Mompreneur :)

Can I just share?! I am a certified Mompreneur! haha... or at least in Smart Parenting magazine online.
Thanks to my friend, and fellow mom-blogger Tina for the feature.

My online shop that sells Ikea stuff was featured :) Read more about it here.
Am soo kilig!! :)

Thankful at 30.

I turned 30 on Feb 25, and I can't help but feel very much blessed and grateful for everything that I have. I decided to take this time to reflect about all the things I am so fortunate to have.

A few things I am thankful for on my 30th year:

Boracay honeymoon

1. My Husband, Santi. I am not the easiest person to love and get along with, but he does a pretty darn good job at it. I love how he gets me and complements me in areas where I need improvement. How he always looks out for our family's well-being.

2. My kids, Santino, Ysabella and Giovanni. They are my life's greatest treasures. My life is complete now that I have them in my life. My ultimate desire was fulfilled when I became a mom to these three little munchkins. :-)

My bundles of joy!

3. Good health for me and my family. As one grows older, this becomes so important. We need to be healthy in order to be able to live our lives to the fullest.

4. Wonderful and Loving parents. I am blessed to have the most understanding, generous and prayerful parents on the planet. I am who I am because of them. Marrying Santi, I was blessed twice over with in-laws who share the same values and passions as we do and who are there for us and support us unconditionally. No difficult in-laws here!

our HH (some not in picture)

5. Our Household in Community. Santi and I are fortunate enough to have a wonderful support group of fellow young couples in CFC-FFL who journey with us and give very practical and helpful advice when it comes to family, marriage, relationships and everything in between!

6. Girlfriends. When you want to spend some QT with women you can share anything with, there's nothing like spending it with real friends who get you. I am fortunate enough to have those from all parts of my life- high school, college, in community, work and in extended family.

7. Family Catechesis and Liturgical Bible Study. This was truly God-sent to Santi and I. One night we just happen to have found ourselves in this small Sunday group learning the word of God and how alive it is in our lives. Santi developed it even more into Family Catechesis and we have been blessed to see families learning the work of God and being transformed through it. Check it out here- www.liturgicalbiblestudy.com

8. Our Yayas. They are practically like our children's older sisters or second parents when it comes to care and concern. We are fortunate enough to have great, honest and loving help in our home.

9. My work. I am blessed to be part of a company that is not only fun and interesting, but is a challenge to work in and puts family first.

10. This blog. It started out as a hobby and a passion for writing. Now, I have quite a number of blog entries that tell a story or special event in my life. I am grateful for this outlet, to be able to also express my thoughts and for others to (hopefully) pick up something good.

11. Our own home. We recently moved out of the motherhouse (or my parents backyard - haha) and delved into the independent life. I am loving it. It's a lot of work but it's all worth it. This was the best decision (and most natural I think :)) we could have ever made. We are making our own path as a family.

12. Milk tea. This just makes me happy. Add on extra sago and coffee jelly and I am over the moon.
13. Shopping in Divisoria. Simple joys and great finds that are great for the wallet!

14. Nightly walks with my husband. Santi and I recently started this habit of going on evening walks around our village. It's great exercise and a wonderful time for us to catch up and talk about anything and everything. A must-have in every relationship.

Meet Gordon

15. Cooking. I have recently discovered my love (and talent) for cooking! Will share those in my next blogs... but it's pretty exciting for me making meal plans and discovering new recipes and being able to actually do it!! :)

16. Gordon, our dog. The newest addition to our brood.



PHEW that's a long list! But then again, it's always great to take the time to look at what you've got and how fortunate and blessed you are to have it. ;-)

Change is Good.

After almost 30 years (just a few days short of) of living in Alpadi- the home I grew up in... I finally left. It is one of the saddest and happiest moments in my life. After spending 29 years as a daughter, 4 as a married woman and 3 as mother (now of 3 wonderful kids) in that HOAM or as my dad called it- Heaven On top of A Mountain, my husband and I felt that it had been about time to spread our wings and go on our own. It was indeed our own little piece of heaven, and I cannot help but feel a slight pinch or tug at my heart when I think and remember all the fond and wonderful memories I had growing up. Every major milestone and every important event in my life has been tied at one point or another to that place. But then as the famous saying goes, "The only thing constant in life is change" and I do believe that our decision to move out was a good change.

It's been a week already since we moved (to a much more centrally located area) and it has been the best decision we had ever made. I feel flattered when some friends (who have already come over) comment that when they come in our home it feels as if we have been living here for years.. and I like that. It validates the feeling of peace and contentment that I feel every morning when I wake up and every evening before I go to sleep.

