mah play area

my parents finally started with step one on babyproofing last saturday by taking the cofee table away from the family room. so this whole area is now mine, all mine. it is filled with all my baby stuff anyway, so yea, all mine!

cofeetable gone!
today, they bought this cool colorful puzzle mat with numbers and the alphabet on it. that way, i wouldn't have to crawl on the carpet (which really makes it all the more hard for me). ah, friction's just not that baby-friendly. excuses! =)

don't you just love how coloful it is?!
i love this place! wanna come and join me at play?

a half year old!

wow, it's been half of the year already since my birth! i have soooo many to share for this month so i'd have to divide this entry accordingly. so brace yourself for a really long and picture-laden entry. ready?! 1, 2 3!

** the 6th month birthday celebration **

since there's no 30th on feb, we chose to do the half year point celebration on the last day, the 28th. dad prepared some baked mac which he made special that day. my 6 candles were all on top of 6 large pieces of cheese danish (a fave of my folks) that they got from costco.

more 6th month bday pics here

** milestones and updates for the halfyear point **

from babycenter's milestones for 6 month olds, i can only do one on the Mastered Skills (most kids can do): that of turning toward sounds and voices. i'm a bonafide usisera remember? call my name and i'll surely look towards you.

i don't like imitating sounds however. but, i like it when mom or dad speaks my language. oh did you know that i already said "da-de"?! dad's just one proud father when i did that! i still have my own made up words and if you're lucky enough, you'd get laway-filled raspberries (that i looove looove doing because of the sounds it makes!) with that too! teehee!

rolling over still isn't my thing. yeah, i may have started to roll over early and that's just because i hated tummy time. i still do the tummy-to-back roll but i wouldn't do the other way since i still very much hate me on my tummy! but i do love standing up! i can stand up with less support from my parents, just enough to help me balance. i still can't do that by myself since i don't know how to use my hands yet to grasp for support. and be prepared to tone your arm muscles with me jumping up and down at your lap! specially when i get too excited! sometimes the act of bouncing just comes automatically for me. perhaps, a jumperoo would be a good companion!

i like walking too. but, don't get excited just yet since i only walk when mom or dad fully supports my whole body. this is the reason why my mom thinks that i might skip crawling altogether. but they still make me practice crawling by putting my toys or the tv remote (which i jut recently learned to work wonders) or mom's cellphone far from my arm's reach. i just couldn't resist squirming when i see them. and hey, don't say that i am not trying ok, coz i give myself a few minutes before i resort to whining! ahehehe.

as for the Emerging Skills (half of kids can do), i got a perfect score!

i definitely started with solid foods and i just love eating! this actually worried my mom since i'd prefer solids over milk. i've tried rice cereals, carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes. next time i'd try oatmeal and fruits and i'm probably ready for stage 2! and this is why my parents got me a booster seat already (it's like a high chair but most of the high chairs can only support up to a 3-year old kid as opposed to my booster seat) that can be attached to any dining chair. they put me here whenever they're feeding me or while mom and dad are eating just so i could join them on the dining table and be one happy family having dinner. but then of course, i normally eat ahead of them, haha.

let's eat!!!
sharing videos here and here on my booster
i am a no-support sitter for a long while now, and actually likes this position much much better when playing rather than lying down or at my tummy. you'll see a pic when mom starts sharing our makeshift studio pics on her blog.

i definitely mouth objects. everything that i grab (and i just grab everything, specially those things that my parents are holding) goes directly to my mouth (which my mom finds scary coz i might swallow something or worse, choke), even my hands, and yeah, my footsies!!! the video showing this is a work in progress over at mom's multiply site (she's having technical difficulties uploading vids lately).

want some?!
i also do pass objects from hand to hand. aren't we supposed to do that?! that's what i do with my toys just before i drop them, specially when i'm on my booster. as to why i am dropping my toys, like what my tita tokti said, it's a cause-and-effect thing that babies love. i drop the toy, mom or dad picks it. they'll give it back to me. then i'll drop it again. cycle repeats until they give up and tell me not to do that anymore. haha. you can also make me catch a ball and i'll throw it back at yah! catch-and-throw is one of the games that i play with my folks. but don't be fooled coz i can't catch yet. but i can use all my might to throw that cushy ball towards all directions, just a few inches away from me though. haha

let's now go to the Advanced Skills (a few kids can do). ..

