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Sunday, December 29, 2013
2013 is such a wonderful year for us. We have been truly bless! We already crossed-out 2 out of 3 of our Goals in 2013. Indeed! God is so good! Here are my life's blessings for the past year, and I will always be grateful for all the opportunities that I have been given.

First, we traveled 3 destinations for this year. We celebrated my post birthday celebration in Coron, Palawan then we had a very memorable trip in Davao with Friends last March then we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary in Tagaytay. Kami na talaga ang may nunal sa paa, wala ng ginawa kung hindi mag travel ng mag travel. Hehe. Ooopppss.. I forgot to mention that we cancel our trip in Thunderbird Resort in La Union due to my pregnancy. Well, may next year pa naman and this time much happier because we will be travelling with our little princess. Wohooo.. Excited much!

Coron, Palawan

Davao
Tagaytay

Then, the highlight of our 2013 is having a healthy and super active baby girl. When we found out that I’m pregnant, I can’t believe that God gave us the wonderful gift before our anniversary. We were so happy that day na halos di kami makatulog sa sobrang saya. That’s why we will be grateful to the Lord forever for giving us Baby Rhian in our life; we will take care of her and love her unconditionally.


Hello Baby Rhian ^_^

We don’t have a brand new car or house and lot as of this moment (Goal #2 and #4) but those are only material things that we want to accomplish next year, for now our priority will focus on how to raise our baby girl in a way our parents nurture us. 

Saturday, December 28, 2013
After my first post about winning in a raffle or contest, I thought di na ko mananalo or mapipili ulit sa mga contest/giveaways na sinalihan ko but I’m wrong. Can you imagine I won again! So I’m telling you guys, 110% sure na SWERTE talaga ang buntis. Thank you Lord for all the blessings that I received this year. Thank you and I Love You so much!

From Company Christmas Lunch

I won Php 500.00 cash in a raffle. Wohooo!!!

From When In Manila

Another giveaway from When In Manila, I won a Family Feast for 4 with a set of Holiday Shooters at Kabisera ng Dencio's!! Yahoo.. Early birthday gift should I say. Thank you again!



From Pleasantly Chic

Girly products from Ms. Ysabel Vitangol. Wow! Thank you for choosing me as one of the winners for your first ever holiday giveaway.



Now, I’m still hoping to win in another raffle/contest/giveaway that my fellow bloggers offers. #kiligmuch So a piece of advice to all mom-to-be / pregnant woman, join in any contest and for sure mananalo rin kayo tulad ko. Again, thank you Lord and Thank you Baby Rhian for coming into our life, you are truly a blessing to us. I love you baby.


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Friday, December 27, 2013
Hello Guys!

It's been a while since I posted my last entry in Selfie Friday and I can really say that I miss the blogging/selfie world. Haha. I was prepared to blog daily but then I become to occupied with a lot of things, lalo na malapit ng lumabas si Rhian.

So before my long vacation, I just want to share my OOTD. As of today, I'm 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant with our little princess, few more weeks baby and makikita ka na namin ni Daddy mo! #excitedmuch

Dress and Shoes are Gifts From My Mom 
(Dress - Tiangge / Shoes - Shoe Box)


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Wednesday, December 18, 2013 2
“A mother’s joy begins when a new life is stirring inside. When a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.“

Yes, the journey to motherhood needs a certain amount of preparedness, from physical to emotional changes as well as financially. If you would ask me how pregnancy changes our life, I simply answer you 100% nabago yung buhay namin. Mahirap pero masaya, its God’s blessing you know. If before we just think of ourselves, now all our decisions are based on our baby’s condition, meaning di kami basta basta nag de-decide without considering our baby’s health.

Before we found out that I am pregnant, we booked a flight outside the country together with our dear friends (Manila-Bangkok-Vietnam-Manila). We pay at least 10k+ for these tickets (10k is already good for 2) and we were so excited! But recently, we decided not to pursue this trip due to my condition, well February pa naman yun next year but I will give birth on/before January 26-Feb 1, 2014 and it’s not advisable to travel right after giving birth. Hello, syempre nagpapagaling pa ko nun and sinong mag aalaga sa anak namin db? Ayaw ko kayang mahiwalay sakin si Rhian when I gave birth. Now, I’m still processing our documents for full refund of our tickets, I hope ma approve sya ng Cebu Pacific. This is the right decision because as of the moment, we need to save lots of money in preparation of our baby’s arrival. Mahal ang bayad sa hospital, mahal ang vaccine ni baby, gatas, pampers, etc. and I must say na makakapag travel naman ulit kami ni hubby next year and by that time 3 na kami. Yihii!

