Maddie Moments: Her First Trip to the Philippines

I didn't let my 3-month Maternity Leave end without going home to the Philippines. I remember telling Jhay that I needed it to re-charge just before I go back to work so my very understanding husband obliged (even if it meant leaving him behind because he can't take a leave that long).

Of course I had to take Maddie with me primarily because she is breastfed and also so that our families in the Philippines can finally meet her!

Her first passport! And look at that tiny face! ^_^

She just passed the 1 week mark in there!

See you after 9 days, Daddy! We'll miss you! :-*

(L) While waiting to board. (R) Maddie's first plane tickets!

Maddie cried only for a little while during take-off and slept in for the rest of the 3.5hr journey. Unfortunately I was too nervous about her waking up mid-flight so I failed to take a picture of her first plane ride. Boo!

Meeting her Lolo for the first time. Maddie is the first baby girl in Jhay's family so she's everyone's darling! That's Maddie's cousin, TJ (remember this post? :D)

With my side of the family. I preferred to have her call my sisters Aunt instead of the Filipino equivalent Tita because I find it more cute! Haha!

The next day, we went with the kids to a nearby clubhouse to swim.

Maddie, anak, I'm so sorry that you are wearing pajamas on your very first dip in a pool!
Bad mommy!

I wasn't prepared because I really had no plans of letting her swim. You know, paranoid that she might catch a cold or something. But my mom was insistent as it is a scorching summer day and this will help her freshen up.

Just as mom said, she was able to take her morning nap immediately after the swim :)

Maddie also got the chance to meet her Isda Ninangs (if you already forgot why we call ourselves Isda, here's a refresher :D). She only slept as we ate and when she woke up, she's still very well-behaved. No crying at all! Good job, little one!

The food at Rack's is so good! The fall-off-the-bone ribs are a given as it is the house specialty but their mashed potato is also worth a mention! I'm making a mental note to eat there again when I go to Manila.

They still can't believe that they are carrying Maddie already because the last time we were together, she's still in my tummy. One of my friends, Jejo, thinks she's too fragile so she doesn't want to hold her on her own. Haha.

Maddie's outfit of the day:

Top, bottoms and Minnie Mouse boots from Mothercare :)

Another agenda that we had in this homecoming is this...

April 28, 2014 | Maddie got pierced! Another milestone! :D

Can't help but notice her chubby cheeks, though. Hihi. Sarap kurutin!

The earrings that I got for her are the usual hypoallergenic ones that you get from the pediatrician. It's her birth stone, Amethyst. Getting her pierced put an end to people mistaking Maddie for a boy because of her naturally spiked hair (guess she also got it from Daddy!) Hahaha.

Maddie also had her first photo shoot in the Philippines but that's for another post :)

Thank you to our family and friends who welcomed Maddie with so much love! You made her first travel fun and full of happy memories!

Third row middle photo was taken before we flew back to Singapore.

Till we meet again, Aunties, Uncles, Lolos and Lolas! Kisses! ❤

Continuing the Challenge 4 Years After: Day 66 to 75

I've always wanted to continue this 100 Day Photo Challenge. Funny because when I checked my archives, I first wrote about it August of 2011! It's been 4 years and still not done! Hahaha.

Now please indulge me as I try to finish what I started, just for the heck of it ;)

Day 66 - A picture of you in the air

June 2011 | Bantayan Island, Cebu

Day 67 - A picture of you showing off your talent

I honestly don't have a talent so here I'm just showing you something that I made out of sheer luck (in Tagalog, "tsamba". Hahaha.) But yes, I've been into baking in the past year and this is one of the very few outputs that I'm proud of. I made it for Maddie's 9th Month Birthday. Maybe I should tell you more about my baking adventures soon :D

Day 68 - A picture of you outside

May 2015 | Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Day 69 - A picture of a crazy night out

October 2010 | Puerto Galera, Mindoro
Craziest night of my life. Ever. Please don't ask why. But to give you an idea, one of my friends, Jaq (she's the one beside me in the photo), wrote something about this here.

