Ching Turns 6 Months!

Our Ching celebrates her 6th month today!!!

Of course, there's always a cake for every month... And for this month, we got her a sumptuous blueberry cheesecake from Bizu.. =)

Venue for Ching's Party: CHECK!!!

For months, Leih and I have been on constant look-out for a prospective place where to hold my baby's first birthday, and just today, after visiting a few venues in Cavite, my husband and I came to a decision... My friend and business partner Aanne made the reservation in our behalf, at the exclusive Ballroom of Antel Grand Village... Since they own a parcel of lot in the area, they are given a considerable discount, not so big though but still, a discount is a discount. =)

The Ballroom is fully air-conditioned, with swags and a well-lighted interior, perfect for a birthday party in January. The last time we went there was after we attended a good friend's child's christening party and the place looked marvelous with all the balloons and catering set up... A little pricey though but upon weighing the advantages, I thought it would be best to choose a venue spacey enough to accommodate a hundred guests. And of course, we wanted a cool & somewhat enclosed area to rid ourselves a lot of worries.

I was even hesitant to book it at first, thinking of how much it would cost us. But then, there aren't enough venues good enough to choose from, with costs being considered as well. Hence, we decided on Antel.

We already have a caterer who would take care of the food and set up, a balloon designer, a cake maker, and a party host which I called up months ago. A few more things and we're all set.

Now, on who brings out the budget, I'm leaving it all to the celebrant's dad. (^_^) Heaven help Him....

(photos courtesy of Ms. Bernadette Arbolante)

Girls Will Always Be Girls...

Lately, I grew a fondness to surfing the net for online shops specifically catering to Baby's clothes, etc. This is where I stumbled upon this online selling site of baby shoes which they order straight from the States ~ all directly outsourced from factories, explaining it's lower costs compared to those at the stores.


The moment I started viewing her products, I was smitten and I couldn't seem to stop choosing what I though would be nice on my baby's feet. It was an exciting hobby I fear I'm getting drawn to these days... As soon as I finished summing up all my orders, I hurriedly settled the payment thru the bank; hence, I then started counting the days when I'll be getting the new shoes...

Today, the shipment arrived at work. All of them... And just as I am staring at all these shoes sprawled on our table, I realized: I have an Imeldific baby in the making... Awesome.. =)

Leih's First Father's Day Celebration

Today is a special day for the first-time Dad... And since it's his first to celebrate Father's Day, I planned something special for the three of us...




We dropped by Makati Medical Center for Ching's monthly check up, then headed to L 'Entrecote at Burgos Circle for a special steak lunch afterwards... It was our first time to check the place and we liked the ambiance at Burgos Circle...



For lunch, we tried the resto's famed " US Choice Angus Steak topped with their secret herb butter sauce" after finishing a delicious serving of Mixed Greens with Walnuts... The steak was okay though I am not a fan of herb-tasting dishes, but what tickled my palate the most was the Meringue with Vanilla and Strawberry Ice Cream I had for dessert... Leih opted to have the Flaming Baked Alaska instead. =)

We had a cozy late lunch while Chingching was fast asleep on her stroller... It was a simple Father's Day celebration but a very memorable one.. =)

Ching's 5th...

Ching just turned 5 months today!

Yay!!!!

Mom Gets Vaccinated...

I saw my doctor this morning and had myself vaccinated for DPT. At last, I am now thru with all the immunizations.

Before I got married, I completed my HPV Anti-Cervical Cancer Vaccine, but unfortunately, I couldn't get the DPT immunization next coz we were planning to have a baby after 5 months, and from what I've read, there are certain vaccines that need an extra time allowance before the mom decides to conceive, or else, there would be unlikely side effects with the baby. I wouldn't risk that so I chose to get vaccinated after I had Ching.

My arm is still throbbing from the shot... As they say, no pain, no gain. =) I hope this will get better tomorrow....

New Mom Celebrates Mother's Day

First time for a new mom to celebrate Mother's Day.

Today, Mommy & I were treated to a fancy steak dinner at Fire Lake Grill in Tagaytay City by my husband, Leih. We left home at around 5pm, not knowing where Leih was taking us. I then learned that he made reservations a few weeks before today, together with 2 beautiful bouquets of flowers, one for me and one for Mommy...

'twas my first time at Fire Lake and I loved the food. We had fresh salad of assorted greens with raspberry vinaigrette, I had penne pasta with philly cheese steak, broccoli & cream cheese sauce. Mommy enjoyed her grilled Norweigan salmon fillet with butter-glazed vegetables, warm couscous salad & Dalandan butter sauce, while Leih enjoyed his pepper-rubbed rib-eye steak with duck liver butter & mashed potato. What I loved most was the dessert.... It was a heavenly serving of pineapple carpaccio with Malibu rum and pink peppercorn, candied citrus peel and coconut ice cream in a brandy snap basket. Leih, being such a choco addict, opted for the flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter-white chocolate filling and fresh fruit compote. Just writing down all these makes my stomach growl again. (LOL)

We brought the baby with us and as we enjoyed our dinner, she slept soundly in her carrier/stroller. After dinner, we headed to Starbucks for a quick coffee fix before going home... If we didn't have a baby with us, we would have stayed a bit longer, but we all needed a good night's sleep so we decided to head home early...

The cold climate in Tagaytay was definitely a breath of fresh air for us, I was even considering getting a hotel room for us if not only for our 2 dogs left at home... Maybe next time. =)

It had been a great first Mother's Day for me, definitely....

Birthday Venue Look-Out

I have been on constant look out for a prospective place where to hold my baby's first birthday since I first decided on her party's theme. Today, I learned about this beautiful place inside the Cavite area which is recently being rented for big events such as weddings and debuts. It has a big pool beside the well-landscaped garden and a castle-like hall complete with airconditioning.

The only downside is, it would be a little far from our place and I doubt if all our friends could drop by considering it's a 30-minute drive from Tanza. Oh well, it's just one choice we have on our list, the first, that is... We still have a few more months to decide on the place. I have another one in mind, an exclusive clubhouse in a posh village nearby which my good friend, Atty. Grace suggested. There is another village with a posh ballroom venue which my friend and business partner Anne, could readily sponsor for me...

Visiting the two clubhouses is next on my agenda. =) Updates will be made as soon as we decide on the place. =)

The Royal Wedding..

The original plan was to go to Tagaytay for an early steak dinner at Firelake, but since the Royal Wedding will be shown on Lifestyle Network, I decided to forego our long-planned out date and chose to just watch Prince William & Kate Middleton tie the knot before millions of people worldwide...

It was like a dream come true, a fantasy we only read in books. A beautiful royal wedding which happens very seldom, but I was lucky enough to watch as it unfolded. (Thank God for cable) As Chingching happily chewed on her chubby fingers while Leih carried her , Mommy & I enjoyed some fastfood take out as we watched detail by detail how the wedding went by. I couldn't help but reminisce our 2009 fairytale-themed wedding and how carefully I picked out every detail to make it have that "royal" feel. I was happy to see that Kate's gown was as conservative as that of mine, with long sleeves made of lace, a beautiful diamond tiara and a long train to match it with.

I may have to make another schedule for the postponed steak dinner date with Leih. But truly, the wedding was worth a missed meal. =)

Online Shopping ~ A Hobby..

I got a new batch of shoes coming for Chingching. I asked Leih's cousin, Evan, to get me 3 pairs of shoes from Macy's which I chanced upon online, together with the 3-in-1 Avent Breastpump I ordered. Lately, I've been experiencing some pain on my wrist ~ a possible sign that my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was recurring, due to constant pressure brought about by my breastpump.

I will be getting the goods in May when they get back from the States. I can hardly wait. =)

Nikki's 4th Month....

Chingching is officially 4 months old today!!!! Thank You Jesus...

She was scheduled for another check up with the doctor. And since we're going to Manila, Leih and I decided to make this a "family day" for us three. If you'll notice, I made Leih wear blue just like me and Chingching.