Anyway, last week I reach my 8th month of pregnancy and to tell you the truth super nahihirapan na ko. Sa pagtulog, paglalakad, pagkilos and proper breathing. Sometimes, I cry because nahihirapan na ko pero whenever I watch our baby’s 1st ever video I told myself na dapat maging strong ako for her, na kakayanin ko lahat at titiisin ko ang sakit for our baby. Iba pala talaga ang feeling pag magiging mommy ka na,and I really thank God for giving us the greatest gift ever.

On my 8th month (32 weeks), mas ramdam ko na mga sipa ni baby, as in makikita mo naalon yung tyan ko and makikita yung mga sipa nya. My husband and officemates really love to touch my tummy especially pag nagalaw si baby. Well, for me eating chocolates and drinking cold drinks can cause strong baby movements. So whenever I can’t feel her tiny kicks, I simply eat chocolates and viola! Gagalaw na sya. Sabi nga nila, mana sa tatay nya kc super duper hilig ni Ian sa chocolates.

Sharing with you some of Rhian’s video kicks. Follow me on Instagram @rnvillareal for more photos and videos of our healthy baby girl.




Last Thursday, I was schedule to have another pelvic ultrasound at Makati Med. We were so excited to see our little girl again, almost 1 month na the last time we saw her cute face. Together with my husband, our OB explains to us that everything is okay so we don’t need to worry. Here is the result of my ultrasound.

 Now, in less than 7 weeks our baby will come out. If you would ask me how does it feel right now, hhhmm.. It’s mixed emotions. Excited and at the same time nervous. Kinakabahan sa sakit na mararamdaman and excited na makita ang pinaka mamahal namin si Baby Rhian, pero like what I have said, kakayanin ko lahat for our baby and I know super daming nagdadasal sa amin for safe delivery. Again, thank you Lord for this blessing! We love you so much!
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Monday, December 16, 2013 3
Last November 30 we had our baby shower at Jollibee Makati Avenue together with our friends. I will post another article about the baby shower within the week, but for now I just want to share with you some of our Do-It-Yourself Stuffs that we used during the event.

I am super duper meticulous when it comes in planning an event, pwede na nga ata akong maging party coordinator sa pagiging OC ko eh. Like our wedding, I want our baby shower to be more colorful, personalized and not boring. Especially pag naghihintay na mag start ang program. So a month before our event, I make sure that our baby shower will be 110% super fun and one of a kind. Naks!

I printed hand-outs to be given in our guest which includes the following:

O db, ika nga ng host namin bago ka pakainin kailangan mo munang sagutan yung exam. Haha. I find it super effective kasi hindi nainip yung mga guest while waiting for the program to start plus makikita mo talaga na super busy sila kakasagot ng hand-outs na ginawa ko. Hehe.

I put our baby’s 3D photos per table with caption; it’s like table number but more on design / kaartehan lang. Haha.


We also put some baby shower images cut into circular shape on the table.

These are the stickers I put around the jar.


 

For our souvenirs, we bought the mini baby bottle in Divisoria, put some candies inside, wrap with pink ribbon and label it with thank you message.



We decorated the wall with printed pink and girl images as well as some photos of baby stuffs. 

We put our baby’s name on the stage wall together with our Maternity photos and Rhian’s 3D pictures.

Oh, I ordered for personalized/customized Cake for my baby shower. Thanks to The Mad Scientist for this cute and delicious vanilla cake.


