Sweet and Steady 2019

I’d say that 2019 has been a sweet and steady year for me and our family. Compared to 2018 which had distinct highs and lows, this year has been very balanced and stable, peppered with many lovely blessings and a number of lessons in all facets of our lives.❤️

Our Eighth Merry Little Christmas

❤️FAMILY❤️

will always be the best part of Christmas.

Season's Greetings from the DLRs! 

🎄🎅🎁

Rocco's First Steps

Our baby boy is already a walker! Hooray! 🏃‍♂️

Rocco took his first steps on the 15th of December, 2019, at one year, two months and two days old. Before then, he was already standing very steadily, but he seemed scared to walk without support, still preferring to crawl than step forward.  Not sure what he ate this day but he was especially brave (and happy, which is always a given with this boy). So yaaaay!🎉 Achievement unlocked!  Congrats, Rocco lovey! Just keep on practicing and soon, you'll be running and chasing ate Lia around the house.😂 Hehe. We love you, our baby bunso!

Rocco's Army Boot Camp Birthday Party

This post is more than two months late but I’m posting it anyway.😂 It’s our darling boy’s 1st birthday bash! And because his daddy is such a world war geek, we had ARMY as Rocco’s theme.🎉 We dressed up in camo and ate grenades for dessert.💣

Rocco Turns One

Today, 13th of October 2019, our little man turns ONE! Happy first birthday, Rocco! 🎂

The past twelve months with you as part of our family has been nothing short of lovely. I didn’t realize how much more love our hearts could give until you came.💙 I love being your mommy, my sweet little boy. The way you look at me when you nurse, the way you cling to my arms, and the way you cry and call for me always make my heart melt, my love. Is this the mom and son bond I often hear about? Perhaps. Ooh how I adore you, my Pietro Joaquin.😍

10 Years a Belo Baby

It’s October 7. And as I started my workday this morning, I realized I have reached a milestone --- I’ve been working at ISCI for ten years! My first day here was on October 5, 2009, and here I am still, a decade after.💖

Taken in 2013

I was only 24 then, young, NOT wild, and free. 😊 I chanced upon the job opportunity online, and I thought I could give it a try since I wanted a faster paced working environment at that time. I was hired, and the rest is history. Now I’m 34. This company has seen me growing up and getting old. This was where I got engaged, tied the knot, became a mommy for the first time, then a second time.❤️ I actually didn’t plan on staying this long, but I have stayed this long. As I am typing right now, I am asking myself why. Bakit nga ba? I don’t know what my reason is, but all I can say is I am happy, and I feel blessed being here. I am around people I love working with, and I am being mentored by the best bosses one could have. My work still excites me, and I still get fulfillment from the little successes that happen daily.  Best of all, I get to live the life I love.  That is, I am able to spend early mornings and early evenings with my family, my hubby and two little kids, without the baggage of work stresses on my back. Siguro yun talaga ang reason. Yes, maybe that’s it! 💡

I admit, there are days when I’d also wonder, what would life be like if I moved? I’ve been hearing stories that the pasture is greener and thicker in other places. True, true. But I also read somewhere that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it. And I water mine every day.🌱 While I am here, I am keeping my watering can close. 

Happy ISCI anniversary to me! 🎂

Rocco at Eleven Months

Our always happy boy is eleven months old today, hooray!🎉 So, how are you at 11?

Lia Gets A Haircut

Our little dalaga just got a haircut! It’s her first time to have it done at a grownup salon, big girl na eh. :) The new ‘do made her look like a baby again. Thanks for behaving the whole time, Lia chikadora! And thanks to the friendly folks over at David's Salon-SM BF! :)

#theDLRs❤️

I have always imagined it this way. Me in my thirties, married, with maybe two kids.  I was in a rush to grow older when I was young because I was excited to have my own family. Now it’s here... they are here, and I can say that I’m at my happiest.❤️ Thank You, Jesus!🙏🏻 Now if I could only freeze time, or at least make it go a bit slower, so we could enjoy the little ones more before they are no longer little.

