Delsey Luggages

We will be leaving for our family vacation this December and it will be our first time to travel with our little one on the plane. We are trying our best to bring as little as possible since we also have to be the ones to carry all of our stuff on top of our children's things and our kids themselves.

Since we are scared of being overweight with our luggage, we went on a hunt for the lightest luggage we could find and we were very happy with our purchase from Travel Club. Check out these stylish and super light bags from Delsey:

My Baby Vampire

My 8 and a half months old son is teething like anything and he has been randomly biting people but he is especially taken by my face and neck. He readily opens his mouth and makes the sound "aaahhhhhgggghhhh" while trying his best to grab hold of my hair and angling his face to get a bite out of my face.

It sounds funny and it even looks funnier to other people when they see him doing that to me BUT I'm telling you, it hurts like anything when his two bottom teeth get to sink in my skin. Ugh! I start to feel pain near my chin because that's where he usually bites me. When I shout NO!, he looks at me then would continue to open his mouth but not sink his teeth onto my skin anymore but simply stick his open mouth to my face. It's really mortifying if he just wasn't so damn cute when he does it.

His front tooth is starting to grow and I am not excited at all to be the person he sinks that into =( My eldest never went thru this phase so this is all new to me. I will try to enjoy my gummy baby as long as I can and I'm secretly hoping that his teeth would start growing slower!

Happy faces help me feed my picky eater

My toddler doesn't enjoy eating and is lazy to chew. Up until a few weeks ago he was still eating mashed food. My infant has caught up with his eating and it was depressing to see my two boys eating the same things because it only highlighted the fact that my eldest is so behind in terms of chewing and eating different varieties of food.

My eldest never liked eating so he never had the urge to chew. When he ate, he simply swallowed whatever was given to him. Feeding him has been a struggle for us and we've tried everything so after two years we simply succumbed to him. When he started going to school, we got hit by the reality of how behind he was among his classmates in terms of eating.

I had a good talk with his guidance counselor and we devised a plan that allowed my son to choose to chew and eat because he would be given a prize or we'd take away a privilege if he didn't eat. In order for him to visualize where he was already I made a chart wherein he'd get a happy or sad face for lunch or dinner depending on how he ate for that meal time.

For the first week, if he did not chew and eat his food in 30mins he would get a sad face and he won't be allowed to watch TV. For dinner, we promised him that we would give him his spiderman costume if he gets at least 6 happy faces in one week. We made it clear to him that we won't pressure him and he will be the one to decide what he can get or what will be taken away from him. Surprisingly, he did pretty well for his first 2 weeks.

After halloween we had to change our strategy for dinner time so we told him that he can have any toy that he wants if he gets 12 happy faces in one week. For lunch, if he gets a sad face we still take away his TV on top of the fact that he has one less happy face from his total. So far so good. If he really doesn't like his food, he'll tell me he will settle for a sad face and he'll be ok with no tv. At least now he knows that he has the power to get things or not.

I don't think that there will be a miracle and that my son will start liking all foods. He has added quite a number to his usual food and he eats everything without them being mashed or chopped up so he is improving. At least he feeds himself and he is able to finish his food within his 30 minute deadline. I am proud of him for his marked improvement and I am very grateful to his teachers for taking the time to talk amongst themselves to help us make this change in my son's life.

My son now looks forward to eating and me drawing more happy faces onto his board. Life is good =)

Bikram has finally arrived in Alabang!

As I have mentioned in earlier blog I am an ashtanga yoga practitioner. I admit that getting back into my old yoga practice has been hard because I don't feel the same connection to the yoga studios here that teach ashtanga unlike my old studio. I have moved from practicing in a group to doing my yoga alone and it just isn't the same so I've been neglecting my practice.

I have only tried Bikram yoga for one month about two years ago and I found it ok. I personally found it easier than Ashtanga because there were less poses and the heat was the greatest barrier for me. When a Bikram studio opened in Alabang, I told myself that I'd try going just so that I'd be able to practice yoga again even if it was a different type.

