5th Bday Blast Part 2

BIG thanks for a bunch of gifts from classmates!...and for the hotwheels set gift from ninang korina!


thanks mom & dad for a great birthday party!



chocolate fondue...a hit for kids and not-so-kids alike!
lechon cebu (a gift from uncle steve which i picked up pa from cebu pacific cargo)

with ninong francis, tita decca, louiz & jayvee

with uncle steve and ninong raym's family

Raph's 5th Birthday Prix (backtrack)

here's the long-overdue posting of raph's birthday celebration...
for his birthday party in school, i customized invites that kinda resembled racing flags, (with the help of ninong jillmer) complete with his picture riding a real hotwheels-inspired car, and written on it was "ronan raphael's grand birthday prix"...sayang i wasn't able to take a photo.

the food, simple lang, mcdo chicken & spag, pizza hut cheezypops and chocolate cupcakes courtesy of tita ninang as dessert...

since he soo loves cars, his cake has gotta be cars-inspired too!

family picture with his teachers

raph surely had fun celebrating his birthday with his classmates!
more photos of his party at home and then our bora trip coming up!

perfect date

happy V-day everyone!

just came from the "ol 4 luv" concert at the araneta coliseum...with hubby of course, kuya steve-his balikbayan brother from canada and my ate lorna...good concert ang gagaling ng champions! not a bad date afterall...

last sunday, while hubby was in cebu, i got myself a date...i did all the planning and the spending as well. who else but raphael...:)

we first attended the 6pm mass then went to one of his favorite places- the fun ranch! he had so much fun in the choo-choo train, boat ride...and then of course at the play area (i forgot how it's called) where there's a big and wide slide and maze all around. i asked him to just have 30 minutes of play there because we intended to have a massage at the little lamb's pediatric and wellness center after. and i was amazed because when his 30 minutes was up, usually 1 hour would still be "bitin" for him and he would be upset if i tell him time's up, but this time, he listened, got his shoes and came up to me. his EQ is really improving!

at the little lamb's clinic, he first had his hair cut...cute! and then we indulged ourselves in an hour of blissful massage. i thought he would fall fast asleep because he didn't have an afternoon nap but he was awoke the whole time, making kulit with the masseuse...we were side by side each other. and nakaka-aliw because he even reminded the therapist assigned to me to be careful with my foot because i got sprained! ang saya! para akong may kasamang matanda hehe! he really knows how to take care of me.

we finished late yet he was still in high spirits...we ate pa at tiendesitas before we headed home.

when he was saying goodnight to dadu on the phone, he said "dad okay ang date namin ni mom, inggit ka?" haha! funny boy!

for me, our date wasn't just "okay" , it was perfect! and another perfect date coming this weekend...this time, with my 2 boys, the three of us. we're excited! BORA get ready! can't wait to have our first BORA experience, i mean together! what could be more perfect than that?

year of the rat or year of the LORD?

it's Chinese New Year today!
but for most of us, 38 days have already been written down on the pages of year 2008.

and still, i am trying to figure out if 2007, the year of the pig, has been a great year for me.

aside from recalling what happened and what i've gone through the recent past year, i couldn't help but trace back the previous years. what a roller-coaster ride it was!

2001...transferred to tv production after working in the news & current affairs for 4 years;
...Kris Aquino got us to join her team; she was about to pilot a new show then after a short stint with Balitang Kris...never imagined she would become a close friend and kumare...it's only last year that we had a professional "separation" when she left GKNB?
...and it just occured to me now that after almost 6 years in the entertainment department, the closest friends i have now are still the ones i've had then when i was in the news dept.

2002...got married! whoa! life-changing indeed!

2003...gave birth to raphael, God's best gift to me. experienced separation anxiety when it was time for me to go back to work after a month. up to now, my best life moments are spent with him.

2004...grabe adjustments sa marriage at sa pagiging mommy...

2005...april- mom was diagnosed to have cancer. i was in a taping when my sis broke the news to me, i was speechless! :(
...busiest life at work and worst year at my marriage! was working as a writer for 3 daily shows simultaneously, one of my headwriters told me, "that can't be possible, wala pang nakagawa ng ganyan", but i was able to pull it through. ewan nga ba kung paano ko nagawa! but that helped sustained my mom's medication.
...october- lost mom (saddest day of my life) and then hubby left for the US for 6 months
...for months, i couldn't put myself to sleep or if ever i do, i would wake up at 3-4 am thinking about my mom, crying, was feeling all alone.
...at the same time raph was missing his dad, that was very emotionally difficult.
...saddest christmas ever! la na ngang nanay, malayo pa'ng asawa...aaaay.

2006...resigned from "homeboy", after 5 yrs of doing a daily morning talk show since "talk tv, morning girls" etc.; difficult decision but i appreciated more the rewards--more time with raph, less stress, di na ko nangangarag from one show to another...actually sobrang na-relieve ako! unexplainable!
...april- hubby came back from the US
...june- raphael's first taste of school
...december- raph's first travel out of the country/first family trip abroad-one of our best family moments ever!

