Time Capsule

Wow.

I feel like I just went back in time.

I’ve spent the past couple of hours being wide awake and looking for and finding my former blogs. Three of them to be exact. Actually four…because I created a blog on our wedding website as well, which I just remembered about right now. Come to think of it, I know I also have a multiply site account, but I cannot for the life of me remember my user name or password for that one. So five former blogs (this is my sixth).

It’s amazing to believe, but I have actually been blogging for seven years!!! My oldest blog post dates back to November 7, 2003 (guess what blog platform it’s on). Granted there is a HUGE gaping blog hole in their starting from somewhere after around the time Te and I got married to somewhere after Te and I had Miguel (which, incidentally marks the beginning of this blog). I hugely blame my cessation of writing blog posts on Facebook and the ever-present status updates (which are really mini-blogs if you think about it). Oh, and on new motherhood. But I am really glad I blogged again!

I enjoyed re-opening these virtual time capsules and re-reading about my former life. Me, the not-yet-married (but very much in love) chick. Me, who wrote about…LOL…getting old at 22. Me, many, many, many blog posts away from being a Mom. I look back at those blogs and smile, because I knew, even back then, that I wanted to be a Mom. And now here I am, all the more motivated to write again, because I want Miguel to be able to go back in history and read this time capsule I’ve set up for him, so he’ll know how much he’s changed our lives.

Especially mine.

One of my five former blogs was on blogspot.

All Things Good and Yummy

After weeks of anticipation…we finally made it to the Arizona State Fair. It’s been on my calendar ever since I saw an add for it on the paper more than a month ago. I knew we definitely wanted to go there mainly for the Colbie Caillat concert (general seating included with fair admission). But everything in there was well worth the visit! The foods, the rides, the sights and lights! We definitely had a blast!

At first, Miggz got scared of other people’s screams from the rides. He cried, and after I took him off from his stroller, he clung on to me for dear life. It was cute, but I guess if a state fair can excite normal adults like me and Te, it must be THAT MUCH more overwhelming for a toddler. He got over it soon enough.

I was a bit nervous of how he would behave in the concert. (Would he be loud? Get all wriggly? Cry?) I was thankful to find that he sat there for the most part, clapped when he saw and heard everyone else applaud, and I think he really liked Colbie as much as we did 🙂

After the concert we stayed until pretty much the closing time of the fair to enjoy the yummy grub (corn dogs, cotton candy, roasted corn, funnel cake)…which are all so good, yet so bad for you (except for the corn–that one’s actually good and healthy). I was on the lookout for, but unfortunately did not find, any fried Oreos. The last time I had those was in Point Pleasant, NJ. There were other foods I dared not try (chocolate dipped bacon, anyone?). We also tried a couple of games and rides. Te won me a Domo doll, and Miggz a matching Domo basketball. It got pretty cool towards the end of the night, and we ended up coming home close to midnight.

It was another grand time with my two favorite boys. I can’t wait for our next little adventure 🙂

It’s Cold at Six in the Morning

Remember when you were pregnant and you registered for all those receiving blankets? You frequented layette boutiques and couldn’t resist the sets of small, super soft and cute mini throws. You stopped by baby stores and picked up some blanket sets yourself. You got them as baby shower gifts because you registered for them. And you got them as baby shower gifts even if you didn’t register for them.

Fourteen-plus months later you now possess a gigantic pile of striped and non-striped, safari-printed and polka-dotted flannel baby blankets, fluffy miniature comforters, and fun fleece throws that could easily rival your own linen collection.

Of course your son ends up absolutely hating being under the covers. He could be so sound asleep, and the second you pull a comforter over his body, his legs instinctively and instantaneously lift up like a zombie and land outside and over that blankie.

We left the bedroom window open last night to let the cool breezes in. Te and I are on opposite sides of our bed, flanked by one single comforter up to our necks. Miggz, on the other hand, is lying asleep in the middle of us, obviously not caring that his whole little body is resting on our blankie. It’s times like this at six a.m. that leaves me wondering,

“What on earth did I want all those baby blankets for?”

