Lea Salonga’s baby shower


Last Saturday afternoon, we had the grandest time attending a very joyful occasion, Lea Salonga’s baby shower at the Pacific Plaza in Makati City, organized by her long-time friend Steffi Inocentes and her husband Jay.


The event was very private (as always, the Salonga style), intimate, simple, fun and elegant. Rob and the seven-month-pregnant Lea welcomed their guests and joined everyone in the fun games that left everybody enjoying every minute of it, us included.

Steffi has decorated the room with multi-color balloons, in floral designs, miniature stuffed giraffes wearing diapers complete with pins! (which bore our names respectively and was given away at the end of the party as our token) arranged neatly to form each table’s centerpiece, and lots and lots of buntings and lovely baby decorations.

During the program and games, Steffi was assisted by Lea’s other guests, Muffin Millado (Calvin’s pretty wife) and Laine Santana of HSBC. Everyone joined the fun, and that included: Lea’s beautiful and younger-looking mom Ligaya Salonga, her brother Gerard Salonga and his wife DJ, Lea’s ninong Jose Mari Chan and his wife Maryann, Jojo Ocampo wife of Louie Ocampo, long-time family friend Aurora Go, Susan Grau, Cindy Oppen, Charles Rapaport, Bayo’s Ferdie Agustin, SonyBMG’s Narciso Chan, and many other beautiful people.

There were two most hilarious games that we took special fancy with that afternoon. First was the all-male game were Rob, Gerard, Jay, Charles, Ferdie, and Ciso participated in. A race game of drinking juice, but from a feeding bottle! We all had the time of our life teasing the grown-up men by the way they suck their bottles. It was hilarious! The second one was the dress up baby game where we got to dress up Bayo’s big man Ferdie as a baby. We won, by the way, along with Cindy Oppen’s group. You can see the finished product on this page, from the pictures we took that afternoon, and from the ones Steffi sent us after.

Anyway, Lea seems to be having such a breeze with her first pregnancy. She looks so lovely, with her layered hair and not so big tummy. She says she is not particularly on a strict diet or anything but she’s careful just the same. She is due on the second week of May. She and Rob have already decided the name of their baby girl, but we’re not printing it as per her request.

We asked Lea if she is ready to become a Mother very soon? She said, "I guess no one really gets to be ready for this. But we’re very excited." Mommy Ligaya responded the exact same way when we asked her if she is ready to become a grandma. You know what they say. Great minds....

Congratulations again, Rob and Lea!

http://www.mb.com.ph/ENTR2006031158371.html

Lea = The biggest worldwide Filipina talent!

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LEA'S DATE WITH STORK

IF I KNOW
Aster Amoyo
People's Journal

BROADWAY star Lea Salonga is scheduled to deliver her first baby in May. This early, she and husband Robert Chien are pretty excited.

Lea is on leave from her singing engagements while waiting for her date with the stork. She wants to enjoy her new role as a mother.

http://www.journal.com.ph/news.asp?pid=2&s...ay=19&year=2006

RATED A Ni Aster Amoyo
Ang Pilipino STAR Ngayon 03/20/2006

* * *
Baby girl ang nakatakdang isilang ng Broadway star na si Lea Salonga sa darating na Mayo at ngayon pa lamang ay pinaghahandaan na niya ang kanyang nalalapit na panganganak. Unang supling nila ito ng kanyang mister na si Robert Chien.

Pagka-panganak, gusto muna ni Lea na harapin at namnamin ang kanyang pagiging brand new mom bago niya balikan ang kanyang singing career.

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/PINOY200603207304.htm

A girl for Lea Salonga

First posted 05:52pm (Mla time) April 09, 2006
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A2-1 of the April 10, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.


FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE BIG DAY, the would-be first-time mom proudly relayed the news to Inquirer Entertainment via e-mail: "It's going to be a girl. We checked at least three times just to make sure."

Although famous for her reticent ways, Lea Salonga, Filipina star of "Miss Saigon" in the West End and on Broadway, enthusiastically and generously shared this and so much more.

On previous TV interviews, she had said she was determined not to deliver by a C-section, stopping short of revealing the baby's gender.

