My dear Lilica

My love, I look at you and I still cannot believe that we have you. Everyday, your father and I we always feel grateful for your arrival. We talk about you day and night, night and day... we like doing so many things, but perhaps our most favorite is to play with you. To just be with you.

You are already quite a handful these days, you take most of our energy, I tell you, but I like getting lost with you. When I hold you in my arms, my thoughts turn from surreal to vivid, sometimes I cannot tell the difference.

Every home has its magical stories. Every family is different. Our way of life may not be the usual. But we try to provide you the best. No TV. Lots of touching. Lots of snuggling. Lots of cuddling. Lots of dancing. Lots of walking day and night, night and day. Whether it's cold or warm. Out in the town. Out in the fields. In the nature. With our friends. With just me. With just your Tata. With just your deda (grandfather). With just your baba (grandmother).

Sometimes, when I see you bigger than you used to be, I break a little.

Time flies by so fast. But when we dream of the days and years coming, with you, we are our happiest. 

You are you, and we love you so much. Just watching you grow takes me to different places. You are full of wonder and beauty.

Everyday, I always say I need a break from all these, but one single minute that you're not in my arms, I am already feeling useless. We were definitely made to take care of you. To nurture you. To love you. 

Keep growing, my love. 

You are lovely. You are beautiful.

You are mom's little sugar.

You are your Tata's little sweetheart.

AND Thank you for coming into our lives.

Our Feature on EXploziv

Hello, all!

It has been a looonnggg time I know. But I am back for a quick post. This time just to share a link to the story that was made about our family for the show, Exploziv before I even forget to blog it.

Exploziv, is something like a counterpart of "Balitang K" or "Pipol". They feature real people leading interesting lives I suppose, and really I don't know the reason why we were picked for this, except for the fact that I am from Manila. This is not the first time that we have been featured on TV (hehe), but this is my  favorite, just 'cause Lili is a big part of this. And me and Ivan, though always hesitant to do something like this, this time we did it for Lili (our past features were always just us), & besides the fact that it is great marketing for our work (as they initially called us to feature our photography).

Anyway, enough of blah blah, the narration is in Serbian... we were introduced as photographers who mostly do weddings in Serbia, and how us being partners in real life helps us connect with our clients, as they find us comfortable to work with most of the time... Obviously, it was mentioned that we met on a ship, and later on decided to come to Uzice to settle.

They also asked me about my first experience of winter, and so I spoke about my "nightmare" last year when Serbia experienced its worst winter in 30 years, and I happened to be here, haha!

Then you will see photos from our "DIY" wedding last year, some of our work, and a few other things were discussed like how locals here sometimes mistake me as a "gypsie" or from China, or how Ivan's family has accepted me over here, how her mom loves me and is learning English because of me, and how my family likes him as well.

Later on, they described how I have adjusted to living here, and of course they had to hear me talk in Serbian so the few phrases or words that I know I had to showcase :)

Watch Lili dance with us at the end, well, just watch Lili and ignore us, haha.. That's our routine everyday, dancing for 30minutes - 1 hour and her most favorite song is Mambo number 5 (YEAH, YEAH so old school but believe me that is her favorite), as you will see :)

So, there.. if you have time, click on the link, and then click on the second/middle thumbnail to view our episode. I heard that it cannot be viewed on mobile by the way. ENJOY :D

Our Story on Belgrade TV's Explosiv

The biggest blessing

Let me go back on Christmas Day 2011. That day when everything made sense to me. It was in Budapest, Hungary that we found out the happy news that we were pregnant.

On board the train to Budapest a few days before Christmas, I remember I was mostly in absolute silence feeling pangs of melancholy. I was in a foreign country but my mind and heart were not with me. Ivan told me that it could only be holiday blues, being so far away from my family. Then, a thought came to me one night, that if I was feeling that way, what possibly could make me happy. I heard only one answer from my heart, and that was to be blessed with a child.

Morning of December 25 we decided to check if I was pregnant, and when finally the result showed positive, the joyful news could not stop us from sobbing. A huge part of me was reborn at that moment, I felt that those days of sadness could be actually compared to a "season" of mourning of wasted time passing, "times" of wild freedom and ugly things because rebirth was forthcoming, and things can only get better. 

And then seasons changed.

And then our little angel, LILI was born. 

All the moments of pain, of suffering and doubts before that were replaced by everything beautiful. Our LIFE had more meaning. We are more complete. 

She is almost 5 months now. Beautiful and perfect.

And we have not been the same since. 

It has been a wonderful 2012. We were definitely surrounded by lots of helpful people and I am still amazed by the amount of guidance we got from our family & friends. 

 My heart is full from gratitude, up to this day. Those 9 months during my pregnancy I was treated like a local resident with unlimited number of checkups, tests and medicines. 3 doctors looked after me and my delivery was flawless without any charges.  I couldn't be in any better place during my pregnancy than Serbia.

And this year we pray for a better and exciting year filled with lots of fun adventures. We are hopeful for bigger and greater things, and we wish everybody the best of everything. 

Thank you for spending time in our world.