Surprisingly, I am starting to enjoy practicing again. I'm starting to feel a connection to my inner self. I find myself learning to calm my body down by breathing when all I want to do is shout "open the door and windows--it's sooo hot!" I know that our minds are very powerful and when my body is protesting from the heat, I chant in my head and I tell myself that I can get thru the class and that my sweat signifies the toxins and fat that are melting away from my body and somehow I survive.

I think that I can be really good in Bikram and it has become my new goal to get better at it ;)

Kiddie Parties Galore!

In less than a month I have gone to two 1st birthday parties and I will be going to another one in two weeks. I myself am planning a joint party for my 2 boys on Feb and I'm starting to plan their party already.

Admittedly, I want it to be Unique & FUN FUN FUN for the kids and adults. I want the host to be really good and not corny or try hard. The food has to be yummy comfort food and the cake is one of the things that I'm obsessing over.

For my eldest's 1st birthday party before I hired a party planner and she basically did everything except for the food. This was easy but for next year I'm thinking of changing things. I'm meeting with a decorator to take care of beautifying the party according to my theme. Food will be taken cared of by Global Academy then my cake/dessert table will be from Sonja and I'm still looking for a good host. I think that I will be getting my prizes and give-aways from different suppliers as well. I know that this will be more tiring for me BUT I'm pushing for the type of party that isn't just anther party that everyone has gone to. I want to add my family's touch to every part of the boys' birthdays.

I'm just wondering where I can get good suppliers...

What's new with me?!

I know that I haven't been able to write since August and it's because I've had a big adjustment to my life. Hubby and I have decided that it would be a good move for me to get more involved in Global Academy so I have thrown myself back to the workforce since August that's why I haven't been able to write much.

Everyone in the family is adjusting to me going back to work. I have weaned Phoenix from my breastmilk, I now sleep with hubby in the same room again and Cairo & Phoenix are the new room mates. The boys now sleep with their yaya's instead of with us so that we can get enough sleep.

I'm filled with mixed emotions about working. It's been great to have my brain working once again. I've always been a workaholic and my greatest challenge before was trying not to work too much and learning to delegate and trust other people. I'm still trying to find a balance but the good thing about my work is that I can do it from home and I can just work half day then work from home afterwards because I still have to make sure that I have time for the boys. During the days that I'm gone the whole day, hubby pitches in and takes care of the boys.

I will try to find more time to be able to post more entries =)

Fitness Update-Meet my trainer

Here's a picture of my trainer(red shirt) with hubby(black sleeveless).

His name is Bob and he's the reason that my body hasn't quite stopped being sore for a month now but he's also responsible for motivating me to get back in shape.

He measured me last week to check my progress and although I didn't lose that much weight-around 2 pounds only =( - I was able to cut my body fat and lose inches all over my body! woot woot! My body fat percentage is now 12%, I had 16% when I started. It felt good to shave some inches of myself but of course Bob is giving me a hard time about my diet :p He said that I was doing everything right except for the amount of sweets i take. hehehe. I said that until I am breastfeeding diet will be a foreign term for me.

Major Body Pain!

I joined a boxing class last thursday after taking a break from the sport for about 3 and a half years. I have to be honest and tell you that I sucked. I was so bad! My footwork was really off together with my balance and punches so I did look quite pathetic. I did expect that tho.

What I didn't expect was the PAIN I felt the next day. I know, you must think that of course you'd be in pain after boxing but I thought that since I've been working out more these days I wouldn't be so sore. Wow, that was the understatement of the year! I couldn't even put the spoon in my mouth when I ate because my hand and arm were shaking but felt numb at the same time.

I am seriously having second thoughts about going back to boxing all because I'd have such a hard time doing weights the next day. My trainer said that I'll be sore the first week and maybe second week only then my body would've adjusted to the workouts already.

In the name of vanity, I shall try to go back into that boxing ring. As the saying goes, no pain no gain!

Saved by Pigeon Pacifiers

My first born had absolutely no oral fixation when he was young so he never used pacifiers. My youngest is the complete opposite! He cannot go thru a day without sucking on pacifiers or munching on teethers that we'd both go crazy if I forgot to bring any on a day out with him.

