Mommy Moments: First Smile.

This definitely was not Asher's first as I've seen his first ever little smile in the Nursery back then. This, however, was his first captured smile taken on April 15, 2008. It appears blurry because I was too excited and my hands were shaking when I snapped and took a picture of this precious smile.

Here's another one with his "giligid" smile:

Mommy, Mommy I am Sick.

"...call the doctor very quick."

No, I'm not yet in the verge of calling the doctor now.

He doesn't have colds or cough, he isn't lethargic, still with big appetite and is still his usual active self. He's been having an on and off fever since Thursday midnight. But I noticed that his gums are swollen and a tooth is about to erupt. Just like when his first set of teeth erupted, his teething might be the cause of this fever..or as they coin it, just a "lagnat laki". But then again, if he really doesn't get better by tomorrow, I won't be taking any chances, off we go to his Pedia right away.

Asher's Lunch Time.

I finally found the time to convert Asher's videos for uploading. Here's one of the recent ones. Watch the typical Asher we witness during lunch time...so loud and energetic. He perhaps knew that I was taking a video of him so he also showed a few of his antics.

32 Days To Go...

..'til the party and if you'd like to know how am I doing with the party preps? Well, I think the panic meter is about to rise. Gauging the nitty gritty details that need to be accomplished yet, I could say that I'm far from the 50% progress mark. A month time may be quite long enough but not unless, I have booked or have laid down DEFINITE and CONCRETE plans for each party detail, I can't afford to say that I can relax. Anyhow, here are my to-do's for this week:

1. Book caterer.
2. Meet Jacque.
3. Divisoria visit.

Numbers 1 and 2 have been put into delay several times (palaging next week ng next week) but I'll see to it to have these two done before this week ends.

Lolo's Boy.

Asher's a certified Lolo's boy. Whether it be from the paternal or maternal side.

He loves conversing with his Lolo Jun everytime we stay at Frisco during weekends. It's only Lolo Jun who can make him babble and yak nonstop.

For the first time, he met his Lolo Raffy (my dad) last January 13. Daddy left for Saudi on the day Asher was born but didn't get to see him because the little one decided to come out late evening. Even before their flight back home two weeks ago, Papa always reminded me to "teach" Asher to not get afraid of him and that Asher shouldn't resist if he carries him. My dad was quite worried because history might repeat itself. I didn't "like" my Dad on our first meeting. You see, my Dad has been an OFW since I was a newborn so when we he first got home for vacation and I was just about a year old, I refrained going along with him not until I saw my two elder sisters clamoring over him. When I was asked, "where's Papa?", I still looked for his framed picture in the sala even though he was physically present already.

On the contrary, the first meeting of the apo and Lolo was a bliss. They clicked right away from the moment my Daddy approached and carried him. Just a few hours after orienting Asher, he right away learned that he's his another Lolo...the person behind the "hello, Lolo" voice everytime my Dad calls from overseas. There are times when the Lolo is napping, the little one likes walking towards his Lolo blabbering...as if wanting to wake him up and yearning to play with him. Another bonding time they have is when they "drive" the car together. Before driving the car out of the garage, the Lolo lets the little one enjoy the steering wheel. Asher would even bid bye-bye to me from inside the car as if they would really leave and go elsewhere.

I know my Daddy is extremely overjoyed now that he's seen and he's with his unico (for now, since my sister's pregnant) apo. He gets easily bored when not working (he's overly workaholic at 62 yrs old) but because of Asher who's equally doting as him, his vacation is really worthwhile.

Mommy Moments: Latest Birthday.

Here's a picture of my son celebrating his 10th month birthday. Just a few weeks from now, he'll soon turn one. Where did the time go? Ang bilis!

The Tiger Cub.

Will you run away if you see a tiger cub as cute as this?

These two pictures (shot at The Picture Company 2 weeks ago) are the ones I used for his Safari Jungle Themed Party Invitation. I'll share the invites in a bit.

Water Baby,

I have mentioned here several times how the little one enjoys the water so much. And as proofs: here are his pics in Boracay...inseparable from the cool water.

Bath times at home spell fun time to the little one. He always looks forward to it everyday. Even when he was just a few days old, he seldom cried during bath times. And now that he can fully support his body, he just remains seated at all times playing with his bath toys: his rubber froggy and rubber ducky. Then his attention would sometimes shift to the water filling his tub splashing them either with his hands or his foot. Thanks to the bath seat, bathing him isn't a struggle and him, enjoying so much. It is in this light that I'm looking at a shower chair that he can probably use when he gets a little bit older. This can be ordered online at allegromedical.com, the largest and most technologically advanced online retailer of life enhancing products in the United States.

