13th of December

This day is always very dear and special to me.
I was born on this day 35 years ago.
And 31 years after, it became extra special as I made a lifetime commitment with Dearest Husband.
Now at 35 years of age and 4 years married, life has never been so good.

 A lifetime vow in front of God

With friends and family to witness and share with our special day

And a picture perfect of a blushing bride getting married on her birthday!

Although I am not sure about my parents when they gave me away!

 Four years on and married life is just so beautiful especially with our beloved little girl.

On our first year anniversary, I was 7 months pregnant with little girl as we celebrated it with friends and family here in the UK.

On the second and third year, we were in sunny Philippines and celebrated it there with friends and family as well.

This year, it was more simple, relaxed and  intimate with just me and Dearest Husband together with our closest friends -Dearest Husband's best man and his wife (and  Little Girl's godparents as well).
We went to my favourite Famous Virgins and Castles Pub because of their heavenly Filipino food and of course some Filipino beer to accompany it.
It was a lovely evening and we all had a great time.

Thank you Red Horse beer for gracing our birthday/anniversary celebration.

And the following evening, I went out with my friends for our Girlie Christmas meal and drinks.
Talking about nursing a hangover 2 nights in a row.

And of course no birthday/wedding anniversary would be complete without a  perfect present from Dearest Husband.
In the past years it has always been  the perfect tote. (And this year is no exemption either).
Louis Vuitton bags in the first 2 years and a Michael Kors matching handbag and purse last year.
But this year, I would say it is the ultimate bag. I was even shocked myself.
It was more than I could have wished for! (and it arrived  11 days early).

Lanvin Kentucky Leather tote. Now you know why!

On the day of my birthday, Dearest Husband extra treated me to a shopping day.
This, he said will be my Christmas presents and should not be used until after Christmas.
Well, that remains to be seen as I already used the first item when I went out last night.

Christmas present #1 - Michael Kors Hamilton Stud Quilt shoulder flap.

And Christmas present #2  - Ugg Lynnea boots

Although I originally eyed the tall boots ( unfortunately no available size for me) but this one is just perfect as well especially in this freezing weather. It is also very versatile as can be worn up or down.

There we go, another great and blessed year to be thankful for despite the challenges we had to endure this year.

Have a lovely and warm weekend everyone.

I love to...

I love to shop for my own presents.  I figured it will make life easier for my very busy husband, and I don't ever have to get disappointed on "his" gift choices.  This year, I had much to celebrate about, but did not get the chance to reward myself.  I was not able to attend my graduation, as my baby decided to pop out 3 days prior to the ceremony.   I did get my "push" present, which I am very satisfied with.  I love, love our new family car.  Except...it is one big, gas guzzler! urgh.  so bad for the planet.  

So I am not one to forget to remind my hubby that I missed out on a graduation present.  He asks me for what I want, and I tell him that I got it already.  He knows that line too well. It means, I am letting him know that I purchased his present for me.  As is usually the case with every single one of my presents. I buy, he pays. 

This time, I didn't go too crazy with my purchase as I know Christmas is coming up and the bills tend to add up.  Not to mention that I also already ordered  my Christmas present.  If there is anything that my DH knows and trusts me with is the fact I am one gal who always spend my money wisely.  Like buying when there is a good deal.  I won't probably get to wear this recent purchase until spring or summer but I don't mind keeping them in my closet.  I love Tory Burch.

Congrats to me!

Tory Burch Caroline flats in navy

 tory burch flip flops

I only got 20% off but this brand rarely go on sale so I have to get them.  I love seeing a package waiting for me on my front door.  Who doesn' t? :P

Christmas is Truly Upon Us Now!

With just 4 weeks to go, the advent of the Festive Season is truly upon us now.
Therefore it is just fitting to get Christmassy - and what better way to start doing it than through Christmas home decorating!
For weeks I've busied myself preparing for this most anticipated time of the year.
As soon as we've decided we are not going to the Philippines this December, I immediately started my shopping on Christmas decors - this was as early as the beginning of September.
I am excited. Dearest Husband and even Little Girl are both excited as well.
You see, this will be our first Christmas in England as a family as the past 2 Decembers we were in the Philippines.
This means, this will be our first time to decorate our house as a Christmas family home.
The last time we'd put up our tree and rest of the decorations was 3 years ago - while still pregnant with my little girl.
After that, the few days leading to December was always about getting ready for our Philippine holiday and we don't return until after the New Year's where obviously everything's back to normal.
And as I've promised in my last post, here are a few snaps of our Christmas ready home.
It took me a week to get into this stage of completion.
And we've opted for the red and gold colour scheme.
Here is our tree taking the center stage of our front room.
Put up at 37 days to Christmas, it is indeed a red and gold vision of the Festive Season to come.