I bought a lot of pacifiers and teethers. With teethers, he's liking both Avent and Nuby BUT for pacifiers he only wants to suck on Pigeon Pacifiers. I bought him A LOT of pacifiers and it was only when I chanced upon the Pigeon ones that he was truly satisfied with them.

I noticed that the Pigeon pacifiers look like bottle nipples and not those weird balloon looking ones so I guess he finds it comforting to suck them. I highly recommend this brand of pacifier to moms. It's a must for orally fixated babies and their pacifiers are age appropriate. I just moved him to stage two and my baby loves him like anything. This has really saved me a lot of headache and has soothed my baby into a lot of restless days and nights :)

Mixed Emotions Day

We had our US Embassy Visa interview this morning and we were able to renew ours while Phoenix was granted his first US Visa. This was supposed to be a happy day, tiring but happy. Everything was going well until I talked to the yaya of Phoenix.

She went on an off last wed because she told me that she wanted to check on her kids and her house after the storm. I let her go then she told me that she had to bring her kid to the hospital because he has pneumonia. Things went downhill from there. When I talked to her she told me that she would just stop working because she won't be able to think properly if she's not with her kids.

I understand how it is for a mother to worry. The thing that irritated me the most is that why did she even apply for work if she was going to flake out right away?! She was a stay-at-home-mom that recently got a caregiver's certificate because she wanted to work and now that she was working, she couldn't put her feelings aside to be able to do her job. I just wish that she didn't even apply because it would have saved all of us this hassle. She left me hanging because she just told me that she can't come back anymore so now I'm left with no one. Argh!

Good help truly is hard to find nowadays. I'll just try to stay positive and be thankful for our US Visa's.

Bellevue for a day

As I mentioned in my previous blog, we checked-in Bellevue Hotel and stayed for a night. I wasn't able to take much pictures but here are some photos I got in my phone

We actually got a room upgrade for free. I forgot why, hubby just told me that we were upgraded for free because of some mistake the staff made. Lucky us :) 

My overall assessment of the hotel was that it was ok. The staff were obviously not used to having that much influx of people come in all at one time so they were a bit slow. It was hard to get in touch with people from the front desk and in the event that I was able to get thru their line I had to wait for a LONG time to talk to someone.

Hubby & I both had mixed emotions regarding the food. We ordered room service for Cairo & Ann and the food was good but when we ate in Cafe d'Asie(same kitchen serving the room service) for breakfast the food really was not good at all. Hubby & I love Phoenix Court that's why we just ate there for dinner. I never liked Peking Duck but hubby has rubbed off on me and we both ate it for dinner. We gorged on it that we both had indigestion afterwards. Even my breast milk came out fattier because of that duck! It was still worth the indigestion tho ;)

My favorite part of our room is the aircon, we put it to 30 and it was still so cold! Great way to make up for the heat that we came from. 

Exiled to Bellevue

I think that we all were shocked by the attack of "Basyang". I believe that most people were like me and thought that this storm wouldn't bring that much destruction in a few hours. Like majority of everyone in Metro Manila, we had no electricity in our place last night till this afternoon.

Having an infant try to sleep through the savage noises that "Basyang" made in our house was not a good experience. It wasn't because Phoenix was crying, he was actually very quiet BUT he was awake and I could see how wary he was of the sounds that he was hearing. Our whole house wasn't able to sleep because I think that we were all frightened.

The village was a mess when I went out this morning as I went out to buy a lighter so that we can use it to ignite our gas stoves. The streets have become color green due to the massive number of leaves and trees that have fallen on the roads. I saw about 3 meralco posts were destroyed together with some gigantic trees that were uprooted along the main roads.

Hubby & I decided this morning to check in to Bellevue Hotel since we wanted the kids to be comfortable since Phoenix has barely had any sleep today because of the weather and the brownout. Just when we were able to check in, my cook tells me that we already have electricity in the house. Great timing huh?! Oh well, we're already here so might as well stick it out.

