Back to back birthdays!

Happy new year dear readers!  December was a very busy month - with 2 birthdays plus an out of the country trip for my family.  Let me start 2014 with a blog post about N and E's birthdays.  N and E are both December babies - which means that on top of preparing for our Christmas travels and presents, I also have to prepare for their school celebration.

Baby Led Feeding

Starting solids is a milestone in each child's life. I strongly believe that babies should start solids at 6 months or later.  Read this post to know why.  With N, we started solids at 6.5 months and did the regular mashed food route.  We prepared N's food ourselves and she never tried the standard Cerelac or Gerber meals.  At that time, my mother-in-law purchased a blender specifically for N to use.

Triple Treat

We were very happy to have the chance to celebrate Erik's birthday with several groups of relatives and friends.  Erik was born close to Christmas and for the holidays, we usually spend it in Cebu and Davao.  Christmas babies are shortchanged in a sense because with all the festivities going around, people tend to lump their celebrations (and gifts) with Christmas.  So for E's first birthday, I more than made up for his future missed birthdays by having three celebrations!

Nursing Antics of my Older Baby

Erik is now 1 year old and is still a milk monster.  I can say that he is really a BOY compared to my first born N who was a gentle nurser.  Even when he was younger, he was a little piranha - finishing our sessions in about 6 minutes compared to N who took her sweet time and sometimes nursed up to an hour!
As a busy toddler, E has gotten into the habit of pulling when distracted - ouch! Lately, it has been happening quite often.  So when it's time to nurse, E and I shut ourselves inside the bedroom. Then in 5 minutes, N comes in and starts distracting him!  I've actually come to the point of anchoring his head just so he won't suddenly pull away.

Happy 1st Birthday to My Prince!

As this post goes live, we will be en route to our Christmas break in Visayas and Mindanao.  Plus today, my little prince E, turns 1 year old!!

Both my kids are December babies and with E's birthday so close to Christmas, last year's celebration was quite fantastic!  For this year, it will be a triple celebration for E! It is his first time in Cebu so he will meeting his relatives and godparents there at his birthday dinner tonight.  My mom has this belief that you MUST celebrate the 1st birthday of your child on the date itself.  So tonight's celebration will be a small dinner just so we can celebrate E's first birthday.

giveaways for E's Cebu and Davao celebration!

for the adults!

Then off to Davao we go to spend New Year's in my hometown and I'm excited to host a small party for my barkada and their kids!  Arts and crafts? Gingerbread house party? Hmm.. still to be decided.

It has been an exciting first year for E. More than the parties, I am excited for us to spend a lot of quality time as a family, relaxing and enjoying each other without the pressures of work, school, etc. etc.

Happy 11-month E! A Pre-birthday Shoot

Can you believe it?! Just 1 more month and my baby boy will be a toddler!!

For his 1st birthday, our theme is carnival/circus.  So, for his 11-month day shoot, Stan and I decided to have a "pre-birthday" shoot so we can have a photo to use for his birthday.  For this shoot, the only thing I did was look for a cake design and order.  We ordered the cake from Quintbelles owned by Val of Woombie and her sister, Elaine.  I just asked Elaine to make the cake soft icing instead of the usual fondant so that E won't have a difficult time getting to the cake ;)

Christmas Finds: Sugar and Spice Gingerbread House/Man Kits

Last year, one of the activities that got N really excited for the holiday season was the gingerbread decorating class at Manila Peninsula.  I found it quite expensive! It was P1,535 nett for a child plus P614 nett for an accompanying adult.  However, since I was pregnant with E that time and didn't have the energy to look for alternatives, I closed my eyes and booked N and Stan.

This year, I checked out the prices for the Manila Pen class again and prices have increased!

Christmas Finds: Mothering Earthlings

Shopping for Christmas is always a challenge.  I shop not only for my own list but for Stan's as well.  So I keep an excel file (which I started back in 2008) to note the gifts we had previously given to our wedding sponsors, godchildren, friends, suppliers, etc. etc.  I do enjoy looking for unique items to give and keep a record of them for future reference. For this series of posts, I will attempt to share with you my finds for Christmas 2012.

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As brand ambassadors (naks!), N and E have been recipients of snazzy and funky items from Mothering Earthlings.  The ME Alpha Mama  - Rone Valles Guerrero makes it a point to choose only the very best Filipino brands to be included in her store.  Her brands have been increasing, which makes shopping a joy!

How was your Halloween 2012?

For the first time in many years, we spent Undas in Metro Manila.  S is from Cebu and I'm from Davao.  So we used to go home to either city for this long holiday.  However, N's school had make-up classes up to the week of Undas and S had bookings so we decided to have a stay-cation and catch up with the organizing, cleaning of our house during the long weekend.  

Trick or treating at our condo

My little models and Happy 9th Month E!