i never showed any signs of starting to crawl. when i am on my tummy, i wiggle a lot though and try to move, but frustration beats me. crawling isn't my thing yet. dr. womack even said that i might skip it altogether. but i do a lot of twisting and turning to make nappy changing all the more challenging for mom and dad. but i do lunge forward. i do this all the time when i am dragging things towards me.

i do jabber and combine syllables a lot. i told you i have my own language that i don't think anyone in this household can comprehend. i'm one helluva talkative baby. and i can charm my way through this. yep, even at church. i break the silence and solemnity during the mass with my blabbering. i get shushed much more often now by my dad at mass. heehee.

as for other updates, i can now be left alone for a few minutes. just enough for my parents to do some chores. usually, my parents would put me on the exersaucer or my pack-and-play while i play by myself, or watch some noggin shows or baby einstein dvds. and i really do pay attention and find myself focused on the telly. they would only allow me to watch just for a few minutes though.

here's another video of me on the exersaucer
so far my favorites include dora the explorer (and i'd really squeal with delight whenever i hear dora's voice and when there's singing and dancing), backyardigans, the wonder pets (my mom's fave as well) and the noggin inserts between shows caref of moose and zee. i still get interactive while i watch basketball with dad by the way.

going out is also one of the things i enjoy with my parents nowadays. yeah, even when it's freezin' cold. i just like seeing things other than those within the confines of our home, and other people as well and that keeps me from being cranky even if i'm really hungry or tired. "batang gala", that's what i am


** the 6th month checkup **

this afternoon saw us at dr. womack's clinic for my 6th month well baby checkup. i was measured to be at the 60th percentile for my height (@26 and 1/4 inches) and at 50th percentile still for my weight (@16lbs). my head circumference is still at the 25th percentile.

like the usual, my parents, well, my mom, bombarded her with tons of questions. fortunately, my pediatrician is very patient. she now recommends water and juice for me, to help with the ahem, ya know and has explicitly told my parents to keep my milk intake at a minimum of 20 ounces per day. it might help if i'd take milk first before i eat solids, she said. coz no matter what, i'd still eat them anyway. that's how much i love food!

since it worries mom that i didn't like tummy time and wouldn't learn how to crawl, dr. womack tried to put me on my tummy to check. but of course, i was a showoff! i controlled myself from being pissed a few more minutes than the usual. haha. she tried to sit me up as well and got surprised at how i can balance myself without any support. and as always, she made me giggle. i just love this doctor! she never fails to get a smile out of me.

but then the smiles and giggles turned into wails when the nurses came. i had to take those drugs again! one, i took orally, and 4 were injectables. yes, 4! 1 of them is the infamous flu vaccine. and i have to take the other flu shot 30 days after. ugh! my mom saw how my eyes widened in panic when the 1st two were administered. wailing with tears came after that. but dad easily calmed me down.

i'm thankful though that i won't have to deal with these shots til my next well baby checkup on my 9th month.

so, are you still with me? yes, this is the end of the line. congratulations if you made it this far! =). as a bonus, i'll share my month 5 to 6 pictures with you!

tatah! til next month!

playtime is funtime!

everyone loves playtime! even the adults do!

i have whole lotsa toys (i even have plenty of 'em that are still in their boxes). and like any other home with kids, toys have been everywhere around the house. i do get to play with them everyday. my parents think that i'm just chewing on them like you would a teether though,haha.

but i would never ever trade the best playtime i have to any other toy in the whole wide universe! and that is my playtime with dad and mom. i just love our kulitan and gigilan together! they are my favorite playmates! they actually think that i like to be brutally tickled, and boy i do! and i know how happy they are when we really play interactively. here are some videos of my favorites...

dad kissing my feet... watch me pushing my feet towards him, haha

playing with the rattle ball and dad... yes, go ahead, you can laugh with me! it's that contagious! hahahahahah (watch all 3 parts here).

how about you? what's your fave?

all good stuff

just listing down some of the good stuff that has happened from my last update til today on my 34th week. so here goes nothing in no particular order...

