Philippines

Taking a little break with my little family :) we're heading to Japan and to the Philippines! Looking forward to the mango shakes, laying by the pool, shopping at all the little bazaars, eating all the yummy food, and spending tons of time with my sisters and family. Best of all, I'm looking forward to sharing this with Gabe. i'll try to update during my trip but incase I can't, have a wonderful two weeks!!

These are a few pics I found online, can't wait to share our actual photos with you.

The beautiful Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard,

adorned with colorful capiz lanterns

Serendra - a place of serenity, our condo

The pool at Serendra

Jeepney's - popular mode of transport in the Philippines

My other love

My other love, Wil, is another year older! we celebrated his birthday last week - both in NJ and in MN. in MN, we had an impromptu dinner with our close friends and family and had such a great time catching up and just hanging out like old times.

in NJ, we ate at a famous filipino chain, Max's in Jersey City. The food there was amazing. It was a bittersweet meal since, aside from Wil's birthday, it was also our last family dinner in NJ. After being there for 3 weeks it was so hard to leave my family. The thing that keeps me going is knowing that i'm going to see them in a few weeks for our fam trip to the Philippines! Can't wait!!!

Happy Birthday, my love. I love you so much.

famous filipino dessert - "halo-halo"
our little family
Gabriel Viggo 9 months old
Jersey City, NJ

3 months of love

Here are 3 month's worth of baby Gabe growing up :) These pictures are snippets of our life from December 2010 to March 2011 so Gabe is between 6 to 9 months old. They flew by way too fast if you ask me: (disclaimer - i have to apologize for Gabe's wacky hair - it has a mind of its own :) )

Far Away From Home

Gabriel Viggo 9 months

The month of February was filled with a lot of traveling for our little family. The month began with a road trip to Tampa, FL. The middle of the month we found ourselves on a plane New Jersey-bound for a trip that was meant to last 1 week but ended up as three weeks. And to end February, we flew to snowy Minnesota to celebrate Wil's birthday with friends and family. Its been fun, but i'm kind of looking forward to time off here in quiet Atlanta. We'll be flying overseas within a few weeks so i really want Gabe to be able to enjoy his own crib for a little bit.

While we were in NJ, I was able to do a lot - see a lot of friends, catch up with people i haven't seen in awhile, spend time with family. We were also able to attend one of my good friend, Archieline's son, Connor's baptism. Its always so nice to catch up with everyone. Here Wil, Gabe and I are getting ready to party for Baby Connor. As you can tell from Gabe's smile, he's excited to party and meet his buddy.

Happy Valentine's Day

Greetings from NYC! Have a beautiful Valentine's day!! Looking forward to spending the day with my wonderful husband and with my sister and brother in law. I know my parents are enjoying theirs seeing baby Gabe's smile in person. It feels great to be home.

Happy Friday

image from www.weheartit.com

Its a been dark and gloomy these past few days in atlanta. Its those type of days where you just want to drink you coffee, and snuggle up in your warm cozy blanket and catch up with your favorite characters in your paperbacks that have been piling up. But of course, this isn't possible in mommy-ville. Rainy days means placing a slew of the baby's toys all over the floor and playing with him all day long to keep him occupied. I love those types of rainy days instead. I could watch him smile and laugh forever.

Although its rainy, we still have a bright weekend ahead that we're all looking forward to. My parents are flying in tomorrow and we're driving to our vacation house in Florda. I'm looking forward to spending time with my parents and watching them play with Gabriel. He's their first grandchild so of course he brings them so much joy. Having them around means.....date for Wil and I :)

We're planning to head to Orlando to visit Universal Studios! umm..hello - Harry Potter World!!! Can't wait.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend doing something that brings you joy.

Serendipity

Serendipity - by definition from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.

Life is all about making discoveries. Going down different paths of life opens doors for different opportunities. I completely believe that everything happens for a reason. Circumstances and situations push us to go down certain paths and towards a certain destiny. Its up to you to find happiness in that destiny. Don't take anything for granted. Appreciate life and where its brought you.

I'm so fortunate to be where I am today. Of course, I have a supporting family with a beautiful baby boy. I have so many friends in different states that I never thought I would meet had i not moved around a bit. It always bring me joy to see my different groups of friends together.

