PANADOL- FREE, finally!

So, for 10 days after her surgery, we were in pain killers.  Panadol plus Oxynorm ( the stronger version of it).  This surgery is something we didn't plan this year but willingly took on because of her very erratic sleeping patterns. She is snoring loudly and keeps on tossing and turning at night , finding the right position to go back to sleep. It breaks my heart. And couldn't wait to put an end of her suffering.

And there you go, we did her adenotonsillectomy and turbinate reduction on the 17th November with so much anxiety in my heart. I was very much concerned of her recovery, I was imagining it to be a painful process but fortunately, the worst didn't happen. She took her medicines ( pain killers and antibiotic) and eat normally.  She is my little champ! Amazing girl she is.

The fasting requirements.
She was scheduled at 11 am on Thursday, 17th of November.   She is required to do 7-hour fasting and only allowed to drink water until 9.  Totally no intake 2 hours before her surgery. We woke her up at 4 and let her last 200ml of milk before the surgery , she slept through till 9am and gave her last doze of water. And next is heaps of entertainment strategy to keep her busy. Calling God that she doesn't get hungry in the next few hours before the operation.  We did lots of singing that day, puzzles and play!

So here we are checked in at 11 but the surgery didn't start until midday.  This girl, she has no idea what she will have to go through. At almost 12, she is beginning to feel hungry and at 12.40, we were inside the operating theater and Dr. Lim put her to sleep.

My little girl after crying frantic in the recovery room. I gave her lots of cuddles and she calmed down. She is very groggy at this stage and she already had her first ice pops to keep the throat from drying up.

Here we are inside the ward and she still continues to ask for ice pops and egg surprise! She had two huge vomits after this as her reaction from anesthetics.  The nurses in Norwest Hospital are very helpful of a worried mum like me.  One nurse had to educate me on the preference of Panadol over Nurofen post surgery because it is blood thinning effect. I am glad we have chosen this hospital where we stayed for  a night but I didn't sleep at all. How can I? I was anxious she will cry out for pain and I can't look at her that way. I guess I was expecting the worse for her and thank God, He made our journey manageable.

The day after the surgery. She was very hungry, she was looking for rice and I gave her some corn flakes! Rice is not staple in Australia, unfortunately.  I told her to wait till we arrived home.

While her wounds are still swelling, her voice got distorted which is kinda funny to hear for a while. She is totally healed now. No sleep apnea, she still is a light sleeper but I think she is getting the sufficient number of hours of sleep now. More rested, healthier and better!


Here's a throwback pre-surgery and her singing career at home. Click the link!
Kylene@3 Sings Let It Go

Call that a Spring-ender 2016

When you are itching to go out of your home, so you pick a place out of random.

That is what I like of Australia get-away, anywhere is an adventure. You just keep your eyes in awe of anything new and your heart that of a child!

We had this get -away planned 2 months ago for mama's birthday, I knew we wanted somewhere near as this is only an overnight trip so I don't want us to spend most time in the road. And so, this place , Nord's Wharf that I haven't heard before. All I know that it is part of Central Coast , short drive to the beach, lake front and you can do kayaking.

We certainly love this #airbnb find! A short drive to Caves Beach and Catho Beach ( which is not as dashing as the Southern beach anyway) but it is beautiful on it's own. Huge waves for the surfers and Kylene loved chasing it! Our trips are kids- dominated even our restaurant choices, much needed just because Kylene is too anxious to stay put. How is she so active? There she is wanting to do the kayak so, I tried to push the boat to keep it sailing, but she is not impressed!

When I was little, i remembered burying papa in the sand keeping his head visible. And I keep on jumping over the waves!

Cheyenne and dada early Sunday morning kayak. She is very stoked of this experience and how she has become here in Australia. She is more adventurous and definitely more scars on her legs from the bruises she gets from new found love in sports and anything adventure! I am so happy of her transformation by the way! Sky is the limit for this girl!

                                                 Mama is enjoying her experience too!

                                                          always the "tres marias"

                     This is how our cottage looked like. Sunset that I will never get tired of.

That huge waves at Caves Beach! Kylene were never afraid of it! I am.

Day 2---because Kylene demanded for it, we were back to the ocean, yes she calls it Ocean , not beach and technically , she is right! This is the closest from our accommodation, the Catherine Bay Hall Beach or Cathos Beach as the local would say. There she is ready to seize the day!

and there is me.
in the same "pata legs" who cares?

Thank you for the spirit of adventure.
Thank you for the money and health to afford it.
Thank you for family.
Thank you for this beautiful EARTH I promise to take care of it. I am one with Leonardo de Caprio on this one.  Watch while it's free >>>>  Before the Flood Movie

i love days like this-----

when you speak to me like your Friend.
I treasure it with all my Heart!
this is the scene this morning when I asked her 'what do you want for Christmas' and she doesn't know the answer.

