Not So Little Anymore

Drink of the Day:  A Tall Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino

Yesterday was a big day for me and my first born, Joshua.  It was the first day of school for my little one!   

We both got up early to get ready for school and we were out the door by 7:45am.  By 7:50am, we entered the gates of The Learning Connection in San Juan, where Joshua will be spending 2 hours a day for the rest of the school year.  We met her 3 teachers, Teacher Anne, Teacher Christina and Teacher Mariel, who were very friendly and accommodating.  Joshua was a bit shy at first and yaya had to stay with him the whole class, just to make sure that he won't cry with the new surroundings and people.  But according to yaya, Joshua didn't cry at all and by the end of the class, he was following all the teachers' activities and making new friends.  He even brought home 2 stars and a  stamp for the good job he did in class.

I guess it's a bittersweet moment for me.  On the one hand, I'm very happy and proud that my little one is growing up and starting his own adventures outside of our home.  He'll be learning new things and making new friends.  On the other hand, I'm also a bit sad....and maybe a bit nostalgic.  Because this means that my little Joshua is not so little anymore.  He'll be experiencing new things that I won't be a part of.  And he'll be forming new attachments to people I won't know very well, like his classmates.

Good luck my love.  May the world show you what a wonderful place it can be!  I will always be here to guide you and help you whenever you need me.

Thank You Boys...

Today I realized something about being a parent.  I realized that in as much as we have to teach our kids about life, they in turn also teach us valuable lessons.

I have been fretting for the past week about my son Joshua's delay in speech.  His pediatrician finally recommended that we go see a developmental pediatrician to have him evaluated and see if he needs extra help and therapy.  Joshua turned two years old last April 12th, and according to his pedia's charts, he should be speaking about 50 words by now and putting two words together and forming short sentences.  So the past few days, I've been forcing him to repeat words that I have been saying to him, before giving in to whatever he wants.  But so far no such luck for me.  Let's say I ask him to say "mama", he'd say it back to me.... say "yaya" and he'd say it again.  But do it again the third time like "dada" and he will just look at me, kiss me or distract me, but he refuses to say it.  This got me worried.  I don't know if he's just being hard headed or he really doesn't know how to say it.  I kept on waiting and waiting for him to do it, until he ended up crying, which broke my heart.  So I ended up just carrying him on my shoulders and giving him a kiss instead.  After he's calmed down, I gave him a talk while carrying Kenji.  I told him that Mommy is here to teach him so he shouldn't be shy if he said his words wrong.  I just keep pushing him so that he can practice his speech and I'm always here to teach him and not laugh or judge him.  I think he got what I meant.  Coz when we proceeded to just play around and asked him what his little brother's name is, lo and behold, he answered, "Kenbi!"  

This made me realize that my son Joshua is a GENIUS!  I also realized that I should just be patient and let him develop in his own time.  And also accept him as he is.  I don't need to compare him to other kids his age, coz he might not be speaking as fluently as other kids, but his mind is probably developing at a faster rate than his tongue.  So I just have to let his speech catch up with his brain.

I also realized how lucky I am to be blessed with two wonderful sons, who are just there to love me and my husband unconditionally, and to make us smile.  We are happy to have two little miracles in our lives.  Thank you boys....We love you.

Review: Haircut by Mr. Shin of Beauty Brick

Got a haircut last week from Mr. Shin of Beauty Brick Hair Art Studio.  The place was recommended by a cousin because it was near our office.  It was also one of the Korean salons featured on Spot.ph. (See article below).

The place was very artsy and kitschy, with minimal decor.  Staff was courteous and pleasant.  But more importantly, I loved my new haircut by Mr. Shin.  I wasn't ready to let go of my long locks, but Mr. Shin made it so much lighter and it also looks shinier.  I can do more stuff with my hair now in terms of styling.  Maybe next time when I'm ready to go shorter, I will ask Mr. Shin to do a funkier 'do for me.  But for now, I'm H-A-P-P-Y!

