Grieving the holidays

This holiday season is also a time for our family to commemorate and remember our dear beloved Ima (grandmother), who passed away a year ago, December 25, 2010.

This time is very challenging and difficult for us especially this is the first time we are celebating the holidays without her. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are also greiving the holiday without Ima.

Wherever you are, we remember you and you will always be in our hearts. We miss & love you! Merry Christmas, Ima!

Hours before the Noche Buena and Mass vigil, we still managed to do our last minute Christmas shopping and took sometime to pose infront of the camera to have a family picture. This served as Christmas post cards that were given to our relatives.

A very Merry Christmas from our family to yours. May you have a wonderdul season and may 2012 bring you peace and joy.

Head Trauma: A real trauma experience

Last Sunday we rushed Kiehla to the hospital due to head trauma. She fell on her height at our bed's headboard made of metal while happily playing with her daddy. Before the incident happened, we were at my mother's place (next to our building). On our way home, I told my husband I forgot something and had to go back to mama's condo unit. I left my husband and Kiehla half way as my husband said he can manage. I stayed for few minutes at mama's house, suddenly my phone rang. It was my husband, I thought he just wanted me to go home so I hanged up and headed home. As soon as I enter our house ,I saw my husband carrying my crying Kiehla. To my dismay, I saw Kiehla's Forehead really swollen, turned violet like a major bruise. I carried her right away while my husband was so afraid telling me what had happened. He was so afraid, teary eyed and very worried. We decided to bring her to the hospital. There was no unusual signs, she did not throw up, no blood, no cut etc. She is still the same Kiehla only with a swollen forehead. Just to make sure that she is fine we brought her to the hospital. By the way, that was about eleven in the evening.

In the hospital, Kiehla looks fine already, she was playing so we suspect she is really in a good condition. The resident doctor, however, still ordered to have an xray on Kiehla's skull to check if there is any damage on her soft and delicate skull. I swear it was the hardest. She was crying the whole time we were in the xray room. She was very afraid of the machines, lights and to the xray technicians. She was really screaming very hard and looking at me as if she wanted to tell me to help and get her. I could not take it. I took her and held her. I cried. I was crying while trying to make her stop crying and assure her that mommy is there with her. I wanted to tell my husband that it was all his fault and Kiehla will not suffer like that if he just took care of Kiehla the way I do. But of course I did not want my husband to feel guilty and no one wanted it to happen anyway. After so many attempts, we finished the screening. I breastfed Kiehla after her tiring test to calm her down and put her to sleep as it was past midnight already. The doctors, nurses and other attendants attended to us religiously since my husband works in the same hospital where we were in as training officer. After some time we were ordered to go home as the test turned negative. Thank God Kiehla is ok. No crack, tissues are intack, no blood clot etc. Relieved!

My husband and Kiehla normaly plays every night before bed time. I guess because that is the only time they can play and bond together since my husband is working and most of the time comes home very late. I always remind my husband though to minimize play time before sleeping. My usual line "no more playing" And I think I am right. Night time is meant for slowing down before going to bed, story telling, singing or calming down our baby. Yesterday we went to kiehla's pediatrician for her monthly check up. I showed him my daughter's skull screening and let the doctor know what had happened. Dr. Joseph Regalado of Cardinal Santos diagnosed it as hematuria if I am not mistaken. Nothing to worry he said. Sometimes it is good to experience such incident/accident like that so we would know as parents how much we have to take care of our children especially the fathers. The fathers must experience and know sometimes how difficult the duties of a mother and moreso learned what to do in times of unwanted incidents. But of course we pray that it will never happen again.

Head Trauma Precautions
Watch out for the following:
Persistent vomiting
Severe headache
Loss of consciousness
Focal weakness
Eye changes-blurring of vision, pupils unequal in size, double vision
Bleeding or watery discharge from ear or nose.
Seizure
Gait Abnormality
Decreased level of activity
Increased sleeping time

If any of the above signs occur, please bring your child immediately to the hospital for further evaluation.

