Want It Wednesday: Twelve South BookBook

I found the prettiest laptop case and I want it for my next mac. ;)

It's the Twelve South BookBook in Distressed Hardback Leather Case for Macbooks. :) It comes in variations of both 13-inch and 15-inch.

I love how they have a slimmer version for the MacBook Air.

So clever!! I love that it doesn't look like the regular laptop sleeve/case so it's a great way to disguise your laptop. 

Oh, they also have one for ipads!

and also for iphones!

Sometime Last May...

Me getting hydrated and getting pumped with some antibiotics and antipyretics.

I was organizing some files on my laptop and I came across these phone pictures taken last May.

May 2011 was one helluva month for us here in Dubai! That I survived it means that I can survive anything that'll come my way. Or at least, I'd like to think so. :p

My husband wasn't in town and my boys (Kaden and Carlos) got sick one after the other, and then back again. I think I averaged three hours a night or  less for this month. I thank God that our littlest baby Amber, had pretty good resistance against viruses/bacterias because since she was born she never got anything more than light colds.

Anyway, this was also the month that I had to rush my five-year-old Kaden at 4 am to the hospital when his fever spiked to 42 degrees (thanks to good friends Jenny & Marvin who drove us and waited with us until the morning thus losing sleep). I was alone in the hospital room caring for a sick child and an active toddler and an infant for two days and a night until my husband flew back to give me a hand.

Poor Kaden but I shall blog about his hospital stay separately.

I remember waking up that morning too weak to even stand up for a glass of water but I had no choice because I had to do important chores like sterilize bottles and prepare food for the kids. When I felt a split second blackout, I panicked and realized that if something were to happen to me, no one would even know and the kids wouldn't know what to do or who to call (I briefed Kaden right after this).

So I decided we had to go to the hospital asap so I could get myself checked. I remember my knees and arms being so weak that I could barely walk and push the stroller.  I remember praying that we could just reach the emergency room because I was so worried about what would happen to the kids. 

By that time, we were already a frequent visitor to the hospital so the emergency room staff already knew us and they greeted us with a "so who's sick this time?". Luckily too, this was the time when our little Carlos boy-o tagged along with his dad on his business trip to Zamboanga. Otherwise, I honestly wouldn't know what to do.

The doctor immediately asked me to stay in the corner room to get hydrated then they infused some IV and then some antibiotics and antipyretic to lower my fever. At first Kaden and Amber were just seated quietly in the stroller watching me but then Amber got fussy and Kaden got bored. Some nice concerned lady passed by and offered to take Amber out of the stroller but she got scared and was feeling some stranger anxiety so I just thanked the helpful lady and asked her to give Amber to me. She fell asleep in my arms. Actually, we both dozed off for a while.

Kuya Kaden was just sitting in the corner of the tiny hospital bed with us and he just held my hand while I was resting.

He was bored but he never complained except to say that he was  a bit hungry. Some nice stranger overheard him and even offered to take him with them to the cafe but I said no thanks.

We went home past 2 am and amazingly, I felt instantly energized by the time we left the hospital. In fact when I got home I was still able to do the laundry and some other mommy duties!

This was a little over three months ago but it's one of the experiences I'd like to look back to a few years down the road. Oh motherhood! The toughest job I think I'll ever love. :)

A Day At The Gym

My mom wanted to try out the gym in our flat building so the other afternoon she decided to take Kaden with her, but Carlos wanted us to go too, so we all went up to give my mom some moral support. :p

The plan was for the boys to sit on one corner with their little sister while me and my mom do some cardio on the treadmill, but the boys had other plans.

Kaden and Carlos when they finally stopped sharing one treadmill.

They were too funny that I had to go back to our flat to grab my camera. Of course, by the times I got back the funnier moments had already passed.

Mama and her trainer who was giving her encouraging words.

Amber was pretty upset that she had to stay in her stroller the whole time.

The boys were all over the place even if they weren't dressed for it.

My boys couldn't figure out how to use this thing.

Good thing he listened to me when I told him to give up trying to carry the bigger weights. It wouldn't be a sight to see if it accidentally fell on his toes.

