This week is probably the busiest week I’ve had in years. Seriously. I can’t go in details though as I am just squeezing some time in the computer to you know – get some stuff done *wink*.

First off, let me ask you to say a little prayer for my little boy Mateo who will be circumcised this coming Tuesday.  I know its supposed to be a simple procedure but still, I can’t help but worry especially after a very simple blood extraction which he needed as clearance lasted for an hour and a half last Saturday. Three doctors tried to extract his blood including the ICU head pediatrician but they all failed. A medical technologist who was very confident and volunteered himself to give it a try finally succeeded and I will forever be grateful to him.  Hay, I swear I was this.close to breaking down.  I never heard my little boy cry that loud, that hard.  It really broke my heart.

On to my little girl – Sophia.  We watched Rapunzel at the Theater Down South with her fellow Rosemont kids last Thursday. The next day, Friday, she had her filed trip at Avilon Zoo. I was with her on both occasions of course and we had so much fun. A much needed bonding for both of us.  At Avilon Zoo, btw, was able to meet a fellow n@wie and blogger – Jade and her little girl Summer who were on a field trip too.  It was nice to see and meet you, Jade!  Let me share with you some of our Avilon Zoo pics.

Sophia feeding the chickens and rabbits.

Sophia beside the pony.

Our one and only pic together.

We didn’t join the bus on the way back to school after touring the zoo.  Instead, we trooped to Shangrila for some shopping. Was able to shop for the kids’ outfit already so I’m relieved.  We were also able to check some cat supplies in one of the pet store we saw as a niece of mine who is so much into cats is celebrating her birthday next month so was thinking of getting her any cutie cat stuff.

We got home a bit late so we were so tired.  The little girl was sleeping in no time.  Nevertheless, it was a day well spent.

are all I can afford for now as I still can’t browse the net using my laptop. Hence, I can’t blog that much too and so as much as I want to reply to all your comments, I can’t. I’m using my desktop now and I am pressed for time. I just need to check mails from time to time and I’m always in hurry. Hay naku.

Anyway, got loads of update. Finalized na the theme for the party. We are giving in. After all, its our daughter’s party and I can’t take that away from her – choosing the theme that is. You see, when we were at my party organizer’s office, she changed her mind about the ballerina party and wanted Nemo again. So I said, be it. She’ll be happy the most with a Nemo theme party I bet and as a parent, that’s what I want so I am giving it to her.

I’m getting pretty excited with the party. Can’t wait! I hope my new found party organizer will deliver. Based from the lay-out they gave me for the decor, its going to be really nice. *crossfingers*

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My little boy is starting to sleep through the night, yahoo!!!! At six weeks, he sleeps at 9:30pm and wakes up to feed at around 2am. Wakes up at 6am then to feed again. Oh, I didn’t expect it to be this easy if you know what I mean. He has grown terribly big too by the way. Will post a pic of him soon. He’s such a cutie (this is my blog so I can say what I want) and so puti!

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I am addicted to online shopping and Royce Chocolates lately and I need to stop – pronto! Last Tuesday, went to Powerplant Mall with Sophia (we were on a date, just the two of us) to look for some discount furniture I can score but instead I got 6 boxes of Nama chocolates before leaving. Race kami ni Jon sa pagkain when I got home, bwahaha. I swear, I’m so fat now. Need to lose weight in time for the party!

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That’s it for now. Need to give the little boy a bath. He just woke up!

We were out the whole day last Friday to attend to some errands. Yes, when I say “we” it includes our little prince, Mateo. I know, I know… bad parents we are but hey, we’d rather take him with us than leave him at home with the yaya and helpers alone.

So where were we the whole day Friday?

First stop – Boni High Street. We finally got Mateo’s ride at Hobbes and Landes. And what did we settle with? This one below.

Bugaboo Bee – Made for life on the fly.