My daughter had been very brave with the vaccine, she didn't even cry after the doctor administered the vial. I couldn't be any prouder... Looks to me like I have one toughie in my hands...

After seeing Dr. Pamela Caedo, we went to grab a quick brunch at Contis - Greenbelt 2 and proceeded to Mothercare at Greenbelt 5 to get her a few clothes & shoes. Then off we headed to Mall of Asia for a late Thai lunch. The food was okay, nothing exceptional though but good enough for a first timer like me. =)

Before going home, we got her a Coffee Crunch cake from Red Ribbon, for her 4th month. (",)

Ever since we had Ching, shopping has always been about her. We barely got ourselves a few pieces. Not that I'm complaining. I just couldn't seem to resist the beautiful dresses I see. Being a new mother, I feel excited to dress up my little doll and take pictures of her whenever I get the chance.

This has been a great day. My little one's health is absolutely impeccable. I have nothing else to complain about. =)

Happy Third Month, Ching!!!!

Chingching is officially 3 months old today!!!! Thank You Jesus...

She was scheduled for another check up & DPT vaccine with the doctor. We left the house at around 9 in the morning and arrived at Makati Med just in time before lunch. Good thing Dra. Caedo was still at the clinic when we got there.

I decided to wear something casual since it was too much humid outside. I chose a black hugging shirt and my old jeans and to my amazement, I realized I lost a lot of weight three months after I gave birth to my daughter. I was more than happy to snap a picture of myself through the mirror as I finished dressing up. Yay for Mom's weight loss!!!!

Chingching gained a kilo and a few cms in height. The best news every month we always hope to hear... Before we went home, we dropped by Mall of Asia to get Ching a box of chocolate slathered cinnamon rolls from CINNABON. We put a number 3 candle on it which we lighted at home.

Till our next check up, little one.. =)

A Gastronomic Thai Adventure...

Today, Leih & I decided to wander off and eat something different for a change.. I am not a fan of Thai cuisine but Leih insisted that I try it just this once so off we went to this Thai Restaurant in Mall of Asia (forgot the name) to recharge for a whole afternoon of walking and shopping...

For starters, we had a plate of appetizer of Fresh & Fried Vegetable Lumpia & Shrimp Cakes.. And I must say, I looooved the shrimp cakes. It was delicious and very fresh on the palate... I could order a handful at any time of the day..



We also ordered a serving of Pineapple Fried Rice with Curry. First time to taste it with curry... Not much on my fave list but it wasn't that bad, really...


I loved the Crispy Pork & Beef on a bed of crispy cucumber salad and veggies.. More like the filipino version of Lechon Kawali...


And last but not the least, Leih's Thai adventure wouldn't be complete without his Chicken & Beef Satay, though I have no idea what it tasted. =)


All in all, our gastronomic Thai adventure went well. Enough to make us come back next time.. =)

Delicious Menudo Breakfast Rice ala Ayha

Leih is scheduled for a 5-day training at RWM so for a week, I will be up so early in the morning to fix him a good breakfast and prepare things for the baby before I leave for work myself.

Today, I prepared Menudo Rice for Leih. It was piping hot when I took it out of the pan. First, I thawed the menudo I bought yesterday and fried it altogether with the rice from last night. I then added a clove of minced garlic, some finely chopped leaks and I'm done. Paired with a banana and a simmering hot of freshly brewed coffee, Leih was so full when he left the table.

I felt good knowing he loved my breakfast... Gotta think of a new menu for tomorrow though. =)

Ching's Baby Bather...

This morning, I took out Ching's Baby Bather out of the box and for the first time, we bathed her using it... The baby bather was a gift from Mommy which we bought when I was still 6 months pregnant. It looked similar to a baby carrier, with pink flower designs and a headrest pillow to provide more comfort for the baby... Mommy excitedly watched and snapped pictures as I started shampooing our baby's hair, soaping her chubby body, rinsing her carefully until she was spic and span all over...

