Happy 1st Birthday my Love

Look at how you've grown... 9 months in my belly, after 1 hour and 24 minutes of labor, you came in to this world and now look at you... your now 1 year old.




At 1:20am in the year 2006, I laid in the delivery room, pain was all over my body. My cervix is already 8cm dilated when we reached the hospital. Yes, I felt the contractions but I didn't know I was in labor (I was waiting for my water bag to break) until I can no longer bring myself to the bathroom to pee. I held my breath to push as hard as I can. I was ask to do another push for 10 seconds holding my breath. Then the doctor said, here he comes... one more push... one two three four five six....ten. Then I was unconscious. I woke up groggily as they are stitching my v****a. I heard a nurse say... "Tapos na po". Literally it felt like I just pooped.. the biggest poop I've ever had. I felt exhausted and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room at 5 in the morning. I was moved to my private room by 7am and I waited... for the nurse to bring me my son. And at 10am, 8 hours after I gave birth, I held your tiny precious body in my arms. I was at the most happiest and yet it was the scariest moment in my life.

I was actually reminiscing with my mom what we went through when I had AJ and when she had me and my brother. It was truly an experience of a life time.

Happy birthday AJ! Mama loves you.

my advice on Smart Parenting

Yesterday I received a sms from my mom..

"Nand2 k smart parenting yon Be an Early Bird but not a winner! sori better luck next tym"

I had no absolute idea what she was talking about so I shrugged it off and went on with my busy day at the office. When I arrived home, I asked her what was her message about.. She handed me the back issue of Smart Parenting (Jan-Feb 2007) -- and leafed through the pages until I came across the Parents' Helpline page.

And there it was.. my first ever parental advice published on a glossy-nationwide circulated-parenting magazine. I'm so (excited) proud to see my name with designation as

"MOM TO ANDRE JONAH, 3 MONTHS". I believe its the best and at the same time the hardest job in the world.

Anyway, now I remember receiving an email from our company mail moderator (around September 2006) that Ed-In-Chief, Jenina Alli is asking for parental advice for a working mom who went back to work after her maternity leave and now her baby favors the yaya more than her. I just replied not knowing that my advice would be published in their first ish for 2007.

This is a very special memorabilia and I intend to keep this magazine for AJ to see when he comes of age.

tales from the crib

A few weeks back, I cleaned up AJ's cabinet and drawers where all his clothes are kept. I packed all his (new born to 9 months) onesies and all the wrap around shirts that we bought before I gave birth. His baby socks and mittens and baby caps were placed in zip lock bags for easy storage. Found out that he got a lot of "bigkis" that I was not able to use. I can't believe that he was so tiny then. I was laughing while holding out his tiny socks that I used as mittens while we were in the hospital because I just packed 1 pair of mittens in my hospital bag. I hope he won't glare at me when he sees his picture with a sock on his hands.

AJ started blabbing and cooing words at 7 months and his first word was "abu" (which I don't have a clue of what it means). I was disappointed when he was able to say "papa" when he was around 8 months. I've convinced myself that it was just a word and not really referring to my hubby. At 10 months he's blurts "akang"! and "bababa", "yak", and a lot more... And Today, at 11 months and 2 weeks, He uttered the most awaited word... "Mama" and that's not all.. he said it with both arms raised in front for me to pick him up. Ahhh, it was such a beautiful music to my ears.. I surely was not able to resist him and so I picked him up and showered him kisses.

AJ's pedia says that he'll be walking on his own around 1 year old. To build AJ's confidence to be independent, his doctor said that we should encourage him to walk on his own (with the help of a cloth around his chest and armpit) or he can push a cart or a chair..

I think he's getting there... last Sunday he was pushing the mono block chair back and forth in our living room 4 times with around 10 steps each and no stopping. By the time I was handed the camera, he's already too tired to continue. As an advance birthday present we went to Toy Kingdom to look for a developmental toy that he can use to practice his walking skills and we found this stride and ride walker from fisher price. When we got home and hubby assembled it, AJ was too tired to stride so he just rode his new toy and was so engross with the sound that it produces whenever it moves.

I hope AJ does not end up a couch potato. Whenver his watching TV (his 100% attention goes to action when commercial is on and goes back playing when the real show starts) and we turned it off.. he starts crying his heart out and stops abruptly if we turn it on again...is this what they call tantrums? Oh Gosh!

Our baby is becoming a little man already... a little person that knows what he wants and gets it one way or the other

my first Mother's Day

with my mom & aj

Happy Mother's day to my mom and to all the mothers in the (blog) world (especially to Kat, JMom, Winnie & CheH). I'm so excited to celebrate this day like its my birthday.. though I have not received any gift, a movie date with hubby and a wet kiss with 6 teeth from my little rascal is enough to fill my day with gladness. I'm so looking forward to what AJ will give me when he enters pre-school or summer gymboree... will it be a self made card? or a drawing? or a flower picked from the neighbor's garden? Whatever it will be I'm sure it will be a tear-filled moment :D

For my first Mother's day experience, I'm greatful for all those who greeted me.

Dave: Happy Mother's Day! :-)


Kim: Happy Mother's Day!


Varian: Happy Mother's Day!


Autie Nida: Motherhood is a tough 24-hr job. No pay, No day-off, most often unappreciated & yet resignation is impossible! But then again a job not just anybody can qualify to. Hello good mom! Happy Mother's Day!


Khor: Happy Mother's Day


Ms. G: Happy Mother's Day


Maureen: I wish you wake up ds morning realizing what a wonderful person you are and the world is blessed to have u as a part of it. enjoy lyf! happy mother's day...


Lizette: Happy Mother's day to you! May God continue to bless u n ur family. muwah!


Maya: Sabi nga nila 2 the world your just 1 but 2 1 your the world. Happy mother's day 2 u :) [the winner message!]


Janess: Happy Mother's day! have a gr8 day ahead :)


Winnie: (image of flowers text format) Fresh flowers for a very special mom who never fails to do d best 4 her family... Happy Mother's Day...


Noel Carillo: A MOM is like a simple calculator. Someone who ADDS comfort, SUBTRACTS fear, DIVIDES blessings & MULTIPLIES joy. Happy MOTHER'S DAY 2 a beautiful Mom like u!


Abs: a flying text kiss to you to say:Happy Mother's Day!

The Last Days

I was on my way to work this morning and this song played on my mp3 player, first person who came to mind was Julia Campbell.

If Julia have known that it was her last day, would she have spent it with her friends or her family instead of vacationing in the north? If the students in Virginia Tech knew that they'll be killed that day, would they have said sorry to their parents or kiss them goodbye?

If today were the last of all days, what would you do?


It would have been easier if we knew if its our last day but we don't have that luxury. I guess that's why there are words like," Live life to the fullest for we don't know what the future holds."


How ironic, Julia's last entry in her blog was entitled "Buhay pa Tayo"

This is for Julia.

the last days

sung by hourglass, acoustic night live 1

if today were the last of all days
would you change how you feel, who you are
would you rise for a moment above all your fears
become one with the moon and the stars

would you like what you see, looking down
would you give everything that you could
have you done everything that you wanted to do
is there still so much more than you would

follow your dream to the end of the rainbow
way beyond one pot of gold
open your eyes to the colors around you
and find the true beauty life holds

would you live for the moment like when we were young
and time didn't travel so fast
be free in the present, enjoying the now
not tied to a future or past

follow your dream to the end of the rainbow
way beyond one pot of gold
open your eyes to the colors around you
and find the true beauty life holds

you probably said all you wanted to say
but doesn't it strike you as strange
then we'd only begin to start living our lives
if today were the last of all days
if today were the last of all days