11 years of US! :)

Taipei Zoo :: Oct 2010

And 2 years of marriage, and six months of parenthood! Hip, hip, hooray! :) To celebrate, we had a family vacation in Makati and Taipei for a total of 1week. It was just me, Labsie and Iya at 6months+. Traveling with a baby is hard but we made it work. Much of the success has to do with Iya's temperament ~ the girl just loves to sightsee! As long as she's full and not sleepy, she's alright with whatever me and Labsie are doing. Atta girl! :) Here's to more years to us Labsie and to more family vacations with Iya!

organic baby food

Mashed fresh fruits VERSUS processed baby food -- this has been a dilemma of ours. Hubby and I have decided before giving birth to give our baby only fresh fruits and vegetables but unfortunately there are no organic fruits for sale here in Davao =( There are organic veggies (especially for salads, thank you Eden!) but you don't give that to first-time solid food eaters :p Anyway, my only other choice is to give organic baby food. At least I know my baby isn't eating pesticides and other chemicals. I just pray to God that there's no contamination while the baby food was being processed -_-

If you know any organic fruit sellers here in Davao or nearby areas, please leave a comment. Thanks! In the meantime, baby Iya will be eating Earth's Best organic baby food and Rafferty's Garden stuff ^_^ What's great with Rafferty's as compared to other organic baby food? Their packaging! The food isn't in glass jars but in safe plastic pouches! So great for traveling!! =) Some of their products have spouts (just squeeze out food, no double dipping which promotes bacterial growth), some have resealable tops while other pouches are microwaveable. Read more about it here: http://www.raffertysgarden.com

baby clothes for sale! ^_^

Here’s a sample of the baby stuff I’m selling:

BRAND-NEW branded baby footsies / sleeper suits / pajama sets at affordable prices! =)

Just drop me a comment if you wanna buy. To get cheaper prices, buy from my branded footsies album (click the pic above to view the album) and combine with the baby clothes found here: http://cutieissa.multiply.com/photos/album/9

SAVE WHEN YOU BUY MORE!

1. Buy 3 short-sleeved onesies for only P240! Save P30!

2. Buy 2 short-sleeved onesies + long-sleeved onesie for only P260! Save P40!

3. Buy 2 short-sleeved onesies + footsie for P280! Save P50!

4. Buy 1 short-sleeved onesie + 1 long-sleeved onesie + footsie for P300! Save P60! Sample sets:

- GREEN: http://cutieissa.multiply.com/photos/photo/9/22

- PINK: http://cutieissa.multiply.com/photos/photo/9/29

- WHITE: http://cutieissa.multiply.com/photos/photo/9/13

Reservations for 3 days only. HAGGLING IS ALLOWED, yes allowed! What fun is shopping when you can’t haggle right? ;-) But please be considerate when haggling, hehe! Thanks!

in the last stretch of my pregnancy

Top view of my belly in the third trimester ;-)

It's been more than six months since Labsie and I officially found out we were having a baby. From looking for maternity clothes, pregnancy pants and baby layette, to attending childbirth classes and touring hospitals -- we are now finally on the last stretch. Soon, we will see our firstborn.. ^_^ But even though time did not fly by that fast and I had plenty of time to think about being a mother, I'm still finding myself not quite ready for the motherhood thingy. Truth be told, having a kid is not among my life's goals. All I ever wanted were:

1. become a licensed medical doctor (done last 2008) and help people
2. travel around our country (mostly done), the world (err, 1% done! LOL) and go into outer space (this is NOT a joke!)
3. live normally and happily with my family and loved ones.

As you can see, even having a wedding and marriage were not on my list! But right now I can honestly tell you that I'm loving married life with Labsie so I'm really hoping I'll learn to love motherhood too. I just hope our baby Iya will be a good girl and won't give us headaches, hehe! ^_^ On a side note, exactly today, I'm on the 36th week of my pregnancy. Yep, we're on the 9th month already! In just a few days, I'll be giving birth (normal and easy delivery please!) and married life as Labsie and I know it will soon be over. SO HELP US GOD!

guess who's back?? :p

Heya guys! First and foremost, happy 2010 to all of you! I know it's nearly one month since I blogged here -- it's coz I was busy with our wedding, baby and make-money blogs! If you wanna know what I've been up to since late last year, click the blog post links below:

- BABY BLUES -

Six months pregnant!

Cloth versus disposable diapers

FOR BETTER OR WORSE..

DIY wedding wine labels

Destination wedding: Las Vegas!

Bride's emergency kit

My bestfriend's wedding! ^_^

QUICK BYTES!

What to buy for baby and the new mom

Haiti 7.0 earthquake =(

Saturday 9 meme!

Lamaze classes

check out our baby blog!