#1. my folks finally got hold of the travel system that they want! they bought the sterling metrolite stroller from graco and it's matching snugride carseat about two fridays ago. dad's very much itching to get the carseat base set up and have it inspected at the fire station. but mom was able to talk him out of it and delay the setting up til after the childbirth class :)

#2. dad and mom's friends in bgy boise threw her a surprise baby shower last last sunday! it seems that mom and everyone else present had a blast since the only sounds i heard were roars of laughter and shrieks! mom's stories are in her blog. thanks for all your gifts titas and titos!... and i'd like to thank tita jen (and tito jojo), and tita nova (and tito by and kuya gabriel) as well. we have received your gifts! thanks!

#3. mom finally saw the dermatologist on monday. the doctor said that there's nothing serious with the rashes on her legs. thank God! it's just eczema most probably brought about by the swelling in her legs and feet, then worsened by the dryness here. hopefully, everything that was prescribed to her will work wonders.

#4. the "pin-and-needle"-like pricks that mom feels down there are normal! whew! the ob called this the "cervical knife" feelings. and oh yes, it really felt like a knife cutting through and it really hurts according to mom. she'd really stop whatever she's doing whenever she feels that. and she normally feels that when she's on her feet.

#5. mom's tummy seems to be lying low already (that's what everyone says when they see it). she's concerned that i am probably getting ready to go down. the doctor confirmed though that i still am floating.

#6. i am lying head first as other typical babies (as of today according to dr. bouchard). she confirmed this by feeling all my body parts by hand. she felt my head, my butt and back and probably my feet/legs.

#7. mom was so worried that her amniotic fluid might be leaking without any symptoms (which happened to their friend and she never felt any leaks at all). but the doctor told her that she has probably more than enough since it would've been easier for her to feel my body parts if she has lesser fluid.

#8. the cramping that mom's been frequently feeling lately is a good sign that her uterus is exercising, toning and getting ready for labor, according to the OB.

#9. my superpokes are more hurtful now than ticklish as mom said. well, that's a good sign that i am growing right on track right?

#10. everything else from our doctor's visit today was a-ok! and as expected, mom's uterus is still 2wks ahead in terms of measurements. probably coz of fluid? hmmmm.

#11. my nursery is really almost done! my parents will just be adding a little bit of some baby stuff here and there. ;) will show pics soon, promise.

#12. dad and mom will start to prepare everything after their childbirth class on saturday... from completing their shopping list (of baby essentials), to cleaning and washing all my clothes and stuff, to preparing the nursery, to packing their labor bag, etc.

whew! a long list of the great stuff heh?!

32nd week updates

it was time for another biweekly appointment with dr. bouchard, so we went there last wednesday. and like the usual, she would answer mom's questions first (her list is getting shorter by the way... and the doctor's probably thanking the heavens for that :D), then she would measure mom and they would all listen to my heartbeat. and like the past appointments, everything's a-ok! despite the fact that mom's uterus is measuring a week-and-a-half more. i guess, you all won't be surprised if i come out a week-and-a-half earlier.

however, we learned from lola mami that my mom came out 8 days later than her due date. does that mean there's a chance for me to come out late too? hmmmm. well, we'll have to find out if dad's on the same boat when he was born.

oh, there's just one whoopsie. mom had some weird rashes spreading on her legs. during the last two week's checkup, dr. bouchard suspected that it was just heat rash and nothing related to mom's pregnancy. she has prescribed some cortisone cream for her dad to apply on her legs. but it didn't work and was just spreading and getting all the more itchy. so she's now being referred to a dermatologist. hopefully she gets seen soon coz the itchiness would often wake her up from deep slumber.