See you soon, Singapore

Today, I brought my Kiehla to the department of foreign affairs to get or apply her a passport. We were scheduled at 1pm. As soon as we entered dfa's gate 1, i could not explain the feeling. I wanted to cry. So strange. Sounds crazy but true. I do not know why. It was probably because it was another milestone of my baby girl. As a first time mom, all firsts of kiehla make me feel amazed, excited and overwhelmed. My little girl is getting her own passport, her own identity and flying soon to explore more.

It was hard to bring a minor esp a 1 yr old to such place that you need to line up, follow rules and wait. Kiehla wanted to walk and check every corner of the room. Once or twice she cried to get the staff's pen but nonetheless she did a very good job. Looked at the camera, patiently waited until we finally finished our trip to dfa.

See you soon, Singapore!

Motherly duties

When you ask a man working for a company for 5 yrs or so how is he, you will hear him answer “same shit different day!" It is like doing the same thing everyday. A routine! For a stay-at-home mom like me, I have my own “routine duties”, too. This how my day goes, Kiehla usually wakes up by 9 or 10, I still nurse her every 3 hours. Yes, I am still breastfeeding her exclusively for 13months now. Because of that I still get exhausted through the night because of the frequent feeding and so my day also starts few minutes before kiehla wakes up. As soon as she wakes up, we cuddle, play in the bed that will take place for about 30 minutes. We eat breakfast together. I eat my bread and she eats her cereals. After meal time that is the time for me to tidy our tiny condo unit, wash the dishes, sterelize kiehla's feeding bottles (I am in the process of weaning her from my breast to bottles), prepare her stuff for bath time. I do all of these while she is busy playing in her play pen. From time to time she cries for attention but after few seconds she will return to her toys. Most of the time I don't get to eat lunch anymore because I am too preoccupied doing my duties. At around 1-2pm, Kiehla is a little restless already so she normally take her afternoon nap at this time. I use this time for myself. I take my bath, tidy kiehla's playpen, take a quick bite and lay myself down beside kiehla for some power nap if time permits. By 4 she is up and good already to play again. In the afternoon we go to my mom's condo unit beside our building. This is where we eat dinner and wait for my husband to arrive from work. About 9pm we are home and prepare for bed time. Kiehla's routine before going to bed: wash her face, hands, diaper area, change clothes, diaper and off to bed. It takes about an hour for her to slow and settle down and at 11pm finally she is asleep, this is my time for myself. My husband is also snoozing by this time. I read my magazines, writing on my blogsite, playing on my phone. This is my own way to distress and take some time off from my motherly duties and prepare for my next day's “routine duties”.

It is tiring! Very! Doing all of the baby sitting alone, it is exhausting. Sometimes when my husband will text me and ask me how are we or how my day goes, I want to give him an odd answer “same shit different day". But my everyday life with my Kiehla is a chance to be a better person and a good mother. I learn from my day to day life at home. And the thought of being with my baby, see her grow makes me feel fulfilled and lucky.

Tomorrow again, baby girl!

Ho-hoho Merry Christmas!

Christmas is in the air!

Halloween just ended few days ago. We were not able to join any trick or treat event as we were busy with some other personal plans. Today, me, my husband kiel and my little princess kiehla went to Powerplant Mall in Rockwell. I was indeed sursprised and amazed by the mall's christmas decors. I see Santa Claus everywhere, christmas trees every corner, giant reindeers in the middle, oh it's Christmas! What a happy and merry feeling.

This is Kiehla's 2nd Christmas and I know she will appreciate more of this precious time. By the way, on December 25, 2011 it is our family's babang luksa for my grandmother's 1st death anniversary. Yes, she died last year christmas day. Christmas is extra meaningful in our family because of this.

Ho-ho-ho merry christmas!

It's a Disney Celebration with Mickey and Friends Part 2

Entertainment: I got Butch Gonzales as my event's host. In his package it includes, magic, balloon twisting, ventriloquist act and sound system. I must say he is really a very good host. The flow of the party turned very smooth because of Butch, though he did minimal magic, balloon twist and short ventriloquist act still the show turned well. The kids enjoyed it even the adults were really watching. He speaks english fluently. His show was in english so that is a plus point for me. His staff/team were organized, too, they know what's next and what to do.

