That once in a lifetime chance.

I was so excited about meeting The President of the Philippines today, I had to blog about it twice.  It doesn't matter how corrupt she may be, nor does it matter that most of the people at Toys R' Us didn't know who the heck she was.  Most of America wouldn't be able to figure it out. Unfortunately, I didn't know either, until John told me.  My ignorance slapped me in the face and made me realize that I've got a lot of catching up to do.

When you see her, you just know she's someone famous.  Less than 5 feet tall, she's a petite lady who emanates this aura of power, grace and extreme confidence.  Or, maybe it was the two karat diamonds she had resting on each earlobe.  Nonetheless, you knew she was someone special.  

Gloria Magcagapal-Arroyo is the president of a country, my Mother's homeland, and I had the honor of meeting her, even if it was for a hot second.  No matter what people think of her, she's still one of the most powerful women in the world.  And to be able to say "I met the President of The Philippines", that's something not everyone can say.  And that chance meeting was the type of moment that only happens once in a lifetime.  

President Arroyo meets The Estalillas

When you go to Toys R' Us for some baby bottles, don't forget your camera!

Before we left the house this afternoon to run errands, John asked me to bring the camera.  I asked "What for? We're just going to the store."  John decided to take the scenic route to Toys R' Us, which kind of annoyed me but we weren't in a rush so I went along with it.  When we got there, a bunch of secret service folks were walking around, and John said it must be a senator shopping.  When we turned the corner, it wasn't a senator at all.  It was the President of the Philippines!  John asked the bodyguard if we could take a picture, and he said quietly under his breath, without looking at John, "Wait til she turns around and ask her."  So that's exactly what he did.  John had the balls to go up to the President. He shook her hand and introduced her to Hana, and The President shook Hana's little hand.  He introduced me and I put her hand to my forehead, the only way I felt I could show her a sign of respect.  The President was waiting for her flight at SFO, which was delayed, so the First Family decided to go shopping.  What a lucky day. 

Tiny moments

Hana got her two front teeth in today!! Well, at least this was the day we noticed them. Two tiny little bottom teeth coming out. It's so cute. I can't believe how excited I was. It's the little things that really make being a mother so 'rewarding'. But, that's an understatement. It's truly an experience that is much more than rewarding. There's nothing in the world that can replace these tiny little moments.

She's starting to have a personality, too. A very happy baby that loves to laugh and sing. Hana babbles a lot, using a lot more sounds than just mama and baba. I hear her say mama a lot especially when she's upset, so I'm going to say that's her unofficial first word. When she starts to fuss, reading a book calms her down, so you can say she loves to read. It's also part of her bedtime routine (which includes washing up, quiet time, having milk, kissing daddy goodnight, and listening to mommy sing her to sleep).

She's eating a little more. Just baby foods like gerber veggies, fruits and cereal. She loves juice. You have to bribe her to get her to open her mouth, but she's eating a lot better than she used to. I can tell since she's getting longer and heavier - 16 lbs now, still a bit skinny for my taste, but at the last doctor's visit, Dr. Hung said it's normal.

She's growing so fast. So so fast. I wish I had blogged at her earlier milestones. But, I would've had to blog every day, since it's always a new day and new tiny moments that fill my heart with so much joy.

My First Blog Ever!

Wow. This is cool. Just testing it out. Needed a place to blog about being a Mom for the first time and to capture all of Hana's special events, like the first time she sucked her toe!!!

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I will enjoy blogging! Wow, I welcome myself to the world of blogs. A little late, but worth the wait.