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~From Spot.ph~

Beauty Brick Hair Art Studio
Address: Unit 103 Doña Consolacion Bldg., 122 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati City
Contact: 473-5108; 0917-5200044
Operating Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

Go for: Haircuts by salon manager Shin, P600

Why We Liked It: Shin can shape your strands and give you a cut that suits your face shape and personality. If you want something a bit more edgy and Korean pop-ish, he’ll willingly oblige and pull it off with pizzazz. But, if you want something more conservative and easy-to-maintain, he can also take your locks to the next level of gorgeous—as if you had a mini makeover.

What Else To Try: Gals who want straight hair can try their version of rebonding called the Magic Perm, which starts at P3,000. But, be willing to listen to Shin’s urging if he says a perm will suit your hair and look better on you. For those with dry, damaged hair, try the Clinic Perm, P1,900 for medium-length strands, which starts with a treatment followed by a traditional perm.

My Little Kenji Is Sick Too...

Energy Drink of the Day:  A Starbucks Grande Iced Caramel Macchiato with Forest Ham, Egg White and Cheese on Ciabata Bread (yum, yum, yum!)

My little Kenji also got sick yesterday.  He had a low fever and didn't want to be laid down at all.  I think he's teething coz I can see the shape of teeth coming out in his lower gums.  Thank God he's all better now, no more fever.  But still having trouble drinking from his bottle.  Hope he gets better by tomorrow.  At least he's all energetic and smiling again.

Also found out that some of the kids from Derrick's gathering last Sunday during the Pacquiao-Clottey fight got the fever.  I guess it really was a viral infection that got to Joshua and Kenji.

Was a bit busy at work since Cherrie left for Canada today.  Our office Internet sucks as well.  Hope we can get PLDT up and running soon so I can have Eastern cancelled.  I can get Eastern out of my hair once and for all!  Bad connection and sucky service.

Just found out from the maid that Joshua likes watching Wowowee.  He's fascinated with all the sexy girls dancing in their skimpy outfits.  According to yaya, he doesn't want them switching the channel to cartoons when he sees "Congratulations" (that's the name of one of the girls) dancing.  I know I shouldn't be encouraging this, but Rod and I find it hilarious.  I'm sure at this stage there's still no malice in Joshua's mind regarding these girls so I let him watch TV for a short while with the maid and yayas.  Will probably have to limit his TV-watching once he's a little bit more grown up.  Anyways he doesn't watch TV when his dad and I are at home.

I think I hear my hubby downstairs home from his basketball game.  Will go talk to him about our car situation for tomorrow.

My Little Joshua’s Really Sick

Energy Drink of the Day:  A Starbucks Grande Mocha Frappuccino

When I got home last night, I immediately went to look for Joshua to feel his forehead, and he was indeed HOT to the touch.  Took his temperature and turns out he had a fever, 39.1degC to be exact.  This got me worried coz the fever was a bit high, so we gave him paracetamol and asked yaya to give him lots of fluids.

 Joshua was masungit last night and he didn’t want to play at all.  He just wanted to cuddle and have me or yaya to carry him.  I guess he really wasn’t feeling very well.  He has several molars coming out of his gums as well, so maybe that’s why he had a fever.  He also didn’t sleep after waking up at 2am.  But this morning, the fever was gone and at least he was smiling.  I told yaya to continue monitoring his temperature and if he develops a fever again, to give him medicine and fluids.  I missed my happy and playful Joshua last night.  You really don’t realize what you have until you lose it, even for just a day.  I’m glad that he’s back to his happy self and playing with Kenji again today.

Kenji Lee

Energy Drink of Choice : A Grande Green Tea Frappuccino with whipped cream --> surprisingly good and refreshing

Saw my 4 1/2 old month son Kenji rolling back and forth in his crib this morning.  I was so pleased and proud of him!  This is the first time I actually saw him doing this, I thought he was only able to roll to his stomach, but wasn't able to go back to a lying position.  Well I was wrong.  My little baby's growing up so fast....