One of my fondest memories was from March 2009. My closest girlfriends from Minneapolis came to visit NYC so I could show them around for a few days. Not only did I play tourist with them, but my closest friends from NJ came too! It was such a blast. The weather, although gloomy, was surprisingly warm and we had so much fun wandering the streets of midtown, enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city. There's an energy within those streets that you cannot find anywhere else in the world. I remember passing through Rockerfeller Center, Radio City, St. Patricks Cathedral, Tiffany's on 5th, Magnolia's Cupcakes, Central Park...so many great landmarks all shared with many great friends.

As much as I had fun, i didn't truly appreciate it until we were all sitting in the famous Serendipity cafe. There they all were, friends from different states, in my favorite city in the world, all laughing, bonding, having fun all while sharing their famous "Frozen Hot Chocolate." I literally took a step back to soak it in. I was lucky, I am lucky.

Well, although i'm faraway in Atlanta, yesterday, i was able to recreate a piece of that in my mind. I took my first spoonful of Starbucks "Signature frozen hot chocolate." It was divine to say the least. I'm happy :)

Snow Day

(image from www.weheartit.com)

I have to admit i was laughing prior to today. The state of Georgia had a "winter weather alert" for today. Everyone's facebook status's and tweets were talking about stocking up and getting ready for the "big storm." I even heard there was a line just to park at the grocery stores yesterday because everyone was panicking to get food. When i checked the weather to see what was expected, it said 3-4" of snow was expected.....I literally thought this was a joke. 3-4" in MN or NJ is nothing!! we drive in 3-4". Here, before the storm even came, they announced that school was closed and that flights for today were cancelled. Don't get me wrong. I understand that the south is not used to this type of weather and isn't equipped to handle snow removal, but its just funny in comparison.

Anyway, i woke up this morning to winter white outside, while the snow on my deck railing only shows about 3" of snow, its still nice to think of it as a snow day. Luckily its Wil's weekend so he, I and Gabe are spending quality time at home lounging around in our pjs. Perfect day for hot chocolate :)

I love the feeling of being in our home watching our baby play. Gabe is so cute crawling around the house. As i was cooking he crawled into the kitchen, crawled by my legs and sat down. It was such a priceless moment for me. I love snow days in with my family.

Here's to many hot chocolate happiness days.

You Light Up My Life

Gabriel Viggo 7 months - December 29, 2010

The joy I feel everytime I see Gabe's smile is indescribable. He's grown so much from being this helpless little being to a little baby boy crawling all over the place flaunting his smile to the world. He's such a cutie pie. Whenever there's a camera in front of him and you say cheese, he'll flash his big toothless grin. This is him all decked out for my dad's birthday and my mom's retirement celebration. It was just an intimate dinner with our immediate family. Gabe was absolutely adorable in his little button down shirt, vest and tie. He had matching pants but they were a bit big so he rocked his jeans instead. Its ok - its the modern look right?

(Gabe's 3 piece suit is by Nautica. His jeans are from Old Navy.)

Happy New Year!!

From my family to yours, happy new year!! I wish you nothing but love, happiness, health and wealth this new year.

(Wil's in a sweater from Calvin Klein, pants by Kirklands, white button down by Van Heusen, and red tie by Nautica. Gabe is in a shirt, vest and tie by Nautica. I'm in a dress and jacket from Zara.)

Snow in the City

"Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow." Its absolutely gorgeous here in NJ/NY. We had a huge snow storm last night -just one day shy of making it a White Christmas but thats ok - if it came earlier our guests and family wouldn't have been able to celebrate the holidays with us so I'm glad it worked out the way it did.

Now my whole family is home, including baby Gabe, we're all in our pajamas relaxing, watching movies, baking, eating, laughing.....everything that reminds me of home.

If i were to guess we had about 10 inches last night and everything in sight is pristine white. Love it. I've already seen snow in MN - they had 20 inches afterall, but nothing beats the first snowfall of the year. Its when everybody still appreciates the snow. After this though, when it prevents people from going to work, when kids stay home from school, and when the roads are slippery, people are going to start coursing this weather. So for now, I'm enjoying it with everyone.

Stay warm everybody

Lazy Moments

Hope you're all having a great week! I spent the last week in Minnesota and LOVED it. It was so nice being around friends and family and especially having people to watch Gabe for awhile. Of course I loved every second with him, but its also nice to just be lazy and bum around for a bit without having to worry about the baby. Wil's parents were eating Gabe up like candy. He was always smiling and laughing with them. I know they wish they could see him more often. Trust me, with the rest i get when they're there to help me, i wish we were there more often too!!