Bathing Chingching is so much fun for us, we're actually looking forward to this everyday.. This I will never get tired of doing. =)

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Today was Daddy's scheduled flight back to Saudi Arabia. He'll be gone for another six months and will be back by October or November.

Before he left, we took some pictures of him with Chingching and though he was apprehensive at first, he mustered enough courage to carry the fragile sweet pea in his arms for a good picture.

I'm sure Chingching's gonna miss my Dad just as much as we will miss him...

Have a safe flight, Dad.. We love you very much..

Breast Milk To Share...

I have just finished expressing  milk for Chingching, the last one for this day. I barely have enough space for all my expressed breastmilk that I think we need to get a new freezer.

Good thing I have someone to share my milk with. A co N@wie of mine referred her friend to me who badly needs breastmilk for her 6-week-old baby. I was more than willing to give her 20 bags of frozen breastmilk which she will be fetching tomorrow at a grocery nearby. I had been asking 3 hospitals in Cavite if they happen to accept breastmilk donations but it seemed that only a few public hospitals in Manila practice this. If only I were near the city, emptying my freezer wouldn't be such a problem.

It feels good to know that I'll be able to give another baby some nutrition... I'm more than happy to help... =)

Mom Goes Back To Work...

Maternity leave is officially over... Today is my first day at work after being on leave for more than two months since I had Chingching.

I woke up at 4 in the morning with a somehow heavy heart. I realized it'll be a first for me to leave Ching the whole day. I instantly fell sad. All I could do was stare at my baby's lovely face as she slept soundly. I went back to bed hugging her in my arms. I was silently wishing time would stop.


At 6:00 in the morning, I got up and started to prepare all of her things for the day ~ her bather, her clothes, the feeding bottles, everything... I hurriedly showered and fixed myself then waited for her to wake up so I could feed her and bathe her afterwards. She seemed to know I was leaving today as she looked intently at me when I dressed her up...

Upon arriving at work, I would admit feeling very tired already. All I wished for was enough sleep to last me the whole day, the weariness didn't help either. And just as work started for me, I suddenly missed my baby, I couldn't wait until lunchtime when I can get back home to see her even just for an hour..

Indeed, being a working mother is very hard... Good thing, I have my mom with me to watch after my daughter, at least I know she's in good hands... Besides, I am just a few minutes away from home, maybe it's not that bad after all....

A Happy Family Reunion

My little one turns two months old today!!! and what a greater way to celebrate this day by going over my grandmother's place in Bulacan to visit the family and have a small get together..

As soon as we arrived at my aunt's place in Malolos, the whole family was ecstatic upon seeing me with the baby. The day was so vibrant and the house was filled with laughter, obviously overjoyed as we were all able to bond together with my Dad who happens to visit his hometown very seldom in a year. My aunts happily slaved themselves in the kitchen to whip us some delicious home-cooked specialties in celebration of Chingching's 2nd month.

By 2pm, I was more than full I could hardly move. I had the chance to rest and eat to my heart's content as my other aunt, Ninang Naty, willingly took charge of taking care of Chingching. My other cousins arrived and the house was filled with happy noise that lasted for more than a few hours more... Just before we left for Cavite, we had our yearly family picture taken at the beautifully renovated garden of my aunt.

Today had been such a great day.. A first for Chingching to travel to Bulacan, and a first for her to officially be in the Ocampo family reunion... Looking forward to more reunions to come.. =)

Mommy & Baby's Doctor Meet Up

I saw my ob-gyne, Dr. Arlene Bravo, this morning and had myself vaccinated for DPT. I scheduled it together with Chingching's monthly check up with Dr. Pamela Caedo at Makati Med. So far, everything went well and the results of my pap smear yielded a good result.

It was a good excuse for a family day and so, after our check up, we went straight to Greenbelt 5 to browse over the new goods at Mothercare and headed out to Via Mare for a hearty lunch afterwards.

I got Chingching some new dresses, a few pieces bigger than her present frame which she could use in the next few months and two headpieces to match it with. I also got myself two long-sleeved blouses to add to my post-pregnancy wardrobe.