Next month, her own little "Miss" will make a grand entrance.

Motherhood seems to have made Lea more gregarious and, as a bonus, a wee bit sentimental.

Two years ago, playing an expectant mom in Atlantis Production's staging of "Baby the Musical," Lea had sung "The Story Goes On" for the first time.

Back then, she said, the lyrics didn't resonate as powerfully with her as they do now.

"It was composed for a pregnant woman," she told Inquirer Entertainment in December. "The last time I sang it was in Carnegie Hall (in November), with Liz Calloway, who starred in the original production. It's about a mom feeling her baby kick for the first time. It's hard not to cry with that song."

When are you due?

My due date is May 19, but the baby could arrive at any time two weeks before that. It's very exciting! We can't wait!

What are your thoughts?

The big questions on my mind are: Will I be able to take care of this little girl? Will I be a good mommy? What does God have in store for her? Am I doing enough for her now? There will always be something in me that asks those questions, [but I know] I can only do the best I can.

How are you preparing for the big day? Do you have a packed overnight bag on standby?

Nope, I don't have the bag ready yet. I've been checking baby websites to figure out exactly what I need to take to the hospital. I know that I'll need to bring a baby outfit to take her home in, hard candy, my own pajamas and slippers. I'm also going to bring my iPod, to help take my mind off the discomfort I will most assuredly be feeling, and my cellphone, to text my friends once she's born.

Do you conduct drills with your husband, mom and housemates? How often?

Oh no, we haven't done any of that. The hospital isn't far and my mother is constantly on standby. My husband has just been reminding me to eat healthy and eat light, as per my gynecologist's instructions. My mother has just been doing what a prospective grandma does: Brag about the baby... and she's not even here yet!

Have you decided on the color of the baby's room? What about the room dècor?

Since we're living in a rented house at the moment, we'll be keeping the room as it is. As for room dècor, we'll probably be doing more of that after she's born.

Are you having fun buying toys and shopping for baby clothes?

A lot of what I have was given as gifts from my baby registry, so we're just fine. I always visit the baby store though, to see if there's anything new.

You've said her second name would be Beverly (after your husband Rob Chien's mom); have you decided on a first name?

Yes, but because I know of people whose wonderful names were "stolen" by other people, I'm keeping our selection a secret for now.

Her second name is Beverly because we made that promise to his family when his mom died three years ago.

How much or how little weight have you gained?

As of today, I've gained close to 15 pounds. Not too bad!

What are your immediate plans after giving birth, professional and personal?

As far as my immediate plans are concerned, I would like to physically recover first before I do any concerts or shows. I want to give myself the chance to get my old body back and regain my strength for singing.

For personal plans, we'd just like to take the baby to Los Angeles, to meet family members, both on my and Rob's side. This is a very, very thrilling time!

http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.p...&story_id=72196

Lea, suroy-suroy ang gipanga
Ni Ryan Mark
BANAT 04/20/2006

Gitinguha karon ni Lea Salonga nga magsuroy-suroy samtang nagpaabot sa adlaw sa iyang pagpanganak, busa ayaw namo og kahibolong kon inyo siya nga makit-an sa mga malls nga labihan na ka dako ang tiyan.

Sa usa ka artikulo nga namantala sa Lifestyle Asia karong buwana subling gipalanog ni Lea nga buot niya nga dinhi sa Pilipinas niya ihimugso ang umaabot niya nga anak sanglit nia dinhi ang iyang pamilya.

Matud pa usab sa bana niini nga si Robert Chien hayan anhi na sila sa nasud manimuyo sa hingpit tungod kay malingaw siya dinhi sanglit kanunay siya nga masaypan nga Pinoy bisan ug Japanese ug Chinese ang iyang dugo.

Sa pagkakaron personal nga mihangyo si Robert sa ilang opisina nga dinhi una siya sa nasud motrabaho tungod kay buot siya nga mosaksi sa pagkatawo sa iyang umaabot nga anak babaye.

