karen becomes a mummy!

I'm proud to announce that my ka-tagteam partner, my tokwabot girl power, is now a mommy!!! I'm so happy! 

I can't wait to see you soon dhay! Labsyuu! I'm sure we'll have a messier fun with our babies, a grand tokwabot team! We will have to make my dream of us celebrating at wild wadi come true *wink! Take care of yourself and that beautiful belly dweller. (photo: titagalog karen and 1.8yo zaiid)

what makes a family

We love hanging out in our backyard and just enjoy the cool morning breeze. My 2.5yo can be busy collecting stones or munching his morning snack or running around playing chase while my little 3mo sunshine can observe his brother or sleep like an angel in our local hammock or outdoor duyan. If I'm lucky at some days I can catch him in my camera chasing dreams in his sweet sleepy smile. 

These are my babies - the sole key of our happiness in the family - whom I am beyond-lifetime proud. They are not pefect beings and they can crush my heart unintentionally but that's what I love about them. They come crashing into me like thunder and I can only give my sweet surrender. At times I hear myself cry in frustration and hopes of me doing more for them. But truth is, I can only give myself. And I am a bit scared that I might never be enough. I am just their mother.

I have decided to not have another baby, even if people are begging me to have "one more, a baby girl this time". Well if it were as easy as laying eggs, why bring it on! People often misjudge couples who settle for one, or a dozen, or decide not to have a baby at all. What makes a family anyway? Is it the number of children you have or how well you do as parents? Is it the place you come home to or is it how complete your family is?

Raising my boys alone - physically - is a hard game. Having my husband work abroad is the biggest sacrifice we've been in so far. Yet, everyday we become stronger and our bonding has been twice thicker than yesterday. Because we know that this is only temporary and hopefully next year, we will be together in Dubai again. I know we are still young in this children-parents relationship and there are tons of things yet to be experienced and learned. That's ok, each day is yet another adventure and we just can't wait. 

visiting hours

He wanted me to take a picture of his toy too. Wearing a little sumbrero, he calls me again and again to show me his new tricks and funny acts. I missed you Zaiid!

My 2.2yo son visits me on weekends ever since the doctor advised me a complete bed rest. In the meantime he lives with his grandparents to give me that full rest. It's never been easy being separated with him. The guilt is always there, the missing, the endless cravings of his laughter... it always seemed I'm less of a mother to him. But I know love understands more than we can. We know that these sacrifices are rooted from love itself for our BabyManghud and that no matter how far we are from each other, our love for our family never stops growing.

Soon these visiting hours will come to an end.

The Tummy Adventure Journal II

Presenting... The coming of BabyManghud - Tummy Adventure Part 2!

Since I'm exclusively resting in bed for the past two weeks, I have no excuse of not having to finish this project. I had a great time cutting out pictures and utilizing whatnot I can find. This is truly my labor of love dedicated to my second pregnancy :) (Photos below: some pages from the journal)

waiting is good.

Waiting is good. It makes you think of those times where nothing seems to fit in one scoop of "now" or "the present" and then you realize those panic attacks are just making you jump just because.

After having experienced two nights at the labor room, praying and hoping our BabyManghud won't come out a preterm baby, I am taking one day at a time. Each day is a big blessing to us. And I am very proud to have one strong little dweller, agreeing that at least we'll wait and hang on to the day PapaGoy comes home - he will be 38weeks old, a full term baby.

Despite having this blessing, I still can't drop the guilt: of not being able to physically care for my 2yo, of missing the fun being together. I miss him terribly but there is only so much that I can do. What kind of mother am I? But I know this is only temporary and that things will be better for our family sooner than I think. As long as I keep my sanity and delete all negative emotions...

Hang in there puddings :)

I got a surprise BabyShower!

I didn't expect I'd get a baby shower for my second pregnancy. Well, ok I admit, I wanted to have one but since I cannot possibly organize one, I have accepted not having a shower anyway. But surprise surprise! A simple lunch date with our kids turn out to be a Baby Shower for the arrival of BabyManghud.


Thanks to Toting my ever beestfriend, Anne for letting us mess around your home, and to Leica for making it extra sweet. And to our little ones for making the day a little happier.

updating... life.

