Daddy Moments

A late post for :

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers ...

What makes Bea's Papa special? Here's HIS story ...

My husband agreed to be a house husband after our daughter was born for about 2 years . It was a decision he had to make for our daughter. He was brave enough to swallow his pride and ego for her.

When I was pregnant, he quit his job and started a small business. During my pregnancy until I gave birth, the business was just barely doing okay. It was not as successful as we expected it to be. I was supposed to be the one staying home, but when Bea was 2 months old, I was offered a job, one with a better position and a better salary. We had to be practical, but at the same time, we couldn't entrust my daughter to anyone else. We both decided that I go back to work and he give up the business and be Bea' s daddynanny!

In our society, men staying at home were frowned upon. My husband had to deal with that and at the same time he had to deal with his own insecurities. Even if I say it was okay 'coz he has a job -- to take care of our princess ...  he still felt bad for not bringing in some money in our family. Yet he was able to cope with it and did a pretty good job. 

My daughter grew up well ... she was never sick ... she only went to the doctor for her vaccines. The Obsessive Compulsiveness of my husband came in handy .... 

His patience finally paid of after 2 years when he was given an opportunity to start his own business. This time it was something that he really likes -- motorcycles!! And thankfully for 2 years now his motorcycle shop is doing well. ( I guess ... hehehe)

So thankful for the sacrifice he did for us ... I don't mind that my daughter's first word was actually "papa" ....

here are my treasures ...

Messy-Go-Around 2 -- White Forest Mess!

This is my daughter's favorite cake:

This is her making a white forest mess::

This is the cake after:

I also love this cake. I think, this is the best white forest cake I've ever tasted. 

It's one of the best cakes here in Baguio. 

It's not too sweet.. The cake is really soft. 

And it's quite cheap, too (around 280 Php for a 10inch cake).

It's available at the bakeshop of Holiday Supermarket (Bokawkan Road, Baguio City).

I also like their banana bread (it's only 100 Php for one big loaf)

MM: Love You Papa

I haven't had time to write something for 

for quite sometime ... 

I've been a bit busy but I'm glad to be back!

Here's my share for this week ...

My daughter can't write letters yet, 

but if she could , 

I think she'd make a note like this:

plain and simple but extremely sweet!

That is how I would describe my daughter and my husband's relationship

PLAIN 

SIMPLE 

SWEET

I'm super amazed that my daughter got a lot of her habits 

(even the quite annoying ones) from her father. 

They're so similar .... oh well, I guess that's why I love them both, plain and simple!

The Bloggers Exchange (June-July Links)

Here's a list of wonderful blogs from 

for the months of June and July

A NATURAL MAMA
A SCHOOLING MOM’S MUTTER &SHUTTER
AKO’Y ISANG TRIPULANTE
ALL THINGS LOVABLE
BLOGGERS TECH NOTES
BLOGGIRL.US
BONZ WORLD-MY KITCHEN WORLD
CARAECLE SIBLINGS
CONSUMER MOM TALKS
CONVERSATION WITH ANGELS
CYANIDE BEAUTY 
DEFINITELY ME
FILIPINO MEDREP CAREERS EXCHANGE
FLAVORFUL EXPLORATION
FOREX AND STOCK
FREAKISH DIARY
FUDGYANDNUTTY
HAPPY MEALS
HEARTS CONTENTS OF A MAMA
SHEI BLOGGER
I LIVE TO EAT
IT’S ALL ABOUT MEH!
ITECHY
JEVANNEL
JEZNO-A TEACHER’S ONLINE JOURNAL
LATE BLOOMER BLOG
MY LIFE UNSCRIPTED
ME, THE ISLAND AND THE WORLD
MEGA SASSY
MOM’S DAUGHTER STYLE
MOM’S UPS AND DOWN
MORE THAN I CAN CHEW
MY EVERYDAY
MY PINK BLOG
MY THOUGHTS IN LETTERS
MY TRAVEL FOLIO
NSHIMA SERVINGS
PICTURE MY WORLD
PINAY MUM- MOMMY’S LIFE AROUND
PINK BLUSH
PURPLE PLUM FAIRY
POSTCARD PERFECT
REAL MEN WEAR APRONS
ROLLER COASTER RIDE
RUBY RICAFRENTE
SHORT QUOTES
STITCHES OF LIFE
THE (MIS)ADVENTURE OF SUPERBOINK!
THE 3RD ABODE:FASHION
THE ALTERNATIVE MAINSTREAM
THE BLOGERETTE’S ONLINE ADVENTURE
THE BLOGGERS JOURNAL
THE BLOGGING TRAVELLER
THE LIFE ENCOUNTERS
THE TOTTERING MAMA
VIVA FASHIONISTA
ZANY B FILES

