Travel through words, photos, and music.
Lola Mila loves you!
Lolo Frankie loves you!
Nonna loves you!
Tita playmate loves you!
Mommy and Daddy love you!
To the charming, smart, little girl who drives our everyday life crazy but fun, who’s addicted to Hello Kiity, Elmo, and iPad Photobooth, happy birthday!
We pray for your good health, safety, and happiness as you journey through life. Mommy and Daddy are here for you, always and in all ways.
Gott segne dich, mein Schatz!
Mommy and Daddy 🙂
Thanks to TVCs, this has been my daughter’s current favorite.
She then rushes towards me and kisses and hugs me, saying the very same lines:
Thank you, Mom, for believing in me.
And I wish to say the same to my own mother.
I have to thank her so very much for being there for my family every time we needed someone to lean on. She and my sister, actually. They have been very supportive of us and whatever we’ve been doing, and we trust them to take care of our little one when my husband and I can’t. Thank God for mothers!
Happy Birthday, Mommy!
;
;
~ Touringkitty
I first knew Ate Rina in college. As a voice freshman, and a clueless one at that, I look up to the soprano voice majors at that time. She was a diligent one, that’s why we look up to her. Her being friendly also endeared her to many. She used to sing with the Ateneo College Glee Club before she focused on being a solo performer.
Fast forward to today, she has blossomed into one of the good young Filipino sopranos. She’s been active in performing ever since college, and was fortunate to study abroad to home to further hone her craft.
She has performed before at the CCP but not in a solo engagement. She returns to the CCP stage next Wednesday, August 29, 7:30PM at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino for her Recital Debut. Assisting her on the piano is one of the best accompanist, my piano teacher in college and a Principal Sponsor for our wedding, Augusto Espino.
Full Press Release is on this site:Â http://culturalcenter.gov.ph/page.php?page_id=596
She will also give a Voice Masterclass on Thursday August 30, Saturday September 1 and Tuesday September 4. There are still slots available for August 30 and the 31st will open if we fill up the 30th. So sign up now! Or come as an observer. It will be really interesting to watch how she will work with the budding singers of today.
Ya, I know. I remained a chorister but still an opera singer by heart.
~ Touringkitty
Well, technically, there won’t be a party unlike last year’s McDonald’s birthday bash, which she truly enjoyed. But I figured, I can still give her a simple party at home.
So this weekend (and hope this colds don’t progress), I will attempt to DIY party decorations at home, put up the same tarpaulin we used last year (good thing I didn’t put any number or date, so we can use it like forever!), and cook Aria’s favorite foods – pansit (which she calls spaghetti), dory fish (which she sooo loves), cookies, and have a special cake made for her. I’ll set the party on the next holiday before her birthday.
I’m set on doing Hello Kitty as theme. The kid adores the cat, haha. So time to order cupcakes from my cousin who prepared the cupcake decorating activity last year. She did Hello Kitty toppers before so this one’s easy peasy for her.
Now should I invite her playground friends? I think so. But this has to be discussed with the husband.
It will be a simple party for the little girl. Something to celebrate two years of her life in this crazy world. It has been fun so far. And we can’t wait for more adventures to come her way.
~ Touringkitty
Wow. It has been ten years, Papa. We still miss you.
Eulogy for Papa Mario
Papa’s Necrological Service
August 10, 2002
In behalf of my mom Luz, and my sister, Myk, we want to thank from the bottom of our hearts, all those people who were there during my father’s stay here on earth.
Who was Mario Mendoza Macanaya when he was still alive?
As a son to his good mother, Enriqueta, he was very close to her to the point he became a spoiled brat.
As a brother, the youngest in a brood of 9, he was always affectionate and would always want to get the attention of everyone else.
As a friend, he was giving and had good public relations, sales and marketing skills. He was named “Don Mar” because of his being very open to other people.
As a father and husband, he was a good father to two children and husband to my mom. But there were events in life we all didn’t wish to happen, that brought tears, sufferings and pains.
Upon his death, on the day of his 47th birthday, the joys, pains, happy and sorrowful events that he would have experienced in this world has ended.
At this point, in behalf of our father, I, my sister, and my mom, would like to ask forgiveness from the people whom he had unintentionally done wrong. We hope and pray that you would forgive him and let us all pray for his soul. Also, I hope that my father has forgiven the shortcomings of other people to him.
We also would like to thank those who helped and extended their sympathy. To my dearest titos/titas/cousins, please do not shut your door on the three of us that my father’s passing will make us closer to you more than ever.
Dear God, thank you for giving us Papa Mario.