Have to call home, yaya Jean texted to say Joshua has a low fever, but I doubt that it is really a fever coz his temperature was just 37.2 deg C.  Anyway, will find out now...

Caffeine....It's a Good Thing

Energy Drink of the Day: A Starbucks Grande Iced White Chocolate Mocha, plus a slice of banana loaf

Galing talaga ng Starbucks magbenta!  I got suckered into buying one of their cups while lining up yesterday to buy my drink.  I got one of those cups that look like their plastic cups, with matching green straw for P450.00.  It’s reusable and washable.  The barista told me that if I bring my own cup, I get a discount of P5.00 automatically.  How many drinks do I have to buy to recover my P450.00?  90 cups!  Haha….I guess it’s my small way of helping save the planet since I won’t be throwing away plastic cups everyday.    Consuelo de bobo kung baga.  I’ll post a photo of the cup one of these days.

 I think I’m turning into a caffeine junkie!  I’ve been getting a drink of coffee at least 3 times a week since I gave birth to Kenji.  And it has to be a Grande or Large size drink.  It started out as me having to stay awake while at work and having to get up several times during the night to pump (only nursing moms would understand this).  I was able to redeem a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf planner for drinking X amounts of cups and I even bought a their Swirl card so I can get a P5 discount for every drink that I get.

At first I was worried that I might be passing on the caffeine to Kenji thru my breast milk, but after some research, I found out that 1-2 cups a day of coffee is ok and won’t affect my son.  So I gave in to my weakness and thus started an expensive, but delicious habit.  Now if only my dentist would approve of the coffee stains that I get on my teeth from the coffee, I would be so much happier!  J

A New Start

Drink of the Day:  Starbucks Grande Iced Signature Chocolate with Whipped Cream and Chocolate Shavings on top.

Ordered additional Miso Chicken with Wasabi Mayo and Mango on Italian Bread for extra energy boost

Today, I vowed to myself that I will try to post a blog about my daily life at least 3x a week just to keep a journal about things and to keep a record of my thoughts and observations.  Time goes by so fast and things just get busy that sometimes I don't even remember what I ate for dinner the day before, so I think keeping a daily journal will be a good way for me to express feelings, vent frustrations and record observations.  It's also a good way to journal about my sons' latest antics.

To start, I am a mother of 2 sons -- Joshua Han is 1 year and 11 months old, while Kenji Lee is 4 months old.  Having two boys at home really takes a lot of energy and sometimes I feel guilty that I don't spend enough time with my family.  Mind you, I have to juggle a full time job, nurse my 4-month old, take care of my husband and manage a household, that by the time my head hits my pillow, all I can do is close my eyes and immediately go to sleep.  When I open my eyes the next day, the rat race begins again.  I'm not complaining since I love my kids and husband to pieces, but sometimes I just wish that there was more than 24 hours in a day so I can do more stuff.

This morning, I went to the Canadian Embassy to apply Kenji for a Canadian Citizenship.  Buti nalang there was no line-up and I was the 3rd person to be helped.  And buti nalang all my requirements were complete and I don't have to go back again to resubmit anything.  Funny that the embassy officer asked me if Kenji was born to the same father as my first child and if he was born full-term or premature.  I guess when she saw Joshua's birthdate of April 12, 2008 and Kenji's birthdate of November 8, 2009, she decided that they were too close in age to be full-term babies.  Or worse that I father would want to impregnate me so soon after the first one!  Haha.

That's all for now, it's almost time to go home.  

Josh @ 6 months

Where did the time go?  It seems like I just gave birth a few days ago and my baby is half a year old now!  Time really flies so fast, and no matter how much we want it to stop, just for a minute, just for a second...it won't.  So it's best to cherish each and every moment that we have.