WW: Same Direction (Father Version)

Daddy and Asher * Boracay * December 28, 2009

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

More WW entries here.

Weight Gain Worries.

Remember my post about how I worry on Asher's weight these past few months? Well, I'm not worried anymore as I've been guaranteed by his Pedia during his yesterday's wellness checkup that he's gaining weight just fine within the normal range. From his checkup last month, he's now 0.3 kg heavier at 8.4 kilos.

Kellymom.com also confirmed this when I read that breastfed babies aged 6-12 months gain on the average 0.20 to 0.45 kilos a month. Further, "By one year, the typical breastfed baby will weigh about 2 1/2 - 3 times birth weight". So basing on this statement, Asher, who weighed 2.79 kilos at birth has even passed the average of a 1-yr old's weight at just 10 months (2.79 x 3 = 8.37 kilos). So this confirmed that we're on the right track even though his body appears lean. I'm just probably expecting too much since his 8 month old cousin (who's mix fed) weighs heavier than him and has overly plump thighs. Her yaya sometimes wishes even for shoulder pain pumps as she complains of shoulders and arm numbness because of her heavy weight.

1st Birthday Party Updates (as of Jan 18).

Countdown timer check: 41 days to go.

Starting this weekend, I'll be making a weekly update about how am I doing with the little one's birthday party preparations.

1. Venue - Done.

2. Caterer - In Progress.
:: We are decided to get Queensland. We'll be closing the deal this week.

3. Photographer - Done.

4. Guest list - Done.

5. Party Theme - Done.

6. Cake - Semi-done.
:: Emily of Sugarbox confirmed her availability. For the third time (wedding and baptism), she'll be our cake maker. I was surprised to know that the Jungle Mania cake isn't that pricey as I thought. Yahoo!

7. Venue Stylist - In Progress.
:: Brainstorming still ongoing via YM and text. Jacque and I are scheduled to meet this week to have a more thorough discussion with our requirements.

8. Host / Magician / Ventrilusionist - In Progress.
:: Booked Flooch c/o Jacque and paid DP last week.

9. Invitation / Tarpaulin / Guest Sheets or Guest Book / Thank You Tags- In Progress.
:: I'm through digiscrapping the jungle-themed invites. I likewise placed my order at artscow this noon and expected delivery is 7-10 business days from now. For the tarp, I'm still thinking about the design and concept. Same goes with the guest sheets (or guest book) and thank you tags for the loot.

10. Outfit - In Progress.
:: Ordered a custom made Safari hunter costume (mala-Kuya Kim Atienza) from Jacque, too. I'm scouring online for safari shoes. For my costume (naks!), I'll be paying tomorrow the safari dress I won through bidding at Ebay.

11. Loots and Prizes - In Progress.
:: We're scheduled to go to Divisoria on February.

Mommy Moments: First Picture.

This week's theme is FIRST PICTURE OF YOUR KID/S at Mommy Moments. Here are two of the first pictures of little Asher Malik when he was born on March 2, 2008.

I can still vividly remember the flow of events from the time I started laboring until he was out and heard him cry for the first time. His newborn scent still lingers, and everything is still fresh in my memory: how he looked like, how his wails and shrieks sounded. As to who he looks like, there were debates among the family with everyone claiming he more looked like me than his dad. But back then, I didn't mind who he more looks like. What mattered for me then is that he's 100% healthy and cleared of any congenital ailments like cerebral palsy and other neonatal diseases.

Chill.

I just love this pic of my boys by the beach. They were relaxing and chilling perfectly here one sunny noon while we wait for my MIL to join us in our D'mall tripping. I know I've been giving teasers and I'm sure you've been waiting for my Boracay post but don't worry I have started drafting it already in my main blog. I'll also be doing a review about the hotel we stayed at. It's not as grand and luxurious as Outer Banks rentals but for their reasonable rate, it's still a great place to spend the night at. I say night because for most hours of the day we were at the beach enjoying the blue cool waters and white pristine sand of Bora.

Standing On His Own.

Guess what? I think the little one will begin walking soon. He's been cruising a lot lately, holding on to the small table's railings in the living room and walking around it. But this morning, I was so ecstatic when he suddenly was able to balance standing and holding on to nothing for about 5 seconds. Too bad, I wasn't able to get a snapshot of this milestone. But nevertheless, I'm so proud of this feat.

Skinny Me.