Happy Birthday Ate Wil!

This is for my sister, Wilma. I'm so happy to know that she reads my blogs. I know she's my number 1 fan. What she doesn't is that I'm her number 1 fan, too.

I think she's about 15 years older than me. I won't go deeper on the details 'coz that would reveal her exact age and so as mine. 

We haven't really spent too much time together because she had to go the US when I was 9. We had few memories together, too few that I could even use my fingers to count them, but all will be treasured forever.

• I was there when she graduated. I was 6 or maybe 7 years old. I think we ate at a Chinese restaurant called Star Cafe (It's family tradition --- birthdays, graduations or any other special day ~ it has to be Star Cafe). That time, I didn't know what graduation meant. I just had to go to the crowded Burgos Gym of SLU and wait for my sister's name to be called. 

• After passing her exams, my sister had to work in Manila. For me, that meant waiting and expecting Goldilocks cakes (brazodemercedes) and sweets (pulvoron) every time she comes back to Baguio.

• She came home one day and she had bandages all over her nose. Worried and concerned little me asked her what happened and she said she had an accident! Now, older and wiser me knows the truth! (your secret is safe with me ... heheheh)

• When she had to migrate to the US, I was so excited because that was my first time to go to Manila, stay at a hotel, go to SM Megamall, go to the airport, and visit Nayong Filipino. Later, I realized that her leaving the country meant I wouldn't be seeing her for years.

• She had a vacation when I was in the 6th grade. I felt kinda cool in school 'coz I had a troll whose eyes lit up when you push its belly button and I was the only one who had a big bulky colorful Trapper Keeper!

• She got married in the US (without us) and she came home when I was in college with my then li'l cute niece, Michelle. It's strange but I can't remember a lot about that vacation except that she was so patient with Michelle. When the li'l miss cried out loud, my sister would put her on the stroller and push it around the garage/garden until she stops or falls asleep!

• She came back to have a church wedding, with a bit bigger and much more talkative Michelle and her husband, Kuya Jun. It was during this vacation that she met my then boyfriend, now husband, Chard. She was the first person in my family to meet him. The dinner we had with her will always be a much treasured memory of me and my husband. 

• The next time I saw her was the saddest event of our lives. It was when our father died. I was the one who broke the news to her. My husband and I were the ones who fetched her from the airport. On our way home, she told me she's glad I turned out all right. She said that she can't believe I'm all grown up with a  husband and with a daughter. She said, in her memory, I will always be that li'l 9 year old she left years ago. 

She may not have been there while I was growing but she has always been a sister to me ...

Happy Birthday ate Wil! I wish you'd win the lotto so that you could come home and build a house here and then we'd be neighbors!

Mommy Moments - Here Comes the Baby

The day my precious princess came would probably be the most memorable day of my life.

She was supposed to come out January 8, 2007 but she came as an early Christmas gift. I was scheduled for a prenatal on December 20 and after my doctor did the routine check, she said everything is okay and I should already expect and prepare for her after Christmas. 

