recent pics =)

our little tyke @ 6 weeks old =)

favorite hobby

playtime with the best kuya!

God's msg via FB =)

... that every little part of you is magical. Yes, even the parts that hurt, even the ones that are feeling disease right now. It's alright to love what is in pain. More than alright, that's ...exactly where your love is needed the most. So... why not touch that part that hurts and smile at it, at yourself through it, and whisper: ''I love you.''

ME time

I went out after lunch today by myself to have some ME time at the mall. I hardly do this anymore or I must say, I don't do this anymore. I always have my hubby or brothers to drive for me if I have to go to the mall, buy groceries from the supermarket or to do an errand. Otherwise, i'd be taking a cab instead because I am a self-confessed lazy driver...

For a starter, I got myself Jodi Picoult's -My Sister's Keeper (been wanting to watch the film but I have to read the book first or else- i'll forget about reading it na :D). I also got two tagalog books for Kian's Yaya Susan hehe (so she won't get bored if the little tod is asleep).

Finally, finally - I already made time for a hair treatment today. I wanted one even before getting pregnant but didn't have the luxuryof time to do so because of work and other family events. Then, I found out that I was preggers so totally no chemicals or whatsoever na talaga for my body at that time. I actually had a haircut at Menage Salon last week but it seems the hair didn't cooperate at all. Hehe, the style was nice and fashionable but the hair is just so dry so overall it looked so dull :( I spent three hours at the salon today for a hair treatment while the little tod is having his afternoon siesta :) Yahoo!

Yes, its ME time but still the mommy can't help but think of what her boys need:) I got kuya his Vitamin C. We're trying out a new brand. He's been coughing and sneezing again, it seems the old brand isn't working anymore.

I got our Kian a new set of baby blue tie-side shirt and a pair of bottoms from St. Patrick Collections (my mom used to buy ruffled dresses from the same brand when I was still a baby) for his pedia check-up. The onesies that we bought before and those that were given as gift are still big so baby ends up using his "pambahay" clothes when going out. Of course, the mommy is excited to dress him up so i'm splurging a little amount if the tod is going out for "pasyal" :P

I am blogging while the baby is still sleeping and I am about to tutor kuya in a bit again :)

Domestic bliss...

kian's first month

we are celebrating our sweet pea's first month today! =)
love you baby kian! =)

it'll a very long and exciting day for us. it's my first time to give the baby his morning bath without grandma (mama zeny), who usually bonds with the baby every morning! for about a month since baby kian was brought home from the hospital, the doting lola would wake up the baby for his morning sunlight and sponge bath. now ko lang nasolo because my mom went home to check our house in ilocos. i did cut his nails too! gwapo baby and his growing na =) hehe the chubby face is getting bigger everyday. the baby's got a big appetite u know! but the arms and legs are still payat =( maybe because a loonggg baby! hehe!

it's our first ever family day-out today =) we are attending this event in Crowne Plaza Hotel for newborn babies =) i'm excited! baby and i will do some yoga and stretching! daddy and kuya kyle will be there too to cheer and take photos. =)

super kuya taking care of baby kian! :)

two movies that i've been meaning to watch...

Our little boy at two weeks :)

We went to his pedia last Wednesday for his scheduled BCG shot. The daddy is not so friendly with needles so he had to excuse himself out of the room during the shot. Everything went well. Baby Kian gained 1lb from the time of his birth. Our pedia said, babies normally lose weight in the first two weeks of their lives. I got a little worried kasi why parang di sya tumaba. I am worried that my breastmilk might not be enough but according to the doctor the sweet pea is very well and healthy - so I don't have to worry about anything.

Breastfeeding challenge.

I was a bit worried that he wouldn't latch properly when we were still at the hospital but I am trying my very best because I really want him to get enough milk. When we got home, he learned how to latch! Lo and behold! He wouldn't stop. My breast were sore and my nips cracked already. Supportive hubby would massage while I breastfeed. My mom bought a Tommee Tippee breast pump for me to use while I rest and let my sore breast heal. Hehe! parang major event everytime mag-feed si baby! :D I also asked help from my mommy friends over the week and I am very thankful for the very informative and useful advise that they gave me. And truly this is all about relationship with your little one. Now, Kian already learned to latch properly and I am not that hurt anymore.