2007...feb-mommy-in law passed away; first trip to canada with family; first snow experience!
...march- raph was awarded "outstanding student" in nursery 1; gano'n pala feeling pag nagsabit ng medal sa anak...my parents must be so proud of me! 11 years sila pabalik-balik sa stage para sabitan ako ng medalya hehe!
...april- i was granted a european visa and my 3 months-leave of absence from abs.
...june-my 5th wedding anniversary and what a coincidence that my father passed away on this same day! (lowest point in my life)
...sept- i was given a new show assignment: 1 vs 100 (in addition to game knb?) and which gave me a different experience & challenge!
...oct- was promoted as headwriter of Game KNB?

there have been many other trials that came my way which almost made me gave up...but of course, i do not discount God's outpouring of blessings as well...i thank Him for giving me strength and for making me accept things as they happen! Grabe, di ko lam pano ko nalampasan lahat! for everything that has happened i know there's an underlying reason...pero marami pa rin akong tanong, yung iba di ko pa nahahanapan ng sagot. but i know in time, He'll provide me with the answers.

according to the chinese calendar, it's the year of the rat...and last night which was the new year's eve, just to make sure that luck would be on our side, we had our hair cut, we were wearing red, we had tikoy and round fruits on the table, house was fully-lit...for whatever it's worth! sabi nga nila walang mawawala kung maniniwala sa chinese traditions!

but as what my friend mitch said, "would you like to call it the year of the rat...or the year of the lord?" oh it think that sounds better! she was right, i'd rather rely on the Lord for my luck in life than on a rat.

38 days and counting...and from now on, i'll call 2008 as the year of the Lord! and i'm positive that the Lord will give me and my family a fruitful, peaceful and abundant year not just this 2008 but in the years ahead!

happy birthday my dearest!

just a few hours and five years ago, or february 3, 2003, 2:03 am to be exact, i gave birth to an angel, a 6.7 lbs. baby, whom we named ronan raphael....it was at st. luke's medical center via normal operation and under the care of my favorite OB in the whole world, dra. elsie pascua...(i only have one though hehe, i just love her!)

this after a couple of false alarms- you know having been brought to the delivery room and later sent home because the baby isn't coming out soon yet. gosh i remember every detail of it...the frustration and the embarassment hehe maybe i was overly excited!

i had to walk around with hubby at UP grounds later that day for an exercise, and then had bleeding the next day which made me went back to the hospital... but after some tests, i was sent home, again! that's why late afternoon that day, despite the fact that i was already in so much pain and having consistent contractions, i didn't want to go to the hospital anymore out of trauma maybe or out of fear that i'd be sent home again. it really took a while before i was convinced to go back to st. luke's.

when we got to the hospital, i couldn't even enter the delivery room, i kept walking around, walked up and down the stairs despite the labor pains, just to make sure na this is it...manganganak na ko! it was past 9 pm when i was brought in the delivery room, 5cm na pala, and after an IV injection at around 10 pm, the next thing i knew, i was already at the recovery room....didn't remember any labor pains at all during the giving- birth-process because i was asleep the whole time, but i remember having seen the bright lights above me, those you see in operating rooms. but i was too groggy so i succumbed to sleep again immediately after. that's why i said, "ganon lang pala manganak parang di ako nahirapan!" i was just lucky and blessed i guess, thank GOD!

when i woke up at the recovery room, i immediately touched my tummy and was so relieved that it's not protruding anymore, a clear sign that i had my baby delivered indeed! i wanted to see him but i was first brought to my room where hubby waited all night...he said baby is okay and he's at the nursery room. after some more rest, i was brought to the nursery to have my baby breastfed...i swear i remember every bit of detail despite the fact that i was still groggy then.

the first time i saw my baby, honestly there was no connection yet, when i carried him and kept staring at his face, while the nurse guided me how to breastfeed...it was then that i felt an overflowing joy and immense love for my baby...it's unexplainable! only one word to describe it i guess-- MIRACLE! it was a miracle indeed to have brought out life in this world, someone to love and take care of for the rest of my life. he really changed my life BIGTIME!

and now, he's already 5! unbelievable! how time really flies so fast! yesterday i reviewed him for his final exams which will start on monday...grabe na their lessons at nursery II! if only i could always have time to teach him, but i'm doing my best! kakaloka coz he would always ask for a break, and i was pressured to finish everything in one day so he can have the whole Sunday spent solely for his birthday celebration! for now, i'll just keep my mind worry-free, he's a smart boy, i know he can do well in his exams.

he's just so excited about his birthday that he even waited for 12 o'clock midnight and hear us all in the house greet him a "happy birthday" before he went to sleep. he's not having a grand kiddie party though, he already celebrated in school last friday with his classmates. we'll just have a family celebration with a few of my friends, mostly his ninangs and their kids. he's excited to open the gifts he got from his classmates last friday! uy tumataas na ang kanyang EQ because he was able to wait for his actual birthday before he opens them hehe which is happening later today!

after 5 years, i know still have flaws at parenting...of course i can't be perfect! but i'm trying and everyday...i ask God to bless and guide me so i can be the best mother that i can be for raphael, my superboy, my LIFE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my dearest, my most precious in this world! your dadu and mommy here love you immensely!

(will post pics next time)