52 Week Project – Page 2

46/52: Counting the Days

December 18, 2014July 21, 2020 RhizaLeave a comment

Photographs of our twin daughters, once a week, every week, this 2014.

And so it began, the last few photo sessions with that wall in the background. We didn’t have an open garage in our new place, which means we have to take them outside the compound to get some sunlight. I’m really missing that open space, although with a bigger space inside the house, I doubt if the girls notice the difference.

A quick update on the twins’ milestones: Rain loves playing ball, and Dawn loves playing on puddles. Rain likes conversations, and Dawn communicates better through songs (so yes, we have to sing quite a lot around here). Where are the premature babies we took out from the hospital some two years ago, we always find ourselves asking. The days are slow, but the years are like, gone in a blink.

To be continued.

More about Project 52 here. View all posts in this blog series here.

45/52: Apartment Hunting

December 18, 2014July 21, 2020 RhizaLeave a comment

Photographs of our twin daughters, once a week, every week, this 2014.

(This post has been waiting in the drafts for a while, and so are the last few backlogs of my 52 week project. And they’re all coming out today. Let’s do this.)

Sometimes, you find a new house to move in to, sometimes, it finds you. Finding this new place was a faith journey in itself. It began with fervent prayers, progressed with one affirmation after another, culminated in some leaps of faith, and voila, we found our new home. (Or it found us.)

Let’s just say, we were caught in a situation where we had no choice but to move. On top of that, the girls are getting bigger, and our old place was starting to feel like it was getting smaller. Moving to a bigger house was inevitable.

And so it went on for months, hunting for an apartment, asking around for referrals, browsing online listings, walking around the neighborhood and searching for random “Apartment for Rent” ads, computing costs, praying, waiting. It wasn’t until the first week of November that, walking around our neighborhood, the Lord lead us to a signage that brought us to this apartment we now call “home”.

A snap from my camera, the girls checking out the new house, trying it for size.

It was love at first sight, I have to say; and that’s saying a lot considering how many apartments we viewed prior to this one. We immediately expressed interest, and the owners were kind enough to give us two weeks to decide, reserve the place, even when many others were also checking it out.

It has been quite a ride, these past two months. Terrifying, too, if I might add. But with a new apartment waiting for us, we had to say good bye to the place where we, the four of us, first became a family. Which means we also had to say good bye to that wall in the garage, the background to more than half of the twins’ photographs this past year. Saying good bye to a wall, I know right. I’m sentimental like that.

To be continued.

More about Project 52 here. View all posts in this blog series here.

44/52: Little Women

November 16, 2014July 21, 2020 RhizaLeave a comment

Photographs of our twin daughters, once a week, every week, this 2014.

They turned two and suddenly they look like little people, as opposed to looking like babies. Sometimes I find myself intentionally calling them “baby”, enjoying the sound of the word while I can, still unable to grasp my head around how fast babies grow (and why they have to grow huhu).

Last Sunday they were wearing these pretty little shift dresses from their Lola Mama. I made them wear these gold Mary Janes we got from Landmark, and pulled their hair up with these floral hairpins I got from Forever21. Forever21, you guys. You know, that fashion brand for grownups? I stared at them in disbelief—even though it was totally me who picked what they were wearing—and wondered, why are my girls wearing shift dresses, and gold shoes, and hair accessories for grownups, and looking like little women?!

And then they started laughing hysterically, and singing Incy Wincy Spider, and dancing with their arms in the air, and shouting oh yeahs and hoorays, and running around like the whole garage was their world. Aww, my babies!

There there, little ones, your Mommy’s just a bit excited to dress you up but no need to grow up too fast. Let’s enjoy these years.

More about Project 52 here. View all posts in this blog series here.

43/52: Those Fleeting Moments of Bliss

November 12, 2014July 21, 2020 Rhiza3 Comments

Photographs of our twin daughters, once a week, every week this 2014.

These are photographs from three Saturdays ago, the day after their birthday. (It turned out to be a weekend-long celebration, yes.) We took our twin flower girls to Tagaytay for their Ninang Joni and *ehem* Ninong Deej’s wedding, and had an absolutely lovely time.

We made a pit stop at Starbucks (the one in Tagaytay that’s overlooking Taal.. it’s beautiful!) before heading to the wedding venue, and my brother managed to capture these rare picture-perfect, frame-worthy family portraits that are making my heart burst every time I stare at them.

