Silent Night

It's a miracle. Tonight, I'm blessed with a silent night. They all managed to sleep earlier than usual and my dear hubby got to catch on some badly needed zzz, thank God.  Thank you to those who prayed for us and our sanity...especially to my best friend Rachelle who spent time with Leji this evening before doing the last of her Christmas shopping :p At least we all get to rest before the grand Christmas weekend.

The other day, my toddler went for potty hourly and had her last batch of Denille's awesome crinkles and milk at 3am.  She told her dad he's more handsome than Santa and managed to convince him to come eat with her downstairs.  They woke up again at 7 to have Milo Balls; I usually mix it with milk and Chia Seeds to make it healthier.  I failed to make her tandem latch with her brother that morning though; I felt drained.  I told her we can try after lunch after I get to drink more fluids; but she wasn't able to take advantage of this as she slept from 11am-2pm.

Now I'm just happy she managed to sleep at 10:30pm.  

On not so silent nights, we use Baby Banz Hearing Protection Ear Muffs for her baby brother.  We saw it on Prince George at the Royal International Air Tattoo last year and tried to get the kids' version for Leji. But she refused to put it on as she hates head gear.  :/ 

I've read they recently developed a model in Australia with bluetooth connectivity so your baby could listen to his fave lullaby anytime anywhere.  But it costs twice as much and you have to wait for delivery.

We're happy with the one we got from the Parenting Emporium--the basic type designed for babies 0-2+ years old which cancels out loud noise.  It says on the box that it's proven safe by pediatricians only for babies 3months and up but I guess newborns can still use it as long as you support their neck or they lie on their backs.  It's cute, colorful, and functional--it's smaller than my palm and could fit in my evening bag. It has soft adjustable ear pads and band; he seems comfortable wearing it.

Anyway, we tested it in several parties--a wedding, a videoke party, and a kiddie birthday.  Leon managed to have uninterrupted sleep in all three! And he looked adorable in our photos :)

I'm happy we can watch the fireworks this year without worrying about my baby's ears.  We're ready for you, 2018!

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Of Tandem Feeding and Babyshark Hunting

Whew. Tandem feeding without a yaya at home is quite tasking. I usually doze off while I'm at it except when my toddler engages in shallow latch or in a weird position & the pain makes me jump back to wakefulness. I barely have time to do anything else these days but I see this as an emotional investment for them in the future.

Even a trip to the grocery or a brief meeting is such a production number.  In the car, my toddler usually unfastens her seatbelt and demands for breastmilk when she's in distress. It's quite a problem nowadays; we still haven't discovered the ideal tandem feeding position in the car.  Even the pillows aren't of much help when the road is bumpy or when hubby needs to step on the brakes during traffic.  I sometimes just ignore her wailing when I'm too tired and she won't accept cow's milk or cookies or toys as a substitute for comfort. She developed a high-pitched shrill cry recently (which is really effective in agitating hubby but thankfully not her newborn brother) and pray to the saints that this too shall pass and will not traumatize her in the long run.

I tried to catch my milk with Hakaa and Medela Bra cups in an attempt to make her drink it; but my highly opinionated toddler said it looks gross.  I tried mixing it with cow's milk and even flavored milk but she still wouldn't drink it.  I guess she really craves the comfort she gets from direct latching; I don't think she gets much milk from me these days.

I make her stop latching and give her my phone to watch Babyshark videos when her strong sucking triggers too much milkflow in my other boob.  My newborn often coughs whenever this happens.  To make sure he wouldn't aspirate, I distract her first and focus on raising him up in a position that straightens the esophagus so he could breathe/burp.

But the nice thing about tandem feeding is I feel like I have the power to make them nap/fall asleep together.  I just pop a malunggay supplement (Natalac for now) with two glasses of water and voila! I am Supermom! Get ready for the milk waterfall! Lol.

