Saturday, April 28, 2012

[Zei the MOM] 8 months of royal treatment!

Last week, Zia a.k.a. our little princess, turned 8 months and to celebrate the occasion, we did an impromptu photo shoot, complete with setup and natural light. Here are some of the snapshots of our 8 month old darling looking very much at home in her pink inflatable throne from Lolo and Lola. :)




We just love taking pictures of Zia, she's such a delight to shoot. We love you Zia, you'll forever be mommy & daddy's princess. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

[Zei the MOM] How parenthood has changed me



I'm 27 and I'm a mom to a darling 7 month old named Zia and this is my list of things that have changed ever since our little one came into our life. This list though is on top of the given or profound ones like being more responsible, wiser, more practical, more prayerful, etc. This is just a rundown of the mundane things that being a parent has done to me. I hope somehow this will give parents-to-be a sneak peek into the wonderful (sometimes challenging) world of parenthood.


Since having a kid...


1) Hand washing has become an addiction and a pack of baby wipes is my security blanket

I have issues with dirty stuffy, like most people I assume. But since I gave birth, I think I have never washed my hands as often in my whole life. I think my hands are now so dry from constant washing and application of alcohol. If I could baby wipe everything Zia lays her hands on I would. One time, at the mall, I found myself baby wiping the sofa, high chair, baby changer and the list actually goes on. But yes, cleanliness is really important for everyone, especially little ones since their bodies aren't as fully developed to help them fight off whatever bacteria they come across with.

2) We've mastered the art of watching TV w/o sounds

Our little girl is 'magugulatin'. When she's asleep, even the faintest sound would wake her up so just so we have a semblance of normalcy, the TV is on but it's usually on mute. So to enjoy his games or shows while Zia is sleeping in our room, my husband bought those big headphones. Hehe. True enough though, a picture really paints a thousand words, since I don't get lost in the story even without the sounds.

3) Our choice of restaurant is based on seating comfort

Of course, this only applies when we have Zia with us. We've stopped deciding where to eat based on our cravings, but based on the seats. We need a comfortable space where we could put Zia's baby bag, position her stroller or sometimes her carrier. We prefer being seated in booths or the ones with couches since there are times I need to change Zia's nappy ASAP.

4) I have become a night owl

Although I was never a person who loved sleeping, I never thought I could stay up even in the wee hours of the morning. We haven't struck our fortune yet in having Zia sleep through the night, so she wakes up around 3 times after midnight to feed. I don't think I've slept for 6 hours straight ever since I gave birth. But yes, I am optimistic that it will just be a matter of time when Zia finally learns to sleep through the night.

5) Mothercare, Gingersnaps, Peppermint, Baby Gap, Zara baby have replaced Forever 21

Yup, being the shopaholic I am, it wasn't hard to give up going inside my favorite store and buying a new ensemble because I have found my new loves - baby stores where they sell the cutest stuff. Hehe. Maybe if we had a boy the baby shopping would have been less, still a lot, but less. =p

6) My tolerance for all things icky has gone way up (Warning: Slightly gross)

I was never the cringe-y type of person when I see poop, but I was also never the type of person who'd willingly touch poop. But since Zia came, I had no issues having my hands dabbed in baby poop. The smell of poop is also one of the smells I have come to terms with while others I suspect might want to gag. The smell of our cute little one's poop is crazy I tell you. Haha. Sorry if this part grossed you out.

7) Accessorizing has gone down to the bare minimum

I love piling up stuff on my left arm - I used to have a watch, my Yabang Pinoy bracelet, my wooden beads bracelet, and my leatherette bracelet all in my tiny wrist, but I found that it hurts Zia's neck when I carry her or cradle her to breastfeed. So those had to go away. And now, Zia has found a fascination for tugging on my necklace when I carry her so I had to temporarily say goodbye to my gold necklace with a cross pendant which I've been wearing for the past 8 years (it was gift from the husband, then boyfriend). So the only accessories I wear when we're out with Zia are just my two rings - my engagement ring and my wedding ring.

I know all these are just temporary changes since our little girl is growing up fast and slowly things will go back to normal - or maybe even better than how it used to be. So there, I hope this list helps somehow. But please don't get me wrong, these changes may seem a bit on the hmm... not positive side, but the payoff is definitely more than worth it; because these changes wouldn't have come about if we weren't gifted with the best gift ever - our sweet pea, our sweetheart and the love of our life, Zia. And she makes everything meaningful and worth it.

Monday, April 9, 2012

[Shopaholic Zei] My 40+ days without shopping


The Lenten season is over, which means, Lenten sacrifice has been lifted too. I was successful in sticking to my promise not to shop for myself for more than 40 days. It was Feb. 22 (Ash Wednesday) when the 40 day count begun. And as of Easter Sunday, I was already up to 46 days with no shopping, but my streak ended a few minutes ago when I decided to reward myself by purchasing something for me online.

For a person who loved shopping very much, it wasn't actually as hard as I expected it to be - maybe the loophole that buying stuff for Zia and our house softened the blow. But yup, I think I should go on this sacrifice even long after Lent, my husband would be glad for sure.

I'd like to say thank you to my friends/colleagues who all made sure that I stuck to my promise the whole of Lent. For now, I shall gradually withdraw from shopping for myself unless I seriously clean out a handful never-been-used stuff from my closet. Maybe someday, I won't be a shopaholic any longer. Hooray for more savings!

So why care to share? Well, this meager triumph of resisting the temptation of shopping for moi for more than 40 days has inspired me to change my (evil) ways. Let this be my public declaration that I will limit my shopping for me to 2 times a month and that I will set a ceiling for my monthly spending (amount is still TBD).

That's all.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

[Zei the Charmed one] I will sing forever of your love O Lord!


Our Lord is indeed great!






This song will forever make me smile and remember how blessed we all are because of God's unending love! Happy Easter everyone!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

[Zei on Fashion] Golden Girl

My random post for the day was inspired by this morning's beautiful sunrise. Don't you just love waking up on Sundays, especially when the sun is shining brightly? I do. :) So anyway, with the sun's reflection etched on our bedroom door, and the husband and baby daughter sleeping soundly side-by-side, I decided to do an early morning post about my growing fondness for all things gold. I've actually worn gold everyday for the past 8 years since my husband (then my boyfriend) gave me a gold necklace with a small gold cross pendant, but that's just about it. But now, I think I could take on more gold than that, and these are the things on top of my list.





Tory Burch Tote in gold faux leather from Neiman Marcus







Old-school gold watch from Casio grabbed from www.pessimiss.wordpress.com







Vintage black belt with gold buckle from EtsyGold cuff by the Hammerman Brothers from www.bltfinejewellery.com


Aren't they all so bright and happy? Just the perfect accessories to make any look just as bright and happy plus an added hint of sexy.


Have bright Sunday everyone! Happy April Fools! And a blessed palm Sunday too!