Vacation Dreams.

As early as last December following our Boracay getaway, the husband and I are already thinking of our next big vacation for this year. We haven't travelled abroad together and with Asher, a little bigger by then, it would surely be fun to fly somewhere...like Hong Kong perhaps. Hubby and I have been meaning to step foot there in fact, HK has been one of our honeymoon choices but due to lack of anticipation on our part, we ended up with unconfirmed bookings and Boracay is where we landed instead. So for now, we're just trying our luck to get cheap travel deals. If only Mexico is nearer, then we'd love to have an all inclusive mexico vacation. I've read about the Karisma Hotels that line up the secluded white-sand beaches on the Mexican Riviera Maya. Among the nice beaches that it has, I find the Azul Beach Hotel apt and just right for us. Situated along the beautiful stretch of the Bahia Pentempich beach in Puerto Moreles, it is a family-friendly resort with all its kiddie amenities like strollers, cribs, baby milk heaters, beach games, coloring books, refrigerators for milk and medicines, and even kid-sized bathrobes. Added to that the gourmet-inclusive dining is another thing to be excited about.

The Venue.

Tomorrow..the party will be set right here.

I can't wait to step on this and see how a dear friend, Jacque of Partyboosters, transforms this to the a wild jungle safari venue with lots of brown, green, orange, yellow and white balloons. You can probably sense how excited I am now. It's more than that actually. I don't know if I'd be able to doze off tonight because of excitement.

Thanks Joy for the picture.

Manic Monday.

If I was a car, I'd be: a Volvo. Volvo S60R to be exact...that's Edward Cullen's cool car. :)

If I was a drink, I'd be: an orange juice. Not too sweet nor not too sour.

If I was emotion, I'd be: happy. Because the world would definitely be a better place to live in sans the troubles and sadness.

Join us here!

Push Gift.

During this time last year, I was getting ready for a (what I didn't know) my last prenatal checkup with my OB. My due date was nearing and I was growing impatient each day as my tummy was at its heaviest and biggest...but not praying that he'd be out the next day. Last year was a leap year. It's not actually a big deal but I'd love to have my son celebrate his exact birthday yearly. Truly, Asher heard Mommy's prayers that he decided to come out on March 2 and not on Feb 29. Anyway, I was just kinda sentimental now, reminiscing what was I doing exactly on the same date a year ago. Now memories of how we rushed to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning with a ruptured waterbag; of how I went to 19 hours of labor and consequently, those 3 big and deep pushes that expelled Asher out of my womb in the Delivery Room. Yes, the series of events is still fresh in my memory...but I no longer remember the pain. The greatest gift in Asher eradicated all the pain away. Even greater than the satisfaction a designer costume jewelry may bring.

Although, on another note, such jewelry would be nice for a "push gift" from the husband, wouldn't it? Just a tip to the husband, browse the site of Holsted Jewelers..they have designed jewelry, gifts and accessories that would make your wives go "wow!". If you are lucky, you might even find their special “set savings” deals where you can buy more but save more. Did I stir your interest there? Go and check out their site.

A Simple Meme.

From Mommy Cris.

The Rules:
-Copy the questions below.
-Simply use the first letter of your name/nickname as your answer for each questions.
-You can't use any answer twice and don't use your own name for questions # 3 & 4.
-After you're done, tag 10 people.

1. What is your name? Mai
2. A four letter word: Male
3. A boy's name : Michael
4. A girl's name : Michelle
5. An occupation : Model
6. A color : Magenta
7. Something you wear : Mini skirt
8. A type of food : Mexican
9. Something found in the bathroom : mini-pail
10. A place : Manila
11. A reason for being late : Meeting
12. Something you shout : Mali
13. A movie title : Madagascar
14. Something you drink : Milk
15. A musical group : Many musicians LOL
16. A street name : Makiling
17. A type of car : Mazda
18. A song title : Mr DJ
19. A verb : Make

Checklist.

1. Venue - checked
2. Caterer - checked
3. Photo and Video Services - checked
4. Venue Stylist - checked
5. Cake - checked
6. Host/Magician - checked
7. Loot Bags and Prizes - checked
8. Costume - checked
9. Party Decors and other stuffs - checked

So that's it, we're all set. Now I just have to make sure that the little one is well rested before the party so he'd enjoy and won't get cranky.

