Mother’s Day Reflection

To my Mom, you have brought me into this world, taught me everything I know and continue to teach me how to be the best mom to my kid(s).

Rounding out at 37 weeks pregnant (iPhone 6+ photo quality)

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and everyone in the world was showing an abundant amount of love for their mom.  Besides being mushy and gushy with my mom, she has always been there for me during the good and bad times.  She has shaped me into the woman I am today and has influenced me to always give back to society.  Whether I hold the door for someone behind me, give up my seat for an elderly person or volunteer at a soup kitchen or nursing home, she engraved the mentality of putting others before myself.  It’s very selfless to put yourself second in life, but what you reap is what you sow.  You put all your hard work of being a mom/parent/friend/worker at the beginning of life and your reward is to do whatever you want to do later in life.  That’s what my mom is doing- she’s traveling the world with my dad and is enjoying the fact that she will have another grandchild to spoil.

3 generations of ladies (iPhone 6s plus photo quality from my sister)

I was reflecting on all the mother figures in my life who have influenced me while growing up.  The ladies who come to mind are my grandmothers.  My father’s mom, whom everyone called “Lola” which means “grandma” in Filipino, practically raised me, my sister and all my cousins when she moved to the United States in the early ’80s.  One by one, she took care of all her grandchildren by living in our homes for a certain amount of years until the next baby was born.  While my parents were at work, she made sure my sister and I ate our meals, completed our homework and practiced our piano lessons.  She was a very simple, humble woman who prayed the rosary a lot.  Her passing in early 2001 was devastating to the entire family.  She left behind her husband (who shortly died right after her), 6 sons, 5 daughter in laws and 14 grandchildren.  We were all too young to be married at the time, but if she was still alive, she’d be a happy Lola to her 23 grandchildren (including spouses) and 12 great-grandchildren.  On my mother’s side, she was raised by her biological mom (named Lola Ganda where Ganda means “pretty” in Filipino) and her aunt (named Mommy Oh).  Both ladies raised my mom at different stages of her life, but were very much involved in shaping my mom into the woman she is today.  Both ladies live in the Philippines and are still kicking it in their mid 80s.  The last time I saw my 2 grandmothers was in 2012 where they met my husband and daughter for the first time.  Lola Ganda was gushing over my daughter while Mommy Oh was confused as to my husband is pale.  Both ladies have been proud of my accomplishments in life and take a special place in my heart for what they have sacrificed for their families.  I hope both these ladies have it in them to stick around a bit longer to meet my son in the future.

Overall, Mother’s Day went very well yesterday.  Reflecting on my mom and the moms before her makes me appreciate the joys of motherhood.  No one said it was easy, but it’s a job worth having for a lifetime.

Is a “Push Gift” a Real Thing?

I received a text from my Dad asking me if my Mom would like a certain gift for Mother’s Day.  The text had a link and as I clicked on it, the idea of a “push gift” came into my mind.  I first heard about this from my cousin who delivered her 2nd child last Fall.  I look at this as a celebrity trend since they’re the ones who make this a buzz in the media (ahem, Kim Kardashian West), but I never thought it was a real thing.  I haven’t talked to other mothers about a “push gift”, but isn’t the greatest gift after pregnancy the little person that you’ve brought into this world?

Picture from InstaFather.com webpage

I guess the concept behind the “push gift” is really a congratulations reward for what you and your body have just achieved.  No one said pregnancy, labor and delivery, and motherhood is easy, but it does have its greatest moments.  So I guess it makes sense to reward yourself with a nice little gift.  After all, everyone showers baby with gifts- not for mom.  Plus, who doesn’t love receiving gifts that put a smile on your face?  So now the wheels are churning in my head and I’m brainstorming on a “push gift” even though I know my husband will not go for it.  Only reason why I say this is because my husband is terrible at giving gifts that fall out of the traditional gift giving season.  Well, the only unexpected gift he gave me was my engagement ring.  But aside that, he struggles in the gift giving department.