another whoopsie. mom's been swelling a little more now that she had to buy two pairs of sandals that are a size bigger than hers (same style but of different color -- that's how comfy it is, specially with the edema lurking, haha). she could still wear around three pairs of flats that she owns and of course all her flip-flops. but that's all. she should've been happier for this good reason to shop for more shoes, but she never wanted to have pairs that won't fit her anymore after giving birth. also, her engagement and wedding rings (which are now being worn on her left ring finger) are now tight and had been leaving marks when removed. pretty soon, she'll be wearing them on her scapular chain. perhaps she should get nightly hand massages from dad too aside from his soothing leg massages. that might work.

on the carseat end, my folks have finally decided on getting the sterling snugride carseat and the matching metrolite stroller. thanks to all the pieces of advice, inputs and suggestions that you gave. they definitely enlightened my parents and so they'll march to babies r' us after work today to get them. hopefully they're still in-stock.

alrighty! happy weekend everyone! :)

the travel system challenge

the three day weekend has passed. we went to a picnic with mom and dad's friends, watched hancock and went around to shop for more stuff, but i still don't have my travel system at hand. mom and dad spent those days looking for the best one that they can find from most of the stores offering them. they even looked at some online reviews on these travel systems, but still, nada.

one thing's for sure... they are getting it from graco, nothing less, and they're set on getting a metrolite stroller. also, they want a neutral, unisex design. buying the set (stroller + carseat + base) is out of the question since the metrolite systems' designs are limited in stores nearby. buying online is also out since they want to see the designs personally. but the question is, should they get a snugride carseat which can hold up to 22lbs or the safeseat one as tita haney is recommending (which can hold up to 30lbs)? because if i grow up fast and go beyond 22lbs before i reach one, they'd have to buy another infant rear-facing carseat for me (that's the rule here), then buy a front-facing one when i turn 1. you see, most of the matching carseats of the metrolite strollers are snugride. they saw a good metrolite stroller design that has a matching safeseat carseat but it can only be ordered at amazon. so out of the list, hay. plus, they want to make use of the $40 off coupon from babies r' us so they want to purchase from there. that's still a lot of savings!

so i don't know what they will be getting. maybe they'll settle for the sterling design that they saw from babies r' us and just be ok with it being snugride. anyway, mom and dad aren't big so maybe i won't be a big baby so as not to fit the snugride carseat before i turn 1. well, we'll all see. at least i know that they were extremely happy when they saw the matching nursery rhyme crib set, crib mobile, and soft wall designs that go well with my wall borders, on clearance (and additional 40% off) at burlington. so they bought them immediately!

so there, the search goes on i guess :) well, maybe you have some pointers and tips that you can share?

9 more weeks!

and we're almost there! just two months to go (well, more or less)!

mom and i are too busy at work and (with a lot of activities lined up during the past weekend - she'll most likely tell you about it in her blog) that we never had enough time to update my blog ;) well, that tiring weekend actually scared the hell out of mom. i was too tired i never wanted to move as much last sunday, so mom was a little panicky! i could hear her and dad talking to me, praying to my guardian angel, and tickling me just so that i'd move. well, i would, but just a wee bit. teehee. sorry mom, i was really tired just like you and dad. but i am back to my regular programming now :)

anyway, just a short one, we had our biweekly checkup with dr. bouchard last week and as usual, everything was doing great. when mom asked about the results of her OGTT, dr. bouchard said that it was GOOD... that is NORMAL-GOOD and not BORDERLINE-GOOD! so both my parents were happy. she also made sure that her anemia isn't on the bad side of it. her levels are just slightly low according to dr. b. nothing that a daily iron supplement couldn't combat. mom will just be checked on her anemia again when she's about to deliver. my heartrate is a-ok based from what they heard (152bpm), but mom's uterus is really measuring 2weeks ahead (32cm at that). dr. bouchard teased her that i will end up as a 12-pounder. uh-oh! :) well, we'll see next week if it has grown 2 more centimeters ;0)

oh before i end, i'd like to make a shoutout to my tita abby and tita grette (and tito romel of course). we have received your gifts! woot woot! mom loved them so much. thank you soooo much titas! :) tita abby gave us my really cute tummy time mat and tita grette gave us that swaddling thingie and a changing table organizer. oh and thanks also to tita leah for giving us a boppy pillow!

