Yesteryears – Page 7 – Chasing Dreams

What’s up, I’m 31

May 27, 2014May 27, 2014 Rhiza2 Comments

So I turned 31 last week, and as usual, it felt like it was the twins’ birthday instead. We spent a few hours at the mall with my Mom, had some sugar overdose at Vanilla Cupcake Bakery, and took lots of photographs.

There we were, our little party of five at Vanilla Cupcake, enjoying our happy food.

Chocolate Cream Pie for D, Salt & Caramel Cream Cheese for me, and two orders of Banoffee in a Jar (my favorite!) for my Mom and the twins. The girls love cupcakes, I reckon they’ve inherited my sweet tooth!

They’re learning to eat on their own too. Still a little messy but hey, no one’s complaining :)

On a totally related note, I love being able to celebrate birthdays with my Mom, especially now that I have this deeper understanding and appreciation of everything she went through to raise me. What most people don’t know is, my mom had a cardiac arrest giving birth to me. She delivered me c-section, had complications on the table, flat lined for a few seconds and was revived miraculously. I almost lived my whole life without a mother (and I probably wouldn’t have survived too without one!) but God has been so gracious to us, and now we’re here to tell the story. You can definitely say that May 21 is my Mom’s birthday too. Happy birthday to us, Mommy!

We passed by Cotton On Kids on our way home, and the girls excitedly posed by the window display.

Look at those faces and tell me: Can you feel my joy and my pride and my giddiness, being the Mommy of these two? I know I sound like a broken record, and I don’t care, and I still would keep saying it over and over—being a mommy is just plain.. awesome. These girls, and their Daddy whom I love so very much (really, I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else), are the best things that have ever happened to me in like, the history of ever. And celebrating birthdays and milestones with them is a blessing I just can’t stop thanking the Lord for.

Later in the afternoon, a few friends dropped by for a little (impromptu) pizza party, and much later, while the twins were asleep, my husband and I sneaked out to watch X-men (last full show!) with my sibs. As the night came to an end and I continued to ponder upon God’s goodness to me in the past 3 decades of my life, I knew that I wouldn’t have spent my birthday any other way.

What a happy birthday indeed. :)

His Birthday Always Feels Like It’s My Birthday Too

December 13, 2013December 29, 2013 Rhiza2 Comments

[Date backtracked: December 20, 2012]

David would often joke about the injustice with having a birthday that falls on a busy Christmas season. First, his birthday is always overshadowed by the Christmas festivities and people are often too busy to throw him a party (or to even remember that it’s his birthday). Second, and I think this is his major issue of all, his birthday gifts are also his Christmas gifts. Haha. Sorry, Daddy, that’s just the way it is.

But he’s just kidding, of course. Because we both love that his birthday falls on December. After all, Decembers and birthdays are the best times of the year to celebrate and reflect upon the year that has passed, and he gets to have them both in one go. Pretty much why his birthday always feels like it’s my birthday too.

Especially this year, when some freak predicted that the world was going to end the day after my husband’s birthday, and yet for us, it’s like it was just about to begin.

And especially now that our little family of two suddenly became four.

So he blew his birthday non-cakes: a Dark Cherry Sylvanna from Starbucks when midnight struck, and a stacked donut cake before we had dinner. Last year it was a pancake. David’s not a fan of cakes, and I always end up eating ALL the cake (literally!) when there’s one at home. I should probably learn to bake this year no, so I can make him a birthday cake and ~~eat it too~~ he won’t have a choice but to eat it too! Hmm. For his next birthday, maybe.

As the day ended, and plans for a dinner date was cancelled in favor of just staying at home with the babies, I whipped a quick dinner and the four of us camped out in front of the TV to watch a replay of the Miss Universe pageant. (There weren’t too many options that time.)

This is our life now, I couldn’t help but think.

Last year when we celebrated his birthday, we were clueless that he was going to be a Daddy this year. It’s been a momentous year with a lot of firsts and lasts, and a lot of surprises along the way. Here we are now with our two little girls, still marveling at God’s grand scheme of things.

As he unwrapped his birthday gift (which was also his Christmas gift, just as he expected), both of us were fully aware that his real gifts this year are ones which cannot be wrapped with paper and ribbons, and yet, they’re the best birthday/Christmas gifts ever.

What can I say? Happy birthday to us.