My story. I got Butch directly without any PP. I booked him through sms only. He was the only one not booked yet on the day of our event. I grabbed the opporrtunity to have Butch as our host/magician since he is considered as a class A magician, lined up with wizo, chayno, chubster, wanlu etc. My inquiries was cursed through sms only. He don't reply on emails, he did just once because I asked for the flow of the show. Because of that, I worried that he might not show up on my daughter's party and leave us hanging. He did not give me any contract or anything saying that i have booked him on this date and recieved the DP. When you txt Butch he will reply right away in fairness to him but still it made me think what if he will not come. Thankfuly he is true enough to his words and came to our party and made the show very lively. He made the kids smile and laugh. Even the adult guests were thrilled.

Peso value: P6500. Cheap when you get them directly.
Rating: 4 stars

Cake: I got Ms. Karla Hernandez of Dessertfairy. Her works were featured in SP magazine together with Gel Colet, Marta Matute, classic confections and goldilocks in their bday ideas issue (camille prats as the cover). I had a lot of cake suppliers in my list but none of them seem to take time and reply to my inquiries by heart. Many will reply after 2-3 days with one question-one answer system. Some are for pick ups only, some add delivery charge excessively. During my exchange of emails with Ms karla, I felt that she is really interested in doing my daughter's 1st bday cake. Replied to my mails in detailed with options and suggestions. I had a simple choco moist cake. Very deliciouse. Taste not so sweet, just right. Moist inside. You can even request for a sugar free cake or according to your health requirements. I had it delivered with a minimal delivery charge. I think Ms. Karla charge her clients reasonably because her cakes are all edible. Very nice!

Peso value: P3000 for a two tier themed cake. 6" over 10" plus delivery charge
Ratings: 5 stars

It's a Disney Celebration with Mickey and Friends Part 1

When I look back and reminsce those times when Kiehla was still inside me, it made me realized that there are so many reasons to give thanks to the Lord and celebrate Kiehla's life. And another year had gone too fast and personally witnessed my baby's milestones. A great and meaningful way to celebrate her first year, to show our love and give thanks to the Lord and to all those who helped us during her first year of life is to give her a decent party that everyone can enjoy. I started preparing for Kiehla's 1st birthday celebration 7 months before her birthday. I started by scouting for possible party venues and coming up with a theme. The hardest part is actualy deciding on the theme, there are so many themes to choose from. Different cartoon characters, personalities, things and etc. Since it was Kiehla's birthday I though of having a princesses theme with the colors pink and purple or winnie the pooh (her first toy), and of course Mickey Mouse -my all time favorite disney character. I so love Mickey Mouse! Oh how to incorporate all these ideas. I thought of what is workable and what will really excites me. From there I came up with a theme, It's a Disney Celebration with Mickey and Friends

Venue: One Cafe and Events Place, One Corporate Center, Ortigas Pasig City. The only party venue that passed my standards is One Cafe. The number one important for me in scouting for a party venue is the cleanliness of the place. There is this feeling that once you see the place you will fall inlove with it at first sight. That happenned to me. They have function rooms good for 100 pax, 50-70pax or they can cater to much bigger group. They are open for birthday parties, weddings,baptismal, seminars etc. They already have sound system, projector, flatform that you can use for free and hooks ready for your swags, balloons and other decors. No corkage fees if you are planning to bring in some food carts. No electricity fees. You can bring your own suppliers. Maximum rental for free is 4 hours. No reservation fee. They only require 50% DP of your total package which is deductable from your total consumption at the end of your event.

