To All Blogging Mothers!

To all blogging mothers like me, here is one guaranteed way to earn money from the comforts of your own home. It's through SocialSpark. All you need to do is sign up for their mailing list. So easy huh? I have been blogging for a few months now, yet I still call myself a newbie since I still have a lot to learn in this arena. I can say that I have been enjoying it so far! Aside from having a means to tell your stories to the whole world, you get to know and meet other people who share interesting stories as well. I love reading other people's blogs and from that aspect, I get to meet new friends especially mothers like me. I just gave birth to a baby boy named Kaiden, and I am grateful that I am part of SocialSpark. SocialSpark has given me an opportunity to earn some money while I take care of my two small, young children without leaving home. Daycare can be very expensive especially with two kids. I used to drive to work. I would leave my only son then to the daycare on my way to the hospital where my office was. Now, having two of them, it may not be a very practical move to drive to work and leave both of them to the daycare. I only earn a decent amount, and with the rising price of gas, it may not be a great idea. I am fortunate though that my good boss had my computer set-up for work at home. However, it may not be enough with the cost of diapers, milk, wipes, baby food, etc. Good thing I found SocialSpark. What I love about it is its unique features, its friendly, colorful layout, and the fact that there's a lot of opportunities to choose from. To add to that, you get paid soon. I can attest to that. So to all blogging mommies out there, join SocialSpark now!

My Mom and Aunt's Vacation

Two weeks ago, my Mom and Aunt came over to see their little grandchildren, and also to help me take care of them. Oh, they did have a grand time! No doubt! Noah, born entertainer himself, impressed his "lolas" with his famous dancing moves. Newborn Kaiden, on the other hand, was so content that he never gave them a difficult time. Both my Mom and Aunt wish that they live near so they can see their "apos" anytime they want to. I guarantee Noah and Kaiden are going to be spoiled if that's the case. :)

Noah Dancing for his Lolas

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to everyone! It's just me and my babies celebrating the holiday today. My hubby had been out of town since Monday for a couple of games. It had been tough for me, taking care of a toddler and a newborn, but still hanging on, considering I just had my operation almost 3 weeks ago. We miss him a lot. Tomorrow he'd be home though. We're excited to see him again, especially Noah. :)

Noah Hand Painting

During the week that I was in the hospital to give birth to Baby Kaiden, our dear son, Noah was in the daycare who obviously had fun hand painting with his buddy, Marky. It was messy though, but I really don't mind. Enhancing the creative side of him is far more important to me than the mess, or clutter he may make. I remember the story that Randy Pausch shared in his Last Lecture on Life's Lessons when he quested on Oprah. Randy Pausch is a great Computer Science professor who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When he was little, he liked painting the walls of his room with different things. His parents got dismayed at first but soon realized that it's important that he expressed himself through different means. They encouraged creativity in him and that's what I also wanted to do for our children.

More Pics of Baby Kaiden

sleepyhead baby zzzzz

hello :)

dreaming and smiling :)

just being serious

Mommy's friends at work

Baby Kaiden's 1st Smile

Baby Kaiden was only 3 days old when he showed his 1st ever smile. We were still in the hospital then. Seeing him smile the very first time was truly a precious thing to behold! :)

Finally!

As promised, here are some pictures of Baby Kaiden who was born June 16, 2008 at 12:04 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, with a height of 18.75". Thank you, my loving friends and fellow bloggers, for all your prayers, and for constanly visiting my blog even if I haven't updated it for a while. I would do my best to visit your blogs the soonest I can. :) Having another baby brings more love and happiness in our house, and for that we feel so blessed! :)

At the delivery room

Today is the Day!

Today is the day I'd give birth to our second son, Kaiden. 12:00 noon to be exact. This is the day that my husband and I have been waiting for and extremely excited about. It may take time before I resume to blogging for I want to spend more precious time with my little baby. And of course, since I'd be having the "dreaded" C-section, I would also need ample time to heal from my operation. As soon as I'm able, I would update you, my dear friends and fellow bloggers, with photos of our newborn, and his development as the days go by. :) As of now, I would need all your prayers for a safe delivery and a healthy, normal baby. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being with me throughout my "pregnancy journey". For sure, I'll miss reading all your fabulous blogs! :)

Getting Nearer!

