Caitlin turns 1, the birthday party

The happy birthday girl.

The pictures are in, and they tell the story of how Caitlin's first birthday party went - from the do-it-yourself (DIY) decorative pompoms, home-made cake to the teacher-led games for the little ones, boy, were we exhausted!

The Gymboree party did not start until 4:30 pm on April 29, but I was already making the pompoms, souvenirs and game prizes for the kids weeks ahead at home. A day earlier, I spent it baking the cake while Caitlin was away with her grandparents.

On the party day itself, I woke up early to decorate Caitlin's cake with fondant so I can already relax.

Meanwhile, Jay was the busy bee preparing spaghetti and then packing them in carton food boxes.

It was a DIY birthday party of sorts. We weren't driven by costs, but by sheer desire to provide Caitlin something we made ourselves. It was labor of love the way we understand it.

But as her party drew near, Jay and I knew that we would not do it again. The preparation did not stop from the planning, sourcing vendors and caterers, and coordinating with them on the day of the party because we were also part of the catering and event styling.




DIY party pompoms.

But it all worked out. The one-hour lead time that we've allotted was more than enough for us to put everything in place - many thanks to my brother Dino who pinned all the pompoms to the ceiling, a task I thought was for me to do at three months pregnant! Jay's eldest brother Michael also helped with the hauling of our stuff from home to the mall. And who would deny the friendly and courteous guard at the mall as well as the staff of Gymboree? They were all very helpful to us.

So when every decor, cocktail, cake, and gift tables were set by 4:00 pm, we started relaxing.

But as the guests began arriving one by one, the birthday girl who was coming with her grandparents was still nowhere in sight!

It was past 5:00 pm when we saw her and because there were already a lot of people, it did not occur to me to nurse her first before we begin with the teacher-led activities. So by the time we were on the play floor, she was not as active or smiley as she usually is at home. I think a lot of factors played, too, from the many new faces, foreign environment to the lack of sleep and snack.





Playing on her own this time.

Her mood lightened after dinner as she was playing with our helper. Finally, she was all smiles and our photographer Lianne Bacorro captured it. What any parent would want for his or her child is for him or her to be happy. So the birthday party that we planned ideally for a one-year-old came to be - a happy child discovering and practicing her motor skills in a safe environment.


As for everything else, Jay and I couldn't be happier. The guests were inquiring about our caterer for the food and even the styling of the place that we had to tell them several times how we made a lot of them ourselves. Also, Abi Ong of Forks and Beans supplied a wonderful treat of chicken and salmon sandwiches with potato salad on the side while my mom provided the fried chicken which we packed together with the pasta.


Although my co-blogger Raquel Chua could not make it because Sam was sick, Daddy Jon came over with her freshly-baked red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were a hit, and so was my cake which made all my hard labor pay off.





L-R: Raquel's red velvet cupcakes and my home-made lemon cake with fondant.



It was a day to remember, and another wonderful story to tell Caitlin of how we spent her first birthday when she is old enough to ask for stories. Despite agonizing over how her party will turn out to be with all our hands-on participation, we could not imagine having it any other way.

But please don't ask me yet whether we'll do it again for baby number two. Planning a child's first birthday is not as easy as it seems.

For now, let me continue to savor the milestone that Caitlin has achieved and how we are blessed to have celebrated it in the company of close family and friends.



- Mommy Smiley

PS: All photos posted here were taken by Lianne Bacorro.






DIY souvenirs for the kids. The boxes were filled with chocolates.





Abi Ong's sandwiches and salad.



Gymboree's table setting for the kids.






Gymboree mascot.



With mommy and daddy at the play floor.




Playing with daddy.



Matt and colors.



Caitlin on a toy horse.

Siblings Pillar and Tommy at play.




Caitlin wondering what's happening.



We are happy as can be!



Jump!



Bubbles everywhere.



The famous Gymboree parachute.

Caitlin turns 1!

The birthday girl.




The older kids at play.

More arts play.



Older kids' art works.

What's important is that she had fun on her first birthday party.

Caitlin turns 1, a birthday party preview

All boxed up and ready to go. After a day's work, I finally finished the birthday girl's cake!


Caitlin's first birthday party will push through today. We had to move it from last week to allow her to heal from baby measles (roseola infantum). She's now well and we pray that she'll enjoy her Gymboree party this afternoon.


- Mommy Smiley

Breastfeeding: one year on

Breastfeeding: day 1.