Let it Snow

Its starting to feel like Christmas! Wil, Gabe and I are in snowy Minnesota to see our out of town family from Australia. Its Gabe's first time seeing snow! And its his first time seeing a Christmas tree, and its even his first time being in the COLD! I have to say, i don't miss this weather at all. While it definitely feels more like the holidays, its tough being in this weather with a little one. But its ok - i like hibernating in our pj's drinking hot cocoa, and watching cartoons all day long :)

Pictured is a famous landmark sculpture here in Minneaplis of a spoon and cherry - covered in powdery snow.

Stay warm everyone!

Sisters

One of the best parts of being in NJ is spending time with my lil sis. Of course nothing beats being with both my sisters - which I'm sooo looking forward to this Christmas - but I'll take one for now :)I'm wearing a blouse from H&M, necklace from my Designs by K Cayetano line, Zara belt. My sis is wearing a dress from BCBG

It gets better

(Image courtesy of www.younghouselove.com)

So this is a post i've been wanting to do for awhile. I just haven't had the time to sit down and gather my thoughts. A few weeks ago, a Rutgers freshman committed suicide. He was gay and his roommates and their friends videotaped him having sex with another boy. His roommate broadcasted this video to the public and basically humiliated him. I realize this is wrong, but i also know how college kids think and i'm sure they didn't realize the severity or the impact this would make on the boy. But still, how could they.

Anyway, yes, that is so humiliating. I would die if my private business was shown to the whole world. I would also die if I was gay and already had a hard time fitting into society or finding my place in this world. Of course I say i would die b/c i'ma dramatic person, but i'm not sure if i would really go so far as killing myself. And its such a shame for this boy to think that everything that was happening to him was the end of the world. After this incident, Perez Hilton was advocating the saying, "It gets better." Isn't it so sad to think that this boy thought this was so horrible he would never be able to feel good about himself again? If only he knew that life moves on and that it WILL get better - maybe he would have saved his life.

It hits home even more so now as a mom. I would never want Gabe to go through life thinking he was alone and that he couldn't stand living anymore. I'd want him to know how much support he has through Wil and I and all of our family and friends. I'd want him to take everything day by day. He'll have his happy moments and of course he'll have his sad moments. As his mom, i wish i could shield him from all the future pain i know he'll feel. But i know that's life - that's how he'll learn. He has to go through some of those rough times to appreciate what he has or to figure out where his happiness truly lies. But, although i have to accept that he'll cry, have broken hearts, be humiliated, get hurt, I hope to instill in him that "It gets better." I hope the love I feel for him is strong enough to give him his own strength and edurance to face anything in this world.

Leaving Home

Again, sorry for the lack of posts, I've been here in NJ for the past 3 weeks. It was meant to be a week and a half trip home but it ended up getting extended to 3weeks!! Wil even had to assure his coworker that we weren't having marital problems :) It was just nice being here - around family and friends. It was a nice change from the quiet, lonely, pace of Atlanta. I miss3 being in my own bed, but i know i'll miss being around the people i love more.

A lot has happened these past 3 weeks that i'd love to share. i'll have more time to myself once i'm back home. But in the meantime, here is a beautiful pic of NJ from the NYC side. I've always loved staring back at the other side from across the Hudson. Not only is it picturesque but it brings back great memories of when Wil and I were just dating. Since we were in a long distance relationship, our time together was so limited so we made the most of our weekends. We would go for dates in NYC and watch the sunset from Battery Park - this is the view we'd always stare back at.

Its such a bittersweet feeling leaving tomorrow. I know everyone here got used to having Gabe around and its going to be such an adjustment for them not to see his smile or hear his giggles for awhile. Luckily, we'll be coming back for the holidays. But in the meantime, Ciao NJ. We'll be back real soon.

East Coast

So sorry for lack of posts! I went "home" to NJ to see my family and to attend a few functions. I'm actually still here and its been tough to get to a computer!

I think i feel even more homesick when i come here than when i'm in Atlanta because i see how much i'm missing. I miss my friends, i miss hearing the "accents", i miss my beautiful neighborhood where i grew up in. This was Gabe's first trip to NJ so it was fun to share the sights with him - even though he has no clue what's going on yet.

