i love being a mother...

i love the first feel of life in my womb...

i love all the feel of flutter, wiggle, kicks and hiccups...

i love when i was able to give all my strength to push you out and meet you for the first time...

i love to see the love in your eyes for me...

i love the feel of trust in your embrace...

i love to watch you sleep and dream away...

i love to hear you call me mommy and mama in anyway...

i love that you believe and trust everything i say...

i love saying "i love you all the time." to you...

i love hearing you say "i love you all the time too" or "you, you"...

i love kissing and hugging you before you sleep...

i love kissing and hugging you when you are asleep...

i love kissing and hugging you before i let you go to school or play...

i love spending time with you just reading or watching tv or just quietly seating together...

i love hearing your giggle when i tickle you...

i love teaching you all the things you now know...

i love kissing your "pain" away...

i love singing to you...

i love dancing silly with you...

i love watching you make silly things...

i love seeing you make smart discoveries...

but most of all...

i love being a mother because of you.

for

Sebastian Daniel

and

Matthew Benjamin

a budding artist...

maybe i was just not too careful anymore (or just more carefree) with Matthew than how i was with Sebastian...

my two boys were playing in their room and suddenly i heard Sebastian "MOMMY! MATTHEW WROTE WITH A CRAYON ON THE WALL!"

me: *gasp!*

and here's what i got!

the walls were painted flat and very thin... and we are moving out in less than 2 months! what to do???

a very big thank you to P&G maker of Mr Clean Magic Eraser (Extra Power).

Mr. Clean BEFORE

Mr. Clean AFTER (or what's left of it)

my budding artist's masterpiece will just be a memory and on a digital copy.

Matthew Benjamin... 20 months...

4 months to go and Matthew will be in his "terrible twos" which i don't feel anxious anymore because he's already in it!

he can now throw terrible tantrums. especially when hungry or sleepy or simply bored.

he is terribly defiant and always makes way on what he wants.

but he is also terribly funny, and cute, and loving, and smart.

Matthew now have a lot more words. despite always having a pacifier still in his mouth he can verbalize more. he now created a nickname for his big brother Sebastian. i was so surprised when he called him SHASHAN one day. and sometimes he would call him AYAYA(kuya).

his words right now may still be raw on someone else's ears but to me they are very clear. even if he have the same sound for heart (HA) and hot (HA) i know the difference. and he cracks me up when he tries to sing a favorite show jingle "hi-hi-hi HI-5", you will only hear "HA-HA-HA" from him but the tune is clear. he can even hum a bit of Veggie Tales jingle when he is holding Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber stuffed toys. but the most he loves is dancing and i can not help but to join him all the time!

he loves to stack up blocks and he can go as high as 5 or more. the good thing about him is he does not get easily frustrated even if the blocks would fall down. he just keeps on trying.

i love it when he embrace me so tight. both his arms around my neck and not letting go even in his sleep...

he adores his big brother and i am thankful for that. i pray that they will stick together and be best friends until they grow up.

i feel so blessed to have beautiful and smart boys. i could not ask for more...

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Matthew Benjamin's new looks...

as tradition... or torture hehe...

ginugupitan ang batang pinoy after mag 1st birthday, lalu na kapag manipis daw ang buhok - kinakalbo pa.

kami naman ni dadi B, parang to get rid of the baby hair lang. chaka kasi talagang ang haba ng hinaba ng buhok ni Matthew same with Sebastian habang hinihintay ang 1st birthday nila...

Matthew's new do!

Matthew Benjamin turns 1... yey!

last saturday, July 25, 2009, 1 year old na ang bunso namin... si Matthew Benjamin

ano ba masasabi ko kay bunso???

he is an energizer bunny...

he can climb the 16 steps of the stairs in 30 secs. he jumps in a pool of soft balls. he can climb the sofa and coffee table. he walks around the house towing stuff toys or throw pillows. he loves to tease us by turning off the cable box or turning on the dvd player. he hangs-on by himself on the side of his crib as he tries to get the milk bottle i put in there.

he loves to be tickled. he loves blueberries.

he now bites!

he adores his big brother and misses daddy when he's away...

he is a bouncing ball of energy that will keep me busy.

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nakaraos din...

pagkatapos maghintay ng konti lang at mainip... napag desisyunan na namin ni dadi bernard na magpapa induce na ako. bukod kasi sa hirap na ako magdalangtao (as in tao na talaga yung dala ko no?) natatakot pa akong baka mashadong lumaki ang baby sa loob eh hindi ko pa makaya ang normal (vagi) delivery at ma C-Section pa ako.

ang due date ko dapat ay July 28, Monday... yun sana ang date na gusto ni dadi bernard na magpa induce ako. eh sabi ng OB ko July 25 na lang daw. so...

July 25, 2008 - induction of labor day.

