for my memories' sake

these days, the only quiet time i get is when the little man is down for his naps. not that i'm complaining --- he is at his most active now, fully walking and babbling along --- having conversations on the phone, chit-chatting with his lolo and lola (grandpa and grandma) on skype even though they live about 15 minutes away from us.

the little bhubba has been talking so much that i have to write this blog just so i can go back to it years from now and remember this with a smile. here are his first words (bear with this proud mom, will ya?):

tut - copying the sound the phone makes when dialing

tutbrush - for his toothbrush

bus/truck - complete with screams when he sees them

caaaahhhhrrrr - trying to scare us when he says the simple car

cat - he calls even dogs a cat!

bu-bles - when he sees his play bubbles

balllll - emphasizing the 'l'

tootle - for the turtles he sees at the aquarium

pish - for fish (so typically filipino switching the p for f)

saack - for socks

shu - for shoes

cheese/juice - always looking for food

didi - for milk

bibi - when seeing other babies

mmmmm - for whenever he first tastes something

yesterday, i took a really good look at him --- a long good look. and i wonder, where has time flown? is he REALLY turning 16 months old this 30th?!?

i seriously wish that the clock can just slow down a little, give me more chances to be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime age.

backtrack... to the EAGLES

growing up, i can never recall a moment when there was no music playing in our house. if the stereo was not turned on, it was my dad playing his guitar or my aunt singing some favourite song.

i grew up with music and learned to appreciate not only what is new, what is old, but also, what is older (yes, you can take me to as far as billy holiday or ella fitzgerald and i will happily burst into songs).

last monday, i was fortunate enough to snag two tickets to the Eagles concert that was held in Vancouver. who else can i take with me but my dad? we had an AWESOME time at the concert. HIS LOVE for music is what brought on MY LOVE for music --- and i am so very lucky to grow up listening to the music of his generation.

box suite tickets

here's my dad being a very typical asian with the eagles stage set-up as the backdrop.

the Eagles in concert!

we truly had a blast!!!

for the lack of update...

it has been a very strained and stressful week here in our little household. actually --- make that two weeks. there were so many things that needed taking care of and to top it off, the little man has gotten sick... YET AGAIN.

i've decided to take a short haitus from the blogging world but am now coming back in full speed. i've missed blogging so much --- but my family needed me much more than the internet and family comes first.

i have to also apologize to my swap partners as i am LATE, LATE AND LATE in sending out your lovely parcels! i will be doing all the sending tomorrow after i put all the finishing touches. i promise those little packages of yours will be in your inboxes in no time at all.

and to those who i have missed emailing in the last little while --- or commenting to, i'll be back hounding your pages!

i have missed all you darlings and can't wait to get back in the loop of things!

a belated greeting

Yesterday, my little brother celebrated his 20th birthday.

Although he is 20 and consequently TALLER and BIGGER than I am, he will forever remain my "little" brother.

He wanted to celebrate with a late breakfast at Denny's. So my family sans the hubby went for an "all american breakfast" (not really sure why they don't call it an all canadian breakfast!).

Dylan and his Lola (grandma)

David, me and my dad


Enjoying some yummy sour cream!

absolute love

there's no question as to how much I LOVE this duo

i heart books`

Twice a year, the Richmond Public Library hosts a Book Sale and this weekend, I just happen to pop by in time to pick up massive amounts of books!

I am an avid reader --- and though you can give me just about any genre of book, I am not ashamed to admit that I have much love for the trashy-romance-novel-type of books!

Hence.....

And of course, I just happen to snag some amazing finds in the classic section ----

With $34 dollars gone from my pocket, I have all these wonderful books (plus a hoopla of children's books for the little man). I can't wait to dig into these selections!

la-la-love

I came home today to a wonderful surprise in my mailbox... it was a package from Crissy from the mail scrambler hosted by Caroline. I was hoping this package wasn't lost in the mail and it made me super happy to receive such wonderful presents!


The bookmarks which she made herself goes PERFECT with my new Twilight set. Yes --- after all this time of loving Twilight, the hubby finally bought the boxed set for me for Easter (I've been reading and re-reading my brother's collection of books this whole time).

And along with the package she sent was a perfectly cute knitted bracelet she made herself! I absolutely adored it!

On a side note, I have been very busy this evening writing postcards and notes to send to a few people... I have been neglecting my writings these past weeks but so much has been happening on this end and finally, things have settled down a bit that I am able to catch up.

Most of you lovies will be receiving some snail mail from me soon!!!

September 10, 2005
our wedding rings

When the hubby and I first chose our wedding rings, we could not agree upon a design that both of us liked. It was a difficult process and we were verging on the point of picking out two separate styles (a plain one for him and a much more detailed one for me).