Carlos playing pretend bike on this one

Overall, it was a pretty successful trip to the gym for the boys but my mom wasn't too happy when Kaden invited us to leave while she was only 15 minutes into her cardio workout because he had to make a very urgent trip to the toilet. :)

As for me, I think I'll stick to Zumba (which I haven't done in WEEKS now!)

My Mommy Finds: Booginhead Sippigrip

If your child is as playful and naughty as mine, I'm sure you've had the same frustration I have when I take them to the mall in their stroller or to anywhere else for that matter. My two little ones, Carlos and Amber, have this habit of throwing their milk bottles when they're tired of it. 

Now I don't mind picking up after them (it's a good exercise) but it's no fun when you're too busy to notice that their bottles fell and by the time you do, it's long gone. Some malls in Dubai are just too big that it'll be a waste of time to retrace your steps and go back and forth in search for a missing bottle and just end up in vain. We've already lost quite a few bottles and it's quite disheartening since the Weil Baby Bottle and Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle don't come cheap. 

Aside from that, when they "accidentally" drop or throw their bottles to the floor, it picks up all kinds of germs and dirt and even after you sanitize them and clean them 100x with wipes you will still have that nagging/guilty feeling at the back of your head if and when you give the bottles back to your kids.

Luckily, I came across these BooginHead SippiGrip. Although they were meant for sippycups, they also work great with baby bottles of any shape and size!

So I got one each for my two little ones and I'd say they have made my life a lot easier!! They come really cheap and they are worth much more than their price. 

The velcro straps are washable, durable, and non-toxic. I love that you can use them not only with strollers, but with highchairs and car seats as well.

These could also work for toys but I'm using Amber's old BooginHead Pacifier Holder for that. But since I bring more than one toy in case Amber gets bored, I've purchased the Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy. It works just as well (for toys, not bottles) and is much cheaper. :)

These are now staples for my baby bag and it only takes seconds to attach and remove them. No hassle at all!

If you really think about it, both these products are very simple but it took a mom to invent them! :) 

I can't get over how amazing these are and my only regret is that I didn't find them sooner. 

Here are some photos of the booginhead sippygrip in action: 

At Dubai Mall.

At Festival City

At Mirdif City Centre

Let me say it one last time, I LOVE this product! 

Favorite Of The Week!

My favorite rice crackers in the world are the Bin Bin Rice Crackers and I only recently realized that the rice crackers I've been buying at the Korean grocery when I was pregnant with Amber was a different brand!

I asked my mom to buy me three huge packs from New Jersey (which she did) and I only noticed that it wasn't BinBin after I took a picture of it. It tasted exactly the same, if not, it was very very close! 

I asked for it and opened the first pack as soon as my mom sat down in our flat and I finished the pack barely five hours after she arrived. I finished the second pack by her third day in Dubai, and at that rate I was trying so hard to hold back.

before and after. I finished it while my kids were asleep. :)

There's a lot of rice crackers being sold in groceries but I swear they don't taste anywhere close to these two and sadly I can't seem to find them here in Dubai. :(

Mama's Back In Dubai!! :)

Two weeks ago my mom arrived from New York armed with lots of goodies for her little palangga's (me included).

The kids were thrilled! Especially Kaden.

My mom was pretty amazed at how much our Amberbug has grown since she held her last February (Amber was barely 4 months old then).

Amber: Hmmm who is this lady who keeps kissing me? She seems familiar...

Mama can't get over how heavy bugbug is.

We were a bit (like almost two hours) late in picking her up at the airport and I was scared that she  already booked the next flight going home to the Philippines while waiting. Good thing she was in great mood and was just having iced coffee. 

We were late because we had to attend the baptism of my latest and littlest (for now) godson Simon Reuben. :)

  

With Jenny (Reu's mommy) and Joy.

Outfit: Top: H&M, Palazzo Pants: Topshop, Shoes: Topshop.

We got our first decent family picture that night. Thanks to my mom!

I'm happy and thankful that I'm no longer alone with the kids. My dad is arriving in a few weeks and they will be taking the three kids home with them so Art and I can have some mommy and daddy time, but I'm not counting on it until we're on board the plane. For now all I can do is pray that our plans push through this time.