My story. As I have mentioned, the moment I saw the place I fell in love with it so my husband and I booked my daughter's 1st bday right away through their accounts executive. Let us just name him “Juan". Juan is so accommdating. When I first emailed him asking for packages he replied to me in 5 minutes. When we visited the place he was there to attend to our queries, showed the place and even if everyone's busy bec there was an ongoing bday party at that time. After that, we exchanged emails regarding my event and even giving him a call to remind him about our event and etc but for everytime we get the chance to talk he seems to be clueless, well maybe because they have so many clients that everyday they have events. Until we finally secured our booking with a 50% DP. I wrote everything on the reservatiob form, my requests and all. After a month we scheduled our food tasting and I must say they passed again my expectations. Juan mentioned to me that my suppliers must have gate pass on the day of our event so they could bring in and out easily their materials and stuff. We agreed that we talk through email. Few more txt messages and he finally sent me the conforme or contract. There were few corrections like date when we paid dP, table requirements etc. I emailed him also asking if he still need to get the names of my suppliers for the gate pass, he said yes and So I emailed to him the list and contact numbers for each, thinking that he will be the one to contact and coordinate with them. Then he said ok until the day before our event, he said everything's good and we are all set. Come sunday our event proper, (that will start at 10am) my party planner was calling me asking about the gate pass. The guard on duty was asking for a gatepass. They could not bring the styro backdrop up because they dont have the pass. I immediately called Juan and raised the concern. He said he will talk to the guard on duty. Then again happenned to my magician, he could not bring his sound system becauae he does not have any pass. What's good about One cafe is that they have waiters who are ready to help. One of them helped my PP have the pass signed by their superior right away. And so the problem was solved. There was a miscommuniction about that matter between me and Juan. When I arrived everything was ready they just have to put the foods in the warmers. When I asked for a table for my candy buffet they attended to me right away. They asked whatelse do I need and even coordinated the flow of the buffet during eating time. Even after the party they helped us fix our things. Few glitches that can be covered by those people who are ready to help. Everything turned well, very smooth, no hassle or whatsoever. Kuddos to all staff of One Cafe

Peso value: cheapest rate per person P380+10%sc
Rating: 5 stars

Party Planner/Venue dress up by: Kristine Pangilinan of Kiko's Balloons and Events Needs

You will never go wrong with Ms. Kristine. I am glad it was her who I finally got to make my daughter's party a real disney celebration. I searched for almost a dozen party planner or balloon decorator, from the cheapest one to the most expensive and well known party planners in the metro. In my list I have party boosters, polkadot events, kidstarkastles, party stations, D' party stylist, party time philippines, ace balloonlab, jodinaire party needs, kiddieparty.com, jhenny balloons and etc. I had doubts in hiring them because of the packages they are offering. Some are really expensive, some are really cheap but the quality of works look “so" “so". I came across kiko's balloons when I inquired at Patio Ibarra. From the moment I received the rates and packages they offer, I knew it was Kiko's balloons whom I will work with. She was the only one who took time to relpy to my inquiries through sms even during late at night. Ms. Kristine is so humble. It's not about money, it's about her client's requirements according to budget. Her quality can be lined up with those high end Party Planners in a much lower and acceptable rate/cost.

I had a bad experience with one of the PP listed above. I asked for a pricelist and package for styro backdrop. The PP replied saying that they have but it will cost me 14k minimum. I asked again if they could itemize what's in the 14k package. PP replied again, standard styro package. It made me realize that they think first if their client has that 14k to pay them. I replied saying, "yes, I understand. If you dont mind pls gv me wat's in the package. Kahit na ba 20k pa yan or 50k, what im asking is anu kasama. They replied in bulleted form. Ceiling balloons ( did not even mention how many pcs), table centrpcs (i dont even knw how many), entrancw arch, styro backdrop. If you are a parent and will spend some amount of money, you deserve to know kung saan mapupunta pera mo or anu babayaran mo services. Ang yabang nila! Nakakahigh blood!

My story, When we met Ms Kristine for the first time, we talked about my theme and my requirements. I cannot throw any party without balloons and for this theme i would like to have polkadot balloons. I fell inlove also with styro backdrop, balloon drops & table centerpcs is a must, too. She suggested that if I am thinking of throwing a mickey mouse themed party we shall go for red, white and choco brown colors so the place will look lively. I was hesitant then but to my surprised her team just executed the decors the way I wanted it to be. Even the polkadot balloons i requested came out very nice, Not the usual balloons if I may say. Our venue were surrounded with styro standees. I see mickey mouse not just one but two or three i think. I love the swags, even if my venue is a bit low ceiling her team know how to handle it.