Some have asked me how are things going in cebu, how is my little boy adjusting, how am I getting along with my second pregnancy, and whatever happened to my blog! So here I am blessed with the littlest of time (while waiting for my husband to go online) to blog once again.

To make things easier, I'll just make a list:

1. Landed in Cebu last July 9 with my 2yo, Mommy, and Yaya. Left PapaGoy in Dubai. huhuhu. But not to worry - he'll be flying home soon come September 20 yey!

2. I had to take bed-rest for a week to gain back strength.

3. Had to look for another nanny and a helper to keep up with my little boy and my pregnancy.

4. Zaiid started his first school (playgroup) last August 4! Will do a separate entry for this first-time crazy experience.


on Bellylove update:

Bellylove is at his 34th week now and I am scheduled for a tummy-slicing a.k.a CS on September 27. We can't wait for this little dude to come out! We haven't yet found him his name yet. hihih!

how big are you, bellylove? (25weeks)

To get on with the cool real-world guide comparison (showing vegetable or fruit and a coin!) on how far along i am with my bellylove, here's how big it is this week:


25weeks
Bellylove rivals the average rutabaga in weight -- about 1 1/2 pounds. (Length: 13 1/2 inches, head to heel.)


Baby Manghud is a boy!!! And now I can make this as a conclusion, getting all his frequent jabs and acrobatic moves, his midnight tickles, my lazy noon eyes... you little rascal, I can't wait to hold you!

I am being too pregnant.

3oth of June marks the last day of my office life (temporarily that is.) and 8th of July marks the day we fly back to Cebu.

That makes me really excited and depressed at the same time. How can I be of two feelings? Is that possible?

Besides dealing with tight deadlines, meeting clients, making sure I'm on track, getting stressed... Besides getting frustrated about not getting things done yet: preparing for Zaiid's second birthday, preparing my goodbye tokens, shopping for pasalubong... Besides getting a bit scared once in awhile knowing I'd soon go through the horrible labor drama and c-section pains... Besides having a long TO DO list before we fly back to the Philippines... Besides being down, to be away with my husband again, knowing he will miss Zaiid every second of his day...

But I am excited. Excited to have another babyboylove, to recreate motherhood experiences again, to have given the chance to do better as a mother. Excited to become a full-time mama officially to my two boys. I am excited to meet up old friends again... To be back home in Cebu... Excited to show Zaiid anything Dubai hasn't got...

Maybe I'm just being too pregnant (if there's such a thing).

Oh, Brother! It's a Boy!

I went to see my doctor today for an early prenatal checkup (scheduled this Saturday). I was at the office when I experienced a severe pain at the lower right-hand side of my belly. I had to rush to the hospital to see if I'm doing well and if our little tummy dweller is fine.

The doctor had to do a quick ultrasound to see if there are no internal bleeding. Thank God all's perfectly well.

While she was moving the scanner, of course I had to tell her we hadn't really got a straight answer if our baby's going to be a boy or girl when we had our last ultrasound.

And to our delight and surprise, she showed us what little boys are made of.
Oh, Brother!

It was very unexpected. We had planned a baby girl's name which we plan to keep secret until the baby's out... But since it's not going to be a she - I might as well tell you what was suppose to be "her name" It's Yeemi! We loved the sound of it... Zaiid and Yeemi :) I even got "her" a Tummy Adventure journal - good thing I haven't really started it. Maybe it was instinct and that I didn't really feel like writing my second tummy journey on a set of pinks and flowers! It was just me being crazy for journal collection.

All in all, we thank God BabyManghud's doing well inside me. When we got home, I told my 1.11yo boy he's going to have a baby brother soon. He embraced my tummy and ran to get his new book "Oh, Brother!" brought all the way from Cebu by Momila. He demands a story from me. Although the pain was still there, I was at peace. We lied in bed and I read to him. I can't believe I'm going to have two little boys! Oh, brother I can't wait!

how big are you, bellylove? (24weeks)

To get on with the cool real-world guide comparison (showing vegetable or fruit and a coin!) on how far along i am with my bellylove, here's how big it is this week:

24weeks
Bellylove has caught up with an ear of corn in size and gained about 1/4 pound since last week. (Length: almost a foot.)

My tummy's getting heavier of course, but my appetite is not as big as I use to while I had my first baby. Maybe she's going to be petite like her mama but as talented as his papa and as loving as her kuya. Above all these maybes, we just hope for a healthy baby.

growing wonders

I prayed for a baby after being married for a year. I wanted to prove to myself I can be a mother despite my extraordinary small figure. I wanted to prove to the world I too can have the right to love another human being who is my own flesh and blood. Was I being selfish? But the heavens were kind to me and gave me more than what I had prayed for. A healthy, kind-hearted, smiling baby boy. That very moment of smelling him for the first time made me complete, made me who I wanted to be. Even if it wasn't perfect - not having my husband on that special day - I am still amazed at how the wonders of life turn out to be perfectly simple, laid out in front of you. Thank you for choosing me, Zaiid.

As we are expecting another bundle of pudding, I pray I can be twice as I had hoped I am to my family. I lovelovelove you Baby Manghud with all that I am. See you soon.

how big are you, bellylove? (23 weeks)

To get on with the cool real-world guide comparison (showing vegetable or fruit and a coin!) on how far along i am with my bellylove, here's how big it is this week:

23weeks
Bellylove weighs about as much as a large mango -- just over a pound. (Length: more than 11 inches.)

What's in tune with this whole comparison is that I just ate, finally, the manggang hilaw I have been craving for. Asluuuum kaayo yum! It was given by yaya's boyfriend - funny, it seemed I enjoyed more than his girlfriend hahah!

View the past weeks' comparison development.

While the littlest of the puddings is at 23 weeks, the BabyKuya is now 23months old.

My favorite Pregnant Shirt

This is my all-time favorite hubby pambalay t-shirt.

1. because it's got whales in it and i love wales

2. because i like seeing my husband wearing it, it makes him look more... 'whale-y' kind of man (i don't have to explain that right? it's just one of those things that you alone can understand what you mean)

and finally 3. because i feel so comfortable in it every time i got a tummy dweller.

In photo: 7months pregnant with my first baby, a.k.a Tambibol.

We find this funny. It's like this shirt represents us, The Puddings - well, the whale family version. On top is Papa Goy (my big babywhale), next in line is Me, then followed by Kuya Zaiid (see how he's 'rounder' than I am haha!), and finally our the littlest of the puddings! And just so you'll know this is an ukay-ukay shirt hihi!

In photo: 5months pregnant with my second baby, a.k.a Baby Manghud.

how big are you, bellylove? (22weeks)

To get on with the cool real-world guide comparison (showing vegetable or fruit and a coin!) on how far along i am with my bellylove, here's how big it is this week:

22weeks
Bellylove has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs almost a pound. (Length: nearly 11 inches)

11 inches less I presume since the sonographer has left a comment "This baby is going to be small - small in height" last time we went to get an ultrasound. Ha! Just look at the mother!

View the past weeks' comparison development.

How big are you, bellylove?

I found this cool real-world guide comparison (showing vegetable or fruit and a coin!) on how far along i am with my bellylove.



4 weeks
now officially an embryo -- is about the size of a poppy seed.




5 weeks
has grown to the size of a sesame seed, looking more like a tiny tadpole than a human.




6 weeks
as long as a lentil (about 1/4 inch).





7 weeks
having doubled in size since last week, is as big as a blueberry(about 1/2 inch in length).




8 weeks
now comparable to the size of a kidney bean (just over 1/2 inch long) -- is constantly moving and shifting.



9 weeks
has grown to the size of a grape, weighs a fraction of an ounce, and is almost 1 inch long.




10 weeks
now barely the size of a kumquat, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. (Length: a little over 1 inch, head to bottom.)


11 weeks
now about as big as a fig. (Length: just over 1 1/2 inches, head
to bottom.)




12 weeks
by this time, the size of a lime and weighs 1/2 ounce. (Length: just over 2 inches, head to bottom.)



13 weeks
has reached the size of a medium shrimp and weighs nearly an ounce. (Length: almost 3 inches, head to bottom.)



14 weeks
now as long as a lemon, weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. (Length: 3 1/2 inches, head to bottom.)



15 weeks
has grown to the size of an apple and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. (Length: 4 inches, head to bottom.)





16 weeks
measures up to an avocado, now, and weighs 3 1/2 ounces. (Length: 4 1/2 inches, head to bottom.)




17 weeks
weighs 5 ounces this week -- about as much as a turnip. (Length: 5 inches, head to bottom.)




18 weeks
as big as a bell pepper and weighs almost 7 ounces. (Length: 5 1/2 inches, head to bottom.)




19 weeks
equals a large heirloom tomato in size and weighs 8 1/2 ounces. (length: 6 inches, head to bottom)




20 weeks
has grown as big as a banana. (Length: about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, and 10 inches from head to heel.)



21 weeks
currently the length of a carrot -- weighs about 3/4 of a pound. (Length: 10 1/2 inches, head to heel.)



The little tummy dweller is now 21 weeks old, the length of a carrot! I will have to end it here and surprise you with the coming weeks, so come back soon!

i found it: Tummy Adventure Journal II

I finally found the perfect Tummy Adventure Part II Journal for our second baby. I can't wait to get started! I wanted to make something out of the ordinary journal - something different from my first tummy adventure because of course knowing I'll be expecting a little girl.

I bought Tri-Coastal Design Photo Box and Receipt Holder Notebook in vintage print. It was love at first sight the minute I saw their whole collection. It's going to be exciting filling the whole box with happy bellylove memories... stuff I can put in the receipt holder - of course I have to replace 'receipt holder' into something more appropriate!

I can't wait to do my pasting, cutting, ribbon and paper shopping. I might have to do all these when we get back to Cebu. I think there is a wider range in journal-making materials back home and it's definitely friendlier to the pocket. This is all for the love of my second pregnancy, dedicated to our Baby Manghud. Absolute labour of love :)

solutions for itchy preggy tummy

Dry skin and itchy tummy are two most common complaints of being pregnant. My bellylove started to itch at around 3months and my skin started to feel really dry.

I would like to share my two solutions:

1. After taking a bath, before putting on a towel, I put on Himalaya Herbals Nourishing Baby Oil. Since we've arrived in Dubai, my son has been using Himalaya products and has since been proven perfect on him. Now, I'm getting the benefits from their baby oil myself. Enriched with Olive oil that nourishes, Winter Cherry that improves the skin tone and Aloe vera that moisturizes my skin - I can definitely say it works better than any lotion or baby oil I've tried!

2. Before going to bed, I rub my tummy with Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks. It soothes the itchiness and it smells good on you! Plus it claims to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks, although my stretch marks are peacefully hidden somewhere else, I don't mind at all.

So there you have it! :D How about you, what's your secret? :)

i don't feel like working today.

TO DO:
- mock-up for CD cover designs
- Bags of Sens logo design amends
- Prepare final artwork of tri-fold brochure and folder
- new folder design

I'm the type of designer who wants to get things done before any doing any extra unrelated-to-work stuff... like blogging. Instead of getting that list out of my plate, I am composing this entry. I don't feel like working today. I feel tired and lousy and sleepy altogether. Can I just go home and sleep?

Love Mother's Milk!

I read a news article through my friend, Toting a breast feeding advocate herself, regarding The Philippines getting support all over the world on Milk Code stand. Read full news article here.

At least our government is recognizing the dying breastfeeding culture in our society. I must admit that I have no idea that formula milk companies have violated the Philippine Milk Code.

In one of the videos being highlighted in Boycott Nestle blog, an introduction states: "In 2003, the National Health and Demographic Survey found that only 16% of Filipino Infants were exclusively fed with mother's milk, a sign that the breastfeeding culture is declining."

It breaks my heart to know that some parents actually believed that their babies will turn out geniuses if they use formula, or that formula has more advanced benefits than breast milk. Anything for formula milk for their newborns. Look what evil advertising brings. It twisted the consumer's minds and made facts out of pure marketing.

I have not fully breastfed Zaiid due to my postpartum depression. Unfortunately, I only made it three weeks because I needed to take hard medication which prevents me from breastfeeding. It was a sad way of ending it but some situations needed desperate measures. I was not a perfect breastfeeding mother but I hope I can do better with my second baby.

Love breast milk, no to formula!