When I became pregnant with Daniel I wanted to make sure that my whole pregnancy journey and each of his monthly milestone photos will be documented. Pinterest was my best friend during those times, from all the mommy tips, baby stuff and to all the pegs I wanted to do for our milestone photos, everything seemed to look easy... or so I thought.
 
Being pregnant, lazy and moody took a toll on me. For my monthly baby bump photos, there were days when I just didn’t want to get up from bed and just sleep it off the entire day. You can see that in some months I was hardly even smiling but I’m thankful that Tat was there consistently pushing me to do each monthly baby bump shoot despite the many times I had unleash my pregnancy hormones on him – he is that supportive!

And how fascinating seeing how my body changed throughout my pregnancy!

Of course a formal maternity shoot was needed and so we travelled all the way from Manila to my province in Tarlac to do the shoot but upon arriving, I was already too drained from the travel that I had to reschedule the next day and had to ask the photographer and stylist to stay overnight. I was lucky that both of them are good friends of mine and were completely understanding about the pregnant mood changes thats happening to me. 

Tarlac was the perfect shoot location for me, this is where our family's rice business is located. Rice is our family's main source of income - it is our bread & butter for many many decades and is my Grandmother's legacy. She is the brains behind it, thats why its literally called "Gloria's Rice Mill".   So as a way of welcoming my baby boy to the family, I decided to have the shoot inside the Rice Mill and amidst the itchy grains of rice drying under the scorching heat of the northern sun!

This huge antique vanity mirror was given to me by my Grandmother and it was a perfect prop to use for the shoot

Looking back Im glad my laziness and pregnancy mood swings did not stop me from documenting my pregnancy journey. I'll only be pregnant once with Daniel, it is a once-in-a -lifetime experience for me and my baby. I'll be able to show him all these and tell him that this  was how his mommy's body looked like each month he was growing inside of me. 

If God will bless me with another child I will still make the extra effort to do all these things all over again. Being pregnant had been a wonderful journey for me and its something so beautiful I would want to experience one or two more times in my life again.

So if anyone of you who's currently pregnant reading this, go and document each of your monthly bump milestone and do a maternity shoot. Yes it's tiring and need extra effort but remember its you and your baby and you'll only be pregnant once for this baby your entire life!

Maternity Photos by Raphael Yu
Stylist James Nualla
Dresses Beyond White

​As a wedding supplier myself I've witnessed several "bridal preps" shoot in action - the bride wearing a robe with some behind the scenes of her getting dolled up or details and flat lay photos of some of the couple's wedding essentials being photographed.

I thought of doing something like that for Daniel's baptism where he would be photographed getting prepped up for his big day and some detail shots of his suit and other essentials that would be used for his baptism.
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Let's start with the invitations. I looked around for several invitation suppliers and most of them couldn't do it anymore given my two week short notice but I was lucky to find a supplier from Bacolod who does acrylic and asked if she can do an acrylic invitation with the time frame.

Here's Daniel's acrylic invitation.​

For the candles I was very specific with it. I wanted it to not be the typical baptism candle so I searched some baptismal candle suppliers on instagram but most of the personalised candles I saw have the baby's face together with all the details printed and it just wasn't the subtle aesthetic I wanted. So I couldn't really find someone that does the peg I have in mind thats why I ended up buying silver candles from the mall and diyed the rest of it and was perfectly satisfied with how it turned out to be.

For the thank you presents for the godparents, it took me a while to decide on this as I was really thinking of a gift that they will be able to use for a long time and at the same time something thats nice and beautiful and well thought of.  I personally love marbles and  anything personalised and it was something I would like to receive as a gift too! I found a marble supplier and collaborated on the presents and the items served as samples also for the home line Im launching under Beyond White soon.

​You can never go wrong with marble and gold print!​

Daniel's baptism outfit was something I had been planning ever since I was pregnant. It all goes back to the first outfit I bought for my baby and it was a cute star printed onesie from Baby Dior - and I remember buying that and justifying indulging on that branded onesie that it was special because it was the first outfit for my first baby and I anyways wont be buying him such every time. 

