Sombrero Sitcom: Ang Pagbabalik!

Alvin wanted to go out one stormy afternoon to fix the wires that was dangling near the front of our house despite of me saying no.

ME: Pag-ikaw na-electricute sa labas, sasapakin talaga kita!

ALVIN: Sige nga, spell electricute!

ME: Ground na lang. Pagikaw na ground sa labas, sasapakin talaga kita!

=))

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I was trying to plug the DVD player in our room when I heard Anika say:

"No Nanay! That's dangerous!"

OMG.

My two year old said dangerous and actually knew what it meant!

Hanga ako teh!

ME: Girlie ang galing na talaga ni Anika magsalita ano? Kaso minsan parang hapon yung sinasabi niya sa bilis magsalita.

GIRLIE: Ate, anong hapon ng "Is this your car?"

ME: Ano?

GIRLIE: Eh di... "kotsemotoh?!"

ME: Umalis ka nga diyan. Ang dami mo ng alam!

=)

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While we were waiting for Anika's pedia to arrive, I was taking outfit of the day posts of Anika. Anika was posing with one leg in front of the other. A little boy (around 5 years old) walked up to her and said, "You're crazy!!"

Nagpanting yung tenga ko!

LITTLE BOY: You're crazy!!

ME: She's not crazy noh!

Asan ba magulang nito?!

ANIKA: I'm not crazy! I'm Anika!

O, belat ka ngayon bata ka!

Umalis ka nga diyan!

Lol.

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While we were eating at home:

ANIKA: Nanay chairs!

ME: Yes Anika. This is a chair.

ANIKA (pointing to the glass): No! Chairs!

ME: No baby. That's a glass. This is a chair.

ANIKA: NO! CHAIRS!

GIRLIE: Ano ba ate. Chairs daw. Yung inuuntog yung baso paginuman!

Cheers amp.

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After the Alvin-Bedroom scare...

JEKJEK: Sobrang takot ko nga kuya nun habang kumakatok eh. Nagdadasal ako sa Diyos na sana si Havi na lang ang kunin, wag na ikaw.

ALVIN: Alam ko naman Jek na lab mo ako eh.

JEKJEK: Che! (sabay talikod)

Cue in..

Kung mawawala kaaaa... Hindi ko makakayaaaa.. Harapin ang bukas na nag-iisaaaaaaa....

Kita niyo yang dalawang yan, asaran ng asaran pero sweet naman. Hahahaha!

My (very short) Breastfeeding Entry

August is breastfeeding month. I know that this blog entry is a photo finish one given that it's the 31st of August already. Pero ika nga nila diba, "Better late than never.".

I will not pretend so I'll just go right to the point. I only breastfed Anika for like 6 weeks. I had milk, I swear. Thinking about it now, hindi siya kulang. Ako ang nagkulang. I am writing about this now because I hope new mommies would learn from my mistakes that time.

I didn't have sufficient background in breastfeeding.

Yes I read about it during pregnancy and I knew it will be difficult. PERO HINDI KO INAKALANG GANUN PALA KA-DIFFICULT! The expectations, the positioning, the latching etc, I didn't expect that it would be that challenging! If I were to do it again, I should have attended breastfeeding classes. I should have attended them together with my husband. I should have learned how to do it the right way, who to call when times get tough and how my husband should support me while doing it. Tama nga sila, I should have taken breastfeeding classes kaysa birthing classes. Now I know.

I panicked that my baby would die because she wasn't feeding much in the first three days.

It was our first baby. Alvin was mega praning. I wasn't expressing that much milk during the first few days. Akala namin we'll lose Anika if she doesn't get fed immediately. Ayun. Binuksan namin yung can ng formula milk that they told us to buy if we wanted to give our baby formula milk. Now I know that it's okay if the baby doesn't drink milk immediately. It is natural for them to get their nourishment from their mothers through breastfeeding. Lalabas at lalabas din ang gatas. No need to panic pala. Now I know.

I didn't have friends who breastfeed.

