Two in a Row

Maurice Al's Alshalani Marice - named after President Noynoy's former sweetheart.

Babies give us the most precious feeling, a feeling that is incomparable. 

Last year, a new member of the family arrived. It's a baby girl! (i'm referring to my brother in law's first child). All of us were so excited to see her. Although all newborns look exactly the same - with big heads, no neck and short upper and lower limbs...(bearing the likeness of ET!) yet they give us an unusual feeling of excitement.

 Shan in her Baptismal dress
Her christening was held at the Veterans Memorial Medical Chapel on November 21, 2010

 Baby Shan with her parents Mau and Mabel

 Meet our Baby Shan! 

 She is lucky to have such loving parents, who are both nurses. She will surely be nursed and embraced by their constant love, caring and attention that sometimes may be overacting. :D

 Her mum is an expert when it comes to newborn care.

Rock-a-bye, babyIn the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all

Baby is drowsing
Cosy and fair
Mother sits near
In her rocking chair
Forward and back
The cradle she swings
And though baby sleeps
He hears what she sings


OUR 2011 FIRST BIGGEST BLESSING

 Baby Boy Liam Nathan de Belen - de los Santos

 After the fun and excitement brought about by 2010 holiday season, comes another reason to be excited. It is the arrival of the second baby in our family. Aren't we so lucky to have two babies in a row? We are living large!

 We welcome a brand new little baby boy!

Boys are found everywhere -- on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. - Allan Marshall beck

  

My sister Richelle sounded so happy during our last conversation. "Ganito pala ang feeling"sabi nya. "Ang saya!"

  She's confident enough to render Baby Liam's first bath, nappy-changing should not be a problem to her either. If there's one thing she is worried about, it's probably regarding breastfeeding. As a sister who undergone all these, i just gave her a reassurance. Perhaps, i should have also advised her to practise and persevere until she get it right.

Liam's parents Richelle and Mentzer

               and before Liam there seemed to be yet another beautiful story...

 

And here comes the Sun

It was also in 1999 when i delivered our first and only child.(Ask me about the gap between my marriage and childbirth, it's another different story. I can make a separate blog for it.) :D It was so unexpected, though if i remember correctly, i was at 38 weeks gestation. My bag of water suddenly ruptured as we were about to sleep. I felt the rapid gush of water flowing towards my thighs.   (I thought, I wasn't able to control my bladder...just a jest! of course you would know the difference between a pee and an amniotic fluid.)  This is it, I'm giving birth! I wondered why i didn't feel any episode of contractions at all. Suddenly, i felt scared because my baby is at great risk of infection.

It was raining heavily when I was rushed to UDMC Hospital via a tricycle - yes, there was no cab available at nearly midnight. Apparently, I got no pre-natal check up at UDMC so they didn't entertain us. My husband had to take me from UDMC to FEU Hospital not via a tricycle anymore, nag-taxi naman kami!! (to all expected mums, pre-natal check up is very important. make sure to visit your O & G regularly)

Thank God, the process of giving birth was a success. After all the panting and the anesthesia induced to me started to wear off quickly, the nurse asked me as to where do I prefer to be admitted. With no hesitations, I told her to put me in a charity unit. ( I felt that getting an expensive single room or a two bedded room is neither important, I'll be discharged the following day anyway. Another thing is that i could use the extra money to buy diapers, milk and other baby items. )

As expected, all medical and surgical cases were catered to where I was placed. Adjacent to me was a badly wounded man from an incident of fraternity wars - oh, I couldn't care less. All I know was that I'm eager to see how my baby look like before sunrise. Oh wait, i remember so well, that out of my curiosity, there was a moment when i wanted to ask that man what happened to him and i wanted share some health teachings on how to take care of his wounds pero sige na nga, wag na lang, I'm still in great pain! Umiral lang siguro ang medyo pagiging tsismosa ko. 