I don't mind washing extra shirts these days as I have to change my shirt each time milk overflows when the timing for tandem feeding isn't right. Most of the time, the baby latches first before the toddler.  Also, he often drools all over & even multiple burpcloths aren't effective in keeping me clean.  I have no choice but throw everything in the laundry basket so as not to aggravate his baby acne.  Thank God He was able to inspire man to invent the automatic washing machine.  Thank you, Lord!!!

Anyway, you've probably read enough ranting.  Haha..the babies would soon rouse; I turned off all the lights to prolong their nap.  It is such a luxury to get to write these days.

Some people asked how we celebrated my birthday last month while I was heavily pregnant.  Hence my late post :)

We went babyshark hunting at Manila Ocean Park!  But I didn't avail of the birthday discount because I can't go on a longer tour with three full paying adults.  We just availed of promo tickets for Manila residents.  They don't offer student/toddler/senior citizen discounts on top of that though.

This was my toddler's second time to explore the park.  Last year, she was fascinated with the jellies display.  This time around, she got to enjoy the creepy crawlies (she loves the Itsy Bitsy Spider haha. LSS)...

the fish...(she even attempted to touch several in the magic aquarium!)

and the penguins!!! (she loves the Badanamu Pengie Dance haha)

She also chased eagles at the sanctuary.  It was quite exhilirating; I didn't know they have this in the park.  All the while we thought it was just a souvenir shop on the side of the entrance.

We'll definitely come back next time with her baby brother :)  But first, we have to catch the Babyshark Mall Tour one of these days.

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Cotai Jet vs. Turbo Jet

To sail or not to sail, that is the question.

We had second thoughts about riding the ferry from HK to Macao and back because:
1. I'm pregnant & I might throw up/ experience contractions
2. The toddler might not like it
3. My mom-in-law who volunteered to chaperone us on our quest in making my daughter's 23rd monthsary (& our babymoon) memorable has a history of seasickness
4. We have a huge luggage that my husband had to manage on his own

Yet despite all these, we still pushed on with our ferry ride arguing that it's better to see the Dreamworks Parade and the Eiffel of Asia compared to HK OceanPark at this point in our lives.  I've been to OceanPark before so I don't really mind delaying my second trip to the theme park :p  We thought it might be better to visit OceanPark and the Peak when the kids are much older and when the weather is much cooler.  (August is super warm & humid ugh)

I've tried Turbo Jet before but Cotai Jet had a promo for full paying adults when you purchase tickets in advance via their new app.  The app offered a bigger discount compared to their Mastercard and senior citizen/infant promos so it was more practical to buy 4 adult tickets through the said app.

We were happy with the discounts but my mom-in-law wasn't too pleased with the boat ride :/ She really felt queasy as the ferry was relatively smaller to that of Turbo Jet so you could actually feel the rough waves as you sail.  But lucky for me and my little one, we were able to sleep for most of the trip so we didn't feel much of the seasickness. Chewy ginger candy and chocolate milk also helped distract my little one.

We landed in a neat port in Taipa (where some Macao planes also land) and easily my mom-in-law's dizziness melted away. Leji said byebye cheerfully to the blue jet and we hopped on to our free bus to Cotai Strip.

Going home though, we committed several mistakes:
1. We failed to book in advance through the Cotai Jet app.  We didn't know weekend tickets sellout faster than weekday tickets even on a ghost month. Even Turbo Jet advanced tickets were sold out on Klook (or probably their cutoff was earlier than 12 midnight :/)
2.  We weren't able to avail of the Mastercard promo.  Even if it says on their fliers that you could purchase discounted tickets via the Sheraton ticketing booth/ concierge, on the day itself they refused to honor the said promo (well I checked the flier and I noticed the disclaimer in small print that they could cancel the promo anytime:/).
3. We thought we could avail of the direct ferry route to the HK airport. Good thing hubby was able to read online that that port only had access to PAL and Cathay Pacific flights not Cebu Pacific :(
4. We assumed that there was just one Macao port and we thought we could ride there going to Tsim Sha Tsui port (to visit the HK Science Museum before heading to the airport).  We rode the wrong Cotai bus and landed on the less baby friendly Outer Macao port :/ We availed of the senior & baby discounts (15% off) on the Turbo Jet counter. We found out there were no Cotai Jets for that port. When we got to HK, it was so challenging to find the train with the luggage and a stroller in tow. The taxis wouldn't let us ride to Tsim Sha Tsui because they say they could only service mainland routes.