more days! We just can't contain our excitement as the days get nearer and nearer for Kaiden's birth. I'm also a little bit nervous even if I've done this before with my first pregnancy. Actually, the epidural procedure scares me more than the operation itself. I don't know. Just thinking about that humongous needle being shoved in my spine gives me jitters all over. Oh, God! Please keep me strong! Let me not faint...waaaaaa :(

Nana Joan's Family Reunion

Wonderful people! Great food! Lovely place! What more can you ask for in a party? :)Our good friend, Joan invited us to her huge family reunion last Saturday. Her relatives came all the way from different states such as Iowa, Nebraska, etc. We're so honored and grateful to be part of this celebration, and be addressed to as "family." We just love her! Sure enough, we had fun, most especially our son, Noah.

hubby and son watchin' the "piñata" just busy playin'

Noah talkin' to Nana Joan

father and son bondin'

COUNTDOWN!

more days, our Baby Kaiden! You will soon be in Mommy and Daddy's loving arms. :)

Busy, Busy

hmmm... I guess I am on a nesting stage. And I think, my husband is as well. :)For the past few days, my hubby and I had been preparing the house for the imminent coming of our second baby, Kaiden. I went through all of Noah's old stuff- clothes, socks, diapers that were not used when he was a newborn. Oh my! They were so tiny that I couldn't imagine he was that itty bitty baby before! :) Last week, we went to Children's Orchard and purchased a double stroller at a very reasonable price. Just the other day, we bought another booster car seat for Noah to be put in my SUV. We already had one installed in my hubby's jeep. The entire Sunday, my hubby cleaned the garage, and I was completely pleased with the outcome. A once cluttery, chaotic garage became a totally shipshape, tidy place. So neat! :) Until now, we are still in the process of cleaning and clearing out the things we don't need. Today, I am planning to make the room ready for my Mom and my Aunt who are arriving on a weekend after I give birth. Indeed a busy, busy week for Mommy and Daddy! :)

Daddy's Corner

I can honestly say that Noah is a Daddy's boy. In fact, Noah's first word was "dada", and he says "dada" much more than "mama" even if I'm with him most of the time. But, I won't complain on that. I love seeing them bond and have fun together. Oh, what a precious sight! He finds time to play and get silly with him even if he's exhausted and stressed from work. For him, there's no excuse or reason not to have even a single second with your kid when you've spent most of your time working outside home. Family is always a priority. I could see in my husband's eyes how much he adores Noah. He has wonderful plans for him. Even when I was still pregnant with Noah, he would always check on him, tap my belly to wake him up and feel his strong, Ninja kicks. He wanted to be assured that he's doing ok and everything's alright. I remember, it was winter season then, my husband would carry me from the car to the house so I won't slip or fall from the icy floor, and risk losing our baby. That early on, I know his love for our son is overflowing. It's love in abundance! And, it has never changed. Only growing and growing each day! :)

Not to forget, I wish to thank my dear gorgeous friends, Mommy Juliana, Debbie, Vhiel, and Maria, for this beautiful tag. :)

A Promising Show to Watch!

Crime shows are thrilling to watch. They are most of the time mind-boggling and would challenge your intelligence at some point. This certainly holds true with USA Network's new original series In Plain Sight. It stars Mary McCormack as Mary Shannon, a US Marshall connected to the WITSEC- Federal Witness Protection Program. In this show, she is with a partner named Marshall Mann (Fred Weller) who shares contrasting views with her ending in disagreements and conflicts most of the time. Their role is to fully protect the witnesses and take care of them as much as they can. The lives of the witnesses are at risk, and partners, Mary and Marshall, can't afford to spare a minute of negligence as it would entail their lives. The safety of the witnesses is obviously at their hands. Understandably, since her job is critical, no one close to her like her family, can know the nature of her job. That certainly adds up to the spice of the show. Let's watch USA Network's new original series In Plain Sight which premiered June 1st. True enough, this show is promising! Can you find where Mary is?