It's just a few days before my 30th birthday. Others would want to get some lavish gift or go on an extravagant vacation, but I am very much happy to be spending my birthday with  my family. My family is my greatest treasure, and with our "big move" life just got even better. Although I will admit that it is quite an effort on my part, but one that I do and fulfill gladly. I've recently had a lot of "firsts" this past week- first time doing fresh market shopping (at a REAL palengke haha), first time doing real meal planning and the cooking! and just being the best wife, mother and homemaker I can be. I never realized how fulfilling it would be to have your kids and husband gobble up the food you make (it must be good! haha) or my son saying to me the first thing when he wakes up- "mommy, I love your banana bread" after I had just, for the first time, made it from scratch. My heart is full!! This I think is the best "gift" I could get for my 30th birthday. Everything else would just be the icing on top!

There is always room to grow when you make positive changes in your life. As my husband says, all it takes is a leap of faith. Make the effort and God will take care of the rest... and so far, God has not only lived up, but exceeded his part of the "deal"... What [positive] changes do you want to make but are hesitant to do?

I've got someTEA on my mind...

Excuse the corny heading. The fact of the matter is I am a milk tea addict. I am absolutely loving the fact that tea drinks have become quite the rage now... the only problem is, there are so many out there that it's getting quite confusing which one to buy. So for serious milk tea lovers like myself, I am continually in search of the best one out there.

My love affair with milk tea began 5-6 years ago in 7-11. Sago, pudding or whatever "pearls or sinkers" were not yet uso at that time. It was just honest to goodness milk tea. I have no idea what the brand it, but believe me it's GOOD. And for the price, if I remember correctly around P30+ for a huge bottle, it's quite the steal. Not to mention that packaging looks pretty authentic. ha ha! Have any of you tried this before?

So that went on for quite a while until the whole Zagu craze... I remember the super loooong lines at every zagu store, it was just crazy! But I was never a total fan of it since I found it too sweet and not very authentic. Until QUICKLY came along. I absolutely love their Taro-Taro... it comes with sago already and just for P55!! I was devastated when the number of outlets drastically decreased, but still grateful that there are still a few centrally located stalls to this date.

Then there was such a sudden boom in the whole milk tea business and all these stalls and small stores selling milk and bubble tea started popping up that it was already so hard to keep track on what was what! I must say, I have not tried all the milk tea places out there, but from what I have tried, I have to say that the Wintermelon is my favorite flavor. It's got that perfect taste of green tea (but not the yucky mapait kind) and sweetness (since you can control and dictate that now) of syrup, with those yummy jelly pearls.

By far the best one for me, and I'm not saying this because it's popular, but it's just really good, is the Serenitea winter melon flavor. Get the one with just 75% sweetness and sinkers like pearl and the coffee jelly ones are my favorite. The Hokkaido flavored one is also just as good.

Next up on my list is Happy Lemon. I've heard the "craze" over this.. sorry but this just doesn't make me happy. Salt and cheese with milk tea drink? seems like a recipe for bathroom disaster if you ask me. Anyhoo, I tried it and it wasn't anything great. But whatever floats your boat :) Maybe I should give it another try, but for now, no thanks. ha ha.

Lastly, I tried this small stall that also sold winter melon tea. Obviously a knock off from Serenitea since they even called the added jelly stuff "sinkers" and also had the percentage of sweetness you could pick from. ha ha. This one is Tea-rrific! -- that's the name of the stall. I got the winter melon one. For half the price (P55) of the Serenitea, it was good enough. A good enough sub when you don't have a Serenitea nearby or you are on a budget but just want to get the milk tea fix :)

Great. Ok now I'm craving for milk tea.

Proud Mama

I recently switched back to being a mac user and I am so happy I made the switch. Aside from better functionality and not having to worry about viruses, my kids and I have been utilizing the photobooth application a lot. My kids loooove taking pictures and seeing themselves in the screen. Here are some fun photobooth moments:

Me, Giovanni, Belly & Santino 

Gordon with Me and Ate

Looking back at photos of my kids I can't help but reminisce at be baffled at how they are growing up so fast! Feels like just yesterday that I gave birth! ha ha :) I am especially in awe when my eldest, Santino starts to have long conversations (that make sense) and when he reasons things out with me. It makes me laugh and smile when I hear his reasonings. Just to share excerpts...

At 1130pm. Kids wide awake.
Belly:"meow. Meow." 
Santino:"ha ha ha! You're crazy!" 
Me:"why is she crazy?" 
Santino:"Because she doesn't want to sleep!" 
#ANORAW

And another one...

