Thursday, July 28, 2011

love me those kick's


i love my baby brother.
seriously.

because he knows me oh so very well.


i know this is long overdue, but...
thank you for their matching shoes!

this sister of yours is truly thankful :)

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

the tale of the macarons


my bestest girlfriend, A. (who is 15 weeks pregnant with twins!)
has been having a LOT of cravings lately.
one of her more recent cravings was macarons
and her wonderful hubby, intent on only pleasing
his very pregnant wife
bought her a box of these yummy treats.

because these macarons are only available at certain places,
i haven't had an opportunity to grab them
until the hubby and i decided to take the kiddies
to the vancouver aquarium for a fun-filled afternoon.



on our way home
we quickly made a stop at the urban tea merchant
where dylan and i stepped out of the car
to grab some yummy delectable treats.

i made the little boy choose which macarons he wanted
where he proceeded to tell me which colors it was
that appealed to him most.



the macarons were YUMMY.
i loved the lemon one.
the little man loved the almond infused one.  

the husband on the other hand???
he posted this lovely photo of our macarons on his facebook page
along with the following description:


Bloody wife bought these bloody "Macarons"
that are just as big as a looney for $4 a BLOODY PIECE!!!!!!!!
 Talk about waste of money.
Geeezzz.... And she gets mad when I buy my video games?!
*toink*


i had the best laugh in weeks when i read that!
it was also followed by this conversation thread that had me
hurling even more laughter at him.


least to say
my poor pregnant girl of a best friend
is in heaps of trouble from the hubby!
all because of some silly macarons!!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

movies galore


for the first time in months (yes, months!)
i was finally able to get my act together
and catch a couple movies i've been dying to see.

i had a date with both my hubby and baby brother
to see the final chapter of Harry Potter


though i will not review the movie
i will just say that it was a bittersweet ending.
my brother was right-on when he said he was a tad sad
for it was like saying goodbye to his childhood
for he grew up in the Harry Potter era.

then on saturday
because the hubby felt cheated that i got to watch my movie
and he hasn't had his pick in ages
off we went to see transformers!


i'm a bit of a boy when it comes to movies.
i like them big, bad and all blown up!
i love fight scenes and guns (as much as i love romance!).
seeing transformers in 3D just made me appreciate it all the more.
i couldn't get over the graphic details of this movie.

it was a terrific weekend filled with movies.
which is so rare for us these days.
before we had kids, i think we watched everything in the theatre.
now it's a treat for us to be able to go at all!

Monday, July 25, 2011

my boys and i



this is week 3 of the hubby being back to work
after a 2.5 month hiatus.

although sometimes i'd like to tear my hair out
and cry myself over tantrums, spilled milk,
a hungry crying baby and a dirty diaper
or to even put myself in the corner for two minutes
for feeling badly about having to put my dylan in time out,
i still try to remember that the good days always outweigh the bad.

like dylan apologizing before i even lose my temper
for something he has done and he knows he shouldn't.
or kaelan cooing and babbling when his kuya (older brother)
is trying to talk to him.
or waking up after a long nap
to find dylan has moved to kaelan's side of the bed
so that he can hug his baby brother and seeing them both fast asleep.

yes, good days definitely outweigh the bad.

and though the three of us are missing their daddy.
i find that sometimes, it's great to have one less boy in the house.
it's one less gray hair on this mommy's head!

Friday, July 22, 2011

pages of my life


in the process of clearing out our storage room
i opened a long-forgotten box filled with some of my childhood memorabilia.
letters from friends in elementary, birthday cards,
high school photos, dried flowers from prom...
each one triggered a memory of days gone by
that brought an instant smile to my face.

inside this big box, i found a smaller box.
hidden in its recess were journals... my journals
counting back from my very first, given by my mama and papa
for my 11th birthday.


it started with `dear diary...` 
and for years i kept on writing...
from tears to triumphs
friendships formed and loves lost
from writing about my day to ranting about a horrid event
these pages formed so much of my life
that i am able to see such a transformation from a little girl
to a grown woman.


my last journal ended in 2002, the year i met my hubby (go figure)
and i did take a break from writing.  
so much so that it took me years to get back again.

but this time, i blogged.
i opened my very first blog with xanga back in 2004
(which is now closed with it`s pages archived)
and my love of writing has resurfaced.