Turbo Jet was also stricter with the weight of the bags; we had to pay extra for carrying souvenirs in our luggage even if it was just one luggage for the four of us.  Hubby didn't have to worry about it though during the boat ride and my mom-in-law found it more pleasant that the boat was relatively bigger compared to Cotai Jet.

We wasted so much time scurrying for the elevator we didn't have time left to explore the Science Museum. Unlike in Singapore where the elevators are usually in the middle of things, in HK you have to search from end to end to be able to find the right one.

We ended up in the wrong side of Tsim Sha Tsui--HK Peninsula side where they are doing so much repairs it was quite scary to take the baby there:/ We found out that the HK Space Museum only catered to Cantonese speakers that afternoon and ended up buying food in the Food Truck Festival outside near the construction area blocking the Victoria Harbour. We used our luggage as a mini table as the person in the Space Museum concierge would only accept luggage if you avail of their actual tickets; they don't care if you buy souvenirs from their store that could actually cost more than the ticket itself.

We were too tired and frustrated we didn't have energy left to explore the Arts and Culture building nearby. But we were amused to see so much people with kids outside despite the construction and the heat in that area.  They weren't eating so we figured they might be into Pokemon Go or something.
 
After our brief meal (in fairness, the burgers were juicy and tasty) we decided to take an Uber to the airport.  We were too flustered for another train ride.

Looking back, I should have just booked a direct flight from Macao to Manila so we could have skipped the ferry going home.. that Cebu Pacific flight on a weekend wasn't worth all the trouble.  I guess it's really better to plan the itinerary ahead before booking.

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Chasing Penguins in Macao

After our brief encounter with Disney characters in Hongkong, we decided to take a CotaiJet to Macao to chase after DreamWorks' lovable mascots.  Weekday tickets purchased through their android app were discounted :)) too bad we weren't able to get our weekend tickets going home through that app :/ They do it on a first come first served basis.

Afterwhich, we took the free hotel bus to Cotai Strip.  They have a meet and greet session around lunchtime in Paradise Garden where I got to hug penguins from Madagascar and more :p

Leji was scared of the penguins but I was just beaming with glee. haha!

with Pinoy Vikings!

Leji loved identifying the colors of the flowers in the garden

She recognized some of the characters from the movies we've seen

There's also a dance parade of the characters daily at 4pm inside the mall's premises.  Leji didn't mind being roused from her afternoon nap with all the lively music and excited kids.  The characters all danced with so much energy all throughout the stretch especially Po the Panda and Alex the Lion. They even handed out free balloons; it was pretty amazing.

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Leji's 23rd at Hongkong Disneyland

Leji loves Disney Junior.  For her first birthday, we decided to have a Minnie Mouse-themed Boracay escape at Jony's at Station 1.  Seldom do I get to have vacations with my family because of our schedules. The last time I went to Boracay with my mom was 2003 when I passed the UPCAT & it was my sister's birthday; my in-laws on the other hand have never been there. Cancelling all my shoots/events was worth it as we enjoyed our island hopping immensely. Leji rolled in the hotel bed everytime she craved for it as the hotel was conveniently just across the beach!

For her second birthday, we decided to take her to Hongkong Disneyland. We only visited Oceanpark when I joined a leisure tour back in college; and for Ms. International 2008, we were too busy with dinners and shoots for HKTV so we didn't have time for theme parks.  It's also my first time in the most toddler-friendly Disneypark in the world.

My toddler loves trains & she was totally ecstatic that we allowed her to carry her Korean handbag on our way to Disney.  

We chose to have it a month ahead of her second birthday so she could enjoy her free ride via Cebu Pacific (infants younger than 2 ride free!) I'm also approaching my 7th month of pregnancy so I guess it's safer to travel this month than next (my OB mentioned that my 2nd might also be born a preemie just like Leji).

