New Babies bring back Memories

New babies bring back memories. Good one actually. The giving birth, the labor, the joy, the love. And with every new cute and adorable baby that is born, is a mother whose journey is about to begin. I remember my story, I woke up around 3 am. I pee and I thought its just the usual contractions. Then just as I was about to go back to sleep, a whooshing sound and felt like a quick gush of liquid happened. A steady stream going down my leg. I am not sure yet if that was my water bag, so I waited a little. And when the pouring didn't stop, I awakened my sister Janice, and went to hospital. All throughout the ride, I was panicky. AKALA ko kasi, pg pumutok na ang water bag, kasunod n ang baby. hehe. Yun pala it takes hours (in some cases days!) before the baby would come out. So at first, "ay hindi naman pla masakit manganak. oa lng ung ngkkwento n masakit. mga chicken lang sila!" But as the labor and the contractions and riley's eagerness to come out of my small belly heightens, YUN NA! I was screaming in pain! LOL. The doctor was like "o isang ire na lng, o isa pa ayan na, o isa pa, and so on and so on." I thought it wouldn't stop. Until finally, she lay Riley in my tummy, I was high with the medicine they give me, but I remember everything. I remember I was carefully patting his head and saying over and over and over again "hello riley" Then at the room when they brought my son, I look at him carefully examining him and blurted out "bakit ang laki ng bibig nya?" lol. But nonetheless, I knew I would love him for the rest of my life, no matter what he looks or be like. Finally, I get to meet him. Ah, memories.......:)

hi! my name is riley! i've been hospitalized my first day in the world because of a blood infection :(

but I bounce back and became healthier ( i don't want to worry mama :)

and mama says i look like daddy in this picture :)

After one year, 2 months, and 14 days, here is the boy I carry in my womb for nine months. Not so tiny and fragile baby anymore. A kid who is not afraid to conquer the world!

i like to play and walk and help mama a lot!

mama likes taking my picture. sometimes i have to put up a smile :)

On that note I would like to congratulate my cousin Fatima and Kris, my cousin's wife Che, and of course our one and only ate who is now a proud mama of Nyanne Regine! Nadagdagan ang mga mga cute babies s mundo! Hehe. Congratulations to your wonderful and super cute babies! I can imagine how happy you all are, just like me when I finally have Riley in my arms. :)

"Babies are always more trouble than you thought -- and more wonderful."

the year that was

As we say goodbye to 2010, I can’t help but be grateful to the blessings that God has given me. I don’t know what I did to deserve such good things. Although at the beginning of 2010, I somewhat fell apart. But now I believe that things happen for a reason. If you just hold on to your faith and trust God with your life, nothing could break you. Anyway, it’s just nice to reminisce and to look back to the year that was.

January. Living my life as it is. Little did I know that my single life was about to end. I have no idea that a life inside me is beginning to develop. And that a new adventure is waiting ahead for me.

Although I kinda look chubby in this photo, it’s only “bilbil”. There’s No sign of being pregnant yet.

February. The month of revelations. February 10, 2010. I can’t forget that date. That’s the first time I learn I’m pregnant. I’m beginning to experience the early sign of pregnancy such as morning sickness, fatigue, mood swings, etc. I first consulted a gastroenterologist (thinking the reason of my vomiting is ulcer) who requested for a whole abdomen ultrasound. Halfway the examination, the radiologist then blurted out: “E alam mo bang buntis ka?” I was like “did I hear wat I thought I heard?” or was I imagining it? So I ask: “Ano po un?” he look at the monitor again and said “d me pwede mgkmali, ayan o, buntis ka” and my second question was “cgrdo po kyo?” I had to be sure. I mean it could be a mass of tumor or some internal part of my body. And he said “Oo, magiging nanay ka na sa September” I don’t know what to feel at first. I went home that day in shock and kinda not myself. I couldn’t think properly and I couldn’t process the whole situation first. Happy, scared, disbelief, I didn’t know a person could feel such emotions all at the same time! Of course the first person I shared this news is the father of my baby. Then I told Gian and my ate.

