Almost Christmas

The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us! And I still don't have a Christmas tree topper nor gifts under my tree. Gotta remedy that real soon. I didn't decorate much for the holidays coz we are spending it with my parents in the Philippines. Only this little corner:

It's 6 more days until our flight. I'm so excited! It's been a long four years since I've been home, and I can't wait to spend time with my family. Hubby is looking forward to having a mini-vacation from work. He never really had one after he retired last April, and before getting his new job. So this trip is really important to us.

Tala has plenty of cousins back home so she is going to have a blast playing with them. We decided to hold her baptism there so that we could gather all our friends and relatives in one place and have them meet our little girl.

I'm looking forward to reuniting with family and friends, eating all the crazy good food that I've been missing, visiting my old office, and having a great time with the hubby and the little one on their first Christmas in the Philippines.

To the few people who read this little blog, I wish you and your family a very wonderful Christmas! Cheers!

My Girly Girl, Tala

I definitely have a girly girl under my wings. She loves playing dress up, it's like having a living doll! This was her outfit for Thanksgiving. Needless to say, I love taking her pics.

Another Wonderful Blessing

I've been keeping a little secret for about three months now. It's the greatest blessing and now I can't keep it any longer. We have another bun in the oven. Tala will be a big sister in about seven months. We already have names for a boy or a girl. We actually had the names figured out even before I got pregnant. Yup, that's how much we wanted another baby as soon as Tala turned one.

This time, I didn't experience nausea. I hope I don't jinx it by saying it out loud. And my blood sugar levels are better. I still have to watch what I eat, but it's not as bad as when I was pregnant with Tala. No cravings either except for that one time when I woke the hubby very early in the morning to ask him to buy crabs. Nothing unusual that he couldn't handle ;p

I tell Tala every once in a while that she's gonna have a sibling soon, but I don't know if she understands yet. She loves to hike up my shirt to touch and kiss my growing belly. I melt a little each time she does. It's a wonderful time for me and my family. If it's up to the hubby, we'll have another bun after this one. We'll see about that though. I think I'm happy with two, but you never know.

 belly belly happy :)

September Ramblings

The little one will turn 14 months tomorrow. I still have to take her to a studio for her one year old portrait. I still haven't gotten around to making her baby book. Or printing her pictures. Oh and writing her birth story. I surely will. It's only a question of when. Riiiight.

But I'm happy to report that she loves her veggies and fruits. I'm so thankful that I never have to struggle to feed her healthy foods. And she drinks plenty of water. No juices as she eats enough fruits. No junk foods either. It helps that the hubby and I introduce her to a wide variety of food. It can get tiring though, as any parent knows, to patiently feed a toddler and make sure he/she gets the right nutrients. But the upside is our family is forced to eat healthy too. I've never filled my fridge with different kinds of fruits and veggies in my whole life. I had to have a baby to do so!

I'm slowly unpacking our boxes that are stored in the garage, but I'm done with the essential ones. The big job will be to look at each and every box and decide which stuff goes for donation. We have boxes that are still unopened from our move from Japan almost four years ago. I can't wait to get rid of what we really don't need.

We are almost 100% sure of spending Christmas back in my home country (Philippines). Dear hubby's boss approved his two-week leave. My family will finally get to meet Tala. They will go crazy over her. I might have to make sure they don't try to kidnap my beautiful baby. Lol. I can totally see my mom crying when she finally holds Tala in her arms. It would be pandemonium at her house, what with four granddaughters, plus Tala,  under the age of 8 staying there. 

Christmas in the Philippines! Nothing could be merrier!

A Poem for Tala

A little something that I wrote for my jelly bean's first birthday. So thankful that she came into my life. I'm becoming a better person because of her.

TALA

Today you turn one

You’re beautiful, happy, healthy

All the things we pray for you to be

You amaze us with your smarts

You’re quick and sharp

I wonder where you get that

From Nanay perhaps? :)

Yes you can be stubborn

And feisty as hell

You never wanna go to bed early

What is up with that

And sometimes you’re snobby

You never want your hand touched

Not by anybody, not even by us

But that’s very seldom

For the most part you’re real sweet

You melt our hearts each time

You press your lips to ours

And when you laugh

Your sweet glorious laugh

It’s like the angels are singing

And the world is all good

You erase all our fears

All our worries

All our doubts

Only love and happiness

Reign in our hearts

Today you turn one

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, DEAREST CHIBI

May you always know you are loved

Since before we even met you

And now and forever

To the moon and back.

The One About Family Reunions

Hubby's family holds a reunion every two years at a campsite here in Texas. It's always a lot of fun. There's plenty of Mexican food, dancing, drinking, singing, and non-stop chatter. Each family stays in a cabin with bunk beds and some in their RVs. This is the second time that I attended and just like the first time, I had a blast. We stayed in the same cabin we where at two years ago. This time we had an addition, our one-year old Tala. We had two kids and four toddlers in our cabin so it was absolutely crazy. Tala was so happy playing with her cousins. It's amazing how her face lights up whenever there are babies/kids around.