I will tell you more about my experience in Bellevue in another blog.

I have to go first since I need to attend to my boys.

Switching to Cloth Diapers

I have decided to switch to cloth diapers. I have placed my order and will be receiving it next week. I tried using FuzziBunz cloth diapers last week and it was really easy and comfortable for Phoenix. I decided to switch to cloth since it really would be better for Phoenix and at least I'd be able to help the environment by not using disposable diapers. Another benefit is that it would save me more money in the future.

For those of you who still have this notion that cloth diapers are made of "lampins" that are folded and held together by pins, take a look at the new cloth diapers available in the market. They look like disposable diapers and are just as easy to put on as the disposable diapers. You don't even have to use diaper creams anymore since the lining is soooo soft and won't harm your baby's skin at all.

If you're still undecided about cloth diapers, read on. This is an excerpt from the FuzziBunz website:

Why Choose Cloth? Cloth Diaper Benefits There are numerous ways that FuzziBunz® can benefit you and your baby's life. But many parents new to cloth want to know the FuzziBunz® facts—can FuzziBunz® really make their lives easier? Tereson Dupuy, the mother and inventor of FuzziBunz®, has come up with 18 reasons why you should be using (or at least considering using) FuzziBunz®:
1. Keeps Baby Dry Baby is comfortable and less cranky due to diaper discomfort. Happy baby equals happy mommy and daddy. 2. Incredible Diaper Savings You can save thousands of dollars using FuzziBunz® over the course of three years—more if you use the same FuzziBunz® for a second child. Plus, you won't be spending money on expensive diaper rash creams, diaper pail liners or wasting gas running to the store each week to buy diapers. The savings really add up! Cloth vs. Disposable Cost Comparison The cost of cloth diapers 3. Eliminates / Treats Diaper Rash No more costly trips to the pediatrician and no more goopy, sticky ointments and butt pastes. Yuck. RealDiaperAssociation.com: Diaper Facts 4. Healthy for our Environment Millions and millions of diapers end up in our landfills each year. You can do your part by making this world a better place for your baby by ditching disposables and opting for FuzziBunz®. Each FuzziBunz® is 100% reusable. No waste and no constantly buying expensive diaper refills like some of the hybrid cloth/disposable options. Alternative to the Usual Checklist 5. Adjustable Sizes FuzziBunz® grow with your baby due to its unique multiple snap placements. You can adjust each FuzziBunz® to snugly fit your baby's waist and legs. 6. No Messy or Wet Leaks FuzziBunz® enable you to customize the absorbency, so you don't have to worry about leaky diapers. The free microterry insert provided with each FuzziBunz® is super absorbent; and if your baby is a heavy wetter, simply stuff two inserts or another absorbent material inside the pocket. Also, FuzziBunz® were designed with reinforced leg casings to ensure no messes escape. 7. Stays Beautiful Wash after Wash FuzziBunz® stay beautiful wash after wash. No pilling or fraying nor staining. 8. Leg Casings! What are Leg Casings? That's our slang for encased leg elastic which exist not for aesthetic measures but to double as mock "leg dams" to serve as assurance that everything will stay where it is supposed to be. No leaks. No mess. No fleece to "poke" back in the diaper. 9. Durable Diapers FuzziBunz® are made with high tech fabrics that are easy to wash and care for. They are durable enough to last wash after wash and last through multiple children, saving you money and offering you peace of mind. 10. Unsurpassed Quality When you spend money on FuzziBunz® you are getting your money's worth! FuzziBunz® are carefully made under strict quality control measures. We GUARANTEE our product. The FuzziBunz® Warranty	11. Super Trim Fit Traditional cloth diapers can be bulky. FuzziBunz® offer a trim fit. Plus, the adjustable snaps allow the baby to fit snuggly around BOTH your baby's waist and legs. No mores sagging pants! 12. Easy to Use Simply stuff 'em and they are ready to go! FuzziBunz® are a favorite of daycares, grandmas and even dads! FuzziBunz® were invented by a mom who didn't have time to mess with hard-to-use diapers and who wanted something that was easy to use, easy to wash and easy on the eyes. 13. High Sanitation Standards FuzziBunz® were developed so that there would be no need for swirling, dunking, spraying or soaking diapers. The two part pocket system ensures your diapers get super clean. Plus, you will spend less time washing, bleaching, sunning or doing all of that "old fashioned" stuff grandma used to do to her diapers. And best of all, FuzziBunz® always look clean wash after wash. 14. Quick Drying The two part pocket system not only is a breeze to clean but also dries in a flash, lowering your energy bill. 15. Maximum Comfort for Baby You will have satisfaction that your baby is totally comfortable in FuzziBunz®. Only super soft polar fleece touches your baby's skin. There are no pins to poke, no Velcro to scratch or stick and no crunchy plastic pants to rub against your baby's delicate skin. Because your baby is in diapers every day for three years, you want to make sure those three years are spent in comfort. 16. 110% Guaranteed Customer Service Our staff is available to help you navigate the world of cloth diapering. We stand behind our quality and our service. 17. Invented by a Mom A stay-at-home mom invented FuzziBunz® in response to her baby's severe diaper rash. Her unique pocket invention has been granted a United States Patent! One mother thought her child deserved better… now yours can have something better too. 18. Stylish Your baby will be the most stylish baby on the block. FuzziBunz® diapers come in a rainbow of colors. From apple green to kumquat, you'll find a FuzziBunz® to fit any baby's style and mood.	Why Choose FuzziBunz®? FuzziBunz® One Size Diapers FuzziBunz® Perfect Size Diapers How to choose? The difference between FuzziBunz® One Size and Perfect Size Diapers The FuzziBunz® Warranty FuzziBunz® News: Cloth Diapering Benefits Save Money with Cloth? FuzziBunz® Reviews Going Green with FuzziBunz®

