the little girl turns one, the mommy turns 31

april 9 - araw ng kagitingan

april 9 - kaarawan ni april

april 9 - kaarawan ni keyla

wow!  3 wonderful events happening on the same day every year!  how cool!

last year, april's due date fell on the 1st/2nd week of april.  they had a very brilliant idea of inducing her labor on april's birthday.  because of this, the hospital gave them a present: a cake!  and they get to have the pleasure of celebrating their birthdays on the same day, year after year after year after year. :)

i heard some of april's pregnant friends are now considering of inducing labor if the birth month falls on a significant month too.  wow trendsetter!  :)

so the little one turns 1.  but wait, there's more!  the mommy turns 31 too!

next year, the little one will turn 2 and the mommy turns 32!  how poetic.  hehehe.  i love it!

here is keyla's lovely dress and balloons, i was in charge of carrying these.  if i let go of the balloons, the balloons will go to heaven, we also say goodbye to the dress.  hihi.  dead ako.

feelingera mode: on
nakikibirthday mode.  woohoo!


tito mike celebrating with us.  we just had to have a picture with the balloons!
 

and the hats too


thanks to donna for allowing us to celebrate at their place.  here's everybody busy - pumping more balloons and adorning the place.  bhernz and kaloy were the first ones to arrive to help in the preparations.  very helpful :)


keyla's birthday cake!  the baker is a pinay.  a very good pinay.  it wasn't just lovely, it was yummy as well.  i think it tastes like goldilocks choco cake, only it's heavier.


here are the loot bags - not only for kiddies but also for the adults.  chocos inside :)


here's the background of the "stage".  they painstakingly went through thousands and thousands of keyla's pictures to come up with the cutest set.  i wouldn't agree with the last sentence though.  any picture with keyla in it is cute (stage auntie, but hey everybody would agree) :) they printed these on photo paper and the effect was perfect.


pens from divisoria as prizes for the games.  such cute pens!


and hats for everybody!


the little one, probably still unaware of how special this day is, and how special she is, and how special her mother is too.


april is lucky to have good friends who host our parties and organize the games.  donna, roanne, bhernz, noemi, neri are the best and they're always game and alive na alive during parteh partehs.
there were games for kids:


and games for adults too.
easy on the balloons, big boy! :)

easy on the kendeng, papa! :)

here are the ubs people after having a full tank.  :p burp.  wow!  ang galing ko naman magtago ng billbill.  nakakagigill.

and finally, the birthday song and the candle blowing.  a few days before the birthday, we trained keyla to blow her candles.  the best she could muster though was a faint "ha".  pure voice and no air.  haha.  no pressure, little girl!  mommy can blow it for both of you :)

PS: it isn't so obvious here but my tummy is just so yucky and so big!  tita, an ever appreciative mother, said, "hindi naman, mahigpit lang ang damit mo nang konti siguro." awww!  i love mothers!

the version 2 of the camacho family

PS: i love keyla's shoes!  where can i find one for myself?


a dramatic birthday letter to april and keyla:

ever dearest april and keyla,

april, when you came into kuya's life a few years ago, i was so happy to finally see my kuya happy again.  i think i've seen just the surface of him at his lowest point and it was a devastating sight.  i could not gauge how happy he is (and me too) when you finally came around.  i know it's wrong to say that somebody came to fill the missing piece, but you did just that - and more.  i was simply thankful that someone as patient and understanding as you came.  couldn't ask for more.

kuya did not just have a partner, i came to have a sister as well.  i grew up being the only girl in the family but it wasn't even a challenge living with a new girl around.  it was even a blessing and a privilege.  it wasn't hard and it will never be hard to accept you in the family :)  you are the best!

keyla, when you came into our lives, you couldn't imagine how happy we were.  i know i love kids but i couldn't imagine how much i will love you.  when you were born, my first glimpse of you was from your dad's camera.  i cried.  you were so tiny yet i could see a lot of kuya and april in you.  i could even see a tiny part of me in you.  you were a miracle.  you are a special girl.  your first cries were merely kitten meows.  now you are a tiger.  sheesh.

living with you is a blessing.  everyday, i get to see how you learn new things.  i get to see how you grow up to be a playful (that's a subtler way of saying maldita mwehehehe) little girl.  every morning, i get awakened by your babbles (and baby tv) and i know it's time to wake up and play with keyla!  i'm not your mother but i am excited to go home everyday because i know you are there.  i swear i could play with you all day.  i could play with you all my life.

april and keyla, i love you both.

nagmamahal,

ate charo

ps: thanks to kuya's cam, mike's cam, and my phone for the pics.