We Missed the Sun in San Diego

It was just last Thursday when we set off for San Diego to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. We got back on Sunday night, and it feels like we JUST got back. This week definitely flew by quickly. Even though I’ve already done (and folded) the laundry from our vacation–an indication of having a lot of time on my hands–I am still left wondering where the past couple of days went.

So San Diego…where to begin. It’s one of those cities I’ve always wanted to go to, though I didn’t initially consider going there for our anniversary because I couldn’t find any great hotel deals. I initially looked into revisiting Sedona (only a two-hour drive) or possibly going somewhere in the Caribbean (I’ve been having the travel itch since we got our passports). In the end I eventually found a reasonable-priced hotel in San Diego, and just booked our trip within days of our anniv.

San Diego is a six-hour drive from us. I kept hearing only four hours from everybody, but even the GPS and Google maps estimated slightly over six hours. And if you’re a mom, especially a New Mamma, you know that estimates are really just that. Add in the rest stops for food, diaper changes, and photo ops, and the six hours can easily turn to eight. Thankfully, it didn’t in our case.

I made sure I prepared enough things to keep Miggz entertained (or asleep) during the drive. I brought along two of his Matchbox cars, two little Tonka trucks (he picked out which two specific trucks to bring), and two stuffed toys–the puppies Beagle and Benjamin–which he loves to cuddle and easily falls asleep with during car rides, as we’ve discovered. I also packed his favorite snacks, or mum-mums (Gerber’s Strawberry-Apple and Banana Puffs, as well as some of their Mild Cheddar munchies). I also brought along one of his baby pillows. It’s amazing how someone so little can need so many items on a road trip. All of them came in handy during the ride, and I was able to rotate the cars, trucks, and puppies maybe three or four times with Miggz (he’s very easily entertained) before we resorted to some iPhone baby apps, making silly sounds, and sawsaw-suka.

The trip to San Diego was interesting. I wish Miggz saw all the varied grades of terrain that we passed: deserts, farms, rocky mountainsides, even sand dunes. He mostly slept, snacked, and peed. It was also really sunny for the most part, except when we finally got to the San Diego area: it was so foggy.

Our next couple of days in San Diego didn’t get better weather-wise. The sun hardly peeked, and the clouds overhead threatened drizzling every so often. Thankfully it mostly stayed dry until our last day.

We made the most out of our trip. We went to Balboa Park (easily one of my new favorite places to be in…will definitely go back once Miggz is able to enjoy and appreciate the museums), Coronado Island, and Seaport Village. We wanted to stop by the beach too, but it was cold. We didn’t do any of the major San Diego attractions (the Zoo, Legoland, SeaWorld) for the same reason we didn’t go into the museums. We mostly really just wanted to sightsee and relax, with the intention of coming back when Miggz is old enough to ride in theme park rides and watch Shamu. Miggz did get to ride the historic carousel in Seaport Village, and he got to enjoy a nice Gondola ride with me and Te on our anniversary night.

Why take Miggz on an anniversary trip, you ask? Simple. It would just not be complete without him.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from our trip:

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The Miggie Report: 14 Months

I’ve been terrible at keeping up with Miguel’s milestones. It’s probably because I can’t keep up. At one year and two months, the new things he comes up with just keep piling up on us.

When Miguel was a baby, I kept close tabs on his every little accomplishment, noting them all in his baby book. His first smile. His first belly laugh. His first crawl. I was so meticulous at my record-keeping about Miguel that I think it secretly drove my husband crazy. Somewhere between being a full-time working mom, packing our whole house, and moving to Arizona however, I just lost track. Of everything. Miles and miles of milestones missed. Nothing noted in writing, just archived in photos. Lots and lots of photos. I am happy that I can always look back at Miguel’s pictures whenever I need to see an accomplishment or occasion re-enacted in my head (his first solid food meal, first time at the park, first time at Chuck E. Cheese’s, etc.), but I know it’s not the same if I wrote about it…really capture the moment in pen (or in this case, through the blogosphere).

So I promise to write more about Miguel’s ever-increasing toddler achievements, his ever-budding little personality, and everything in between. It’s my hope that one day read he’ll read about and appreciate the stories of him growing up, ever so fast for me.

