Happy 31st Anniversary Pa and Ma!

Today is my parent's published wedding date. They are going 31 years strong! I say published because today is the recorded date on their Marriage Certificate. They claim that it's actually January 30. But correct date or not, I want to honor my parents with this -


Dear Papa and Mama,


Thank you for giving us our lives, for having our family. And just the same, thank you for giving us your lives - for wanting the best for us, for praying for our success, for keeping up with our worsts.

 

I could not thank you enough for the unconditional love you gave to us - Keek and I. It's cliche to mention this but heck it's all true -we will never be here if not for the sacrifices you've made. ANd making it through all those years of "without" I'm proud that both of you managed to stick through. There were times I made myself clear that ours is not a dream set-up, but let me tell you both - we know you pulled through for us and we are grateful for that. I pray it'll be over soon, this coming and going, it was so frustrating to see you both part ways when all I can see are two people really wanting to be with each other.  Thank you for working so hard just so we can have all opportunities come our way. Thank you for the prayers when we need them the most, for listening, for not letting go, for not rubbing in our shortcomings, and for crying with us. Much more, thank you for loving Psalm, eagerly giving him love and keeping him company when in the busiest of my hours I can't.

 

Above all, thank you for leading us to Christ! This is the best inheritance we have received from you and one that Psalm and my future kids will live with. God has blessed us with wonderful parents and we pray to become Godly parents too. We love you Mama and Papa. Happy Anniversary!

Psalm's First Birthday

I'm back! And so are my stories, my life, my baby Psalm (who happens to be not a baby anymore) and a whole lotta more!

I've got so much to share, pardon me if it'll take a number of posts to keep everything to date. After all, it was a busy 2012 and I can't relax enough to think about what 2013 has in store for everyone.

2013 started with us celebrating my 'lil boy's turning one. Party was on his actual birth date - 2nd of January. We've put in so much effort since we DIYed everything but all were happy on how the party turned out. Oh well all but not-so as much as the celebrant. You see, Psalm was sick the whole time of his party. :( He never smiled, would not want to touch anything, was extra clingy to my Aunt (his Mama Aleen) and would like to just sleep. Add a grungy stomach and lose bowel to that, you'll not want to really move and be social around. It's too bad that right after the party we went to the hospital to have him checked. He needed to be tested for any bacteria or whatsoever. Good thing by God's grace it was nothing serious. Let's get back to the party news. :)

The gists of the party

So we did a little carnival-themed celebration for our boy. It was one thing that we throw a big party with venue outdoors, full catering setup and bright balloons since it's his first birthday but that would mean having adults for guests. Psalm has only three little kids as cousins. On my mom's side, he is the second eldest grandchild. On Richard's side, Psalm is the youngest grandson, with just one cousin who's around 4 yrs old with all others in their teens. Psalm, being at my mom's place, has befriended a lots of the kids in the neighborhood. Everytime we go out for his morning walk, he'll be called by kids I haven't met. Richard, being so close to kids raised the idea to just celebrate my boy's birthday with the kids. While Psalm won't really remember how his first birthday went, these kids would surely remember how happy they were with the overflow of gifts, loot bags and food! And that's when we came up with the carnival idea.

Thanks to Pinterest and social media, this theme initially showed lots of potential for fun! And indeed, everyone raved how different it was compared to formal birthdays. All kids were able to play, all kids joined in the fun (oh not the infants though). :) Let me share some of the pictures -



Psalm's invitation

We have 10 Game Booths.

Super thanks to Psalm's yound uncles and aunts who eagerly manned the booths!

 

 

Duck fishing - one of the game booths

 



Psalm was sick so his cousin, Ahya Kashi, blew his candle for him.

Tic-Tac-Toe



We had after-party face paint outside. This is DIY still. :)



Did I say he's sick? He doesn't seem sick at all the next day!

 

Cutie Psalm! :D

 

Number #0 of my flashback posts

When you have a lot to say and posts seem so overwhelming, it's when you don't know where to start nor what to write about. That's what's been happening; hence, the lack of scribbles for about some time. Been fussing over what I'll post or should I say what not to post.

It's been like six months since I promised myself to document everything, albeit mussings like that from me are rarely true I actually thought back then I could keep up to it. But yeah, it was not a habit so this board was left behind. Not until I chance upon this blog and of course the beautiful blogger's a mom who documented everything there is about her super adorable child who happens to be one cutie little boy, who is a year older than my Psalm. I was in envy on how this mom managed to keep track of her stories in her blog. Not that I have none to keep as memories, but it's so uplifting to look back and see how her little boy phase thru babyhood to being toddler.

My Psalm is already a year old now. I have six months of keeping up to do. I know it's late but it's better than not update this blog at all.

So folks, next post will be number one of my flashback stories from six months ago.
Happy reading!

A post that was supposedly dated 4 months ago

Can't believe this post is sitting here for 4 months...and it's super late! Talk about being in hiatus -


It's been a long time since I laid my thoughts on writing something to post on this blog. I suppose it's a common blogging crime to "always" be in a hiatus, let alone make an account dormant. I should actually be in an overflow of news to share it's just that I can't seem to organize everything, from the new apartment we moved in to to Psalm's remarkable developments.
And to start, let me share the news that my lil  boy Psalm isn't so little anymore! He's already a bouncing (literally) little man, 2'4" tall at 8 months and he's already got two (or maybe three) front teeth! Yey! Last week was so hard for us when he was struck by fever for two days. Good thing, the toothache didn't sever him from his milk indulgence as he managed to fight the tooth tremors just so he won't starve. My boy would cry nonstop when he wants his milk and it looked like we starved him for weeks. He'll cry his lungs out until you press his bottle on to him and would behave as if nothing happened.


