Rian's Milestones

After two weeks, Rian will celebrate her very first birthday! And as her mommy, I'm very excited and proud of her!  Over a year, Rian has grown to be a cute baby who has a strong personality but with a very big heart.  She knows what she wants and would not stop wailing until she gets it.  But she's also a loving baby who shows affection to those around her by showering them with smiles and kisses.

Looking back, she has developed a lot and probably already absorbed much information about the world she's living in.  Therefore I would like to share with you some of her baby milestones.

At O months, she already had strong ligaments, and could stretch her arms outside the receiving blanket which enveloped her whole body.  She liked sleeping with her arms stretched out.  When she turned 1 month, she liked sleeping on her side. 

On her 2nd month, a funny thing happened while I was breastfeeding her...she suddenly smiled at me.  As in a big grateful smile. On her 3rd month, she started smiling frequently, especially when I was making faces infront of her.  It became our special playtime.

When Rian turned 4 months old, she began practicing to sit, and she already raises her head and chest when put on tummy.  She also began babbling...a beginning of being a noisy baby. Haha!  She also began recognizing sounds, like Spongebob opening music (her favorite cartoon!).  But she didn't anymore startle to familiar sounds like the opening of the door or someone talking, probably because she already knew them.  Rian was a breastfed baby, but when she turned 4 months, I tried to wean her...and it was very stressful because she really wanted my milk.  I told her

Daddy's of my Life

My Daddy...he's the most patient man I've ever seen, the one who treated me almost like a princess (well, I'm his only daughter!), but also never forgot to give me lectures and lessons about life.  He had been my model especially in my studies because I had always wanted to become an active stud like he was-- a writer, a student council member, a very studious and responsible student.  He was very strict when we were kids, but he had grown to be a cool dad now.  He loves my daughter so much, he practically takes care and plays with her every single moment when she was visiting him.  I love him soooo much!  Happy Father's Day to you, Daddy!! 

My baby Rian and her grandpa

My Brother, Bob...the first to have a kid among us, siblings.  He's the daddy of Alyssa (my baby Rian's cousin). He's my most troublesome brother, but the most patient and cool-headed.  He loves his daughter so much, and he also shows affection towards my daughter, too.  He gives me advices on baby caring because he's got much more experience in it than me.  I think Bob is a cool but strict dad. I love this guy, as well as all my other brothers.  They never abandoned me and they really show respect towards me because I'm their older sister.

My brother Bob and her beautiful daughter Alyssa

My husband, Jeff...the DADDY of our baby Rian. Among the guys I had relationship with, Jeff is the most responsible.  Yup, he's a very responsible family man.  As a Dad, he's strict and conservative, but playful and very patient.  Rian knows she's her daddy.  Whenever I ask her, "Where's your daddy?", she always looks at him (or if he's not around, she looks at the place where her father spends most of his time-- infront of the computer playing games. Hehe).  At night, Rian always like to hug her daddy (hmm...probably he's got more fats to hug? Haha!).  But then, when Rian feels hungry and / or sleepy, she would stop playing with her Daddy.  She would start to cry and search for me. :D

Rian, before her 1st month, and her first-time Daddy

I love this photo! :)

To my own Daddy, my brother, and my husband...and to all the fathers out there,

★★★ HAPPY FATHER's DAY ★★★
 to all of you! 

You're all the best superheroes to your children! :) ❤❤❤

Reminiscing the Past: Experiencing Indoor Pool at Los Banos, Laguna

Thi blog is about my summer get-away with my hunny last May 2010.

Los Banos, Laguna is most famous in hot springs resorts in the Philippines (and I'm very proud of it because I grew up in this town!).  It is also famous for its Buko Pies, Espasols, and Cow's milk (yummy!).  And of course, the well-known legend of Maria Makiling took place in here,in the deep forests of Mount Makiling.