5:30 am - hinatid namin si sebastian sa apartment ng friends namin na sina Mike & Shirley. buti na lang meron kaming mabubuting kaibigan na pwedeng maistorbo dito ngayon (pwede nyo rin kami istorbohin in return hehehe)

6:00 am - nasa hospital na kami, sa Alexian Brothers Medical Center, sa Elk Grove Village, Illinois

6:30 am - nilagyan na ako ng IV. lahat yata ng nanganganak dito sunusweruhan para hindi madehydrate. kasi bawal naman kumain o uminom. ice chips lang pwede chaka sips of water.

7:00 am - inumpisahan na akong lagyan ng pitocin, drugs na pampa-induce ng labor.

8:00 am - medyo lumalakas na contractions ko pero kaya pa... nakakangiti pa ko. kwentuhan pa kami ni dadi bernard. tapos nami-miss ko na si sebastian. pinapatawagan ko nga ayaw lang ni dadi....

9:15 am - inaalok ako ng nurse ko na lalagyan na nya ako ng special IV para sa Epidural (pinakamagandang anesthesia na naimbento ng tao). kaso nung chineck nya ang progress ng dilation ko (pagbuka) nasa 4 cm pa lang... eh ayaw kong magpa-epidural hanggang wala pang 5 cm at least dahil nababasa at napapanood ko na nakaka-slow down or even stop daw ng labor kapag maagang nagpa-epi...

eh kasi daw yung anesthesiologist nila merong sked ng C-Section for 10-11am. sabi ko cguro makakaya ko pa...

10:00 am - hmmm.... masakit na ang mga contractions...

10:30 am - huhuhu... talagang masakit na!!! umiiyak na ko kay dadi... pero cge, sa isip ko 30 minutes na lang naman dadating na ang anesthesiologist...

11:00 am - OH NO!!! wala pa daw, hindi pa tapos! hala! talagang nilalambitinan ko na si dadi bernard kapag sumasakit... gusto ko na nga mag "push" pero hindi pa pwede... i-blow daw! long breath-in then short blow-outs... cge subukan...

11:30 am - Haleluyah! dumating na ang anesthesiologist... nagpasalamat talaga ko sa awa ni God!
sa sobrang pagod nakaidlip ako kahit merong chills (side effect ng epi, mangangatog involuntarily buong katawan mo kahit pa mainit ang pakiramdam ng muscles mo from waist to thighs)

1:00 pm - chineck ulit ang dilation... COMPLETE na daw! ok, we're ready to have this baby!

kaya lang medyo malakas ang epidural hindi ko pa mashado ramdam ang pag ire... pinahinaan ng kalahati lang...

1:30 pm - ready na rin ako... GAME!

every time na merong contraction - cleansing breath then blow, then breathe-in and hold then PUSH in ten seconds count, then breathe-in and PUSH in ten second then breathe-in then push in ten seconds then blow-out... sa mga hindi pa nakaka experience neto try nyo at ng malaman nyo kung gaano nakakapagod maglabas ng bata sa mundo! naiinis pa nga ako kay dadi, para naman daw akong hindi nagpu-push! sha kasi mas malakas pa sound ng pag-ire nya kesa sakin hehehe....

mga ilang minutes pa ng pushing inalok ako kung gusto ko makita (crowning na kasi ang baby, lalabas na...) sa loob ko, cge na nga at ayoko na umulit magbuntis, baka huli na 'to titignan ko na (kay sebastian kasi inayawan ko kasi baka kako madistract lang ako - chaka first time yun medyo natatakot pa ko).

ok, hinarap ang salamin! oo nga! hayun na, nakabungad na!

i'm glad nag decide akong tignan kasi mas naka motivate mag push. parang weird din kasi para akong nanonood ng tv ng nanganganak pero participant din as well...

cge PUSH PA!!!

tapos hayan na, lumabas na ang ulo, HOLD, suction sa ilong, bibig, tapos meron palang nakaikot na cord tinanggal... tapos konting push pa... hayun labas na lahat!!!

welcome baby! Matthew Benjamin. 6lbs 7oz, 19 inches, 11 inches head circumference... yup 11 inches yung opening na nakita at kinaya ko!

2:15 pm ang tingin ko sa wall clock pero in-announce na pala ng doctor ko na time ay 2:12pm.

update: nakauwi na kami last sunday. malakas na ako, malakas na rin dumede si Matthew.

ang mga oras ay approximation lamang. yung bago yata ako todong sinakitan ay dahil pinutok na ang aking bag of water.

before the induction starts...

medyo gutom na si dadi, kasi hindi nakapag breakfast.

nakakangiti pa sa ibabaw ng birthing ball...

huhuhu... hindi ko na kaya dadi!!!

nawala na lahat ng sakit... sabagay meron palang epidural hehehe.

meet Matthew Benjamin Oliveros-Mendoza

sinundo na si Kuya Bastian. super excited ibigay ang gift nya kay baby brother.

checking-out baby brother...

meron ding gift si baby brother kay Kuya.

si Mommy naman ang binisita ni Kuya Bastian.

dadi on diaper duty... again.

dadi's time to bond with baby.

kuya's time to bond with baby brother.

apat na kami... and we're complete!