Samtang si Lea mipasabot nga ganahan gyud siya magsuroy suroy sa mga malls ilabi na kadtong nahimutang duol sa ilang pinuy-anan ug matud pa niya nahimout siya kay nakaila niya ang mga tawo apan ibalewala ra siya. Pwes miingon siya nga kon dunay mahitabo niya sigurado nga tabangan siya sa mga tawo tungod kay nakaila man sila niya.

Thirty years na diay si Lea sa showbusiness ug matud pa niya wala na siyay angayan nga pamatud-an pa busa ang pagka-inahan na usab maoy iyang sagubangon.

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/BANAT200604202903.htm

She's one of my idol!

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Home Delivery
CONVERSATIONS With Ricky Lo
The Philippine Star 04/23/2006

Make way for the endless parade of expectant celebrity moms in this Year of the Dog, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, Mina Sorvino, Angelina Jolie, Brooke Shields (given birth) and Katie Holmes (given birth).

And, of course, Lea Salonga who might give birth second week of May way ahead of schedule. The Taurus baby, her and husband Robert Chien’s first, is a girl (as shown by a series of ultrasounds) for whom the couple has already chosen a name which they won’t reveal just yet for a reason you’ll find out by and by.

Lea looked radiant as she walked into the Paseo Uno restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel where this pictorial-interview was held. She was accompanied by her mom, Ligaya Salonga, and Rudy Tee (big boss of Sony/BMG, Lea’s home recording label) and Sony/BMG executive Narciso Chan.

"It’s moving, yes," Lea said, letting me touch her tummy. "The baby is so malikot, she’s moving all the time. Rob and I hush her up by whispering to her, ‘You won’t wait any longer; you’re coming out soon.’ We talk to her all the time!" Then she showed me a photo of the baby on her cellphone.

Lea could have opted to deliver the baby in the States (where she and Rob keep a home... in L.A.) but she’d rather do "home delivery" for, again, a reason you’ll find out as you read on.

At the buffet table, Lea filled her plate with green salad, a generous cut of lamb chop, fish and vegetables, capping her lunch with a dessert of mixed fruits (with three small pieces of turon) and downing it with ice-cold calamansi juice.

Asked if she had to eat twice the amount she used to – for the baby, you know – Lea said no. "I eat the same amount and that’s for both the baby and me."

You’re not having a difficult pregnancy, are you?

"Oh, it’s easy!"

What about during the first few months? Did you infanticipate (naglihi)?

"I felt strange. I craved for sour and salty food."

Expectant mothers usually "prey" on the expectant husbands. Did it happen to you and Rob?

"It didn’t. But it did happen to my friend. During her first pregnancy, she loved her husband so much but in her second pregnancy she hated him so much. With Rob and me, everything was normal."

Is yours a planned pregnancy? You know, were you ever into birth control?

"We were trying and not trying at the same time. You know, if I got pregnant, okay; if it happened, it would happen. After all, Rob and I were at an age when we’re ready to have a child. But on days when I was in a lot of discomfort, I would look at him and scream at him, ‘You did this to me!’ He’d laugh and say, ‘But you wanted it!’ But Rob is very supportive. When I have a hard time getting out of a chair, he’s there to pull me up and pull me out. When I try to get into the car, he’s there to boost me up."

When did you stop working?

"In January. I had my last concert in December last year."

Didn’t you experience any morning sickness?

"I did. For three months. Awful! It helped when I ate something sour and salty. But soon, I was having hyperacidity and acid reflux, so my doctor gave me a list of food that I shouldn’t eat – green and yellow mangoes, all kinds of citrus, bagoong, etc."

What have you been doing in preparation for your delivery?

"Reading up on mothering, on ######-feeding and what to expect during pregnancy. My doctor told me to listen to what my body is telling me. Calvin (Millado) was telling me, ‘You should be out in the mall, walking and walking, so you will have smooth delivery.’ He just had a big baby recently, you know."

So how long will you ######-feed your baby?

"At least six months. But longer than that if necessary. I have friends who ######-fed their babies for two years! My mom didn’t ######-feed me."

Have you and Rob started adjusting your sleeping hours?

"Well, I’m a night person, anyway, so when the baby comes I guess I should be on the night shift; Rob will take the day shift."

Of course, your baby will have a yaya. But have you been studying how to change diapers and how to heat the feeding bottle?