To Papa, thank you for all those memories. You know that we’ll always love you, the three of us, I know this is God’s will and I know that you’re happy and blessed, more blessed than any of us here on earth. I hope you’ll always watch over us. I’m glad now that you are at rest in God’s loving arms.
Papa, we’ll always love you, forever you’ll be in our hearts and minds – promise.
For the past month, I have totally given up pumping milk for Aria. Not even an ounce of breastmilk can be found in my fridge. I have donated all the frozen milk left as well.
No, I have not yet given up breastfeeding yet. I just dropped the twice daily pump I’ve been religiously doing for the past year and a half. Luckily for me and for Aria that I can go home for lunch to have her nurse. And when she’s asleep, that’s the only time I pump, which has not happened for the past month.
Aria gets to enjoy all the breast milk she wants when we’re together. And when we’re not, she takes fresh milk, and all the yummy food she sees. She’s a happy eater, knowing what to appreciate, what not to eat (she isn’t a fan of chocolates and sodas, even sweet juices, thankfully!), but she so loves yogurt, eggs, bread, fresh fruits like apples, bananas, papaya, veggies, chicken. She drinks a lot of water, as well as yogurt drinks and fresh milk in brick packs.
She isn’t showing any signs of weaning, though. She stays as much on my breast as she can. And has now added some more tricks while breastfeeding. More on that on another post.
But I’m prepared to pump, still, if ever we’ll be separated for more than seven hours. That was my limit back then, and am still setting the same limit if it happens. There were days that she wasn’t able to nurse at all for 12 hours because of work, but I make sure of my schedule ahead of time so I could leave her some while I’m away.
I was supposed to pack away completely my pump kit, but decided not to, maybe for another year. It’s just on standby on a plastic box if ever the need to use it arises.
Who helped me in pumping? My Pigeon Manual Breast Pump, which was a gift from my husband’s officemates for my baby shower two years ago. It was the most used item on my newborn essentials, I must say.
I borrowed a Medela single electric pump from a friend, but found the manual more effective in draining my breast. More hard work but better performance. Besides, the electric pump is noisy and I can’t use it when Aria’s sleeping.Â
So here’s a tribute to my dear pump, who has served me long and well. I know I’ll use you again, like tomorrow, when I have to stay longer at work, have planned to pump and have the milk picked up for dear daughter.
Â
~ Touringkitty
Carousels are what I mean, silly minds!
Aria shrieks every time she sees carousels. Simple joys for a simple kulit kid like ours. Let the pictures take you to the carousels she has experienced so far:
This is where she first rode the carousel before she turned a year old, with her Dad. Undocumented, because they were alone at that time.
I had another picture, taken at Rockwell, but have to find it first.
And when she quite misses it, she does this at home:
It’s her Dad, by the way, forced by Aria to face down so she could ride the “tigig-tigig” and go up and down!
It’s more fun with Aria at our Schatzihaus. She has indeed become the light of this 29 sqm condo unit and of our lives as well.
~ Touringkitty
She’s 19 months!
And we’re still nursing. Amazing!
Dear daughter, Mommy and Daddy love you always.
~ Touringkitty
No, we’re not pregnant! But it just dawned me that I could have done a lot better with my first pregnancy and the first few months postnatal. I realized I could have traveled more, accomplished more. I could have even avoided postpartum depression which lasted many months!
Anyway, I just wished I was able to do the following with number one early on:
1. I can travel with baby in tow. And it’s much easier if she’s still a baby! Mobility will be your worst enemy I tell ya. I have not gone for a long trip lately only because my baby is malikot.
2. I will still breastfeed and never make it a hindrance to working, meeting friends, serving the church, and doing so much more. Not that I’m that lakwatsera, but I will act normal because breastfeeding is normal! The modern generation makes this impression that breastfeeding is a big challenge and that formula is the norm. Not true!
3. And in line with number two, I’ll master babywearing! Started this too late, and this could have saved my hands from De Quervain’s syndrome. And with babywearing, I can do anything!
4. Cupfeed! So I could have transitioned easily from breast to cup and skip bottle. Occasionally my daughter drinks from the bottle and I do hope we could skip it altogether soon.
5. I will still not use pacifier like I did with my daughter. This is to avoid nipple confusion.
6. I will go for baby-led weaning. Weaning means transition to solid foods. We were so afraid to give my daughter foods so we delayed weaning to seven months or even later. It’s usually common for second children to go for BLW mainly because the first-time parent is testing waters for her firstborn.
7. Will still co-sleep because it’s much easier for the family. Fathers usually benefit from this a lot because they sleep longer. Ask my husband!
8. Will never panic about spit-ups! It has unnecessarily sent us twice to the emergency room. Spit-ups are usual.
9. Will act normal. I realize the family was filled with so much panic, confusion, doubts that we all went frantic instead of happy that we have a baby at home. And will not believe pamahiins or voodoos still.
10. Shower our baby lots of love. That’s what they need. We don’t spoil newborns for carrying them the whole time. They bond with you more when you do it.
How about you moms, did you change anything with your parenting styles when number two came?
~ Touringkitty
“Me, Ah–nee!”
In baby talk, it means “My name is Ariadne!”
And that little girl who only says “ungeee” and eeewww” and “owww” when she was barely two months now says a mouthful and more!
Yes. Our baby is now a toddler. 18 months. And we’re oh so happy and proud!
We’re still breastfeeding (yay!) and I’ve been juggling mommy duties and full-time work for almost two months already.
I have the kindest boss and workmates. I can go home for lunch and still pump milk and cuddle with the little one if she’s awake. And I work for four days a week only, so I got three days of weekend (except when concerts and projects are on weekends, though).
Just this week, two articles from Yahoo came out with a checklist on words a toddler should know. I tried listing down what Aria already knows at 18 months and here’s what we’ve got:
FAMILY
1. Mommy/Mama
2. Daddy/Papa
3. Nonna (for her Lola, my mom)
4. Tita (my sister)
5. Ate (our helper, and any other older girl she sees)
6. Ya/Kuya (any older boy she sees; before she can say this, she calls everyone Ate)
7. Lolo/Lola (my husband’s parents)
PARTS OF THE BODY
8. Eyes
9. Nose (she says it “Nos!”)
10. Ear
11. Hair
12. Chin
13. Lips
14. Teeth
15. Fingers
16. Hands
17. Toes
18. Bi-bu (belly button)
19. Dede (Mommy’s! When she wants milk she just pulls my shirt!)
20. Dodo (yes, that of Daddy’s!)
21. Feet
22. Knee (but she says Me!)
23. Elbow (and she says Elmo!)
FOOD
24. Apple (all fruits are apple to her eyes! I’m amazed because she knows the difference between fruits and vegetables)
25. Puffs (her favorite snack – Happy Baby Puffs! Get yours from Ygo’s Organics–they’re cheaper than the ones in Healthy Options)
26. Mamam (water)
27. Milk
28. Eat (or namnam)
29. Elmo (the character of when she wants the cookies)
OTHER WORDS
30. Kitty (Hello Kitty)
31. Jollibee
32. Hello (hawo!)
33. Babay!
34. Elmo
35. Bi-bo (Big Bird)
36. Baby Einstein
37. Car
38. Boat
38. Dog (she says Dug!)
39. Shoes
40. Socks
41. TV
42. Coming
43. Down/Sit down
44. Up
45. Sleep (with handsign)
46. More (with handsign)
47. Done (with handsign)
48. Watch
49. Ball
50. Inside
51. Jump
52. Slide (yes, Temple Run!)
53. Amen! (yes we pray, she tries to recite Angel of God and our morning prayer)
54. Play
55. You
56. Me
57. How
58. Sun
59. Star
60. Now
61. House
62. Toothbrush
63. Open
64. Close
She surprised us recently by reciting 1-10 and the alphabet! Complete with “Now I know my ABCs!” She sings the Do-Re-Mi and sings almost everything and on the right pitch. She memorized TV commercials, much like I did when I was four. And she anticipates, so much! She even mimics us, her parents, when we sing opera. She also sang Happy Birthday Aria last night as it was her 18th month birthday.
Warning: this is not a guide to measure your own children’s verbal ability. Unlike the Yahoo articles I mentioned which they say toddlers MUST know, these words are what my daughter knows, without sticking on the standards that they say. I saw JUICE in both articles, and since Aria hasn’t had juice yet, she doesn’t know the word. She’s eating the real fruit anyway!
I was also stressed when at one point I felt Aria was way behind her peers her age. Especially in walking. She’s quite delayed actually because we can’t still let go of her hand knowing how likot she is!
Different children have different learning curves and styles. It really depends on your child how he or she absorbs what you teach.
What I noticed is by repetition, Aria easily remembers things, even if she heard it long ago and maybe only once or twice. She retains information long-term that way. Her attention span is that of a goldfish and since she’s the explorative one, she wants to discover so much at one time, like playing her xylophone while driving her car. Pretty preoccupied I know. But that’s how she learns and that’s how we teach her.
And now that she officially turned into a toddler, more challenges await her. And us. We can’t wait.
How about you, moms, what are the challenges in teaching your toddler?
~ Touringkitty