I'm browsing my flickr gallery and this is one of the latest pictures of myself:

Seeing this reminds me of the common comments I've been getting lately. For the record, I'm not using any diet pill. I know I'm so skinny or should I put it scrawny and I look better if I put on a little more weight. I'm trying actually to put on a few pounds but what can I do if I have a 10 month old voracious exclusively breastfed baby who nurses every two hours or so and seemingly getting all what I'm taking in? Add to that, I'm running after a very active and mobile baby who cruises a lot and gets anywhere he wanted. Other than getting enough sleep, taking vitamins and stuffing myself with two cups of rice a meal and eating snacks every now and then, tell me, what else do I need to do to gain weight?

Mommy Moments - Family Picture.

Chris of Mommy Moments invited me to join this weekly meme. For this week, the theme for Mommy Moments is family picture taken during the last holiday season. Here's what I have to share:

This is our small family: Mommy Mai (that's me!), Daddy Paul and our adorable little Asher who's 10 months old. This was taken on December 28, 2008 at the lovely shores of Boracay. It's the little one's first beach experience and he enjoyed it. Glad that we stumbled upon nice travel deals on the web.

The Little One On Vacation.

For those of you who haven't seen my Flickr gallery, here are some pictures of the little one while on vacation during the Holidays:

Those are just a few among tons of pictures we took during our Baguio and Boracay Trips. And as the pictures tell, the little one did enjoy his first out of town long trips especially the waters of Boracay. He may be too young to remember these experiences but I'm glad we have these pictures to preserve these precious memories. The husband and I are already taking where our next destination will be this year. Will it be las vegas nv? Oh how I wish. But who knows.

Just One at aTime.

I have started doing the Holiday Recap in my main blog. I've just posted the Part 3 last night and believe it or not, I'm not yet close to the finish or the climax even of our holiday festivities. I'm so busy with a lot of things that I can't help but postpone my recap. I can't even start the diet supplement review I'm tasked last week.

One at a time, Mai.

Online and offline activities are so overwhelming but I know, I can do this. If you have time, please do take a peek at the Holiday Recap I'm doing. First 3 parts are here, here, and here.

Birthday Party Updates.

My apologies if this blog remain "updateless" with our Holiday activities as I've promised. I am tied with a lot of offline things lately. Topping the list are preparing for my sister's wedding which is a week from now and of course, the little one's first birthday bash which is just about 1 1/2 months away. I'd like to believe that I'm not cramming but my good friend Jacque (of Partyboosters) who'll be doing the venue styling and party planning would like to spank me for not booking the suppliers that need to be prioritized and so here we are unable to book our most preferred suppliers as they are already reserved. Anyway, here's the status of my party planning:

1. Venue - Done.
:: I went to Makati City Hall yesterday to formally reserve the venue (the venue being a city park). Paid the non-refundable and non-transferable Php 5,000 rental fee. We were given a 2K discount since we're Makati residents.

2. Caterer - In Progress.
:: Awaiting replies from Blue Petals and Verleo Catering.

3. Photographer - Done.
:: Confirmed John Aguas booking since last month.

4. Guest list - Done.
:: We now have a rough estimate to invite. Budget per head is already set as well.

5. Party Theme - Done.
:: We're final with Safari Jungle Theme.

6. Cake - In Progress.
:: Still awaiting Emily Uy's confirmation. Still browsing for cake ideas.

7. Venue Stylist - In Progress.
:: I'm yet to sit down with Jacque (Partyboosters) to finalize the other party knick knacks (styling, balloons, added services like face painting, carts, possible game booths, etc). But nevertheless, we have started brainstorming about the decors and styling of the venue over YM.

8. Host / Magician / ventrilusionist - In Progress.
:: We relinquished our Wanlu dreams since his rate is beyond our budget. I was inclined to get Alex Lagula's services but unfortunately, he's no longer available. I'm not sure if Jacque has booked Flooch but as of our last text exchange last night, I gave the go signal to book him. I heard he's as good as the abovementioned hosts but not as pricey as them.

9. Invitation / Tarpaulin - In Progress.
:: I bought the jungle themed kits yesterday. With the confirmation of the venue, I can now start digiscrapping the invites.

10. Outfit - In Progress.
:: Still looking for a safari outfit. Anyone knows where can I buy baby safari wardrobe similar to Kuya Kim Atienza? Yung khaki shorts and top plus brown safari hat.

11. Loots and Prizes - In Progress.
:: We'll start shopping for safari themed supplies in the bookstore this coming weekend. But the bulk of which will be bought at Divisoria by next month.

So there, it may sound that I've accomplished a lot but there are some more nitty gritty details to deal about.

Looking at the countdown in my blog sidebar, I still have 51 days to go to prepare before the little one turns one! So plenty of time pa naman...so sige medyo chill chill muna ako.

10th Month Birthday.

Asher turns 10 months old today and I know may sound like a broken record here but I have just to repeat it, where did the time go? Just two months to go then he's one. As always, I'm amazed how time flies and how he grows and develops fast that new milestones and tricks pour in and surprise us almost each day.