Gian knows my secret so I was careful not to anger him. LOL

March. Worried Scared. I’m not worried about what people would say. I was worried with my baby. I have a friend who had miscarriage before. At this time of pregnancy, I couldn’t feel my baby yet and I remember I had fever due to stress. I was scared that something bad would happen to it. Or it would affect my baby.

medyo my bump na tummy ko pro pwede p itago sa dmit...

march 31, 2010

April. My Family. Thanks to Gian my family knows. Gian is good with keeping my secret until we had a big fight! Lol. He spilled my secret to everyone including his playmates! Well, I couldn’t blame him since my mood swings were really flaring out at this month. LOL. For no reason at all, I will always get mad and get irritated with Nyle. When my mother finally knows that I’m pregnant, she said, “napaglihian mo siguro si nyle kaya lagi ka galit sa kanya.” Hehe. But I’m really glad that they know. Besides, I could not keep that secret for long. My tummy is getting bigger and bigger by days.

yan na bumubukol na!

May. First Public Appearance. May 10, 2010 I was ready to make the whole world know that I’m pregnant. I voted and I wore a preggy dress. I saw some of my elementary classmates and some relatives and so my pregnancy became public.

parang nakalulon n ng melon!

may 1, 2010

 June. Comfortable. I am getting comfortable with being pregnant by this time. Plus I already know that I’m going to have a son! I can feel him kicking and moving and his heart beating. I was really happy. I was always daydreaming and I was busy thinking of his name. Then I no longer called him baby. I wake up one day and realize he is going to be named RILEY.

busog lang ako kaya ganyan tiyan ko! hehe

July. Most of my friends know. Roselyn posted pictures of me (very pregnant) in facebook. We had a pictorial, with me showing off my tummy. It was really fun. I am really lucky to have friends like Rose and Grace. Some of my friends were congratulating me in advance. It is nice to share this news with true friends!

nakalulon na ng pakwan. (:

August. Excited. I had my baby shower on August 14. I was really excited coz I can feel that my BIG day is near. I bought things for Riley – baru baruan, blanket, bonnet, mittens, pillows, diapers, bottles, every little thing that he will need. And every time I look at his things, I would have butterflies in my stomach. You can’t imagine how excited I was! There were days I would stare at his baru baruan for hours! Hehe. I was really looking forward to see him using all of the things I bought for him.

on baby shower day

September. Anxious. So near yet so far. I was anxious to see my son. It felt like forever since the moment I have known I am pregnant. Every day I wake up, since the first day of September, I was like “Ngaun na kayo manganganak?”My question had been answer on the twelfth day of September.

my last day of being pregnant

October, November, December. Motherhood. Well, you know the rest of the story. I’ve been a mother for 3 months now. It’s the most challenging and the most blissful days of my life at the same time. I never know a love like this can exist. He really is the reason of my existence. Every single day with him is a wonder. He never ceases to amaze me. His smile, his laugh, his touch, his burp, his movements, his yawn, everything about him gives joy to my heart. Although there were difficult times too, I put in my mind that it is part of motherhood.

2010 is the most memorable year of my life. The year when I get to be a mother. In the coming year, I know that it would be as wonderful as this year. As long as I have Riley, my family, and my friends, EVERY year would be a memorable one.

HAPPY 2011 everyone!

anticipation

my baby shower!

Out of the ten people I invited, only five came. The event said 4pm. But only until 9 pm was when the last of my guest arrived. And just as the six of us were complete and were beginning to settle down, it’s too late and some people have to leave. I baked muffins for giveaways but it didn’t look good. I prepared some games but it didn’t push through. In short, my baby shower is a flop! LOL

STILL, I’m so glad to see my friends even in a short period of time. I really appreciate them coming over. Exchanging tips and sharing knowledge about my coming birth giving. To steal some time in their busy schedules. To take a peek at what’s happening with their lives.

