First Days of Summer

On Summer's third day, we went home to Bulacan on a motorcade. Well, not really but more of like it. Almost all of my in-laws went to the hospital to bring home my baby. We were 3 cars convoy from the hospital to our home in Bulacan. We had our fist family photo from the hospital.
At home, we were welcomed warmly. My sister prepared a welcome banner for my baby and we had lots of photo session once again.





Summer's first Sunday was an Easter Sunday. We were supposed to ask the priest to bless her after the mass, to our surprise, they always give blessings during the Easter mass so Summer got her first blessing.

And since she had her blessing already, Summer toured the town. She was barely 1week old when she first went to Rockwell to visit Omar's aunt at her condo who was bound to go back to Chicago. She was 1week old when she had her first dinner at Paseo Uno to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Summer was 2weeks old when she had her next tour of the hotel at Makati Shangri-la for a birthday dinner for my mom at Circles.

Barely a month old but been to many places. Watch out where she's been before she turned 1.

Birth Day

It's so much easier to give birth than to be pregnant.


I was trying to give birth on March 28, my Dad's birthday, so I could get the cash prize of Php 100,000.00. But my baby was so excited to go out.

It was my birthmonth already and yet I still do not know the feeling of contractions.


Saturday evening, I noticed a very slight light pink spot from my undies. I texted my ob and was instructed to go to the delivery room if I had contractions in 10minute intervals.


Monday morning, I was not asked to report for work anymore. I can already feel some tingling pain at my lower back so I called my OB. I was given the same instruction.


Omar and I went to bed at 9:46pm. Yes, I can still remember since that was when I started looking at the time. I had a very light sleep. I woke up every 7minutes since I can feel the pain from my lower back, not thinking that I am undergoing labor already, since I'm expecting something from my tummy and not from my back. At 2am, I started praying for the sign. 2:30am, I went to the bathroom to pee, and there was the sign! I had spots already so I took a bath (I told my husband weeks ago that if I took a bath in the middle of the night, IT's time already). So when I went out of the bathroom, he asked me if it's time already since I took a bath. I told him to go back to sleep and I was trying to feel if it's time already. I woke him up at 3am and left for the hospital. I even asked him not to call anyone yet and not to get mad at me if it's false alarm.


We were driving at 80kph at 3am in the morning, we were so relaxed. We arrived at St. Lukes at 3:30am. I waited for Omar at the lobby while he went to park the car. We walked our way to the second floor to the delivery room. I was IEd then - wala ka bang nararamdaman? 6cm ka na ha! - ngee so that was contraction! Now I know hehehhe!! I did not see my husband anymore and he was alone to process my admission and to inform his' and my family. I was asked a lot of questions about my medical history. They were surprised to see me still smiling at them while answering my questions.


They injected something really thick at my dextrose and I fell groggy, slightly sleepy. I can even remember smiling to my ob when I saw her come in. Then I felt like going to the restroom so I asked the nurse to bring me to the restroom, they said that was it! They instructed me to push, so I pushed! They told me to push without sound, so I pushed without sound! Then I felt asleep.



I woke up when they were trying to transfer me to a different bed. I thought that they were finally going to bring me to the delivery room. I was surprised when I saw them wheeling me along the hallway with another small crib being wheeled at the same time beside me. I was a mother already.


Sophia Jade Santiago Reantaso was born at 6:47am on March 22, 2005 weighing 7.7lbs 47cm at St. Lukes Medical Center.


http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jrs404 and view Summer's album for more photos.

Moving Day

August 5, 2004 we slept at our second home.

The house was renovated, thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, and of course to Mommy and Daddy. It was the training ground for starters like me and Omar. Both my brother and sister started their family there. I thought I will be skipping the tradition since Omar provided our home at Mandaluyong. But due to some circumstances, we have to leave our first home and move to our second home.

Finally, home sweet home!

2 Lines Day

2 lines - that was the result of my first pregnancy test.

It was July 2004 when my husband and I decided to have our first baby. And there were 2lines! Yup, I got pregnant the first try. I was scared and excited at the same time when I learned that I was pregnant. I went to my husband, who was still sleeping, and told him the news. Deadma! He did not react at all! I was a bit upset. He was too sleepy to react daw.

I texted my friends and family 2lines, but only a few got the message. I called my sister, who was at Japan that time, to tell her the good news. She was excited too and so I asked for pasalubong for my baby! hahha

Days at Bohol

It's been a tradition to celebrate my parent's wedding anniversary out of town. After weeks of hardwork at the resort, we all look forward to our summer get-away.

This year, we chose Bohol as our destination. From the airport, we had our tour of Bohol - blood compact site, old nipa house, Baclayon Church, mangroves, tarsiers, caves, and of course the Loboc River Cruise and the Chocolate Hills. Tour won't be complete without shopping so we have to stop at the souvenir shop to buy peanut kisses.


We stayed at the Panglao Island. We were just a bit disappointed with the food. Food was good but not as great as the food being served at Dos Palmas.

We went island hopping, tried discover scuba, and even saw groups of dolphins on our way back to the resort.

Flights were delayed so we had time to shop for souvenir shirts just outside the airport.
It was fun exploring the islands of the Philippines. Seeing the chocolate hills was a great experience.

Above all, family bonding made it more memorable.

Last Day at Home

Just as we were getting comfortable at our own home, sadly, we have to leave our home.

After playing badminton with my brother and sister-in-law, my husband and I went to Sta. Ana to attend their fiesta. It was May 12, 2004. When seated to have our dinner, my husband's phone rang. It was her mom giving us the bad news. Our home was robbed. The caretaker of my husband's apartment called his uncle who called his mom who called us to inform us of what happened.

We did not eat our dinner anymore and went home right away.

Omar's relatives are there waiting for us to comfort us. I was shaking when I saw our bedroom. More than what was lost, it was the thought that a stranger intruded our home, rummaging our personal belongings with his hands!

Jewelries, watches, and cash were stolen. Our neighbor next to us heard our gate open late in the afternoon, thinking that it was me since I usually arrive at around that time (imagine if I was already home and somebody will sneak into our home, so creepy). Early in the evening, they saw our lights from the bedroom switched on (so the burglar stayed from sun up to sun down). We even saw drippings of juice at our kitchen floor (the burglar even managed to get juice from our ref to cool him down, he must be so stressed). They did not bother to get some of our appliances anymore.

That same night, we did not sleep in our home anymore. We stayed at my brother's house. The following day, we packed our things and went home to my parent's house again to stay.

It's so sad to leave the place, not because I came to love it already, because that's where Omar and I started to have our life together. We will have to start all over again - this time securely.

First Day at Home

After weeks of preparing our apartment at Mandaluyong, we finally decided to stay for good!!! We usually stayed for a day to fix things and go home at the end of the day. We even served lunch to my in-laws during the Edsa anniversary as our house-warming, more of like a dry run to know which things we still need for our home.

It was Omar's uncle's and aunt's wedding anniversary on Feb. 28, 2004. It was celebrated at Discovery Suites. And after the party, we went to our home.

We slept at the bed foam - bed frame was not yet installed. We prepared our own breakfast. We had fun.

It was nice having our own for the first time. Our own home, our own time, just the two of us.