It's been up for quite awhile but it's only now that I'm starting to promote it as it has lots of content already =) And to start off, here are our first trimester posts! Well, actually, it's below the ultrasound photo (our first look of our sweet baby!). We're on the sixth month of pregnancy and so far, me + hubby + baby are doing great ^_^ Enjoy the posts!

Weeks 1 - 6: The First 6 Weeks

Week 7: August 2 - 9, 2009

Week 8: August 9 - 16, 2009

Week 9: August 16 - 23, 2009

Week 10: August 23 - 30, 2009

Week 11: August 03 - Sept 6, 2009

Week 12: September 6 - 13, 2009

Science Stuff: First Trimester Recap

50% done with the pregnancy! =)

Yep, I’m gestating for 20 weeks today and that means in another 20 weeks, we’ll finally meet our firstborn! How exciting is that?? My only problem is that our Baby Fund is still zero, i.e. no savings yet. This pregnancy of ours caught us by surprise and most of our savings in our first year of marriage went into our second honeymoon (babymoon) last October. The trip was already booked months before so we can’t cancel and save the money for our baby. So now, with 4 months before my due date, we’re gonna save money like crazy! Or like those ants preparing for the rainy day.. ;-)

Maternity & Baby Stuff Wishlist

Sleeper Keeper Total Body Comfort Pregnancy Pillow

Smart idea, sensational results: Take the concept of a pillow, stretch it to an elongated curve, contour it to provide the right kind of support where it is needed, and make it flexible so the user can shape it as necessary. Voila! This pillow does the work of 5 and is great for back and stomach support during pregnancy.

Designed by a registered nurse to follow the natural shape of your whole body

Horseshoe-shaped head section allows you to obtain comfortable upper body position and height

Extra-long midsection is perfect width for complete back or tummy support

The slightly curved end tucks snugly between knees as it conforms to body's shape, keeping you cool and comfortable

Allows you to shift from side to side as recommended by obstetricians

Cradles your body for recommended side sleeping

Helps keep your hips and spine in a neutral position

Promotes better circulation by lifting and cushioning areas you choose

Relieves strain on stomach, back, shoulders, neck, hips and legs while sleeping

After your delivery, it's a perfect support pillow for you and baby while breast-feeding; Also a great support for infants sitting up

100% polyester fiberfill covered with 100% cotton flannel in a plaid pattern

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Gabriel Feeding Pad Break-Away

The Gabriel Feeding Pad Break-Away is a 3-in-1 product for nursing, burping or bottle-feeding! The Nursing Veil has finger loopholes to hold veil in place while minimizing infant distractions in public feeding situations, and end flaps that lift for mom-to-baby eye contact. The pad flips over to burp baby on soft fabric or to allow baby to rest comfortably on lap or shoulder. The bottle-feeding feature holds a 2-9 oz. bottle of milk and frees one hand while feeding baby upright.

Nursing Veil (the large denim cloth on left side, second pic) Features:

Lift end flaps for mom-to-baby eye contact

Small opening to view baby while nursing

Lightweight fabric for maximum coverage and air circulation

Pocket for nursing pads, toy or teething ring

Minimizes infant distractions while feeding

Finger loopholes keep veil from shifting and sliding

Burping Pad Features:

Soft padded back (white cloth on above right, second pic) for burping or resting

Protective barrier to prevent fluid penetration

Bottle-feeding (birth to 6 months)

Free one hand while feeding baby

Holds a 2-9 oz. bottle (bottle not included)

Pocket for bottle cap

Holds pacifier or teething ring

Contoured neck for comfortable fit

baby-proof your home!

It will be six months before we’ll have a baby in our house and another 6 months before s/he will be actively wandering but it’s never too early to start baby-proofing our home! As per the usual, I searched online for tips about this and these are the easy to implement baby-proofing techniques that I found over at WebMD:

- Bedding: Put baby on his back to sleep; avoid soft bedding that might suffocate him. Crib slats should be 2-3/8 inches apart or less so head can’t get trapped.

- Floors: USE carpets to prevent slipping. Also check floors constantly for small objects that a baby might swallow like buttons and coins.

- Furniture: Cushion hard edges and sharp corners. If possible, move sharp-edged pieces away from high traffic areas. Anchor down unsteady pieces of furniture, such as bookcases.

- Bathroom: Never leave your child unattended in a bathtub or bath ring. Install no-slip strips on the bottom of the tub. Install lid locks on all toilets and keep the lid closed to prevent drowning and to keep the lid from slamming on your baby’s head or hands.

- Food: Avoid heating baby bottles in microwave ovens. The liquid heats unevenly, leaving pockets of milk potentially hot enough to scald your baby’s mouth.