​Well while checking the Baby Dior line at that time had I came across the baptism outfit I said I will buy for Daniel. It was a baby suit that looks so crisp and clean - it was after all Baby Dior. I didn't buy it at that time since it was too early for me to buy his christening outfit especially when I plan to do his baptism a month before his first birthday still but I was decided on that exact outfit and I knew he was only going to wear that.

When Daniel was born, one of his godmothers sent him a very generous present and to my surprise it was the very same Baby Dior suit I wanted for Daniel - wow! Not pictured below but it also came with a Baby Dior shorts and beanie that all I had to buy was the shoes I wanted.

Daniel's Baptism Shoes​

I asked my Beyond White Baby team to make a simple blue robe with Daniel's initial embroidered so we can use it for the preparation shoot.​

Let's get ready little one!

And just in time for his baptismal preps shoot is his nursery! It's still not 100% complete then but Daddy Tat made sure he'll have an area instagram ready for his pictorial! Tat made everything by himself, the grey floorings were all installed by him, the paint and even the wall cornice was made by him. 

It was his first time to do a wall cornice and flooring so youtube was our best friend! Will post a separate blog on the whole nursery with some before & after photos and how everything was diyed.
The CD logo was my idea - it was inspired by a Christian Dior necklace I have with an oval frame too but minus the ribbon since my baby's a boy. 

Daniel all smiles and camera ready!​

Daniel & Dada

And our little family all together...​

Photos by Prelude by Camzar

It was very important to me to make sure Daniel's baptism looks divine and while planning for his big day I was getting a little emotional about it - it was surreal to feel that way for me and finally get to understand how my mommy friends feel about it. It felt for me as if my baby was embarking on a new era on his "baby life" and it has to be beautiful because amongst any other things, I have a very special guest on that day - Jesus Christ. So it was just right that I make sure I prepared for the day my son gets dedicated to our Lord.

Im a sucker for the color white - wait... white is not even considered a color right? Okay, most likely I just want everything to look clean and white always, always gives that vibe. For my baby's baptism it was timely to incorporate white on the theme as white also symbolizes PURITY. 

Of course this Momma had to look beautiful for my son's baptism too especially when his ninangs are drop dead gorgeous like Ninang Nadz here!  I personally designed this ribbon dress for Beyond White just in time for the event. 

As for the table set up, my first choice was to use Gypsophila but the night before the event it was just not available anymore so Stan suggested we use Misty instead. Honestly at first I was a little stressed about this as I really wanted to go with Gypso, but as a supplier myself, I learned to let go of things beyond my control. As things like this can really happen and Im glad I trusted Stan with it, as the table setting still looked simply immaculate with his choice of flowers!​

Real candles were used and lit up during dinner time.

The backdrop area was executed as clean and light to the eyes - french white walls with silver/gray balloons. The CD monogram logo is my personal design, which was initially for Daniel's nursery, and we had it copied so we can use it for the baptism and eventually for his first birthday set up.

The cake was one of the little details I was also too in love with. Jcuppacakes made it simple and well blended on the theme. The flowers placed on the cake was also Misty, same as what was used for the reception. My son's initial CD was copied from what was used on the back drop which I personally designed and that topper was edible!

'For the tokens for the godparents I wanted to make sure its something that they will really use and will last them long. So many ideas came in to mind but finally decided on a personalised marble canisters for the ninang's, and personalised marble coasters for the ninong's. The boxes were DIY-ed by me and Tat.

I had also requested the godparents and a few family guests to wear all white so everything is in accordance to the theme, and it was an eye feast seeing everyone in white!

It was a beautiful baptism for my baby boy and I hope once he looks at all the photos when he's old enough, he will appreciate how mom & dad made sure it was a beautiful celebration for him.

Photos - Little Big Stories

I've always wanted to start my own blog and I have a few friends, family and social media followers who had been telling me to start one and I'am now more than inspired than ever to share stuff with everyone. I hope that this personal blog will inspire some women out there that you can be a mom and still walk with your high heels on or wear that pink paisley dress like you are still eighteen!