Kian's ride.

The parents were excited to buy a stroller this week. There were so many good and expensive brands to choose from at Baby & Co. -if only we have a deep well of money then we will definitely not think twice about getting brands like Quinny or Mclaren. These are really good brands. But as parents, we have to save up for the rainy days so we had to say NO to to these 20k worth of strollers. We were also looking into other brands like Chicco or Graco. They have strollers that costs less than 10k. Not until this new brand caught our eyes! Goodbaby Strollers are manufactured in China but are distributed worldwide - mostly in the US and European countries. I asked hubby to check it it out. Of course, we wouldn't want to compromise our little tod's safety so we had to make sure :) Looks safe and good to us. We got the red! We're planning to go back for the car seat later on.

hello world =)

hello everyone!

I got excited and decided to pop out a little early than expected :)

My name is John Konstantine A. Pimentel

call me KIAN for short :)

I was born July 08, 2009 at around 8:32pm

at the Makati Medical Center

I weigh 6.14lbs (healthy and strong!)

and I am about 48cm long (tall like daddy!)

Mommy and daddy are celebrating of course! Everyone's excited!

My kuya kyle was in the hospital too waiting :D

Mom will say more about d-day in her next post

(teehee! when i've given her enough sleep already)

**********

kuddos to my daddy!

48hours of no sleep! from work, he met up with mommy for her weekly check-up -not thinking that i was on my way out already :D he had to rush back home and get mommy's hospital bag! He's been doing so well taking care of me and mommy for the past days!

(but dad, you have to learn to carry me ok?! I won't fall promise :P).

i'm a proud baby! i have the best dad! :)

points to ponder

got this email from my friend tricia days ago but had the chance to read it just now...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items infront of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you torecognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always betime to clean the house and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first-- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple cups of coffee with a friend."

*****
Breathe...

random (waiting for d-day)

I finally bought b. boy his Tommee Tippee bottles. Couldn't wait for donations anymore.Hehe! I figured this is what I really want for our lil' one so why not get it for him right?! We are extremely frequenting all these baby stores for a couple of weekends already. Nakakaloka all the cute stuffs that we want to buy for b. boy. Even kuya is gettting addicted already. We went to Baby & Co Podium last Sunday because Kyle wanted to buy these cute socks that he saw a week ago for his "ading" (an Ilocano term for a younger sib)- then he saw these squirking toy for newborn babies and he wanted to get it as well. We tried to stop him but he got mad- kasi it's his money naman daw. Yes folks, kuya's been saving for his lil' bro's welcome present too! So there, he bought four pairs of super cute socks and a newborn toy for b. boy. (I shall post the pics after Saturday). So loving, generous and thoughful kuya Kyle. Mom and dad are so proud :)

******

Met up with my bestfriend Mar last Friday night at the new Eastwood mall. At last! we've become so busy with work and yes we are getting old and yes- she is still complicated (rather - she still dates complicated men!) There's so much catching up to do! We've been missing so much. We had coffee at Starbucks so we can have more time to update each others' lives. Oh, I had to drag her to Babyland and Toytown for some baby shopping also. (Yeah, priorities change- Babyland vs Steve Madden :D ) My loots that night- a flashcard brain stimulator for infants, a cute puppy bath towel and a non-toxic liquid soap for cleaning b. boy's feeding bottles. I got him a cute bib that matches one of his outfits too! :)

******

saw Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs with kuya and hubby over the weekend. The film was hilarious!

*****

Nearing d-day, mommy is becoming anxious and impatient. Maybe it's because of the big belly and the swelling feet hehe. And my body is aching badly. I hardly sleep at night anymore which means I have a hard time waking up in teh morning, but as practiced, I still wake up to preapre Kyle for school even if we have helpers around who can do it for me. I love being a mommy to Kyle. He can actually fixed himself alreadyfor as early as 3-4 yrs old but even with that, I still make sure to wake up and look after him while he prepares himself to school. Soon, kuya will grow and will not need me to look after him, but I want him to remember that mommy is just around when he calls out for a towel or warm water...