We then trooped to Greenhills to finally pay the reservation fee at C3 Events Place for the joint party of Mateo’s Baptism and Sophia’s 4th Birthday come March. No turning back this time, reservation fee in non-refundable. Blue Leaf is reserved for Mateo’s 1st Birthday, right dad? Jon wanted Blue Leaf kasi.

Since it was already lunch time while we were in Greenhills, we had lunch first at Conti’s. The yayas took turns in staying inside the car with Mateo, by the way.

Right after having lunch, we headed to Powerplant Mall to grab Nama Chocolates from Royce as we are giving them to friends as Christmas gifts. I ended up getting additional 6 boxes solely for Jon and I, grabe! Addicting.

I was so disappointed to find out that the new Baby and Co. is still under renovation up to this time so we settled in their tiny space again in the ground floor to get some stuff for Mateo. Was able to buy Sophia another pair of pink Havaianas from the store beside it though. Anyway, a trip to the mall won’t be complete without having to stop at a bookstore to get books for Sophia so we spent some time at Fully Booked.

All this time, Mateo was behaved as ever. He was on his new ride and he seemed to like it and was very comfortable in it. His achie – Sophia had the time of her life pushing the “bee” too. Ang kulit! Nevertheless, Jon and I were very happy that our little princess was very affectionate with her baby brother. We couldn’t believe how she has grown too and seeing our kids together – one pushing the other while on his stroller is such a sight to behold for us. Hay, we really are getting old! Haha.

Here are some of the kids’ photos.

And here’s kulit, ayaw paawat. She was very insistent to be the one to push her baby brother.

We went home immediately after so I was not really able to go around the mall but I took notice of the LCD HDTV on sale. Not that we still need one though but those of you who are planning on finally getting one, you might be interested to know.

Made another quick online shopping for the kids. (gosh, i love saying the word “kids”, lol!)

Here’s what I got.

From Gap.

From Ralph Lauren.

Six weeks before I finally pop, I still have to decide what stroller to get for our Baby Bullet. The husband, as usual, left the choosing to me and the so indecisive me can’t make up my mind. What else is new?

Here are my choices.

The Bugaboo Bee – said to be made for life on the fly.

It comes in these yummy colors.

According to StrollersandPrams.com :

The Bee is a unique release from the world famous Bugaboo. It is their first compact stroller, as opposed to the traditional pram with bassinet/seat combination. They have termed it “for life on the fly”, a stroller designed for use out and about in the busy world. It has been marketed towards parents and carers with children from newborn to 4 years of age or 17 kg (37.5 lbs).

Pros

• Great steering
• Handles different terrain well for a lightweight stroller
• Compact one-piece fold
• Underseat basket is surprisingly large and accessible from the front of the pram
• 4 position recline, suitable for newborns upward
• Comfortable seat
• Deep double fold sun canopy for excellent sun protection
• Good brakes

Cons

• Seat width and height not the largest on the stroller market
• The Bee is not really designed for long outdoor walks due to the smaller wheel size
• Brakes not as easily accessible as other Bugaboo models
• Bugaboo have expensive price tags

Conclusion

The newly released Bugaboo Bee is a very pleasurable stroller to use. It steers and handles exceptionally well; has an eye catching and unusual appearance; has a superior sun canopy and a large underseat basket with an inventive front access.

The Bee is by no means the cheapest stroller on the market however its diverse applications from newborn upward, its ability to reverse and recline the seat and adapt to the growing child’s needs provide excellent justification for the somewhat expensive price tag and difficulties in purchasing any additional accessories.

Quinny 3 Wheel Buzz

From StrollersandPrams.com :

The Buzz is a stylish looking pram from the Netherlands based company Quinny. It comes with a host of features intended to make it as practical as it is eye-catching. The Buzz has a reversible seat, adjustable handle, swivel front wheel, adjustable footrest, and of course, a gas-spring mechanism that means it springs open by itself.

Pros

• Large comfortable seat unit
• Great steering and manoeuvrability
• Excellent suspension on rear wheels
• Can be folded in one piece
• Nice compact fold
• One handed gas lift unfold mechanism

Cons

• Seat unit does not sit upright when facing you
• Seat adjust/remove buttons extremely stiff to push
• Seat needs to be facing out and in upright position in order to fold pram with seat unit attached.
• Fold buttons also very stiff.
• Some effort needed to ‘push’ pram into folded position.
• Storage (Buzz Box) small and gets in the way of legs when walking
• Wide wheel base
• Suspension not so great on front wheel.
• Hood has strange adjust mechanism.

Conclusion

Overall the Buzz is a good quality pram that looks stylish and manoeuvres well. The large back wheels and rear suspension handle rough terrain and even steps with ease while the front swivel wheel allows the Buzz to glide around on even ground. The seat, harness and hood are functional and the compact fold and gas lift unfold make the Buzz practical to use every day.

The Buzz’s shortcomings are fairly minor, although they do start to add up. Quality issues such as the very stiff fold and seat adjust buttons are frustrating to deal with after paying so much for the pram. Other annoying features include the hood adjust mechanism, limited storage, and wide wheel base.

Quinny Zapp

The review from StrollersandPrams.com states :

The Zapp is marketed as a lightweight stroller with an extremely compact fold. In these respects it certainly meets expectations, however its brilliance is the way it does so without compromising other features.

In fact the Zapp is a superb stroller to steer and despite its lack of recline feature has a generous and comfortable seat. It is a great choice for anyone who needs a compact stroller, or just for anyone who appreciates a quality stroller that is a dream to push.

Pros

• Great steering
• Handles different terrain well for a lightweight stroller
• Compact fold
• Lightweight
• Comfortable seat
• Good hood
• Good brakes

Cons

• No storage whatsoever
• Wider wheelbase than other lightweight strollers on the market
• Up to 2kg heavier than other lightweight strollers on the market
• Can tip backwards with a small amount of weight hung over the handles

Conclusion

The Zapp is a very enjoyable stroller to use. It steers and handles exceptionally well, has a good hood and a large comfortable seat.

The Zapp is by no means the lightest stroller on the market however its compact fold make it versatile and well suited for travel. It more than makes up for its wider wheelbase with it handling and comfort.

Hay, what to do? What to get? My head is aching after reading all the reviews. I need to take a breather and search for mold killer now.

I don’t know what has gotten to me but for the past days now I have been spending my time shopping online. I wouldn’t have stopped if only I still have some money to spare but unfortunately (or should I say fortunately?) the paypal account I’m using has been depleted and not a single centavo is left.

Take note, nothing I bought was for me nor the husband although I was close to getting alli as I would need them once I give birth. Its really all bout the kid err, kids now.

From Ralph Lauren.

From Stride Rite – Sophia’s been requesting for rubber shoes that lights up and the one below are just so cute to resist! The hearts and the sole lights up.

From Nine West. I got her new ballet shoes as those she has are small already.

From Old Navy.

From Gap.

From Carters.

From The First Years.

Johnny socks.

From Leapster.

From Union Bay. I got the pink one not the blue in the picture below.

Its almost Christmas once again and if you are like me who doesn’t like cramming when it comes to buying gifts for those I care for, now is the perfect time to start on your Christmas shopping. Since I am eight months pregnant though, I have started my shopping even earlier this year. For two weeks now, I have been buying gifts here and there for the people close to me. I am nowhere near halfway done but I’m sure before the month ends, I will.

Right now, I am buying gifts for my side of the family – my mom and my siblings. For the two 15 year old boys, I am thinking of getting them Xbox 360 accessories. I might get the Limited Edition Halo 3 Wireless Headset which I am sure they will love as they have been hooked playing Xbox. I can’t afford to get them a new game console such as the PlayStation 3 so I’m leaving that one to my mom. I hope they will love what I’m getting for them still though.