Rocco tours Tacloban for the first time!

As if naman madami mapupuntahan :) Because there was a storm from December 25 to 26, we had no choice but to stay home and enjoy the cold weather and enticing bed. Thank you kay Papa God and Mr. Sunshine decided to show up by the 27th.  Since we had no itinerary at all, I made a last minute decision to tour Rocco around Tacloban. Kill time lang before we die of boredom :)

What's a Tacloban tour without stepping on the majestic San Juanico Bridge? Still as beautiful as ever but we were also freaking out because the bridge trembled everytime a big truck would pass by.

We also went to Palo to visit the McArthur Park and the new Oriental Hotel, but first, we had a stopover at the coconut stalls and sipped fresh buko juice.

As usual Rocco was his active and hyper self. Hindi kaya ng powers ng isang tao lang ang magbabantay sa kanya.

Of course we had our group shot taken with Lolo McArthur and his gang.

We then headed off to the newly renovated Oriental Hotel to kill off time while waiting for my side of the family. We planned to visit the Christmas lights in Palo before having our dinner at Ocho. Here's a nighttime shot of the Oriental pool area.

Rocco didn't get tired for a bit even if it was already night time.

 Thanks to Mama Flor, we were able to visit the Saboren Christmas House ahead of everyone else. We were granted a special viewing before the public gate was opened. Ang ganda!

 Here's our group shot. Those two cute girls are my nieces, my kuya darling daughters.

Papa was also with us (the guy in red) though he didn't go inside the house because he was looking after our cars parked outside.

After our mini tour, we headed off to a yummy and sulit dinner at Ocho. By that time, pagoda na kaming lahat, especially me kasi wala akong bitbit na yaya for Rocco, kaya no more pictures.

It was just a mini-tour but it still turned out to be fun, especially because we spent the day with our families :) Till our next vacation!

I'm Back! Backlog Posting before 2012 bids goodbye!

And we're back in Cebu! We've been gone for 9 days. Sa Tacloban lang naman ang dayo namin at hindi kung saan pa. It was a very laidback holiday vacation. Sobrang laidback kasi bumabagyo at ilang sikat ng araw lang ang tumama sa aming mga katawan. I wasn't able to blog at all kasi busy ang aking diwa kakahabol kay Rocco. Kaming lahat, actually. Sobrang likot ng batang ito. Hindi na talaga sya baby!

We arrived in Tacloban last Dec 21. We almost didn't make it to our flight. Pag naiisip ko, nasstress ako kaya lessoned learned talaga. When you have a baby with you, be at the airport 2hours before the flight.

Because both of our families are from Tacloban, we had to plan out where we would sleep on each day, and how much time we would spend with each family. Oo, ganyan talaga ang buhay namin sa Tacloban, parang Nomads. Palipat lipat lang. Pero equal treatment naman para lahat masaya.

After 9 days, we travelled back with 83kilos worth of check-in baggage. Wala pang mga hand-carry yan. NKKLK! Kalahati ata puro stuff ni Rocco. He has a lot of gifts!

I'm still sorting out our things. By tomorrow, everything should be spic and span because we're welcoming 2013 with a bang!

More pics to come!

How was your weekend?

Mine was fun yet tiring! Hubby was and is still sick with flu so he is in isolation from the rest of the family. Mahirap na kung si Rocco ang mahawa because it will be really be hard for him, and for everyone.

Since hubby couldn't substitute for me, I spent the whole weekend running after and playing with my little boy. He is Mr. Energizer! From the moment he wakes up, play agad. Breakfast time is messy and chaotic with food sometimes flying around. I can't be too complacent anymore leaving Rocco in the high chair on his own even if he is strapped because he can still escape and stand on his high chair. Spell D-A-N-G-E-R. During bath time, it's still a riot! Our little boy super loves the water, kahit cold water pa! Kami na ang aawat sa kanya because he might catch a cold being exposed to too much cold water. During changing time, pahirapan! Ayaw palagay ng diapers, ayaw pa tooth brush, ayaw magdrink ng vitamins. Gusto play play play! Gladly though, I just take it all in stride and haven't lost my patience pa naman. Cute kasi! :)

We do have yayas who help us out but I still prefer taking care of Rocco as much as I can. I just hand him to them when I'm taking a bath, or eating. The rest of the time, he's with US. I think this is the reason why despite me being a working mom who is out of the house for 12-13hours a day, but the moment I am in the house, Rocco clings to me. Jelly na nga ang daddy sa sobrang pagka mama's boy ni Rocco :)

Going back, Saturday and Sunday just breezed by, and even if I am trying to be a super mom, I am but human, and I actually heaved a sigh of relief when my son finally fell asleep last night(after a gazillion attempts!!!). Because hubby was sick, he had to stay in the sick room so we won't be contaminated. Rocco must have missed his daddy so much because he kept on calling out PAPA PAPA PAPA non-stop. Napagod nalang ata kakatawag kaya natulog nalang siya :)

Next weekend, we're heading to Tacloban for the Holidays! I'm so excited!!!!