I am excited about the stuffs that i've been collecting for b.boy. I so love extraordinary and personally designed onesies- not the typical white ones. I've been collecting cute designs -mostly cars, truck, play balls and cute designs made by local mom-preneurs on-line :) I find munchkin products interesting too! very colorful and vibrant! I already bought a blue bottle & nipple brush today (non-slip grip) and I am planning to go back for the formula dispensers, medicators, soft-tip infant spoons and fun ice chewy teethers :) Oh life! magastos pero masaya! :D

*******

Hospital bag for mommy & b. boy - all set!

Pelvic Ultrasound done last Sat at Medical City - everything normal! Thank God! :)

Weekly check-up scheduled on Wednesday. Hay!!! Can't wait na talaga!

Endorsements due to finish this week. Maternity Leave filed. Excited to be just home and play mommy to my kids and full-time wife to my hardworking hubby! :) Perfect! :)

*******

the baby ticker is making me impatient already :D c'mon!

feeding bottles

Ok, call me anxious and all but I am really going crazy and gaga over all these BPA issues that's been circulating the net for months now. A mommy friend of me and hubby sent us a post few weeks back which resulted to me changing my feeding bottle preference from one brand to another. As parents, Jp and I would want what's best for our kids of course.

Prior to all the BPA issues, we already ordered Avent feeding bottles from a relative in the US. We've heard so many good reviews and feedback from close family and friends who used these for their babies and kiddos - so it was really frustrating to hear negative notes about Avent containing Bisphenol A - in their clear bottles. We went to check Baby and Co. for their BPA free Avent bottles (honey-colored) but the price is outrageous!



I had to look for other options- feeding bottle that is cheaper but not compromising b. boy's safety and health of course. I learned about Tommee Tippee BPA- free bottles. I like their Closer to Nature set. Very very clean and the teat designed to mimic the natural flex and feel of a mum's breast. This is perfect for mommies like me who will be breastfeeding and bottle feed at the same time. The price here in Manila is actually cheaper than Avent. A set of three in SM's Baby section is around Php1300 (you get one bottle free as part of their promotion/ being offered only while supplies lasts). Look below, isn't this chubby bottle cute!?? :) But I am a still bit hesitant to get this brand as well because I don't know anyone who've tried using it.


Last among my top picks is Gerber's Gentle Flow feeding bottles. I found a mompreneur on-line who sells a set of three for only Php800. Good deal right?! But I am still having the price checked in the US though- for comparison. I might end up with these bottles already. It's BPA-free and a lot more cheaper than my two other choices. I ws told that these bottles are even better than Avent. I love the colors too! :) very baby and so dainty! :P

Photo Credit: www. amazon.com

Informative Post about the effects of Bisphenol-A (BPA)

here, here and here.

father's day

celebrating father's day at thai kitchen.

happy happy father's day again to the best dad! :)

(next year we're celebrating with two boys already! can't wait!)

thanks for the love and thoughfulness.

i want to tell you that- i am the proudest and happiest wife!

happy birthday mama =)

happy happy birthday to our everdearest mama! =) we had simple dinner at home last night. mama prepared home made lumpiang ubod (yummy!). we had pasta and bbq also. for dessert, I made kiwi float (hubby's request) and mango float (kyle's request and favorite). my mother in law ordered this yummy dayap chiffon cake from the chocolate kiss cafe . something new to add to our list of favorites =) i just realized now that we had more desserts last night than the main course! teehee!

it was Philippine Independence Day holiday in Manila last Friday. Hubby and I treated kuya :). Last hurrah before the schoolyear starts! :) We got him his PS3 game (sorry I forgot the cd's title) from Blitz and his animated TRANSFORMER robot from Toy Kingdom. We had lunch at our favorite Rack's (where else?!!) before heading home for our afternoon siesta :)

happy days! :)

baby shower at Mr Kurosawa

loving cousin in laws prepared a baby shower for me last June 6 at Mr Kurosawa (a funky Jap-resto at the new Eastwood Mall - with the likes of John & Yoko in Greenbelt 5). We had so much fun and girl bonding. I love that it's quiet and very intimate.


