Sneak peek at Saffron's 1st birthday party

I am so sorry I wasn't able to update you guys. I have been busy preparing for my son's 1st birthday. To be honest, I was extremely pressured during the preparations. 

Time flies by so fast. I am now getting emotional again. I can't believe that our son Saffron is now a year old. I can still remember how excited we were when we found out that I was pregnant, how scared we were when I experienced early contractions, and how excited and scared we were when Sam finally came out but more on that at a later post. 

So as Sam turned a year old, here's a sneak peek of the party we threw in honor of him. More pictures to come soon. =)

- Mommy Raquel

Happy Easter!

Let us rejoice for Jesus has risen. Take this time to bond with family, reflect and celebrate! Enjoy your weekend & be safe! Happy Easter everyone!

- Mommy Raquel, Daddy Jon and Baby Saffron Chua

Investing on a good car seat

 Here's our Sam well-behaved on his car seat.

We're heading south for some R & R (relaxation & reflection). When we're traveling, we always let Sam sit on his car seat. Better safe! You have to start them young with the car seat. Of all the car seats we checked-out, only Capella "tito" car seat can be used from three months up to seven years old. Really good buy. The Capella car seat is well padded and has a five-point harness.

- Mommy Raquel

UPDATED: Stretch marks-free on our pre-natal shoot and beyond

A couple of days from now, my Saffron will be turning one. I am getting all emotional this early. When still pregnant with him, I remember how worried I was about stretch marks and how my belly would look like during our pre-natal shoot.

I'm sharing with you guys our pre-natal shoot and brag, at the same time, about my smooth and stretch marks-free tummy.

Our pre-natal or maternity shoot was done by Jamie Lihan of Imaginenation FOR FREE! Lucky right!? We received this as a gift from Imaginenation which also served as our photographer during our wedding. Our shoot was done in its studio along Araneta Avenue.

The proud parents with our pakwan! Hahaha!

The little details. Did you notice the rabbit stuffed toy? We got it for free from Swatch, and I thought it was the perfect gift because Sam was born in the year of the rabbit.

So if you ask me, like most of my friends do, whether I have stretch marks on my tummy even after giving birth to Sam, I am proud to tell you that I have none. Here's my tummy. No photoshop here. It's all natural!

Pregnancy allowed me to clean my belly button. Hahaha!

So, what's my secret to a stretch marks-free tummy? Although some would argue that it's all about the genes, in my case genes would not help. You see when I was on my teens we have noticed stretch marks on my thigh part and knees. So I know that when I get pregnant I will sure get stretch marks on my belly.  

This is the proof that I have stretch marks on my knees, not from pregnancy but from puberty. 

Stretch marks on my inner-thigh again from puberty and not from pregnancy. 

I am just lucky that I am fair skinned, the marks are not too noticeable. 

While me were getting ready to get pregnant, I've asked my dear friend Malene from Canada to send me some Bio-oil, as soon as we knew we were pregnant we smothered it around my whole body. We have smothered Bio-Oil for the whole 6.5months until we can no longer get it. We then switched to Dr. Palmers Organic Stretch Marks Cream (not the lotion). And thanks to my husband Jon for helping me smother two very effective products on my tummy. I also didn't grow my nails and I always put on gloves at night - just in case I accidentally scratch my tummy. And these worked for me.

My husband helped me put on Bio-Oil and Dr. Palmers Organic Stretch Marks Cream on my tummy.

Dr. Palmers Organic Stretch Marks Cream and Bio-oil.

Here's a short description on the two products that I used. Please note, however, that results from use of these products vary from individual to individual.

Bio oil:

When the body expands faster than the covering skin, the skin tears, forming a scar as it heals. These scars are visible on the surface of the skin as stretch marks.

The likelihood of developing stretch marks varies according to skin type, race, age, diet and hydration of the skin. Those most prone to stretch marks include pregnant women, body builders, adolescents undergoing sudden growth spurts and individuals who experience rapid weight gain.

Stretch marks are permanent in nature, and although Bio‑Oil is formulated to help improve their appearance, it can never remove them.

Bio‑Oil should be massaged in a circular motion into the stretch marks, twice daily, for a minimum of 3 months. During pregnancy, it should be applied from the start of the second trimester to areas that are prone to stretch marks such as the abdomen, breasts, lower back, hips, buttocks and thighs.

Results will vary from individual to individual.