What could I even ask for?  I’ve been selfless in taking care of myself for the sake of the baby these past 8 months.  It has been a tough road, but I’m finally at peace with my past struggles and look forward to the debut of my Baby Boy.  The one thing I’m definitely looking forward to is a nice cold beer post baby.  But I wouldn’t expect my husband to take me out on a drinking binge because first, I’m a lightweight and second, I’m a very cheap date.  So I wouldn’t want that for a gift.  If I’m looking for something tangible, then I have a few ideas up my sleeves.

Mini Crossbody Bag – Kate Spade New York (pictures from Nordstrom website)

Kate Spade New York ‘Small Emerson Lane – Ryley’ Shoulder Bag ($358)

Kate Spade New York ‘Cobble Hill – Mini Ella’ Crossbody Bag ($248)

I remember one of my first splurges post college was a Kate Spade wallet and an iPhone cell phone case.  I’m a huge fan of her collection and I absolutely love the simplicity of her handbags and wallets.  I usually switch my purses when the seasons change from summer to fall.  Now with Baby Boy on the way, I know my arms will be tied down with the baby, stroller and a baby bag when I’m on the go.  But I still need my own bag to hold my things such as my wallet, phone, keys, and some other small trinkets.  These 2 convertible cross body bags (Small Emerson Lane – Ryley on left; Cobble Hill – Mini Ella on right) look perfect for what I will need.  Plus the color selection is perfect for summer.

Watch – Fitbit vs. Skagen (pictures from Nordstrom website)

Fitbit ‘Alta’ Wireless Fitness Tracker ($129.95)

Skagen ‘Asta’ Slim Barrel Mesh Strap Watch, 28mm ($108.75)

I remember being in love with my periwinkle Baby G Shock watch back in the day.  I thought Baby G watches were awesome because they were water and shock resistant, it had multiple functions (ie: time, date, timer, stopwatch, etc.) and it glowed in the dark.  How can you not love something like that?  Baby G watches are still around but I think the army of Fitbit-like watches have taken over.  These watches have revolutionized people’s awareness of their daily activities including any work out regimen.  I’m interested in this Fitbit watch to help me focus on losing the baby weight which I’m hoping will naturally happen through breastfeeding.  Plus I have 6 months to shed the baby weight in order to wear a Matron of Honor dress in the fall.  Maybe this watch will help aide me into working out which is not my strong suit at all.  If I don’t go this route, then a traditional watch will do.  I bought my husband and I Skagen watches a couple of years ago.  The face of my watch shattered last year and I’ve been searching for a new one to replace it.  Maybe this will be the year to get a new Skagen watch.

Compact Camera – Canon vs. Nikon

Canon PowerShot G7X ($599.99)

Nikon COOLPIX A900 ($396.95)

 

I’ve loved taking pictures since I was a little kid.  Capturing raw moments with a click of a button always fascinated me.  A picture is worth a thousand words, but snapping the right one makes it meaningful and worth while.  I’ve owned a bunch of cameras since my senior year of high school where a majority of them were either a Canon or Nikon.  I always wanted to pursue photography as a hobby or side job, but never had a chance to develop the desire to its full potential.  I’m done with taking photos on my smartphone- everything is over filtered and always looks grainy.  I know there are apps to adjust this all, but I want the real thing.  I’m not a camera enthusiast who understands the terminology that makes one camera “better” than the other.  I just want a compact camera that takes crisps pictures, has great video quality recording at 1080p and has wifi connection so I can immediately share my pictures to the virtual world.  For now, I will seek out the Canon PowerShot G7X  which is a beloved camera in the Youtube community.  Or I will wait for the new Nikon Coolpix A900 which comes out at the end of the month.  All I know is that once Baby Boy is born, I’d rather be taking crisp photos of him on a camera rather on my phone.  I’ve been dropping that sucker a lot lately so I don’t want his first accident to be of me accidentally having my phone slip out of my hands.

If all else fails, then a makeup shopping spree will do the trick!  Mother’s Day is around the corner- maybe I can get 3 gifts next month?  Mother’s Day gift, a “push gift” and a newborn baby sounds like May will be my favorite month of the year.