Since it was a really hot summer day with occasional showers, we opted to run to the airconditioned part of the park.  We decided to see "It's a Small World" first & it didn't disappoint.  

It was heartwarming to hear the dolls sing in Filipino in a bahay kubo!

Our favorite Stitch!

A well-lit pastel display for the finale

Leji loved the attraction so much, she requested us to do it again!

Candies from 711 helped keep us going despite the heat and rain.

Next, we joined the Lion Festival in the safari themed theater.  The characters were superb singers & the floats were spectacular; but Leji needed to nap.

The dimly-lit theater was perfect for her to rest.

Jungle animals!

We purchased our meal via Klook where we were able to get discounts & we enjoyed our ice lollies under the banyan tree serenaded by the playful birds.

Choco-coated Vanilla Mickey, Choco-crusted Strawberry Banana Minnie & Blueberry Stitch! Other food items from 711 outside Disneyland.

Dinnertime was magical too after watching Mickey's storybook show, strolling across the enchanted gardens & sailing with Pooh before the afternoon parade.

castle-themed foodcourt with international cuisine!

Leji finished everything on her plate!

We capped off the evening in Tomorrowland where Daddy got to enjoy his Star Wars ride.  Leji loved the orbiting planets and was amused with the red humidifiers.

At 9pm, I was so tired & sat on the pavement; Daddy and Lola were left to chase after hyper Leji. The waiting was all worth it; the fireworks display made me so sentimental I cried. Here's a snippet of it.

We left Disney icky and sweaty but with our hearts full.

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Dreaming and Playing Collide at DreamPlay

Fathers' Day was a disaster.  I threw up after eating all the good food in a cozy restaurant. Everything was fresh and great..but I dunno, probably the scent of the oil in the steak triggered the abominable nausea.  I never experienced throwing up after drinking alcohol in the car, but it seemed like I was in some tequila hangover frenzy after attending mass after the meal.  

It was horrible. We had to postpone our plans of going over DreamPlay because of my condition. I shall never eat that much again.

So we just headed over to the new place the holiday after that (with a go signal from the OB after recovering from nausea and LBM; apparently people in their fifth month of pregnancy are still prone to food sensitivities tsk).  A brilliant extension of Fathers' Day.

It was a bit cramped (just like how our actual dreams are muddled up) but every inch of it was a  well-made spectacle.  Leji adored the fountains.

The venue of the puppet show was very promising but Leji wasn't impressed with the puppets.  She says Dada could do a better performance.

They allowed food from outside but we decided to hangout in their foodcourt. Quite pricey but their curly fries were fun to eat (similar to McDonald's).  We were waitlisted for Gingy's Kitchen's cooking lessons right beside the foodcourt.

We didn't manage to squeeze in an earlier class so we decided to explore the grounds a little bit more while waiting.  Leji was braver than me in crossing the hanging bridges but we crossed anyway and conquered my fear of shaky steps.

Their interactive centers reminded me of the Arts & Science Center in Singapore.  It was harder to manage the colors here though.  They also have another room for editing and animation but it was Dad who enjoyed more in that area.

Afterwards, we went down to the Dream Theater to watch Dream Works latest animated flicks.  It was Leji's first time to watch an interactive 4D movie.  She raved about the glasses; it was pretty awesome.

We went over to the boat area after the movie to sail with penguins.  Leji decorated her own sail.  She laughed at the bubble effects of the pool; she really didn't care who won in the boat race.

Then, finally after waiting for several hours, we managed to get in a class at Gingy's Kitchen (good thing 2 kids cancelled; it's really better to come in early to secure a slot in their class on a holiday). Too bad we forgot to get our pictures inside but Leji had so much fun decorating gingerbread.

Just as she had fun playing pilot at the aerospace center.

She really loves to drive!

But the area she enjoyed the most was Shrek's Stump. It felt safer for toddlers compared to the other ball area. We were required to buy socks for ourselves in the gift area though as they were pretty strict about the "no socks no entry" policy.