Dr. Palmer's:

Palmer’s Organics Massage Cream for Stretch Marks helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks, naturally. A special combination of Cocoa Butter, Aloe, Vitamin E, Soybean Oil, Collagen and Elastin lubricates the skin, helping retain its natural elasticity and moisture.

Made with organic ingredients this Palmers product is:
* Paraben Free
* Propylene Glycol Free
* Mineral Free
* Cruelty Free
* Support Fair Trading Farming

Up until now, I still use Bio-oil on my skin (which my sister who is based in Canada supplies me with).
Unfortunately, it's not available for sale in stores in the Philippines. You can, however, find online sellers who may have stocks of this product.

- Mommy Raquel

Pregnant again

Pregnancy test kit taken on February 28.

When the pregnancy test kit came out positive one Tuesday morning, the first words that came to me was: "Oh no!"


A few minutes later, my husband Jay peeked inside our bathroom door with a grin on his face while I was still transfixed and caught in between that state of awe and shock.


Awe at another miracle of life and shock at the suddenness of it.


Hands on both my red and hot cheeks, I told him it's positive. And even though it was Jay that I was talking to, I believe that I sounded more like a panicked teenager than a married mother of one.


There were too many things on my mind all at the same time.


Wow. Another baby. Could it be a boy? Oh, I hope it's a boy this time. But Caitlin's not even a year old yet. I want to continue breastfeeding her. I am not ready to wean. She's still not ready to wean. Would pregnancy be a problem? What about tandem breastfeeding? How do we tell Caitlin that she's going to have a sibling soon? Has my body already recovered from my previous pregnancy? What will my labor be like this time? Will I still have time for myself and my hobbies with two children to take care of? Educational plans are costly.


To all these, Jay replied with a hug. I didn't even notice that I was talking out loud.


We checked with my OB-Gyne later that day. The ultrasound confirmed the pregnancy, but it did not capture any cardiac activity. So we were told to wait for another two weeks.


Unlike my previous pregnancy which felt like a breeze, I feel all sort of stomach aches, hunger pangs, headaches, and even acne outbreaks this early with this one. My tummy also gets too round when I am full and flat again when I am not. With my first pregnancy, I had to wait for five months before the visible bump showed and Jay didn't hear me complain even as I felt the contractions come in (I chose to be productive then).


Two weeks later, the ultrasound caught a heartbeat as my husband and Caitlin looked on. Eight weeks and three days, the sonographer told us on Mar. 16, and due on Oct. 23. It would have been more surreal had the sonographer let us hear the baby's heartbeat. Hearing it for the first time is like your child happily greeting you. It makes your heart melt and your eyes wet. But it must have been her time of the month so she was that mean despite my repeated requests.


As we leave the hospital, it still hasn't sunk in yet - even as the nightmares and cravings have returned, even as my tummy bulged, even as my husband kissed my belly and talked to his "son."


I am happy, although it didn't show much because I am scared too. I think I am more scared now than the first time because I've felt the pain and soreness of labor, delivery, and newborn care. Suddenly, I felt tired all over again due to disrupted sleep.


But through all these emotions is a husband who acts like an anchor, keeping me grounded and making me feel secure.


It will be different this time with Caitlin around, we know that. But just as I start to think about how difficult it could be, Jay reminds me of our beautiful blessing.


Our family of three is growing. Caitlin will have a playmate - something that we'd always hoped for. I am not getting any younger and another child at 30 is better than five years later. The experience of lamaze during labor is still fresh to us, and for Jay, the routine of checking in at the hospital and paying the bills.


The shroud of mystery and uncertainty brought in by the first born had been unlocked. I am more confident at breastfeeding now than when I was starting with Caitlin. For the many instances that we've relied on our instincts to take care of our first born, now we have the wisdom of that experience.


Thinking about the baby's gender, personality, how he or she would look like, and the many milestones he or she would achieve make me anxious and excited to meet our new bundle of joy.


Besides, if there is anything more wonderful than watching a child sleep, it's watching two!


---


PS: I've written this entry weeks ago, but decided to time it's publishing today - a Holy Thursday. Same time last year, Jay and I were on our way home from the hospital with Caitlin and I've never been more scared in my life. It will only be just us two at home with a baby. There will no longer be a buzzer to press and call for a nurse to help us figure out her cries and discomforts. There will be no parents to share their vast experience with infants by our side. It will only be just the three of us, and I still recall how I asked my mom-in-law to stay with us even for the night as my husband quietly listened, sharing the same fears that I have without telling me. She didn't stay, and it was just us three for the whole of Jay's paternity leave. And surprisingly, we survived without any need to call for emergency to our relatives or rush to the hospital. Caitlin must have felt our fears and decided to go easy on us.