Happy that everything was fine, my husband and I celebrated! We had a Mongolian lunch! I think I ate too much and drank too much iced tea (something I didn't usually do during the whole pregnancy because I was too cautious) We then went to the mall and my husband had a sudden urge of buying new shoes. Big bulky me tagged along as we looked for shoes for the King! After finding the right pair, we went home, but later that afternoon, my sister-in-law told my husband that she has already  bought Christmas presents for everyone. We haven't bought a single gift! We headed back to the mall to shop for gifts 'til the shops closed. I was so exhausted that day but was extremely happy. 

I woke up 2am the next day 'coz I felt something strange. My waterbag broke! I woke my husband up and he did not know what to do. He was not sure if he's going to start the car or would just stay with me! Except for some watery stuff coming out ... I was actually okay. There was no pain at all! I managed to get dressed and get the "bag" (prepared by my excited mom-in-law a.k.a first time grandma)

While driving he was so worried because I don't feel pain. He said I should feel labor pains if I'm about to deliver a baby! That's really strange --- why would he wish me PAIN! Luckily, my nervous husband was able to drive me to the hospital. And the good news --- they said that she's coming .... 

At around 5am ... my in-laws were in the hospital. I was still pain free! My doctor checked me around 9am. I started to feel tinee tiny pain which I pass to my husband by pinching his hand! It was only until 10 am that I started to feel PAIN  .... real PAIN ... but the owner of the hand I'm pinching was nowhere in sight! I was only left with my mom-in-law ... I wished my mom was there but she can't come immediately 'coz she lives in another town. The PAIN continued until around noon ... 

At around 1 pm ... I was ushered to the delivery room ... I walked!!!! My doctor then arrived around 2pm ... the princess is really COMING ... after a few big pushes .... one white princess was placed on top of my belly ... it was around 2:31pm! 

And my life was changed since then ...

Here are photos of her arrival ....

The princess at 2 hours old!

The princess with mama queen and papa king!

Home@ last!

With proud first time grandparents!

Here's a fairy tale version of her arrival 

 

Check out how other princes and princesses arrived here ...

Mommy Moments - Preggy Tales

I was a bit nervous when I found out I was pregnant the first time. Then I felt really excited, super excited that we already have thought of a unisex name for it. Only to be devastated after I had my ultrasound. It turned out my pregnancy was a blighted ovum. As explained by my doctor that time, a blighted ovum, also called an anembryonic pregnancy, happens when for some reason the fertilized egg in the uterus does not continue to develop. I was supposed to be 3 weeks pregnant. I felt really bad ... I thought I might have done something wrong that caused that. Though, according to my doctor, it was natural, it could happen to anyone. 

The second time, so as not to jinx it, I did not want to be super excited. But I was really happy to see those two lines. And was even happier to find out that it had a heartbeat!! A really fast and normal heartbeat!! I was so relieved. I was really cautious ...  0 drop of a alcohol .... 0 drop of cola and other sugary beverage ....  0 drop of coffee (ooopsss ... maybe I had a few drops) ... but I'm a bit guilty eating some ice cream (I think more than some ... ) I'm a very clumsy person (I trip, slip, slide, etc. ... frequently!!!) but ... amazingly ... I only tripped once during the whole pregnancy ... 

9 months later ... I was blessed with one healthy and lovely baby girl ...

And this princess love hearing the fairy tale version of how she was born  ...

4 years later ... she's still one healthy and lovely girl ...

I'm so blessed to be a mom and to be entrusted with this wonderful angel. Happy Mother's day to my mom, my mom-in-law, and  my sisters!!! Happy mother's day everyone!!!

Check out other wonderful preggy tales @

Messy-Go-Around 1

I want to join this new meme called Messy Go Around.

 

It's supposed to be about our kids messing around! I can't find recent pictures of Bea messing around but I found these :

Pictures were taken 3 years ago. It was taken at her grandparents driveway. She enjoyed playing with some dirt! Hehehe! Look closer .... you'll see something coming down from her nose ....

Pink Barbie!