Mummy's little helper- eagerly posing with her first ever Christmas tree!

And our fireplace is Christmas ready as well

A closer look at our mantelpiece

And some Christmas cushions to add more to the festive feeling

Our front room is indeed Christmas ready!

And our dining room too, had a Christmas transformation

Even our kitchen has a few touches of Christmas - with some Christmas ornaments on top of our kitchen cabinet and a poinsettia plant by our kitchen sink.

And with this sight, I have no doubt Santa has no way of missing our home when he does his usual Christmas rounds. Our front entrance at night.

Even our downstairs toilet sign had a Christmas make over as well !
(I know it's a bit over the top but I am pretty sure you can all forgive me for this - after all, it's Christmas !)

And with just 30 days left to Christmas, I am now at the start of writing my Christmas cards.
Then Christmas shopping next - the most exciting part !

What about you?  Have you done any Christmas decorating yet?
Where are you now in your Christmas preparations?

Good night everybody!

Christmas is coming up!

I get so excited when the Holidays get here.  Thanksgiving was very special for us this year, we have so much to be grateful for.  Good health, new baby, passing my board exams, new job and a happy family! It was a great time to celebrate all of it at once.

The day after Thanksgiving was my DH's birthday, being the simple man that he is, all he asked for was for me to make him his favorite food.  Fresh mozzarella eggplant parmesan! It took me almost two hours to make it, what with all the breading that I had to do to each slice.  But it was well worth it!  Here's my happy man.

Happy 38th birthday!

Of course, we have to put our Christmas decorations up right after Thanksgiving.  We all helped putting it out while the Christmas songs played in the background.  It was a wonderful way to spend quality time with the family.

Madison gets to put up the star on top of the tree

Our ornaments always has something special for the year

A grumpy reindeer we have here

Now Jackson gets his own stocking!

She was so happy to find the candy canes she can eat

Now I have to watch out for this kid...she will eat all the candy canes in no time!

When we were done, I had to get down on the computer to try to get some good deals from the Black Friday sale.  I told hubby that I will start looking for his Christmas present for me! It wasn't too long before I get an email for the private sale at Gucci that I finally found a perfect present.  I guess it's going to be another purse for me. hahaha

Now you know why I love the holidays so much...I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday!

French Children Don't Throw Food

 

 

 

My husband and I have different approach when it comes to parenting. I feel like my love (husband) is more strict than I do, he treats and talk to Yves like an adult. I felt that Yves is too young to understand these things (Reminder: he will just be 2 months old this 19 November, dah!)

But as the days go by, I noticed that Yves is well-behave when his father is around, they will play and I can see that my bebe is enjoying his time with his dad. So, I let my husband take charge when he is at home which means when he is feeding Yves and he started to cry, I try not to run and asked, what happened? please do this and do that...I totally try to leave them alone and have my ME time or do some household chores...and what's the outcome? sometimes I feel like Yves can understand us like an adult and slowly he can sleep on his own, he plays alone while we eat our dinner and I can sleep longer.  It's not all the time like this but I have faith that it will be better as he grows older.

Nowadays, French parenting is on blogs, in discussions and in books that are on bestseller lists.
They said that the French are raising happy, well-behaved children without all the anxiety. So to learn more about it as well understand my husband, I got this book.

I got this e-book from SKOOB

Some basic points from this book that I agree

• Children should say hello, goodbye, thank you and please. It helps them to learn that they aren't the only ones with feelings and needs.
• When they misbehave, give them the "big eyes"—a stern look of admonishment.
• Allow only one snack a day. In France, it's at 4 or 4:30.
• Remind them (and yourself) who's the boss. French parents say, "It's me who decides."
• Don't be afraid to say "no." Kids have to learn how to cope with some frustration.
• Learn how to wait
• Play on their own

so I still have a lot of reading to do...  In my opinion all these things are just a sound basis for understanding the interesting relationship between parents and children.  The perfect mother doesn't exist.  So the most important thing is just enjoy and have fun being a mom.

