We Are Family

Bath time is B.Boy’s FUN time. He really enjoys splashing the water all over. Pag inahon mo na at bibihisan na, talaga naman iiyak yan. hahaha! I can understand because me and my sisters enjoy the water too. I can recall when we were around 4 or 5, our dad filled a large container (drum) with water and we will be there for hours. It became our swimming pool. Then my mom will scold dad, saying that will catch cold for staying in the water for too long. But my dad will just let us be…enjoy kasi kami eh. 
Going back to B.boy, his dad is in-charge of bathing him since he was 3 months old. It is their bonding time. Since the little boy can now sit up unsupported, M0rn1ng bought him an inflatable swimming pool. I felt my heart swell with happiness as I saw him trying his utmost best to inflate it with the aid of the air pump used for bike tires. It was pretty hard because there are a lot of layers that have to  be filled with air. I saw him perspire like he’s been working out. Love nya talaga ang little boy namin.

I was supposed to go to work that morning pero hindi ako makaalis. I was too excited to see B.boy use the pool. Katawa nga kasi ang lakas ng loob ko ma-late eh anjan pa naman yung boss ko from HK. :)  I can’t afford to miss the moment. Pero sa sobrang hirap i-inflate nung pool, hindi ko na nahintay.   So Morn1ng took those photos above for me. Ok na rin!

I could imagine him in there for longer time during summer time. Then we’re going to invite the other boys his age from the congregation. Rambol na to! 

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B.boy already has 2 lower teeth and he has another 2 coming in soon. I promised him that i will prepare a special meal for him once they’re out. I’m thinking of cooking congee with very small bits of chicken. I’ll have 1 tbsp of rice cooked with 6 cups of chicken broth. (home-made tong chicken broth and without any salt) Then I’m going to add small bits of chicken. Just the thought of him loving it makes me excited. 
He deserves a treat after the gruelling pain he’s going through. His gums were swollen and i bet it’s too painful as he has lost interest in nursing. Both breast and bottle were rejected. He wasn’t able to feed for the past few days that he lost some weight.

Last night, Morning and I was supposed to watch Casino Royale but it didn’t push through as B.boy was out of sorts. When we check, we saw some blood on his gums. He was very irritable. Her pedia told us to give him paracetamol to ease the pain. She also advised up to put xylogel on B.boy’s gums. It is a gel which is cold that brings relief to swollen gums.

Morning & I have read some info regarding this and below are some of the things we found useful :

(1) Paracetamol or infant acetaminophen can provide pain relief and will help the teething baby sleep better.

(2) Teething gels (like xylogel) also bring relief.

(3) During teething parents should be prepared that the baby will not be able to sleep well. He will wake up several times especially if the pain is bad enough.

(4) We noticed that our baby usually have bad cough and colds while teething. We’ve read that it is because they have their hands on their mouths often during these times. (Shempre most of the time madumi yung kamay)

(5) Teething rings or a cold washcloth to chew on brings welcomed relief.

(6) Teething pain makes it difficult for babies to nurse. This is because sucking aggrevates the pain of swollen gums.

I hope we will be able to welcome the 2 new pearly whites soon. Kawawa naman si B.boy eh. Besides, we want to try the new recipe on him. We hope he’ll consider it a wonderful treat.  :)  (Have to remind myself to have the camera ready)

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Cause the girl in my mirror
Is crying out tonight
And there’s nothing I can tell her
To make her feel alright
Oh the girl in my mirror
Is crying ’cause of you
I wish there was something
I wish there was something
Oh I wish there was something
I could do
-Britney Spears

I know it is so wrong and does no good but i pity this girl too much. Being burdened so much that i might say at times that “pasan nya ang daigdig”. I wonder if there are also other working moms out there who are in the same predicament. Works hard all day long in the office. Her schedule is tight as she has to finish all her work for that day and also giving time to express her breastmilk 3 times the whole working hours. Comes home tired and has to take care of the baby by herself at night. It’s not much a pain in the ass if the baby is not sick or teething but he is monthly. He goes cranky at night and wants to be carried the whole time. Once she puts him down, he gets settled but not for long. The poor mom hasn’t got her sleep yet when the baby yells out again and has to be lulled to sleep. Without any sleep she has to work in the office the whole day then the same thing happens at night. And it happens not just for a few days but it extends from 1 to 2 weeks.

I pity her, though i know i shouldn’t. Last time due to stress and fatigue, she has asthma that lasted for a month. Oh if you could only hear her cough non stop the whole night. Eventhough she’s sick or not up to her feet she has to take care of the baby. The baby won’t accept any other caretaker at night as he is so used to her mom. Oh what to do?

The father works at night so he is not there to share the duty. I know, this mom often resents that her husband can sleep soundly while she works almost 24 hrs. During week-ends when the daddy has no work, he would try to share the load. However, the baby cannot be comforted by him.

Oh poor thing! Life is really not fair sometimes.   I believe that if the couple are both working, they should also share in the domestic chores. Do you agree?

To add up to that, her co-workers will often criticize that she has to be late or has to take some time off to take care of the sick baby. Or that she has to take some time off to express her milk. Oh the poor thing! Give her some slack.