so, what's everyone's plans for the july 4th weekend?! as for us, we really don't have travel plans, but mom and dad will do some serious shopping for me coz time is really running short. yep, they already did (and with the hand-me-downs and gifts that we've been receiving, my stuff are piling). but there are still some more basic little baby items that i would be needing (and yes, that travel system that they're still looking for up to now).

have a great holiday peeps!

registry is up!

wazzup?! wazzup?! as for me, a lot of things are happening (and accumulating :D).

let's start with the things accumulating... mom actually never thought that babies do need a lot of stuff. yeah, yeah, we're tiny, but our things can fill up a nursery yah know? she realized this when she finally got my registries up. whoopie! i am now registered at target and babies r' us. the initial plan is just to have one list, at target. but there are some things that she chose that can only be bought online (well, she didn't know) and there are some brands that aren't available (or she just didn't find it). so she signed up at babies r' us as well. she actually didn't know what to get exactly, but if she'll follow the guides from the website, she'll end up having everything in the store included in my registry.

so, just like when they were doing their wedding registry 4 years ago, she just clicked the "add to registry" tab on all those items that she thought i'll need (despite being clueless of the good brand, type, etc). so if you want to give mom some tips, or add to her list or take out anything that's probably not needed, please refer to the babies r us registry and the target registry. please, mommy needs an expert mom's help...

to add to my things that are piling up, my parents bought me a graco swing from the rockhampton community sale. it was almost never used and really in a good like-new condition. it was a real bargain! then tita leng, tita libay, tita haney, tita ria and tita leah gave me lots of baby stuff as well and lots of clothes! as in super plenty! most of them were barely used... that's how fast babies grow! my folks probably won't need to do clothes-shopping for me anymore. wow! thanks titas!

oh, and i got this cute little angel night light made out of stained glass that earl and maxine gave my parents when they visited them and gave them holy communion last sunday at their house. they're really some sweet adorable old couple. they have tons of stories about their grandkids and great grandkids everytime we visit them. they're my folks' favorites! :) thanks earl and maxine!

here's a shoutout as well to my tita aida from france... thanks so much tita! we already got your package! thanks for the clothes! mwaaah!

PS. please pray for mom's OGCT results ok... crossing fingers that she'll pass! ;)

of names and nurseries and everything in between

lola auntie called my folks last week just to ask how we all are. when she found out that i will almost be on my 7th month, she told them to better prepare her labor bag already (she gave birth to my auntie melanie at 7months). and mom said, "labor bag? when kiko doesn't have a crib nor a travel system yet? we won't be allowed to go out of the hospital without a carseat?"

hence, saturday saw them shopping for my crib at burlington. they already know what to buy, so they just bought it plus the matress. they also bought a graco diaper bag coz apparently, those that they give out from the hospitals aren't that good. plus they need to have a bag where they'd put my stuff in before i come out right? the crib was too heavy, and it's still sitting unassembled in our garage. and if it weren't for mom who kept on telling dad not to assemble the crib yet, i would've had my crib now all set in my room. he's that excited! i guess, scaring him that i would come out earlier if my crib is already up kinda worked. mom keeps on asking me to make a promise that i won't come out prematurely by the way. i won't mom, i won't... come out earlier, that is.

and since dad's jut too excited (no, i think that's an understatement, heehee), he ordered the wall borders that they saw online already. they finally found a wall border that would go well with how my dad pictured my nursery. let's just hope that the colors from the web would be the same as reality. once he gets the borders, he'll definitely run to lowe's or home depot to order the matching paints, and will start painting the walls. haha.

if they weren't only pressed for time, they probably have bought my travel system at babies r' us already and have paid a visit at crafts for their diy wall arts for my nursery. they actually started looking at wooden letters to hang, spelling my name, at michael's but they didn't have the letter "A". that's why dad wanted to run to crafts (this store and babies r' us are beside each other and a bit distant from our home).

