Rafa's 1st Birthday Video

Sharing Rafa's 1st Birthday video done by Shuttercount Photography. 

So far this video is the only thing that can pacify the birthday girl when she's bored or having tantrums.

N@W Christmas Party

This was the first Christmas party that we went to for 2012. We gave out toys, books and old clothes to charity (c/o nawies) but we went home with so much more. The kids got a lot of prizes, giveaways and gifts. There were also storytelling, magic shows and free hairstyling for the kids, aside from the food carts, skitbook and photo booths. I feel grateful to naw for this experience. It is thru naw that I become equipped with everything there is to know about parenting (breastfeeding, cloth diapering, etc included).

Thank you N@W!

Santa Claus came to town :)

When we were kids, our parents would make us sleep early evening of December 24 while they prepare some food for the noche buena. But before we sleep they ask us to hang our socks (literally socks that we used to go to school) near the window so that Santa Claus can easily reach them when he puts our gifts. When it was time to go to the mass (11PM) they would wake us up then we have our noche buena together as exactly 12 midnight.

Then come the exciting part of Christmas (well for us then)- the opening of gifts from Santa. Those gifts were never big time. No super size dolls or super high tech robots or cars for my brothers. Candies, small cheap toys or sometimes just chips. But they were all from Santa Claus.

Later we found out the Santa Claus was not real. That those were our parents who put those things inside our socks while we were sleeping. As far as I know, we didn't feel bad or felt being fooled. Masaya eh. That one point in our lives we "experienced" Santa.

Looking back, I still feel that happy feeling that we have when we were opening the socks.

Now with my kids, I want them to experience the same- to experience receiving gifts from Santa Claus. So when the homeowners officers asked us if we want Santa Claus to personally hand our gifts to the kids, we agreed.

The smile on the face of Gabbie was priceless. And she kept telling us that "Santa Claus came here to give my gift!"

Until when we are going to do this, I can't tell. But I'm sure my kids will be smart enough to know what's real or not when the right time comes. And we will be here to give them guidance.

But for now if they want to believe there is Santa, we'll let them believe.

Nosefrida Saves the Day!

It's so frustrating and heart breaking for us mommies (and daddies too!) to see our babies struggle to breathe and wake up every hour or so when colds and runny nose strike. With Gabbie, we even went to using pangtutuli to remove the mucus from her nose. Dangerous pero hopeless eh. All of us couldn't sleep.

Now with Rafa, we discovered Nosefrida. I saw it in Tickled Moms online store and when I learned that it's from Europe, I told Mike to get one on his next trip to Germany.

It's easy to use and it's really effective in clearing the nose even without spraying Salinase.

Now we can sleep soundly even when Rafa is having a really terrible runny nose time. And as seen in the pictures, she's a very cooperative patient di ba? Maybe she feels comfortable talaga after. So it must be really effective :)

The sweetest things...

...to wake up to every morning

...and to see after a really tiring day.

Love. In its purest form.

Purple Room

Gabbie said she wanted to have her room painted purple, so she can already sleep in it (why, I didn't ask). So when a carpenter became available to do some repairs in her bedroom (oh it's her and Rafa's bedroom na pala), I told him that we're going to change the color of the damaged (from leaks) wall from the old green-watermelon pink combination to plain purple.

And since she's into reading books already, I made her a reading nook

Yesterday I asked her "Now that your bedroom is already fixed, are you going to sleep in it already?" She said yes but she'll start in December. I told her "Oh, it's already December tomorrow! Are you ready?"

So tonight, being December 1 already, she is sleeping in her own bedroom, for the first time since it was built three years ago. Haha. But she had a condition though. She will be allowed to put stickers on the wall beside her bed and her daddy has to stay with her.

I don't know if I should be happy about this or not (I shouldn't have asked her kasi) because I;m not sure if I'm already prepared or ready for this.She's a big girl now! Siguro if Rafa is not here beside me I'd cry, of feeling like I'm being abandoned by my child maybe? Hahaha. Crazy, crazy me.

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.