As I am writing this, I can feel my arm throbbing due to the DPT shot I had... Hopefully tonight, I get a good night's sleep...

Grandpa Meets Sleeping Beauty

Today, my Dad met his first grandchild for the first time.

Chingching was still fast asleep when we left for the airport to fetch my Dad. It was almost 12 in the afternoon when we got to NAIA, just in time when Dad came out.

I could feel how excited he was when he first had his glimpse of our sleeping beauty... He was seated beside the driver's seat as we were at the back while the baby was on her car seat, strapped safely, still undisturbed from her deep slumber...

Daddy was obviously terrified to carry her since her small frame seemed so delicate. The Grandpa then just satisfied himself by staring at his "apo" the whole afternoon. He asked if we could let Chingching sleep on the sleeper which we placed on their bed at the master's bedroom so they could bond a little more..

It was a heartwarming sight just looking at how taken my mom and dad were with my daughter... My little one is truly a huge blessing to our family....

Tangled Theme For 2012

It was my first time to see the movie Tangled. Guess what,  I fell instantly in love with it. Leih managed to download the movie from Isohunt since I failed to see this on the big screen. These days, I hardly have any time to go to the movies because I have a baby to watch after..

I fell in love with the soundtrack "I See The Light" by Mandy Moore, and the part where the fire lanterns were all set out in remembrance of Rapunzel's birthday... It was magnificently beautiful... It gave me an idea on what theme I wanted for my Chingching's first birthday party next year... I'll be having a "Tangled" birthday party... It has already been decided. =)

Ideas are starting to pour in... This is going to be a big busy one.. =) I am more than thrilled just thinking about it... =)

Francesca Dominique's Christening..

The original plan was to wait for the grandfather (my  Dad)  before we have Chingching baptized but since I wanted to have everything done before I get back to work, we decided to make the christening 2 weeks in advance,  since my little girl turned one month.


Leih and I decided on the list of godfathers & godmothers even before our baby was born. We made sure we chose the closest friends & family, people whom Chingching could look up to as second parents.

our little angel fast asleep...

Planning this event had been a tough challenge especially since my child is solely dependent on my  milk supply... Organizing the ceremony itself was a breeze. I had all the documents prepared a few weeks after we left the hospital. Arranging the  details of  the celebration that followed next was a different story however..
 

Since I rarely had the chance to go out and scout for suppliers,  I did everything online. Being an events planner has honed me to execute events even in the middle of pressure.. Who would ever think that I started my planning while we were in the hospital when Chingching got admitted for phototherapy, three weeks after she was born. I secured a deal with the venue after we confirmed the schedule with the church and the balloon designer, then, dropped the downpayment as soon as we got home from the hospital two days after.

My  theme for the party was something close to my heart.. I chose Hello Kitty, something that my little one would have wanted if she were old enough to choose... It was inspired by the sleeping Hello Kitty she has on her crib...

The main entrance to the Grand Comedor..

the venue from inside...

 Given the theme, ideas started pouring in. I coordinated with my good friend Bernadette  and explained to her what set-up I had in mind. I had my full trust in her, knowing her to be very artistic with balloons and designing. My mind was set, she was making Chingching's Hello Kitty Balloons. This is probably one of the best things I decided early on with the planning. I got what I wanted, and I loved it.. Hence, the pictures...

Of course, the cake had to be special.. In between feedings & Leihson's day off, I scouted for cake designs with my good friend, Aann Dela Cruz (of the Wedding Village) but found nothing that tickled my fancy. The cake was one of the highlights of the event and I couldn't just pick any other cake... It had to be "the one"....

 I then called up Ms. Charina Sunio of Sugar Artist and decided to give her the hand in designing what she thought would turn out perfectly suitable for our Hello Kitty theme... Yesterday, Leih picked up our beautiful Hello Kitty cake at Mall Of Asia, the design was amazingly beautiful, ~ Hello Kitty lying down on her princess bed... Something I would never have thought of, Ms. Charina is indeed a great Sugar Artist...