I'm back to work for the week, and though it's hard to be away I make it a point to just be busy and I'll not realize that it's time for me to come home to Psalm again. :)

He must be fair...uhmmm, not!

This is Daddy Chard and Baby Psalm. Lil boy loves to be attached to his dad with this orange-y carrier we bought at Rob Pioneer.

I remember a funny story when we got this. When my son's like 3 months old, we went to the mall in the hopes of finding a rattle for Psalm. We've decided that we're going to wait for Papa -my dad to arrive from abroad before getting Psalm toys. Apparently, Khrys and I can't wait to get a hold of the toys at Duty free (especially the cars...correction cathy, it should be Psalm's toys, not YOUR toys). Anyways, we can't find a seemingly good enough rattle but found lots of carriers at sale. Psalm already has one black carrier but for some reason Chard wants another one that's colorful. Ok fine, so we did get one.

I would opt to get something red so I'm checking the red samples. Then the salesman said out of the blue, "Ma'am, maganda kulay yang red. Bagay po yan sa baby nyo. Mukha namang maputi baby nyo eh." Ma'am, the red color is nice. It would look good with your baby. Your baby must have fair skin. Chard and I looked at each other and would not know whether to laugh or squirm, which I think we did both at the same time.

That's Lols X10! You see, all, or almost all are expecting that my lil boy Psalm will come out white. After all, his dad is chinese and has fair skin. It's somewhat expected. But no, haha! Psalm may have gotten all his attributes from Chard but guess what, he got his skin color from us. Us being Ilocanos, you know we're not really fair.

And the end of the story, no - we didn't get the red one. But more so, a colorful Orange we took home. Lolz! Must be bagay (fit) because mukhang maputi nman si baby (it looks like baby has fair skin). :D

On Worship

I know I miss going to VCF Pio. Since giving birth, we stay at QC every weekend so we go to another church (same umbrella though) during Sundays. Good thing, there's Worship Night every First Thursdays (monthly) which we make attending compulsory. The service isn't the same as that regular Sunday worship that has you anticipating life changing series and sermons. Just as the name suggests, it's simply a night of worship and praise  to God.

But last night was extraordinary. It was an outpour of spirit, bliss and impact. It's a different experience when you not only know but FEEL it's really all about God and NEVER about us. There's nothing we can do that can place us in a position worthy enough of God's love, yet He chose to love us just as who we are. This week has been a struggle for me, made me restless and anxious of small, petty things. Honestly, during the start of worship last night my mind's been wandering off and about. We're supposed to go home after work and just promised to go back for church. But with people like us (yeah, that includes me and you), promises are meant to be broken. Our patience ultimately is that short. The service is at 7pm and our work hours end at 4pm. We're aching to go home. God knows we want to do this for Him but He knew better that we will never go back to Pio due to rain. A good excuse at that actually but instead of us having to use that alibi, it was the same rain that stopped us from leaving (it's raining real hard at the time we went out the mall doors). :)   Again, It's never about what we do, it's all about God.

Worship has never been so uplifting! It's directly us and God and no one in between. It was a relief to hear that in all things He is in control. We just need to back off and let go of the struggle that we're keeping up with God all this time. Come to think of it, why fight Him when we know we'll never win? Though situations are hard and oftentimes disappoint us, there is hope and breakthrough in God. We just need to be faithful where we are cause our God is faithful and has definite plans for each one of us. We may feel that the journey's been long and dragging but know that, we simply just need to let go and Let God. It's actually us who impede and slow down the walk.  We just need to repent, stop complaining, and see His grace that's overflowing. When we submit, when we surrender we'll see that the Lord's plan has been there, is not only good but the BEST all along.

Psalm at 5 months + Baby Rocker

Psalm turned 5 months last Saturday. I know babies grow fast but I nver thought it'll be this fast. Five months ago, he was this teeny tiny bird so fragile yet so strong. Now, he has this aura of a cute lil boy always eager to amaze us with his tricks and simple charms.

And since he turned a month older now, we gave him a rocker. Originally he wants a baby bouncer. I'll post the story behind that next.

Back to the rocker, we were so excited to have Psalm try it expecting that the thing will make Psalm swoon. But no, that did not happen the first time. What's up with bouncers? Is it really that comfy compared to rocking chairs? Well Psalm cried buckets for when he was placed to the chair the first backward rocking motion surprised our poor baby and gave him that effect of lula (dizziness). :( So much so for our first attempt.

Good thing there's one big snail on the rocker that screams Y-E-L-L-O-W. You see Psalm likes this color. You know the Yellow Cab motorcycle? He smiles at these rides whenever he sees one. And for sure when you ask him to pick, he'll grab his yellow pillow over a colorful ball. I had him touch the snail and I waited. I waited for Psalm to show his smile. When he did I knew that's the cue he's willing to give the rocker a second chance. And that was the start of Psalm's relationship with his rocker. :D

But that doesn't stop there. Papa brought these soft pillows from abroad and Tita Keek placed Psalm on it. Boy he was giggling and so ecstatic that he would grab the pillow on the sides while his Tita Keek is swaying him.

Psalm on the left drinking milk and playing with his rocker. Psalm on the right giggling on his mini mattress.

Next thing, I and Keek put Psalm with his pillow on the rocker. It was a perfect combination. And our little boy couldn't get enough of his tiny den that till now back at home they say Psalm loves his rocker and would sleep on it every day. 

Psalm with his rocker+pillow combination.

The best for you always baby Psalm. Daddy and Mommy loves you a bunch!

Rocker was bought online at Shopfortots. I got Psalm's crib from this vendor too. All brand new, unopened and a decent price that makes your money well spent. :)