I got most of what I don't have yet :) Receiving blankets and newborn side-snap shirts from ate ina, adorable infant socks from sassy, goat's milk baby lotion and soaps from kara, newborn diapers from nina and very useful baby bouncers from ria & my sister in law pebbles.(yup! theye got the same gifts for b. boy) we had to have ria's gift replaced the day after because it would be impractical to have two bouncers for baby. we bought other necessities instead. newborn avent feeding bottles, diaper gauze and frog suits. super exciting! can't wait for b. boy to arrive.



taken eastwood mall after the baby shower. met up with the husbands and we went malling while the kids played at timezone. great family bonding for everyone! :)

(l-r) nina.ina.ria.preggy tin.kara.sassy. love you all! :)

Along Came Baby

i hope we can find time to go and visit this baby bazaar on Sunday at The Fort. I'd love to see cute stuffs for b. boy there :) it'll be an awesome bonding for me and the two boys if ever...

b. boy's first gift from grandma! :)

again, i must say that i am definitely one of the luckiest daughter-in-law for having such a thoughtful, loving and generous mother-in-law. (sometimes nga over na that me and my husband would find a way to stop her! hehe!). last weekend, we headed over to the mall to get kyle's new school bag and uniform pants. MIL went with us to check on the the baby cribs/ playpens for her "apo" at baby company. so there, the excited lola ended up getting a crib for b. boy already :)

like normal parents who would always want the best for their babies/kids, hubby and i ended up reseraching for this and that brands for the obvious and given reasons: we want our b. boy to be comfortable and safe :) we initially wanted a white wooden crib for the room but then again, we had to consider so many things first. one is if we are to get a wooden crib, it will be hard for us to mobilize it to any other place in the house whenever needed. we then thought of getting a graco or chicco playpen/crib instead because of good recommendations. for about teh same price,we ended up getting the latter because of it's better and more useful features.

you can view product info here.

random

currently reading....
God's Little Devotional Book. a gift from my good friend naomi and our ninang baby on my birthday. my every night reading before going to sleep...

What to Expect When You're Expecting. our cousin's partner, Ria lent me this book when she found out that we are expecting. very very informative and useful :)

Pregnancy and Baby's First Year. bought this book months back and i find it very very informative and practical. an advantage- the book is published here in Manila- er the inputs are not so complicated and very much easier to understand and follow :) a perfect guide book for pregnany mommies out there!

my boys went on a date last Sunday while I stayed home to bond with my mother in law. they went to see Harlem Globetrotters Tour Philippines at the big dome. it's boys night out for them!:)

we had late dinner at stackers, a burger cafe that recently opened in eastwood city.

weekends are never enough...

onesies

hubby and i spend most of our weekends looking and shopping for cute baby stuffs! we started buying the basic cotton newborn tees, mittens, booties already but i've been meaning to look for other cute and stuffs for b. boy!:) something unique, crazy and cute!




found these cute dino (carter's), trucks (fisher price) onesies in one of our routinary malling on weekends! :) i wanted to buy more but the rest of the designs were for little princesses already:D so i had to settle for these two :)

bought this cute bibs too in one of the summer bazaars in tiendesitas :) winnie the pooh used to be kyle's theme when he was a baby. his room, his toys, blankets! everything! now, hubby and i are looking into more sporty themes like basketball, soccer and cars the baby coming!:)

got a number of onesies and baby shirts too! some are still big for a newborn, but i just can't help to be "atat' whenever i see cute stuffs for b.boy :) i normally go window shopping with my two boys! happy to see the two very excited as well!

breaktifasty!!!

I don't normally get excited about breakfast. My mom would know. In my grade school days, she would normally feed me for long hours! I would let the food stay in my mouth and end up throwing it out. Yucky! I would end up crying because she'd get mad. That's our everyday drama even until when I entered highschool already. In college, I would end up leaving the house with my stomach empty(bec my mom is not there to check on me anymore). I don't know, I just don't like being forced to eat in the morning - when I actually just woke up. Ironically, I love breakfast food like tapa, longganisa, tocino, spanish sardines and so many others. But I would want to eat them at a later time in the morning.


Now that I am working, I normally eat my breakfast in the office instead. I wake up, take a shower, dress up and leave for work right away. Eating breakfast is not part of my routine at home. I normally eat my breakfast or drink my coffee an hour or more after I get to work, after i've settled myself and answered a number of my emails and phone calls. I recently found breakfast love in these stalls that recently opened in our 7th floor cafeteria: cerealicious ( i love their blockbuster cereal trails!) and panini (love their bacon lettuce and tomato!). There's another stall that offers organic brewed coffee and I am excited to try this after I give birth. Yes, when the baby's out! :P



On weekends, I look forward to breakfast only because then I know that i'll be with my family. Saturdays- is "breakfast day" in our house. My mother in law would normally hosts breakfast for the whole clan. It's been like that traditionally even before I met my husband. It may be tiring at some point (esp if you were out late on a Friday hehe) but nonetheless these Saturdays are very meaningful and important to everyone in the family esp my mother in law and her sisters :)


I love quiet breakfasts with my husband. We would normally do this on Sundays before mass. We are lucky to have a few personalized and quaint cafes in our area that's good enough for a perfect breakfast. Our favorites: Banapple and Kopi Roti (both located outside our village).I believe we will never grow old doing this together :)

(with husband taken at kopi roti. some two years ago :) kyle took this photo!)

busy bee

My hands are tied up on a Monday and yes this is me - a WORKING MOM! (a bundat-working-mommy). For weeks i've been trying work and manage my schedule and make sure that I attend to everything equally. This is the hardest part though... with the big tummy and b. boy stretching and kicking inside my womb (like as if he just ate a huge chocolate bar), I know I have to start slowing down. I am officially on my 30th week and i'm lucky that this pregnancy is very cooperative. Except of course, when the back aches strikes at night.

I want to list my MUST DO for this week.. Yes it's Monday and I feel that the next four-six days is not enough for me to finish my wifey, mommy and work assignments. Wheeeww!!!!

• finish weekly menu for the house
• grocery
• buy new set of tea plants
• coordinate with gardener for the frontyard trimmings
• buy new set of uniforms for Kyle (he's grown!)
• buy new bag and schol supplies for Kyle
• cover books/ notebooks for the Kyle
• call Kumon center
• resume general cleaning (Kyle's room and ours -both in major need of spring cleaning before b. boy arrives)
• See Dr Michael Gan for my sugar consultation and diet
• OB check-up (we have to visit every two weeks now)
• join mama's garage sale on Saturday
• attend Parenting Seminar (for expectant moms) on Saturday (1-4pm)
• prepare homemade dessert for hubby (been wanting to do this for two weeks now)
• work on my soap orders/ new webpage
• attend baby shower planned by officemates (supposedly a surprise thing but someone slipped & just had to spoil it unintentionally! haha!
• have my nails done! (pending for one month already!)
• get myself a comfy flat formal slippers that I can wear to work (the heavy weight is making it hard for me to walk around the office and do my daily sales calls already. yes, my feet got bigger!yikes!)
• work on client proposals
• submit accreditation requirements
• submit weekly report and itin to my boss
• meeting with important client on Wed pm

• file FTS for end of the month payroll
• schedule dentist apppintment for me and my two boys
• hopefully visit Manila Ocean Park on Sunday (last hurrah for Kyle before the end of his summer vacation)
• check out crib and stroller at Baby & Co this weekend
• update my solace more often inspite of the busy schedule

I hope to accomplish everything this week or maybe in the next two weeks. Most of these are urgent and I really have to finish them. One important self reminder though: slow down honey!

we're having a boy! :)

Yup, it's another baby boy! :) and of course my two boys are very very excited! Thank God everything's safe and normal! :) Except of course that I have to cut down my sugar for now! no chocolates & cakes for now. sob. :( We strarted shopping for baby stuffs already. I can't wait for b. boy to come out. Kyle is very excited too! I admire him for being so "kuya"! He's been talking about the baby from day one. And mind you, he's very strict too! Haha! I am guarded!:D

back now :)

It's been centuries .I know I had to sacrifice time for blogging in exchange of my wifey,mommy duties and so many other responsibilities that caught me off guard for the past months. Truly, I missed blogging and so with reading posts from my favorite bloggers as well. And because of not being able to blog for the longest time, it took me a while to gather my thoughts and start writing again. Teehee! I do not know which ones to blog first! From last year to this date- were so many spectacular experiences and events that's worth sharing. I will try my best though to sum it all up and be able to share with you my most tiring and busiest year ever- yet the most memorable and blessed year as well. :)