Thought of capturing this stage of our family life with a portrait, and I super love how it turned out! Thanks so much, mommy Jess of Selah Soul Art Studio! ❤️

Becoming a #PlantMom 🌿

I never thought I’d see the day I would get all giddy and heart eyes emoji over plants, but here I am.🍃 This came to me as a surprise because in the past, I never cared about plants. My mom is crazy over greens and growing up, I’d see her gardening in our yard, watering her plants, and regularly taking out the indoor ones so they could catch the sun. I never understood it until now.

It all started last summer when Rolly complained about the heat at our family hall, despite the big windows.☀️ We thought, how could we make this area a little cooler? Putting an AC unit is not an option because the family hall is open (the staircase leads to it). I don’t like a ceiling fan either because I’m scared it would fall off and the blades would cut into our bodies mala-Final Destination. Hehe. The idea of putting plants sparked when I went to my cousin’s house and noticed how it wasn’t as hot at her place. She said, 'madami kasi akong halaman'. Tadaaa!💚 The rest is history. 

This is Marga, my Monstera Deliciosa.💚

Rocco at Ten Months

Tentenen..tetennnn! 🎈
Happy tenth, our bachungchungchung! 🎂

A Decade and One

Dear Mahal, 

Eleven years ago, on 8-8-8, I said YES to being your girlfriend.❤️ We were young… I was 23 and you were 25. That time, we had only been going out for 3 months. And I remember wanting to say yes to you sooner (oo na, aaminin ko na), but I had to restrain myself because 888 was coming, and I wanted that date for our anniversary. Hehe.😂 That night, you arrived late and I had to wait for you for more than an hour (and waiting has always been my pet peeve)! I almost withdrew my plan of becoming your girlfriend, buti na lang talaga 888, so I tried very hard to manage my mood. Anyway, things went according to plan, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Rocco at Nine Months

Happy 9th month, baby Rocco! 

This past month, I’ve realized I have such a strong boy. You push, writhe, and wriggle when we hold you and you want to go somewhere. In bed, you’d crawl to the edge and shove yourself if you want to get something from the floor. I can’t even leave you for half a minute when you’re not in the crib, because you have no fear, my love. You’re very different from your ate in this sense, because she was a careful baby when she was little. You, however, are dauntless.

Rocco's First Tooth

Hooray! Rocco’s first tooth has officially popped up yesterday! 🦷 Congrats, baby love! 😀

Our Tribute to Rolly on Father's Day

Dear Mahal,

In Lia’s eyes, you are the best daddy. And it’s nice that now that she’s already four, she is already able to articulate why. You see, our kids don’t need Father’s Day to reflect on why they’re super blessed to have a daddy like you. You make them feel that every single day. ❤️

Happy Father’s Day, our super dad! Lia, Rocco, and I love you very much! 😘

Rocco at Eight Months

Today, 13th of June, our baby Rocco turns 8 months. I say this every time I write updates about my baby, and yet this swift passing of time still shocks me!😲 I just blinked and here we are, 4 months shy of his 1st birthday! Waaaah!

Lia Visits the Dentist

The healthier your teeth are, the happier you look. And because we want Lia to always look happy (and healthy of course), visiting her dentist is a must, no matter how frightening it could be for her. Hehe. Watch her as she gets comfy (or NOT) on the dental chair and chitchats with Dr. Aaron Punzalan of Abesamis Dental Clinic. 😀

Tagalog Time with Lia

We speak both English and Filipino at home, but Lia is growing up more comfortable in using English.  She's now in preschool, and the primary language in class is also English.  That is why Rolly and I have started to be intentional in making her learn Filipino/Tagalog.  Sabi nga ni Jose Rizal, "ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa hayop at malansang isda." It is imperative that the whole family knows and uses our national language. We're Filipino after all. 

Rocco at Seven Months

Our Don Buding is seven months today!🎂 Happy birthday, our chubby lablab! 