Why Choose FuzziBunz®? We know you have a choice when it comes to which reusable diaper to use on your baby. As moms ourselves, we just made your choice to use FuzziBunz® a whole lot easier by researching and listing what makes us better than the competition. Here's what we found:
Durable Snaps Need we say more? Adjustable ElasticAllows same diaper to fit birth to potty training Easy To Remove Insert No sticking hands into messy pocket. The FuzziBunz® Difference! Less Bulky Thanks to our microfiber technology	FuzziBunz® diapers have a SUPERIOR FASTENING SYSTEM. Our durable snaps stay strong wash after wash. You can use the same FuzziBunz® for all your babies without worry of our snaps breaking. Unlike diapers with Aplix (i.e., Velcro fasteners), there is no fraying or "stickie" on your FuzziBunz® diapers after washing. FuzziBunz® are made to stay strong for years and years, saving you money and hassle! FuzziBunz® are the leader in the Pocket Diaper industry, have been manufacturing diapers for 10+ years and are the ORIGINAL STAY DRY POCKET DIAPER. FuzziBunz® was granted a US Patent in 2004 for the unique Stay Dry Pocket design. BUYER BEWARE of me-too products! FuzziBunz® diapers have ADJUSTABLE WAIST AND LEG SETTINGS so you get a customized fit each and every time. In other words, if your baby has a slim waist and chubby legs, FuzziBunz® diapers will still fit your baby comfortably and snugly. Our patented design has REINFORCED LEG CASINGS to make sure your FuzziBunz® diapers don’t leak! See that extra sewn line around the leg? That means we didn't skimp on taking the extra step in making sure our leg openings fit snugly around your baby's thigh, and that the fleece does not roll out (or anything else for that matter.) FuzziBunz® are made with BOUNCY AND STRETCHY ELASTIC around the legs to ensure maximum comfort for your baby without leaving marks on your baby's skin.  FuzziBunz® diapers are EASY TO STUFF AND UN-STUFF. Our patented pocket design enables moms and dads to stuff the diaper with a micro-terry insert or other absorbent materials and then also easily shake out the insert into the diaper pail. No folds over the pocket or other pocket variations from the original design forcing you to touch the inside of the dirty diaper, ick! FuzziBunz® remain the TRIMMEST FITTING DIAPER on the market today and its fit is most similar to disposable diapers, but without the guilt or waste associated with disposables. Our diapers are sized perfectly to hug your baby's curves and move with your baby's motions, ensuring a comfortable and happy baby always! The updated FuzziBunz® design includes BEAUTIFUL TOP STITCHING that circles the top of the diaper and the tabs, demonstrating our commitment to manufacturing high-quality, long-lasting diapers that are also a stylish, well made garment as well as a diaper. FuzziBunz® diapers come in FASHIONABLE, TRENDY COLORS AND PRINTS. Each of our colors and prints weretastefully designed by FuzziBunz® inventor, Tereson Dupuy, to bring style to your FuzziBunz® collection. Our print fabrics are made from the same outer shell as our solids and we DO NOT use store-bought woven fabrics that wick with moisture. Our selection is neither too large nor too small most customers tell us it's just right! Happy diapering!

