Ryleigh Turns Four Months Old

Time flies really fast indeed! Imagine, my little Ryleigh is four months old already! It seems like it was just yesterday when he came out of my tummy. When I look at him now, I'm in awe of how much he's grown from the tiny premature little baby I gave birth to in January. He's so chubby now. His cheeks, arms and legs are so full that I can hardly resist the urge to squeeze him every time.

My little Ryleigh is four months old (Sigh)...

His fourth month birthday was yesterday and to mark the special day, I cooked pancit and bought a cake. Good thing baby Ryl was in a good mood that we were able to get some nice photos. You know what? There were instances when he would look at the cake like he wanted to eat it! His mouth would go round up when he looked at it.

He also did something special on his fourth month birthday. He turned to his right side all by himself while he was asleep! He's never done that before. he should be doing it more often now that he's four months old.

I now realize that babies grow up quickly so as a mom I have to relish every moment this stage in my baby's life.
Happy fourth month my love Ryl!

Mayon Volcano Phreatic Explosion

Mayon Volcano is one of the most beautiful peaks in the world because of its almost perfect cone shape. But you know what? Beneath its beauty lies danger! But this beauty which is literally located in our backyard is also one of the deadliest when it breaks its silence. On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Mayon Volcano broke its silence with a phreatic explosion! Everyone within seeing distance witnessed the thick cloud of ash as it went up from the Volcano's crater.

When I looked out at our yard, I saw the dark column rising high in the sky. I immediately took some photos with my Samsung Galaxy Y camera. We were afraid the thick ash was going to fall here at our place but luckily there was a strong wind that blew it a few kilometers ahead. But a few still fell here and the overpowering smell of sulfur was in the air. I was afraid my little boy would inhale it because even though the windows were closed, the smell still penetrate. I'm very thankful that it rained that evening and the following days so the ash and sulfuric smell were washed away.

We were able to go scot-free from the explosion but unfortunately, there were casualties. Some mountaineers, foreign and local, were on the slopes when the phreatic explosion happened on Tuesday. A total of five people died, four of which are foreigners and the other one was a local guide. The others suffered burns and injuries but are alive. They've all be retrieved and rescued now through the effort of the local government.

Here are some photos of the explosion: