Another Baby Boy

We are having another baby boy! This was taken at my 20 week ultrasound.

Macu the Singer

My son loves to sing and dance.  He loves watching Barney, Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Playhouse.  Everytime the characters start to sing and dance, Macu does the same thing.  When we watch TFC shows, when they play the theme song in the background, he sings with much gusto.  He doesn't speak yet but he can carry a tune.  Here he is singing The Star Spangled Banner when we watched the Pacquiao-Marquez fight.

CHILL @ the Queen Mary

From their website:

The Ice Kingdom is a dazzling 13,000 square foot winter wonderland handmade entirely out of ice. Featuring over 2 million pounds of ice, each exhibit is meticulously created by an international team of expert ice sculptors and enhanced with stunning lights and colors for a visually captivating experience unlike any other.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Thanksgiving 2012

Past Tense?

I was teaching Macu the different colors using his clothes.  I was trying to organize them to no avail coz he kept on opening his drawers and spilling them out. So I was showing him his shirt and say "yellow." Repeating it several times so he gets the pronunciation even though he can't really say it yet.  I move on to "green" doing the same thing. Then I got to "blue". He pointed his lips and I got so excited expecting him to repeat what I just said.  What he did was confusing at first, he blew air out of his mouth as if blowing a candle.  I was puzzled.  Then I realized he thought "blue" and "blow" we're the same.  Is my boy a budding genius of the English language? Hahaha "Blue" = "Blew"

Halloween Harvest Festival

Last weekend, we brought Macu to Pierce College's Halloween Harvest Festival.  We used to go to Lombardi Ranch at Valencia but its hot that weekend and I don't want to drive all the way there.  Good thing is Pierce College is close to Topanga Mall so we got to hang out at the mall first.

The Sweetest Thing

I want to document this moment as i don't ever want to forget.

As I was winding up housework, the pillows were strewn all over the living room, I sigh and was debating whether I want to clean it up or leave it for DH to fix when he gets home (bad wife I know).  Macu did the sweetest thing. He picked up the pillows one by one without my prodding and handed them to me.  I was amazed at what made him do such a thing. My little helper! Thank you baby and Mommy hopes you'll be like that until you grow up! :)

Halloween Costumes

My baby is growing so fast!

 Halloween 2011

Halloween 2012

Halloween Baby Shower

Our good friend J is expecting her 2nd child in January.  We decided to combine her Baby Shower with the Halloween Party para one-time-big-time affair na lang.

Got the idea from pinterest

Alpha What?!?

I mentioned in my previous post that the doctor saw something in my lab results that made him refer me to Genetics.  What was it? He said that I have Alpha Thalassemia trait. Alpha what? I said? Apparently, as he was looking at my CBC results, he noticed that my red blood cells are small but my iron is normal. That led him to that diagnosis.  Alpha Thalassemia is hereditary and is common to Southeast Asian people.  It is inherited from one's parents and essentially effects the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells.

Nuchal Translucency

On my 12th week of pregnancy, I had my Nuchat Translucency ultrasound.  I'm not sure if any one is familiar with this or not but I will try to explain the best I could.  This ultrasound is in line with the California Blood screening for pregnant women.  During the first trimester, blood is drawn from the mommy and sent to a lab which tests the levels of hCG and PAPP-A.  The results combined with the maternal age risk factors and the Nuchal Translucency determines the risk of having a baby with chromosomal defects like Downs, Trisomy-18 and Trisomy-21.

I did not do this when I was pregnant with Macu. I did the 2nd trimester screening which looks at differs levels.  They found out one of my levels is "abnormal". So on my birthday, the clinic decided to give me the bad news.  I was devastated to say the least.  They said my baby could have neural tube defects.  Armed with that information, I googled the phrase and was bombarded with horrifying images of babies with this problem.  It was probably one of the worst days in my life.

I kept on blaming myself. Why did I to take care of my health enough to do this to my baby? DH kept me sane throughout the whole ordeal.  We had talks about what we would do if it turns out the baby does have serious problems.  We decided we will go through with it and accept whatever God gives us. I had an ultrasound a few weeks later and they determined Macu is healthy. Thank God! It was a false positive.

Back to this pregnancy with Wiggles (I have yet to decide a nickname).  Going through that experience with Macu, the worrywart in me started imagining different scenarios already.  I have been reading up on the chromosal disorders and watching videos of babies with those.  I have been crying every time.  I am in awe at the families who deal with that everyday.  I admire them for their strength and resilience but most of all, I admire them for their love and faith.

Pancit Palabok

It's DH's off today and I promised him I was going to cook for him.  Usually, MIL would cook for us through the weekdays but she goes to work from Thursday to Saturday and we are left to fend to ourselves.  That means either drive thru / take out food, canned goods, or instant noodles. Since I've been pregnant with my little jelly bean, I've been tired lately which means less initiative for me to cook.

I was so excited, I headed straight to the kitchen as soon as I got home.  Halfway through though I felt dizzy and needed to lay down. DH stepped in and followed my instructions until I felt better to continue.  I was planning on cooking palabok and calamari but didn't have the energy to work on the squid.

I followed this recipe.

It got the thumbs up from DH. It actually reminded me of my fave palabok from this vendor in Constancia St. Sampaloc from my childhood days. Ahh nostalgia.

Letters to Macu 1

My dear Macu,

It was a Saturday and we were all alone in the house.  Daddy had to work. So did Grandma Norma. Tito JB is out with his friends and we have the house all to ourselves.  You just woke up from your nap and was extra cranky.  We hung out in the backyard and watched Shot, our dog for a while.  I had to take you inside because you want to start running around and I'm still not sure if Shot wants to just play with you or eat you.

Once inside, you started getting antsy and started making a mess.  I decided to bring out the bubble machine to make you pass the time.  Boy were you so amazed! I'll never forget the look on your face as soon as the bubbles started to surround you.  You were in your own world.  I want to remember this moment forever.  I wish you'll always be this happy. 



Korean BBQ at Home

DH and I love Korean BBQ.  If you've ever been to LA and the valley, there's a smattering of All-You-Can-Eat KBBQ places around.  The prices are not bad too. Ranging from $14.99 - $19.99 depending on what type of meat you want.  But, we found a cheaper alternative -- KBBW at home!

First Haircut

We have been contemplating giving Macu a haircut. The heat spell has not left LA even though it supposed to be fall.  Macu can get really sweaty and since he has long hair, it is not really comfortable. I have been researching kiddie salons so we can get Macu's hair properly cut.  One lazy Sunday though, DH suddenly had the bright idea to do it himself. I just heard razors in the den and I came running to see what's going on.  When I got there, half of Macu's hair was already shaved off!  So I let DH go ahead and finish the job.

I kinda like the end result.  It definitely doesn't bother Macu anymore and I like the mohawk style. lol. Its a little uneven though, so I think we should go to a proper salon next time.  But not bad for the first try Dad!

Mickey's Halloween Party

I love going to theme parks and going on rides.  Before I found out I'm pregnant again, I have this whole to do list of doing the theme park round since DH and I have not gone to one since Macu arrived.  I planned on going to Six Flags and trying out the new thrill rides. Go to Knotts Berry Farm for the Halloween event. But God has different plans for us and decided to bless us with a new munchkin which means the thrill seeker in me needs to take a back seat for a while.

But one thing that I told DH that we need to do for sure is visit Disneyland during Halloween. I have always wanted to see the decorations and other gimmicks they had. The main thing they do during Halloween Time is host Mickey's Halloween Party on certain nights in October.  They close the park early for regular guests and you need a special event ticket to attend. The cost for each ticket varies between $54 to $69 depending on the date but this includes parking and entrance to the park 3 hours prior to the event.

LA County Fair

We went on the last weekend of the LA County Fair in Pomona.  Got tickets at Costco which was a really good deal.  For $54.99 you get 4 admission tickets, 1 free parking and 44 ride tickets.  Ticket at the box office alone at the venue is $17 and parking is $15. I say it was a good deal!

This is like 1/4 of the entire fair.  It was so huge!

A New Adventure

During our road trip, we found out that God blessed us with a new addition to our family.

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Part 5

 Last Part of the PCH Road Trip. WARNING! Picture heavy post!

We arrived in Monterey at about 3:00PM. Enough time for us to settle in the hotel and rest for a while.  Around 5:00 we made our way to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Its great that the place is open until 8:00 on the weekends. They even had a Jazz band playing and set up a liquor stand. Nice!

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Part 4

After Hearst Castle, I wanted to check out Sebastian's Store. Again, being the Yelp groupie that I am, I've read a lot of good reviews about this place.  However, I failed to check their store hours and didn't realize that they close at 4:00.  We got there at 6:30 :\

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Part 3

Continuing our Hearst Castle adventure....

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Part 2

After getting our fill of Mexican food, we proceeded to make our journey on the PCH.  The weather chose to cooperate and we were enjoying the cool breeze coming from the Pacific Ocean.  It is a very welcome respite from the LA heat.

San Luis Obispo -- roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles -- is home to the Morro Rock.  "Morro" is Spanish for crown. It was named such a Portuguese explorer in the 1500s.  This historic landmark is actually a volcanic plug formed millions of years ago from extinct volcanoes.  A causeway was built between the rock and the harbor so people can drive up close.

Morro Rock

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Part 1

I have always wanted to go on a road trip along the PCH. So when DH and I were brainstorming where to go for our anniversary getaway, I suggested a road trip along the coast.  He agreed and I started planning our trip. It was supposed to be just the two of us, but we can't bear to leave Macu behind. And since MIL and BIL are off that weekend, why not make it a family road trip then!

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Photobooth

This was an absolute hit! Thank you Ninong Jason for setting this up! If anyone is in the LA area and want to have a photobooth in their next party, contact me!

The background is from Oriental Trading. Props courtesy of Ninong Christian and the dollar store haha. I did the template design.

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Candy Bar

This is one of my favorite parts of the party.  Well mainly because I designed it haha.  The Candy Bar!

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Favors, Prizes, etc.

The den is the main hub for people who wanted to escape the heat. We set up the prize table, candy bar, favors table and photobooth here.  I also made a mini video of Macu's pics and short clips for people to watch.

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Face Painting

DH hired a face painter / balloon artist for the party.  Here are some of her creations.

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Games

Each kid gets 10 tickets they use to play the games.  They win a certain number of tickets depending on how well they played which they can use to exchange for the prizes.

There were five games. Not pictured here: Knock 'Em Down and Watergun Soldiers.

Duck Pond Game

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Food

Main Food was DH's responsibility.  He ordered from Aristocrat in Panorama City.

Delivery was included.

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Decorations

These are the decors in the backyard. Most of these are DIY. Which makes me really proud because of all the hard work we have put into this. :) Here you go guys, enjoy pics galore.

Banderitas bought from Oriental Trading Co.

Balloons - blown up by manual pump by Ninong Christian. lol

Too bad these beautiful things popped within an hour of him finishing them :(

Macu's First Birthday Carnival - Invite and the Birthday Boy's Outfit

I have always wanted to document the prep for Macu's 1st Birthday. A lot of work have gone into this party and I really just want to showcase it haha. We have always enjoyed going to the Fair.  Every year, we make sure to go to the OC County Fair and LA County Fair.  So we decided to do a Circus/Carnival Theme for Macu's first brithday.  So of course, first things first -- the invites.  I downloaded a Circus packet from www.etsy.com and just designed it in Photoshop Elements.

Burn Baby Burn

This is what greeted DH and I after our Anniversary Date:

Every little fingertip has a blister. From the thumb towards the palm too. :(

The Laundry Basket Caper

Macu woke up as I was getting ready for work. I let him play around the room.

I turn around and what do I see? He managed to get in the laundry basket and started throwing dirty clothes around. Haaaay.... He looked so cute, I couldn't get mad at him.

Yes, that is DH's underwear. Eww + LOL.

iPic Theaters

I remember when DH and I became girlfriend-boyfriend, our idea of a "date" was to go to SM North Edsa and watch a movie.  He would pick me up from UP, ride the jeep to SM and we would watch a movie, eat at the food court and stroll around until its time to go home.  We were young and don't have enough money besides our allowance but we make do and enjoy the time we have with each other.

Nowadays, the only time we see a movie is at the comfort of our own home watching DVDs rented from Redbox or our neighborhood DVD Hut.  Except for the really major movies I want to see, we rarely go to the theaters anymore.  And I kinda miss those days when we would just cuddle up, just the two of us, and enjoy the magic of film.

First Post!

Today is our 5th Wedding Anniversary!  How apt that I start off this new blog on such an occasion.



This was us 10 years ago.