving)... but only took a quarter of that time to eat it! thank God for the internet and for Maya's Mum - the turkey turned out pretty good despite the fact that i didn't have a meat thermometer!

maya and her folks came over to celebrate easter with us, and they brought easter treats and a bunny cape that we put on the girls. there's nothing like friends, family, good food, and kids to celebrate Easter!

aldo even whipped out Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Heaven and made a Bailey's Bread & Butter Pudding for dessert - yum, yum, yum!

we were so stuffed and beat that amori and i fell asleep on the couch when everyone went home. =P

i can't wait for next Easter - Amori and Maya will be old enough to understand an easter egg hunt by then!

a greeting from the easter bunny

2007-04-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

whirlpool

2007-04-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

whew, what a month. (more like what a crazy 7 weeks it has been.)

i tried working part-time in an upscale grocery downtown as a result of a shit-what-will-i-do-after-maternity-benefits-are-over panic attack. i realized that there are only 4 months more of parental benefits from employment insurance. so i looked for part-time work in craigslist and found the job; applied for it, and got hired... without really thinking. LOL. so i worked a total of two hundred hours - weekends and evenings. it didn't work out in the end though... working evening hours ended up screwing aldo's work schedule, and at the same time, we found a bigger place we liked, so we moved out of downtown.

which brings me to the next fact... we moved to the suburbs. goodbye buildings, Vancouver Public Library, BC Place, GM Place, and hourly screaming police sirens... you shall all be missed.

things are still in boxes, and we're still unpacking... the unpacking part of moving is the worst bit! of course it goes without saying that it's a much slower process when there's a little crawler trying to get into opened boxes too. LOL.

amori's Cheerios skills have improved... she can now get them into her mouth! the other day we moved on to baby yogurt and she loved them too.

thankfully, no walking yet... just lots and lots of crawling, creeping, and holding on to anything sturdy nearby (reminds me of my 80-year old lola that has mobility trouble hehehe).

i can't believe how fast Amori is growing... seems like it was only a minute ago that she was this non-moving baby i could leave in the sofa asleep. now i can't even trust her to stay put for one minute!

this was then

this is now

if there's anything i learned about the whole part-time work shebang though, it's that i shouldn't jump into the working world too soon, because i might miss all of amori's coming tricks/antics/special firsts if i'm looking out the window too much. after all, i've still got a few months on me. *bops her head on the wall to remind herself of that fact.*

ack, i think parenthood is sending me into a panic frenzy. even aldo thinks i am worrying too much. LOL.

self-feeding

2007-02-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

... is not one of Amori's current eating skills.

She picks up her Cheerios, puts it in her palm, and sucks on her fingers - not knowing that she should push the little O into her mouth.

So as of now, she opens her mouth to tell me she wants more, and waits for me to feed her.

Ultimate Fighting Championship - Baby Edition

2007-02-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

One-time, no-holds barred, ultimate fight in Vancouver.

Amori, 18lbs. - fast jabs, sudden pinches, 2 teeth.
Maya, 22lbs. - slightly bigger mass, biting using her powerful gums, big feet.

Take that Amori.

Back at ya Maya.

Hayaa!!!

Take this!

After 1 minute...

Amori: I'm tired. Let's just play with this fishy I grabbed from the edge of the bed.
Maya: Aight. Good fun. Time for my nap.

***No babies were harmed in this stunt.

juggling

2007-02-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

i've been putting off posting an entry for the longest time... always saying to myself that there will always be later or tomorrow morning, or an hour here and there when amori is napping. but it's the end of feb and still no sensible post, save for a few.

bad, bad, bad.

now there's a reason to be jealous of other mommies living in the philippines or asia... at least they've got yayas to help them out. LOL. a friend once told me she cannot imagine how it is to care for a baby, do house chores, and a multitude of other things around the house without a yaya. i couldn't imagine it either til i was thrown into it. LOL. i guess it's like a delicate juggling act. one day you juggle 2 things, and before you know it you can perfectly do 10 things in a minute. when amori was born, i couldn't imagine doing anything else aside from changing diapers, feeding every 3-4 hours, doing her laundry, trying to pump out my scarce breastmilk *LOL*, and sterilizing bottles. these days, everyday calls for minute by minute multi-tasking - or else nothing gets done... which is really the price i have to pay now that i have a family in an industrialized - aka do-it-yourself-or-pay-a-fortune - country. it's hard work but hey, someone's got to do it. i'm sure all this manual labor is written in super fine print somewhere in my marriage contract, amori's birth certificate, or immigration papers. LOL.

but even if i've got tons of stuff to do each and every day, i wouldn't exchange amori's stinky-because-of-solids diapers hourly giggles for the world. hehehe.

*proud mommy moment this month: amori prefers homemade baby food over the jarred stuff. yaay! not much culinary skills involved but someone has to cut, steam and puree the fruits and veggies!

i just had to post these... we had to bring amori with us to a wedding ceremony so she finally got to wear this pink dress one of my titas got her in manila... just had to put a long-sleeved onesie on her and she was good to go. i kept on staring at it in our closet, thinking that amori would outgrow it without being worn but voila! isn't she cute??? i miss shopping in greenhills for baby dresses!!!

Everyday Moments

2007-02-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this series of ads... because it gives us an excuse to be silly in public. LOL.

Thingamababy states it perfectly though.

jumping jelly beans

2007-02-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

amori sure had fun in maya's jolly jumper. we couldn't stop laughing with her.

she hasn't quite gotten the idea of it though - she looks more like she's tap dancing rather than jumping.

now here's the pro... Maya DT!

i was too busy laughing with the kids that it totally slipped my mind that i SHOULD NOT take video clips sideways. *hits self on the head. DOINK.*

at 6 months

2007-02-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

hitting the 6 month mark means...

- getting two lower teeth.

- saying goodbye to the infant car seat and welcoming an even more comfortable (albeit humungous) Britax Marathon. she's outgrown the length limit so it was time to switch. at the car seat section of the store it was quite a cliche... there we were, 4 pairs of parents, each with their child sticking out of their infant seat, studying the convertible car seats.

- packing up the bouncy seat to make way for the high chair (which, luckily, matches papa's recliner!)

- getting more mileage out of the blender, ice cube trays, Ziploc freezer bags, and the freezer for baby food

- collecting baby spoons and bowls

- batteries, batteries, batteries. amori used to be content with staring at toys hung from her bouncy seat bar, but now she's in a sounds-and-lights-are-the-coolest-things-to-play-with stage so everything runs on batteries

- making sure that things are not within her reach. for lack of a proper change table, i place her box of baby wipes in her crib. one day quite recently, i woke up to amori pulling all the wipes out of the box. tsk, tsk, tsk.

- everything covered in baby drool. as they say, they explore the world thru their mouths. yum.

this little marshmallow is a pretty early crawler. she started crawling and standing at 5 months and 3 weeks! of course that also means i have to entertain her throughout the day, as she gets bored in the playpen. it's almost a good thing that it's the early days of crawling so she's quite slow hahaha.

and she is a certified papa's girl. everyday, when aldo walks in the door, amori gives a squeal and stomps her feet in excitement. how's that for a good reason to rush home?!