Here he is - happy as can be with my fam at 21 weeks old.

I've done so much here, i'll have to post about them when i can. Have a great week!

New Joisey

My NJ accent was for sure "mad" strong this past week. Whenever i go home or hang out with my NJ friends - it always seems to seep back into my vocabulary. How cute would it be if Gabe had a mini jersey accent?

Here are I am with my sisters and my girls from NJ that came to visit for Gabe's baptism. We were drinking the night away having fun while the boys were playing Baci ball outside at Leon's in Avondale Estates. I loved being able to share my little world here in atlanta with my out of town friends. Plus, i have to say, it was my first drink since before i was pregnant with Gabe - very refreshing.

(Gail (my middle sister), Tina (my sister in law), Cheryl (my lil sister's BFF), Christine (my friend from way back when), Christine (my baby sister), and moi)

I'm wearing my Zara shirtdress in pink with a tan skinny belt, Michael Kors Gold menswear watch, rhinestone and canvas taping bracelets from my Designs by K Cayetano line, pearl button earrings, and my Louis Vuitton speedy bag is making a cameo right in the center of the pic

Celebrating Gabriel

On September 19, 2010 Gabe received the Sacrament of Baptism at St. Thomas More Church here in Atlanta, GA. Wil and I were so happy to have him baptized at that church. Its such an inviting community with great pastors and we couldn't be happier. 30 of our close friends flew into town to celebrate with us. Friends and family came in from New Jersey/New York/Minneapolis to be with us. It was a blast! Its always fun when my NJ friends mesh with my MN friends. Plus it was fun for everyone to finally meet our baby boy.

Just like we did it in Aruba, we tried to make it a weekend long celebration.

On Saturday, Sept 18 - we had a welcome dinner at our favorite local Italian restaurant - Anthony's.

On Sunday, Sept 19 - we had th Baptism and a beautiful outdoor reception at Park Tavern near Piedmont Park here in Atlanta.

On Monday, Sept 20 - we had a goodbye brunch here at our home before everyone took off for home

Here are some bits and pieces from Gabe's big celebration. A lot of TLC went into this party with a lot of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) party ideas.

(Gabriel in a vintage christening gown from his godfather - RG. RG wore this at his own christening 30 years ago)

(Gabe getting baptized by Father Brian at St. Thomas More Church in Avondale Estates. Godparents Gail and RG were there to witness it)

(All of our family and friends who flew in for the occasion sqeezed into a big family shot)

(The celebrant at his baptism reception after a long nap. Gabe is wearing a Gap button down shirt with Burberry shorts)

(Our table setting in the outdoor patio at Park Tavern in Atlanta, GA)

(Beautiful DIY centerpieces, Blue and white ceramic vases from Home Goods, fresh blue hydrangeas from Dekalb Farmers Market)(White cutout vases from Home Gooods)(Our lil family :) I'm wearing an H&M dress, Fioni shoes, and a David Yurman cocktail ring. Wil's wearing a DKNY pinstripe suit with a Burberry tie, Kenneth Cole shoes. Gabe is wearing a Gap button down with Burberry shorts)(DIY cupcake stand that i created with a crystal cross on top. Cupcakes from Atlanta Cupcake Factory - 2 flavors - Red Velvet with Almond frosting and Sugar Cookie Caramel Cupcakes. SOOO good. )(My family pic: Jim -Gail's boyfriend, my middle sister Gail, my dad, my mom holding Gabe, my youngest sister Christine, her husband Eddie, me, and my love Wil)(Favors were handmade rosary bracelets courtesy of Designs by K Cayetano. I loved that i was able to make something meaningful and special for our guests) (The handmade rosary bracelets were blessed and placed in sheer pouches with personalized ribbons as favors for all of our guests at Gabe's baptism)

Cutiepie

My little cutiepie had a huge weekend!!! Not only did he celebrate his 4 month birthday but he received the sacrament of Baptism!! It was an amazing weekend with family and friends who flew here to Atlanta to celebrate with us. I'll post more pics in a separate post but in the meantime, here's Gabe at 4 months in his little whale bathtub. My sister, Christine, and her husband Eddie are creative with pictures and they decided to style Gabe's hair to look like Alfalafa. Cute :)

Gabriel Viggo Leano

4 months old