"Changing diapers is nothing new to me. I’ve changed the diapers for the babies of my cousins, so it’s not something that scares me."

Are you going to deliver by Caesarian section or the natural way?

"The natural way. If I can avoid it, I will not go through a Caesarian section. It takes time for the wound to heal, you know, and I want to go back to singing as soon as I can."

Are you going to deliver by Lamaze Method (with the husband actually helping the mom deliver the baby, usually in a sitting position)?

"No way."

What other physical preparations are you doing?

"As Calvin advised me, I walk in the mall. And I swim. Backstroke. But I have to stop swimming now that I’m so heavy."

Do you talk to your baby?

"Oh, a lot!"

What do you tell her?

"Rob and I tell her to be patient, that the waiting is not much longer because she’ll be out soon. We ask her how she’s doing ‘in there.’ Things like that."

Do you also let her listen to music?

"Oh, yes. We do. A lot! Mozart and other classical music."

You did want to know the baby’s gender, unlike other expectant couples who want to be "surprised" on the day of delivery.

"Rob and I checked as many times as we possibly could. We wanted to find out, and so did my doctor. The first time we tried to look, our baby had her legs crossed so we couldn’t tell what her gender was. The second time, I thought, ‘It looked like it’s going to be a girl.’ The third time, we were 100 percent sure it was a girl."

Do you have a name for her already?

"Yeah. But I don’t want anybody to make agaw so I won’t reveal what her name is. It happened to many of our relatives. So they advised me, ‘Do not under any circumstances reveal what the name of your baby is.’ So we’re keeping it a secret." (Clue: The baby will be named after one of her grandmothers; she’s the first grandchild on both sides of the family. Rob’s mom died of aneurysm a few months before he and Lea got married. – RFL)

Are you sure it’s not going to be twins?

"Yeah, I am. It has one set of arms, one set of legs, one set of everything."

Your baby won’t be an American citizen because she’ll be born here.

"Actually, she’ll have a dual citizenship. American (from Rob) and Filipino."

So you really prefer to deliver the baby here?

"Oh, yes, of course. Here. Right at home."

What kind of parents do you think you and Rob are going to be?

"For sure, we won’t spoil our baby. We will be disciplinarians. If she’s going to be a cute child, it would create a big trouble. Why? Because she might learn that she could get away with a lot of things based on her looks, and we wouldn’t let her, oh no!"

How else do you occupy your time while waiting for your delivery?

"I knit. I watch TV. I watch cartoons a lot. I watch the Cartoon Network, the Animax. I do a lot of things."

Will you bring her up the way you were brought up by your mom?

"As much as I can. But I guess I’m much more laid-back. My mom is more hands-on, I’m more laid-back."

Your mom can be over-protective.

"She’s over-protective, yeah, but she lost a child before I was born."

Is Rob staying here for long, or for good?

"He’s working here. Their company has formed a venture with another company here. Their company deals with instant-messaging application for cellphones and computers. That’s all I know. I can’t even explain it."

So where do you plan to eventually settle down, here or in the US?

"We don’t know yet. Everything’s up in the air. Maybe until our daughter starts going to school, we’ll stay here."

Do you want her to go to school here?

"I’d like her to. I like the environment here. We have good schools here."

You’ve been living in the US for quite a while. How is life there compared to life here? (Out there, Lea drives her car herself, something she can’t do here.)

"There, you have to do everything. It can be a lonely life. Here, I get to see my family and friends. It’s really nice. But when you have a child, I guess life here is easier."

How’s Rob as a husband?

"Oh, very easy."

You’ve been married for more than two years (they celebrated their second wedding anniversary last January.) Are you over the adjustment period?’

"I can’t say that we went through an adjustment period after the wedding; we did it even long before. We were well-adjusted to each other even before we got married. We’ve been through a lot together."

How do you think motherhood will change your lifestyle and your career?

"The baby will get precedent. That’s just how things will be, should be."

And how many more kids do you plan or want to have?

"Maybe two or three. But if God wants us to have more, then be it." (Rob is an only child of his late mom but he has three half-siblings from his mom’s second marriage. Lea only has one brother, Gerard. – RFL)

After the delivery, the baptism. Have you drawn up the list of godparents?

