They're Growing So Fast!

My kids are growing up so fast! They say (well to me, at least) that the less you see your kids, the faster they seem to grow. Well, I see them the whole day nearly every single day and I still get shocked at just how fast they've grown in the last few months! Time is indeed the most precious treasure of all....

For all of you who would like to know my kids better, here are just a few of their descriptions:

NICKY:

• 8 years old
  
• 2nd grader this coming schoolyear
• Chess enthusiast
• A voracious reader of Philippine history, and the lives of national heroes and Philippine presidents
• Math and Science wiz
• Prehistoric genius particularly in the area of dinosaurs
• Pokemon trader and collector
• Artist / performer
• Book Talk champion

KEIRA:

• 7 months old
• Weighs 22 pounds and very tall for a Filipina baby girl (only clothes that are for ages 12 months and up fit her)
  
• Started solid foods last month and loves Gerber Applesauce, Squash and Sweet Potatoes. "Dislikes" any Cerelac flavor but eats them anyway
• Sits up on her own, crawls crazily around her playmat and can stand up on her own when holding on to outstretched arms or bedposts
• laughs and squeals out loud when watching the Bear in the Big Blue House
  
• Can say "mamamama!", "dadadadada!" and "grrrrrr!"
• Can make a mean "keirachu" face

Nanny Nuisance

No I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth again. I'm still very much here. I just haven't had the chance to blog lately because my hands and feet have been tied due to my nanny's long absence from the household. I was quite upset for the past 3 weeks because she asked permission to go on a vacation to see her family for 10 days, which we readily agreed to because it fell right on Holy Week and her arrival was supposed to be on the day work resumed. Cunning that she was, she managed to come up with a story that a family member had passed away and that she now had to stay another TWO WEEKS for the wake and the burial! Amazing how that dead body stayed well-preserved for 3 weeks....

I just realized how difficult it was to not have a nanny around, and have to work full-time still! Good thing I had the help of my loving hubby, my mom and my officemates, who more than willing offered to take turns in playing with Keira while I tended to Nicky and the other concerns in the house. But realizing after a few days that I couldn't go out on meetings if I had the baby with me, I had to resort to hiring a part-time caregiver. It was a very expensive decision, but it was the only option I had. It was difficult at first to leave my baby with a total stranger, seeing that Keira was also uncomfortable being held by a newcomer. But because the lady was a trained caregiver and had nursing skills gave me more confidence to let go and to let her do her own thing. It did help that the caregiver was also nursing a baby of her own, so taking care of mine was not a new thing to her. It only took a day for Keira and her to become fast friends. Because I finally had the chance to turn over the baby-sitting duties, I was now in a hurry to catch up on all my past due client deadlines. I had so much to finish that I had no time to blog.

My caregiver left last Friday and it was a sad farewell (haha, sentimental!) because she grew quite fond of Keira, and we all enjoyed her company as well. She was an angel sent to us at the perfect time, and I am just so thankful that there are people who are available to help out in times like these. My "nuisance" nanny is back (I shall refer to her as such until I get over what she did), and things in the household are slowly going back to normal. I now realized how much change can happen just three weeks in the life of a baby by how long a list the nanny had to make to keep track of Keira's new developments and feeding schedules (Keira was not eating solid foods yet when she left!). I am hoping Keira will be able to adjust back to a new caretaker, and hopefully will not need to meet a new one any time soon. Right now I am happy that I can get my much needed rest back and hopefully have the time to blog again.

Till next post! :-)

Thankful Thursday: REFLECT, REFRESH, RESTORE

I am thankful that we had a whole week "vacation" to commemorate the passion of Christ (what we call Holy Week here). It gave us a week to REFLECT, REFRESH and RESTORE our minds, hearts and spirits. Below is a glimpse of how the Lord allowed me to rest, reflect on my life and my service to Him, and to reconnect with people who are dear to me:

• ALONE AT BELLEVUE - I checked myself into a hotel overnight so that I can spend time alone. It was an amazingly wonderful experience! Not because I wanted to be away from my hubby and kids, but because I felt I needed to "find" myself again. I gave birth last Sept 28, and just after a week of recovering from a C-section I went back to work! Shocking? Yes. Because when you own a business like mine, you can't be away from it too long otherwise nothing will get delivered as scheduled. And I've been working straight from that time on till now. The stress and lack of rest (due to work, taking care of the baby, taking care of Nicky and Allan) has taken its toll, and I was almost on the brink of a burnout. The time out I took was indeed what I needed. I spent my whole stay at the hotel scrap booking (finished Keira's baby scrap book, finally!), reading a book while dining in a dimly-lit fine dining resto, watching TV till late night alone in a King-sized bed, having lunch by the pool and reading some more. It was great! I should do this more often. It gave me a chance to gather strength that I lost from months of un-rest, and enjoy being with myself again. I came home a happier and more complete woman :-)
• EASTER EGG HUNT - Bonding time with my son again! I brought Nicky to an Easter Egg Hunt at the AAV Country Club last Easter Sunday. It was extremely HOT that day (sweltering is the word!), but Nicky had fun, nonetheless.
  
  
  Nicky at the entrance of the club
  
  
  

The hunt begins!

• BLAST FROM THE PAST - I feel like I've lost touch with the outside world ever since I got pregnant and gave birth. My friend Don came home from the States for a visit, and it gave everyone the chance to meet up and reconnect with high school friends.