Thank You Grace, Melai, Claret, Roselyn, and Mama Che! I hope you enjoy my baby shower because I certainly did! ☺

the baby room (aka the blue room)

My mother and I have been redecorating this room ever since the whole family of my eldest sister migrated in NZ. This used to be Gian and Nyle’s room. Now, it’s going to be my little baby boy’s room. We made some drastic changes, clean the clutter and painted the walls blue. I’m happy with the result our efforts had called for. Here are the before and after images of this room.

The bed

The window

The display area

his toys (old toys from Gian and Nyle)

his books & cd (also from Gian and Nyle)

The wall

On my previous blog entry, Ways to Pursue Excellence, there’s a tip about putting bright pictures on the wall for babies to stimulate learning even at young age. So I put shapes, numbers, letters and words on this wall. About the Philippine map, well, I got carried away. LOL. (But who knows he’ll learn that too?!) I call this wall “Riley’s Corner.”

Finally this room is ready for Riley’s arrival! One more month....

Once and For All

It happened again just this afternoon. I saw an acquaintance that is looking for an apartment to rent. We recognized each other as we both have Cursillo together. As I open the door, she saw my protruding belly. She commented then “May asawa ka na pala!” I quickly answer “Wala ako asawa, pero baby magkakaron na.” She then giggles as if that was funny. I get a lot of comments like that (and the same response too!). People assume that because I’m pregnant that I’m married. HELLOW?!! May asawa lang ba ang nabubuntis? I know Filipinos are conservative when it comes to things like this. So I can’t blame them when they jump to conclusions that I am already married. My mother said that I should just agree if they ask me if I’m married to avoid more questions but I firmly said “NO.” I’m not ashamed to admit that I got pregnant out of wedlock. SOMETIMES people have their own reason why they make the decisions they make. We decide our own choices and priorities in life. This is not the most ideal situation especially for my baby but I am not complaining. How can I? When everyday I wake up and feel him growing inside me I get this deep sense of gratitude. How blessed I am to be entrusted with this gift! I will love my son with all my heart that a marriage contract won’t matter for him to grow up a happy and normal child.


They say “Truth shall set us free.” I don’t want to live on a lie. I want to start this journey with a clean conscience and clear view of who I am. I don’t care about the gossip or the hearsay. I know the truth. One day when my son is big enough to understand I’ll explain it to him too. So once and for all, it’s out in the open. If it’s not too much to ask, can you just go and mind your own business?! (Taray! Lol.)

Ways to Pursue Excellence

I always sing, talk, and read books to my baby even if he is still in my womb. My mom once heard me and asked “Kaylangan ba ganyan talaga?” She thought maybe I’m a little over the top. Maybe some of our neighbors think I'm crazy too. Lol. Well I may be exaggerating but according to studies these things can really stimulate learning. According to Rea Gonzales-Padua, chief occupational therapist at Communicare Therapy Center for Children in Las Piñas City, “Stimulation starts as soon as the child is conceived.” So it is advised to talk and read to your baby, and even let them listen to music while still in the mother’s womb.


As parents, we play a vital role in our child’s learning. We are our child’s first and best teacher and we are in a better position than anyone else to study our child as an individual. So it is important to make time for our kids, especially during playtime. According to Joan Beck, author of How To Raise A Brighter Child: The Case for Early Learning, a child’s intelligence is determined by how parents care for him during the first six years.

The article also contains tips on how to pursue excellence for 1 -6 years of age. But as for now, I’ll only post this. I hope you learn something useful today my fellow moms!

gian & nyle when little

now, they're both on top of their classes!