Our Little Guitar Boy

Hello guys!

I feel so bad because I've been neglecting my blog for the past few weeks. I have a lot of stories especially about by favorite son (of course, my only one--for now), but I've been caught up with project releases, last minute shopping, and hubby is a bit sick too.

The other night we attended our Company Christmas Party. Our HR invited my husband and son so I had them join our party. It was so sweet of my presentation group mates because they prepared a special part for Rocco for our group presentation. Too bad, the program extended till past 10PM and my little boy was too sleepy and coughing already so he didn't play his part too well. Hubby had to bring him outside to calm his down because he started crying. Hahaha.

Oh well, not bad for a first attempt. Baka sa next Christmas party namin, may solo part na sya, at mag cooperate na. Good thing Hubby was able to take a video of Rocco while he was still in a good mood.

Brush brush brush!

Hello guys!

I've been tending to a sick baby the past week. Rocco caught a bad cold from his visiting cousin, and though the cold went away quickly, it progressed to a hard cough. We had him checked by his pedia in time for his 1st year checkup, and thank God he responded to his meds. As much as possible I don't want to give meds to the little boy, but he was having a hard time coughing out his phlegm and it resulted to sleepless nights and loss of appetite, kaya I had no other choice. He actually lost weight.

But...but..but..

He's now OK! Back to his old malikot habits and surging appetite. When he got well, his appetite went uphill too! Lahat ng ipakain, he will gladly take, plus milk pa! He got back almost immediately the weight that he lost, plus more. Sobrang laki na nga ng tummy!

--------------

I used to brush Rocco's mouth using a washcloth, but when his teeth grew and started biting me, I started to use a tiny toothbrush. We introduced the new concept of brushing to him by showing him how we brush our teeth. Also during brush time, we sing the "Brush Song", which is imbento ko lang.

This morning, he decided to take matters on his own hands.

 Caught the mischievous look on cam! 

 He started stroking the brush to his teeth, imitating me at the same time.

 Rocco is showing signs of very early independence.

It went on for a few minutes until he started playing with the toothbrush and poked it deeper to his mouth. Naku naku naku! Delikado!

The Where Is Game

Since Rocco turned a year old a few weeks ago, his development sky rocketed. He is more talkative now, can point at objects and people properly when being asked, can walk, and sometimes even run without support, among others.

Last night, while killing off time because of power interruption due to the storm "Pablo", we played the WHERE IS game. We ask him to point to where a person or object is. The goal is to measure how well he can associate names with objects.

Where are the plants?
    He points to the plants in the garden outside the sliding door.

Where else?
    He turns around and points to outside the main door. There are plants in the front garden.

Where is the ball?
    He looks all over until he spots the ball hiding beside the crib.

Where is the car?
    He points to his toy car parked under the stairs.

Where is Ate Alen (his yaya)?
   He glances at his Ate Alen (without pointing) and smiles.

Where is mama?
   He grabs my shirt and nozzles his nose to it.

Where is papa?
   He talks out loud "papa papa" and points to his daddy.

Where is Mama Mary?
   He points to the altar.

How about Papa Jesus?
   He continues pointing to the altar.


Where is Rocco pogi?
   He smiles his super pa-cute smile and points to his framed picture in the console table.

Where are your angels?
   He points back to the altar where two figurine angels are displayed.

In fairness, we were all amazed! And to think that we did this game very fast, so had less time to think of answers. Good job, anak!! Keep it up :)

The First Haircut

Rocco's hair is really fine, and grew long even before he reached a year old. There were times already where he would be irritable because his hair would touch his nape and ears. Most of the time, I had to tie his bangs so it would not prick on his eyes. I was itching to cut his hair, and actually did cut a teeny weeny part of his bangs, but refrained from doing more damage because of the folklore that a baby's hair shouldn't be cut until he turns a year old. Whatever the reason is, I don't know :)

We actually planned to have Rocco's hair cut before his birthday part, but his Grandma Flor requested us to postpone is because she wanted to see Rocco's virgin hair. We moved his haircut trip to the weekend after his party instead.