The story during the event day. It was past 7am when my phone rang, it was Ms. Kristine. I knew something's going on and praying not to hear anything stressful. The guard on duty in the venue was looking for their gate pass, she said. Obviously nothing was endorsed to me, to MsKristine and to the guard. The night before the party i asked the accts excutive of One cafe if everythngs good for my event. He said yes and we are all set. We had a miscommunication about that matter. What's good about ms kristine is that she knows how to handle issues like that. Made her own way how to resolve the prob and thankfuly wd the help of one cafe staff. When i arrived in the venue evrythng was set. I was totally moved and amazed by the decors. Truly my dream mickey mouse themed party! Everything I planned was executed very beautifuly by Ms kristine and her team. Kudos to Kiko's balloons!

Peso Value: P15,000 including Mascot fee
Rating: 5stars

Roller coaster ride to motherhood

I always say that my pregnancy was really like a roller coaster ride. I had a very sensitive pregnancy and was considered at high risk. Well, they say each pregnancy is different. What works for some women might not work for others. Mine was different, too, in a way. I was already on my 8th week of pregnancy when I consulted an OB Gyne and had my first sonogram. To our dismay, we found out that I have a smooth muscle growing in the walls of my uterus and that's what you call -Myoma. It was already a size of an egg and grows as the fetus matures and develops. Nothing so serious until I got hospitalized few days after my 1st pre-natal check up due to spotting or threatened abortion. That was the start of my roller coaster ride to motherhood. I was put to bed rest then, no bathroom priviledges in the hospital. After few days I was discharged but again I was advised not to stress myself, take a lot of rest and drink my medicines. From then on, my trip to the mall, friends meet-ups were lessen. I spent most of my time at home, watching tv, reading my pregnancy books and magazines, surf the net, eat and sleep. I got bored doing that every single day of my pregnancy until reaching 4 or 5 months. I grabbed all opportunity that I have to go to malls & meet with my friends. Go here and there. At 24 weeks, I was rushed to the hospital due to pre-term labor. I swear it was so painful and the hardest part of my pregnancy. I had to stay in the delivery room with no companions, no visitors allowed. Again, no bathroom priviledges. Total bed rest. The doctors had to monitor my and my baby's condition round the clock. Kiehla was very eager to come out at that time. I had contractions every 5 minutes. The doctors gave me Ixocilan through an IV, they had to sedate me two times so I can sleep and relax. They had to insert what they call progesterone in my vagina everyday and through injection 3x a week. Thank God after a week my condition normalized. I was again put to bed rest. The only place I can go to is the hospital for weekly check up. My Ob had to give me injectible progesterone weekly until reaching 32 weeks. Imagine how hard and painful that was and not to mention very expensive. One progesterone costs about 1500-2000 pesos. There were times I feel giving up. I broke down several times. I could not wait and sacrifice any longer. Thank God I have a very supportive husband and family. They were always there to cheer me up, helped me go through with it and prayed with me. After all that has happenned, I reached my full term. I was scheduled for a c-section. My husband and I accepted the fact already from day 1 that I am not going to have a normal delivery because of the complications I have encountered in my pregnancy. I must still say that getting pregnant is the most beautiful part of my life as a woman and Kiehla changed my life for the better. Thank you God Almighty.

Party Venues

Party venue plays an important role in every event or party. Scouting for the best location may it be a restaurant, clubhouse or a hall is a tough job for someone who wants to throw a decent party for a loved one. Six months ago I started to search for the best place we can hold my daughter's first birthday party. Thanks to technology that I was able to find through fingertips. During my research I came across several party venues that differs from one another of course. I tried those clubhouses situated in private subdivisions and villages but mostly requires sponsorship and way beyond my budget. I had to trim down my list and came up with the following venues.

1. Prestige Tower. This venue is situated in the heart of Ortigas Center.  Many had already celebrated their child's birthday here. When we visited this place for ocular the girl incharge was very busy, she asked us to wait for like 10minutes because she has to attend to another query. When she finally stepped out of her office there were another 2 persons waiting for her and again we were asked to wait for few more minutes. Since there was a party going on we were able to have a glimpse of the place. Based from what I saw the place looks kinda old, dark, low ceiling, small, it is carpeted but looks old. So we decided not to further our inquiries.