Angel + Ivy: There’s Something About New Yorkers

November 7, 2013August 6, 2022 Rhiza2 Comments

I cannot even begin to enumerate the differences between Ivy and me. Growing up, our friendship has always been based on our opposite personalities which either clashed comically or complemented perfectly. We were as different from each other as friends could ever be, but I love that in spite of the (many) differences, we always find a common ground to stand on.

And then we fell in love with New Yorkers

..and suddenly, we have so many things in common! To name a few, a screwed up body clock (always chasing Eastern Standard Time), a collection of souvenirs and merch from New York, empty Island Rose boxes stacked up in our bedrooms, birthday presents wrapped in Fedex packaging, long distance relationship woes, those dreams of potentially settling down in the same state in America.

If there’s one thing I get about Ivy and Angel’s relationship, it’s how, when God destines two people to be together, no distance or timezone or opposition—not even differences in culture—can stand in the way.

Love will always, always, win.

Today marks their first wedding anniversary, and I’m suddenly overflowing with joy right now like it was just yesterday.

On their wedding day, I couldn’t fit into my bridesmaids gown because of post-pregnancy weight gain. And my husband and I missed the wedding march because I was breastfeeding babies. Still we came in time to witness the joy, and the beauty, and the promises that were made.

A lot of discussions were put to an end that day. And a lot of prayers were answered too.

And God! God was glorified! Ohh, God was rightfully glorified that day, indeed. It’s weddings like this that you know God was behind everything, there’s just no denying it.

Around the time Ivy was organizing their wedding, I was too pregnant to be any help at all. But there’s one thing I knew I could do and am honored to have done—their wedding invitations!

When you’re friends with someone “since birth”, it takes a long time to get used to the fact that we’re ~~adults now~~ not kids anymore. I guess for that reason it makes sense that I waited a year to post this one. I realized (just now actually, LOL) that it took me a year to take this all in—

Ivy is married. She’s married! And she’s leaving anytime soon. (For the record, that last bit would take me another year to grasp.) I’m just glad that any form of separation from this girl is not permanent. I know, I just know, that we’ll always find each other.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Ivy & Angel. Your love story is legendary. We’re so blessed to have witnessed it front and center. We love you!

We Love Spinkie’s Bitbit the Rabbit

January 15, 2013January 15, 2013 RhizaLeave a comment

This post about Spinkie’s Bitbit the Rabbit was first published on ThisMommyLife.com.

When my husband and I were thinking about what to get our twins for their first Christmas, we both agreed that we won’t be giving them clothes. Newborns outgrow their clothes too fast; besides, they already have a LOT of clothes from their baby showers, enough to last them til they’re 2 years old!

And since these were their first Christmas gifts, we wanted to give Dawn and Rain something they’d be able to use for a long time, something we’d be able to carry with us wherever we go, and something that would look good in photographs!

After searching the web (and the malls!) for weeks, I came across these plush bunnies by Spinkie, they call them “Bitbit the Rabbit” and I knew then that we found the perfect gifts.

Spinkie’s Bitbit the Rabbit is available in some multiply and Facebook shops. We first chanced upon them in Numa Baby Store in E. Rodriguez. Sometimes, you’ll find Spinkie in bazaars too. But it’s only in Zalora that I was able to find stocks of this specific color, the Flamingo Pink Bitbit the Rabbit.

What I love about Spinkie’s Bitbit the Rabbit:

You can “bitbit” (carry) it wherever you go! Lol, I wonder if that’s why it’s called “Bitbit” in the first place. It’s small enough to fit your diaper bag or your hand carry, but big enough for your baby to cuddle.
It’s designed for newborns. It’s made of non-allergenic material which is safe for biting and snuggling. It’s even designed to help with teething and sleep assistance.
It’s pretty and it looks really good in photographs. Which is important to me because obviously babies won’t remember anything from their first two years, and it’s only through photographs that they’ll have a recollection of them. I want to be able to tell them when they’re older, “hey, those are your first Christmas gifts from Mommy and Daddy!” Here are some instagrams of our twins with their Spinkies:

It’s proudly Filipino made. While it originated in Singapore, Spinkie is the brainchild of Filipina mompreunuer, former beauty queen Mutya Laxa-Buensuceso. I didn’t know this at first, I actually thought I was buying imported stuff. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to know that it’s a local brand after all.
It’s a little hard to find. This should probably fall under the “What I DON’T like about the product” category, but the fact that it’s not readily available everywhere means there are only a few pieces of this thing, which kinda makes it novelty.