I never thought becoming a mom would impact my life so much... physically, mentally, emotionally.  

Childbirth was probably the most painful thing that I have ever experienced.  It was really excruciating, but also the most rewarding.  I didn't know that my body was capable of doing so much, and now I have a healthy baby boy to be thankful for.  Breastfeeding was probably the most frustrating thing that I had to go through, but also the most selfless and giving thing I have ever done in my life.  The sleepless nights, the hormonal turmoil, the cracked nipples, painful clogged ducts, and even the fact that most shirts didn't fit me properly made me just want to cry and quit.  But with the support and encouragement of our pediatrician and my husband, I was able to do it fully till my son was 5 months old, and still do it partially now.

My son Josh is now 6 months old and he's able to do so much.  From being a little, helpless and soft baby who is so dependent on me for all of his needs, he is nowstarting to show his personality and independence.  Josh has been a blessing to me and my husband.  He has been a very easy baby to take care of...seldom cries and smiles a lot.  A simple greeting from mommy or his Yaya Ruby can elicit a smile from him.  And laughter from people can send him into fits of giggles as well.  Hearing him laugh is just pure joy, because you know that there is no other reason behind it but contentment and wanting to hear the sound of happiness.  He can also rollover now and I think he's staring to learn to crawl as well.  Sooner or later, he'll be able to sit up on his own and start walking.  I wish he could stay this cute forever, but seeing him grow up also fascinates me.  It never ceases to amaze me that this perfect creature and miracle came from me and my husband.  I can't wait to hear him start calling us "Mommy" and "Daddy".

Rod and I are doing really well as first time parents.  We learn along the way, but I love my husband more today than I did when we got married.  I have learned a lot from him and about him the past two years that we have been together.  He has been very supportive of me every step of the way.  During my pregnancy, he took really good care of me ...from making sure that I took my fruits and vegetables everyday, to accompanying me to every hospital and doctor's visit, to being with me in the delivery room to help me welcome our baby into this world.  When I decided that I needed to go back to work after giving birth, he made it so easy for me by supporting me to buy an expensive breast pump, so that I can still continue breastfeeding even though I am at work.  I have also learned how patient he is because he knows how to handle my crying jags and unreasonable fits.  I blame it all on my hormones, but he has always been there to wipe my tears away and listen to me even if I am not making any sense.   And he even supports my bag and shoe habit!!!!  What more can a girl ask for?  

Now that we have a child, I am sure that Rod will be as good a father as he is a husband.  I know that he will teach Josh how to be a loving, God-fearing, honest and strong man that he is.  As for me, I just hope that Josh grows up to be a good and happy man, who realizes how fortunate he is to have two parents who love him very much, grandparents who adore him, and an extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc) who will be there to love and support him as they watch him grow up and learn the ways of the world.

Welcome to the world Josh, Mommy and Daddy loves you!

Another day in bed.  Today I’m officially 24 weeks.

I thought being on bed rest would be sheer heaven, days and days of doing nothing.  Not until I was actually put on it.  I can’t even go down to have my meals anymore.  I’m only allowed bathroom privileges like going to the toilet and taking a shower.  Other than that, I’m stuck in bed, and I take my meals in bed.   

And with the long endless hours that I spend in bed, you can’t help but have all these thoughts and worries. 

I worry that I won’t be able to carry our baby to term. 
I worry that with all the medication I am taking right now, that our baby will be affected and not be healthy. 
I worry that I will have an emergency and I won’t have any way to contact Rod to take me to the hospital. 
I worry about all the work that I have left behind in the office. 
I worry that I won’t be able to cope with the pain of labor. 
I worry that I won’t get better and I will be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy.
I worry that my husband would get sick and tired of me and just leave me all alone.
I worry that I won’t be a good mother.