this current blog of mine has been opened since 2009
but prior to that, i have had other entries as far back as 2007
that i have wholeheartedly integrated into this site.


i have been asked multiple times why i blogged.
and why i would want to share so many details of my life
to people who are unknown to me.

my answer is always the same.
i blog for myself --- not for my readers
(though all of you are the delicious cherries on top!)

i blog for the love of writing.
i blog because i have two beautiful little boys and a loving husband
and i want to be able to jot down simple moments
that i will forever treasure with them.
i blog because it`s a reaffirmation of the life i live
and that i am so thankful for each of the blessings that come my way.
i blog when i need to vent, when i need to cry, when i need to laugh and just because.

at the end of this year, this blog will be printed in journal format.
i will add it to my collection of diaries
but this time, with the sole purpose that my little boys
will pull it out from their bookshelf and read of my love for them.

because that is the exact purpose of my blog.
it`s an open love letter to my two most precious little loves.


*pictures via weheartit*

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

the dusty bookshelf: Baby, I Love You


written by:  Karma Wilson
illustrated by:  Sam Williams

i find that having a toddler at home
who is in the process of learning to appreciate books
is a fantastic time for me
to also fall-in-love with children's books.

Baby, I Love You is now part of our "must reads" for bedtime
and my Dylan gets to say the "I Love You" parts
complete with a tap on my nose 
in a squeaky little voice.

i just adore books ---
and i adore that my son is loving them too!



Sunday, July 17, 2011

the dusty bookshelf: Goodnight Moon


written by:  Margaret Wise Brown
illustrated by:  Clement Hurd

Goodnight Moon is our favorite bedtime book.
i remember years ago
when this was first introduced to my baby brother.
he loved this book so much
and has memorized it cover to cover.

it was only appropriate then
that the book became my baby brother's present
to my eldest little boy
for his dedication (baptism).

we have a hard copy of the book
and it is so worn out that you would think 
that it has been passed down a few generations.
but that is how you know a book is good.
because it gets so much use --- too much reads.
and Lord knows how much my son loves it.
that much like his godfather, my brother,
he now has it memorized cover to cover.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

they could be twins



my boys are 2 years and a bit apart
but they look so alike at this stage
that they could have passed off as twins!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Day 4 @ BC Children's Hospital


our little man is a trooper.
he is doing so much better and both nurses and doctors
are very happy with his progress.
no more chills and fevers.
no more diarrhea.
no more projectile vomiting.

all smiles for the camera

we are to be kept an extra night and day
just to administer the last set of antibiotics 
via the IV tube.
afterwards, we will be released with oral antibiotic prescriptions.

daddy entertaining the little boy

his ultrasound turned out normal.
his blood culture tested negative for bacteria in his blood.
his urinalysis showed traces of e. coli so we are treating that.
we will have a follow-up in six weeks, then six months.

mommy burping a non-stop kicking little baby

our mr. tsubs is back to normal!
he is currently flirting with all his pretty nurses.

"how you doing?"

Saturday, July 9, 2011

ER trip


my teeny mr. tsubs is in the hospital.
we rushed him friday at five pm when out of the blue
a sudden onset of chills occured
and i found myself carrying a very feverish 2.5 month old.

we were in the ER with talks of catheter urine test,
blood work and lumbar puncture.
i insisted they do everything else but the lumbar puncture.
the doctor insisted we do it to rule out meningitis.
i insisted again to see the results of both blood work and urine test
prior to doing a lumbar puncture.
thank goodness i did for all doctors agress he no longer needs an LP.

mr. tsubs, it turns out, is fighting a bacterial infection (UTI).
he gave doctors in the ER quite a scare last night
when all of a sudden, he started convulsing for twenty minutes non-stop.
it was concluded that he was not having seizures, but has rigor instead
as he was quite alert during that time.
it doesn't make it less scary but i was heartbroken to see the him 
in so much pain (and i've had chills before so i know how it feels!).

luckily, the baby boy is responding well to medication.
we have been admitted to the children's kidney ward
and he is monitored around the clock
while his antibiotics are kicking in and doing their job
in helping his system fight off the infection.
it's been almost 24 hours since his last fever
and he is faring much better as per countless nurses,
 four resident doctors, two med students, 
two ER doctors and pediatrician.

we are just waiting for both blood and urine culture test result
to pinpoint exactly which bacteria he is fighting off
to tailor the antibiotics to his exact needs.
but aside from that, mr. tsubs is much more comfortable now
and i've had no more breakdowns as of last night.