Luckily, on a rainy day in September 2004, we just happen to peek in a jewelry store and our eyes fell on this certain band that we both fell in love with.... years later, it's still the ones we wear on third finger in our left hand, lovingly engraved with the date we were married and his name on mine and my name on his.

The hubby and I have been discussing picking out new bands for our 5th anniversary but we have come to a conclusion that our rings has been with us from day 1 of our marriage, through our happy times and sad times, that it deserved more than just to be replaced. It symbolizes too much of us now to ever be let go of or replaced. It means too much now to be removed and just put aside in a pretty little box. Our rings, complete with it's scratches and little dent marks, has survived being thrown out the window, falling into a pipe and has been lost by me numerous times. If our rings are able to weather all those things, I think it deserves a chance to stay.

Though newer, more beautiful rings are out in the market and I get tempted to purchase a new one, I know that mine means so much more than the pretty little sparkly ones I see in the stores. The ring I wear symbolizes a promise I made to the boy I married, that I will love him, cherish him through the good times and the bad... and to the man who is now my hubby and the father of my most precious little boy.

on a lighter note...

March 24, 2010
going for an afternoon stroll around our neighborhood

light a candle, say a prayer

it has been a very scary weekend for my little family.

Dylan has been suffering from high fevers since Friday and succumbed to a febrile seizure on Saturday when his temperature skyrocketed at a fast pace. i was all alone at home with him and i had a very tearful, panicky few minutes as i held one very convulsive little boy in my arms and spoke with a 911 operator and begged them to please hurry up.

six men in total came to my front door --- with a disoriented and crying dylan trying to make sense of all the commotions surrounding him and me, in a bathrobe crying my head off.

i have no clue how i even picked up the phone to dial the emergency number when my heart has dropped rock bottom already to see my son looking like death was coming for him. that's what i thought. i thought he was dying.

THANK GOD HE WASN'T.

today, we decided to again rush him to emergency (this time, to the Children's Hospital and without the help of paramedics) as he had a much shorter episode than that of saturday but nontheless, it was another episode.

tests were run and thankfully, dylan is suffering only from high fevers and nothing much more complicated than that. we also were informed that these seizures are quite normal for children and that usually, there is a history within the family of others having the same episodes as youngsters (that's my dad and younger brother for you).

on this little post of mine today, i ask that you include my son in your prayers.... for his speedy recovery and for God's blessing, love and protection to surround him.

next on my list

i cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this for the weekend:



i have always loved James Patterson and his work --- his book, The Jester, which he co-penned with Andrew Gross is second on my list of all-time favourites (Until You by Judith McNaught being the first). now, i really can't wait to read Sundays at Tiffany's as i am quite excited about the plot!


what have you read lately?

lazy sundays

Weekends are all about some quality time with the little tyke. It's just the two of us on weekends as the hubby works those days so I get to have Dylan all to myself (minus when we visit the grandparents).

On this rainy sunday afternoon, lunch with my little man meant a bowl of yummy creamy mushroom soup, some crackers and his favourite side of cheese. He is a big fan of mushroom soup and I laughed my head of at the next photo.


Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. My little man was holding this glass bowl to his mouth and was SLURPING his soup. I think he was a little annoyed at me for taking breaks in between spoonfulls and took it upon himself to, well, feed himself!

The greatest thing happened this afternoon though, and I was so glad I did not miss this --- Dylan was standing with no support when he suddenly started taking steps towards me --- and I counted 1... 2... 3... 4... and 5! Five steps and he plops down on the floor, smiles hugely and hurriedly crawls to me seemingly saying "Look, Mommy! I've finally done it!".

I picked him up and laughed and twirled with him in our living room for a good 10 minutes, rejoicing in his first few steps ALL BY HIMSELF. It's unfortunate the hubby didn't get to see it (and he was bummed) but there will be other 'firsts' that he will get to see.

______________________________________

On another note, I have just joined in on The Package Project! I know that loads of you are big fans of swaps so this might be another one you would like to join in --- I know I'm excited to be a part of it!!!

I hope you all have a lovely week!

up the mountain we go

Prior to our getting pregnant with Dylan, the hubby and I loved to take spontaneous trips out-of-town. We will be sitting at home on a Saturday morning when the urge to get up and go will overtake us and we'll find ourselves a few hours away from Vancouver wandering the streets of some of the tourist spots.



With our little boy who 13 months old, it's a little harder to be 'spontaneous' parents but yesterday, the urge came back full force and a little after lunch, we left the house to pick-up the hubby's nephew on the way to visit the village in Whistler (where the Paralympics are currently being held). Though the weather was not at it's best (the rain was pouring in Whistler by the time we arrived), the skies finally cleared to give us a chance to sight-see and visit some of the local stores.




Dylan and his Kuya (term for older brother, cousin or friend) Jath all bundled up in the back seat of our tiny (but very reliable!) car. It was a two hour drive to Whistler and both boys were sound asleep on the way up and coming home.