When asked about the first word that came to mind about breastfeeding, I answered "natural." Women have been giving birth and nursing their children since time immemorial. I believe that breastfeeding is normal, a natural course of event, and is expected of mothers.

No one in the first and only breastfeeding support group I attended shared my thoughts. Even as I look back now, I realize that the breastfeeding moms who were there also do not view breastfeeding anywhere near "natural."

When I finally nursed Caitlin, I realize that my expectations have been misplaced. My belief that breastfeeding as a natural course of life for women is now in the remote past.

I learned that the practice has been lost to a lot of women and mothers today. I, myself, was not breastfed long enough for my mom to know what to expect when you are breastfeeding. So this is also why breastfeeding support groups are very important. Without them, it's too easy to fall into the trap of feeding your child formula thinking that you do not have enough breastmilk to give. Without them, it's too easy to give up at the first sign of nipple tenderness thinking that it will only get worse. Without them, it's too easy to give up breastfeeding all together because of the many interrupted sleeps thinking that you'll never sleep tight again with a baby suckling from you.  

There is a wealth of knowledge in books and internet about breastfeeding, but nothing will comfort you best than a loved one or a fellow breastfeeding mom.

If I wasn't nearly due, I would have attended the succeeding meetings and stayed longer to bond and learn more from the breastfeeding moms in attendance. It could have saved me the embarrasment of talking to complete strangers, as if I have no other family and friends to help me, about what I am doing wrong and how to correct my breastfeeding booboos. They could have told me how silly the word "natural" is to breastfeeding and explain why. I would have learned the proper latch, ways to prevent nipple injury and engorgement. Or, simply, tell me how my life would completely change and revolve around the time when my baby feeds from me.


Many thank yous


My determination and perseverance to continue breastfeeding Caitlin would have been nothing if it weren't for my husband Jay, a total stranger and now friend Cha Antinero, breastfeeding advocate Miann Reyes-Oblea, a college friend and mom-of-two Mara Evangelista, and my co-blogger Raquel Chua.

Thank you for all the virtual pats in the back and you-can-do-its. I share my one-year breastfeeding milestone with you, and I am sure that Caitlin is thanking you, too.

Breastfeeding: Day 366. (Because 2012 is a leap year).

- Mommy Smiley



Caitlin turns 1, a poem

My dad composed a poem for the birthday girl who's sick on her big day. Get well soon, anak.

---

SMILIN' LITTLE CAITLIN

At twenty thousand feet enroute to Calgary

I pull a faithful companion from my hand carry

An iPad that conveniently stores

Photos of her who is so pure.

Browsing from page to page I see

Countless images of a smiling baby

Whose absolute beauty from head to toe

Is unequalled by the snow capped Rockies below.

From angelic poses on a chair

To one with a coiled towel on her hair

To proudly showing her two front teeth

Her charm will drive you to your death.

From yoga stance from bed to floor

To a drunken walk towards the door

To a grin that wrinkles her nose

Seeing them you will never ever doze.

From a perplexed stare at grass so green

To gazing at balloons flying to the beams

To wearing a new dress Mommy sewed

Forever to these photos you will be glued.

What more I ask if in person I see

Hug, kiss and cuddle this amazing baby?

My heart will leap I imagine it to be so

For my granddaughter is irresistible and true.

By: Bernie B. Julve

12 April 2012, South Western Canadian Skies

---

And here's a picture countdown of Caitlin Audrey's first 12 months.

0. Day 2 at the hospital.

1 month. Wearing the kimono I sewed her.

2 months. Smiling, happy baby.

3 months. Bringing her hands together for the first time.

4 months. Sitting on her own.

5 months. She found her feet.

6 months. Peek-a-boo.

 

7 months. Standing on her crib.

8 months. Happily eating her greens.

9 months. Rocking the froufrou onesie with matching headband that I sewed her.

 

10 months. Ears pierced.

 

11 months. Stroll in the park.

12 months. April 19, 2012. Sick with thrush. =(

- Mommy Smiley

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

How to to get your infant a Philippine passport

Infants as young as six months old can already acquire their own passports. So when your child turns six months, add to his or her many milestones his or her very own Philippine passport.



Here's how you can do it.  

Go to the Department of Foreign Affairs' website and download the Philippine ePassport Application Form. Alternatively, you can seek the help of your trusted travel agent to do it for you.