Taking Care of Roses

"Don't let a rose die from its vine." That's a famous quote mentioned to me by our good friend, Joan about roses. This morning, I noticed that a few of the roses had withered. Remembering what she said, I decided to trim them from their stems, removed the dead leaves and old branches in order to produce new and prettier blooms. I did the same thing last year, and lovelier blooms indeed sprung out. Hope it does it again this year. :)

with my 2 boys as "extras" in the picture :)

My Favorite Pair of Pants

During my younger years, I had this favorite pants of mine that I basically wore every time I would go out to the mall with my friends, dine out or watch movies. It was a pair of tight blue jeans that shapely covered my legs, and gave my body a nice-looking curve. I would wear it with a simple white shirt, or a sleeveless top to match with it. Well, during those days, I had a svelte body to justify wearing those kind of pants. Sadly, not anymore! Those were the good old days! :) Oh, I just loved those pants! If that pair of pants could talk, it would have said "C'mon, give me a break! ". I never got tired of wearing it until that day that it got accidentally stained with a bleaching solution. Oh, that was a devastating experience for me! And you know, it is hard to find a pair of pants that would fit perfectly on your body. Hey, speaking of pants, I came across an awesome contest from Dockers that really caught my attention. It is called Dockers TV Commercial Contest. If you have a great story to tell about your pants, you can submit it as video to Dockers contest. That sounds fun, doesn't it? Don't waste time. Join the exciting Dockers contest! Send your video now!

Noah and the Red Roses

Here is a picture of our front yard ( a part of it) with Noah as our model. :) We were hoping that the white azaleas and the red roses would show off their blooms at the same time. However, the white azaleas came sooner than we expected. Despite that, we're still happy that most of the rose plants bloomed gloriously, showing their rich, stunning red color. :)

i'm enjoying the outside!

my "magazine cover" pose...serious lookin' me :)

back to smiley me :)

ooops! think I better be careful with the thorns

An Exciting Ice Cream Contest!

With the hot, humid weather we have right now, I surely need a big bowl of ice cream! Ice cream has always been one of my favorite desserts. In our fridge, we have Rocky Road, Strawberries & Cream, Slam Dunk Crunch and Vanilla Ice cream. Back in the Philippines, I would usually buy or order flavors such as Mango, Cheese or Ube. mmmm That makes me want to have one at this very minute! Talking about ice cream, there is an Awesome Cold Stone Contest right now called iMix America National Ice Cream Contest. If you are between 13-19 years old, and you think you have the talent of creating your own signature ice cream, then you might want to consider joining this exciting contest. Contestants are to use the ingredients found at Cold Stone Creamery, give it a unique, catchy name, then ask family and friends to vote for their creation online. Participants with the highest number of votes will proceed to the next rounds until the end of December this year. Announcement of winners will be done in January the following year. Big prizes await the winner. Imagine winning $30, 000 plus in prizes! Be challenged. Be creative. Don't miss this once in a lifetime chance! Hurry! Join now! For more information, you can visit these websites: iMix America Rules and Regulations and iMix America Contest.

Swedish Pancakes

This is a special breakfast treat for my husband whenever he's home on a weekend. It's because most of the time, he's out of town for work with the MLS. It's either he prepares breakfast for me and Noah, or I take charge of the kitchen especially if I know he's exhausted and needs to sleep in. I got the recipe from my mother-in-law who's a great cook herself. It's simple yet the taste is superb! Noah loves this as much as my husband.

Swedish Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 c milk
2 tbsps butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup flour

Whisk or blend all the above ingredients in a bowl. Heat a little amount of butter in a skillet. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the buttered skillet. Cook until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side as well. They should be very thin so they cook quickly. After cooking, stack the pancakes on a plate with aluminum foil. Cover them up also with foil to keep them warm.

Toppings:
butter
syrup
whipped topping
raspberries ( We usually buy frozen raspberries and warm them up using the microwave until they're soft.)

Put butter on each pancake. Roll it up. Pour syrup, and put whipped topping and raspberries on top. Yum! Yum! :)

Cool Recipe Website

Each day, I always think of what to cook for my darling husband and my dear son, Noah. I do have a shelf full of recipe books but still, I find myself going online looking for great-tasting but easy to follow recipes. Then, I found this very helpful site called Keyingredient.com. It is a Food Recipe site where not only can you see other people's recipes, but also it is a valuable tool to store and collect your tried and tested recipes. Another good thing about it is that, it is so easy to locate and add a recipe you may want. You just have to use the "Live Recipe Search" on top of the page if you are looking for a specific one. And, if you want to share and add yours, you just click on the green tab saying "Add Your Recipe", then follow the steps. Very impressed, I created an account myself, and I can say that Keyingredient.com has been my reliable guide since then. I love it and I plan to continue using it because of the convenience it provides to wives and mothers like me.




Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.