My husband and I decided to celebrated Mothers Day and his birthday to have a weekend summer overnight at a hot spring resort in Los Banos, Laguna on May 15 to 16.  We chose to stay at City of Springs Resort because we wanted to experience its indoor pool and the resort's view of Laguna Lake.  We reserved a room a week before, and we were very thankful because there were still available rooms, considering the fact that it's a peak month for summer destinations such as resorts and beaches.  The room we got was worth almost Php 1,900 per night (couple room, airconditioned, and with waist-deep indoor pool ).

Experiencing the indoor pool!

After checking in the resort hotel, we visited our daughter Rian at my parent's home, where she was staying for 3 weeks.  My parent's home was just 5 minutes away from the resort.  Then we bought snacks, vodka, and even an FHM Magazine copy at the grocery.  Before dinner time, we tried the indoor pool...and the water in it was hot!  Well, what can you expect from a hot springs resort, huh?  Even the shower was hot too (no need to put a heater, indeed!).  But it was so relaxing, especially when I let my back touch the flowing water which fills the swimming pool...it's like I'm having a water massage! But I couldn't stay too long in the water because its heat made me thirsty.  My husband and I took out Barbeque Chicken Joy at Jollibee.  And after dinner, we dived again in the pool and started to drink our vodkas.

Hmm...I don't have to continue the story after our vodka drinking, do I? ;-)

I suddenly loved my Mudshake vodka!!!!!

The next day, we had breakfast in the hotel, facing the outdoor swimming pool.  Yummy tapsilog.  Then I dived again into the indoor pool (hey, it looked like we totally ignored the outside swimming pool!).  This time my hubby didn't join me so I enjoyed my one last swim in it alone.  Then around lunchtime, we checked out of the hotel, went to my parent's house to give Rian hugs and kisses, and went back to Alabang.

We realy did have a stress-free weekend!

@ City of Springs Resort at Los Banos, Laguna

Baby's got fever and colds!

My baby Rian never got fever and colds during her first 10 months of life...until now!  Well, actually I am really expecting that sooner or later, she would be sick because she can't be sick-free all her life, could she?  But I wasn't expecting that she would have it now, in the middle of my busy working days (the time I couldn't take another absent for the meantime because I feel like I had taken quite a number of leaves before which were unpaid...because my employment isn't regularized yet!).

She had taken a vaccine last weekend, which the doctor warned us that she would feel feverish for the next couple of days. My daughter became weak the day after her vaccination, and she started to eat less. I did not go to work last Monday to personally take care of her.  Good thing she became stronger again the next day.  I thought she was all okay...until my mother-in-law texted me last Friday, telling me that Rian was having a fever with a temperature of 38 C!  I went home as soon as possible after work.

Yup, Rian was all hot and in distress when I saw her.  She was also having colds and cough.  My husband and I couldn't sleep well for the next days because Rian kept waking us up with her cries.  She obviously didn't feel good.  That's why we decided to bring her to the doctor that weekend.

We waited from the opening of the clinic until our turn to see the doctor, which was beyond lunchtime already.  There were so many patients before us, and the doctor was even late for about 3 hours!  Anyway, the doctor (which is not her official doctor, by the way.  We just consulted an available pediatrician at the clinic) gave Rian medicines for her colds.  He told us that Rian has flu, and he also advised us to just give her a sponge bath, and make sure she gets lots of water and juices. That's a bit problem for us because Rian wouldn't like to eat and drink anything except milk, which she couldn't even finish.

My mother-in-law brought Rian again to the clinic, to consult Rian with her official doctor, because she her health was still not improving.  The doctor gave Rian another medicine for her cough (her medicine box suddenly became full!).  I was a bit sad to know that Rian lost 1 kg weight.  We're aiming for 10 kilos on her first birthday! Now she's back to 7 kg....  Anyway, Rian's health quite improved because she was smiling and dancing when I came home from work.  As of now, she is sleeping peacefully beside her daddy, who is also asleep already, also tired and exhausted.  I am hoping that Rian would sleep better tonight, and praying that she would get well as soon as possible.

I love you my baby Rian.  Mommy and daddy will always take care of you. MWAAAHHH!!!!