#theDLRs Youtube Channel

We have a Youtube channel!🎞️ This was my idea, obviously, but I'm glad my husband is playing along! Hehe.😂  It doesn't contain anything yet at the moment, except this one, which I wasn't really supposed to post initially, pang-editing practice lang.  Anyway, since Rolly and I love documenting our kids, I thought of putting this up so all the videos are housed in one place. Not sure if I could commit to putting up regular edited content, so expect a mix of raw videos and edited ones here.😛

If you don't mind unpolished content of our family's real-life moments, please subscribe! 💖

Rocco at Six Months

Hooray, it’s Rocco’s ½ birthday!🎂  Happy 6 months to our half dumpling, half buddha baby! 💙

The DLRs at Pico de Loro

It's officially summer 🌞 and since it was Lia's 4th birthday, we decided that it's time that we bring her to the beach! It's her very first time to experience the sand and the sea because both her parents are not beach persons, hehe. Our destination? Pico de Loro.🌊

Lia Turns Four

Today, our first baby love LIA is celebrating her 4th birthday.🎂 Oh how fast you’ve grown, darling! What used to be our little ray of sunshine is now a hyper super girl who is bursting with so much spunk and spirit!💓

A Letter To My Kid’s First Teacher

It's the last week of Lia's school year. And while I was reflecting on how her first year as a preschooler flew by so fast, I thought of writing a letter to her teacher, Teacher Emy, which Lia gave last Tuesday.

***********

Rocco at Five Months

It’s been five months since my emergency CS that gave me a beautiful baby boy.

Ang bilis bilis! Happy 5, our little bokbok! 👶

StrengthsFinder 2.0

Do you know what your strengths are?💪🏻 For sure, you already have a good grasp of what you’re good at because it’s impossible for our strengths and talents not to manifest in our daily life. For instance, I am quite sure communication is my strength because I’ve always loved talking and writing since I was little. It’s easy for me to express my thoughts into words and I don’t shy away from conversations. But what about my other strengths? Do I have other talents that I fail to acknowledge and just go untapped?

Last week, our company had an activity where I was introduced to StrengthsFinder by Donald Clifton. It is a powerful online assessment developed to help people uncover and develop their natural talents. StrengthsFinder lists 34 potential strengths, and after taking the around 200-item quiz, you’ll learn about your top 5 “signature themes” with detailed descriptions and suggestions for using them in life and at work. 

Rocco at Four Months

Happy 4th month, our baby Rocco! 🎂

Tummy time expert! :)

Lia & Rocco

It's a joy having two kids. Pre-Rocco, I could not imagine not having my full attention on Lia alone, but now that this second baby is here, I can no longer remember how it felt not having a little boy to love. Lia and Rocco fill my heart with so much bliss, and I can't imagine living life without them.  It can be exhausting sometimes --- no, every single day --- but my husband and I won't have it any other way.

Aren't our two kids cute? 😍

Lia on the left, Rocco on the right.
With their lovely pedia, Dr. Nik Lombos.

Rocco at Three Months

Happy 3rd month, our darling butterball! 

You are only a quarter of a year old but hey, the clothes you wear are already for 6-9 month old babies! Daddy and I are so happy about how big and fluffy you are, even if our arms ache when we carry you. Your ate Lia even calls you Batchoy sometimes. You are almost always hungry, honey. Every time I put my finger on the side of your lips, you follow it with intensity to convince me you need to feed again. Hehe. Ang cuuuute!

New Year, New Lashes

I wasn’t born with long lashes. They are full but not long. Thanks to falsies, my eyes achieve a dramatic effect on special occasions when I need to look my best. On regular days, I just let my lashes be. I’ve tried using a lash curler and putting on mascara many times before, but my eyelid fringe is just really stubborn that they refuse to coil up. 👀

But I want nice lashes everyday! I have friends who have had extensions but no one has ever told me it’s comfortable, hence my hesitation. Being a mom of two, the last thing I’d want is for me to worry about heavy lids while taking care of my chikitings. Then I heard about this place, New Lounge, that girls are raving about. Even celebs are saying how the lashes feel as if there’s nothing extra on their eyes! When I did my research, I learned that it’s primarily because of the lash material they use.