Had I known Jenny, Eli, Martine, Frances and Benz that time, I would have breastfed longer. Wala kasi akong support group eh. Reading their tweets and messages to expectant moms about breastfeeding makes me envious. I wish I was friends with them already when Anika was born. Wala akong encouragement to breastfeed. Yung tutukan? Wala. I was thinking that even though if I didn't breastfeed, nandiyan naman yung formula milk eh -- which is very wrong. I was a very able breastfeeding mother that time. Wala dapat akong excuse not to breastfeed. Tiyagaan lang pala. Now I know.

I had post-partum depression.

Again, wala kasi akong nakausap eh. I didn't know that time that there were lactation specialist that you can call and go to your house to talk to you and give your breast massages to encourage milk. I was crying almost everyday because Anika was having a hard time latching to my breast. And ang sakit sakit pa! That frustration combined with the very uncomfortable (and painful) feeling of a post CS operation plus the self pity of becoming really ugly na (Hey, I weighed 145 lbs that time! Imagine!?), sunk me into depression. I just needed pala to talk to an expert or kahit to somebody who's knowledgeable about what I'm going through. Now I know.

My husband pitied me agad.

Alvin wasn't able to stand seeing me go through the pain and frustration of the first month. He told me, "Babe, if it's really hard, let's give her na formula milk.". Nakaka-awa naman talaga hitsura ko that time eh. Dapat talaga we went to classes and/or talked to breastfeeding couples. Alvin might have picked up a tip or two on how to console and comfort me without me giving up breastfeeding. Now I know.

There you go, those were the "hurdles" that I had why I wasn't able to breastfeed Anika as long as I wanted to. It all boils down to lack of information on my side. Wala kasi akong alam. Hindi ko na-anticipate na ganun pala kahirap. I should have readied myself, my husband, our families and household in my goal to exclusively breastfeed.

Now I know.

And I hope you all learn from me too!

Thank You Giveaway #2: Lacoste Perfume

This is my Thank You Giveaway #2!!!

One lucky reader will win a 90 ml Lacoste Touch of Pink perfume from my own stash! =)

How to join:

(1) Like the Mommy Fleur Facebook Page (click it)

(2) If you have Twitter, follow me (click it) - if wala, super okay lang.

(3) Please leave a comment below with your name.

 

Anika will be picking the winner for this giveaway.

 

Last day of submission of entries will be on September 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm.

This giveaway is open to all Mommy Fleur blog readers who have Philippine addresses. My blog readers in Amsterdam may also join. If you win, I will be bringing the prize with me on October so that I can meet and give it to you!!! =)

GOOD LUCK GUYS!!!

Behind the Scenes Photos of the Nestle Crunch Ice Cream Photoshoot

As promised, here are the behind the scene photos of the Nestle Crunch photo shoot. The ever supportive hubby was the one who took these photos =) These were taken at the Headshot Clinic in San Antonio Makati.

Being shot by the Niccolo Cosme was an experience. He was oozing with steady-ness (sorry lack of words haha) and professionalism. He was always making everybody laugh. Kwelang kwela ang peg talaga. 

Here he was teaching me how to do the catching thing. Kagatin ko daw. It took all my effort not to finish the ice cream right there, baka kasi mapagkamalan akong PG. Ang sarap kaya nung ice cream.

He was also the one who was fixing my hair. Told you he was very down to earth!

He told me not to press my arms to my side. Nakakalaki daw. He kept on telling me that all throughout the shoot. I wanted to tell him na, "Hindi na po nakapress sa side arms ko. Malaki talaga sha." :/ Hehehe.

Sorry, para lang akong timang dito.

The ice cream melted so they got it and replaced it with a new one. In my head I was like, "Oh no sayang! Ubusin ko na lang please?" kaso again, baka sabihin nilang matakaw ako so I let it go (insert longing face here).

They gave me another one to pose with.

And then, time to shoot the second pose. Kailangan ang hair blower kasi wind blown effect ang peg.

Hindi keri kasi ang bigat ng curls ko!

The final shot: melting ice cream. Gusto nga ilabas ang dila ko kaso parang hindi siya nice for a mommy blogger.

Thank you so much Niccolo! It was an honor being photographed by you =)

Before I end this blog entry, here's the behind the scenes video that Niccolo did for us that was played during the launch:

Happy eating the Nestle Crunch Ice Cream everyone!!!

Thank You Giveaway #1: Colognes and Lotions

There are so many things to be thankful for this month of August.