Sea-to-Sky highway... the view is always breathtaking up here.

Want some fries?!?

Dylan saying "CHEESE!"

Jath, at 11 years old, is seriously the best babysitter I can ever ask for --- here he is showing the ropes to his younger cousin on how to properly enjoy the playzone at McDonalds.

A quick photo of the boys in front of McDonalds at Squamish. Don't be fooled by what they are wearing --- it's freezing up here!

Finally made it to Whistler! Stopping for photos --- not sure who these people were!

Checking out some paraphernalia inside the Olympic store.

More photo ops!

Darn right he's got the Right to Play!




Jath with his favourite Tito.

The baby boy cross-eyed from checking out how to drink our coffee! (No worries, it was an empty cup).

A quick family snapshot --- the hubby was taking a photo of Jath, of course.


Have you done anything spontaneous lately?

a sweet friday surprise

One of the things I love doing these days is going straight to my mailbox when I get home from work. It just so happens that today, a lovely little package in a pretty polkadot bag was protruding from my box and I squeeled in excitement.

Here is my lovely little package from the beautiful Micaela of Dolce Vita. She is the sweetest person I have "never" met!

In my excitement, I almost forgot to take photos of the pretty things inside the parcel --- I couldn't wait to get my hands on her note and present!

And inside the beautifully wrapped box is an equally beautiful charm bracelet which I can personalize with photos of my little man. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the box --- it seems that Micaela has been reading my mind all along --- I heart charm bracelets --- and one where I can put cherished photos on is even better.

Micaela, when you read this ---- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I adore the wonderful "something" you have sent and treasure it more than words can say.... I do hope you enjoy my birthday present when you go back to Virginia (assuming the mail gets it there before your return!)

under the weather

This is Milo, my little poopito.

He is the very first baby in my family. A full bred shih tzu who we fell in love with and took home on March 10, 2006. He is the epitome of a spoiled rotten little doggy. Nontheless, we love him for his lazy-no-nonsense attitude. All he wants to do is cuddle up to you, get scratched and will fall asleep.

My mom-in-law loves him.

SERIOUSLY LOVES HIM.

And we have a schedule for this little one where he gets to be with us for a week and my mom-in-law the following week. We don't mind, of course, because he loves being with her just as much.

The unfortunate part right now is that he is not feeling well. We don't know what's wrong with him... he's a little lethargic and from what I hear, not feeding too well. He is under the care of my M.I.L. this week and I must say that I miss him and wish that he was with me here at home so I can take care of him. The worry I hear from the voice of my hubby's family is now sinking into me and I am worried that he is so much worse than he actually is.

This one here is my first baby so I get sad thinking he's not feeling ok and I am not there to be with him. So the hubby is picking him up tomorrow to take him home and be with us.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will feel better just by being around his family.

Mail Scrambler (by Cour de La)

A week or so back, I've decided to join my first ever swap via Caroline at Cour de La. I thought it was going to be easy, after all, Caroline only had one specific request in mind... "something simple".

So I racked my brains for "something simple".

And thought.

And slept on it.

And I panicked at times thinking I'll never be able to send anything on time!

And it took me FOREVER to finally come up with SOMETHING that was ME but also, something that I think my swap partner would enjoy.

I've finally dropped it off today at the post office and it should take a week to get into someone's mailbox.

And as a sneak peak (I'm not giving away what's inside in case my swap partner sees this little corner ahead of time), here's the envelope I made just for the special little item(s) that went in... I know, I'm not artsy-craftsy but I'm darned proud of this pretty little thing. I truly hope my swap partner enjoys it!

at his best

the little man surely makes my day --- EVERYDAY!!!

i just heart him.

Garry Point Park

we spent a beatifully gorgeous afternoon sipping glorious sunshine while taking a stroll at Garry Point Park. i can't believe how lucky we are to be able to live 5 minutes away from the likes of these beautiful places.

the little man with his serious face

a beautiful view of the small lake (boy, to live in a house that had this type of rustic beauty behind me --- it would be pure heaven!)

daddy, dylan and our (not-so) little shih tzu, milo.

dylan trying to get a 'kiss' out of my-my (one of our dog's many nicknames).

did you darlings have a beautiful afternoon as well???

water makes me smile

My favourite time of the day, well, is actually at night!

At night, I get to spend time with both my boys and my most absolute favourite is this...


Bathtime.

It is seriously my heaven after being up at 5am and being at work an hour early and staying an extra half hour late.

And not even my bathtime --- but the little man's bathtime! It's such a joy to watch him play in the water until his fingers and toes go pruny. He thoroughly enjoys it and would much rather play with the water than his bath toys!

What's your favourite time of day?

all the way from...

Poland and Ukraine this time around!

I just heart receiving postcards --- actually, make that ANYTHING in the mail, i heart!!!

Now off to go send some more cards on this end!