oh yeah, by the way, i already finally have a name, hooray!... at least they finalized the first name (or is this final dad? mom?). the 2nd name is still in question though. but i'm willing to wait. oh and dad's really funny coz he's kinda cheating. remember when he used to ask me to kick while he mentions a name that i like? he still does that, but he's only asking me that 1st name that they finalized on when i am surely moving. haha. EDIT: my 2nd name would most likely come from a Saint's or Mary's name depending on my birth day. dad has already made a list of all the saints' feastdays from august 25 i think, up to sep 10. haha


anyway, i wish mom and dad could already put up that registry for me. tita sheryll's been asking mom to have the registry up already. and my "ever-feeling" mom's suspecting and so she told tita she that they have to wait for the registry before they throw her a baby shower. nyahaha. honestly, mom's pretty excited for her baby shower. well who wouldn't? this will be the first ever baby shower that's solely for us. heehee.

another update... mom's already started swelling a little bit. dad initially noticed this on her feet and legs when he was giving her a massage one night. and then some of mom's friends also noticed. oh well, i just hope that mom's still ok despite the swelling.

that's it pancit! .. until my next chika!

25th week updates

again, there were just sooo many things happening around me that i will just load this post with snippets...

* on mom's special day
we celebrated mom's birthday last week, just the 3 of us. dad prepared his special carbonara and bbq ribs. i enjoyed the food with them of course. and as always, i obliged when dad told me to greet mom a very happy birthday by giving her a good kick. teehee.

* on mom's pregnant belly
last thursday, when mom was about to prepare for work, she stopped at the mirror, called dad and asked "are these stretch marks or bed marks???". she was pointing at the lower left portion of her belly, where there are some reddish little lines. they both concluded that they're just bed marks. but the next day came and the marks didn't even move, so yeah, they're stretch marks. ugh. it seems like that expensive stretch mark prevention lotion didn't work at all... or did it? since the lines were just few and can still be counted? hmmm... well, mom calls these "red lines of bliss" anyway, so i guess she's fine :)

* on my baptism
eventhough they haven't finalized my name yet nor my godparents, my parents were already inquiring about baptism schedules in our parish. since my lolo dadi and lola mami (and hopefully tito ruprup) will be coming to visit me in september, and won't be able to stay really long, they had to schedule the baptism when my lolo and lola are still here. and since the parish only does baptism every 4th weekend of each month, they already informed the parish secretary that they will have me baptized on that last week of sept. so there! soon, they willbe attending the seminar, and hopefully before i'm born, i already have my own name :)

* on my nursery room
with mom's nesting instinct finally kicking in (mostly because of dad coz it came through to him a lot earlier, heehee), dad and mom were finally starting my room. dad actually started buying modular shelves and drawers for the built-in closet and began to plan further for it. he also borrowed a book from the library and had been surfing the web about nursery rooms. they actually had a solid idea of what my room would look like. they kinda had a theme already. but when they visited lowe's today and that wallpaper specialty store to look at borders and sample designs, they just acquired more ideas. hopefully, they'll finish putting borders and paint on the walls before they get the crib and bigger furniture in. exciting!

alrighty! i hope you all had a great long weekend!

random updates

23weeks and counting! ... i'll just fill you up with random updates since my last post...

** we went to see dr. bouchard today for our monthly appointment. as usual, mom asked quite a number of questions (most of them are just out of paranoia,haha). and as usual, the doctor told them that everything's fine. my heart rate today was measured at 148-151bpm which is great according to her. and she also measured mom's uterus. from the pubic bone to the fundus, it's 23ish cm. so right on spot for my age. by next month's visit, a diabetes test will be done on mom. and before we left, they scheduled our 3wk appointment after next, three 2week appointments, and a series of weekly ones til i come out ;)

** mom thinks that she's too big. she sent some preggy pics to her family and while lolo dadi called her a "butete", my tita tokti was telling her that they both have the same belly size (and she's already due next month). and with a 2-lb weight gain from last week, she got worried. dr. bouchard assured her though that her weight is right on track. alrighty then!

