Rafa Turns 1: Sneak Peak

Can't think of the right words to say about Rafa's 1st birthday party but THANK YOU JESUS for the chance to celebrate and for everything that it took to make this happen.

This is just a sneak peak of what happened during the party. We are still waiting for the pictures and videos from the official photographer.

A big thanks also goes to all Rafa's sponsors- Ninang Kitte (invites), Ninong Olan (lechon), Tita Ai (books for the lootbags) & Tita Apple (additional party decors). And to all our dear friends who took their time to come and celebrate with us. You don't know how much it meant to us and how much you made us happy.

And to all our suppliers who really delivered... Thank you!

Food/Venue: CVJ Clubhouse, Marikina City
Photo/Video: Shuttercount
Balloons/Little Tikes/Foodcarts/Entertertainer: Yanple
Cake/Cupcakes: Timmy's Oven
Prizes/Lootbags/Other balloon decors: St. Francis Square, Japan Home, Divilandia, etc.
Photobooth: Flipshot Photobooth

All others... Mommy, Daddy & Ate Gabbie :)

The birthday girl is walking!

Ay how time flies! Fast. Parang kailan lang, Rafa. Now you're walking na and soon you'll be biking, running and wrestling with your Ate Gabbie already.

I love you Baby Love Rafa. Happy birthday! May you grow up to be someone who will help make this world a better place to live in. Haha!

Countdown to her big day - 1 day

One more day and she's already one. Although daddy is not here, we will still have a little celebration by going to the church and blowing a candle.

Countdown to her big day- 3 days

She's having a siesta in her favorite sleeping spot- hammock in terrace. There she can sleep for two to two and half hours uninterrupted. She takes her morning and afternoon naps there when it's not raining.

Countdown to her big day- 5 days

Five days before her first birthday- Imagine my joy when she walked across the room on her own- without us pleading, persuading or even cheering (come to think of it, she does it better without these).

For a moment I thought she's forgotten how to walk already. I thought she was traumatized by a fall or such. But today when Ate Gabbie asked Rafa to walk towards her, she did! At it was a good 4 or 5-step without falling. And then she started doing it nga without us looking (or so she thought. Haha)

Good job Rafa! Looking forward to seeing you entertaining guests on your big day.

Trick or Treatin' Kiddos

It's Rafa's 1st halloween! She had been to two Trick or Treats last week (Gabbie had been to four!). The first one was in our village where we dressed her up as Rapunzel sans the long blonde hair (didn't want to risk her skin with wigs) and the iguana (?) We have a toy frog that looks like almost the same as Pascal but we were so in a hurry to make it to the assembly we forgot to put it on her.

Ate Gabbie was in her angel costume again, minus the wand (she had it during the school ToT).

The following day (Oct 28), we were in Robinsons Metroeast and Rafa was in her Bumble Bee costume with the antenna and all, and Ate Gabbie played with her red wig and declared that she was a red-haired fairy.

And then earlier in SM Marikina, we went to see the Halloween Costume Contest and also join ToT. Gabbie was in her tutu ala ballerina. No more dressing up for Rafa because we were already late. Haha..

For next year, Gabbie mentioned she wanted to be Tinkerbell. We'll see if she doesn't change her mind after watching Barbie or Toy Story or Powerpuff cartoons again. :)

Like Ate, Like Rafa :)

Rafa is indeed her Ate's little sister.

Here, look at Gabbie when she was about the same age

I can see they're gonna be bungee-jumping buddies one or two years from now. 

Gabbie's Dream Come True

When I was single, my yearly Christmas wish would be for us Filipinos to have a crime-free Philippines and for all of us humans to have a pollution-free world to live in.

When I got kids already, of course I still wish for that but the number one on my list became 'to live long enough to witness my kids fulfilling and achieving their dreams'.

Years ago, if you asked Gabbie what she'd want to be when she's big I bet you got the 'I want to be a doctor of the monkeys' answer. When she started schooling and learned about the different community helpers, she revised her answer. She wanted to be a firefighter na daw. Since then, everytime we ask her, she'd answer the same- I want to be a firefighter.

A few days earlier I asked her what she would want to do during the sem break. She said she wanted to ride a firetruck and drive an ambulance. I told her, 'ok, we'll see'.

Today when we passed by the Marikina Fire Station, she mentioned about her dreams again. So I brought her to the firefighter's office and helped her realize her dream of riding a firetruck. She told the firefighters what she wanted. Her favorite community helpers happily granted her wish.

They even let her wear a firefighter's hat and they even turned the lights of the truck on. My daughter was soooo proud of herself. I could tell.

On the way home she told me she was really happy.

I wouldn't be surprised if the next thing that she'd want to do would be to ride a firetruck with the firefighters on the way to save people from a burning house.

I know it's not impossible and it would be a great experience. But how? That we have yet to figure out. 

Congrats Gabbie! :)

This year's Trick or Treat

She said she wanted to be Jessie (of Toy Story) this year. We went to several toy and costume stores in different malls but we could not find a Jessie costume nice enough for her taste. I thought of having it customized by our suking mananahi like what we did last year for her Powerpuff attire

But with the 2nd quarter exams coming and preparations for Rafa's party, I decided against going to Marikina or Masinag market to find a mananahi that's not too busy with the United Nations, Cosplays, etc. I don't want to stress myself with looking for the best looking Jessie costume that we can copy, finding the right fabric and going back to the seamstress several times for the measurement, fittings, repairs, etc.

So I convinced her to be a different character instead. No way she will wear a costume that's scary so being a witch or a white lady is already not considered. I don't want her to be a princess naman- kahit sino pang princess yan. So I asked if she wanted to be an angel. I was glad she said yes.