Something to remember your first year of arrival. Happy Birthday My Baby!

I did not really know I'm a good record keeper until I start to look at the things I kept on your First Year. My friends are even amazed how I can keep such detailed records of what you did on your first year of arrival. There were few things that I forgot during those days of sleepless nights with you and when I look at your first year bio with pictures and events associated with, I'd remember how happy I was. Since today is your birthday and I am not there to reminisce and tease you with your loud cries and pitched voice, I compiled something you might like to see in your special day.

Your arrival on February 8th was at noontime when I was suppose to make a delivery to a customer. You were so early by 7 days and I was having a hard time getting you out of me. All my water is gone and blood is already coming out and Dr. Digna told me that I need to be sent to another hospital because my pressure is getting high and you are still far from the opening. But I was insisting on a normal procedure with just a hope and a prayer you will be fine. And there you were: black hair at 6.25 lbs, 50 cm in length with 43cm head circumference. Very normal I say.
Dr. Digna and her husband has to check on us every time to see if I will be alright and not die on you. She told me that you and I were very lucky. I told her she is good at what she does the risk she has to take for us. We were both in critical condition and we were blessed to have such a kind and helpful doctor by our side. They were happy to see that you and I turned out alright.

As you can see, in two days time you were already smiling and happy.  Your first smile was recorded on your second day at 5:30 pm.

We went home on February 9th and you slept on your first big cot and went to your first big bath was on February 12th.
Your birth sign is Aquarius and your birthstone is Amethyst. We had a couple of visitors during at DVD Polytechnical Clinic.


This was you at two weeks on February 22nd. During our stay at the hospital, mama was broke so Tita Iyhen brought a feeding bottle, baby dresses & jumpers, a set of piercing stud, a Walt Disney stuff toy and some building blocks for you. Tita Jen-jen brought us a can of milk for you and food for mama, a dozen of baby dresses, mittens socks and diaper cloths. Tita Jeanne brought us a pair of baby blankets and feeding bottle holder or rack. Ysa was there too, holding you and wondering how small you were.

We went back to the Clinic on  February 16 so Dr. Digna can give you your initial BCG immunization shots. You are so compliant until the big prick of the needle. Boy oh boy you cried out so loud, so hurtful and so long a time.
On February 22, I took this picture with Ysa at Lola Mommy's bedroom. I think this was the first time I captured your yawn. Ysa became your temporary big sister always watch what you were doing. She was so curious about you.
In March 8, I first cut your fingernails and kept the remnants of it in your album. Your first tooth came out, the central incisor was on March 20 then your lateral incisor came out on March 23.

After 2 months, we had you baptized according to the rite of the Roman Catholic Church at Our Lady of Edsa on April 13th by Rev. Msgr. Socrates B Villegas. The primary sponsors on your certificate of baptismal was uncle Erwin and tita Jeanne. Only 2 people were allowed on the list of records but tita Naz, was also recognized. Tita Iyhen and Tita Jen-jen was Ysa's god parents but they were also there together with you other uncles and aunties.

In April 16th, I heard your first laugh. Too bad I don't have a camera at the time. And, on the 18th of the same month I heard your first word calling me ma. From then on you started me calling mama. At that same day we went back to the clinic and got your first shot of DPT and OPV immunizations.

The first time you slept through the night was in May 2 and I noticed that your lower left lateral incisor were out. So good not to hear you cry considering you have a tooth growing out. I was getting a little worn out from all the sleepless nights you gave me but somehow you manage to cheer me up eventually.

On May 9th, I first decided to cut your seemingly receding-looking hair and kept a lock of it for keepsake.Around May 21st that I started to feed you solid food. You were breast fed and you seem to enjoy it that at one point of time Tita Jen-jen has to breast feed you when Bon-bon was asleep. I thought that was funny...not a good practice here in America but I guess its ok back then. I trust your Tita Jen-jen by the way and I know she was healthy. Anyway, your first solid food was peach Gerber mixed with a little amount of Cerelac wheat. You were fine and you didn't give me a hard time with food. On May 27th, your lower right jaw canine came out. No wonder you were irritable.

You never were a sickly baby; but, your first sickness came pouring like rain on June 4th...after 4 months. You got rashes on your face, neck and butt so I put some Monetasone Elica cream for your face & neck and Mupirocin Bactroban for your butt. Coupled with that, you had a cough, running nose and a fever. Dr Digna advised me to give you Mucosolvan drops for your cough, Dimetapp drops for your running nose, and Tempra for your fever. As advised, we went back to the clinic to get your second shots of DPT and OPV on June 10th and it was also there that you showed your first grip alongside with those painful shots. On June 28th, your comprehension started to show. You started closing and opening your hand when we sing the close-open hand song. As a former bachelor, I never thought that a simple gestures like that would bring me joy. It did.

In July, I entered your pictures at the Ever Gotesco baby contest and we got P500.00 pesos gift certificate for representing the July baby of the month. Your picture was displayed at the Ever Gotesco for the whole month of July.
Apparently, you were not in the mood on the day that you were supposed to exhibit you're ability to do the things you do in the picture. But its OK since you already were recognized as the July baby of the month. It was already a pride and joy for you uncles and aunties to see your picture displayed at the mall recognized by other people. The two pictures on the left where your entries for the contest that your mama was so proud of.