The cupcakes were another story... Chingching's godmother, Aaan Dela Cruz, who also happens to be my coordinating partner, offered to shoulder the cupcakes as her gift to my little one, and guess where she ordered it from, FROSTINGS.... I couldn't be any happier... Aann, despite her limping foot, went all the way to Mall of Asia to place the order and got us a 5-tier cake tower for the double dutch & chocolate cupcakes whose designs I was able to choose freely... Just looking at this picture is enough to  make me salivate, literally... They were all gone by the end of the reception, selling like hotcakes...

Of course, there had to be give-aways.. Being a n@wie myself, I had my own list of suppliers for these kinds of things.. Upon browsing the net, I chanced upon these very cute giveaways from a fellow n@wie sister, Rhea.. I placed the order for 100 pieces of booties and flip-flops and chose to do the stuffing and packing myself.
                                                          We picked them up on the very day Ching had to go back to Makati Med for her monthly check up. The stuffing of chocolates though proved a little tedious as I had to squeeze in doing this in between nursing my fussy baby.

Thankfully, I finished all 100. I personally did the table set up this morning, surrounding the Hello Kitty Bed Cake with all these creatively-done paper booties... It turned out absolutely lovely... Same goes for the intricate pastillas wrappers which bore Chingching's name on it, specially done by my grandmother, Nanay Luz. She wrapped original pastillas de leche candies with it and it was an instant hit.


             For the pictures, a good friend recommended Mr. Roy Salud to do the honor of capturing Chingching's special day... When I checked his albums, both Leih and I liked his shots instantly, not to mention, this guy was very easy to talk to, young yet very skilled and has a keen eye for details.. And yes, it was Roy Salud who became the official photographer of our little one, him and his beautiful girlfriend Amber... (wink) He will also be the one to do Chingching's portraits on Thursday, another thing to look forward to this week.


Everything was all set for Francesca's big day. Luckily, I was able to chance upon the smallest dress at TwiLo after almost giving up hope of finding one that would suit my girl's very petite frame and it fit her nicely. She had to change into something more comfortable at the reception so I altered the straps of her Hello Kitty dress.

All throughout the ceremony, my little girl was asleep. She would wake up from time to time but Francesca behaved very well today. Almost all the godmothers and god fathers were present, save for some who were indisposed due to unavoidable circumstances, but just as much, everything went on perfectly.

I will be posting pictures as soon as the official photos are out, courtesy of Roy Salud.

Happy 1st Month Sweetheart!!!

It's Chingching's first month today...

Mommy is excited. today is the second time we'll be taking her out of the house. First itinerary was the hospital (Makati Medical Center) where we'll be visiting her beautiful pedia, Dra. Pamela Caedo, for her monthly check up and second immunization.

So far, the results yielded good news. We were able to get her newborn screening results and they all turned out negative. (Thank God). And the doctor confirmed that she has gained more than a kilo since she last saw Chingching. Everything went great with the check up, she got her second shot of Hepa-B vaccine. (Oh, and did I mention she wailed for a minute or two after that painful injection)

Afterwards, we met my N@Wie sister Rhea's husband at the lobby where we fetched the 2 boxes of souvenirs I ordered for Sunday. I felt excited to see the beautifully crafted give-aways. Only, I need to buy more candies, I think.

We went to Mall of Asia afterwards, hoping to find a nice dress that would fit her very small frame. I was almost losing hope when we chanced upon this very small dress from Twilo, the only one left, good Lord. Thankfully, we got the last piece. We then had our quick lunch & off we went to get my little girl two boxes of assorted delicious Frostings cupcakes and a mini fruit cheesecake from Bizu since it's her first month b'day... And just before we headed to the parking lot, I was able to grab for myself a Belle de Jour Planner, something I was supposed to get early January. =)

Chingching's Frostings Cupcakes.. Happy 1st Month Baby~~

Today had been a busy one for us, but indeed A-okay. =)