And this message from the school Principal came. How timely and appropriate. How relevant this message is of today's happenings!

is it November yet?

I know, 2 more months and it is the New Year! 2017 that was like a fast forward scene!

Is this  what you get when you are living each day with so much anticipation and joy, you forget what date it is?

Anyway, i didn't forget that I promised myself to post Cheyenne's  12th birthday celebration and that was last September.  I like looking back at my post and remembering each fond mem'ries. This one deserves a space here, definitely!

Kylene wanting to steal the show, Ate enjoys it very much.

opportunities like this is rare. Surrounded by love of her grannies.  How grateful we are!

special love from bestfriend Sara who complements her in many ways!

I am so glad they found each other!

you are loved , unconditionally.

stay Happy, my love! You are our sunshine!

now at 12, Go! seize the world!

Special thanks to my sisters, parents , mum-in-law and friends for helping us prepare the awesomeness in this party.   Love lots!

I've always wanted to be a Mom

There has been successive diseases the past days and all I wish and pray hard for is to get better.

A few strain of virus came to us at the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. We used to welcome spring with a sense of relief from cold, gloomy days but it was different this year.  The flu hit me big time, Chuck and Kylene got really sick mid-October. We found out about Kylene's surgery , it was just successive hit.

So, weekends without ailments are BIG Hoorah! It is Answered Prayer.  Heaven, Thank You!

We are back to being spontaneous and just living it to the fullest!

Let's start with some annoyance on Saturday with a text message saying you should respond to some emails urgently when it is not urgent at all ( cmon, Saturday morning ????)

I refuse...i refuse ...i refuse to live in that moment. We had some event to attend in the morning and running errands in the afternoon. And I can only afford to SMILE. But these moments are the times I look back and definitely told myself, to let go of annoyance because on Saturdays, they deserve the best of me.  I am 100% pure mama. And my children deserves it. They deserve the patient one, the mama that would be bothered at the tiniest details that seemed tiny to me but biggie to my children.


My Cheyenne. 
I am seeing bigger changes on her. Her mood, her choices and her being. I am not sure how many more years is she going to enjoy weekend with us. But I pray she will continue to join our adventures and not chose to be passive or boring or irritating.   She is going through some hormonal changes and I do understand that. I don't want to be controlling.  I want her to independent and self-reliant with the degree of self confidence required as she goes through the awkward years of adolescence.

My Kylene

She makes me giggle. High spirited little rascal who at this age keeps on making me smile. She has developed so many skills that make me wonder . She is 3 and has understood what things she could command from the family. Her smiles are the most beautiful in the morning! I can't resist!

My girls, you have no idea of the importance of your existence to my life.  You have fulfilled a dream for me .  I have always wanted to become a mother.  

Stranger things

We are preparing for stranger things ( not in netflix though) and I don't look forward to it but wanting it to finish soon.

Kylene is scheduled for surgery on the 17th November due to her large tonsils and adenoids making sleep cumbersome. She easily gets sicks because of this too- cough , fever, flu, oh name it!

So, the idea of having it removed is so strange to me until I have met a number of people  that actually had it removed while they were young and never regretted it. And so, bravely, I have accepted the challenge in behalf of my girl. I am hoping that when you grow up, you will be Thankful of this decision.

November will be busy and scary and worrying. The most interesting part is her recovery which would take some time. I hope it is going to be steady and less dramatic. We better be tough and brave my little one.

The terrible 3!

My children's birthdays matter a lot to me.

Each birthday is a celebration of their lives and our own journey as their parents. We had taken two different paths with these kids, given that the realities that we had in Manila is completely different than what we have here in Australia now. If we were too protective with Cheyenne, we are more relaxed with Kylene. They have completely different persona and while they are raised by the same parents, I also feel that Chuck and myself has changed throughout the years and whilst those changes were good, it has a direct impact to our parenting style which over the years has changed. 

This year, Kylene turned 3 whilst Cheyenne turned 12 and the celebrations we had for them were completely different.  Kylene - we preferred hers to be intimate, private and focused on her 100%.  We avoided the hype of prepping up, decors and all for it definitely will sway me away from her. She is a handful, she needs 100% of me. We spent lunch at Twigs and Twine Cafe , headed to the park immediately after and spent the whole afternoon lazing around, playing in the sand, bare foot, and running around.  She is definitely our outdoor, sporty girl! 

There she is obsessed of her cake and candle blowing ceremony. We did at least 12 times, oh, I lost count and in different locations.

Again ! again !

Surrounded with love and all attention to this little girl!

Goals--- ACHIEVED!

and each night for the next 2 weeks of , we sung the Birthday Song! She is my Kylene , entertaining, happy little earthling makes my life superb!

Last year, we were at Goldcoast on her birthday , a much needed break for a very cold Sydney.  We did have a small brunch party for her too. More story here.  The Cake Story