Now, I’m thinking of another set-up / ideas for our baby’s Christening and her 1st birthday. Ika nga ni Ian, di pa nalabas si Rhian super dami ko ng plans. Well, I told him ganyan ata talaga pag super excited ka ng makita anak mo,lahat gagawin mo para maging unique and happy baby sya. 
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Saturday, December 14, 2013 12
When I reach my 7th month of pregnancy, my parents told us that they are going to buy some stuffs for our baby Rhian #shoppingspree.  Ian and I are so happy; imagine super excited parents ko to buy baby stuffs for their first granddaughter. Take note, sila daw ang magbabayad, early Christmas gift daw nila kay Rhian. Naks! #spoiledgranddaughter

We went at SM Makati last month and bought some baby stuffs for Rhian. Well, di na kami nakielam ni Ian sa pamimili since my parents are the one who will pay for it, so we let my mom and dad to choose whatever they want to for our baby. In the end, the bill reaches Php 5k++, OMG! Gamit palang ni baby libo na agad, take note kulang pa yun ha as in di pa kumpleto. Sharing with you my parents Christmas gifts for our little princess.

While doing our shopping spree, some staffs from the department store approaches us and offer to sign up at SM Gift Registry if we have a plan to give our upcoming little princess a baby shower. At first, I was hesitant but my husband convinces me to just sign up and wait if our guest will grab it or not. Well, it’s free naman kaya gorabells lang.

SM Gift Registry Service makes occasions a lot special with the perfect practical gifts. It is actually ideal for birthdays, Wedding, Baby Shower, House Blessings or other special memorable events. The registry is designed to make gift selecting easy and convenient.


As we stroll around the baby’s area, we chose some cheaper items that we want to receive in our baby shower or should I say our wish list. Actually, di kami kumuha ng super mamahal na gamit kasi baka di bilhin ng mga guest namin and we are not requiring our guest to bring anything because Ian and I believe that their presence is more important than the gifts. I think only 1 item yung super pricey na pinili namin which cost Php 1,999.75, but the rest the prices ranges from Php 49.75 up to Php 1,299.75.

I like the SM Gift Registry because they offer the following.
  • Easy gift registration
  • A wide array of choices
  • Personalized wish list facility
  • Free specialized wrapping service
  • 10% discount on purchase of regular priced items for the registrants and guest
  • Bonus SMAC points for the registrant from guests purchases with SMAC
  • Free gift delivery service to one destination within city limits

Not only that, I can also check the status of our wish list if somebody purchased it already and happy to say that we received 9 items, out of 22 things that we picked. Galing! Then 2 items was delivered directly to our house. Kudos SM Gift Registry! 
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013 3
In 7 weeks to be exact, we are going to meet our baby girl and we’re so excited about it, as in nagtatatalon na kami sa super excited. Haha. Anyway, preparing for her to come needs lot of preparation - from new born apparel, nursery, bathing / grooming accessories, feeding / nursing essentials, travel things etc. Honestly, I think we are almost 75% done with shopping for our babies stuffs pero feeling ko super dami pa naming kulang although sabi ni hubby enough na yun, bili nalang ulit kami pag labas na ni baby. Anyway, sorry for not updating my blog about my pregnancy, busy lang kami ni hubby lately like every weekend wala kami sa bahay because of some important errands related to our baby then sometimes sideline sa business namin (Photobooth and Cupcakes). Okay, stop explaining na. Hehe.

I saw Smart Steps product in Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio’s IG account, so I decided to check it out and read some reviews about these products. I was surprised because almost 95% of mommy users we’re satisfied with Smart Steps. Wow! According to their website, Smart Steps is a line of mild and safe products specifically formulated for babies, meaning priority talaga nila ang safety ng mga chikitings. It is also clinically proven safe and effective because Smart Steps truly understand a mother’s need for their babies. With their tag line” Dahil kapag para kay baby, dapat mild, dapat safe, sapat Smart Steps.”

We all know that the baby has a very sensitive skin and easily gets irritated, so it is very important for us to use a mild and safe laundry detergent, fabric softener and baby bottle cleanser that are specifically formulated for babies to prevent rashes and other skin irritations. Hhhmm.. Since I am a soon-to-be-1st time mom, I’m so meticulous when it comes to our baby’s concern,  I only wants what is best for her that’s why the products that I will be using for her are chosen with strict consideration. So during our weekly grocery my husband and I decided to purchase Smart Steps products. We all know that baby products have become very expensive but for my baby’s safety, it’s okay with me as long as my baby is safe.


I can’t wait to try these products and share my experience. By the way, we were schedule to wash our baby’s clothes this weekend, excited lang talaga kami. Haha. So to those smart mommies out there, who already tried their products, feel free to share your feedback and recommendation here.