The road to fitness

As promised I took a photo of myself during my first week with my personal trainer. The pictures aren't pretty but I did say that I will shame myself into getting in shape and the only way to do that is to document my journey.

Here are my pics...Ugh

Getting fit with a personal trainer

My hubby gave me sessions with Bob, his personal trainer, in Gold's Gym for my birthday. I started my first session with him last week and although I didn't suck as much as I thought I would, it doesn't mean that it was also one of my proudest days.

Bob started our session by weighing and measuring me--ahem! It truly was a humbling experience. From the time I gave birth I've been convincing myself that my body's slowly going back to its old self but I guess the sleepless nights have truly played tricks with my head and vision because measurements don't lie! AND having him measure my fat by pinching my skin wasn't a pretty experience either. Although my overall fat percentage is ok for women, most of it is in my lower half...eewwwwww! Butt and thigh fat alert! Gross!

My body was sore after my first training session but after my second training session, which was today, I'm pretty sure that my whole body will be screaming in protest by tom! I started with our session today pretty strong, Bob added load to my weights and although I was panting and could hardly make small talk, I could still smile and laugh after. That was until I reached the machine for my butt!!!

Bob made me do sets that were fewer reps at the start but with a heavier load then gradually decreased reps but with a lighter load. It seems easy enough until I almost puked at my trainer after! I couldn't believe that I truly lost it after that exercise. I couldn't breathe and I had to stop and not be able to do my last exercise because Bob saw that I lost color in my face already and looked like I was about to faint! Talk about getting clobbered by my ass!

Apart from my pride getting hurt because I had such a hard time with the machine for my behind, the mortifying thing is that it is now a known fact that my butt is all fat and truly has no ounce of muscle in it :( If it did, I don't think that my body would have protested the way that it did this morning. I guess walking and running aren't enough to form some muscles in my ass contrary to what people say that our legs and behind get the most exercise because we always use it when we walk! So much for that theory.tsk tsk...

Enough with the negativity! The good thing in all of this is that it feels great to have someone motivate me to work out. It's different when there's someone pushing you to finish that last set of ab workout and making a program tailor fit to my personal fitness goals. What can I say?! I love working out with my trainer inspite of all my aches and pains because the bigger picture is that I want to have my pre-children body back.

I shall try to post pics this week so that I can document my fitness journey. This is so that I can shame myself into getting in shape! :)

My Baby's "Monthday"

It has always been a ritual in our family that we document the monthly pictures of our babies and Phoenix turned 4 months old yesterday so I brought him to The Picture Company in Alabang. Here are some of his pictures that are just soo cute!

Addicted to a new book series

Reading books are one of my favorite pastimes and my friend was able to make me read a new series--The Vampire Academy Book Series. I know I know...some of you are probably thinking vampires again?! It's true that vampires have become the "in" theme with a lot of books and tv series but there's always something new that people add to it to keep it interesting.