- Mommy Smiley

Playing with crayons

Caitlin has been practising her grip with pens and crayons for some time now. It may still be too early for that because she'll soon shove it in her mouth the minute you glance elsewhere. But since she's seeing me and her ate write, there's no stopping her from copying what we do. Best to watch over her instead of telling her she can't have her crayons yet, I think. Or better yet, we should get her a toy crayon made of plastic that she can safely chew on. Anyone knows where we can get that?

- Mommy Smiley

Shopping is more fun with breastfeeding stations around

Mommies, you don't need to cram inside smelly toilets or pay P10 for some luxury to change an irritable baby's diaper when at Shangri-la Plaza Mall. Just head to the mall's breastfeeding station at level 2, in between The Ramp and Planet Sports, and get that quiet nook that you need.


The breastfeeding station not only has two diaper changing mats but it also comes with outlets for pumping milk, a refrigerator to keep them cold, and a kettle for hot water to heat them up.


The room is very spacious and may accommodate up to five breastfeeding moms, all seated, at the same time.


And if nature's calling, the room is just adjacent to a ladies' toilet.


A clean and full baby and a refreshed mommy make for two very happy shoppers.


Thank you Shangri-la Plaza Mall!

Individual sofas.

Other amenities.

Two diaper changing stations.

Wash bins.

- Mommy Smiley

Jesus take the wheel

Watching a whole episode of American Idol on one of those rare days when Caitlin sleeps for a two-hour stretch suprised me. It was not because I had the time to watch, even just the replay, of a show from start to finish. Nor was it because I got glued to a show without switching from start to finish. But it was because I heard someone sang a song that touched me.


Carrie Underwood's rendition of Jesus Take the Wheel was still more superior than the AI contestant's version (whose name escapes me now). But I was glad that she sang it because it made me look up the song on You Tube and finally appreciate it in its fullness.


I've seen the video and heard the song before, but not with the same emotion as I have now.


It's a song about hard times and seeking refuge in a force more powerful than any of us combined.


The lyrics mentioned of a single mom with her baby on the backseat and then running an accident. As a mom, I know how tough it can get in taking care and being responsible for a little one. I can guarantee that there will be days that will break the most optimist of anyone. But just when you feel like you are about to crack - surrender and give it all up to Him. And you'll be surprised at how all things become possible with Him.


This Holy Week, may we all have the time for the important things in life such as family and faith.


- Mommy Smiley

Someone who makes {you} me happy

I'm on Instagram (raquelchua) and doing fatmumslim photo of the day. 

For day 04, it's someone who makes you happy.

Sharing with you guys my happiness: my two boys! The reason why I am happy. #photoadayapril

(see full image)

Upload your photo of the day #photoadayapril

- Mommy Raquel

Weekend getaway: Kidzville, Podium Mall

I have been to a lot of play places for kids. Going to them was my bonding time with my niece Ysabel and nephew Tristan. The common play places that I have gone to usually have slides and poolballs. But I discovered a better one just recently, and this time around, I went there to spend time with my Saffron.

Kidzville, located at the 4th floor of the Podium Mall, is huge, clean, and well-padded. The place is divided into three parts. The first part is a make-believe area where Kidzville created a whole town with a fire station, grocery store, clinic, bakery, and pastry shop. Here, the children can pretend to live or work in them.

Here's Sam enjoying the cash register. He likes things with buttons.

Sam riding a car for his size.

Thinking it was his walker, Sam got up while I was busy taking his picture until...

Ooopssss...

Sam went under. Mommy was helpless taking his pictures.

But he is fine, thank God.

Here's the grocery shop.

A stage where the kids may perform.

The cafe.

The fire and police station.

The barn.

The clinic.

And here's my favorite part, and the one that sold the place to me. Kidzville put a real car where your children can pretend to be a mechanic. I have not seen any play place with this yet.

One for the girls.

The second area features a play maze which is more for the toddlers and the more mobile children while the third part, a function room, may be booked for your child's birthday party.

The play maze.

Another view.

The function room.

Kidzville is located at the 4th floor of the Podium Mall.

Unlike the other play places that I have gone to, Kidzville is perhaps the most expensive. But what I like best about Kidzville are the toys. They are really nice, clean, and can cultivate the imagination of your kids. I say going there is worth every penny. Plus, if you want to avoid the crowd then head here!

- Mommy Raquel