Either I read about it once the promo had ended or they were already fully booked. So after what seemed like ages, I was finally able to try out Plaza Brasserie’s annual crab buffet! So, was it worth the wait?

On the day we were there, they had Cereal Crab, Salted Egg Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Curry Crab, Steamed Crab with Dang Gui, Honey Rock Sugar Crab, and Chilli Crab. But despite having all these options, I've discovered that I like my crustaceans just steamed with lemon butter sauce (or soy sauce with calamansi) and a lot of crab fat.

The rest of the buffet was what I would call "low-key" as the dishes were simple and not overflowing. It kind of made me feel that since they were serving all-you-can-eat crabs, they decided to skimp on the rest of the menu.

So if you love crab meat and will focus mainly on that, then yes it's worth it. But if you're also looking for crab roe and a great overall buffet experience, then it may be better to look elsewhere.

The Ultimate Crab Feast will run until 23 August 2015.

Planning a Baptism: An Update

Overruled by both Hannah's pediatrician and grandmother, we have postponed her baptism to the end of the year. They pointed out that a one month old baby's immune system is still quite weak and she would needlessly be exposed to so many harmful viruses. They were also not in favor of the baby taking a plane ride to Singapore (according to her doctor, it will only be safe to travel on her third month). We did feel a twinge of guilt for risking Hannah's health in favor of being together as a family, but Earl needed to go back and we didn't want to be separated for that long.

So, the baptism has been moved to December - same church but with a different reception venue. I'm pretty happy with this date change because first, we'll be getting the 11 AM time slot. Originally, we had the 4:30 PM schedule, but since it coincided with the anticipated Mass, our guests would have had a problem finding a place to park.

Second, the family reunion I envisioned will now be possible. Because we will be seeing all our relatives on Christmas Day, they will most likely inquire about our plans for the christening and we can't tell them, "Oh, it's tomorrow but you're not invited..."

The new venue is Conti's Bakeshop & Restaurant located in Greenbelt and here's the buffet menu we've decided on:

60 pax at Php 625 per head = Php 37,500

Pumpkin Soup
Buttered Vegetables
Steamed Rice
Shanghai Rolls
Chicken Pastel
Baked Salmon
Lasagna
Sans Rival
Moist Chocolate Cake
Bottomless Iced Tea or Lemonade

Powered by Formula

I feel like a failure. First, I wasn't able to give birth naturally - I was deathly afraid of being operated on and I felt that my child missed out on all the benefits of a vaginal birth.

Next, I resorted to formula milk on the third day. I had been trying to breastfeed, but noticed that her diapers were clean (no poop or pee) and she also looked desperately hungry despite my efforts. I don't know how something that's supposed to be natural can be so difficult.

Hannah is now three months old, but I haven't made much progress as she still cries even after an hour of breastfeeding. She sometimes gets satisfied, though for most the of the day, I am just the human pacifier. I've kind of given up - anyway, my husband was completely formula fed and he turned out alright (my mother-in-law found the process too painful).

I really envy those who have so much milk that they store the excess in the freezer for other people to use. The most I've ever pumped was four ounces and that was just a one time event - usually, I'm lucky to even get two ounces.

Take note that I am still taking malunggay supplements and we even hired a lactation consultant, Nona Andaya-Castillo. Nanay Nona was extremely helpful and informative (we would definitely recommend her to anyone who needs help with breastfeeding), but there's not much that can be done if mother nature isn't cooperating.

Oh, well.