Short but sweet (from 5-9:30 pm) we had a pretty awesome time.  We'll probably come in a weekday (when it's cheaper) with her grandparents (they can come in free for a period of time I heard) next time.

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Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

A college buddy of mine based in Dubai got married in Bataan recently and we immediately grabbed the opportunity to check in Las Casas and bask in its timeless luxury. We booked a suite by the beach; our only mistake was we forgot to ask which floor we were checked in. We had a baby and luggage in tow and they don't have elevators or rest areas in between (I also didn't know I was pregnant :/) We also had to ride a jeep with our stuff to and fro the parking lot several kilometers away; quite inconvenient.  

But the pictures made it all worth it. My daughter thought the well-lit fountains were divine!

We also joined their free historical tour of the ancient city.  We got bits and pieces of trivia here and there; it was fun talking about the movies that were shot in this place (including the popular Heneral Luna-- the movie premier that hastened my preterm labor contractions haha).

They also have the first hotel in the country transferred here! But nowadays it's just a multi-purpose conference hall.

We never got the chance to ride the tram (it was always low batt); so we just reminisced our honeymoon in Italy. It looks and smells cleaner than Venice actually so it's a safer stroll for our toddler. I wish they had more pigeons though :p

The buildings are picturesque even without much lighting.

I super love Italian food; we ate several times at Casa Teodora (Jose Rizal's mom's ancestral home). They have humongous calzone!:)) Pretty neat stuff.

We finished off with Leji's first calesa ride! It was terribly bumpy though.

Thanks again Tim and Tricia for inviting us to your splendid wedding! We had so much fun :)

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Clingy much?

It's fun when my little princess gets to tag along with me at work. Just look at her face when I was able to print out an unofficial ID for her in a voice recording studio... Priceless.

Naturally curious, she wants to follow me around as often as she can. She observes how I eat, sleep, drink, sing, watch tv, sweep the floor and even operate the microwave! Nowadays, it's such a struggle to keep her away from the broom and dustpan :/ She finds the empty bottles and cartons in the trash can amusing; I also have to restrain her from using too many wipes (she has an ardent desire to clean her surroundings). 

At work, since it's a different environment every time, her curiosity is quadrupled. She studies the faces of the people I meet (although she's automatically friendly to kids and guards), explores the rooms I enter, and quietly observes how people interact with me outside our house.

I remember bringing her to work occasionally as early as 4weeks (it was clean and we had great air conditioning in the office anyway). Despite not being able to see clearly yet, I introduced her to my makeup artists and friendly colleagues in the studio. She calmly breastfed even while I did other things in the makeup room; and I tucked her in her mini bed when I had to edit stuff or I had to appear on cam.

It got more complicated when she began to see people more clearly.  Men and those with unfamiliar facial features scare her (she somehow likes girls who look like me or like members of our family); she tends to stare long and hard. Whenever she's uncomfortable, she would cry uncontrollably.  

But I just wanted to keep her as close to me as possible whenever I can. As a preemie, she's extra clingy and I feel like as long as I could afford to stay by her side I will.  I want to stimulate her brain as much I can too so we keep on introducing new voices.

My Lolo passed away last year and it was his last wish to see her. He had pneumonia and despite the shots and other necessary precautions, she still acquired a viral infection during his wake. 

My aunt said I was being a bad mom for exposing her to unnecessary elements.  

But that was Lolo's last wish--to see her. Somehow a great grandchild is a guarantee of your place in heaven right? May he rest in peace.

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The Boat Ride at Madame Tussauds

Leji wasn't allowed to ride with me in this boat attraction at Madame Tussauds so I took as many photos as I can.  It's a fancy wax and lights introduction to Singapore's famous tourist attractions. She didn't feel so bad anymore after showing her these.

The fancy boat

immediately greeted by colorful lights

first photo with a Merlion

F1 glam

Art and science hub

Indiatown

Chinatown

Pretty fascinating right? If a tourist can't decide which attractions to prioritize, at least he/she can get to have selfies with their replicas first.

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