Being on bed rest is very isolating and it can be depressing.  You feel so all alone and you just wait for the time to pass you by.  The television and your laptop become your best friends.  The most exciting time of my day is when I hear the gate opening and I know that my husband is home.  How pathetic is that?  You also feel like you are sick with some grave disease because people tend to stay away and keep their distance.  Seems like they don’t want to catch whatever is bothering you. 

In spite of all these worries and sadness that I am feeling, I am still thankful and happy about some things.

I am thankful for the time that I get to spend on my own so that I can get some much needed rest.     
I am happy when I feel my baby kicking me hard in my belly.  This reassures me that he is growing fine and healthy.
I am happy because every uneventful day that I spend in bed means that I am a day closer to delivering a healthy baby.
Most of all, I am thankful that my husband is still very malambing and very caring.  He takes very good care of me and never fails to tell me and show me that he loves me very much.

That’s all for today.  Later.

Honey, two lines....

After being married for 8 months, we are finally pregnant.  The last 4 months have been a roller coaster ride for me and Rod.  A lot of stress, tears, as well as joy and laughter.

Finding out that I was pregnant was definitely a surprise for us.  Rod and I decided to wait for a few months after we got married before trying for a baby.  We still had a lot of things to do, and we still needed to move into our new house, so we decided to wait till we move in before getting to work, so to speak. 

We officially moved into our house on August 4, 2007.  Moving was an experience in itself.  I learned how OC my husband can be when it comes to the cleanliness of our home, and how disorganized he can be when putting away his clothes and other junk.  In short, I had to be the one to put all of his clothes into the closet.  Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to finish it in a week!

Adjusting into a new routine was a good exercise for us.  We had to establish new times to wake up to get ready for work, time to come home so that we can have dinner together, new times for Rod to get some exercise into his routine, and time for us to do our weekly grocery shopping.  We also had to “break-in” our new maid with our requirements and with our own quirks.  We also had to establish our finances and who had to pay the bills on time.

We officially found out that we were pregnant when I was thinking of going to visit a gynecologist for a routine checkup, and it suddenly dawned on me that I haven’t had my period in a while.  I was a bit worried about it because I’ve never had this before.  I decided to ask Rod to buy me a home pregnancy test so that we can both find out, before visiting the doctor.

When I tried the home pregnancy kit the first time, I couldn’t believe my eyes when two purple lines popped up!  I told Rod to buy me another kit just to be sure.  Rod was cooler about it than me, but lo and behold, the second test also came out positive.  So off we went to the doctor’s office for my first prenatal checkup.

My obstetrician / gynecologist is Dr. Anita Poblete.  She’s the same OB that my cousins go to so I was relaxed when I first visited her.  She’s also very accommodating and has very light hands, so the dreaded speculum and internal exams are not so bad.  Our first visit did confirm that I was pregnant at about 6 weeks.  Both our families were ecstatic about the news.  Only thing I was bummed about was I had to cancel our trip to Bali for Ros and Mark’s wedding.

The first trimester of my pregnancy had been uneventful.  I can say it was a textbook case as I experienced the occasional queasiness, food aversions, frequent urination, general sleepiness and fatigue.  I could sleep for hours, there was even a time that I slept for 12 straight hours and took a nap in the afternoon on top of that!  After getting through the first trimester, I thought things will be a breeze after that, but boy was I wrong!

My fourth month started out as uneventful as the previous months, but on my 20^th week, I experienced some slight spotting.  This got me worried and I had to go to the delivery room, as my OB was sick on the day that I experienced the spotting.  Gosh, the whole experience was so stressful.  The resident OB had to do a speculum and internal exam on me and it was so painful!  The doctor advised me to go on bed rest for a week and I was also prescribed Duvadilan, an anti-contraction medication.  Dr. Poblete told me that the reason I might be bleeding was because the baby’s position was upside down and his kicking was causing the pressure on my cervix.  After one week of bed rest, I was allowed to go back to work and some light activities.

