Dear Peanut

Dear Peanut,

So last April 18, 2018, we had you baptized and we had a barbecue feast at Mighty Quinn's (more on that on a separate post). Right now, I want to share with you some of the notes our guests left for you. Here they are below, read them when you learn your ABC's.

Dear Peanut, may the Lord bless you, always! We love you!
~Tito VJ, Ninang Anne, and Ate Vianne.

Welcome to Christianity! You look like your Lolo Bisaya.
~Lola Tessie 

Hey cutie! Enjoy being a baby LOLZ! I'm sure you will grow up a rockstar 'cause your parents are. :)
~Ninang Cor

Welcome to the Christian World! Excited ako to teach you how to draw, paint and dance! Takbo-takbo ka na sa studio! :)
~Ninang Anne

Welcome to the Christian world. May your light shine for others to follow.
~Lola Beth

May you be a good follower of God always.
~Lola Editha

Dear Peanut, Welcome to the "Christian World."
~Lola Fe

Dear Peanut, I look forward to the day when I can teach you to love sports. But for now, I pray that you grow to be a smart, strong, and awesome human being!
~Ninang Paula

May you be a good Christian.
~Lola Erlinda

Hi Baby Johnny! Happy christening. We love you so much!
~Tita Maricel

Welcome to the Christian World!
~Love, Auntie Mai

Dear Johnny Peanut, welcome to the Christian world! Your tita Sarie and Ninong Paolo look forward to teach you new things as you grow up.
~Ninong Pao & Tita Sarie

Mas madali mag-ayos ng eroplano kaysa sa pag-ibig.
~Ninong Mark

Hi Baby Peanut! I hope you grow up to be a good person. Always listen to your parents. They know that is good for you most of the time. We, your ninong and NinangCJ are also here for you. God bless!
~Ninong Sunny and Ninang CJ

To Johnny, don't be mischievous and behave always.
~Tito Fer

To you baby Peanut, wishing you a good boy to your mom and dad. Sana paglaki mo maging mabait atmaging magalang.
~Lola Fe

Dear Baby Peanut, Welcome to the Christian World."
~Lola Zeny

Welcome to Christan World. May your light shine for others to follow.
~Lola Babes

Be good always to mama and dad.
~Lola Nila

Hey Peanut! There are so many things I'm excited to share with you. Looking forward to see you grow into a fine man. Ninang Scarlett loves you!
~Ninang Justine

Happy christening!
~Love, Grandpa Ben

Hi Peanut, welcome Christian ka na. Sana maging mabait kang bata. An gwapo mo.
~Lola Luming 

Sana hindi ka mapipikon sa akin in the future kasi parati kitang ibubully (ibe-baby) hahaha.
~Tito Patrick

Dear Peanut, remember:
1. DOn't drink until you're 13 or until your dar/mom gives you some.
2. No girlfriend until college.
3. Ask your dad for advice but verify with your mom.
~Cheers, Ninong Bam

Dear Baby Peanut, eat your veggies, be active and have fun! When you get a bit older, that is.
~Ninong Wayne

Hello, baby peanut, please grow up fast, hehe. Take care always God bless. I love you, Mwah!
~Tita Kristine Anne

I love you!
~LoloDaddy Homer

Baby Johnny I hope you grow as awesome as your parents!
~Tito Ricci

Dear Peanut, always be a good boy to your mom and dad. PLease stay a God-feearing and loving boy.
~Tita Apple

To Peanut, happy christening!
~Tita Nene (Emelita)

There will always be bad times and yet you find something good in it. I will always be your kuya.
~Kuya Ziggy

God bless Bui! We love you!
~Kuya Kaloy

Dear Peanut, always listen to your mom and dad.
~Love, Tita Lan

ALways listen to your parent. Always be a good boy and always be pogi.
~Tito AJ

I love you.
~LolaMommy Sol

Welcome to the Christian World!
~Love, Auntie Marconi

Hello Peanut! Happy baptism. God bless and be a good boy always! Obey daddy and mommy, okay? Love you!
~Tita Dortz, Ezzy and Zachy

Dear Peanut, welcome to the Christian world! Be the best that you can be, we will always be here to guide you. P.S. Don't be like your daddy Jet. Be smart like your Mom! Or be both.
~Ninong Sidney

Dear Peanut, listen to your parents. Learn from them and grow wiser.
~Tita Czarina

Hi Peanut, Welcome to the Christian World. Always follow your parents' advice so you won't go ashtray.
~Ninong Zuki