Here are his firsts and other "smilestones" on his 10th month:

1. Two upper front teeth have uprooted giving him four teeth all in all. And with that, we now have a little gnawing and biting rascal. My breasts (during feeding time), my fingers, arms and even legs are his usual victims making me a battered mom.

2. The most frequent syllables he utters nowadays are "ma ma ma ma" or "mum mum mum mum"; "ba ba ba ba" and "di".

3. When he whines and longs for me to carry him, he reaches for me and cries "ma ma ma".

4. When instructed to "pray", he clasps his hands together under his chin (and even shakes them) after we guide him in doing the sign of the cross.

5. He can expertly stand on his own while holding on to something and cruise sideways (or locally termed as "gabay").

6. Knows the concept of "hide and seek". He covered a piece of paper with a table cloth then pulls it up to uncover. He did it over and over for several times.

7. When he's hungry or if he sees one munching, he would open and close his mouth as if he's munching too. He won't stop until you give/share your food to him.

8. He would raise his left or right arm on the armhole when putting his shirt on.

9. He learned his overly fast "close-open" trick yesterday then today, his "flying kiss" trick.

10. Can sit on his own from lying on tummy position. Slithers speedily but he can't still crawl on all fours (tummy off the floor). I guess he's one of those few babies who would skip crawling and proceed to walking motor skill.

11. Can expertly maneuver his walker to his preferred direction.

13. Loves the water now more than ever. He delightfully splashes the water in his tub during bath time with hands and even feet.

14. First beach experience. (Boracay: December 27-29, 2008)

15. First airplane ride. (To and from Boracay aboard Cebu Pacific and PAL)

16. First Baguio experience. (December 21 - 24, 2008)

** For Numbers 14 - 16, I am yet to blog about these experiences. I'm almost through with the flickr pics upload so perhaps, you'll read about them soon.

Back To Work?

When I resigned from my work, I told myself that my being a stay at home mom won't be for long and I just gave myself about a year then I'd return to the corporate world. With Asher's birthday in two months time, with all honesty, I haven't come to think about this again. Perhaps, I am not yet prepared to leave the little one behind. Further the reasonable freelance online earnings puts me in a relaxing seat not to think about the corporate salary that I could be receiving. Of course, I may not have a stable 15th and 30th paycheck and benefits, but these don't beat still the easy money I get from blogging right in the very comfort of our home and while I personally take care my little one.

I'm not closing my doors anyhow. I may return working in a corporate office but not now. Not in the near future. But if ever I decide, I'm not sure if I'll still return to the career I left behind in my previous employer. I thinking of trying a different field aside from Purchasing for a change..may be in accounting or banking fields or perhaps could also be any field within Amerisave careers list. I just thought of it as I'm browsing their job list now. Amerisave is one of the America's leading and fastest-growing online mortgage companies offering the best rates and lowest fees for a variety of home financing needs. It doesn't have to be involved with selling but insurance-related works might just be interesting. Anyway, I graduated with a degree in Commerce so my educational units do qualify. But whatever it will be, it'll definitely one that isn't too time demanding as I would still prioritize being a Mom to my little one.

Teaser.

Just a preview where the little one was in the previous weeks:

Blog updates about these getaways soon..promise!

Happy New Year!

Hope the new year is treating you all well.

As for me, here we are (including the little one) still trying to catch up with everything. As you can see, we've been busy these past few weeks with the holidays, two out of town trips, weddings and homecomings of loved ones. I wonder when will our "regular programming" resume.

You might have seen my overloaded flickr gallery, yes, that's how much pics we've taken so far and I'm not yet through with the upload. Since I still don't have that much time yet to blog about the latest happenings and events, just check out my gallery to get a glimpse what kept us all busy these past two weeks. It's overwhelming really.

Meanwhile, before I get busy and resume with my blogging activities, excuse me (again) as I need to help out my sister with her upcoming wedding on the 17th. There are some details that need to be finalized asap and she badly needs my help. Even though she has a full wedding coordinator, I'm gladly helping her being the supportive and helpful sister that I am (that's no joke Haha!). Besides, I'm her Matron of Honor so it's just appropriate that I extend help.

Speaking of wedding coordinators, I'm looking forward on how my sister's coordinators will perform on the day. I heard that they're one of the best event management suppliers in the industry today. Aside from that, I think they're also into public and media relations and even talent management. Their business is pretty similar with a San Diego Public Relations Agency that I read about recently online although the latter's main focus is on marketing communications. Their past projects include media campaigns of the finest hotels, restos, and consumer products in Southern California.

So there, I'll be back with some more holiday updates.