On August 2nd, your first upper pre-molars came out. Another cranky day, as usual but not all the time. You have your moments, but most of the time you do your naught tricks and August 7th was when you first sat up and was able to hold your body weight for a moment. The following day, you started paying attention to me whenever I call your name. That was wonderful. On August 10th, your lower jaw pre-molars started to come out. You quite lost a bit of your appetite but you have not lost your good moments. Amid those frequent irritations from your growing teeth, you managed to do yet another entertaining attemps. That was August 12th that you first rolled over and on august 25th, when I first saw you crawled.

When you were six months,we went to the Photo Finish at Ever Gotesco to take your first professional photo shoots, and never had problems with the photo sessions. You were loving it I suppose.

On September 20th, you impressed us with your sense of independence by trying to stand alone with the aide of the wall. You were quite ahead, timeline wise, with your cousins. On the 23rd, you first spoke the word tata, seemingly recognizing male figure.

On the 29th, your upper right canine came out followed by your upper left canine on October 2nd. In between your crying mode was the first time you learned to waive your hand to say goodbye. This was on October 5th.

The next time you fell sick with sinusitis and cough was on November 1- 6th, treated with Dimetapp drops. It appeared your gums are so red and irritated from tooth eruptions. More tooth eruptions in November 26th when your lower left molar came out followed by your central left incisor on the 28th of the same month. December 1st, was your lower right central incisor followed by your lower right jaw molars on December 10th. You looked irritably like the picture on the left hand side when your teeth were starting to come out. I guess it must be really painful and definitely do not know how to tell me.

On December 3rd, I took your first footprints and hand prints for record keeping. It was a little hard to take since you are so restless and playful all the time.

 Finally, the most awaited moments of every parents was the First Step. Yours was on December 28th. You were so careful to fall and don't cry when no one is watching but when somebody does, you cry like you were embarrassed for falling.

  After a while, starting January of the following year, you started more and more tricks to impress me and your aunt and uncle.

You love your bathing time with the bubble and rubber duckies on your bath. I did captured some of those precious moments of enjoyment you do. I like the picture where you like to stick out your tongue and show it to me.

You were not the camera shy type person. You seem to love every minute of it.

Your beautiful eyes trick.

 Your funny smirks.










           And your relentless butt trick. You were only 11 months at this time. By this time you can independently walk on your own. On your first birthday, you were already running. This was captured on the video of your first birthday.

During this time, I was already preparing for your first birthday making envelopes and invitations. The invitation I created was in a bookmark style so that your visitors can use it even after the event is done. Your game prizes, souvenirs and some food where ordered at the Kentucky Fried Chicken mixed with your aunts' dishes. Everyone in the family helped out in your food preparation, games, videos and other fun events until the very end of the day. In fact, they also helped us with the clean ups after everything was over.

Anet's braided hair done by mama

Breaking the cake

Your games were hosted by Tita Jeanne and Tita Iyhen and were all enjoyed by your visitors. There were lots of games and prizes for more than 30 kids.People who came where Ninong Erwin, Ninang Naz, Ninang Girlie, Tita Iyhen, Tito Gilbert, Tito George, Lola Mommy, Isone, Margil, Tita Geraldine, Tito Marlon, Tita Jennifer, Bon-bon, Tito Don-don, Mica, Aina, Tita Gigi, Lola Tessy, great grandma Lola Pika, Tita Jack, Wakki, Tito Oca, Tita Marilou, Carlo, Omar, Bata, Maricris, Maricar, Tito Johny, Jonas, Lorraine, Aling Alice, Tita Sisa and Family, Tita Chat, F.J., Tita Sheila, Tito Neil, Tita Cecil, Sean, Adam, Arianne Avanzado, Diana Avanzado, Tita mila Carino, Precious Carino, Lovely Carino, Tito Wally, Maman, Tita Emily Villacarlos, Tita Emily Lait, Isko Lait, Dandan Lait, Joy Lait, Lester Lait, Tito Johny, Tito Roy, Tito Rio and Bon-bon Casero.

Below is the entire family support that you got on your birthday including cleaning up.

Your video compilation's theme song was from your favorite movie "The Little Mermaid's" "Kiss the Girl"

The presents you received from these people were enormously overwhelming for you and you don't care about the other unopened stuff you needed to see so your cousins helped out opening your gifts.
The presents you receive were: The Cow Pillow, Kiddie Tree Bag, MBA Pressure Ball, Maong Dress, 2-peice Orange dress, Bear School House books, shoes, Mickey Mouse kitchen set, hand towels, Dog Hobbie Collection (Crocodile, Dog & Crab), Alphabet Pot ABC, Carolyn Doll Wall Decor, 3 pcs white panties, Hans Christian Anderson Treasury books, Metroset toothbrush, Mini Play house, sets of pails and plow toys, Doll, Beach towel and Bathroon towel, Tweety wrist watch, pajama set and P800.00.

 You were pampered, until today, but always remember...not every birthday will be as memorable as your first.

Always remember that all your aunt and uncles loved you then until today. Happy Birthday! You will always be my baby.