Since wala naman Cut for Tots sa Cebu, we settled for adult salons. Buti nalang di maraming tao sa Salon de Rose when we dropped by last weekend. The first thing I asked the receptionist is "Are your barbers trained to cut a baby's hair?" Kasi malikot sila and might throw a tantrum, so they should be able to handle that also. Marunong daw kaya go na kami.

 Manong Barber said kailangan ko din daw maupo. Sana nagpa hot oil na din ako. Nakakaloka na ang aking buhaghag hair :)

 Rocco kept looking at the Barber. Nastress si Kuya at napasabi "Tantiyahan nalang ang paggupit daw". Sabi ko hello huwag naman, ayusin nya noh!

 Jack the Penguin is Rocco's comfort toy. When all else fails, Jack is always to the rescue! Hehehe

Taddaaaah! Mukha nang bata ang aking anak. I got a bit teary eyed talaga. Emote lang ang mommy.

The before and after photos. Haaaay my baby is growing up to be a fine young boy.

Rocco's Fab Birthday Weekend, Part 3

After Rocco's Jollibee Party, our troop wasn't ready to call it a night yet. Where else to go for some night time sight seeing overlooking the city but to Mountain View Nature's Park. The place is around 15-20minutes drive from the city, but once you reach the top, it's like being in another magical place that's just so relaxing.

 It was very cold when we arrived. May sumpong na din ang anak ko because he fell asleep during the drive, and was irritable when he woke up. Initially, I didn't bring him outside the car because he didn't have a jacket, but since he refused to go back to sleep, pinasyal ko na din. Sadly, dito ata sya nagka colds. We stayed for about an hour, and decided to call it a night. Mga pagoda na kaming lahat, at literal na bagsak patulog when we arrived home.

The next day, my side of the family were headed back to Tacloban already, except for the Santos fam who extended their vacation for a few more days. We heard mass and had lunch at Cafe Laguna before heading to the airport to drop them off.

 Ganyan kahaba ang table namin sa sobrang dami namin. We enjoyed a really sumptuous lunch! 

 My little boy enjoyed his food as well. 

With our ever supportive parents.

From hereon, we weren't able to take any pictures. Read on to know why...

After dropping my family at the airport, we made an impromptu decision to go to Danasan Eco Adventure Park. I asked our van driver if he knew the place, and how far it was, and he said it was OK to go there and would just take an hour, so we proceeded. Little did we know that the trip there was going to be an adventure itself. 

An hour passed since we left the city, and we weren't at the place yet. It was almost 3PM that time, when we saw the sign in Danao, Cebu that said it's still a 25km ride to Danasan. Ang layo pa pero go pa din kami. Then the road started to get rough because we were driving through a mountain pala. Hind rin namin alam na ganon ka rough ang terrain pero go pa din kami. Then Ed (Ate Dynah's husband who's an expert driver) observed that the gas meter was getting low. Hindi pala nagpa-gas ang driver, and we were in the middle of a mountain already! Buti nalang gas ang kinakarga, and we drove by small sari-sari stores who sold gas by liters. 

At around 4PM, we saw another sign that said 12km pa daw to Danasan. I told Ate Dynah that I was getting  anxious already and I wanted us to stop the trip and head back to the city. I was worried it would get dark and we had 2 kids with us (Zach and Rocco).

Thank God Ate Dynah decided that we return back to the city. It was around 4:30PM that time. A few minutes after we made the U-turn, biglang umusok ang van, and it started to rain hard as well!!! Nasa itaas kami ng bundok! My gosh, naloka ako!! The smoke was starting to fill the van and masusuffocate kami. We immediately transferred to the back of the van and binuksan namin lahat ng windows. Akala ko katapusan na namin lahat. I really mustered all my strength not to cry at baka umiyak din si Rocco. Buti nalang talaga Ed and Sieg were super calm because they knew what was happening. 

Naubusan ng water ang van kaya nagoverheat sya. The driver said nilagyan naman daw nya ng water, pero hindi sya nagdala ng spare. I really think that throughout our ordeal, God was still with us because  if not for the heavy rain, we would not be able to collect water to replenish the van. Salamat sa Diyos din at tumirik kami beside a creek, because there was a gush of flowing water because of the heavy rain.