Santino: "Mom, it's no longer mooning day."
Me: " WHAT did you say?"
Santino: "The moon is down and the sun is up. I can see Mr. Sun already."
Me: "Ahhhh..."

And this one liner that he told his dad one day while driving home from school...

Santino: "Daddy, is the one who fixes cars a CARpenter?" 

Makes sense, right? :) My Kuya is growing up so fast!!!
And my only girl naman, she gets super kikay by the day!! As in she picks her own clothes and shoes whenever we head out and whenever she sees something pretty, she says "nice." ha ha. One time I caught her putting on lipstick! And she also frequents wearing my shoes around the house. I guess all little girls are like this. Just recently I cam home from a spa day and had a mani-pedi done. She, of course, said "nice" while pointing to my finger nails. I asked her if she wanted nail polish too, to which she replied YES.. OF COURSE. Naturally, she posed with her new hot pink nails...

You just gotta love her!! :)
My youngest, thankfully is still very much concerned with just breastfeeding, eating cerelac and sleeping. But he is getting bigger by the day and is showing signs of a strong personality as well. I am just so thankful for all my kids and am so grateful to be here and see them grow up to be exceptional human beings. :) Thanks for taking the time to read and allowing me, yet again, to be one proud mama.

All about babies

Hi Everyone, just want to introduce to you our newest addition, our 4th "baby"... Meet Gordon. :)

Gordon the Dog

He's been with us for a few almost 2 weeks already and we love him to pieces. We had decided to get a dog after our "incident" and decided on a small, perky, smart and super kid-friendly dog. He needed to be the breed that had enough stamina to keep up with 3 young kids!! And I must say he was the right choice. My kids love him so much and he's quite the character! The first few days we would put him outside our sala (outer kitchen) in a doggie cage and he would just cry the whoooole night. Kaka-awa! Then recently I bought him his own bed and he took to it immediately the first night. He now sleeps in our sale (outside our bedroom) and is super happy and content... as you can see, he loves posing for the camera. ha ha. Santino, my eldest, was the one who named him. Of course it is after one of his favorite trains, Gordon...

Gordon the Train

Hay. Si Kuya talaga... hindi mawawala ang trains. He literally misses his trains whenever we go out for the day and can't wait to come home and play with them. I think he watches too many youtube videos on Thomas trains because when he plays by himself he speaks in a narrative as if he is telling a story... for example one time I bought him talking to himself... "'Oh no! There are missing coaches,' said Gordon. Sir Toppom hat was cross."... imagine that with feelings talaga and change in tone when he shifts from the dialogue to the narrator. ha ha ha ha. I have such smart kids. Proud mommy right here. Pagbigayan niyo na. :)

Speaking of babies, I've heard great things about the SM Grand Baby fair in the Megatrade hall happening this weekend. I am seriously thinking about going... But then the mother of 3 inside me is saying I will just end up buying so much stuff I don't need anymore.... ha ha ha. But for first-time mothers, I would definitely recommend going here. Especially if you still have a lot of "essentials" that you have yet to get, it could be a chance to get a good deal on a lot of stuff. 

I remember (sometimes a bit vaguely due to all the anesthesia, haha) my first time being a mom (with Santino), I was buying all kinds of stuff especially whenever there was a sale. ha ha. I guess that's just the natural thing for mothers to do. nowadays, 3 kids later, it's more on how I can re-use or reinvent stuff from the first child up until the last one. ha ha. I guess in a way kawawa din young mga buns because they get hand me downs... but of course I make sure naman that all the second (or third) hand stuff is still in good condition. :)

My latest obsession nowadays is dressing up my 2 boys in identical outfits. hehehe!! It's just too cute!! Here's a photo of my kids during the Christmas season.. dressed my boys in matching tops and Belly in the matching hue. It's so addicting. 

When I was growing up my mom used to dress me and my sister in identical outfits ALL THE TIME.. and I absolutely hated it. I vowed not to do that to my children, but now I can't help myself!! It's just too cute. I can now relate to my mom.. or worse.. I am becoming my mom!! LOL. I'd post a pic of past matching outfits bet me and my sis but thankfully (or not) I can't find any. No evidence! ha ha.

What Ifs and Moving On.

14 days ago some people broke into our house while my family and I were sleeping and stole quite a number of our belongings... from cellphones to laptops, jewelry and even my engagement ring :( My husband and I only realized it when we woke up that morning to my mom barging in the house saying that our neighbor (my tita's place) had been robbed as well. I even joked about it saying that there seemed to be nothing wrong... as a matter of fact, neither Santi or I or even the kids woke up during the early morning so we did not suspect anything. After looking around though I realized that my wallet was open and was not in the place I had put it in the night before. I checked and there was no more money inside. I looked at my work desk and gasped because my newly purchased computer was gone as well! :( Panicked, went inside only to discover our cell phones were gone too. Even my jewelry in our bathroom was wiped clean! But despite all the things we lost, what was most unsettling was the fact that there were people that came into our house and invaded our space and came SO CLOSE to us. Just the thought or image that comes to mind keeps me unsettled.

