motherhood

and so i dare to post a washed-out, tired photo of myself and the one to blame for it. but, such is the life of a mother. basically it goes something like this:

tired...always
too much to do...constantly
laundry to wash and fold...endless
sleep...when?
time for yourself...what time?
time for anything else aside from caring for your kids, or caring for something in regards to caring for your kids...close to never
happy...yes
glad to have kids...definitely

so all's well that ends well. now to try and get some sleep...some...

naughtiness, vanity and konker bonkers

uh-oh, i'm busted. (this is what happens when mommy's occupied with giving dava school...)


what mom? it's nothing...see?

.

it's okay, i'll just smile to get out of trouble. i know. i'm cute.

.

i'm too sexy for my shoes...

dear diary, today i completely refused to nap. held out pretty well til about 5. then i konked out. totally pooped. kaput.

making faces...

...atbp...

one baby. two babies.

aileen

little old lady gets her first little old haircut

dress-up time...

honey, i'm home!

home? what means home?


"oh, dad, don't let her squish me!"


"c'mon, little baby! let's run and play!"


bonding time with daddy

piggy time

"leave me alone, and let me sleep!"

"tricked ya! snicker, snicker! teeheehee!"

updated prayer request

(also posted on MO site)

Samantha Mira was born on July 8, 2009, at 3:11pm, after only being in mom's tum for 7 months.

It was a quick, natural delivery, and she is already a series of miracles, and we would like to ask you to pray with us that she will continue to be.

Weighing 1.8 kilos at birth, and measuring 44cm, she, miraculously, didn't need to be incubated. For safety they gave her extra oxygen, but by the next day, they observed her to be strong and stable enough to not need it. Her systems are functioning normally and well. Her lungs are in good shape, and her cry bears loud witness of that. She has a strong sucking reflex, so she eats very well. The only little hiccup has been that an x-ray showed her to have a minor form of pneumonia, caused from her swallowing some amniotic fluids at birth. She is currently receiving antibiotics to clear it up, and is being kept in the hospital so the pediatrician can continue to observe her.

So, we'd like to ask that you specifically pray with us that

- the next x-ray (due to happen any day) will show that her lungs have completely cleared up

- that in the mean time, she'll continue to progress and grow strong and healthy

- that she won't get jaundice, since she for now has to stay within the sanitary confines of the nursery and can't go out in the fresh air and sunlight. If she does contract jaundice, she'll have to undergo photo therapy, which I can only imagine would be extremely expensive

- that the nurses and pediatricians taking care of her will do a good job, and will have gentleness and wisdom in their care of her

- that my milk will come in strong, and I won't have any problems extracting it, so that Samantha will be able to benefit from its nutrients

- there is also another little boy being incubated, his name is Nathan and he was born a month before at only 6 months, so technically, he's now her "age", although he looks like he has a lot more progress he needs to make and is much smaller than Samantha. Please pray that Samantha's presence, and the consequent spiritual power she brings with her (from all our prayers) will positively affect him and his growth and progress as well

- and I may as well throw in a prayer request for Aileen (our second daughter, who's 14 months old), she's been having a pretty steady cold that she isn't getting over. Though not serious, it is persistent, so please pray that it goes away as well, especially before we bring the new little tiny one home

Thank you so much for fighting with us in prayer. We have the greatest Doctor in the universe, and what He has begun, He will perfect! We love you, and keep you in our prayers as well!

photos of the small one

pumpkin pie: served hot and early

This is a short little post to say just that: pumpkie pie has come early.

A longer, more detailed story could possibly show up at a later date. But, suffice it to say that Samantha Mira (short for miracle...but I wasn't too keen on naming my baby "Miracle") was born at 3:11pm, July, 8, 2009. Delivered in good condition, weighing in at 1.8 kgs.

For being an impatient little pumpkin pie, born after only 7 months of cooking time, she's doing very well. Her vital signs are stable, she got strong little lungs to support her powerful little cry; has a good appetite; her organs and mechanisms all seem to be in good shape; and after 24 hours of observation, she seems capable of sustaining herself (meaning no need for extra oxygen support, incubator, etc.)
She is staying in the hospital though because an x-ray showed spots on her lungs, I didn't really understand the word used by the pediatrician, but basically it's a form of pneumonia. Still, the pediatrician says that despite that, the baby is still doing good, but she wants to give her antibiotics to clear away the spots, and she'll keep observing her for another 3 days, after which she'll do another x-ray to see if the spots cleared up. So, please pray with us that the spots will clear up completely; that there'll be no other complications; that the baby's body will react positively to the medication and there'll be no side effects at all; that she'll continue to have a good appetite; and that my milk will come in strong.

Thank you so much for all your prayers. She's already a little miracle, and what the Lord has begun, I know He will perfect to the end. No question about it.

jelly belly

just figured i'd post a couple pregnancy photos...
every woman needs to take photos of their pregnancy. it's not everyday that you get to flaunt a beer belly. wear it proud! :)

roadtrip series (feb.25-mar.10): mt. mayon

one of the natural wonders of the world: mt. mayon, the still-very-active, perfect-cone-shaped volcano. (i really don't know why people continue living within its damaging reach considering its frequent activity, and consequent frequent ruin of house and home.)

thank you vista al mayon for giving us a beautiful last-stop before flying back manila.


the day view.


ready to pounce on geckos.

the night view.

daddy and dava frolicking in the water.

roadtrip series (feb.25-mar.10): fishbowls, atbp.

taking shelter from the heat of the sun...in a fishbowl...

...liney fit inside it fully. --actually, it was a "turtle bowl".

these two pictures fall under the...

..."atbp."

roadtrip series (feb.25-mar.10): mac arthur

visiting the mac arthur shrine.

lkj

snug as a bug in a...pedicab?

REACH Fun Run -- UPDATED

REACH puts the “fun” back into fun run!
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Open to all serious runners, not-so-serious runners, moms, dads, senior citizens, teens, tweens, kids, babies and all those who believe that helping others should be fun and enjoyable. Lots of prizes to be given away! Bring your friends and family and have a good time Running, Eating And helping to CHange the world!

Where: Bonifacio High Street (fronting Krispy Kreme)

When: 6:00 am, Saturday, July 11, 2009

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Race mechanics:
1) 1ST LEG: Run 2.5 kilometers from the starting point to the REACH challenge zone;
2) CHALLEGE: Eat four (4) Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts;
3) 2ND LEG: Run, or walk, 2.5 kilometers from the REACH challenge zone to the finish line

* You don’t have to eat all the doughnuts, but only those who complete both legs of the fun run and consume all six (6) doughnuts will be eligible to receive the GRAND or SECOND prizes.

Registration details:
landline: 985 2540 . 823 6159
Speak to any of our representatives, who will run you through the details.
mobile: 0922 800 1308
REG[space]REACH[space]NAME[space]AGE
email: activatedplus@channelofhope.com . activatedplus@gmail.com
Subject: REG REACH
Message: [Please specify your name and age, as well as the names and ages of any friends and family who you will bring along.]

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* First 100 registrants will be given FREE T shirts! Sign up NOW!

Registration fees:
Over 12: 300PhP
Under 12: 250PhP
Under 5: FREE

* REACH registration fees to be paid on the day of the fun run.

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REACH is brought to you by:

channelofhope.com

aileen's first birthday: may 19, 2009

liney's lizard cake (yes, that's supposed to be a lizard...a gecko, specifically)

little girl, big cake

dava and liney...waiting to attack

cake monster

aint that sumfink...

daniel david (4, born feb 2005) and dava danielle (4, born march 2005), just met this year.

i just thought it was an interesting little coincidence. fun little fun fact.