Ooopppss.. Before I forgot, aside from the products on the photo above Smart Steps also have Baby Steps Laundry Detergent Powder and Baby Steps Baby Bottle Cleanser. 
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Daddy, Happy Happy Birthday! No birthday cards, wishes, greetings or messages can express in words the amount of love and respect I have for you. You are more than just a father to me; you are my teacher and inspiration. You make my life a unique and pleasant experience providing me with all the assistance I needed to overcome every problem that was on my way. No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, I would never be able to thank far enough for all your love and care you filled my life with. I feel so blessed to have you as my Dad. I wish you live forever! Thank you for everything. Thank you for being in my life. Ian, Baby Rhian and I loves you so much! Cheers to 60 years Daddy! 



P.S. 
Enjoy your short vacation! Pasalubong ha!

Friday, December 06, 2013 2
Our maternity photos are ready for pick up last November 23, so we decided to visit Megamall once again. We were so excited to see our photos, aba syempre1st time namin magpapictorial with our little princess. Hehe. So right after we picked up our photos, we attended anticipated mass at Chapel of the Eucharist Lord in the Atrium and had our early dinner because we are schedule to watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by 8pm.

My husband was craving for some pasta that day, and since I am not allowed to walk more than 20 minutes he decided to try Tokyo Café once again. We tried this restaurant at MOA branch and I must say that I really love their pasta. We were ushered to our table and handed us their menu. I thought their service was good but unfortunately I’m wrong! 90% negative feedback about this resto. Anyway, will discuss with you later about their service for the meantime I will share with you our orders. 

Ian ordered for Creamy Ebiko Pasta which includes Shrimps, Karashi, Ebiko and Cream combined into one creamy and delightful dish. Had a taste of it and its heaven, the creamy sauce blended with shrimp flavor, it’s so good! Plus it was also slightly spicy. Well, it’s not tagged as a “Must Try” on their menu but for me, it’s actually their best seller.

Creamy Ebiko Pasta Php 298.00

I picked for Carbona, the creamy pasta with mozzarella cheese, bacon and mushroom. The serving was big, but the sauce was so-so to bland.

Carbonara Php 245.00

He also ordered for Margherita pizza, it’s a rustic but elegant play of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Hubby loved this as the tomatoes balances well with the richness of the cheese.

Margherita Php 265.00

Ian availed their “Perk Up  + 60.00”, wherein when you order any dish, you can avail 1 drink from the choices of Tokyo blend coffee, Orange Juice, Tokyo Ice Coffee and Lemon Iced Tea just add Php 60.00 to your bill. 


Now, let’s talk about their service. Hayz! (Hinga ng malalim). At first, we taught that they have a fast service since we were only 4 customers inside the store so we placed our orders immediately since we need to claim our reserved tickets. But I noticed that some of the customers who came in after us were already served their orders, I call the staff to follow up our orders but I think they already forgot our orders. So syempre, nagalit ang lola nyo, since ayaw ko sa lahat ang ginugutom ang anak ko. I got angry, as in naririnig nan g ibang customers, I can’t control myself because we waited for almost 30+ minutes and still we don’t have our orders. Issue on waiting is not a big deal unless the staff told you the cooking/waiting time but they did not told us anything nor updates us about our orders, so letting the customers wait because they forgot your order is really disappointing. I really want to talk to their manager about their service (knowing that they bill us 10% SC) but my husband told me to calm down. 

Nakakasmile parin kahit gutom and bad trip na. 

Okay just for the sake of my baby, I control myself this time but I really hope they will improve their customer attention and consideration.


Tokyo Café
3rd Floor SM Megamall B,
Julia Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City
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Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Yehey! 22 days to go and it’s Christmas Day na! I’m so excited! Kasi after Christmas,  New Year na, Birthday ko na and Birthday na ni Rhian. Yahooo!!!

Anyway, our Christmas tree is up already and I want to share with you our simple yet meaningful Christmas tree. This year, we decided to put our baby’s 3D picture on top instead of putting the traditional star because for us, Rhian is the star of the year. We also put our maternity shots around the tree which symbolizes love of the family.


So next year (Christmas 2014), expect us na iba ulit ang design ng Christmas tree namin. 
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