After all these years...

A faded wedding photograph
You and me in our first dance
Our eyes are closed
We're lost in one sweet embrace
Since those days the world has changed
Our love remains the same
God knows we've had our share of saving grace

And I'm proud of all the blessings
You have given me
The mountains we have climbed to get this far
You learn to take the laughter with the tears
After all these years

excerpt from: After All These Years
by: Journey

HAPPY 4TH ANNIVERSARY, MI HABIBI.

No words can truly describe all that I feel but you know this song means a lot to the both of us --- I can't wait to celebrate more anniversaries with you and dance to this on our 25th... 30th... 40th... and 50th.......

Bumpety-BUMP!

A few months ago, my sister-in-law gave us quite a hefty load of toddler clothes and in that loot was a soft cloth helmet. We laughed at the helmet --- it turns our nephew has made use of it when he first started walking to avoid getting any sort of bumps on the head.

Because my little man has decided to take not one, but two dives off the bed already (don't ask about the second one, it's still a sore spot for us) and because he is now so fond of crawling around and just loves walls, I decided to give the little bumpety-bump helmet a try.

Let's cross our fingers it works for him!!!

what's cooking, ma?

A year ago, the hubby purchased a stove-top grill for me as he thought it would help lessen the usage of oil in some of the dinners that I prepare. Boy, was he right. But most of all, my B&D Stove-Top grill has been my best friend since he purchased it! Not only is it great for bacons and eggs in the morning, it's super convenient and easy to use!

So what's on it for today's lunch? Some yummy cured beef --- which sat in a fajita key lime marinade for the last two days. Uhuh. I can smell it now and I can't wait to taste it!!!

the simplest things in life...

... are the ones that usually make you smile the most.

the saddest goodbye

she's out of my life
she's out of my life
i don't know whether to laugh or cry
i don't know whether to live or die
and it cuts like a knife
she's out of my life

___________________________________________________

after all this time, she truly is out of my life.

thank you for the closure and for the chance to let me say my piece.

most of all, thank you for the reply. though it was short and sweet, it meant more to me than you can ever imagine.

i wish you nothing but the best life has to offer.

caught on cam!

After his evening bath, I decided to video the little man in all his glory. Who would've thought that I was going to catch him answering to his nickname (given by his Ninong Jay) everytime I called him and who would've thought I would catch his very first actual crawl on it!!!

I was so thrilled to have it all on tape that I am up 40 minutes later trying to post it up online to show the whole world!

Enjoy the video!

a thud and a scream

To make a very long story short, the little man fell off our bed on Tuesday evening and we rushed him to the emergency room to ensure that his fall did not do any permanent damage.

At the hospital, he of course charmed the nurses and the doctor by smiling, giggling and screaming his little head off to get some attention.

And would you like to know what he did to his hospital tag???

This is the remainder of his tag.

Yes, thank you. Within a few seconds that the hubby and I were not paying attention to him, he has chewed his way through his tag and got ink and sticker all over his mouth. How I wish I had my camera then!!!

Least to say, the little one is all good! No bumps on the head, thank goodness!!!

the little boy who knew he could!

" I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. I know I can."
- The Little Engine That Could -

He's finally done it --- all by himself!!!

first swing

For the very first time, my 6.5 month old teething little love got on a swing and was "swung" away by daddy while the mommy snapped non-stop photos.

What a joy to it is to behold the peels of laughter from a little boy who is experiencing one of his many 'firsts' in life.

I can't wait to share a million more 'firsts' with him.

How true it is.....

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

-Anonymous-

flashback

August 2004 @ Edmonton.

i heave and sigh

Yesterday, my mom mentioned how majestically huge my pride is that it encompasses too much when it needs to be deflated.

I didn't agree with her and got into a silly argument.

Tonight is one of those nights when I know she is right.

Don't you sometimes just hate it when your mother is right?

i heart me some of those kicks!

I'm not one of those mommies that dresses my son in cutie little baby blue overalls with pictures of dinosaurs and ducks and bears all over them (not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that!). What I am is a mommy who loves to dress my son in uber cute stylin' clothes that matches him and daddy!

On our very recent trip to the states, I ended up getting my supahman 5 pairs of shoes that I will gladly parade in here once he gets 'em on those little longanisa feet of his!

Here's the first set :)

Are you prepared?

