Project Yearbook: Week 26

It's finally Week 26 of Ziggy's Project Yearbook. I've been waiting for this week for ages because this week Ziggy celebrates his 6th month. Yahoo!

Ziggy's definitely growing and developing faster now. Since he's been using his walker a lot, he already manages to move it by making a couple of steps on his own. Usually he can move just backwards, though. That's a start! Also since he can rollover on his tummy more now, he's been trying to crawl as well. He gets frustrated easily though and ends up crying but I know that he'll get there soon. One of the most adorable developments is that he can now pull up his legs way up to reach his face. It used to be that in order to suck his toes he would bend over from a sitting position. Now, I think he'll be able to suck on his toes in a lying position too pretty soon.

Food-wise, the only new thing we introduced to him this week is a new cereal flavor. Ziggy was getting tired of the Cerelac Brown Rice with milk and so this week we gave him Cerelac Wheat and Banana for a change. Oooohhh, I've loved that flavor since I tasted it years ago. Ziggy seems to love it as well.

Here are Ziggy's Week 26 photos.

On Day 176, I took a photo of Ziggy and Ziya while we were playing around on the sofa bed.

The next day, Day 177, I took this photo of Ziggy while he was busy playing with his toes.

On Day 178, I took this photo when Ziggy fell on the bed from a sitting position. He's getting better at sitting upright but he still falls like this sometimes.

Both Ziya and Zoe have been bugging me to let them try and carry Ziggy. I've always been afraid to let them because Ziggy's really heavy, as in almost the same weight as each of my girls. But on Day 179, I let them try. Here's the photo of Ziya carrying Ziggy.

On Day 180, we decided to use Ziggy's other bathtub. We have been using the blue one, which Kai's sister gave us, because it had an accompanying seat. However, since Ziggy has grown so much, it became really hard to keep him on the seat. So on this day, we started using the bathtub we bought since before he was born. Ziggy just love playing with his rubber duckie while taking his bath!

For Day 181, it was Zoe's turn for a photo session with Ziggy on the sofa bed.

Finally, Ziggy turned 6 months old on Day 182. Happy birthday, Ziggy!!! It has been half a year already since he was born, which means he'll be turning one pretty soon. So exciting! To celebrate, we heard mass then had lunch at the Texas Roadhouse Grill. We bought a cake too but I'll blog about that separately.

Now that Ziggy is already 6 months old, I have started the official countdown to his birthday. Yeah, I know it's months away but it will be here before we know it. So, better start preparing now. I'm so excited!!!!!

We Won!!!!!

Last Friday, while we were at the girls' school for their Buwan ng Kamalayan program, I got missed calls on my cellphone from someone I didn't know. Only the number showed. Since I was busy watching the program, I replied with a text message asking who the caller was and explained why I couldn't answer. It turns out that it was someone from a local parenting magazine. I immediately became excited because the only reason why I would get a call from them is because I joined a contest they were hosting a couple of months ago. I couldn't wait to talk to her and find out the exact reason why she called but I had to wait until we got home.

When I finally got to talk to the person, she gave me a very AWESOME news. I won their Nursery Makeover contest!!!!! Woohoo! I could hardly believe my ears. I had to ask her to repeat what she said just to make sure I heard her right. Hahaha! I could hardly contain my joy as I ran to Kai and the kids afterward and screamed the good news. Ziggy's going to have a nursery makeover!!!! Oh, I am so excited for him. I really wanted to win this because being a one income family, decorating Ziggy's nursery is just not on top of our priority list. However, I wanted  a really nice nursery for Ziggy because he may just be the last baby in our family and I wouldn't have an opportunity to have another nursery in the future. So, when I saw the ad for the contest several months ago I really decided to give it a try. The thing is I waited several months after and only submitted my entry on the last day of submission. I wasn't really expecting to win but hoped that I will. It has been almost a month since I submitted my entry and completely forgot about the contest already because I've never won anything this big before. So, just imagine how elated I am right now.