"Not yet. But for sure, we won’t pick somebody just because it’s fashionable to have him or her as a ninong/ninang. It has to be somebody who’s a friend for a long time, somebody whom I’m comfortable with and with whom I can get along, somebody I can entrust my daughter to if anything happens to me."

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/news200604231701.htm

Baby girl ang magiging anak ni Lea


TATTLE
Nel Alejandrino
People's Tonight

MAY 19 pala nakatakdang manganak si Lea Salonga ng kanilang panganay ni Richard Chien, ang asawang Chinese-American.

Tulad ng alam na natin, nag-decide ang mag-asawa na dito sa Pilipinas ipanganak ang kanilang unang supling, na nalaman nilang isang babae.

In town na si Lea, who claims wala siyang hirap sa kanyang paglilihi. In fact, she has been performing, di nga ba?

Did we hear it right that she plans to breastfeed her baby for a few months?

http://www.journal.com.ph/news.asp?pid=1&s...ay=23&year=2006

Heaven’s special gift to Lea Salonga

The wisdom of motherhood


Text and photos by Sankie G. Simbulan, Contributor

04/26/2006


I’ll realize it when you become a mother. It’s a phrase often uttered by mothers to their unmarried daughters. For mothers, there’s something about carrying a life inside that makes one more nurturing, understanding and insightful.



Yes, with motherhood comes the sublime gift of wisdom, that good sense that allows mothers to see with greater perspective and make sounder judgments. After all, whole lives will be dependent on them.


A whole new Lea

More than the glow of a pregnant woman, expectant mother Lea Salonga exudes the radiance of motherly wisdom. From child wonder (she won her first gold record at the age of 10 for the album “Small Voice”) to Broadway superstar (she is the only Filipino to have won the prestigious Tony and Olivier awards), Lea looks back at everything she has experienced and accomplished in the past 34 years and views it all as part of the preparation for her biggest real life role, that of mother.

“I’ve been able to pretty much do whatever I’ve wanted to do. I’ve performed in different parts of the world, for heads of state, I’ve experienced all that. So I guess in terms of achievement in my professional life, I don’t think there’s anything else I could ask for. If more stuff comes my way, then I will accept with a happy heart and be thankful for whatever is delivered to me. But obviously, God means for me right now to rest, because there’s a baby that’s about to be born. And you know, it really only happens once. This child will only be born once,” shares Lea.

During the early part of her pregnancy, Lea was busy as ever with her debut concert at Carnegie Hall, professional drama coaching for budding stage actors like KC Concepcion and a series of local concerts and guest appearances. Now that she’s about to give birth, Lea finds the respite her pregnancy has given her from work a welcome change.

“Singing is challenging. But I know it’s time to take it easy, to enjoy my family, catch up with my friends, enjoy seeing shows and movies, going to dinner, and basically just enjoying life,” says Lea, who has lived most of her life on the fast lane, having been catapulted to international stardom barely out of her teens when she landed the hit role of Kim in the hit musicale Miss Saigon.


Appreciative daughter

These days Lea spends a lot of time with her mom, Mrs. Ligaya Salonga. The two have always been inseparable. But now that Lea is about to become a mother herself, their bond has grown even stronger.

Not many stars who experience fame at a young age are able to withstand the pressures that come with it. Many end up as grownups with all sorts of problems, from broken marriages to substance abuse to eating disorders. When Lea left the Philippines to perform on Broadway and the West End for Miss Saigon, she says she was like a fish out of water.

“When I left for London I was a pre-med student. Suddenly there was a lot of pressure that was immediately thrust upon me…handling the press, doing shows eight times a week, keeping my weight down, dealing with the producer, the composers, the fans. There was a whole lot more to that whole bag than what a lot of normal 18-year-olds would normally get to experience,” narrates Lea.

While at that time critics saw her mom as nothing more than a stage mother, for Lea she was an anchor who helped keep her feet on the ground.