Philippines’ Next Top “Pregnant” Model

It’s the first time that I felt like a real MODEL. I had fun doing the photo shoot. Even if there’s lightning and thunder, dedma lang kami. At kahit medyo daring, GO lang! All in the name of art! Thank you Roselyn for rendering your artistic skills and Grace for being the best P.A. and “tripod” in this shoot. LOL

I don’t know if I’ll ever get this chance of having a baby again. So I might as well document the whole experience to the fullest. And lucky for me, I have my two multi-talented friends to make this dream into a reality. Isa lang masasabi ko: “I LAVEEET!!!”

the wacky shots:

Baby Naming

It’s harder than I thought it would be. I have a lot of “baby names” on my mind but then I’m looking for something unique but with a beautiful meaning as well. It’s the first gift I can give my child and it’s for him to keep for the rest of his life. I don’t want to name him because it just sounded good. I want it to mean something. So I thought of DAVID RILEY. David which means “beloved” and Riley which means “little Rey” which is the name of my baby’s father. My beloved little Rey. Nice db?! But when I consulted it with Daddy Rey (let’s call him DADDY R for shortness sake), he doesn’t wants the David in it. I guess he’s just not feeling it for our baby. Instead he wanted KENZO in it! Yay!!!

At first I really don’t like it. It sounded Japanese and cheesy (Kenzo=Keso) LOL. But I don’t want to hurt Daddy R’s feelings so I said I’ll think about it. When I get to check it out last night, I was surprised to learn that Kenzo is indeed a Japanese name and it means “wise.” Besides he can have Enzo for a nickname if we name him that. KENZO RILEY...Hmm pwede din! AS long as the name Riley is there. The problem is I can’t let go of the name David. It’s such a lovely name. Hay...

Well, I have 3 months to think about it. I’m just happy that right now, according to the ob-gyne, my baby is healthy and ok. I’m just worried that my tummy is small compared to other 6 months pregnant women like me. I guess it’s because of my built also. That’s why I keep on telling baby Riley to don’t worry about mama. To just continue developing himself inside my womb even if it hurts mama a little bit. And even if you kick Mama so hard, its fine! As long as I know you’re safe there. And don’t worry about your name. Mama is formulating the best name I can think of for you! :)

my little nudger

Excitement, scared, happiness, contentment, sad, and some emotion I can’t still figure out at this moment. All I know is I’m blessed! Yes that’s what I feel right now. I’m really excited that a few months from now I will be a MOTHER. Yep. A mother. Who would have thought an immature, indecisive, weak and baby face girl like me could bear and will bring a child into this world? Kala ko bakla ko, babae pala ako!!! Hehe. I really can’t believe it at first. I said to myself maybe the doctor was wrong. That the ultrasound was not that accurate. But now as I feel my baby kicking and punching and somersaulting inside my belly, YEP! HE is REAL!

It’s really hard to explain in words. I wanted to shout and dance when I saw my baby’s heart beating and his gender and his face for the first time. It’s just overwhelming! You just have to be pregnant to know what I’m going through. I never know I can be like this - I love him already. I want to protect him already. I want to give him all the best in the world. (ayan naiiyak na tuloy ako) :’( What I’m saying is, I thought I only live for myself. That I can’t love someone more than my life. That I can’t be brave enough to fight for someone. But now I know that I was wrong. Suddenly I just don’t live for me. There’s a greater and deeper meaning now to my life. And that reason is “my little nudger”. Even without meeting him yet, I know he’s already holding a big part of my life. Or rather he is ALREADY my life. My future now seems brighter because of him.

Anyway, it’s still a long way to go. I’m on my 5th month and will be due on September. I’m so excited that I want to buy clothes for my baby this early! First time mom po kc! Hehe. I know I should wait a little longer before to buy anything for the baby. So now I just enjoy being pregnant. I like dressing pregnant, being taken care of and being pampered to. I like it when my two nephews talk about their coming cousin like they we’re friends and playmates already.

sexy buntis at 5 months

I’ve never been ashamed to admit that I am pregnant but I wanted to share it only to people who mattered in my life. I guess I'm just waiting for the right time to announce it. Kc ung iba chismis lang talaga ang habol. But as long as what I believe feels right and I’m happy with my life, I don’t care if I hear negative things from other people. They can judge me all they want but at the end of the day, they don’t live my life for me. I live my own life.