Sheesh...I'm giddily excited and anxious..I'm ready to partehhhh!

One Week To Go.

And it all boils down to this last week of preparation.

Geez, I can't exactly comprehend what I'm feeling right now. I'd like to believe that we're doing just fine with every details but I just can't because there are still a few that we're yet to finalize. Although mostly consists of just giving a call on each supplier to check and confirm final requirements for the party.

Here's a glimpse on some of the party details:

:: The Tarp Backdrop :: The Welcome Banner ::

:: The Loot Bags for the Big Kids :: The Digiscrapped Invites and DIY Safari Map ::

Mommy Moments: Feeding Time.

This is Asher when he was just 3 months old. He's exclusively breastfed all throughout his first year except for the time when I had to undergo a Laparoscopic surgery to remove my gall stones (and gall bladder) when he was just barely 2 months old. I stocked several ounces of breast milk prior the operation but with Asher's voracious appetite, all were consumed in just two days. We had no choice but to give him formula for a few days while I recuperate and was drugged with antibiotics. I definitely abhor those pump and dump days...lamenting over the fact that my breast milk is just put to waste and sad that he has to take formula for a while. I really was dead set to exclusively breastfeed (as much as possible direct nurse) him for as long as I can and that's one of the reasons why I resigned from my stressful work the moment I got back from my Maternity Leave.

I have tons of pictures of him eating and these ones are my recent favorites. He has a big appetite for anything and that's one of the rewards we're reaping now because of him being breastfed. Studies show that breast fed babies are less picky eaters when they start on solids. He would devour anything I prepare for him especially when the time came he was given a go signal by his Pedia to eat home cooked meals. The moment he hears the roar of the blender (to make the rice and the viand soup into a lumpy mixture), he already knows that it's eating time and he would start shouting and opening his mouth. And seeing this lovely smile after a spoonful of his food, I'm stoked. It only means that he likes LOVES it!

What's Up, Asher?

I have been busy with the party preps and all that I fail to blog about what's up with Asher these past few weeks. It's just recently that I blogged and listed down his 11th month milestones and in just a span of 2 weeks, I have a handful of updates again to list down.

1. He says a forceful and loud "Haaaa!" when asked how his Lolo imitates a dog's bark.
2. He clear his throats when he hears someone coughs, yawns, sighs or when asked "pano ang ubo ni mommy?"
3. He does the "tsk tsk" sound and looks up when he hunts for a lizard.
4. He knows that airplane flies above him so even if we're inside the house, he would look up and inspect the ceiling for a flying airplane.
5. He says a hoarse "haaaa" to imitate a monster.
6. He shouts "je je" when asked to call his playmate, Jay-jay.
7. And just yesterday, he quickly learned the Captain Barbel trick. His cousin Kylie, raises her fist when she hears "darna" and so as her counterpart, they taught Asher to raise his arms ala-Captain Barbel.
8. On another note, his yet to take his first steps by himself. He can already stand on his own for about 3-5 secs but sits right away upon knowing that no one's holding him.
9. And I thought, he's one of these few babies who'd skip crawling and proceed to walking skill but I was surprised to see him crawling on all fours after his 11th month birthday. And because of that, I don't put my expectations high that he can walk on his own early. But then again, I'm not at all concerned because babies are different and develop at their own pace.
10. Since it's getting hotter these days and with Asher who's seemingly a sweat machine, I bathe him twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening so he'd slumber soundly throughout the night. With that, I think I have to start canvassing for an electric tankless water heater because this would be our routine for the rest of the summer season. With such, warm bathing water is just easy to get hold of.

Loot Bags - Checked!