First is the People's Choice Award. Second is the experience of an actual, real photo shoot with Nestle Crunch and Niccolo Cosme. Third is Anika's good grades. Fourth is that Havi is coping and might be able to make it (he's still confined at the vet's clinic). And lastly, after that scare yesterday, my husband is alive and well.

I was talking with my mother in law yesterday. She said what happened yesterday was a miracle for all of us. She was also there knocking on our bedroom door and shouting for Alvin to wake up. It was a horrifying experience for her realizing that walang buhay na tao ang hindi makakarinig ng ganung mga kalabog and noises outside the door. They were really knocking hard and shouting loudly for 10 minutes already but Alvin has not woken up yet. Take note ha? Girlie and Jekjek were knocking for 15 minutes already before that. She was almost conceding already. She was praying hard and lifting it all up to the Lord.

Nahiya naman ako when I heard her kwento. While my mother in law was praying, ako, kung kani-kanino ko sinasangla yung kaluluwa ko. I should have more faith in God. We all should be turning to Him during times like these. I know na that now.

Anyways, kaloka ang mga pangyayari but I am very grateful for all the outcome. With that, in appreciation for all your support during the voting of the Mommy Blogger Awards and in gratitude for everything that has happened, I will be doing A LOT of giveaways for you guys!!!!

Let's do it by batch shall we?!

For the first batch, I will be giving away products for Zen Zest. Sale kasi sila so I bought some stuff for you guys! =)

PRIZE A

PRIZE B

PRIZE C

PRIZE D

PRIZE E

They all smell good, promise! Siyempre, I smelled them all first before I bought.

Joining is very, very easy.

(1) Like the Mommy Fleur Facebook Page (click it)

(2) If you have Twitter, follow me (click it) - if wala, super okay lang.

(3) Please leave a comment below with your name.

That's it pancit!

Don't worry, you can join IN ALL THE GIVEAWAYS that I will be having!! 

For this giveaway, I will have Anika pick the winner =)

Last day of submission of entries will be on September 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm.

This giveaway is open to all Mommy Fleur blog readers who have Philippine addresses. My blog readers in Amsterdam may also join. If you win, I will be bringing the prize with me on October so that I can meet and give it to you!!! =)

GOOD LUCK GUYS!!!

TOY KINGDOM's Toy Expo 2012

Advertorial

Yesterday, I attended the VIP Night of the opening of Toy Kingdom's Toy Expo 2012.

When I arrived, I felt so under-dressed because everybody was so pretty and dashing in their cocktail dresses and coat & ties. I read the invite again today and found out that my dress code pala! OMG. Yan napapala ko kasi hindi ako marunong magbasa. Lol.

I have an excuse though. When I got the invite, I got so excited kasi! I just noted down the date and time of the event. I love toys kasi, guys! And this is like a super happy place for me! Too bad I wasn't able to take Anika with me. But I'll bring her this weekend because this Toy Expo will start today until August 26 at the SMX Convention center!

Anyways, back to the event yesterday, even if I was under dressed, I still had lots of fun! The giveway was this really super cute Toy Kingdom USB.

The entrance was decorated in purple and yellow balloons.

The cocktails were yummy c/o Bizu!

The event was hosted by Paolo Abrera.

I was smacking my head because I didn't have a calling card with me. They raffled off PSPs and other console games!

After the short program, they opened na the doors to the Toy Expo! I was literally transported to another place! So many toys!!! OMG!

I had to take a photo of this masterpiece that lego did with the theme: It's more fun in the Philippines

So cute right?! =) Here are more photos that I took inside

R2D2 made of Lego

Transformers

Thor: my Marvel crush!

No need to panic because there are so many paying counters. They are so ready with the magnitude of people and kids who will be coming over the next 3 days!

My loots:

Alvin asked if I can buy him this remote controlled helicopter. I got it on sale! Almost everything naman at the Toy Expo is on sale eh! I got Anika a Barbie case for her crayons and new Barbie slippers! =)

You guys should seriously check it out! Your kids will love it!

"Catch the latest toys, fun games, exciting activities and meet & greet your favorite characters at the biggest toy event in the country, Toy Kingdom Toy Expo Philippines 2012, August 23 to 26 at SMX Convention Center, Halls 3 & 4, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. Admission is free."