Needless to say, It was a beautiful day to celebrate love, and family, and God’s goodness.

I planned to take lots of photographs of that day. We prepped the camera, cleaned up our SD card, brought two lenses. But our little bosses had other plans. They pulled us around, threw a bit of tantrum before they had to walk down the aisle, refused to wear their headdresses—you know, the usual toddler stuff. Which made it impossible to do anything else, much more to take pictures.

So we let go of the camera and just basked in the moment. (Which is exactly what you should do, Mommies, when you happen to be in the same situation. LET GO OF THE PLAN and JUST ENJOY THE MOMENT.)

Still, I’m so proud of the girls for managing to walk down the aisle before (oops) falling asleep the rest of the ceremony. Here are some photographs from my iPhone, and from Joni’s FB feed:

Thankfully, because it was a destination wedding, the venue had hotel rooms / casitas that were made available for the guests. We took the (sleeping) twins back to our casita, and D let me attend the wedding while he stayed with the girls. He knew I needed a moment to see Joni “go”.

I love this girl! Although we haven’t seen much of each other lately, it has been such a blessing to witness a bit of her life, and how the Lord has brought her and Deej together. Finally. After all these years.

I picked a spot under the trees and watched the wedding ceremony from afar. Listening to the Pastor’s message and seeing the joy on Deej and Joni’s faces, I can’t help but think, oh wow, their life is never going to be the same again!

It’s going to be crazy beautiful, and it’s also going to be challenging. There will be mess, and fights, and major adjustments. There will be drastic transitions from one phase to another—one moment you’re just a bride and a wife, the next moment you’re a caregiver to a needy newborn baby who’s going to change your life forever, and the next thing you know, you have to learn to be a parent to toddlers who drive you nuts. (Well, I haven’t reached the other phases yet so I’ll stop here.)

And then there will be moments that will make you shed tears of joy. Sometimes you get to capture these moments in photographs, and you’ll treasure these remembrances forever. But most times there won’t be photographs; just fleeting moments of bliss you’ll keep in your heart always; moments when you know you wouldn’t want your life any other way.

More about Project 52 here. View all posts in this blog series here.

42/52: Not-so-Terrible Twos

November 6, 2014July 21, 2020 RhizaLeave a comment

Photographs of our twin daughters, once a week, every week, this 2014.

As if those photographs from their second birthday were not enough, here’s more! These were taken after their birthday party, that’s why, yes, they’re still wearing their birthday dresses. :)

Rain, sweet Rain. This girl is full of antics and sweetness. Lately she likes playing “pretend sleep”. She would take her blanket and pillow, arrange them on the floor, lie down, say “night guys!” and close her eyes to (pretend) sleep. Often she would take a break from playing, come up to me or to her Daddy just to give us a hug or a kiss, and then go back to what she was previously doing. It’s totally random and soo heart-melting! And sometimes we would tell her to hug Dawn, and she would go to her sister and give her a hug and a bonus kiss. Such a sweetheart! <3

Dawn, our charming diva. This little girl practically learned to sing even before she started talking. She imitates dance moves and actions, and sings along whatever’s playing on TV. The first time she sang “I Cast All My Cares Upon You” (the whole song) on her own—it made me tear up. I mean, who sings “I Cast All My Cares Upon You” at 2 years old right? At night when the lights are out, we would hear her quietly singing to herself until she falls asleep. She rarely kisses us, but when she does.. let’s just say it makes up for all the times she won’t do it. :)

Dear Dawn & Rain, It’s been a blast being your Mommy and seeing you grow, and being around to witness your milestones. I used to be so scared of being a mommy, but thank you for making me brave, and for making this motherhood-thing all sorts of awesome. :)

More about Project 52 here. View all posts in this blog series here.

41/52: Happy, Blurry Memories, Just Before They Turned 2

October 29, 2014July 21, 2020 Rhiza1 Comment

Photographs of our twin daughters, once a week, every week, this 2014.

These photographs were taken the night before their second birthday, before they fell asleep and I had some time to myself. Not that it looked different from any other nights. This is how our days usually end, singing, dancing, rolling on the bed laughing. Lately it feels like we’re living in some Gag Reel. (Or we watch too much Friends lately?) These girls literally crack us up, I sometimes wonder if we make fun of them or they make fun of us!

I’m currently sifting through dozens of photos from their birthday weekend. I’ve got some serious Project 52 catching up to do. Will post more pics soon. :)

More about Project 52 here. View all posts in this blog series here.