as a parent who has made numerous trips to the ER previously
and who has seen firsthand what febrile seizures are like
you would think it would be easier for me
to stomach needles, blood and tests.
or to see a child shaking and convulsing repeatedly
or crying until their little voices are coarse 
or screaming at the top of their lungs
while crocodile tears are falling on their tiny faces.

it is NEVER easy.
let me repeat that.  IT IS NEVER EASY.
especially when it is your own child you have to watch
for you are helpless and feel worthless
and though you want to take away their pain
no amount of cursing and crying will do it.

so last night and today and for the remainder of our time here
(and most definitely for eternity)
i will do the best that i can
by cuddling, consoling and kissing my little boys.
and telling them how much mommy loves them
and how i will never leave them
and how will hold their hand every step of the way.

and for each and every night as always do
i will ask our Father to keep them safe, keep them healthy,
and to always keep them on the right path.
and i will also ask him to listen to me, never leave me,
and to hold my hand in each trial i will have to overcome
as i need him... his love and guidance
to help me be strong and wise and grounded
for my baby loves.


Friday, July 8, 2011

my mornings are for...



KAELAN
yes, that's right.
my early morning start is just for kaelan.

while the little man is asleep
and the hubby is getting ready for work
kaelan gets up at about 5:30am (after 7+ hours of sleep)
and we settle in for a nice hour of baby and mommy time.

it's all about the feeding for the first half hour.
then it's all about the cooing, the tickling, the giggles and grinning
the laughing and kissing, the hugging and dancing
and all those gooey things us mommies do with little babies.

it's our very special time.
just him and i.
getting to know each other quite well.
while the rest of the world is probably still snoring the night away.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

finger puppets


my dylan is a massive fan of caillou.
so big that in one of the episodes where caillou made finger puppets
he took off the caps from his markers
and said that those were his finger puppets!
(ingenuity at 2 years old makes this mommy proud!)

so what did this not-so-very-crafty-mommy do?
research online for a DIY finger puppets, of course!

i found these gorgeous patterns at an etsy store


very nice, right?
yeah... no.  i didn't get to make these.

we instead ended up making these finger puppets instead!

*pix from original DIY instruction*

the actual instructions for this DIY called for construction paper
but we decided to use foam sheets instead


and with the help of the glue gun
we were able to create the base!


the hubby who has a knack for art
did the work on the drawing
and we ended up with the chicken!


we also made the elephant and plan on making more.
for now, it's a great small project
and the little man couldn't be happier!


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Something Borrowed: "She's a little witch on Thursdays!"


i came across this video online
and thought that i should share.
i was hooting and hollering with laughter
and i kid you not when i say that i had tears in my eyes
by the end of this video.

this kid is just too cute.
i hope you enjoy this as much as i did!!!


p.s. it's been a while since i've posted
a "Something Borrowed" feature.  it's time i bring it back!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

grandparents are the best!


my parents came back home yesterday
after an extra long weekend trip south of the border
their first order of business?
visit their grandchildren, of course!

and they came bearing wonderful gifts.
not for their own daughter
but for the kiddies.



thanks mama/yoya and papa/yoyo!!!
for ALL THE CLOTHES for the two boys!
i no longer have to go shopping for their summer outfits now.
not when you've spent a bazillion moolahs on it!!!

grandparents are seriously the best!!!
wouldn't you agree?

Monday, July 4, 2011

two thumbs up!




you got that right!
two thumbs way up high for this little man
who is now the king of his potty!!!

it took us all of four full days to potty train him.  
(remember this post and that?)
on the fourth day... we were jumping for joy already.
we were done!!! (for the meantime, that is.)

who knew that potty training would be like a walk in the park?
i sure didn't but i'm thankful nontheless!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

it has been so hot lately...


that on a daily basis i have been craving bubble tea.
and not just any bubble tea.
i have to drag the whole family and drive a solid half hour
just to go to my most favorite bubble tea shop of all.

it seems they are the only one who serves my addiction.
CAPPUCCINO ICE CREAM BUBBLE TEA.
***drools***

seriously, no other shop has it.
and i should know.
i have been ordering the same thing from them 
since i was in grade 9 (when they first opened!)
and that was a good 13 years ago!!!


watermelon & avocado on a super hot vancouver day