The party loot paper bags and a few more giveaways finally arrived last Wednesday from the US. (Thanks to Chris for the request accommodation.) And so, hubby and I spent this morning sorting and packing the stuffs while the little one slept. We waited 'til he fell asleep otherwise, it'd be a mess...a big mess, that is. We've finished wrapping the loot bags for the big kids as well as for baby guests and we've neatly packed them in a box. I have rechecked also the prizes that we'll be given away for the games. We are scheduled tomorrow to get the personalized chocolates (giveaways for the adults) I ordered from Choclittalk but we decided to get it on next Saturday instead. We figured out we don't know where they'll be safely stored for this coming week. I'm thinking of having another giveaway for the adults, too - perhaps, a rare coin or of that sort since Jungle Safari has teeny weeny something to do with treasures, right? Like treasure hunters wearing Safari hats? Haha! I think I'm sounding ridiculous already. But hey, I'm pretty serious about the rare coins giveaway. Just the cheap ones of course. The nicest and rarest cost a fortune, I know. That's what I've read in “The Rare Coin Insider” from Monaco. That's where I also got the idea about the coin giveaway. Monaco Rare Coin (part of the Monex family of companies) is the leader in precious metal investments and the help find the best rare coin value in the market. Now let's see if the budget can still accommodate this idea.

Asher's Birthday Wish List.

Asher's party is just one week away and as requested by his Ninongs, Ninangs and friends, I came up with a wish list to spare them from the grueling task of thinking what to gift him. But foremost, please do remember that your presence in the party is actually enough and is the ultimate gift you'd give my little Asher. We have compiled this to serve as ideas and it is in no way complete and is, of course, flexible. So here it goes in no particular order:

1. Chest / Toy Storage Boxes / Toy Baskets or those medium to large plastic containers that we saw at SM
:: Asher's toys are scattered everywhere and it would be nice to have boxes to keep them into.

2. Little Touch Leap Pad Cartridges
:: He already has the "One Bear in the Bedroom" which comes along with the Little Touch Leap Pad Learning System his Dad bought him last December. Now Asher wants to try the other cartridges like Baby's First Words, Animal Dance, A to Z Adventure, If I Were, Animal World and of course, my all time favorite Guess How Much I Love You.


3. Story/Board Books
:: Special request: Guess How Much I Love You book and Goodnight Moon

4. Sandals and Slippers for Walking
5. Brown or blue going out walker shoes (like those of Florsheim) - sneakers or loafer type
:: If possible with secure-close straps similar to this:
6. 4R Slip In Pocket Type Book Type Photo Album (National Bookstore) for his photo prints.

7. Clothes (12-24 mos) - polos, shirts (tees or graphic tees), Carter jammies, shorts, pants, socks, etc.


8. Potty trainer
9. This may be a wishful thinking but Asher would also appreciate if he'll have another Chest/Drawer for his clothes.

8. But should you still have a tough time searching with the above mentioned items, educational toys for a 1 yr old tot would also be greatly appreciated.

9. Gadgets like iPhone, PDAs, laptop, a new lens...of course, I'm just kidding. But if you wish to give these, by all means, the Mom who'll also celebrate her birthday in two weeks time would be happy to receive them :)

Tag Train #19.

1. What's your latest addiction?
:: Playing with Misha and other pets at Pet Society, a Facebook application.

2. Are you expecting a thing in your mailbox today?
:: Yes and I got them yesterday and this morning. They're Asher's party balloons and loots from Oriental Trading coursed through my good friends, Chris and Glo.

3. When was the last time you got pissed off?
:: Hmm, I can't remember. I've been in a good mood lately.

4. What comes first to your mind when you see a dollar bill?
:: The current peso conversion rate.

5. Would you rather be a babysitter or an elderly caregiver?
:: I think a babysitter.

6. If you were invisible for a day, what would you do?
:: Sneak in at the Super Lotto room and do wonders with the balls so what would come up are my number picks in the draw. LOL.

7. If you could expand one room in your house to twice its size, what room would it be?
:: The bedroom.

8. What's your headline for today?
:: Just 9 Days To Go (and still very much busy with the party preps).

9. What do you have handy at your bedside?
:: My cellphone.

10. What dream job would you like to have?
:: a Seattle injury lawyer..sounds challenging.

For those who want to chug along, you can catch up on these train stations:

For those who want to chug along, you can catch up on these train stations:

Tag Train #1; Tag Train #2; Tag Train #3; Tag Train #4; Tag Train #5; Tag Train #6; Tag Train #7; Tag Train #8; Tag Train #9; Tag Train #10; Tag Train #11; Tag Train #12; Tag Train #13; Tag Train #14; Tag Train #15; Tag Train #16; Tag Train #17; Tag Train #18; Tag Train #19; Next Stop.

Just My 2 Cents.

"All babies are different and develop at their own pace."