I thank God for keeping me and my family safe. I guess it was a blessing as well that we didn't wake because God knows what could have happened then. I pray every night for safety and protection, and I am so grateful that none of my kids were harmed or stolen! Material things can be replaced, but my family is my life.

Continually talking about it with family and friends, and even writing about it helps. This has also become an outlet for me to process everything and be able to move on... and enjoy life. I write this a number of days after the incident since it has taken us quite a while to get used to sleeping in our room again. Even the slightest noise keeps us awake. The first nights after the robbery I couldn't even get a decent night's sleep. I guess you could say that that experience did traumatize me, but with God's grace we will overcome it. I continually trust in Him to keep me and my family safe.

Be safe and always pray for protection for you and your loved ones.

Boobs and Milk

Aha. That blog title got your attention didn't it? ;-) This post is about boobs and milk... or more specifically, breastfeeding.

I'm a breastfeeding mom and I'm proud of it. I feel very fortunate to have been influenced by family and friends to strive to stay determined despite the many challenges to breastfeeding. I remember when I had my first child, it was such a struggle. I got so frustrated when he didn't latch on automatically... Santino actually refused to breastfeed during the first few hours of his life... I guess he preferred to sleep more. ha ha... but this still made me feel frustrated and helpless... and a bit anxious since I would hear stories about how babies should automatically start sucking on the breast or else they'd grow hungry and then you'd have no choice but to give them formula or water... thank God I was determined. It took a few more tries, but eventually (Santino and) I got the hang of it. Breastfeeding is no easy feat (especially for first time mommies)... aside from the anxiousness and frustrations, there is also the tendency to develop wounds around the nipple.. so remember.. nipple cream!! I remember the time when my nipples got so sore that I dreaded breastfeeding... it felt like torture every time... but I knew I had to continue, not to mention that the expense of formula (milk) was something I wanted to avoid for as long as I possibly could. And I succeeded, well at least for 1 whole year!!

After Santino, almost 2 years later I gave birth to our girl, Ysabella. This time around I knew what to expect and what to do, so I was much more prepared to handle the whole breastfeeding process. I had less sore nipples and things were much more easier. I guess it also helped that Ysabella was a much more cooperative baby, meaning as soon as she came out into the world and the doctor put her on my chest, she immediately started to suck. I can still remember how cute she looked and how happy I was to finally have such an enthusiastic 'eater'. I successfully breastfed Ysabella for 6 months. This time around I was a lot less conscious, like I wouldn't mind breastfeeding in public (with a wrap of course) and things came much easier to me.

Breastfeeding by the beach :)

Breastfeeding now came so much more naturally for me. I also found myself encouraging other soon-to-be moms and fellow new moms to breastfeed for as long as possible. The benefits of this for mom and baby are so much that it's worth all the handwork and dedication. The only thing I regret was that I started going to the gym right away. I wanted to get into shape right away (Belly was only 6months) and so I started going to the gym and doing a little weights... I guess this had some effect on my milk production and so my milk started to lessen and then just diminish all together. I then had to put Belly on formula since my milk was no longer enough :( A few months after this I also found out I was preggy with Baby #3 (Giovanni).

A year and a half later our 3rd little bundle was born. Giovanni is by far the most mabait baby. No trouble in the feeding and sleeping habits. Now the third time around, things just went like clockwork and breastfeeding, parenting and motherhood were like second nature already. I love being a mother to my kids, and I truly enjoy sharing in extra special moments with each of them in different ways. Nowadays what's been crossing my mind is finding an avenue to which I can give back in way and causes that also give me much joy. Thinking about how I can help other moms as well... been thinking about how to go about getting involved in something that will help me achieve these goals of being able to counsel and help out other moms as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

My 3 little treasures.

Kids grow sooo fast. One day you gave birth.. and then BOOM suddenly they are all so grown up! I was telling my husband the other day that our kids seem suddenly so big already!

Santino (3 yrs) is quite the chatterbox.. he always has something to say! There are still times when I am still amazed when I am conversing with him. The things he says!.. sometimes I wonder where he gets them! lol.