“I would not have made it without her. I mean living there, I would not have made it without my mom around. Ambitious as she was, she always knew what the priority should be, and that was school, friends and having a normal growing-up life. It never got to a point where any of my development as a child or as an adolescent was compromised. If I had been under a manager or a pro, the story probably would have been different. I probably would have been so consumed in work that life would have taken a back seat and I would not have ended up as balanced,” Lea admits.

Lea is expecting to give birth to a baby girl this month. People can’t help asking her if she wants her daughter to follow in her famous footsteps. But to this she replies, “Nah. If I can help it, no. But that’s really up to God. I mean she might be a world-class soccer player, an incredible pediatrician, she might end up being a neurosurgeon or find a cure for AIDS. I don’t know what this child is going to be!”

For Lea’s friends, one thing is for sure — whatever Lea’s child ends up doing, she will definitely do it just as brilliantly as Lea does.

“I think Lea’s baby will be an astronaut. Lea likes to think, you know, she thinks a lot. She’s actually very smart and I think that that kind of way of thinking will be brought down to the baby,” says singer-actor Jet Pangan, one of Lea’s closest theatre friends.


New leaf

Contrary to rumors, Lea will not be quitting showbiz after she gives birth. She doesn’t know how long she will need to rest to get her abdominal muscles back in shape and strong enough to start performing again, but she will definitely not be giving up what she loves doing the most.

“My husband himself says, ‘You know what, you have a power to influence people. You make people happy with what you do. You’d be making a big mistake if you quit because what you have is a gift,’” shares Lea of her very supportive husband Robert Chien.

While Lea is not about to leave the industry that made her a famous star, motherhood has nevertheless given her a clear view of her true priorities.

“So much in this life is fleeting and temporary. Even if, say, you get an award in 1991, they’re not going to remember you for it in 1997. I mean even if all this fame, power and influence disappeared tomorrow, I would be completely happy. If the only thing I had left were my family, children, my videogame collection, my books, and then of course myself, I’d be fine.”

Lea adds, “I’m happy with everything that has come my way. I feel incredibly blessed and incredibly fortunate that I have been given what I’ve been given. But if it was taken from me tomorrow and all I would be left with therefore are memories of everything, I’d be happy. I’d be really happy.”

Lea speaks with the maturity of knowing the essential from the fluff. It is a gift that only true motherly wisdom can bring.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/20060426/life/20060426lif1.html

The best of moments with Mom

By SHIRLEY MATIAS PIZARRO

Tomorrow is Mothers’ Day.

Read on:

"I think it was on my wedding day. My mom is known to be someone with a very tough exterior. She can be an intimidating person to those who don’t know her. But at the moment when she and my brother Gerard walked me down the aisle and gave me away, that’s when her softer side appeared. She kissed me with tears in her eyes. For one brief second, the toughness she’s known for melted. It was a touching moment for us both." — Lea Salonga

http://www.mb.com.ph/ENTR2006051363870.html

up for Lea Salonga..

Nicole ni Lea Salonga, kahawig ni Robert Chien!

Jojo Gabinete


NICOLE ang ibinigay na pangalan nina Lea Salonga at Robert Chien sa kanilang panganay na isinilang sa Asian Medical Center noong Martes, May 16. Ito ang naka-post sa Lea Salonga News Group sa Internet:

Lea gave birth at the Asian Hospital today at 12:12 pm. She had a normal delivery and Rob was with her when she gave birth. Nicole weighs 6.12 lbs and she’s so white! She looks more like Rob than Lea. Congrats Lea and Rob!

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/may1806/main.htm

Lea Salonga gives birth to a healthy baby girl



By SHIRLEY MATIAS PIZARRO

The multi-awarded international theater singer-actress Ms. Lea Salonga has embarked on her newest and most significant role to date — that of a mother — with the birth of her brand new healthy baby girl yesterday (Tuesday, May 16) at the Asian Hospital in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.


Lea's husband Robert Chien was beside her all the way from the time she was admitted to the hospital at around 2 a.m. until after she gave birth at 12:12 p.m. by normal spontaneous delivery. She was awake during the entire birthing process.

"She is very strong, and a very good patient. She’s very obedient," Dr. Ma. Teresita Henson, Lea’s obstetrician-gynecologist, said. "We were right on schedule. She came in at 2 a.m., we gave her epidural at 7 a.m. and I told them she’s gonna give birth at noon. And she did! She did everything I instructed her to do," the young doctor said.