1. Stop the competition please because I, nor Asher, don't contend with how fast your baby is growing, how heavier or how plump she is now.

2. Still in connection with number 1, just to remind you, your baby was born heavier by several kilos in the first place. So it's just natural for her to equate or even exceed Asher's weight at the moment. I don't care how chubby your baby might become, I just wish you luck not to think about giving her weight loss pills when she fails to outgrow her baby fats later on.

3. You don't need to falsely "quote" what the Pediatrician said with regards to my baby's weight or should I say, don't fabricate things because I consulted her myself. She said there's nothing to worry about.

4. My baby may look leaner than yours but it's okay. I'm not bothered because I know that he's doing just fine. I can't just get it why you're putting a pressure..i don't know if it's on me or you're pressuring yourself?

5. I can't just get it either why you always have to mention what your baby can do whenever Asher shows his antics.

You can go on your "bragging", basta..all I know is that my little Asher is healthy and smart.

Doing Math.

We're on the last leg of the party preparation and guess which part I had the toughest time dealing with....

..listing down the expenses in an excel sheet and doing the math!

I never thought that a first birthday party nowadays would entail this much (considering that we already scrimped on some details). It just goes to show how hard economic life really is these days. At any rate, this happens just once in a lifetime and next year, a much simpler party will definitely do.

Seeing Straight at Less Cost.

Have you seen or read about Zenni Optical in the New York Times?! Well, they got featured once again to make people with eyesight problems know that Seeing Straight Without Breaking Bank is possible. Aside from the wide array of stylish frames, most sought after products are their Prescription eyeglasses for only $8! Check out their site now if you're still not convinced.

It's A Date.

The husband and I don't have any particular plans yet for Saturday. One thing is for sure though, we're definitely going to dine out. But as to the setup if the little one is coming too, we're yet to decide. We'll see if we can leave him to his nanny but knowing that he still isn't that at ease with his nanny, we might end up having him as our date, too. Anyhow, I might start looking and come up with at least three resto choices. I'm sure I'll be asked to decide come Saturday so with ready options, judging won't be a tough job. My search led me to an interesting site called West Word. Their section about restaurants is very helpful as it provides a reliable guide about everything you need to know about the best restaurants that there is in a particular city. Like if you are interested to try Denver Restaurants, you could read first hand reviews from food critics that will help you choose the best resto in accordance to your requirements and preferences.

11 Month Birthday.

Asher celebrated his 11th month birthday last Monday and now we're down to the last stretch of his first year.

It's been almost a year since Asher first saw the world and now, just a few weeks or days ahead, he'll soon be officially a toddler.

And so before I do a little cleanup on my desk and discard the insurance quotes that pile my drawers, let me run through the things that are remarkable about Asher's 11th month: milestones, other "firsts" and other worth noting events on the month of January.

* Learned how to climb and get/slide off the sofa or bed.
* Four teeth with one currently erupting.
* He can now stand with less support. He's now even able to stand on his own holding on to nothing for about five seconds, then either slumps down or extends arms and rushes towards whosoever is near. First time he did this was on January 13.
* Cruises a lot around the house. Super likot.
* Coins the following words to the respective things/persons/actions descriminately:
"Mama" - to Mommy
"Ad-di" - to Daddy
"Baba" - if he wants to get off from being carried
"Dede" - if he wants to nurse
"Yayay" - his nanny
"Mum-mum" - water
"Wa" - Lola
"Bu" - the bee and butterfly magnets on the ref
* Waves his hands (as if waving hello) or wards off things to signify resistance (like if he's done eating)
* He starts associating a certain thing with a particular action, like when he stumbled upon his bib while playing, he munched as if chewing something. He knows that he uses his bib when he's eating.
* To recap, here are the things he can expertly do/recognize when asked:
People: "Where's Lolo, Lola, Mommy, Daddy, Tito, Tita, Yayay, Kylie?"
Pets: "Where's Jumong, Margie?" (my in-laws' dog and cat)
Body parts: "Where's your head?" (Hits head several times), "Where's your tongue?" (opens wide mouth), "Where's your birdie?" (Touches his little thing down there).
Toys: "Where's Nemo?" and "Where's Barney?"
Self: "Where's Asher?" (Looks up at the hanging calendar that has his picture)
Jesus: "Where's Papa Jesus?" (Looks up at the framed Sacred Heart of Jesus pic in our bedroom at Frisco)
Others: Moon, Light
* Close-open
* Waves hello and bye-bye
* Can kiss cheeks of Mommy, Daddy, Lolo and Lola
* Puts hands on the ear as if he's talking over the phone when he hears the word "Hello Lolo" or when he sees someone using the phone or when the phone rings and no one's answering.
* Seemingly count fingers when he hears "Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5"...then claps afterwards.
* Marvels and looks outside the window when he hears the Cornetto's Jingle from the roving ice cream cart.
* Eats almost everything that we eat during meal times especially home cooked soup dishes: nilaga, sinigang, malunggay, tinola, fried fish, lugaw, etc (only I grind them a bit using the blender making it lumpier and easier for him to chew and swallow).
* First time to meet ever Lolo Raffy (my dad) who's on vacation break from Saudi work
* Attended Tita Lei's wedding