So happy with our finds! True enough, we bring these bunnies E V E R Y W H E R E they’re starting to feel like actual members of the family! <3

Week 32: Probably The Only Time I’m Giving Pregnancy Tips

October 4, 2012October 4, 2012 Rhiza5 Comments

And I’m not about to tell you what to eat, what to do when your feet are swollen, or what’s the best sleeping position with a huge watermelon-sized tummy. There are gazillions of websites for those tips already (try Baby Center & What to Expect), and surely they know more than I do.

What I’ve been meaning to share is something that is both biblical and practical, and something that’s truly worked for me: First, that you wait until you’re married to get pregnant, and second, that you marry someone who will take care of you in the course of pregnancy (and beyond!) and will take responsibility for your future babies as much as you do.

Photos are from my 26th week, we have not taken maternity shots in a while.

You see, pregnancy brings about a gazillion of changes in your body, emotions, personality, schedule, and in everything that you are. To start with, pregnancy makes you cranky, and crave for all sorts of food, and pretty much tired all the time. There are days when you feel ugly, and your body will undergo physical changes that are not exactly.. pretty. And then you find yourself crying even more than usual, not just because of the pains but because of hormones as well.

When your baby bump is bigger, you have to be literally pulled out of bed in the mornings (or in the wee hours of the night) because you can’t get up by yourself anymore. You feel pain everywhere, pains that don’t exactly have medical cure, so you need a massage in lieu of pain killers.. or, when the massage does not work, a comfort hug that reminds you that you’re not going through this alone.

Through all these, you need someone patient enough to be around, to support you, and to lovingly be at your beck and call.

And I know it must sound like I’m telling you to get a private caregiver, lol, but mostly what I’m saying is.. aside from the fact that sex and pregnancy are designed by God to be within the bounds of marriage, pregnancy is team effort. It’s hard and challenging, but it becomes so much easier when done as a team.

I salute single mothers out there who’s done pregnancy on their own.. but for you who still have a choice, I’m saying, don’t screw up the timeline, friend. Engagement, wedding, marriage, pregnancy, motherhood—each one is a beautiful phase to savor and enjoy, one phase at a time.

So get married first, and go through pregnancy with your husband. You will definitely need lots of help, lots of love, & lots of attention! ;)

Week 28: What To Expect When You’re Expecting

September 3, 2012September 3, 2012 Rhiza6 Comments

It’s like, better than horoscope! Not that I read or believe in horoscope—I don’t, let me make that one clear. It’s just that.. it’s cool how this website (and its tiny iPhone app) knows exactly what I’m going through in my pregnancy, sometimes even predicting what’s going to happen in the next couple of days.

This is what WTE tells me this week:

This is it — you’re two-thirds to the finish line at 28 weeks pregnant, as you enter the third trimester! And what a difference a trimester makes. Gone, most likely, are the days when you could call pregnancy “comfortable” (that is, if you ever did). These days, your baby’s kicking (or lack of) is keeping you up at night and worried during the day, your feet are swollen, you’re getting tired all over again, and your backache is a pain that just won’t quit. And even though he or she hasn’t started crying yet, it may seem that your baby’s getting on your nerves already — literally.

As your baby gets settled into a proper (you hope) position for birth, his or her head (and your enlarging uterus) may rest on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of your spine. And if that happens, you may feel sharp, shooting pain, tingling, or numbness that starts in your buttocks and radiates down the back of your legs — otherwise known as sciatica. The pain of sciatica can be quite intense at times, and though it may pass if your baby shifts positions, it can also linger until you’ve delivered.

A heating pad, a warm tub, stretches, or just some self-imposed bed rest can help with the discomfort. So can some complementary and alternative therapies.

What do you know, I’m now in my third trimester. And I’m feeling… everything WTE says I should be feeling. Except maybe that part where the fetal movements should start getting in my nerves by now—they don’t, really. In fact, given all the pregnancy pains and woes I’m feeling right now, it’s surely the best times of my day when the babies move and kick and have a little party inside my womb! :)

This morning in the train, one of the twins kicked from within the side of my belly and the lady who was sitting right next to me felt it! She gave me a smile and a “WOW”.

Well, WOW indeed.

A little less than three months to go. Please say a little prayer for these two little kickers (and their clueless Mommy & Daddy) when you have time.