Life-changing 2018

If there’s one word to describe this year that’s about to end, it’s life-changing.✨ A lot of big things happened that made me say so, both externally and internally. Jesus, as usual, has blessed us with so much more than we deserve, and I'm listing down the best three below.

Our Seventh Merry Little Christmas

Happy ho ho ho from the DLRs!🎅

Our Graceful Little Dancer

Last week, Lia danced in front of a big crowd for the very first time!😙 It was their school's annual Christmas program held at Tanghalang Haribon inside Insular Life Building in Alabang. Rolly and I were extremely proud!😍 Watch the video below, she's the graceful girl in front, right side.

The Baptism of Pietro Joaquin

Last Saturday, 15th of December 2018, our son received the holy sacrament of baptism.  Welcome to the Roman Catholic Church, baby Rocco!

The ceremony was held at the Good Shepherd Parish; lunch followed at TGI Friday's, Vista Mall. 

Our family of four at the church 

Rocco at Two Months

Happy 2nd month, our bochog baby! 🐷  I must say, your weight gain is impressive! Hehe. Those chubby cheeks have started to swell after you're past month one, and you're looking cuter and cuter by the day. Squishy yummy!😍

Rocco's Photos by The Stork Studio

Our matinee idol-to-be has started his career early!😎  At 12 days old, he was the subject of The Stork Studio's discriminating lens. Hehe. But kidding and this mommy's pride aside, don't you find our little boy soooo adorable in these photos?💙 He was 12 days fresh from my womb when these were shot, so he's still so small and without the layers of fat he now sports. 

Rocco at One Month

I can't believe it's been one full month since you, our dear little boy, came into our lives! I was only a 'girl mom' for almost four years, and now I am a 'boy mom' too which has made my motherhood journey so much more exciting!👶

Giving Birth at Asian Hospital

When I gave birth to our firstborn Lia, the choice of hospital was easy from the beginning. It was my first time then and we wanted D-day to happen at Asian Hospital so we wouldn’t have anything to worry about - the facilities were state-of-the-art and we knew the medical team would give me and the baby the best care possible. This time with our second baby, I entertained the idea of giving birth at another hospital for practical reasons. Hubby shot down the suggestion, however, and he won. Asian might cost us an arm and a leg again, but it’s worth the peace of mind, he said. 

photo borrowed from Google Images

Lia Meets Rocco

Being the only child for 3 years and a half, we had always wondered how Lia would react once she sees her baby brother in the flesh. When Rocco was still in my tummy, Lia's feelings about him were erratic. Sometimes she'd say she loves him, other times she won't answer when asked. Hehe.  We tried explaining things to her about her soon-to-be-born brother, that she would soon be an ate. We also made her watch episodes of Daniel Tiger where Daniel's mom became pregnant and gave birth to his baby sister. Slowly but surely, we felt she understood to a certain extent, and somehow, we felt she was ready.

Then came D-day when Rocco was finally allowed to room in with us at the hospital.  Hubby immediately went home to get Lia, we were very excited about their first meetup! 👧👶 How did it go?  Watch this. 📹

The Birth Story of Pietro Joaquin

I am a brand new mother of two!💖 Last week, 13th of October 2018, our baby boy, a.k.a. Dumpling, was born. We named him Pietro Joaquin, the nickname is Rocco. Pietro is the Italian form of Peter which means “rock,” while Joaquin is the Spanish form of Joachim which means “God gives strength.” A name combination that’s apt for a strong boy that God has given us. Both names are also names of two saints: St. Peter the Rock and St. Joachim, the father of Mama Mary.

Pietro Joaquin Del Pilar - Delos Reyes
Born on 13 October 2018 at 5:30am
5 lbs and 9 oz

A Price Survey of Milk Brands for Kids 3 Years and Up

Are you a mom like me whose kid is over 3? Then you know the choices out there when it comes to milk. Though there are many factors when deciding the milk brand for your kid, there's no denying that price is a consideration.💰 Since I was at the supermarket yesterday and doing price surveys is just routine in my line of work, I thought of doing a scan of milk price tags for the benefit of moms who want to do cost comparisons but don't have the time.