Party Prep Updates.

I just read Litzie's party prep updates so now I also feel like listing down my achievements so far.

1. Invites - I still haven't received the postal notice from Artscow. The photo invites are supposed to arrive this week. I'll send out the invites hopefully starting next week.

2. Caterer - Believe it or not, we haven't officially booked (meaning paid DP) our caterer as of writing. We went to Glorietta last Sunday to visit their satellite office but it's only then I realized, Glorietta 2, where they used to rent their office space, has long been closed. I asked in the concierge where Queensland transferred but the staff claimed they don't hold any office anymore at Glorietta. Didn't get to call Queensland to ask on the spot since I don't have their number stored in my phone. Bummer. Upon verification with Queensland yesterday, they're now located at Glorietta 3, 3rd level. So to that staff, tsk tsk tsk better review your manual, sir. Anyway, I'll be dropping by tomorrow to have this scratched off the list. We're also decided with the menu.

3. Venue Styling and Other Stuffs - With Jacque and Asher getting sick last Thursday, our meeting was postponed. By hook or by crook, we'll meet tomorrow. Among to include in our discussion are: the overall decors, reservation of face painter, Flooch's program flow, projector rental (still thinking if we'll proceed with the AVP thingie) etc. Also still awaiting for the safari print latex balloons that I asked Glo to shop for me at Oriental Trading.

4. Party Loot and Prizes:
a.) Loot bag contents - Shopped about four types of animal themed trinkets at Divisoria Mall last Saturday. Candies and chocolates are yet to be bought in the grocery store.
b.) Prizes - Shopped TONS at Divisoria. The husband mused how many games we will have with all these prizes.
c.) Loot paper bag and a few more trinkets - Awaiting shipment from Oriental Trading courtesy of a dear friend.

5.) Safari Costume:
a.) Mine's all set except for a minor repair to be done on my Ebay-ordered Safari dress. Bought a new pair of sandals as well last weekend.
b.) Asher's measurement is yet to be given to Jacque's mom for his tailored hunter costume. We bought last Sunday Florsheim brown sneakers to match his hunter costume.
c.) Bought safari hats for me and the husband in Divisoria. Hubby is still scouting for a khaki baggy pants and plain white collared shirt.

6.) Souvenir - Paid DP and submitted my digiscrapped wrapper design to the chocolate supplier. I await their template for my approval prior they proceed with the printing. For the giveaways to the adults, no it won't be Fossil watches but equally charming and sweet personalized chocolate bars.

7.) Cake - Paid 50% DP last week.

To Do's:
1. Digiscrap background tarp. Instead of renting a very costly styro backdrop, I'll just design a tarp and have it printed. I have to meet with Jacque first and agree with the specs and overall design and colors to go with her styling.
2. Digiscrap loot bag toppers.
3. Have the guest sheets printed.
4. Plot in an excel file all these party related expenses.
5. Finish the AVP slideshow.

What else? I think just as long as I meet with Queensland and Jacque within this week, then I'm almost covered.

Mommy, Mommy..I Am Sick (Again).

Sheesh. Asher just recovered from his 2-day on and off fever last week but just last night he got feverish again. I was kind of expecting though because his colds was the worst I've seen of him. His nose was like a faucet and super nagluluha ang eyes. Glad, he was a lot better when he woke up this morning. Hope he'll fully recover soon.