Vampire Academy is a cross between Harry Potter and Twilight. Here's a description from Richelle Mead(the author) about the series:
Two races of vampires walk our world. One, the Moroi, are alive and wield elemental magical. The other, the Strigoi, are undead and evil--feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway--a half-vampire with poor impulse control--is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose's real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors...


I was hooked on it from the first few chapters of the first book and it was so easy to read that it was hard to not finish the 5 books(the 6th and last book will come out on December 2010) in a week! For people wanting to have a light read that would engross you into a different world then this is a MUST-READ! Go ahead to the bookstores and get a copy or borrow from your friends. This is in the young adults section so reading it is easy :)

Trip to the Barbershop

The mental image I used to have of barbershops was that of a small space filled with no nonsense looking men just waiting to pounce and shave your whole hair off. Thankfully, Mickey's Barbershop here in Alabang has changed that image for me.

Cairo's hair is a bit of a challenge to cut because his hair strands are thick and they only fall one way. We used to take him to a hair salon but when we moved to the south we decided to make him try going to a barber.

I'm one lucky parent when it comes to my son behaving while having a haircut. He was never a child who fidgeted and cried because he always found it amusing to have his hair cut and shaved. I took him to the barbershop last week and this was his fourth time to go and he didn't even wait to be seated, he just marched along to "his seat". I was actually surprised that he already knew which seat was his.

Here are some pics of our trip to Mickey's Barbershop:

The interiors of Mickey's is bright & clean with rows and rows of chairs that allows them to accommodate a lot of customers

Before & After

HELP! Why do kids become shy?

I've been pondering this question in my head for a couple of weeks now and this is because I cannot understand how Cairo has suddenly become a shy kid when he was once so self-assured and confident. I remember that his teachers in Gymboree would even tease him that he'll become a politician one day because he greets everyone that he gets into contact with.

I had no trouble sending him to different classes before and making him learn different things but now I can't even make him try a new class. This all started when he got sick more often and ended up staying home more but I still had play dates for him to make sure that he had some socialization.

I enrolled him to gymnastics last week because he told me that he wanted to learn but when it was time for him to join a class, he wouldn't budge from his seat. He didn't even try going near the teacher. I thought that he'd be better the next time he goes but he was even worse the second time around because he kept on crying.

I don't want him to not do anything and just stay home to play video games here because I want him to have a balanced lifestyle. My hubby & I have decided to take away TV, video games and all of his power ranger toys from him and to just make him play with things that he can benefit from. We're thinking that maybe he's changed because we added these things to his daily routine. I honestly don't know if we're right but what else can we do?!

I'm truly lost and any thoughts regarding this matter would be a great help.

Yummy Chinese food in Alabang

My hubby & I celebrated our 5th year anniversary last June 11,2010. This year we both wanted a simple celebration with good grub food. We decided to go to Bellevue Hotel in Alabang to try out what they have to offer.

We were both impressed with the hotel's interior and staff. The hotel looked so chic and stylish that if we didn't live so nearby we really would have considered booking a room. We checked out Phoenix Court since it seemed like a good place to eat good chinese food.

We were glad that we chose to eat there because the food was soooo good and it was also moderately priced plus the service was excellent and the ambience was not your typical chinese restaurant. We ordered the hot and sour soup, vegetable dumpling, peking duck, beef chinese style and I forgot the name of our fried rice. Everything was delicious! It's one of the best peking ducks that I've tried and truly comparable to the food in HK. The beef was also so tender and tasty that it was hard not to stuff myself with it.

I highly recommend Phoenix Court to anyone who's in the south and have been having a hard time finding a good chinese restaurant. It's a must try!!!!!

Last year to be included in the calendar

I just celebrated my 31st birthday this weekend. When my hubby asked me what I wanted to do, I said that I wanted to just go out of town to subic and anvaya and i want to be stress-free for one weekend. So our family packed our bags and went to subic last friday. 


The ride going to subic was good because there was no traffic so we were able to reach our destination in under 2.5 hours. That's not bad considering that we came from alabang all the way to subic. We had dinner with our friends in Sakura, this japanese restaurant that serves the freshest sashimi and sushi. The food was great especially since it was also moderately priced.