Here goes…the 14th-Month Report:

• Height: Almost 2 1/2 feet
• Weight: To be confirmed (our weighing scale is temperamental)
• What He Usually Eats for Breakfast: a piece of white toast, half a banana, sip of orange juice, his milk
• Favorite Foods at the Moment: strawberry, sautéed string beans (the real stuff, not the pureed kind), dinuguan
• Still Likes: Gerber Graduates Puffs and Gerber Graduates Lil’ Crunchies
• Antics:

– He walks FAST, always as if someone is chasing him. He’s still a little wobbly, but he’s got great balance.

– He loves to squeeze into tight little corners. When sleeping, he’ll move his little body as tightly close to you as possible. He’ll do the same if surrounded by pillows.

– He has two Pottery Barn Kids towels he just loves: Mr. Dinosaur and Mr. Bear. He hugs whichever one is being used before his bath.

– He likes the pantry and enjoys picking up whatever he can carry out of it in his two hands (lately, it’s the recyclable milk containers…drives me nuts!)

– He calls his Dad Mama.

– He has a loud voice, and though still unable to speak in sentences, he will let you hear it when he wants something.

– He knows how to ask for milk (de-de!)

– He knows how to climb on the fridge opening to get his milk.

– He pats your back when he gives you a hug.

– He has to kiss in two’s. If he kisses me, he has to kiss his dad (and vice versa).

– He also likes to play in two’s. Two trucks, two cars, two stuffed animals always. One for each hand.

– He likes to clean. He learned to wipe his high chair early on (probably because he sees me do it all the time after he eats), and lately, he’s been fighting for the Swiffer every chance he sees anyone with it.

Miguel has made peace with the Swiffer.

Pumpkin Patch

I’m always looking for fun activities we can do and places to visit as a family. My aim is to try out something new and different at least once a week.

The past couple of weeks I’ve been searching for pumpkin patches. We’ve all never been to one, and I thought it would be fun for Miguel to walk around the patch and pick out pumpkins for Halloween. I’ve stumbled upon this website that listed quite a few in the area (which definitely made the search that much easier), and decided on checking out the one closest to us: Mother Nature’s Farm in Gilbert, AZ.

Here’s my favorite pic from our little adventure:

Miguel found the perfect pumpkin.

A Whirlwind Week

My son is officially a toddler. I say that because this past week he has transformed from speed-crawling and cruising to full-fledged walking in a matter of a few days. It’s quite entertaining when we watch him take off in his little drunk-man walk. He has spanned from merely half the floor space in his bedroom, to the upstairs hallways, to the full length of the family room/kitchen/dining room combo downstairs.

It’s amazing how it all happened so fast, this transformation of Miguel. He’s developed such an independence that half excites and half scares me. Last week alone, he didn’t mind us scooping him up from the floor after a good cruising session, and today, if I even gestured trying to pick him up off the floor, he refuses, as if to say, “I can do it Mamma. Just let me walk and explore some more.”

I guess such is the life of a parent. It’s a never-ending push and pull of holding on and letting go, a continuous cycle of keeping them close and, thus, safe, and then letting them loose and free to learn about the world. I knew this feeling would come some day. It’s inevitable. I just didn’t realize I’d be facing it so soon.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

 

Life should not only be lived. It should be celebrated.

—Osho

Today ends more than a week’s worth of celebrations in my family. It started with my husband’s birthday, followed by my youngest sister’s two days later, and then followed by mine five days after.

My hubby celebrated a significant birthday—his 35th. On the evening of his birthday, we went with the whole family to The Keg Steakhouse and Bar. It was a nice place…great food, excellent service. He always chooses great spots to eat, and this one is definitely worth coming back to. After dinner we headed home and lit his “3” and “5”candles atop a red velvet cake we got from Costco the day before. What a find it was! Very yummy…I’ve had different red velvet cakes/cupcakes from different places, and Costco’s is definitely a winner…the icing was not too sweet, and the cake was just nice and moist. I don’t usually eat a lot of cake, but after that night, I’ve had leftovers of that cake for breakfast (with coffee), and also as a midnight snack. So bad, yet so good.