** dad already saw me! finally! hooray! the first time he did was at church last sunday. during the liturgy of the word, mom felt me and told dad right away (yeah, i'm also active at church). and boy was he happy when he saw mom's belly protruding! he can see me more often now though, specially when i have the hiccups! i'm glad i'm making dad happier even with just a few little hiccups here and there. oh, and tito john had a funny question about hiccups. he asked why babies in the tummy still get hiccups when we can swallow lots of amniotic fluid to prevent it! ...makes sense? haha

** we won!!! i am now a proud owner of this. we went to the library last saturday and saw a booth from babies r' us. mom giddily signed up for free coupons and raffle. they didn't expect that they'd win though. they actually don't know if i finally am bringing them luck on raffles/contests (coz i certainly didn't when it comes to winning powerball, haha) or they were the only ones who signed up. haha. so they picked up the price at the store on sunday... refer to the next update then.

** my folks finally stormed babies r' us on sunday. it's another haven for them (but more pricey compared to burlington). they got to see lots of baby stuff and i think that's where they're getting my travel system from coz there were lots to choose from.

but you know what my mom likes about these baby stores? ... the expectant mothers parking space! she longed to park on these spaces one day. so finally, her dreams came true! haha

all things baby

at 22 weeks, i can now say that i have some tangible possesions (well, at least currently tangible for my parents :D).

last week, while preparing for their move to utah and getting rid of a lot of things, tita ge "donated" all of kuya elijah's and ate iyah's old stuff, like a graco pack and play (mom was delighted since they just need to buy me a crib and not both!), some layettes (are they layettes?), a walker (though i may not be needing this til a few months after i come out), a pair of shoes, lots of feeding bottles, and lots of toys! there are some more items but i couldn't remember them all. she's even giving my parents kuya elijah's old graco car seat, but since they're planning to buy the travel system anyway, they declined (plus mom's too shy since they can still sell and earn from that instead of giving that to us for free). dad's too excited! he just could imagine me with all these things. he even wanted to put everything in the nursery already. but tita ge said that all of them needs a lot of sanitizing since they haven't been used for a long time. so everything's in the garage :)

some of my mom's mom friends are insisting on getting good bargains from garage/yard sales, since baby stuff don't get overused anyway... some don't even get used at all if the baby doesn't like them or whatever. so last saturday, they went garage-sale shopping (though they promised to buy me something new first before they go on these sales... they think it's too early to buy though). and they found me lots of things! they got me a baby monitor for 2bucks (but mom saw one with a video system in it at burlington which would allow you to see and hear your baby! cool eh?!), bottle warmer for 3 bucks, a couple of baby CD's for a dollar each, a changing table mattress(?) that's new and never been used for 2 bucks, new unused booties for just a few cents. great bargain huh?! as soon as we got home, dad tried the monitor right away (not too excited, huh?!). there are some more stuff from the garage sales, but they didn't want to buy anything that would come in contact with me (unless it's really new or unused or given by their friends coz at least they know who used it and that they're safe to use), like bassinets, high chairs, clothes, accessories, blankets, etc. are they overprotective or what?! :D

and since they are getting too excited with this baby shopping, they spent the rest of the day canvassing for some more stuff. burlington's such a haven for them! (wait till they see more items from babies r' us). they already saw the crib that they wanted from there. it's a 4-in-1 crib with a changing table (and drawers). it converts to a toddler bed for one (and it has a pullout bed as well!). they actually aren't sure if i'd sleep there or i'd prefer co-sleeping with them. ah well, just like what tita sheryll said, you'll never know what the baby exactly needs till she's here, haha. they also now had an idea of how much a graco travel system costs, but they still are clueless on what the specs should be (all they know is that it has to be rear-facing for newborns). well, at least now they won't be surprised of how expensive it can get right? but it's all worth it according to them. having me is priceless!

they'll storm babies r' us next time coz tita sheryll said that there are more items and choices there compared to burlington. then hopefully, mom and dad would agree on whether to paint or put wallpaper or just trimmings on the nursery. at least they can better picture the nursery with all those things baby. :)