We were stranded for around an hour, and just in time na nareplenish ang water sa van, ay tumigil na din ang ulan. GOD IS SO GREAT! Hindi nya kami pinabayaan. After nagcool down ang radiator, we proceeded with the drive out of the mountain. Siguro alam din ng kids that something was wrong because surprisingly, there were well behaved the whole time. Si Rocco na super likot, biglang tumahimik, at natulog nalang.

There were a lot of lessons learned after the trip. On the positive side, we were able to go down the mountains safe & sound. Sa sobrang stress namin, napakain kami ng madami sa Zubuchon! :)

The next day, we swore we would just relax. Good thing, my sister and her fam checked in to a Mactan Resort kaya swimming nalang kami.

It was really a fun and memorable birthday weekend for Rocco. Everyone enjoyed and had a great time, and best of all, they were around to witness our little boy turn one year old. Nothing beats that!

Till the next birthday, I'm sure it's gonna be a blast again! :)

Rocco's Fab Birthday Weekend: Sa Jollibee, Bida ang Saya!

For Rocco's first birthday party, Sieg and I decided to just hold an intimate party for our family and a selected group of friends. We've just transferred to our new home, and our expenses were high rocketing, plus the fact that I didn't have time to organize a big party for him. We figured, Rocco is still a baby and wouldn't even appreciate clowns and mascots, plus, we only have a few kids in our guestlist.

We were choosing between Shakey's, McDo, and Jollibee theme parties. What stood out was Jollibee Parkmall. It's a new branch, the space is really big for parties, there are a lot of open parking spaces, plus, we really love Parkmall!

As early as July, we already booked the venue. Eager beaver lang ang peg namin. We wanted to make sure that the party date wouldn't be moved because we have visitors coming from Tacloban and Manila and it would be such a headache to request for plane ticket rebookings.

Sadly, Jollibee Parkmall was very strict with their party details. Themes not in their list are not allowed, cakes not ordered from Red Ribbon are not allowed, special loot bags are not allowed. Sobrang dami pa. Gusto ko pa naman ng Pororo theme. I didn't argue anymore and just went with whatever they had. 

With Grandma Flor, my nieces Chloe and Callie, and nephew Zachary

With my in-laws: Papa Tol, Ann, and Mama Marlyn

The Geonzon Family. Missing are Ate Dona and Kuya Junjo

 In fairness, the party was fun and alive. The host did great in entertaining the guests.

 The host calling in some kids with their mommy/daddy

 The games were super fun! The kids loved it.

Even the grown-ups enjoyed too!

 With friends from work...

 With cutie baby Elise who just turned one a few weeks ago...

 With family friends...

 And relatives...

And more friends from work. Love love!

What's a Jolli Party without Jollibee himself? 

Our friends and family sang with us as our little boy blew his birthday cake.

It was a simple and intimate celebration of Rocco's first year, surrounded by family and friends :)

Rocco's Fab Birthday Weekend, Part 1

Way back July, Sieg and I decided to hold Rocco's birthday here in Cebu. We thought, he was born here, so might as well celebrate his first birthday in his rightful birthplace. He is a natural Bisdak :) It would have been easier to hold his party in Tacloban because our families are there, but we figured out, it could double as a family vacation for everyone if they come to Cebu for Rocco's birthday.

And I'm so happy they did! That's all that mattered to us, to have our families complete as we celebrated this very important milestone. From my side, my parents, Kuya and his wife and kids plus yaya, Ate Dynah and his husband and son all came. My tita (mama's sister) also came. From Sieg's side, his parents and sister came. Those who weren't present were abroad (my sister and her husband, and Sieg's brother).

It was also a perfect occasion for them to visit because we just transferred to our new home, and they haven't had the chance to see it yet. We managed to squeeze in everyone in our house. It was a literally full house because there were 20 of us, kids and yayas  included, who slept in for 3 days. Thank God, he provisioned for everyone to have his/her own space, be comfortable and sleep well in our 4 rooms.

My in-laws arrived earlier last Friday so they headed straight home to play with Rocco. My family arrived late so they went first to the mall while waiting for Sieg & I to finish with our work. The kids were such troopers and not once did they throw tantrums. Love love!

Mornings became fun chaos! The kitchen was always super busy cooking brekky, while we ate in batches. Those who woke up early enjoyed the most yummy treats :) The kids were everywhere running around, playing with toys, and going gaga over Rocco.

Just before lunch, my in-laws and  I headed off to Casa Verde, Ramos to reserve seats, while my side of the family made quick visits to Magellan's Cross and Sto. Nino Church.