Here's an excerpt from my hubby's conversation with our son:
Santino: (pointing to the Church) "Daddy, what is that?"
Daddy: "That is the Church!"
Santino: "The house of Lord?"
Daddy: " YES! That's right!"
Santino: "But where is he?"
Daddy: (How do I answer this?) "He's up there!" (Pointing to heaven!)
Santino: "Tell him I want to see Him!" 
Daddy: "Uhhh, Yeah, Me too! Not today ok?"
Santino: "OK!"


Belly on the other hand is growing up to be such a beautiful little lady. I can really see her character -- the definitely holds up her own next to kuya.. and is not one to be forgotten even with baby Giovanni around. She really knows how to make her presence felt! ha ha. She's super kikay, loves to wear my shoes, carry her handbag and put on make-up! I adore my little girl!

O diba? Parang sneaking away from the paparazzi lang ang effect ng isang photo niya. ha ha!!

And of course there's my bunso, or as I like to call him, my little body builder! He's only 2 months and a few weeks old but he looks like he's 5 or 6 months old already! haha. By far my biggest baby, but still equally adorable. He has such a sweet temperament... he only cries when he is hungry, sleeps a lot and smiles often. I am slowly starting to see his character, I think he will be the most "mellow" and gentle of the 3.

Kids are really such a blessing and a great gift. I often catch myself looking at my kids and wonder... "however did I pop all these kids out?" haha... and more importantly, how can I be the best mother for them? I sometimes think that wasn't it just yesterday that I was out on gimmicks and didn't have a care int he world.. and now I am not only responsible for 3 little people, but must take care for a husband and handle a household as well. PHEW! That is indeed a tall order. Amazing. Life and family is amazing. Going through everyday with your family is an uncertain and amazing adventure... a bumpy one, but with God's grace, I think we'll get through it.

Happy Halloween! :)

(blog originally posted on Oct 31)


Celebrating Halloween has really evolved for me. I remember my younger (Grade School and High School) days when I would go around the village with my cousins, racing to get the best and most number of candies in. It was always so much fun at the end of the afternoon when I'd be so overwhelmed with all the candies I had accumulated in just 3 hours! Then I remember my college and single days when it was no longer about the trick or treating, but more of the gimmicks -- in costume still of course! -- with friends. We would frequent Makati and Malate where it was totally normal for adults to go around in costume. I even remember winning some money at a bar in Malate for my Snow White costume! (remind me to look for old photos from those days...) It was really fun staying up with friends and having a few drinks. Those were fun times indeed!

Then I got married and had kids... and it was a whole new Halloween experience. The STRESS of making sure your kids have costumes and the logistics of everything... it's no joke! ha ha. But seeing my kids having fun and getting all excited, so worth everything!! This year was a blast since we practically filled up a hi-ace with the kids, yayas and us adults! It was a lot of chaotic fun.

My son Santino came as Thomas the Train (his favorite), Belly came as Alice in Wonderland and Giovanni was a monkey!

 Aren't they just the cutest?? :) Dressing up kids for Halloween is just too much fun... especially if they don't complain and actually wear the costumes the whole afternoon. he he :)

Of course the whole caboodle was in full costume force... even the yayas had a blast!

Can't wait for next year! Happy Halloween!! :)

It's all about ME.

(blog originally posted on Oct 24)


I've been feeling pretty crummy all weekend, aside from the fact that physically I think my body was screaming for some rest, which was why I also got a bad cold and fever during the weekend. My body was aching so bad and I could feel the stress and tiredness just oozing out from my shoulders. I guess you could say I never really fully recovered from my first pregnancy... having 3 kids one after the other is no joke. I am still tired from those sleepless nights with my first child!

Anyway, at the spur of the moment I decided that it was time to have some quality ME time... even though it was just for 2 hours (I'm breastfeeding so I can't be away from Giovanni for long without my pump). Before I could change my mind, or before the kids could sense me heading out and stopping me, I rushed into the car and drove to the nearby mall. This 2-hour quality me time was just what I needed.

First on my agenda was to get a massage and get the ache out of my shoulders. Headed out to VIBES Massage. I think, by far, this was the best massage I ever had. NOTE: This is not for those looking for the 4-star treatment with scented oils, fluffy bathrobes and a free glass of iced tea. This is as good as it gets, honest to goodness, work those aching muscles out massage by the blind. It's quite a bargain for P275 for a 1 hour massage. 

After my 1-hour pleasure-torture massage I went to the newly opened Sbarro for a slice of pizza and some salad. Not exactly fine dining but it did the trick for me. There's nothing like comfort food when you don't want to feel guilty for eating carbs when you shouldn't. ha ha.