The baby weighs 6.10 lbs. and is 49 cms. long. She’s fairskinned and looks a lot like her daddy Rob, according to Lea and her mom Mrs. Ligaya Salonga who was also present during the momentous event. Lea’s brother Gerard Salonga and his wife DJ were also there to share in the joy of the arrival of the newest member of their family.

Lea’s baby was also attended by Dr. Mike Celdran, her own pediatrician when she was a baby. The proud parents have picked the name Nicole Beverly for their first-born. Nicole has been Lea’s favorite name ever since and Beverly is the name of her husband Rob’s late mother.

"I haven’t slept a wink. I started experiencing labor pains at 11:53 p.m. We were admitted to the hospital at around 2 a.m. She came out at a little past 12 noon, and still I haven’t slept," she told us shortly after she and the baby have been wheeled inside her private suite at the high-end Asian Hospital in Alabang, a few minutes away from their residence at Ayala-Alabang Village.

Rob, who also haven’t slept a wink, could only smile unbelieving when he was told that the baby looks like him. We asked him how he felt seeing the baby, "it was amazing," he said. Rob was there the whole time documenting the event on video and he said, "Lea was really strong. She told me she didn’t feel pain at all. It was the pushing that was hard. The baby seemed to not want to get out at first. It was pretty crazy out there," he told us with a smile of relief while waiting for the baby to be presented to the waiting family members at the hospital’s huggery (nursery).

Mrs. Salonga, whom Lea greeted lovingly "hello Abu" (short for Abuelita, because that’s how Mrs. Salonga wanted the baby to call her) when they saw each other again after the baby’s arrival, answered her back with an equally loving "hello mommy!"

The brand new grandmother was excited and kidded everyone with the title "official daddy," "official mommy," "official uncle" and "official aunt" said that the event calls for a celebration.

Gerard said Lea called him up the night before to tell him she has been experiencing labor pains already. But they decided not to call their Mom that late to let her have a good night’s rest. Lea called Mrs. Salonga first thing in the morning to tell her that she was already at Asian Hospital.

Lea plans to breastfeed her baby all the way. Baby Nicole will be baptized here in the Philippines, probably before she goes to the US in July to be met by Rob’s family back there, they told us.

Lea’s baby girl looks more like hubby
FREEHAND
by : Mario E. Bautista


TONY Award-win-ning singer-actress Lea Salonga delivered her first baby, a girl, at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday, 12 noon.

Her husband Robert Chien and mother Ligaya Salonga were there with her when she gave birth to the baby, who is said to look more like Robert. Delivered normallly, she weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces. She will be named Nicole Beverly.

“My husband and I are both well-prepared to lose sleep while personally looking after our baby, feeding her and changing her diapers,” says Lea, who looks so happy and adds that she won’t accept any job offers for the next few months to make sure she concentrates on her baby.

In contrast, Jackie Forster looks so pitiful after delivering her new son last week.

Abandoned by his father, the baby has weak lungs and heart and is under neonatal care.

“It’s not surprising that the baby was born with defects,” says someone who knows Jackie. “She led a very stressful life while she was carrying the baby. Tapos, malaki na ang tiyan, nagpupuyat pa at umiinom sa bar. Siyempre, maaapektuhan ang bata. It’s not Jackie who’s pitiful but ‘yung walang-malay na baby dahil naapektuhan ng mga maling desisyon ng nanay nito. In contrast, mas maganda ang buhay at career ngayon ng iniwan niyang husband na si Benjie Paras, with whom she left their two sons.”

Another actress who became a mom for the second time is Katherine Luna, who won a best actress award for Babae Sa Breakwater.

When Katherine did Masahista with Coco Martin, he got her pregnant and she gave birth to the baby, Nicole, on June 3, 2005. She found a new guy after that, a model named JM Ramos, who impregnated her only a month later. She delivered their baby, a boy, last month.