In no particular order:

Disclaimer: Photos from Google Images.

Price Survey done at SM Supermarket, SM Southmall.

Date: October 11, 2018

Some photos do not match the actual SKU size I surveyed so it's better

to refer to the caption than the picture. ;)

Pediasure Plus (Preschool Age)
1.6kg: PhP 1,899.50
1.2kg: PhP 1,347.50
850g: PhP 1,099.50

Boosting Milk Supply with Malunggay 🌿

Yippee! Dumpling and I have finally reached 37 weeks and it's truly an answered prayer!🙏  Thank You, Lord! It's very timely that today is my first day of maternity leave, I no longer have to drive myself to work (Las Pinas - Makati - Las Pinas) every day.  With my oversized belly that looks as if I'm carrying multiples, it's hard to be behind the steering wheel because it already touches my tummy.  Last week, I had to adjust the driver's seat so that it's farther from the manibela, but that meant my not-so-long legs would exert a little bit of effort reaching the gas and brake pedals. Hehe. Hashtag BuntisNaBulilit  problems.🤣

Anyway, as part of our preps for Dumpling's arrival, I have already started taking malunggay capsules to aid me in my breastfeeding plan.  It's among the herbal supplements popular in the country as a galactagogue (milk-stimulating food), similar to fenugreek, fennel, milk thistle, and cumin.  

Photo from Google Images

Our Marriage Encounter Weekend

Hubby and I will be celebrating our 6th year wedding anniversary on November 8, and we’ve always wanted to go to a retreat for married couples. But since I’m giving birth soon, we know we cannot squeeze in a weekend to ourselves in November. So sakto, even when my belly looks like a big balloon about to burst, we decided to go for it last weekend, Friday night to Sunday afternoon. 

My Birth Plan

I recently saw this meme online. 

I don’t know for sure how true this statement is, others say it’s a hoax for there is no simple way to quantify the pain of childbirth and the pain varies widely based on a huge variety of factors. But if there’s a grain of truth to it, won’t we, moms, want to minimize the agony as much as possible? Wouldn’t we want to make the experience as least tormenting as possible? I would. And this is where my birth plan would play a part. 

Almost 35 Weeks

Dear Dumpling,

Tomorrow, we'll be clocking in at 35 weeks already!🤰🏻 I gave birth to your ate Lia at 37 weeks, so I can't help but wonder if you're coming out at 37, too.  Perhaps you will? Because my belly looks like I'm way past due already! This bump you're making is incredibly huge that people always get the impression I'm about to pop any time.🎈  Are you humongous, my love?  The ultrasound says you're just the right size, unless you've accumulated heaps of fat after the scan.  To be honest, I am a little scared that I might need to deliver you via CS.  Huhuhu.  I hope not.  But if that's how God wants you to come into this world, then so be it.  As long as you are healthy and normal and happy, then it's perfect.💓

Buntis Memories With My Baby Boy👶

We are so excited about Dumpling's arrival!👶 We have a few more weeks to go and before it finally happens, hubby and I wanted to document my pregnant belly with our (still) family of three. We did the photo shoot at home when I was 31 weeks along.🤰🏻

Ate Lia's so giddy! :)

Bad hair day, but ate Lia doesn't care! =D

The Little Man in 3D and 4D

Ever since I got pregnant for the second time, I've always wondered how baby number 2 would look like.  Will he be a carbon copy of his sister, or will they look like they're not siblings at all? Will hubby's chinky eyes win this time, or will it still be my peepers? Well, after we saw Dumpling in 3D and 4D ultrasound last weekend, we now have a clue!👶

Look at the little man!

Little Dumpling

Dumpling’s Congenital Anomaly Scan

Last Tuesday was my birthday, and it was also the day when we had Dumpling’s CAS (congenital anomaly scan) scheduled. My husband and I were supposed to go on a road trip to Tagaytay, but I changed my mind because I knew that on my birthday, the gift I wanted to receive is the knowledge that our baby is doing well in my tummy. Thank God there was still an available slot at Asian Hospital, so off we went. 

Dumpling is a Boy!👦

We finally know what our Dumpling has been hiding between those legs --- a little birdie!🐥 Hehe. We’re having a baby boy! 

Cutie putotoy! 😁

Your ate Lia is soo happy holding your shoes, dumpling! 😁

Lia's First Day of Real School

June 18 was a milestone for our little Lia --- it was her first day of ‘real school’!😁 Waaaah, how time flies! Now, she already wears a uniform and her classes are daily. Truly, a legit schoolgirl our daughter already is. 💖

Glucose Test Round 2

Three and a half years ago, I wrote about my "glucose challenge" when I was pregnant with Lia.  And now that I'm preggers with Dumpling, I just went thru another glucose test!  It happened last Saturday, 16th of June.

The process this time wasn't exactly the same as my first, though I still had to fast for 8-10 hours prior to the blood extraction.  When I got to the lab at Asian Hospital, I was given this super cold glucose drink that I had to drink within 5 minutes while the nurse was watching. They say others can't stand how sweet this tastes, but to me, it was easy-peasy!👌 I think I finished it in less than a minute!  Hehe.  It just tasted like sweet samalamig without the gulaman, yuuum! 

Why Lia Loves Her Daddy 💖

Dear Daddy,

Why do I love thee? 💖

I love you because you play with me like it's the most enjoyable thing in the world.  Even if you're busy or tired or sleepy, you make time for me because you know I'd be happy.

Pietro or Patria? 👶

Dumpling and I are 20 weeks and 4 days along today, and if I go get an ultrasound scan now, we can already find out his/her gender! Waaaah, we're super excited to know already! Everyone guesses/wishes that it's a boy this time, since our firstborn Lia is a girl.  Sabi nila, para quota na.  With Lia before, I knew in my heart I wanted a girl.  But this time, I honestly don't have a secret wish.  As long as s/he is healthy and normal and 'happycute'  like Lia, then it's perfect.💓

Dumpling's Da Moves 😄

I can already feel Dumpling's da moves, yipeee! I could have felt it earlier than this week, but I wasn't sure because the flutters felt so small and were very short.  This week, however, our tiny baby with the size of an heirloom tomato was perhaps a little more active with continuous dives and wiggles, and I knew it.  It's him (or her). 👶

Thank you for your every movement, my love, that assures me you're happy and healthy inside mommy's tummy.  I can't wait to see you again on ultrasound, and by then we'll already know if you're a boy or a girl.  Either is perfect! Daddy and I and ate Lia love you! 💖

Dream Come True ⭐

It was last September when Dream Number 2 was officially kicked off. And a little over than 7 months later, we’re finally “living in that dream” --- our house is finished and we’ve already moved in! Yippee! Thank You Lord! 🙏

Dreams really do come true if you turn them into prayers as you work hard in achieving them.  We can't thank the Lord enough for His provisions that made our timeline to this dream much, much shorter.  My husband and I initially said we would be building our dream home before we're fifty, but with the Lord's help, we did so when Rolly's 35 and I am 32.😁

Thank You so much, Lord! 🙏 We are very, very happy!

Becoming a Mother of Two

I've heard some of my friends say that the struggles of motherhood truly begin when you've already got more than one kid. I never really understood it until now that I'm pregnant, and I'd even push the statement a little further.  Because for me, it has begun even before officially becoming a mother of two. With baby Dumpling in my tummy and my hyperactive threenager constantly shadowing me, oh boy, the struggle is already real.😮

Dumpling Updates

The past several weeks have been very busy and were quite a blur, I wasn’t able to write anything about our little lovey even if I wanted to. Now that I’ve been mandated to rest, I finally got the time. 

So how’s our little dumpling?💖

Lia Turns Three

On this day, three years ago, I received one of the best gifts I could have ever received.  My beautiful baby girl was born, and has made me a happy mommy ever since.💖 Happy 3rd birthday, our darling Lia! 🎂

My oh my, how time has flown! At three, you're now a very active little kid who loves to play and play and play while you sing and sing and sing! 😃  Your talkativeness hasn't waned, you‘ve always loved talking.  Like your dad, I find you doing monologues of the shows that you watch.  You can even recite an entire episode of Daniel Tiger on your own, with the TV turned off.  Galing!👍 I’m excited to see how your language and memorization skills will further develop years as you grow older.

First Bumpie with Baby Number 2

Dumpling and I are 8 weeks + 3 days along today, and here is our very first bumpie!🤰🏻

He’s much bigger than his ate when Lia was at this same gestational age. Actually, with this pregnancy, I really noticed that I showed much earlier, and my tummy is much, much bigger. Google says it’s because after the first pregnancy, the skin, muscles, and surrounding ligaments have already been stretched, so they are already looser when you get pregnant the second time around. 🤰🏻🤰🏻

Wooooh! I wonder how round I’ll be in my second and third trimester! 🎈

Dear Dumpling

Dear Dumpling, 

Hello baby!👶

I was only nearly 5 weeks along when your dad and I found out about you. My period was delayed for just 3 or 4 days, but I already took a pregnancy test because I just couldn’t contain my excitement! True enough, there you were inside mommy’s tummy. Your dad and I were over the moon!😁 We had been praying for you since September last year, but God always has His own perfect time, and that time is now, five months later. 💖

Ate Lia loves you! 💖

See that teeny tiny blimp? That's you, my love. 💖

Yesterday, we finally saw you! I felt so giddy, like I did the first time I saw your ate Lia on ultrasound. I am happy and relieved that you’re fine inside me, with your heart beating perfectly. Your ate Lia saw your picture too, and of course she doesn’t fully understand yet. She just thinks you’re a little blimp in a sea of black whatever. Hehe. I can’t wait for you to meet each other, I just know that you will be the best of friends and playmates and frenemies someday, like many siblings are.😊

We love you so much, our dear dumpling. Know that mommy is taking great care of herself to make sure you are healthy and doing well. Just focus on growing and growing, okay? Don’t worry about anything else. Your daddy and I will see you again soon! 💖

Love lots, 

Mommy

Of Stage Moms and Superstar Babies

I consider myself a stage mom.  Not the annoying, overbearing type but the kind of mom who sees the potential in her child and helps him/her share that with the world.  For instance, my little Lia loooves to sing and she has an incredible knack for memorizing song lyrics.  What I do is I capture those moments when she's singing in her funny, kiddie-husky way, and share it with my friends on social media.  A mamarazzi, that's what I am.📸 I feel good when people notice and compliment my child, she's like a badge of honor that I proudly wear on my sleeve.💗

There are many different kinds of mothers, and each one is at a different level of 'stage motherhood,'  whether they would like to admit it or not.  I mean, what parent doesn't want the world to fuss over her kid, right? To every mom, her child is a star.⭐ That's why she makes sure her little one is always fresh, huggable, and kissable, constantly ready to face the world - at home, in school, in the middle of play, in church, at the supermarket, anytime and anywhere! Belo Baby understands this, and that's why it has its superstar line of products that lets the parent achieve just that --- make her baby a star in his/her own right, just like Scarlet Snow!😊

Folic Acid Saves the Day!

Are you pregnant? Trying to conceive? Chances are, your OB would have already told you to start taking folic acid. Months before our first little bun Lia started baking in my oven, I was already taking it.👶 And now that we’re TTC again, folic is back to being my daily buddy. 

What is folic and why is it important? 

Folic Acid is a B vitamin, and countless studies have shown that it has important health benefits for moms-to-be and their babies, especially if it’s started months before the mommy conceives. 👍