If you are in her shoe, what would you do? Will it be best to give up her secular work so that she’ll have fewer things in her plate? Should her husband find a daytime job so that he can help in her domestic duties?

(haaaay! yun lang masasabi ko)

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Our B.boy turned 8 months yesterday. Time sure flies so fast. He looks so grown up already. Here are the milestones he has achieved so far.

- Likes solids. Before he seems uninterested whenever we feed him food other than milk. Now he enjoys quite a variety of fare; potatoes, carrots, banana, egg yolks,  to name a few. His recent favorite is potatoes with egg yolks.

-Feeds himself a cracker. He doesn’t want others to do it for him. Yun nga lang most of it will end on the floor than on his mouth.  lol! Ang kalat!

-Knows how to wave bye-bye, do close-open, and clap hands.

-He can pull himself up to a standing position while holding on to something. He usually practices this skill in our bed headboard or on his playpen. What is funny is he sometimes tests his limits, binibitiwan ba naman yung hawak ng isang kamay. hahaha! Sometimes he falls down and that makes M0rn1ng and I nervous. However, if we become too protective we might be hampering his growth and ability to learn. So even if our hearts skip a beat, okay lang.

-Has 2 lower teeth. I think one of his upper teeth will be coming soon. He’s been putting a lot of things in his mouth and chewing this past few days. Yesterday and early this morning he has a slight fever, signs that a pearly white is emerging.

-Crawls err, i think creeping is a more precise term. Ambilis bilis nga eh. Now i can’t leave him in the bed alone. Mahuhulog sha.

-Walks if assisted. Nakakatawa lang kasi para shang lasing maglakad. We invented a game the other night. Morning is on the far side of the bed while i’m on the other side, the aim is to let B.boy walk from one end to the other end. Once he reaches daddy, he will be given a kiss or hug. Same thing happens when he reaches mommy. We all had a swell time!  :)

-Objects when you take his favorite toy away. Sisigaw sha ng eeeeeeeeeee! hahaha! However, once you give him a new one to keep him busy…he’ll stop right away.

4 more months and he’ll be turning 1. Ambilis talaga.

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Oh my sleeping child, the world’s so wild but you’ve built your own paradise

That’s one reason why I’ll cover you sleeping child

If all the people around the world, they had a mind like yours

We’d have no fighting and no wars, there would be lasting peace on earth

If all the kings and all the leaders, could see you here this way

They would hold the earth in their arms, they would learn to watch you play - Michael Learns to Rock

I love to watch B.boy sleep. “World peace” written all over his face offers me a serene feeling.

Funny, because i’m never like this. I don’t even watch my husband sleep eventhough i love him tremendously.

Ah, i guess the mother’s love bug bit me. 

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I’m not an expert on this topic. What I’ve written here is just based on my personal experience.

Why it’s best for mommies? Here it goes…

#1. Promotes a stronger mother and child bond. Nursing gives me a chance to sit down a couple of times a day and cuddle my baby. I spend those quiet times to touch and hug my baby and let him feel my overflowing love. This contributes to a stronger bond. Even though I work full time and not with him all the time, he prefers me than anybody. Most people would comment that B.boy is such a mommy’s boy. Di yan magpapakarga sa iba while I’m around. 
#2. I’m back to my pre-pregnancy size in just 2 months. Not only that, I got better body shape owing to bigger bra size. Lol!

#3. Less sleep disturbance. When B.boy needs to nurse, I just turn to my side and he will breastfeed. I on my part will continue sleeping. No need to get up and prepare anything.

#4. Less hassle when going out. I don’t need to bring a lot of bottles, formula and other stuff. This is a great plus factor as I usually maximize the time spent with B.boy during week-ends. Kahit saan ako pumunta sinasama ko sha.

#5. I am forced to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This is to avoid getting sick. It’s harder to nurse and take care of your baby if you’re sick.

#6. Still haven’t got my period back. Ansaya saya! Less expense on sanitary napkin plus you don’t have to deal with mood swings and pesky dysmenorrhea.

#7. I can eat a lot and not gain weight.

#8. It lowers my stress levels. I’ve read that while breastfeeding we release a hormone oxcytocin. According to studies, oxytocin promotes nurturing and relaxation. What a great way to unwind after a long day at work!

Of course I’ve sacrificed a little to be able to breastfeed. It wasn’t that easy but the perks outweigh the not so good things that you have to endure. So for all those preggo out there, please give breastfeeding a fair chance. It is truly best for both babies and mommies.

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I’ve been craving for Goldilocks’ puto for the longest time. I’ve been to a lot of stores but they seem to be not selling it anymore.

I love those puto. The texture and taste is just perfect. Last Saturday, M0rn1ng and B.boy went to Goldilocks in Buendia but we didn’t find puto for sale. So we just bought a slice of cake.

Today i had my wish came true. M0rn1ng surprised me with one pack of puto. :)  Yummy! This is why i love my husband so much. Just the sheer thought that he was thinking of me makes me go “kilig” all over. (hehehe)

Super thanks daddy! I love you. 

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