We were a fun bunch, all 20 of us, including the yayas. We feasted on the best baby back ribs in town, plus some more mouth-watering meals. Sobrang busog talaga! After lunch, my in-laws went to SM for some quick shopping, while my family continued with their Cebu tour.

Since I rode in the car with my in-laws, I killed off time at the kiddie painting area with Ann, while Rocco took his afternoon nap. Afterwards, it was off to Parkmall for Rocco's Jolli Party.

More stories to come!

How Rocco spent his birthday, Part 2

After Rocco took his afternoon nap on his birthday, we headed off to the city to do 2 things: visit the church, and fetch Grandma Marlyn at the airport. But before we visited the Carmelite Monastery, we made a quick decision and detoured to Rainforest Park. The day was for Rocco, so might as well squeeze in activities that would be enjoyable to the little birthday boy.

We passed by this place countless times already but we never thought even for once to drop by and take a peek, until today. All of us were equally excited! It is a paid facility, and we went there on a weekday so we kinda expected a smaller crowd, but still, there were lots of kids there! It's just a small place, the main features are the dancing fountain, a mini zipline for kids, an aviary, and an oceanarium.

Rocco was amazed with the aviary. He saw some peacocks, multi-colored birds, parrots, tarsiers, and even a roaming deer. So cute because he wasn't scared at all and even went near the birds.

We spent a longer time at the aviary and just skipped the oceanarium because it was getting late already. It was actually a fun first time experience of introducing theme parks to Rocco. I hope Cebu will develop more theme parks and zoos so that kids and families will have more cool places to visit.

After our short trip to Rainforest, we went to Church, and then headed off to the airport to fetch Grandma Marlyn. By that time, the birthday boy was already fast asleep in Mommy's arms. When we arrived home, it was already good night in lala-land for Rocco.

It was indeed a happy and intimate birthday for Rocco. The real action happened during the weekend when the entire Geonzon and Ofonda families all came to Cebu to celebrate with us. Rocco is so much loved, because everyone came, plus more! 

More stories coming soon.

How Rocco spent his birthday, Part 1

Rocco knew it was his birthday. He woke up extra early, around 4:30AM to be exact, and demanded to be carried by his mama. He's like that when he's looking for extra lambing. Sometimes I have to carry him to the CR with me even when I pee because he just wants to be with his mama.

I was extra excited because we prepared something special for Rocco. I wanted our home to have the birthday vibe, and what else can I do to achieve that but to decorate! Because I love craftwork, it was pure labor of love. I made banderitas out of crepe paper, bought a pack of balloons and manually pumped air using a manual balloon pump. After that, I painstakingly pinned each banderitas and balloon to its proper places.

Taddaah! Pardon the poor angling of photos. I was dead tired from decorating and was eager to retire for the night.

When Rocco woke up on his birthday, Sieg & I were both eager to see how he would react to our festive decors. He didn't disappoint because he was super amazed! He kept saying "Waaaaaw" while pointing to the decors. Sayang the photos turned out super blurry because I was still sleepy and forgot to adjust the shutter speed.

After Rocco's AHA moment with the decors, we strolled around the village. We all love this bonding time in the early morning, when we can still feel the cold mist of the dawn, and the sun is just starting to shine, when everybody else are still asleep, yet here we are, ready to start our day.

Because it was Rocco's birthday, we took the whole day off. We spent the morning playing, while waiting for the priest who would bless our house. We just love hearing our little boy shriek in delight every time his Daddy throws him up in the air. He's also very fond of the remote control now. He actually knows where the OFF button is.

Yes, we had several attempts to organize a house blessing but it just didn't fly, so we decided to just hold it on Rocco's birthday. Perfect timing.

After the short but sweet house blessing, we had sumptuous lunch prepared by yours truly. It was just us, our small family, just the way we like it, plus our girls of course, who we consider as our extended family already. Of course, we had to do our monthly tradition of blowing the birthday cake. This one was extra special so we had our party hats on. How cute is our boy wearing his special birthday hat!

We we delightfully surprised when the girls told us they had birthday gifts for Rocco. Honestly, I was super touched by their gesture. They spent their hard earned salary to buy something special for their alaga. Rocco couldn't wait till the presents were opened that he had to do it himself. Thank you to our girls for the bowling set and the toy car! Very nice gifts!

That didn't end Rocco's birthday. We took our early afternoon nap and headed of to church, then had some fun time at the zoo! More to come on my next post.