For some odd reason, I got to thinking of natural disasters and such this evening that I have come to do a little research on it.

I know most people are aware of the 72 hour emergency kits but really --- do you have one?

This isn't the time for me to 'consider' it anymore.
It's actually time for me to act on it.

After all, I have a tiny son to think of now and I wouldn't want to be in a middle of a calamity and have to struggle to put a backpack together with unecessary things.

So one of my projects for the next month???

An emergency kit for our car and for our home.

_______________________________________________

For more info on how to get yourself started --- click this link.

in a blink of an eye...

Wasn't it only yesterday when I pushed this tiny little being out into the world?

And now, here he is... all big, tall, bubbly and just full of boundless energy and personality!

HAPPY 6 MONTHS OLD, MY LOVE!!!

Family Day

It was such a hot day today that the hubby and I decided to take the little bibi to Stanley Park. On our way in, we made a detour to the Vancouver Aquarium where we not only spent the entire afternoon in, we actually ended up purchasing an annual membership in order to take Dylan in and out of there!

It was such a successful afternoon --- and uber fun too! Dylan is such a curious little boy and it was a great joy seeing how he thoroughly enjoyed looking at the fishies and the colours though he doesn't know what they are yet!

Here are some of my fave moments:

"Petting" the big fishie!

Having tons of fun with daddy in those sub-looking things

Yes, we took him to watch the 4D show and there was no crying from this little man! He was tuned-into the show!

Water break from the little man straight out of the bottle.

When you get a chance, you should make a beeline to the Vancouver Aquarium --- it`s such a great way to spend an afternoon feeling like a little kid again!

Raindrops keep falling on my head... I can feel it now!!!

Can I vent about one of the major things that irks me right now about being a mommy?

It's not that I get peed, pooped and spit on. It's not that I don't get enough sleep or have to change diapers in the middle of my lunch. It's also not that I have to keep my legs crossed when I'm rocking a soothless baby to sleep while I am in bad need to rush to the bathroom. It's not about the hours it takes to get ready to go out, the constant washing of bottles, the never-ending pile of laundry, the messy house that I can never seem to organize or the kicks that seems to land on my boobies all the time from the little boy (they do hurt, trust me!)...

Ok, that list just kept going, but really... it isn't about any of that.

My pet peeve on being super-mom here is that I NEVER HAVE TIME FOR A SHOWER.









***I will pause for a minute while you laugh your head off***







Ok, now that you get that over with. I am serious when it comes down to this. I'm afraid to hit the shower when the baby is asleep because I never know how long it will take him to wake up! Sometimes, 15 minutes, sometimes an hour, sometimes two hours... sometimes even less! Then you'll ask, why not take it in the morning? Well --- I have to cook breakfast and lunch that the hubby takes so I have no time. After dinner? Still no time --- I have to go wash dishes, prep the bottles for the next day and there's a whole wackload of things that never seems to end. By the time all that is done, I'm too exhausted to even think of a shower.

So today, after 2 days of having had no chance to step into a nice and warm bath (shut up, you know you've done this too!), while the hubby and baby are asleep and the clock just struck 1:02am, I am stepping away from this blog and stepping into a nice and steamy shower where I can get myself nice and clean and smelling wonderful... (maybe this way I can even entice the hubby into waking up and spending some time with me for some good-old fudging... gotto find those nice lacy underwear instead of the grandma panties I keep wearing these days!).

Shower, here I come...

head & shoulder, knees & toes!

Well... it's more of a "knees & elbows" thing.

Look what the little man just started doing last night!!!!

5 1/2 months and already rocking on his knees and elbows... he's going to be crawling around soon!!!

S is for Sweet Potato!

We're now onto Sweet Potatoes!
The little pogito liked this even better than carrots!

I just love feeding sessions! I get the best out of my little man and I'm so thrilled to see his reactions to new tastes and smells!

C is for Carrots!

The little tot has finally started on another exciting phase of his life --- this one is called Pureed Food!!!

So.... to begin this pureed food fest, we start with.... Carrots!


When I thought it was messy when we first started him with rice cereals, I never thought it would be even worse when we started with the coloured food! Not only did he have orange gunk all over his face, bib and hands --- I had it all over my hair, shirt and face as well!

On a little more serious note, these milestones in his life are just so amazing to behold. I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a beautiful and wonderful little boy to call mine.