2. One San Miguel- This place is located also in Ortigas. in the famous San Miguel Avenue. The place is also old. Old enough that you see parts of the wall that needs to be repainted. There were big posts in the middle that blocks the stage. Smelly and small. definitely not my type.

3. Miilkyway- Arnaiz ave Makati. The place is nice. cozy, clean, they have ample space for the stage or games. The problem in this venue is that you need to consume about 50k so you can book them. If I remember it right the cheapest per person is P450 which is only for merienda type party.

4. Makati Sports Club- in the heart of the business district of Makati. This place has several function rooms from smaller groups to bigger number of guests. You don't need to be a member or any sponsorship. Their packages are also affordable. The only problem is that they charge you for electricity consumption. If you will bring your own supplier like photobooth or food carts they are additional fee.

5. The Creamery at MOA -they have affordable packages to choose from. but they only allow their own suppliers. They also have set program or their own show.

6. Patio Ibarra- i was not able to see personaly this place but they also have affordable packages from baptism to birthday parties etc. The place based from what I heard is a bit old but is another good option if you are in Quezon city area.

and finally I was able to find the place that suits my needs, my requirements and my standards. One Cafe and Events Place at One Corporate Center, Ortigas is just so right. The building was just bult few years ago. The moment you enter the building you will feel the difference from the other towers mentioned here. Clean is how I describe it. There are several elevators that can take you to One Cafe. One cafe is just the place to be. It is very spacious, there is enough lighting from outside, also there own lights give extra drama. The place is clean, does not smell anything. low ceiling and yet it is just right. They have their own sound system, projector, stage where you can use for free. They have an in-house caterer and their food packages are affordable. As soon as we saw the place, we booked our event right away.

One Cafe and Events Place

more about One Cafe during my daughter's party on my next blog. If you need any numbers or contact persons please do not hesitate to contact me.

Extra baggages!

I just turned 25 when I got pregnant with my first born, Kiehla. I was working then as an hotelier in one of the most prestigious hotel chains in the world and was based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I was 7 weeks on the way already when I discovered the life within me. I felt really worried, scared of what's going to happen. In middle east countries by the way do not allow single women to bore a child. So my now husband kiel and I informed our superiors right away and took the earliest flight to Manila. We left Abu dhabi at 10am of March 11. flight was delayed for two hours. It was a connecting flight to Bahrain and suppose to fly to Manila from Bahrain at 1pm but again flighht was delayed and took the 7pm flight instead. We reached Manila the next day, Friday March 12 at 10 am. It was my mother who picked us up in the airport. I know that was really hard for her, seeing her daughter coming with extra baggages unexpected. Mama hugged me and I uttered the words "ma. sorry hindi ko sinasadya". Though she said everything is fine I know deep inside she is breaking. Kiel met my family and so did I. Because of too much stress, long journey,I got hospitalized due to spotting few days before our civil wedding. That was the start of my roller coaster ride to motherhood.

Let's get it started

Hello there! It's been awhile since my last post. I must say I havn't really started (oh well in this account). I am one of those peeps who tend to forget their account's username and password. So, I have to create a new one and get started. Anyway, I am tied up with so many things. A stay-at-home mom like me is just so busy like those other women going to their offices to work. I work 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no days off and holidays. I don't even have a 30 minute coffee break or a 3 minute restroom break. I master taking showers for 5 minutes. Yes, you read it right. For 5 minutes in the bathroom, I am done! Why? Because my little tyrant Kiehla gets gaga whenever she feels I am away. She cries like a mad cow, turns her toys upside down and yell like crazy. I breastfeed Kiehla from the time she was born and up to this moment I am still nursing her exclusively. She does not want to be fed by any feeding bottles. her pediatrician said Kiehla is different from the other babies out there.Kiehla wants nothing but her mommy, that's how breastfed babies are.They are most dependent to their mothers, they build a stronger relationship with them. And so they suffer from separation anxiety when their mothers leave them. One thing is for sure, this will not last forever. In a few months time, Kiehla will learn how to do things on her own. Feed herself. For now, let me enjoy this journey with her. Savor those tough times with my little angel. And embrace the greatest blessing from above.