My sister is in college, so she did what typical college kids do and threw a party at her off-campus apartment. We were not there of course LOL. Who invites family at their college parties?!?! That would have been funny.

I celebrated my 29th a little early…we picked up my Louis Vuitton travel tote last Sunday. And then yesterday, my parents cooked what to them was a normal dinner, but it certainly felt like a feast to me! Dad made sopas (macaroni soup in chicken stock with chicken, vegetables, and milk), mom fried some lumpiang shanghai (Asian egg rolls with seasoned ground meat and vegetable filling), and dad also mixed up some cocktails (vodka with orange and cranberry juice garnished with maraschino cherries). Honestly, THAT could have been my birthday dinner. But being that my two sisters live away from home, they were not here to enjoy all of that (and my little sis called mom early today asking, “what are we doing for Ate’s birthday?”). We really made no plans until today, and decided we should try Kona Grill. My siblings have been there before, but Te and I haven’t, so I figured this would be a good time to try it and bring the whole family. Food was good too, but the service was so-so at this place. I’m a little biased because we really had such great service at The Keg last week…I guess those are really hard to come by these days. So at Kona Grill, I had my first try of hot sake (I got light-headed shortly after drinking a tiny bit, and this was after my meal…LOL. I think at 29, it’s too late to break me in. I don’t—and will probably never be able to—handle my alcohol well. At the end of dinner, I got a hefty slice of…guess what, more red velvet cake, which was soo yummy-looking, but I barely had the stomach space for. Thankfully, everyone else took a bite. We didn’t even get to eat the Harry & David Chocolate Mousse Cake waiting at home that my sister-in-law sent for our birthdays. It’s okay…that means there will be more cake waiting to be eaten tomorrow 🙂

Monday Night Football

New England played Miami tonight and won…woohoo!!! It was so much fun cheering on for a team as a family. We even put our matching football jerseys on for the first time.

The Patriots is Te’s favorite team. Last Christmas I got him a Randy Moss jersey as one of his gifts. I thought it would make him really happy if I got myself and Miggz matching jerseys also. So I ordered them for us a couple of weeks ago from Amazon.com. They got delivered so fast!! It was cute to see Miggz in his jersey. We definitely had a blast! Best part…the Pats did great and won 41-14.

I am definitely looking forward to more game-watching nights as a family.

A Day at the Mall

Today Terrence, Miguel and I had a nice day out together. We went to our favorite mall in the area…Scottsdale’s Fashion Square Mall.

Scottsdale is about 20 minutes to half an hour from where we live. We headed there after church. It was an unplanned thing — Te suggested going to Scottsdale right when church ended. Of course I wasn’t prepared to hit the mall today (wore my non-mall friendly Banana Republic flats…cute but very blister-giving prone, which is why I only wear them if I expect to only be 1-sitting a lot while I’m out, or 2 – walking for literally no more than 10 steps at a
time). But I was game anyway, because I knew we would be shopping for my birthday gift =)

After a quick lunch when we arrived, we hit the following stores: Bath & Body Works (for some Wallflower plug-in refills — a must for homes with babies/toddlers. Or that cook a lot of fried food), Pottery Barn Kids, Janie & Jack (got some cute clothes for Miggie), Nordstrom (we got him a pair of Puma sneakers we hope he wears, now that he’s walking around and all. We made sure they fit his chubby-wubby feet!), Sony Style (tried the Playstation Move…a wee bit hard to maneuver, but it was a bow and arrow game that was on…and THAT requires a lot of coordination skills in and of itself…not my biggest strength, but Te did pretty well), and Louis Vuitton of course, where Te bought me my 29th birthday present. I will post it once I have taken pics… =)

I have to note how extremely patient my hubby is at the mall. It really is something to be proud of. When I am browsing, not once did he ever rush me out of a store. The cute thing is the way he shows Miggie all sorts of stuff at the different stores, as if the mall were a giant museum of things to be touched, felt, and experienced. He’s SUCH a doting dad, very sweet and playful and patient with both me and Miggie. He teaches me everyday that all of life is to be enjoyed. I love him so. Both him and Miggz 🙂