Just a short video of Mommy and Yves playtime..
http://youtu.be/0JGNNHOeNRA



 

Here's My Promise

Jackson Reid at 2 weeks old getting his first photo shoot.  I figured we will never be able to keep him this tiny for long so might as well document it with pictures.  Enjoy!

I'm dreaming of milk 

Don't wake me up!

I sleep like an angel

Are we done yet?

 I love you my darling boy!

Can't help to say Hi

I should not be online right now...but I need a break and I want to say Hi.  I missed out on posting for Halloween, so here's some pictures until I get back.

Summer was fun! But here comes Fall...

To the Pumpkin Patch!

Getting ready for Face painting

Very serious Tinkerbell

The Not so Happy Pumpkin

Already eating her way through her loot while Trick or Treating

Happy Fall everyone!:)

All about Yves

 

While bags and shoes are nice, I am beginning to see why a baby is worth so much more!

I'm one of those parents who can't stop posting pictures of their kid.

 

 

 

Playtime with my Yves

take 1

take 2

Meet my adorable Yves!

Sorry for not updating my blog, I have been busy with my sweet little angel.
After 39 weeks and 6 days of waiting and a long labor I finally meet him..

Meet my little angel, Yves Sarte Leonard
born last 19 September 2012 at Raffles Hospital Singapore
3640 gm, 49cm



 

 

I really can't stop looking at him and look how adorable this little dude is.
He is just the cutest little thing ever. Plus he looks like me.

Yesterday, Yves just turned one month old, according to Chinese customs, a baby's first month birthday calls for a celebration. So, we have a simple dinner with few friends to celebrate his one month birthday. 

Yves making a wish!

All I can say is that having him in our life is the most amazing, beyond words that’s ever happened to us..

My Baby Story: Jackson Reid

It's been a little over a week since my family welcomed our new bundle of joy into this world.  Amidst the sleepless nights, anxiety over waiting for my breast milk to come, struggling over diaper changing and worrying over how my 5 year old DD's sensitivities, I can still say that the excitement hasn't been weaned out of our system.

On September 26th we were scheduled for an induction at 5 am in the morning due to the previous ultrasound studies showing that my little guy ain't so little.  At 37 weeks he was showing to be almost 8 lbs in utero! As he was larger than gestational age and because of my history of bladder trauma with my first born child, the doctor thought it best to have a scheduled induction at 38 weeks. 

The day came and my little one was not having it, he decided to come out on his own three hours before my scheduled procedure.  We rushed to the emergency room at 2 am in the morning and found out I was already 6 cm dilated. 

Here's some pictures to document another one of the happiest moments of our life.
Here I am after the epidural was given to me, I don't think I would have been able to manage without it, let alone smile for the camera.

About an hour after I pushed this big guy out

At exactly 8:48 am,  Jackson Reid was born at 8.13 lbs and 21.5" tall.   Thank goodness he decided to come out early as even my OB was surprised with his size considering his early arrival.  There was an urgency to push him out after my bag of water showed a thick green tinge showing that meconium might have been swallowed by the baby.  I counted about 10 pushes and this precious child came out of me screaming vibrantly, much to everybody's relief.

I'm a wild child

Daddy and Big sister was so happy to meet him

My darling daughter wanted to wear this to school the next day to show off to everybody

My close friend DZ was in town from New York and came by to meet her new godson. 

Hello Ninang!

 She came with some treats which made me such a happy camper.

Mango cake from Red Ribbon 

I was probably really hungry or I'm just one of a few people who does not mind hospital food

Yay, we are going home!

 At home, our great friend Nelly came by the house to meet Jacks.

Auntie Nelly with Jacks

Within only a week, a roller coaster of events has happened.   Even with nine months of expecting this baby, I was not prepared for the difficulties of introducing a new child into our family.  Five years is indeed a long time as I struggled to find my way around a newborn.  I could not even buckle the baby right on his car seat.  I still wonder, how could I have forgotten the hardship of burping a baby after each feeding? the fear of leaving a swaddled infant in his crib all by himself? How am I suppose to bath him on my own? How does one change a diaper without being peed at?lol. 

I have so many questions and I count myself so lucky to be in this place where I know my worries will pass with each moment that I get to spend with this angel in our life.

And what mother's heart would not melt when you see this stunning vision of your children? 

Bonding with big sissy

 I am so blessed indeed.