After I satisfied my stomach and eased the tension from my body, I then of course had to pass by the grocery... why is it that when you are a mommy and there is a grocery within a few walking steps, you just have to go in, look around and find something to buy? Go figure. Anyway, so I purchased a few goodies, staples if you will, that our home cannot be without... and some other items that I needed.

My kids are ADDICTED to chicken nuggets and chocolate pancakes. Cannot run out of those!! Plus bought some ready mix mashed potato for Santino to bring to school on wed... according to his diary, he has to bring mashed potato good for 3. I could make it from scratch but I do not want to stress myself with that since I just had a massage after all. I also bought some pandan mix and all-purpose cream since I am into making buco pandan now... have been craving for it ever since my mother-in-law made some. yum...

On another note, as I was busily checking out each row... I discovered that Kris A. and Sharon C. apparently even have a cookware line?! Medyo hindi masyado bagay kasi trying hard maging Martha S. sila pero the quality of the pots and pans look good... had to stop myself from getting one. Maybe next grocery trip.

All in all, it was a pretty great "me time." It just goes to show that we moms always have to have some sort of personal time away from the hustle and bustle of the family and running a household... and there's totally nothing wrong with taking a few hours or even a "day off." 3 kids and 4 years of marriage later, I've stopped feeling 'guilty' about leaving the kids at home or just shutting out for a few hours (just as long as you tell someone from your family that you are taking a 'break' so no one panics ;-)) for some much needed quality 'me time'... A perfect way to get rejuvenated and energized to resume 'supermommy' duties. 

40 years and beyond.

My parents recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary... what a blessing! Who would have thought that we would be celebrating such a milestone... time flies so fast. Especially when I think about how they almost didn't make it, but God really has a great plan for each family. He brings the right people and opportunities at the right time. You just have to trust and put your faith in Him and He will do the rest. 

This was my parents more than 40 years ago. Groovy diba?

Santi and I just a few days (or weeks) after we became a couple. Still very much slim. haha!

Santi and I are going on our 4th year this December... still a long, long way to go... and still a lot more things to learn and experience as a couple, as parents and as a family. There are so many things going on in our family that I am so blessed to have. Santi and I are not free from problems, but we are very happy with the direction of how our family is going.

I remember a few weeks back I thought to myself "Tumaya kaya ako sa lotto (why don't I try my luck with the lottery)," but I did not push through with buying that ticket (the cash prize wasn't big enough, kidding!) because a voice inside me said... what for? God knows the desires of our hearts and exactly what we need. He will take care of everything because He only wants the best for us... and true enough, God has never let me and my family down. He has truly shown us how clinging on to Him will bless our lives a hundred times over.

And I guess my parents have had the exact same faith for so many years and that is why they were able to reach their 40th wedding anniversary and are still going strong on to 50 years and more :) I can only wish and hope for the same.

My parents, Frank & Gerry and their growing family.:) 5 kids, 2 in-laws and 6 grandchildren.. and counting...

Homaygad.

Can I just say ang gulo ko?! Been jumping around from one blog host to another and in the process all my posts are scattered in cyberspace! Ok so I am now shifting back to my blogspot blog. Ang dami ko napalang posts dito. Anyhoo, will try to transfer my past weebly posts... unless I have to d everything manually... hay...

We have a new home! :)

Great news! Mommy Musings now has a new and permanent home!!
Please redirect all your browsers to:

www.mymommy-musings.com

:)

Values to learn from a child.

Last Sunday I attended a baby shower for my Friend Anna. One of the items we needed to prepare was to write a value and anecdote about your child. This got me thinking -- as usual I did not come prepared so had to this on the spot, haha. But anyways, I got to thinking... what value can a 2yr old and a 9 month old child have at such tender ages? But then, it took me barely more than a minute to realize what they were and how blessed I was to have such 2 little angels. Allow me to share them...

My son, Santino Emmanuel

Santino's kindness and gentle heart.

Santino has always been such a sweet boy. Especially now that he is able to communicate himself, his concern for me and our family shows. Whenever he sees me coughing or feeling sick, he would always come over, put his face as close as possible to mine and say, "You okay Mommy? Protect you." and then would give me a big hug and kiss. Santino would also always ask for a pray-over, whenever something is aching on his body or if he would see daddy or baby bella in discomfort, he would stretch out his hand. One time I caught him praying over baby belly.. he said "Lord... sakit baby bella.. Amen." I melted then and there. Oh kuya, you make me so proud!!!!

My daughter, Ysabella Lily

Ysabella's strength and always happy disposition.