Upon seeing her (I had to visit her to the nursery since rooming-in is not allowed in the unit), i felt a strange mixture of shame and guilt. She was so small yet so lovely and radiant. I felt, she is not worthy being mine.
Yes, it was indeed postpartum blues - blame it to so called hormonal changes!  Perhaps one of my college best friend Ria Jose-Pachica and  my childhood best friend Norren Saporna know the reason behind my postnatal depression. I'm just so thankful for my college and high school friends whom i didn't invite to witness my wedding yet during the time when i needed them most, they were more than willing to help. Thank God for showering me kind and caring friends!
(Again for expected mums, postpartum blues may give you thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, seek help immediately.)

My first attempt of breastfeeding wasn't easy but eventually i was able to get her latch on. 
I remember that every time she roots around, I offered what I felt I had to.
And every time she cries, I rendered endless lullabies and nursery rhymes.

Being able to produce life is immeasurably great blessing. And I'm proud of my mother for bringing up five!

- Photo credit - Woman's Healthcare Topics - 

With our very pretty cousin Donna.

A daughter is a bundle of firsts that excite and delight, giggles that come from deep inside and are always contagious, everything wonderful and precious and your love for her knows no bounds.
  - Barbara Cage -

A little girl can be sweeter (and badder) oftener than anyone else in the world. She can jitter around, and stomp, and make funny noises that frazzle your nerves, yet just when you open your mouth she stands there demure with that special look in her eyes. A girl is Innocence playing in the mud, Beauty standing on its head, and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot. 
- Alan Marshall Beck -

I want her to become a model, her father wants her to be an engineer.

I remember the priest during the last sunday mass, he advised every family 
to have at least three children, one for the mother, one for the father and one for God. We'll soon be planning for our second one. :D

oh, i love her so much!

Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express.
- Joseph Addison -

 'Every child begins the world again........'

The reason behind her name is another story which I intend to keep for my daughter to share with her friends and classmates.

As a mummy, you probably adore your girls. You can dress up your girls, doll them up, and watch in fascination at the ways they try to mimic a little woman.

Their innocence and endearing acts probably left you wondering what kind of woman will your girl grow up to be someday. Would she be pretty? Would she be happy? Would she find a good man? 

- credit to Great Inspirational Quotes -

A Grandfather and Granddaughter Recent Conversation

Lolo (my father) - "Anong swerte ko baya naman Dayne".

Dayne                 - "Bakit mo naman po nasabi na swerte kayo Lolo?"

Lolo                    - "Papaano ay meron na akong Prinsesa, binigyan pa ako ngayon ng isang Prinsipe". (Referring to his new grandchild from Mentzer and Richelle).

Dayne gave her Lolo a big smile, a trace of contentment and joy from her Lolo's reply.

Love is Amazingly Beautiful

He started courting me in 1990, perhaps the longest journey a suitor must have had experienced. Walong taon na panliligaw at pagta-tyaga ang lagi nyang sinasabi sa anak naming si Dayne sa tuwing ang huli ay magtatanong tungkol sa aming love story. 
He showed me that love is patient and endearing.

It was in 1998 when i started to be fascinated by him. Many thought he is no good but they just haven't seen yet the other side of him. Surprisingly, he is more religious than i am. He is a devotee of  St. Jude. - A man who can't live without a rosary in his pocket. What they thought of him is contrary to what I felt of him.

Another thing i love about him is that he is crazy yet a very pleasant man, spontaneous without being judgemental and he always allow me to have time for my dear friends, relatives and siblings.

Moreover, he is an amazing cook. His simple 'Sinaing Sa Asin' can be my leftover food for a day or two and nobody could beat his 'Sinigang' neither his 'Adobo'. :D (just from a wife's point of view).

He is my forever blessing.

 During our 2010 Christmas gathering. Taken by Siti Samira.

 One of our decent wedding pictures - Taken on April 29, 1999 :D 

 How beautiful the radiant Bride
who waits for her Groom
with His light in her eyes.
How beautiful when humble hearts give
the fruit of pure lives
so that others may live.
How beautiful
How beautiful

In 1999 we finally tied the knot. We were an example of two 

young people in love and ready to start a family whatever hardships it demands. We spend day after day in each other's presence without growing weary of each other.

  While discovering nooks and crannies in Singapore - taken at the island of  Pulao Ubin sometime in 2009  

 His humuor is the most important thing that makes me the happiest. 
'It cures a multitude of ills'.