Day 70 - A picture of someone you don't go a day without talking to

July 2015 | My Husband on his big 3-0! :)

Day 71 - A picture of you with people you work with

July 2015 | Raffles Place, Singapore.
1 team, 10 nationalities. The most diverse team I've ever been part of but also the most talented, fun, genuine bunch. I miss these guys :')

Day 72 - A picture of you with unbelievable scenery

June 2013 | Victoria Peak, Hong Kong.

It's a bit foggy when we went there but still, it is an amazing view. The mountains meeting the concrete jungle. It is a must-see, really.

Day 73 - A picture of you somewhere warm

June 2012 | Siloso Beach, Singapore.

Day 74 - A picture taken professionally

December 2014 | Manila
Maddie's Pre-birthday Shoot (more on that soon :D)

Day 75 - A picture of you receiving a reward

February 2014 | Raffles Hospital, Singapore.
The day I received God's reward for all the good things I've done in my life :') 
Oh, please excuse my just-pushed-a-baby-out-of-me face. Haha.

25 to go! I'm hopeful that I'll finish this soon, or at least before 2015 ends! ;)

Maddie Moments: Her Baptism in Singapore

Elders say that before bringing a newborn to parks or malls or somewhere else far from home, she should first be baptized to put her under God's care and protection. And because we know that we cannot contain our wanderlust for too long, we planned Maddie's baptism just a couple of months after her birth.

 Invitation made by Mommy, of course!

My little girl knows how to pose na talaga.. ^_^

Quick note: Her baptismal gown and shoes as well as the other dress are all from the Philippines.
Baby clothes here are nice but quite expensive so we buy from PH whenever there's a chance.

On April 20th, coinciding with the Easter Sunday of 2014, Maddie was officially welcomed to God's family. The ceremony was held at the Church of Saint Michael and was officiated by Fr. Angel Luciano, the chaplain of Filipino migrants in Singapore.

 There is no special baptism here, which explains why there are so many people in this photo :) All ceremonies are communal because each church holds only one baptism every 2 months. We didn't pay anything for it though, and an offertory envelope/stipend is completely voluntary.

The Certificate of Baptism is given right after the ceremony! How efficient things are in SG!

With Maddie's Ninongs ang Ninangs.
It's not customary here to have a dozen sponsors so we limited it to 3 pairs :)

A quick side story: It is a requirement for infant baptism here that the parents are married in Catholic church and since Jhay and I are only civilly wed, we also had a wedding convalidation on the same day. A convalidation is a ceremony with the exchange of marital vows, blessing of the rings and signing of the contracts -- pretty much a church wedding without the glitz and glamour! Haha.

Our witnesses -- beside me is Maribel, my former colleague while the one next to Jhay is his cousin Ronald, who is also based here in SG.

Fr. Angel was making funny side comments as we exchanged rings hence the huge smiles on our faces. A little trivia: he is the same priest who started the Simbang Gabi tradition here in Singapore :)

Again, the Marriage Certificate was handed to us afterwards.

Woohoo! We are officially married in church, too! =)

After the baptism, we feasted on some classic Filipino dishes at Gerry's Grill (yes, the same one that we have in the Philippines!).

Their al-fresco dining area can be used for functions. You can opt for a sit-down buffet or a buffet table setup just like this for a more formal feel. And oh, see that tarpaulin in the background? It's also my labor of love :)

They have set menus or you can create your own as long as it sums up to a minimum of S$20/pax. We preferred to customize so our spread consists of Beef Caldereta, Grilled Pork Belly, Pinakbet and Palabok. Our set also includes Crispy Chicken Skin for starters, plain rice and assorted canned drinks. Both food and service are good so we keep coming back to Gerry's!

Aside from the sponsors, we made it a point to invite our friends here as our way of saying thank you for showering me and Maddie with gifts and well wishes even before her arrival.

That's Calix, another baby from our friendship circle. He's a year older than Maddie, though.

We got her cake from a local bakeshop Bengawan Solo and some customized red velvet cupcakes from Twelve Cupcakes as giveaways.

Thank you so much Godparents, Aunties and Uncles for celebrating with us! And for all these presents, too!

Love lots,
Maddie :-*