In other words, there’s only a gap of 11 months between her two babies who have different fathers.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=n...date=2006-05-18

LEA SKEDS BABY’S BAPTISM
IF I KNOW
by : Aster Amoyo

LEA Salonga and husband Robert Chien plan to have their baby, who was made in the Philippines, baptized in Manila before they return to Los Angeles in July.

Lea is breastfeeding the bouncing baby girl — 6.10 lbs. and 49 cms. long — who arrived via normal delivery at 12:12 p.m. on May 16 at the Asian Hospital in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The baby is named Nicole Beverly; Nicole is Lea’s favorite moniker while Beverly is the name of Robert’s late mother. Lea’s attending physicians were Doctors Maria Teresita Henson (OB-gynecologist) and Mike Celdran (Lea’s pediatrician since she was a baby).

As soon as Lea’s back in shape, she plans to resume her singing and acting career.

Peoples Journal
5/24/2006 16:34 PM

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=n...date=2006-05-24

TAKE FIVE
Light and love of Lea’s life

First posted 11:15pm (Mla time) June 06, 2006
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A2-1 of the June 7, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


NEW mom Lea Salonga shares with Inquirer Entertainment the latest photos of her daughter Nicole Beverly Chien at two and a half weeks old.
Baby Nicole was born on May 16.
The e-mailed answers to our questionnaire came with an apology. “Sorry [for the delay]… but life’s gotten a bit busy for us.”
Still, the photos came with cute captions.
One blurb read: “Only two and half weeks old and posing already!”
Another showed a yawning Nicole with the one-liner: “Holy lungs… I know I’ve got the lungs for it!”

What is it like being a mom? Is it everything you expected it to be?
So far, it’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful being a mom! I’m loving every single minute of it. It’s tough, though, getting up to change or feed her when I’m severely sleep deprived, which is where Rob comes in. And he’s been stellar.
My expectations of motherhood? My approach to everything is very practical and pragmatic. This was no exception. I didn’t see motherhood as an experience that would complete me as a woman. I considered myself complete already. I wasn’t going to put pressure on Nicole to be the completion of me. That wouldn’t be fair to her. I want to set an example for her, that a woman should already be complete in herself before raising a family.

How’s Rob as dad? How’s the new lola (or Abu, which is how Ligaya Salonga prefers to be called)?
The new daddy is wonderful... he’s wonderful with Nicole. He changes the diapers and feeds her (with bottled ###### milk), cradles her and takes a gazillion pictures every day. Abu (my mom) is super excited, and enjoys being around her. She hasn’t been able to baby-sit for an extended period of time yet.

Have you figured out the feeding/diaper change routine?
Rob has been helping out tremendously. There are mornings when I have the hardest time waking up, so he takes over the diaper routine then brings her to me to nurse. When I’m up and about though, then I do as much as I can before turning in for the night. I breastfeed on demand, which means anything from every hour to every three to four hours.

How do you feel when you look at your baby’s face?
Extremely happy. She’s the light and love of my life.

What’s her nickname?
We call her Nic. I’ve always liked boyish nicknames for girls. If we have another girl, chances are she’ll have a boyish nickname, too.

What convinced you to breastfeed?
I always knew that breastfeeding was the best for babies, and I have many friends who made the same decision. Just knowing that every immunity I’ve had through my life will be passed on to her was something that helped me determine this mode of nourishing her. That, and the convenience… when we’re together, her milk is ready, and at the right temperature.

When is the christening? Do you have a lineup of ninong and ninang (godparents)?
We haven’t yet scheduled the baptism, but we do have some ninong and ninang ready [among them Gina de Venecia, wife of Speaker Jose de Venecia]. All of them are close friends of the family, people that we know will help us raise Nicole to be the best person she can be.

http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.p...&story_id=78286

At the Christening of Lea’s baby


Shirley Matias Pizarro

What a happy occasion it truly was last Sunday, July 9, when the apple of the eye in the household of the Chien’s was baptized into the Catholic-Christian world!

Nicole Beverly Salonga Chien, the daughter of our very own international singer-actress Lea Salonga and her husband Robert Chien, was baptized Sunday morning at the St. James The Great Parish in Ayala-Alabang, Muntinlupa in the presence of her carefully selected godparents, family and friends.

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