Because it was my birthday weekend, my hubby told me that I should have a treat for myself so should I let get some decent sleep by making Phoenix sleep with his yaya. I agreed since I've really been running low for a couple of weeks now. So, instead of waking up every hour or two, I just had to wake up every four hours to pump. 


It rained the whole weekend so Cairo wasn't able to swim since we didn't want him to get sick. So, he and his bestfriend, Kenzo, just played in the different children's amenities in anvaya that allowed them to stay dry. As for me, I decided to take a dip in the pool with hubby and we were glad to just lounge and relax for a while just like old times.


I was able to sleep in rather late(around 8am) on sunday because it was raining and the aircon was just so cold that all we wanted to do was stay under the sheets. It was the perfect bed-weather that it was truly hard for me to get up but since I had to pump, I forced myself to get up. We had our usual coffee run then met up for lunch with Kenzo's parents in one of our fave subic restos, Texas Joe's. We had a super yummy lunch of ribs, chicken and corn bread before we headed back home to manila.


The weekend was relaxing and I loved it! It pays to have slow days sometimes especially when it rains :)

What happened to my cute baby?!

I considered myself very lucky with Phoenix because he was a very easy baby. Yes, I still have a lot of sleepless nights because of pumping and feeding but overall I still had it good compared to other mothers with newborns because I didn't have to deal with a temperamental baby. Phoenix has been very good and hardly cries, except when he's hungry. But even then, my hubby & I considered his cries cute since they were so soft.

I think I may have spoken too soon. This week was tough. Phoenix has been constipated on and off for a month now and I he's gotten really irritable this week. There was a day that I had to put two suppositories in him since the first one didn't work. I guess this was very uncomfortable and painful for him because it was when he started to cry really hard. I think that this was the day he actually found out that his voice could be that LOUD! I said to myself that he would probably cry like this only on that day because of the high amount of discomfort he had. Sadly, I was wrong again.

I think that since he discovered the magnitude of his voice, he has every intention of letting people hear him whenever he's irritated. Before, I found his cries so cute that no matter how tired I was I couldn't get irritated at him. Now, I get goosebumps hearing his screams and I find myself pleading with him to calm down. I am secretly hoping that this is one of those experimental stages that toddlers go thru and that he'd grow out of it (crossing my fingers with this plea!)

Mommy takes a night off

Last wednesday, I went out to dinner in The Goose Station with some of my girl friends. I admit that I was craving for this time off for a long time since my life has been centered around taking care of my newborn and my family ever since I gave birth last February. I asked my hubby to take care of the kids for a couple of hours while I try to unwind.

with my "manangs"

I organized everything--I got my hubby to babysit, pumped and stored milk for the time that I'll be away and was actually able to fit in one of my favorite jeans. I was ready for a "night off" and come wednesday morning I was all of a sudden feeling anxious about leaving Phoenix. I even toyed with the idea of bringing him along with me that night. When I broached the subject to my hubby he of course told me not to do that because I was going to a fine dining place and that I needed some time off for myself. In the end, I told myself that he was right.

I met up with my hubby in Rockwell and "surrendered" the kids to him and then I left for Goose. I was happy that I took his advice and had some me time. Afterall, it was my first time to do something for me. The girls were fun to be with...usual cheezmax and exchanging notes about breastfeeding and taking care of kids.

The food was excellent, as usual. It was my first time to try the express menu & their summer offerings. I just kept on eating that my friends kept on asking if I wasn't full at all with the amount of foie that I put in my system. I told myself that fat is good for Phoenix when I breastfeed him. hahaha!

welcome snacks

pea soup

Caviar

My Favorite--Seared Foie Gras

Roast Chicken & Lamb

Bread Pudding

It was nice to take a breather but I found myself missing all my boys before the night ended. It's weird how I would crave for some alone time when things are just so stressful and chaotic with the kids but when I get it, I end up missing them. At the end of the day, no matter how tired I get from taking care of my family I truly am the happiest when I'm with them :)