My daughter, Bea, loves anything pink and anything that has Barbie on it. So, last Friday, when we went to the mall, even if she promised she won't buy anything, she was able to persuade us to add these two items in our shopping basket:

A Barbie cologne - which according to my expert daughter is NOT a cologne but a PERFUME!!!!
A Barbie toothpaste - which she really loves 'coz it's strawberry flavored.

My first post for:

Mommy Moments - Black and White and ...

This is one of my favorite tricks in photoshop ....

Black and White and PINK

Picture was taken on my sister-in-law's wedding. 
My daughter was the smallest and youngest flower girl. 
She was the last one to get dressed! 
She practiced walking in the hotel corridor and she was very good 
but she had tantrums at the church and I had to carry her all the way to the altar!

Black and White and VIOLET

Picture was taken during a storm. 

We had no electricity and the princess was so bored!

Check out other BLACK&WHITEs @

Mommy Moments - Rainbow Colors

For this week's Mommy Moments' Rainbow colors, I'm choosing a digiscrap  I made for my daughter months ago:

Pictures were taken when she was more than a year old. Her background was actually a rainbow colored inflatable swimming pool. I made this to show her that life is wonderful and colorful and should be enjoyed to the fullest!

Have a wonderful and colorful day everyone!

Check out other rainbow insights @ 

She's a Red Haired Bitch and I Hate Her

Finally,  I got to read the 5th book of the Shopaholic series,

This is really long overdue 'coz I read the other 4 books, I think, more than a year ago. So thanks to my student, Isabella, for lending me her copy. Since I'm a stingy person, even if I really adore how Kinsella writes and Rebecca's character, I just patiently wait for someone to lend me a copy. Is there anyone who has a copy of Mini Shopaholic?

Anyway, let's talk about my title ....

The baby only came out on the last part of the book so the red haired bitch is really the main focus of the story.

Rebecca, being pregnant and all, heard about a celebrity obstetrician named Venetia Carter and begged Luke (Becky's husband) that they see her instead of their old doctor. Venetia turned out to be a young red haired and voluptuous doctor. And coincidentally, Luke's ex girlfriend! So how about that for a conflict!

Venetia acted friendly and kind and perfect around the unsuspecting Luke. Becky felt uncomfortable and had this instinct that Venetia was up to something. She even hired a detective (who followed the wrong guy!) 

Becky later confided this to her designer friend, Danny, who was so inspired he made it into a t-shirt design like this  ...

(Ooooopppssss ... sorry, just change blonde to red haired ....)

Venetia saw this and confronted Becky telling her that Luke's going to leave her (Becky) after she gives birth so that they (Luke and Venetia) can be together. Becky was about to give up but later found the courage to save their marriage by writing a 17 page (or was it 18) letter to Luke. Anyway, it turned out that it was only Venetia imagining things and the oh so charming Luke will never replace the ever so cute Becky.

I hated the red haired bitch while I was reading this. I think if there is a red haired bitch in my life, I wouldn't be as charming as Becky.

I love how Kinsella presents real life problems in a very funny way ...

Again, is there anyone who has a copy of Mini Shopaholic and is willing to lend me?

Mommy Moments - Birthday Photo

I've always wanted a picnic party for my daughter. So last December 2010, we celebrated her 4th birthday in Camp John Hay. I prepared everything ... cupcakes, pink balloons, and a pink shirt dress that matches my princess' personality. She was so excited!

What I didn't prepare for was that swing hitting my princess and giving her bruises on her nose.

She was too sad to even blow her candles and smile for the camera.....

She didn't get to play with her guests ... she was just beside gramma all the time ....

She later played with her friends but she wasn't as energetic ....

But when we went home and she had time to really check her gifts ... she forgot all about the accident and she was back to normal as if nothing happened. She had crowns, sandals, dresses, crayons and books and she was so happy ....

The bruises are gone but I still feel bad when I remember this day. But I'm still thankful that I have a smart, healthy and lovely 4 year old ... that's the only thing that matters.

This is my first post for: