My Happy Beginnings

Staycation

2012-03-07T22:34:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since Mike and I traveled. The last adventure we had was our Surigao del Sur Escapade which seemed ages ago. We do have family outings with Kulay at local pools and beaches but Mike and I wanted to have a family trip ideally outside of the city. Some place close to nature where we can conveniently bring our son and some place where he would enjoy at his young age of 1 year and 3 months. We were thinking of Nature Parks like Eden, Malagos Garden or Philippine Eagle Center but we're still waiting for our car to get fixed. In the meantime we thought of an activity to bond as a family. We have an inflatable swimming pool we use as Kulay's play pen and we filled it with water and invited a couple of kids over and we had an instant pool parteeey right in our own backyard! Street Smart! We actually enjoyed it and took turns bathing in the pool because it has limited space.
I realized that for those like us who are budget conscious, one need not go far to bond and have a good time as a family. One can always be creative in finding ways to spend quality time with people they love.

P.S. After the pool partey...Mike and I recycled the pool party and used it for our laundry :)

My Davao City

2012-03-02T23:58:00.002+08:00

One of my fondest childhood memories of Davao is every 16^th of March. I remember that every Araw ng Dabaw my mother, father, brothers and me of course would troop downtown to join the festivities and watch the parade. We would find a good spot along C.M. Recto or at San Pedro St. and my father would carry me on his shoulders so that my tiny self could watch the parade. I would watch in awe at the colorful floats passing by and be entranced by the street dancers with their spectacular costumes. My heart would beat in tune with the drums and my hands would clap in glee. After watching the parade we would usually have Halo-Halo at Merco Bolton. Afterwards, we would visit the Agricultural trade fair at PTA Grounds (now People’s Park) and buy orchids and plants that my mother would fancy. That was around the 80's and after a while when I grew older we just watched the Araw ng Dabaw Festivities on Television at home.

Fast forward to present, it’s 2012 and the 75^th Araw ng Davao is fast approaching. I am married and a mother myself and I am smiling as I recall those memories. I am planning to bring my 1 year old son downtown and watch the parade amidst the heat and the crowd. I understand now what my parents were trying to instill in me then, appreciation of Davao and our culture. It is also a good time for us Dabawenyos to gather round and celebrate. And there are a lot of things to celebrate about our city.

Davao is Philippines' Most Livable City. Davao was recognized by Asiaweek (1996-1999) as having the highest quality of livability as a city. After I graduated from College I worked and lived in Laguna and Makati for a couple of years and have travelled to other places in the country but still I return to Davao.For a Dabawenya like me, nothing compares to Davao. This is the perfect place for me to settle down and raise a family. We have an outstanding water utility system and a stable power source. We are typhoon free. Our city is clean and green, peaceful and safe. What more could one ask for? Davao is simply an ideal place to live.

Davao is a Top Eco-Tourist Destination. One often hears the tagline “From Highlands to Islands” to describe Davao. This is simply true because Davao is an expansive city that boasts of beautiful mountainsides and at the same time beach shores. All the tourist destinations are just within the near proximity to the city. Visitors can have extreme adventures such as zip lining to simply relaxing activities such as lounging by the sea all in one day. On top of our nature parks we also have malls, cinemas and restaurants and one can enjoy the nightlife of a metropolitan city as well.

Davao is rich in Natural Resources. We are known as the Durian Capital of the country because we are famous for our Durian. We are rich not just in bountiful fruits but also in flora and fauna which we give thanks for during the Kadayawan Festival. Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the country is located between Davao City and Davao del Sur. Its peak overlooks Davao City (40 km) just like an Apo “ancestor” watching over its people. We are also home to Philippine Eagle, an endangered specie. Our city is blessed with Mother Nature's abundance.

Davao is home to the most beautiful people in the world. This is not based on any survey but this is simply based on my personal opinion which I know other Dabawenyos would agree. Davao is home to at least 11 major tribes, Lumad, Christian, Islam and migrant settlers from all over have made us very diverse. our city has been through a lot of adversities and we have overcome all of it and became stronger people. Our inner strength and cultural pride have made us beautiful inside and out. Our hospitality and warm smile makes our visitors at home in Davao.

I could go on and on about how amazing our city is. Our city has grown a lot compared to my childhood days and I know it will continue to grow and improve. Living here and our wonderful life here are my legacy to my son and his future children. I know that someday they can say with all pride and sincerity that LIFE IS HERE IN DAVAO.

Submitted as an entry to the 75th Araw ng Dabaw Blog Competition

Author's Note: This is my entry to the 75th Araw ng Dabaw Blog Competition.Photos are used with permission from the Photographer my Husband, Michael Balgos

Shopping Cart Cover

2012-02-21T13:40:00.000+08:00

We usually bring our son with us every time we do our grocery shopping. Thank God grocery carts are design with a seat for children that makes it convenient for parents like us. Some carts even have toy cars at the bottom where your child can play driver but I find this hard to maneuver so we prefer to use the regular shopping cart. We noticed that Kulay bites the handle of the cart when he's bored so Mike and I became concerned with the sanitation. He said we should look for shopping cart covers. I haven't seen covers on the malls so I decided to shop online. I searched on Ebay philippines and luckily I found one! A used but in good condition Infantino Shopping Cart Cover and Activity Playmat for only P550.

I also found brand new shopping cart covers from multiply but the price range is around P1500. I placed a bid on the item on Ebay and won. Luck is on my side because the seller is also from Davao so we agreed to meet thus I saved on the shipping cost and bank charges. Mike and I found the cover very useful and we believe that it protects our child from virus and bacteria left behind on the cart by the previous users. Also it keeps our son comfortable while we cruise from lane to lane. The cover we bought can also be used on high chairs and as a play mat so it was a really good buy which I would also recommend to other parents.

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

2012-02-14T14:03:00.002+08:00

Ever since Mike and I became a couple, I have been pestering him to give me flowers on Valentine's day but he never did. I even offered to order and pay for the flowers but he was really stubborn about it and even now that we are married he never gave me a single rose or even a stem or a leaf. He don't write me love letters or cards or serenade me with love songs. But despite this I don't complain because I know he loves me very much. He shows me he loves me through his own little ways which I think are equally romantic. He would cook my favorite meal or buy me food that I crave. Scratch my back. Give me the larger slice of the pizza. Allows me to eat the leche flan on his halo-halo and the quail egg on his Chopsuey. He would carry my bag. He would wake up (though grudgingly) when Kulay cries in the middle of the night and let me sleep. And countless other stuffs that makes my heart swell. I just hope that he would also see that in my own little ways I love him very much. Happy Valentine's day :)

Note: The Title of this post was the first thing that came to mind while composing this. It is the title of a book that I often see in our High School Library but never got the chance to read.

Tattoed

2012-02-04T19:05:00.001+08:00

The thought of having a tattoo entered my mind during my post college years. I believe tattoo is an art and form of self expression. However, it was just one of those things that I considered doing but don't have immediate plans of implementing. When I met Mike who have tattoos, I began to know more about tattoos and really appreciate it. So i decided to have one when I get married (so I don't need to have a long discussion with my parents about having one :) ) and so early this morning I finally did it. We asked Mike's friend Gani who is a tattoo artist to do our tattoos at home. There were three of us, Me, Mike and Mike's brother. I planned to be the first but I wanted to observe first and truthfully I was having cold feet. Mike and I planned to have the same tattoo but I changed my mind while I was waiting for my turn and came up with a rain cloud with rainbow colored drops. My interpretation for this is my name, Raine and the colored drops represents Kulay and also blessings. So at 2:00 am we started my tattoo and we ended at around 3:30am.

Now we came to the inevitable question, did it hurt? YES IT DID! There was no topical anesthesia available so it was raw pain but it was tolerable. It was a hot and stingy sensation and felt like my back was being stitched or slashed repeatedly with blade. But I survived childbirth and thought I could survive anything so I endured it. I'm actually happy with the outcome and I plan to have more :)

My SSS Experience

2012-02-03T23:50:00.000+08:00

I rarely rant nowadays but now I have a very good reason to rant. I went to SSS this afternoon to correct my name because the name recorded when I changed it from my Maiden to Married name was erroneous. We have a company representative who can do it for us but I decided to do it myself so I can personally ensure that things will be A-OK. I was also planning to pay for my husband's contribution since he changed to voluntary from employed. So at 2:00PM I got there and got the number 131 for the Members Services counters, the current number being served was 455. Good luck to me! I went to the payments line and got the number 557 and the number being served was 515. When it was my turn at the counter for the payment, the teller told me that I have to write on the duplicate and triplicate copy...I thought all along that the papers were carbonated. So Stupid of me to assume that! So I filled in all the copies and went back to the teller and guess what? He was gone. I think it was the end of his shift and he went home. So I approached the guard and explained my case and he made me wait in line again for a bit and then it was finally my turn, I paid and one transaction finished.

It was already 3:00pm and I was very happy that the number being served for the Members Services is now 50..only 81 numbers to go. Finally at 4:00PM, after 2 hours it was my turn and the representative was accommodating and the transaction was finished in a jiffy. When I got out of the SSS building, an old man shouted at me "Day gibilin nimo imong anak (Miss, you forgot your child)" I looked back and saw him looking at me and there was nobody else so I assumed he was referring to me. He kept on shouting at me and people are beginning to stare but it was clearly a case of mistaken Identity and I was too tired to investigate so I just shrugged my shoulders and walked on. That was a weird one.

What I learned from all these is that I should be early next time and check the forms if they are properly filled up. What I do hope from SSS so they could enhance their service is to provide more service counters, 3 people cannot accommodate hundreds please do the math and lastly, can you use carbonated papers next time so we don't have to write the same information thrice. That's all. Thank You!

2012 EQ Diaper Birthday Party Raffle Promo

2012-01-17T13:50:00.000+08:00

Good News Mommies and Daddies! EQ Baby Diapers will be giving away 300 birthday parties for FREE. This year they are partnering with McDonald's for their Birthday Party Raffle Promo. and they will be giving one McDonald's Birthday Party Certificate worth P7,500 for each winner. Mechanics are posted in their site. I joined their contest last year but sadly I didn't win, I hope I'll have better luck this year so my son Kulay will have a free 2nd Birthday party with Ronald McDonald and the Gang :)

Kulay's 1st Birthday Party Details Part 1

2012-01-12T16:45:00.000+08:00

As a mother, my son's 1st birthday was my second biggest production the first being his Baptism. I was really excited to make this event special for him and my family. We had limited budget so I started early scouting for the best location and party suppliers.

Venue and Food

We estimated around 80 adult guest and 20 children so we searched for a venue that can accommodate that number. We chose Harana Native Restaurant at Torres St. because the venue and food is nice and it fits our budget. Their minimum amount is P15,000 worth of food orders to make the venue exclusive and the good thing is that they won't be counting per head or per plate. Their corkage is very reasonable; lechon is only P400, fruits for P100 and they have no corkage for cake/cupcakes.

Cake

I am very excited about the cake because this will be Kulay's first blowing of candles. As early as September I have chosen my cake design and emailed various suppliers for quotes. I chose Tsokolate by Linfood. The owner Ma'am Rose is very accommodating and they really make good cakes, design and taste wise. I am very happy with the result :)

A little back story, when i gave Ma'am Rose the design, she didn't have the baking pan shaped as the giant cupcake yet but about a month later, a friend from abroad gave her the exact baking pan she needs to make the cupcake shaped cake. She told me "Malakas ka talaga kay Lord". BTW, the cake and cupcakes cost me P2,300 and Kulay's Ninang Ronna gave it as a gift. Thank you so much! :)

Party Host
We have a contact for a freelance party host but she was not available on the date so she recommended another host, Helen. They were able to entertain the guests and their rate is only P1,200 inclusive of host in costume with assistant, music and 10 balloon twisting. Since the party theme is Little monster, they wore witch costume without the gory make up :D

Harana Native Restaurant
Torres St. Davao City
Contact No. (082) 2273937

Tsokolate Cakes by Linfood
Ponciano St. Davao City
Contact No. (082)3051940

Helen Party Clown/Hosting
Davao City
Contact No. 09496578042

Happy New Year

2012-01-06T15:28:00.001+08:00

December has been a whirlwind of parties and activities that I didn't have any time to blog. And now that the holidays are over, I'm just taking things slow (read: stricken with laziness) but I will post soon though my backlogs :) For now, I just would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! :D

Turning 32!

2011-12-14T11:03:00.000+08:00

I officially turned 32 today! Lampas na sa Kalendaryo pero hindi pa sa Lotto!. I used to dread turning 30 but when I actually reached the 30s...the numbers ceased to matter. I don't feel my age at all. I thought I'll be wiser and more mature as I grow older but I didn't. I am still the same old me...still childish and immature even though I am now a wife and a mother. Despite all my flaws and failures, I feel very blessed and I can't wish for anything more except maybe for a bigger salary,bigger house,trip around the world, ipad :) Seriously, I am content and happy with everything that I have because what really matters to me is my family... and being with them. My only wish is to have good health always for myself and my family and that we will continue to be happy and blessed. Thank you so much Lord!

Kulay is One

2011-12-08T15:20:00.001+08:00

My son turned one last December 3,2011. He is finally ONE, a whole number a whole year old and is past the months stage. He has now 6 teeth, eats anything, can walk but not steady yet, can dance and can utter mama, papa, dede, ta (tara, let's go) and chiki (butiki/lizard). He is, I believe, a happy child who smiles a lot but can throw tantrums when restricted. He is such a source of constant joy to us. He showed us that we have such a huge capacity to love. He changed our lives and gave it more meaning,purpose and direction. We love him so much and I wish for him to have good health always and a wonderful life ahead.

DIY Birthday Invitation

2011-11-29T23:30:00.001+08:00

Another DIY I did for Kulay's Birthday was the party invitation. The mini buntings I made first because I thought the theme would be COLORS but then I changed my mind but still used the buntings because I already made around 50. I just used board papers and printed the monsters then cut it out and pasted it. I also cut the lower right corner with ordinary scissors to make it look like it was bitten by a monster. Luckily I found matching envelopes for the paper. I forgot to take pictures of what's inside but it was just details of the party using the "smiley monster" font in black color. If isn't obvious yet, my theme colors are blue, green and orange :)

DIY Party Loot Bag

2011-11-17T18:40:00.000+08:00

The theme we chose for Kulay's first birthday is Little Monster because he is our little monster. He is indeed a monster at times when he cries (and screams) and he also makes this cute monster growls. Anyways I know that choosing this theme would be a bit challenging because most party supplies available are in popular cartoon characters such as Cars, Mickey Mouse and etc. So I know that I would do a lot of DIY stuff starting with the loot bags. I don't know who started this fad but loot bags or goodie bags just became a necessity in every kid's party. I scoured the net for ideas on my chosen theme and really found a lot of interesting stuffs. There are a lot of printable materials but we don't have a printer at home so I chose a simple design for the loot bag.

1. Conceptualize your design and prepare your materials. I used the ff.

Paper Bag (the ones used for food take outs)
Art Paper
Scissors
Glue

2. Cut out monster parts.

3. Paste.

My good friend Rhea helping me out

4. Voila you're done! You have your own personalized Li'l Monster Loot bag. Just stuff it with candies and toys and will surely put a grin on a Li'l Monster's face :)

Globe's Christmas in November with Davao Bloggers

2011-11-13T22:24:00.000+08:00

A Christmas Party in November? On a Weekday? Mike and I were full of questions as we went to the Globe Party. We didn't quite know what to expect since it was our first time to join an activity by Globe. See, Davao based Bloggers were invited by Globe Telecommunications for a Thanksgiving slash Early Christmas Party in November at Probinsiya Restaurant( located at Victoria Plaza Compound). When we got there we registered and enjoyed the sumptuous buffet served by Probinsiya. When everybody has eaten and settled down and the hosts and Globe executives has arrived from Manila the party began. We were told that we will be having a quiz night and in between games they will be giving away raffles! The excitement level started to climb up! We were an intimate group of 21 and were divided into 3 groups.

The Three Groups

I belonged to the second group with Drew,Lyle,Perry,Crisylyn, Anj and Princess.We named our group Globe Platinum 7 and we had a cheering competition in which our group won. Thanks to Perry for quickly coming up with the Barok cheer :)

Barok Cheer !

Then we had the quiz night which i thoroughly enjoyed! The topics ranged from general trivia to That's Entertainment, Movies and Music, Globe products to Bomba stars! I learned a lot from the quiz like what happened to Jovit Moya and who is Coca Nicolas :D Our group won second place.

As to the raffles, I was eyeing the Ipad while Mike was crossing his fingers for the Iphone but sadly we didn't win. The lucky winners were Chito-Nokia X2, Brendel-Iphone and Crislyn-Ipad. Congratulations to the winners, guys just let us know if you plan to donate your gadgets :) After the games we were shown the globe's latest ad, Today I will...Go lang na Go! I like the ad because it sends a positive message of seizing the day and being proactive.

After the awards and giving of prizes and giveaways, sadly the party has come to an end.

Wacky Group Shot!

The night started with questions and ended with more questions! When is the next Globe event? Will I win in the Raffle? Kidding aside, we're filled with a sense of excitement for more future events with Globe, new products and improved services. I'm really thankful that we were able to be part of this event which gave us an opportunity to bond with fellow bloggers and the Globe Team. It gave us a chance to know more about Globe in a deeper level, not just a brand but a group of people who wants to provide us with quality service. Go lang ng Go! :)

Kulay's 1st Halloween

2011-11-01T00:03:00.000+08:00

I used to smirk at friends who get so excited about Halloween because I don't think it's worth celebrating since it is not a Filipino or Catholic Holiday. But now that I have a kid, I changed my mind and got rid of the smirk. Any excuse to dress up in costumes, eat treats and have FUN with friends and family should be enough reason to celebrate! Mike and I have thought months before of our son's costume and we immediately agreed on him wearing a Prisoner's outfit. We think that it's unique and cool! I even thought of this tagline...Orange but not pumpkin, Scary but not a Ghost....One should fear the living and not the dead...

Not quite scary when asleep :)

So armed with our costume, Mike,Me,Kulay and cousins with their kids trooped to Abreeza Ayala Mall to join their Once upon a Halloween activity. There were lots of activities that entertained both kids and adults. Storytelling, Puppet Shows, balloon twisting, Face Painting, Photobooth (courtesy of the Techie shops like Lenovo, Epson, Asus and etc) and of course Trick or Treating around the mall. There were also food booths with Halloween treats. Each kid who joined the Once upon the Halloween got a loot bag at the end of the morning activity but the activities and show at the atrium continued throughout the day.

Storytelling/Puppet Show

Facepainting

Store attendants also dressed up!

Lots of Halloween Photo Corners around the mall

We saw lots of kids in costume, from the usual witches and Dracula to more imaginative characters such as Mulawin, Bumblebee and a lot2x more. I really admire the parents for their creativity and the kids for gamely wearing the costumes. I am now inspired to think of another cool costume for next year.

Trick or Treat at Fridays!

Among the many activities I enjoyed Trick or Treating the most, the stores were so generous with giving candies and coupons with discounts! The kids really enjoyed seeing their basket overflowing with treats. Mike and I were excited too as Kulay's basket piled up with candies because we will be the ones eating them *insert evil laugh* which reminds me that I still have lots of candies to eat so ta-tah!

Breakfast Special

2011-10-28T22:56:00.000+08:00

I am a breakfast person. My mom instilled in me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and she would not allow me to leave the house without eating a hearty breakfast. Now that I have my own family, I am trying to establish the importance of breakfast in our home. Mike usually prepares breakfast during the weekday while I do my damnedest to cook something edible during the weekend. This morning I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to make breakfast. I was planning to cook bulad (dried fish) and eggs. My cooking ability is limited to frying, cooking rice and boiling water. When I opened our refrigerator I saw the pancake mix...so voila! I made pancakes!

It was so easy to prepare...Thank God for instant mixes!

I tried to design the pancake with a smiley face using chocolate syrup but the syrup ran down to the mouth that Mike did not recognized my masterpiece and though he didn't jump up and down or say any words of gratitude I knew he appreciated my effort :)

Kids grow up so fast

2011-10-23T23:47:00.000+08:00

I've heard, read and said this phrase a hundred times and I'm gonna say it now which makes this the hundredth and one ..."Kids grow up so fast"! Boy they really do! It seems like yesterday when Kulay was still a bump in my belly and I was shopping for newborn clothes but now I'm cleaning up his closet and tucking away clothes he outgrew. He is now 10 months and 3 weeks...only a few weeks shy of his first birthday. It seems that he only wore some of of his clothes a couple of times. We've been lucky because Kulay got lots of donations from my relatives and friends that we only get to buy a few clothings. It's really wise to not over indulge in shopping for infant clothes because they will be easily outgrown. I am filled with nostalgia right now as I fold (and smell) his clothes one by one...*sigh* my baby is growing up so fast. Well no matter how old he'll be..he'll always be my precious little baby*more sighs*

Scrapaholics World...Check!

2011-10-16T21:34:00.000+08:00

I knew that the Scrapaholics World Contest starts at 2:30 pm so I plan to be at Abreeza at 1:00pm today. At 1:30pm I was still at home trying to pacify a crying baby. I almost did not go because I was thinking that I won't arrive on time but Mike urged me to go so I dashed off! I got there at 2:00pm and I immediately registered. I paid P150 and got a kit. I still have no pictures so I hurried to Photoline at the 3rd floor and had my pictures printed in just 10 minutes. I then ran all the way to the 1st floor. I got there on time as they were already giving instructions for the contest. My friend Agnes saved me a seat so while still trying to catch my breath I started with my entry for the contest. We were given an hour to make a 1 scrapbook page with the theme, Wacky Me and I came up with this entry.

We were told that the winners will be announced in an hour so while waiting for the judging to finish they raffled off prizes and all of us got something. The sponsors were so generous(National Bookstore, Bic and Hallmark) I'm so happy with my prizes :D I looked around and saw that most participants were kids and their parents. I even saw Bea Atienza (Junior Masterchef Davao Contestant) and she looks cute in person as she does on TV.

Finally the winners were announced and I didn't win but I'm still happy because of the stuffs I got and because I am really excited and inspired to start Kulay's Scrapbook. I promised myself to start before the month ends...well see :)

Scrapaholics' World at Abreeza

2011-10-15T13:13:00.000+08:00

I blogged about how I love scrapbooking in my former blog. I actually finished one scrapbook for my family. ..a real scrapbook and not digital. I loved doing it and plan to do some more. Now that I have a son, I have more reason to really get down and serious with scrapbooking. However my desire for scrapbooking lay dormant for a while because I got lazy and other little excuses that I haven't started with my son's scrapbook. Anyway the other day I chanced upon a post in the Abreeza page about the Scrapaholics World activity tomorrow October 16 at the Abreeza Mall. It will start at 10:00 am and they will have a scrapbooking competition which really got me interested. I really hope I can join tomorrow and hopefully this will get me started with my long over due project of my son's scrapbook. Here's the poster for Scrapaholics world lifted from the All About Scrapbooking page, the major sponsor for this event.

Mossimo Kids Fun Club Happy Kid Photo Contest

2011-10-13T23:07:00.000+08:00

I'm still a bit bummed out that I missed the deadline for the Johnson's Contest that I diverted my frustration to other activities or rather contests. I remembered that there is a weekly contest for Mossimo Kids on their facebook page so I submitted a photo for this week. It's pretty easy to join, just grab a Happy Kid Photo Contest template and place a picture of your kid and post it to their page. You will get a chance to win a P500 worth of Mossimo Kids Gift Certificate. Please read here for the full contest guidelines. The contest has been running since March so see how I'm procrastinating again. Here's our entry for this week by the way :)

I was at the 1st Davao ExpoMom!

2011-10-04T13:46:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday I went by myself to the 1st ExpoMom to be held in Davao City at the Abreeza Ayala Mall. I went in and registered and they gave me these informative zines and pamphlets on being pregnant, baby's 1st years, immunizations and motherhood stuffs.

Then I went around to check out the booths. I wasn't planning to buy anything but this shirt from Indigo Baby Caught my eye. Ain't this cool? I can't wait for Kulay to wear this shirt.

And I also bought this organic hand sanitizer from Tiny Buds because when you buy any of their product you get the Hand wipes for free. I love their cute branding.

There were a lot of activities for mom and kids alike but and I even had a free photo to be taken at the photobooth courtesy of IndigoBaby but I was in a hurry because I had to babysit Kulay because hubby had an event to attend. Though I was not able to see the entire program I can say that it was a success and I hope that this would be a yearly event and hope that more mompreneurs would join the bazaar next time.

Baby Shoes

2011-09-28T22:10:00.000+08:00

I've read that it is not recommended for babies to wear shoes until they are starting to walk. Shoes constricts those cutesy little toes. They might look cute but babies are better being barefoot or wearing socks even when they are starting to walk because it helps develop and strengthen the muscles. Shoes are recommended for babies when they are walking outdoors though for protection. My son usually wears socks but I can't help but buy soft shoes because they look cute. I let him wear them on special occasions for vanity's sake. I make it a point though to buy comfortable and cheap footwear because they are easily outgrown. Here are some of my cheap and cute finds.

Rainbow sneakers @ P95 bought at a stall at Victoria Plaza Mall

Rubber slippers @ P30 bought from a little girl selling at the sidewalk of Magsaysay Ave Corner Banggoy St.

Expo Mom Davao 2011

2011-09-26T20:36:00.000+08:00

I've been reading a lot about Expo Mom while browsing for baby stuffs and was really envious because it was usually held in Manila and Cebu but never in Davao. That's why I was very ecstatic when I learned through facebook ads that they will be coming over to Davao! :D Expomom is not just a bazaar but it is an interactive event with talks and onstage activities targeted for moms and expecting moms. I am really looking forward to it this Sunday, October 2 which will be at Abreeza Ayala Mall and would like to share this to other Davao Mommies. I'll definitely blog about it after the event.

Here's the poster lifted from their site. Here's also the link to the Facebook event page

First Birthday Parties

2011-09-18T20:28:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, Kulay, Mike and I attended the celebration of Adi's first birthday. She's the daughter of our good friends Mina and Eugene. The celebration was at Pinutos Republic at Torres St. I was a little dismayed because there was no theme. I'm always excited to conceptualize costume for my son hehehe Despite the no-theme,we had a blast and Kulay had fun with the bubbles and the stuffed toy I won. If I remember correctly,this is our 7th birthday party this year. Having a kid is like having passes to all children's party and we really enjoy it. Kulay will be turning one soon and I am starting to organize in my head his party. I wanted it to be fun and memorable for our son. First birthdays are important celebration for any parents because it marks a milestone in a child's life. It is a celebration and Thanksgiving for the miracle of life.
Here are a couple of pictures of our birthday party escapades :D

Adi's Bday.Kulay looking grumpy with the bubbles because he's so sleepy.

Matt's Bday,Safari Theme. Kulay as Jungle Boy

Pavlos Bday, Marvel Superheroes: Kulay as Flash

Sick Baby

2011-09-12T10:19:00.000+08:00

Our son Kulay got sick last Sunday. He started vomiting after he feeds and he developed a fever later in the evening. The following day he had diarrhea and his temperature got higher at 39 deg C so we rushed him to the hospital. The doctors have to run several test on him, CBC, Fecalysis and Urinalysis. He seems to get weaker and while we were at the hospital he vomited again so we were advised to have him admitted so he can be further observed. The first results all returned negative test so the Doctor advised to run a further analysis on his blood, stool and urine through culture test. We have to wait for 48 hours for the result. Meanwhile Kulay's fever never lowered down during the first day even after medication. Mike and I got so worried. It was the first time Kulay got sick since he was born. He only had a slight fever once after an immunization but he recovered quickly after the medication. It pains us to see our son lying on the bed weak with a dextrose hooked on him. He didn't have any appetite and he just kept on sleeping.

The second day his fever went down and he started to gain his energy back. He begins to smile, baby talk and crawl. The doctor also told us that the initial result of the test showed that Kulay have Amoebiasis and the medication started. We were unsure were he got Amoeba, maybe on his water, food and etc. So we have to be extra careful now in preparing Kulay's food.

Kulay got better and we were discharged on the fourth day. After a torturous 4 days stay at the hospital we finally went home. Kulay still has diarrhea but the frequency lessened and the stools are no longer watery. We will see the doctor again after a week.

The most painful part in holding a sick baby in your arms is not just seeing him in pain but seeing him looking at you with trusting eyes that believe that you can make his pain go away. It really tears my heart to be helpless and powerless in making him well. This experience made me feel the huge weight of responsibility in being a parent. It made me realize again that I have a vital role in taking care of a life and that I should do a better job at it.