For a someone that's been in this world for 9 months (so far), my little lady has been through quite a lot. From her constant UTI and Reflux diagnosis, Belly has been nothing but the strongest among all of us. Her quiet and happy strength is what really got us through that scary time. She constantly continues to surprise me and always keeps me happy. From the moment she wakes up to before she sleeps, she is ALWAYS smiling. Even when Kuya plays rough or Mommy doesn't pick her up right away, she is never one to hold complaint or to hold a grudge. My dearest darling daughter, you are my sunshine and I love you so! Thank you for always reminding me to 'be happy.' What good is this life if we don't enjoy it? 

They say that how you raise your child reflects in your child's character. I guess we must be doing a pretty darn good job then. With the Lord's guidance, we'll be ok. :)

An unexpected blessing

AN UNEXPECTED BLESSING. :)

Edralin for 3! Coming soon on August 29, 2011 :)) Please keep our family in your prayers!

Thank you 2010

2010 has indeed been a year of challenges, wonderful blessings and countless little miracles and moments of grace for our family. I feel we are so much blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people, family and friends who continue to share their love and prayers to us. I guess I'd like to take this time to write about the most significant things that happened to me and to my family this year... sort of looking back and to help me realize just how blessed I really am.... I promised myself that this coming 2011, I'd focus more on what I do have and all the good things/blessings in my life, and how I can be more of a blessing to others as well. It's a tough job order, I know, but I have to start somewhere.. right? :-)

HIGHLIGHTS OF MY YEAR 2010

Birth of our Baby Girl, Ysabella Lily, or "Belly" as we fondly call her.

Belly was born on May 3 at 11:54 am. Even though I tried to have her come out earlier (it was summer and I was very tired of being preggy already), she decided when she would come out.. at the perfect time. Did not give me a hard time at all and just had a total of 5 hours labor. She latched on right away. She was my 2nd little angel. :)






Santi's 32nd Birthday in Subic

This was our first out of town trip as a family (just our little family of four). It was the perfect time and place! Although Santino loved swimming in the pool, he didn't care much for the sand getting in his slippers and in between his toes (that's my OC kid for you, haha). We stayed at the lighthouse hotel (I would recommend this place!) and we were able to take the kids to Zoobic, to which we also enjoyed! But of course the train/tram outshone all the animals in Santino's eyes. He wouldn't get out of the tram even to see the lions or elephants!








Santino's 2nd Birthday

Our little boy is growing up so fast!! For Santino's 2nd birthday he got his long time and EVERYDAY wish.. to ride a choo-choo train! Thank God for my little boy's simple joys. So we took the whole family and both our parents and siblings (and families) for a free ride on the MRT line. Neat huh? He was in awe the whole time! Of course we had the whole THOMAS AND FRIENDS theme going on, from tattoos to party hats, balloons, cups, etc etc.











Boracay vacation

Our annual family vacation (My side) where our whole family gets to spend 3-4 blissful days doing nothing but lounging around. This year it was back to the wonderful island of Boracay. We stayed at the most awesome Discovery Shores (would so highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a beautiful place to stay in Borcay) and had the most amazing 4 days of fun in the sun. Although having 2 kids and no yayas is quite a feat, it was all worth it. Family bonding is priceless. On a lighter note, the moment we got home (in Manila) and saw our yayas, Santi said "Now my vacation can begin." LOL.

Belly's UTI diagnosis, DMSA, VCUG scan and positive results

I just realized that I have the most amazing, beautiful, special and brave daughter EVER. She had gone through so much for someone only few months old (see my pasts posts on Belly's UTI and procedure), but she still took it all in stride, and just like a real trooper, went through everything with a smile. I love my daughter so much and I am so grateful for her in my life.





Our 3rd year anniversary

Our wedding day with our entourage

Has it been 3 years already?? My time flies so fast, especially when you've already got 2 kids!! :-) Santi and I are so blessed to be given such great blessings so early on in our marriage. Sometimes it's a bit of a challenge, adjusting to married life AND being parents at the same time, but I don't think I would change anything. I'd like to think that these past 3 years together, and this past year in particular has really been such a turning point in my personal maturity as a wife, mother and partner in life. People speak the truth when they say that marriage is hard work, a real commitment, lots of love and even more prayers!! I thank God for my family and all our friends (especially fellow married friends) to whom we get to share our struggles and victories with, it really helps to have a support group of friends who also know what you are going through. It's only been 3 years and I look forward to many more years with Santi and our kids.... and more kids (well, maybe in 2 years or so ;-))






Thanks for taking the time to read this post... I had a blast reminiscing.
Merry Christmas everyone.. and wishing you the happiest and most wonderful 2011, from our family to yours. :-)

The Padilla-Edralin Family :)

Remembering Lolo Paddy (on his 100th year)

My Lolo, Ambrosio B. Padilla, or "Paddy" as family and friends would call him, celebrated his 100th birthday last December 7... and to commemorate his 100th year, the family had special centennial stamps made in his honor. They are real stamps, folks. As in you can actually buy them and put them on your snail mail. :) Awesome right?  To read more on the article by the Philippine Post on Lolo Paddy's stamp, click here.