The requirements:

1. Certificate of live birth, NSO certified (original copy)
2. Certificate of marriage, NSO certified (original copy)
3. Passport of parents
4. Application fee of Php1,200
5. Umbrella and fan (because it could get really hot)
6. Letter of your confirmed appointment


*NOTE: Make sure that you have an appointment before going to DFA office.




We got Saffron's passport the next day.




Also, have your child wear something decent because he will be photographed. Look at how I dressed up Saffron!

Saffron wore Gap onesie with long sleeves, mothercare pants, and necktie.

Saffron and I lounge at S & R while waiting for our appointment. S & R offers free parking to its customers. Thank you very much S & R! (S & R is a membership grocery. You need to be a member in order to get in. But you can always ask for a day pass. Just be sure to have your parking ticket validated.) 

Here is Saffron's passport. Cutie!

Meanwhile, if you are not in a hurry to get your child a passport, wait for the opening of DFA's consular services at SM North Edsa and SM Megamall. It may be convenient that way as there were a lot of persons inside the DFA Manila office - young and old alike, and some were even sick. Also, there's no room for you to change your little one, and for a breastfeeding mom like me, there's no alloted place where I may be able to feed Saffron. So, that's also a shout-out to DFA: consider your customers, especially those with children. Please provide the parents with a place where we can change our babies and breastfeed them when needed. Thank you.

- Mommy Raquel

Just keep walking

Caitlin has discovered the joy of walking and hardly keeps to her stroller anymore. She now sees the world at a different angle and her eyes sparkle at the sight.  

(see full image)

- Mommy Smiley

All rise

One day, she's lying down on her bassinet. The next, she's sitting comfortably on her own. Then she's standing by herself. Pretty soon, she'll be walking on her own and I'll be all teary-eyed as she waves me goodbye for school.

Caitlin has been practising standing by herself since Christmas.

- Mommy Smiley

Feeding your baby

Caitlin began eating solids more than a week after she hit her sixth month. I would have wanted it sooner but she got sick and her pedia adviced that we clear her of phlegm first. Otherwise, she might find it difficult swallowing and turn the whole eating experience unpleasant.

Her first food were mashed banana and breastmilk. She devoured it happily. We then moved on to mashed carrots, squash, papaya, avocado, sweet potato, potato, melon, honey dew, and sayote, following the three-day rule. That is, introducing new food every three days to check for any allergy.

Eating solids for the first time. Mommy's the photographer as usual.

We found it hard trying to get her to eat carrots. We literally had to cheer her on everytime. But she liked it eventually.

The story wasn't the same for potatoes. For every spoonful she took in, she would spit half of it, despite our encouraging cheers.

So for her next potato experience, I added something else. I sauteed a bit of chopped onions in butter, added skinless and seedless tomatoes, cheese, and put in the mashed potato. She loved it.

I have also served her cooked chicken with onion and sweet potato sauteed in butter.

I got all the recipes from Annabel Karmel's Top 100 Baby Purees.

I taste everything that I serve her first to make sure that it's not only edible, but also delicious.

I then tried a new approach and gave her cucumber sticks after she finished her mashed honey dew. The idea came to me when I saw Mommy Raquel with baby Sam eating finger food.

It looked like a wonderful experience for Caitlin, but I was a scared mommy. Because Caitlin already has four teeth at that time, she can gnaw her cucumber sticks. On a few occasions, she bit big chunks that I had to open her mouth and take it out for fear that she might choke on it.

Looking like an expert eater.

That's how happy she looked while eating on her own.

Later on, she was gumming the cucumber sticks and that felt more safe. The best part of it all was the fact that she was chewing and swallowing the whole time. When we feed her mashed food, she seldom chews and swallows the whole thing immediately.

On her eight month, I let her feed herself steamed broccoli florets and minced chicken for lunch. It looked exciting for her, but it continued to be a frightening one for me. See gagged everytime she swallowed a floret. But on her third try, she seemed to learn what to do and took her sweet time chewing until she swallowed it bit by bit.

During dinner, I wasn't as scared although I was still on my toes. The worst part of it was the mess. There were bits of chicken down her diapers. Don't ask me how it got there.

Happily eating.

Got food?

There are no more mashed or pureed food for her, but it is now mostly cut up into pieces. Once in a while, we let her feel her food. But since she does not put it in her mouth (unlike most her toys), we still spoon-feed her and she likes it that way. As she gets older, I know we should be letting her eat on her own. One day, anak, when mommy's ready, ok? =)

- Mommy Smiley