Happy baptism Johnny James. God bless you, thank you
~Ate Precious

Johnny James, welcome to the world of joy and happiness.
~Lolo Henry

Happy Christening!
~Love, Grandma Floring

Dear Johnny, when you grow up, I'll teach you how to pray and drink two of the best drinks: Johnnie Walker Black Lable and Jameson Irish Whiskey. Pwede rin kita tulungan mag-pari, hehe.
~Tito Earl

Hello Johnny! Welcome to the Christian World. You're lucky to have cool parents. :) Hope to see you often.
~Tita Athena 

Welcome to the Christian World, Baby Peanut! We love you.
~Tita Aloha

Dear Johnny, when you grow up, I hope you could learn something really useful that you could also help mom and dad when they grow old.
~Tito Nikki

We kept the handwritten notes. You'll see them someday in the box of memories we're keeping for you. We are planning to give them to you when you turn 18 years old.

Love,

Dear Peanut,

We’ve been quite busy these past few days and yesterday was quite tiring but we managed to do a lot.

First off, your father and I had a double booking with family (Cartagena and Eustaquio-Castillo sides). One of your aunties from the Cartagena side went home from New Zealand and they met in BGC for lunch and coffee.

As for you and me, we were all over boundaries of Pasig, Mandaluyong, and San Juan yesterday.

We met our immediate family (Eustaquio-Castillo side) for a boodle fight lunch in Eastwood City. It was supposed to be a Derla-Eustaquio family meeting to explain some of the plans we agreed on for your arrival. but since we double booked, we had to discuss plans separately.

Two months ago, I told your LolaMommy that I wanted to eat seaweeds, the type you eat along with grilled liempo and pusit on the beach when you go to Palawan. I don’t know what it’s called but it’s the slimy one with popping mini balls attached to it. Doesn’t sound appetizing, yeah, but they’re good.

Your grandmothers wanted to get me 1 kilo of that and I bolted. I just wanted to eat small portions. So they ordered the boodle set with seaweeds yesterday.

I was so happy because both your UncleP and AuntieA were with us for lunch. It’s quite hard to bring us all together now for a meal because of different schedules (business and medicine school).

Your UncleP tried to listen to your heartbeat yesterday using his stethoscope. He told me they rarely use an Ultrascope Doppler stethoscope in UP-PGH (he’s currently a 4th-year med student) because of lack of funds, so hardcore. It’s a bit faint (unlike when Dr.JMF listens to your heartbeat during our weekly checkups) and he mostly heard all the barbecue, seaweeds, and laing that I ate. Nonetheless, it’s quite cool.

After a hearty lunch at Eastwood, we went to Greenhills because your LolaMommy wanted to shop. Normally, I won’t expose myself to the Greenhills Madness at this point in my pregnancy but I needed the exercise. We ate at Auntie Pairings (Tita Paring, actually, but when I took your Castillo balikbayans here, they called it Auntie Pairings, so it sort of stuck) and I was able to eat very good suman sa latik with bad coffee, haha.

After Greenhills, we went to Estancia Mall and did an ocular at this restaurant for our family Christmas dinner. As you’ll soon know, we’re not the type who stays up late for Noche Buena. As far as I can remember, we always sleep through Noche Buena and wake up early Christmas morning to unwrap presents then we wait for relatives to visit. It has always been like this.

But about 3 or 4 years ago, I’ve insisted on just having Christmas dinner (usually on the 24th) at a nice restaurant so we don’t have to slave over the kitchen stove cooking. We want to enjoy good food with good ambiance.

I’m usually the one in charge of finding fancy restaurants. This year, I’ve decided to start early. After all, when I pop, I won’t have time to project-manage the nitty-gritty details. Better prepare ahead. And it’s so damn hard to fight for reservations come December.

I took your grandparents to the restaurant yesterday at Estancia Mall and I think they liked it so much that they insisted on booking the 10-seater private dining area on the spot. So now, I’m finalizing the customized menu with the manager. Good thing I’m a VIP member so we can get some freebies.

That’s it for now. We’re also bidding for a new client so I have a lot on my plate today. Please come out soon, otherwise, your father and I will ride a roller coaster at Star City para “bumaba ka na.” Dr.JMF said mataas ka pa daw. So I need to walk and walk and walk and allow gravity to take its course.

P.S. I was able to do an ocular and a quick meeting at one of the proposed venues for your baptismal. We’re trying to lay the groundwork for these events as early as we can so we won’t “plannick.”