I can't help but feel a bit sad that Lolo never got to see me get married or meet my husband and my kids. He was a great, kind and loving man and it would have been wonderful for my family to know him. I also can't help but think back on memories with Lolo... although I'll admit that since it's been so man years since he passed, the memories are a bit fuzzy. The memories that DO stick to me though are those of Lolo teaching me how to swim. I remember very clearly how Lolo Paddy took the time and patience to teach me how. 

I also remember our family vacations with the whole Padilla clan.. one distinct memory was in Baguio. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE, HAD to wake up at like 7AM to join Lolo in the parking lot for his Tai-chi exercises. It was quite a sight. And the children and grandchildren did not disappoint. No matter how late you slept or partied the night before, everyone was up bright and early for Lolo's morning exercise. 

Another funny memory was that when Lolo would begin to give out gifts (Christmas, His bday, etc) for example, each grandchild had to line up to receive the gift, which was usually monetary, but then before you would get your gift, you had to say which number you were... this pertaining to your number in the fast-growing list of grandchildren. I think I was #21. But of course he still made it a point to say our names.. and with all those children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, you could say he had a pretty fantastic memory.

Lastly, I remember it was during the wake of Lola Lily (wife of Lolo Paddy, she had passed on a few years before him). Lolo was sitting in a corner during the wake all by himself. I went up to him and handed him an ensaymada (he loved sweets, but ate them in moderation due to his diabetes) and I asked him how he was. He just smiled his sweet and very boyish smile of his. I guess that was his way of saying he didn't know how on earth he was going to live without the love of his life by his side, but he was going to be OK. 

Lolo Paddy was really such an inspiration. I can only wish to be able to live up to the great legacy he had created and the wonderful memories he left us with.

Master of the Railway

Santino: The Master of the Railway.

My son Santino is sooo much into trains. I am not exaggerating. He is currently obsessed with Thomas and Friends... Meet Thomas and some of his friends...

Thomas the movie

Santino has this movie too and has watched this a gazillion times. He has a LOT of Thomas' friends and still counting! It's an obsession that is pretty persistent, not the same as his Barney or Veggie Tales phase... I wonder what is it with boys and trains? Is it the same as girls and barbies? He also currently discovered another train show... Chuggington!

It's a new obsession, but still TRAINS! He is so obsessed that he has a short, shorts, pants, cap, bag, snack bag, brief, hanky, chair .. all thomas! I hope he doesn't get sick of trains soon or else he'll have a really sucky wardrobe. Ok gotta go now, Santino saw me posting photos of his trains and is bugging me to "finish" so he can watch his shows! .....

Master of his railway :)

Eat, Pray, Love & the Assumptionists

RANDOM MUSING:
Can I just share? Here's a pic of me and my mini-me...

Belly and I are wearing my old Assumption neckties on our heads. I really can't wait until she starts school.. not because I want the kids out (haha), but because I am just so excited to see my little mini-me look just like how I was when I was young. Well, of course all our girls will be Assumptionistas! As for the boys.. uh, well that is still up for debate... I think. ha ha. Can't help but think back to my Assumption days (Grade school and High school), and there was nothing but really fun and great memories there... a lot of long lasting friendships. I am truly blessed to have such great friends around me.

Okay, enough of that random thought. ha ha.


MOVIE REVIEW: EAT, PRAY, LOVE

So I just finished watching the much publicized movie of Julia Roberts, Eat. Pray. Love. I guess this was based on the book of the same title, but can't compare since I have not read the book yet. As for the movie... it felt like a B movie with A-list actors... very disappointing since the movie had great PR, Oscar winning actors and produced by Brad Pitt's production outlet (Plan B). I guess I was just expecting a bit more... more depth in the story since I didn't really get the whole process Julia Roberts' character was going through... the stories were not 'smooth' and complimentary. Characters were not built up well enough for me.. even Julia Roberts' character was blah. The countries featured was a saving grace since you'd tend to focus more on the scenery and the richness of the cultures rather than the story line. I would love to try Pizza in Naples, have a cappuccino in Italy, roam the temples in India and just relax and revel in the beauty of Bali. I'd surmise that those 3 countries represent feature the title, Eat (Italy), Pray (India), Love (Bali).  I'd much rather Eat, Pray and Love than watch this movie.