N and E both love posing for the camera! Maybe it is because of the influence of their photographer dad Stan.  I, on the other hand, hate posing.  In fact, whenever we do family portraits, Stan gets irritated because I get irritated after maybe about 5 minutes of posing.  I want shots to be quick and fast!

My kids are the opposite! Both love hamming it up on the camera and in fact, N has gotten to the stage where SHE directs her dad and tells him what angle or what pose she wants.

So when Rone of Mothering Earthlings offered me the chance for my 2 kids to be included in her Model Earthlings program, I excitedly accepted!  We are regular customers of Mothering Earthlings and that's where I get E's bibs and funky shirts.  You can read more about Mothering Earthlings in my previous post.

The kids' loot arrived on Thursday which was perfect since we scheduled E's 9 month pictorial last Sunday.  I know it was late! E was sick during his 9th month-day hence the delay.

N is wearing a Sweetheart Ribbon Headband

In a vibrant Aja Dress.  N requested for this shot!

the little boy is in a Fiddle Tops striped shirt

and loves his Velcro Sneakers

yes, he is a little señorito!

Did you know that you can only get Agoo apparel from Mothering Earthlings? I love their unique designs and have almost all of the girl designs!

Thanks again Rone for choosing my kids to be part of your Mothering Earthlings program!

Happy 8 Months E and A Honeybaby Giveaway

photo by Stanley Ong

And just like that, E is already 8 months old!  In 4 short months, my rolly polly baby will be a toddler!   We took the opportunity of having his pictorial during our recent family getaway in Misibis Bay, Cagraray Island, Albay.   Do you like his bear hat?  It was given to him by Angelique Dimayuga, the mom behind Honeybaby.

Stage Mom (and Wife) Moment

 If you haven't already, please go and grab a copy of the August 2012 issue of Working Mom Magazine.  Aside from the fact that dear hubby shot the cover, both kids are in the issue :)

Praying N

E on the section cover for Best Baby Finds

Painting at Home and Happy 7th Month E!

For E's 7th month pictorial, we finally executed the lay-out that we had long wanted to try - paints!  Aunty Helen of Hatch and Latch had gifted E with The Originally Natural Safe Finger Paint Tottle Set from Wee Can Too.  What makes it different from other finger painting brands is that Wee Can Too an edible art supply.

Our signature product and winner of the 2012 Cribsie Awards!  Fantastically Fun Edible Finger Paint, created in 2007 with babies in mind, adhering to a baby safe ingredients which are Organic! VEGAN, no wheat, no sugar, no preservatives!  Save enough to eat, Fantastic Finger Paints come in 5 colors!  Purple/Blue with REAL blueberries, Red/Pink with REAL beets, Orange & Yellow with REAL pumpkin and green with REAL spinach!  CPSIA Compliant.  Made from Organic Fruit & Vegetable powders, rice cereal and rice flour! If they can eat the can paint!  Paints come in 6 oz. convenient tottle bottles which have powder in them.   

Paint comes in powder form (as seen here).  You just add the water, shake and create.  Makes over 12oz. of paint per bottle (refill bottle with water and get more paint).  Must be refrigerated after water is added.

Happy Half-Year E!

Went on a field trip to celebrate E's sixth month.  Dad left his camera *gasp*! To prevent mom's temper from exploding, Dad hurriedly tinkered with his camera phone to master the settings and take practice shots. Here's what we got:

Taken using the Samsung Galaxy S' camera phone :)

Happy 5 months E!

It has been a busy May and since we flew to my hometown of Davao, E's monthly photoshoot was late!  

I've said it before and I'll say it again.. it pays to be married to a photographer ;)

Office Pumping Set-up

I have been back to work for almost 3 months now and have my milk expression routine set up.  When I was pumping for N back in 2008, I had my own room.  However, due to space rationalization issues, my employer renovated our office and we are temporarily assigned to another room while our office is still being fixed.  In our temporary room, our set-up is an "open office" with no dividers in between. Luckily, we have a pantry which has become my "pumping room".  

Set-up at the pantry

Breastfeeding Cartoon! Baby Bubbly

I love this breastfeeding cartoon! N loves it too. Check it out!

Some edits that Dr. Jessa wants to do - skin to skin contact and non separation of mom and baby.  Commendable would be the semi-upright labor, labor companion of choice and no IVF!

Incidentally, it is E's 4th month day today!! How time flies!!  Happy 4 months E :)

Happy Three Months to Baby E!

How time flies!! Little E is no longer a newborn!

Cupfeeding E

As I prepare to go back to work, foremost in my mind is how E will be getting my breastmilk.  I had nipple confusion issues with N.  However, with N, I went back to work when she was already 7 months so I didn't have any issues with giving her the bottle then.  With E, I will be going back to work when he is 2 months old.  We have a great breastfeeding relationship and I don't want to jeopardize it by introducing a bottle.

Happy 2nd month Baby E!