I’m now on my 23^rd week 6 days, and I am back on bed rest again for 2 weeks this time.  I had some bleeding again last Sunday and I was told that I had a cervical polyp which is causing the spotting.  I was prescribed some antibiotics and a vaginal suppository to stop the bleeding and also to ward off infection.

I never thought pregnancy can be this hard.  If it were this hard, how come so many people still give birth to so many babies?  Look at Chinaand their 1 billion population!?!  And all people can tell you is either to take care, or “ang hina mo naman”, or “it’s going to be ok.”

I have to continue this tomorrow, my husband is home and it’s time for dinner.

Happy 1st Anniversary Pappy!

Dear Pappy,

 I can’t believe how fast time went by and we have now officially crossed the one year mark of married life.  The past year had been a very busy year for us.  We were able to travel and visit new places for our honeymoon, buy new furniture together, move to our new house, had some fights, and we even had the time to make a baby of our own.  I don’t think I can remember a time in my life when I have laughed this much, nor cried this much in a year!

 I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you have done for me, and continue to do for me.  I know the last two months have been very hectic and stressful for you, not only at work, but also at home.  Though sometimes it may seem like I don’t appreciate what you do for me, I want you to know that I am thankful for every little thing that you do.  Like doing the grocery shopping, or doing the laundry, or taking me to my doctor’s appointments, or putting lotion on my feet, or massaging my back when it is aching, or doing the Christmas shopping while I am stuck in bed (on doctor's orders).  I’m sorry if I am cranky or weepy sometimes, you can blame those episodes on my being hormonal.

 I hope you enjoy your trip to China with your family this time, coz this might be a last for you in a long time, hehe.  The next time you go on another trip like this, you might have to be hauling diapers and feeding bottles as well. 

 I am looking forward to the year ahead when we welcome a new addition to our family.  I’m sure you will be as good a father to our child, as you have been a good husband to me.  I can’t wait to hear our baby start calling you “Daddy” and have you wrapped around his/her little finger, hehe. 

 I love you Pappy!  Hope you also have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's My Birthday!

Time flies... I'm now another year older, and hopefully a year wiser as well.  July is a special month for me, because aside from me celebrating my birthday this month, there are also a lot of people in my life who celebrate their birthdays in July.  They are:
- both my brothers Donald (July 15th) and Aaron (July 10th),
- my cousins Tuts (18th), Benson (28th), Hans (19th),- my Auntie Susan (24th), 
- my nephews Sean and Ryan (both 21st) and
- my "shiobe" Puwetie, who shares the same birthday as me (25th)!

  Seems like I've been celebrating my birthday since early July, hehe.  My husband gave me my presents early.  He got me an 80GB iPod and a digital photo frame.  Isn't he the sweetest?  Also treated my good friends Cheryl and Jennifer, together with their partners Rafael and Jeff, at Kimpura last July 21st and had a sumptuous teppanyaki dinner.  Finally, last Saturday, July 28th, I had a joint birthday celebration at the Outback Steakhouse with Tuts, Benson, Sean andRyan.  We tried all their specialties such as their Angus Prime Rib,  Angus Steak, Steakhouse Pasta, and Grilled Pork Chops, just to name a few.  We all had fun celebrating and having the kids make lots of noise.


My 30th year has been a good year for me.  A lot of good things and big changes happened during this time.  I officially became an aunt when my sister in law gave birth to their daughter Kaka last August 2006.  I also officially became Mrs. Chua last December 2006 and we also bought our first house together last year.  

I'm hoping that my 31st year will be as good or even better than my 30th year.  Change is good...so my first order of business for my 31st birthday is to chop off my hair, haha!  Here are some pics my husband took of my new 'do :) ... The verdict is still out whether the hair suits me or not.  But right now I'm really happywith it because it's 100x easier to manage.  

That's it for now.  Have to get some sleep, or I won't be able to wake up tomorrow. Later!