Even though it was scorching hot, we managed to enjoy a dip in the lake. Hubby's cousin brought a pedal boat so that was pretty cool. Because of that boat, we are thinking of getting a truck. Which will come in handy for various reasons. Plus we always borrow my sister-in-law's truck so maybe it's time to invest in one. Hubby and I are already dreaming of the many adventures we'll have with a truck. Maybe if we get lucky, we'll find that one property near a lake. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. It's always good to dream though. You never know. Remind me to buy lotto tickets. :-)

I'm lucky that hubby's family is close-knit. It's so much like mine. It really helps especially since I'm oceans away from my parents and siblings. Which reminds me, if we get to go home in the Philippines this December, I have a lot of organizing to do. I wanna see everyone. You don't realize the value of family until you can't see them regularly anymore. Good thing there's always family reunions to look forward to.

Some photos from the 2012 Laing Family Reunion:

 my little family

happy mom

Big Grandma, Vince and Tala

 Tala's big cousins

cuties!

it's a small small world

Big Grandma's family

Cuteness overload!

my little mermaid

water freaks :)

adorable cousins

enjoying the summer despite the heat

Little Jelly Bean's First Birthday

Tala's first birthday party was short and sweet. She was feeling a little sick so she barely smiled, poor thing. I think the only fun part for her was when she smashed her cake. She looked so cute in her tutu with matching ballet shoes. I need to take her to a studio so she can have professional pictures wearing the tutu.

I can't believe she's already a year old. It seems like only yesterday when she looked like an alien! A very cute little alien. Now she's all over the house walking. Or climbing the stairs. Or making strange little sounds. She even hums. I think my baby's gonna be a singer. Or at least someone who loves to sing, like her Nanay.

Here are some pictures from her party.

Summer Birthday Fever

A week into the summer and it's already August-level hot here in San Antonio. Good thing we had the fortitude to book the little one's first birthday party indoors. There's no way that we could handle it out in the sun in the middle of July. The party room has an under the sea theme so I've been busy going to stores online and otherwise to scrounge for under the sea stuff.

After searching high and low for a birthday outfit, I finally found one at Nordstrom. It's a pink petticoat dress from Popatu. So cute! It looks fancy enough with its ruffles and sparkles. Perfect for the birthday girl. I can't wait until she wears it. I'm still looking for pink ballet shoes or satin sandals.

We already had her birthday banner, garlands and party hats printed at the Office Depot. It's cheaper than buying ink and printing them ourselves. Good thing there's Pinterest 'coz that's where I found the free printables. My ever creative mother-in-law is making the table topper or center piece. She says she's going to use socks to make fishes so I'm excited to see the final product.

We already ordered the cake/cupcakes, but still have to decide on the food. We'll probably end up with hotdogs, sandwiches and pasta salad. We'll see. I'm just glad that we don't have to rush anymore since we pretty much have everything covered.

So thankful to God for blessing us with a beautiful sweet little baby. She is silly and funny and smart and so well behaved. I may be busy doing all sorts of stuff for her first birthday, but in my heart I'm a little bit sad and totally not ready yet. She's growing up too fast, my jelly bean.

Blessings

Today, I'm grateful for the following:

1. Getting approved for an apartment rental here in San Antonio. The place looks beautiful and is centrally located (shops, restaurants, etc.). This will be our first taste of apartment living so hopefully all goes well. Also our first abode in this lovely city.

2. Having a happy and healthy baby. Tala turned 11 months yesterday. One more month and we will have a toddler! Right now, she's into flipping her books, looking at the pictures, pointing and blabbing. She can do this all day. She also started singing along with me. At least that's what I think (or hear). If she takes after me, she'd be breaking out into a song every now and then.

3. An outstanding show (The Wire) that I could watch during my free time. I just finished episode 5 of Season 1 and it's so good I can't believe I didn't see it during its heyday. I've always come across with articles saying it's the best show EVER and I'm convinced they could be right.

Vacation: Rockport, Texas

Had a fun weekend trip to Rockport, Texas with some of hubby's family. It's the closest beach to San Antonio; just a two-hour drive. Tala finally had her first taste of the ocean. She had a blast. My baby is a little mermaid, I swear.

She kept on splashing in the water. I bet it all looked like a giant bathtub to her. We went to the beach where dogs are allowed so she was just so happy watching them play. Except for the really strong wind all throughout our stay, everything was wonderful. The cottage we stayed in had a pool so the little one got to take a very short dip. It was just too cold by the time we got back from the beach for her to stay longer than a few minutes.