Anyway, they have to take BEFORE pictures of the nursery and interview our family as well and so a writer, photographer and the designer will be coming to our house on Wednesday. I can hardly wait!!!! On my next post about this, I'll reveal which magazine it is. I just want to have something to hold on to first that I really won and so I am waiting for that house visit. Just imagine, we'll have a nicer nursery for Ziggy in a few weeks. So exciting!!!!! We are certainly blessed! 

Project Yearbook: Week 25

It's time for Week 25 of Ziggy's Project Yearbook. This post is actually several days late because there has been a lot going on this week.

Anyway, on Week 25 Ziggy's cough finally went away without us having to do anything. Kai and I decided not to follow the pediatrician's prescription, which included Ventolin as well as some mild steroids. The steroids actually really scared us. I think it was a bit too overboard. We just did water therapy and nothing else, since we had to stop giving him his cough medicine after 5 days. Thankfully, Ziggy has learned to love drinking water over the course of the last couple of months. It was also great that he spits out the phlegm whenever he coughs. So goodbye cough! I hope you don't visit again anytime soon.

Week 25 was also the first week that Ziggy tried eating carrots. I mashed them using a blender like I did the other vegetables he tried during the previous weeks. Unfortunately, I learned that carrots don't mash well and end up being dry. So he had a little trouble with it although he still ate it that first time. Ziggy's a real trooper! Of course, I wanted to make it easier on him and so during the next couple of days, I also gave him a spoonful of papaya in between spoonfuls of carrots so that he can swallow better. Speaking of food, we have been giving him Cerelac Brown Rice and Milk for breakfast since he first started eating almost two months ago. This week, we noticed that he's getting tired of it already and so we decided we'll switch to another rice cereal flavor starting next week. 

Physically, Ziggy's back is getting stronger. He's started to sit more upright now. He also still keeps trying to get up from a lying position by doing "sit ups". He's doing better with that as well. When he's in his walker, he has also started moving his feet already. There are times when he can move the walker backwards on his own though he doesn't do it that often yet. Oh, and he's become more talkative as well, to think that he was already really talkative to begin with. It can get really noisy at home whenever he's awake. He surely is one active and curious boy.

Oh, and I just realized I haven't written about his favorite lullaby yet. I love singing to him and started doing so when he was still in the womb. When Ziggy was born, I started to sing to him whenever I'm putting him to sleep. I usually sing my favorite songs and seldom sing regular lullabies. One of those songs is Close to You by The Carpenters. There was one time when I sang that song over and over and I noticed that he fell asleep faster. Kai then decided to upload the song on our cellphones. So, whenever we're trying to make him sleep we just play it. It works like magic!!!! Even in the car! I don't know what it is about that song that he likes so much. Maybe he knows that it is my special song for him. I really feel that when he was born, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true. Ziggy is my dream come true!

Anyway, here are Ziggy's Week 25 photos:

On this Day 169 photo, Ziggy had just woken up. 

On Day 170, we went to the mall to do the groceries. There was a nearby Jollibee branch. Jollibee is the counterpart of McDonald's in the Philippines. Most kids love Jollibee because he's just so cute but Ziggy doesn't seem to think so in this photo.

For Day 171, guess what Ziggy is doing in this photo. He's sucking on his toes! The firs time I saw him do this   I was amazed and surprised. I see most babies sucking their toes by lying down and putting their legs up. Ziggy bends down from a sitting position until his mouth reaches his feet!

On the Day 172 photo below, Ziggy was actually very cranky. Daddy Kai decided to take him to the balcony/garden area behind our house. For some reason, going to the balcony always calms him down.

The photo below was taken in the afternoon of Day 173. I started letting Ziggy sleep on the sofa bed in our living room during his afternoon naps. This is mainly because Kai has to have his sleep in the bedroom uninterrupted since he works nights. Letting Ziggy sleep in the living room allows me to keep an eye on him while Ziya and I have our homeschool sessions in the dining room. Plus, it lets Ziggy and Kai both sleep in peace.

 This Day 174 photo was taken when we were just goofing around.

Finally, for Day 175 I took a photo of Ziggy with another one of Ziya's stuffed toys. She just loves sharing  them with Ziggy and he just loves holding them.

Ziggy will be celebrating his 6th month birthday on Week 26. I can hardly wait! It has been half a year already. Oh my!!!!

Celebrating Buwan ng Kamalayan

August is Buwan ng Kamalayan (Awareness Month) in the Philippines. It celebrates the Filipino language and the Filipino heritage. All the schools in the country usually organize their own activities in celebration of this month. Of course, Zoe and Ziya's school did the same. Aside from cooking Filipino food a week ago, they also prepared for the culminating activity, which happened earlier today.

Here's the colorful backdrop at the stage area.

All the school kids dressed in Filipino costumes and performed Filipino songs and dances. Here are some photos of Zoe and Ziya during the event.

Ziya (left) and Zoe (center) with their schoolmates

Zoe was one of the hosts (as usual)!

Here are my girls after the event. Aren't they pretty?

Everybody were encouraged to bring in some Filipino food and so we enjoyed them all after the program. It's just too bad I wasn't able to take a photo of the buffet table. My digicam's battery died soon after the photo above was taken. Oh well! Another school celebration has ended. Looking forward to Science month in September!

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Giveaway: Free DinneRevolution e-Cookbook!

Long-time readers of this blog would know that I'm not really very good at cooking. In fact, I didn't really know how to cook that much until I was forced to learn when I became a SAHM last year. Now, I can say that I finally learned how to cook some dishes but I have a long way to go before I can be called an expert in the kitchen. Whenever I cook, I used to look up recipes online but sometimes it can be very frustrating trying to find one that is easy to follow and will actually taste good. So, I was very pleased to discover Chef Jeff and his new e-cookbook, DinneRevolution.

DinneRevolution features over 200 healthy, modern and family-friendly recipes that need only ten ingredients or less and can be cooked in just 30 minutes. Perfect for busy moms like me! Say goodbye to hard-to-follow recipes because Chef Jeff provided simple and clear instructions for each recipe. What's more is that you will know exactly what you are feeding your family because each recipe comes with a complete nutritional breakdown. It will definitely revolutionize how you cook your dinner.

As if all that isn't enough, the e-cookbook also comes with a Grocery Savings Guide and a Dinner Menu Planner. All that for the price of only $27. 

This is really a great deal, if you ask me, but wouldn't it be great if you can get them all for FREE? Well, it turns out that Chef Jeff wants lots of feedback about his e-cookbook before it goes out to the masses and so, he wants to give it to you for FREE! Just click here to download your free copy.

Happy cooking!

Picture Perfect: Baby Photos

It's my first time to join FTLOB's Picture Perfect. This week, the theme is about baby photos. Since I have tons and tons of them, I thought of finally joining. 

Here's a photo of my son, Ziggy. This is my favorite photo of him, so far. I just think that this is the most adorable toothless smile! Don't you think?

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Event: Galileo Presents Singapore Math Festival

Nowadays, when you ask students what their favorite subject is in school, you will hardly hear anybody say Math. For some reason, students become scared of numbers and are often intimidated by the various Mathematical operations. As parents, sometimes we also feel ill-equipped to help our children master the subject. However, there are ways to help our children love numbers. One of them is called Singapore Math.

Singapore Math translates math concepts into models that help students visualize its operations. This way, students need not memorize countless formulas. Singapore Math helps them break down the problem to its simplest form allowing them to use basic operations to solve it.

Singapore Math is now being used in some schools in the country as well as in Galileo Enrichment Learning Program. It is offered all-year round in various Galileo Centers with the aim of enhancing students' Math skills, making them a cut above the rest.  

In line with this, Galileo will be holding the country's first Singapore Math conference called the Singapore Math Festival on October 8 at the AIM Conference Center in Makati City. It aims to provide school owners, principals, faculty members, teachers, education students, tutors and parents with an overview of Singapore Math as well as give them techniques on how to create critical-thinkers in children thru this concept. Multi-awarded educator, Dr. Queena Lee-Chua will be featured as well as other notable speakers. 

For those interested to attend the event, you may register by downloading the Registration Form from www.galileoenrichment.com or by calling +632 216 5936. The regular rate for the whole day event is Php 2,500/participant. However, you can still avail of the Early Bird Rate of only Php 2,200/participant until September 15. Register now!

Happy Birthday to My Sister From Another Mother, Darla!

Two days ago, it was my sister Joan, who celebrated her birthday. Today, however, it's my sister from another mother, who's celebrating her birthday. Yup, I have only one biological sister but I have this friend from high school, whom I consider like my sister as well, Darla. 

I've known Darla since 1991. That was twenty years ago and over those years our friendship has really grown deeper. Darla and I have a lot of similarities not just in personality but also with some life experiences. I guess, those similarities were responsible for bonding us so well. We've both witnessed each others ups and downs and shared lots of unforgettable memories. Apart from Kai, she's the first person I text or call whenever I have good or bad news, or even when I'm just bored. Among all my friends, I think she's that one person who gets me the most. She is just the best friend anyone can have. We've seen each other through our best and worst moments. I just know that she will always be there for me no matter what and she knows I will do the same for her. 

I just miss her so much though. A lot has been going on in our lives lately that we haven't really seen that much of each other. But I'm confident that even if we don't see each other, our friendship will remain solid until we both grow old and gray. Nevertheless, it would be nice to catch up with her soon. For now, though, let me just greet her on her special day.

Happy Birthday, Darla!!!!!

Darla (in the middle) w/ me and our friend Carina in Tagaytay

Darla and I during her birthday a few years ago

Thinking of Baby Swimming Classes

This is my entry to Techie She Lucky Blogger Weekly Giveaway Week 12. This week’s prize is $10 paypal cash credit from Sir Rob of Be a LifeSaver of Goodness.

Last week, we visited Ziggy's pediatrician because he had a persistent cough, which has lasted a week already. The doctor ended up prescribing antibiotics as well as Ventolin and a steriod. I was appalled, to say the least. Although she said the steriods would be in small amounts only and won't affect Ziggy negatively, I was still hesitant about it and so was Kai. It turns out that Ziggy has some mild asthma-like symptoms, which doesn't really surprise me because Kai has had asthma since he was a kid. This means Ziggy might get it too.
However, I'm not really a big fan of medication, especially steriods and so Kai and I did not give him any of those medicines prescribed. Luckily, Ziggy's cough seems to be going away soon.

We have been thinking of ways to prevent Ziggy getting asthma though. One way we could think of was enrolling him in swimming lessons. Yup, apparently, nowadays babies can already be taught how to swim. The objective is really to make them comfortable in the water. Not only will this strengthen Ziggy's lungs but also provide him early on with necessary skills in the water. Kai and I have always loved swimming and so we believe that it's important to teach our kids safety in the water. Ziggy will be turning 6 months old next week and he will already be eligible for his first swimming lessons. We're still thinking about it, though, seeing how expensive the lessons are. Here's hoping we can afford it soon.

Birthday Greetings from Manila to New York!

I only have one sister, Joan, who is three years younger than I am. Growing up, we couldn't have been more different from each other. We used to compare ourselves to the main characters of the Sweet Valley Twins series, Elizabeth and Jessica. I'm the Elizabeth-type, the conscientious, smart, quiet one who loves reading while she's more like Jessica, who's the more outgoing, cheerleader type. I guess, because of that, we didn't grow up really close but nevertheless, we know we got each other's backs no matter what. Deep down inside, we have a lot of similarities that neither one of us could admit.

She's been living in the Big Apple for several years now and only comes home to Manila every couple of years. We all miss her, to say the least, especially today, her birthday. We all wish that we could be with her as she celebrates her special day. But since New York is a million miles away, I'm just sending my birthday greetings through this post instead. Happy birthday, Joan!!!!!! You may be all grown up now but you'll always be my pesky little sister. Haha! Just kidding! We all love you and miss you. You've been such a great aunt to Zoe and Ziya. I hope you will get to meet baby Ziggy soon too. See you soon!

Me and Joan during my visit to NYC in 2007

My One Year Anniversary as a SAHM

Last year, on August 17, I spent my last day as a full-time working  mom in a company I've been with for almost two years. At that time, I was about two months pregnant with Ziggy and felt that I needed to take a break from the everyday hecticness of work to make sure that I would be able to carry Ziggy to term. After the miscarriage I had several years ago, I was just too afraid it will happen again. However, I had some qualms about not working anymore and being a full time stay-at-home mom and tried to be a work-at-home mom instead. I started blogging and began earning from doing so although the paid work doesn't come by that often yet. I also had that two-month consulting job a few months before Ziggy was born but aside from that I am mostly just your average stay-at-home mom.

I can't believe that it has been a year already. A lot has certainly happened since then. However, one thing I didn't expect was how much I'd love staying at home with my kids. Now, I never want to go back to the rat race again and I pray that God will provide us the means for that to happen. I'd love to earn more from blogging or have a small business I can manage from home. Over the past year, I feel like I've become a better mom to my girls and a better partner to Kai. I've also been able to take care of baby Ziggy since birth, in such a way that I've never been able to take care of my girls when they were still babies. I've also learned so much about taking care of our home. I am proud to say that I can now cook. Haha! That is one of my greatest accomplishments. So, looking back, I'd say that despite the challenges that came with leaving the rat race, it has been the best decision for me and my family. If I could go back in time, I'd make the same decision again. 

Here's hoping for more blessings to come so that I can continue enjoying my stay-at-home journey!

Project Yearbook: Week 24

We're on Week 24 on Ziggy's Project Yearbook and what a week it has been. It was a week of a lot of firsts for Ziggy. First of all, let me just happily announce that Ziggy can finally turn over on his tummy! Finally! I've been waiting for this for weeks. He was able to do it on August 11 while he was playing in bed with me. Daddy Kai was also sitting on our bedroom couch that time and we both saw Ziggy do it. Oh, we are so happy! Since then Ziggy hasn't done it that much yet, only two other times after the first time but I'm sure he'll do it more often as time goes by.

Unfortunately, this was also the week that Ziggy had cough for the first time. It started with a cold then the cough came about a day after. He's actually coughing until now and that's why we took him to his pedia today. It turns out he has mild asthma, which is actually not surprising because Kai has had it too since he was a kid. Here's hoping that Ziggy will outgrow it as he grows up since his pedia said that it's usually the case. But since this update is actually for this week (Week 25), I'll blog more about this next week.

Anyway, Ziggy is already at 9.5 kilos or 21 lbs. He's only a couple of pounds lighter than his big sister, Ziya! Can you believe that?! It has been increasingly harder to carry him around and so on Day 167, Kai finally bought Ziggy his first stroller. More on that later.

Another first was Ziggy's first time to eat chayote (or sayote, as it is more popularly known here in the Philippines). I wasn't sure if he was going to like it but he did. We continue to give him one vegetable per week but I think next week we'll try a fruit instead. So far, we've never experienced problems feeding him semi-solid foods, which is great! The only dilemma we continue to have is with his milk formula. Since Ziggy will be turning 6 months by the end of next week, it's time to switch formulas and so we're already researching for another formula brand for him. Hopefully, we'll finally find the one that will suit him best.

Here are Ziggy's Week 24 photos.

On Day 162, I took a photo of him in his new walker, which Kai bought during the previous week. Ziggy didn't like it at first but after a couple of days, he was already loving it, which I guess explains why I have three photos of him in his stroller this week. I didn't even notice that until I was uploading the photos here.

For Day 163, I took a photo of Ziggy lying down. He had just woken up on this photo.

On Day 164, we took Ziggy to the clinic to have him checked because of his cough. We saw another pedia that time because we wanted to take advantage of the health card issued to Ziggy by the company Kai works for. Here's Ziggy with Daddy while we were waiting for our turn.

Day 165 is another walker photo. I usually put him in his walker after we're done with our breakfast routine.

For Day 166, I took a photo of Ziggy while we were playing on the bed. He's still drooling so much as you can see in this photo!

Day 167 is the third walker photo for the week!

Lastly, for Day 168, we went to the Bonifacio Global City with all three kids for some quality family time after attending a party nearby. It was Ziggy's first time strolling in his new stroller, which was bought only the day before. Ziggy didn't really like sitting in the stroller at first but we found out that he only didn't like it when the seat is reclined. So, now we make sure that he's sitting upright when he's in the stroller. I guess, he likes that because he loves looking at his surroundings. He is truly an explorer. Well, his first name, Zeth, actually means investigator, so maybe he does love investigating every new thing he sees.

Ziggy's growing up so fast! Come back next week for another Project Yearbook entry.

Family First, Blogging Later

It used to be that not being able to blog for a single day would already drive me insane. I never thought I would ever get tired of blogging. But here I am writing my first entry since last Thursday. It has been FIVE days. The only times that ever happened were when I had internet troubles. So, of course, I couldn't blog or go online at all. This time though, the reason why I haven't blogged lately is my family.

Family will always come first for this mommy. Our life has been pretty hectic lately. My girls just had their final exams in school last week. Then both Kai and baby Ziggy got sick with cough and colds. They're actually still sick right now. Then, there were a ton of errands to do and places to go during the weekend. So, after all that I was just plain exhausted. Well, I was able to play some rounds of Plants vs. Zombies (hahahaha!) but I did that in order to relax and enjoy myself. My mind was just too fried to think of writing anything. So, there you go, blogging was last priority these past few days. I survived, though. Haha!

Nice To Know You Wednesday 2

It's my first time to join this new meme from Jared's mom, Mommy Vix. I really wanted to join this week (though I'm already a day late) especially since the topic is about pregnancy. My pregnancies have been very memorable and I loved being preggy, despite the challenges that come with it. So, here are my answers to this week's questions:

1. What do you like best about being pregnant?

For me the best thing about being pregnant is the feeling that you are special. Everybody just treats you better. People are always concerned if you've eaten already or if you're too tired already. I've also gotten special treatment during my pregnancies such as massages and I'm always, always the first priority in everything. Haha! But honestly, the feeling of being special comes from within me, knowing that not everybody gets a chance to carry a baby. I've had a miscarriage before and so I know how devastating that is, which makes my other pregnancies a lot more special to me. 

2. What is your most embarrassing preggy moment?

The most embarrassing preggy moment I've had happened last year when I was preggy with Ziggy. I was in line for the shuttle that I was going to take to work. The line was just too long and I was standing for a long while so I got pretty tired. I also was not able to have breakfast before I left home. I started to feel nauseous and knew that if I didn't sit down and get a drink or something in my body that I will pass out. I had to leave the line (groggily, I might add) and headed to the nearest food stall. Luckily, I made it in time. I had just enough energy to tell the store personnel if I could sit down, so I did and ordered some crackers and juice. Some people were looking at me funny since I didn't even look preggy that time yet. It's a good thing I didn't pass out in front of all of them. 

3. Was your pregnancy planned or surprised?

All my pregnancies were a surprise in the sense that we weren't really planning to make a baby. However, in each situation, I guess we weren't really being careful not to get pregnant anyway so it wasn't really that much of a surprise when I did end up getting pregnant. The most surprising pregnancy I had was with Ziya since I learned that I was pregnant with her when Zoe was only 5 months old.

4. What I’ll miss most about being pregnant?

There are a lot of things I miss but mostly I miss the baby's kicks and tumbles in my tummy. It's just so amazing to feel it and see parts of the baby bulging on my tummy. 

5. What are your preggy comfort food?

For all of my pregnancies, I craved pizza during the first trimester then salad during the second. And take note, it can't be just any pizza. It had to be a Shakey's thin crust pizza or else I will not be satisfied. Hahaha!

Oh, thinking of these things almost makes me think of having at least one more baby in the next couple of years. Haha! Ziggy's already a handful these days so we'll just see about that!

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