We took some photos and videos of her little ocean adventure. Her itty bitty swimsuits looked too cute on her. I didn't get to swim so I sure wanna go back as soon as we can. I didn't have my fill of the ocean at all. Hubby, on the other hand, got to explore the beach and its fishes and shells with the not so little nieces.

how happy is my baby?

first family trip to the beach

cousins

fishy fishy

father and daughter

"i can stay here all day"

beach bums

our little cottage

Tala's First Easter

Vince's family decided to hold an Easter celebration at his grandmother's place. He said they haven't done this since they were kids. It was a good call as the kids had a lot of space to run around and play. Perfect for Tala too since this was her very first egg hunting experience. I think Vince and I had more fun than her, though. Lol. At nine months, I don't think she really cared for any egg hunt.

The kids were so cute. They had fun searching for eggs scattered all around the property; some having $5 inside courtesy of grandma. Tala has a lot of cousins close to her age; the main reason why we don't wanna move out of San Antonio. It would be great if she would get to grow up with her cousins like Vince and I did.

Here are some photos:

A Beautiful Wedding

Yesterday was a breather from recent unhappy personal circumstances. DH's cousin got married in civil rites on a sunny and beautiful day. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The wee one had a lot of fun being outdoors and interacting with family and friends. The bride and groom looked so happy and radiant. Their little girl looked so cute in her pastel pink dress with matching pink shoes.

I loved what the bride wore. It was a dress with a corset-like top and flowy skirt that was above the knees in front and longer at the back. The groom looked dapper too in his suit. I love going to weddings. Call me a hopeless romantic, but seeing two people make a vow to love each other for the rest of their lives just makes me have more faith in the world.

There is so much out there that could turn anyone into a cynic, but weddings always give me hope. I suppose it's the promise of forever that does me in. I hope I get to attend more weddings this year. :)

Goodbye, Our Beloved Pop

It's been a crazy couple of months. DH lost his dad yesterday due to diabetes complications. It all happened so fast. We knew he was sick, just not that sick. Our only consolation was that we were given a little time to come to terms with the inevitable. More importantly, his dad had the opportunity to accept everything.

It's amazing how gracious he was, how full of humor and silliness amidst his pain. And Tala. Tala was the light of his life. How he loved his little princess. He would play and pretend  to fight with her every time we were at the hospital to see him. He was so brave. The only time that he broke down was when he told her he was sorry he was not gonna see her grow up.

He was so thankful to Vince. I'm really grateful that they had these last three years to be with each other, and bond as only a father and son can. We didn't see it at the time, but perhaps the reason why Vince chose San Antonio to be his last station was because of this. So that he and his Dad can enjoy each other which they absolutely did up to the very end. Two playful and silly men who loved making fun of each other.

Rest in peace, Dad. May the angels take you to the heavens where pain is no more; where only love and happiness reign. I will take care of your boy and little princess. And all of your future grandchildren. We're already working on another one . :-)

Family Valentine Dinner

Our first Valentine's Day date as a family, in pictures:

 DH with the wee one

 surprisingly delicious sushi from our neck of the woods

 Tala biting her Lego

 my first time to try mochi ice cream, i like!

 first Valentine picture with our little cupid

Home Sweet Home

Here, There, and Everywhere

In eleven days, Tala will be seven months. She's currently into rolling over our living room floor ad infinitum. We had to put our coffee table in the garage so she can have more space. She's quite the little explorer already; what more when she learns to crawl? Uh oh.

This was taken yesterday. So darn cute.

Ready to be Me

This excerpt from the book Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney sums up how I feel sometimes:

"You tried to tell her, as well as you could, what it was like being you. You described the feelings you'd always had of being misplaced, of always standing to one side of yourself in the world even as you were being in the world, and wondering if this was how everyone felt."

Being in my mid-thirties, you'd think I would have figured out what direction my life is gonna take. But no. It's still an ongoing process. I'm still a work in progress. But aren't we all? Haven't all of us, at one time or another, diverted from our original route, whether by accident or intention?

To this day, I am nowhere near where I want to be. I am so far removed from where my passion lies. Always in doubt, always afraid. I am summoning the courage to finally break free from my invisible chains. It's hard, but I'll be damned if I will let it stop me from being who I really am.

I'm done with excuses. I'm ready to shine.

My Tiny Tala

DH and I took Tala to her six-month wellness check up. She wasn't too thrilled about her vaccinations, but thankfully she only cried a little. Like all of thirty seconds. I think my baby has more tolerance for pain than I do. She's at the 25th percentile: weighs 14 pounds 12 ounces and measures 25 inches. Yup, petite like her Nanay. I could only wish she would be taller than me at 5'1."

It's not really important though. Like any parent, my prayer is that she grows up to be a healthy, happy and well-rounded individual. Also throw in smart, charming and gorgeous.

Of course, we took pictures to document the event. ;p

 with her super nice Pediatrician

 with adorable Dino

so cute in green with Dada