Her First Wheels

Yesterday my beautiful family (talking about my husband, dughter, mom, and sisters) and I went on a shopping spree--all on my mom's credit card! You gotta love 'em plastic thingees.

My mom bought Iaine a bunch of clothes and a lot of other stuff and I could tell she enjoyed every minute of choosing everything. It's the first time they went shopping with us so it was kind of a special day, and that meant buying the rest of us whatever we wanted. Oh yes, freebies!!!

My family

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Grey and pink and pretty.

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As you can see she loves shopping--

just like her mom!

And just before we were about to leave the mall I spotted this Looney Tunes stroller in the baby section. Soooo cute. It's pink and grey and has Tweety and Lola on it as I recall, just like Iaine's baby carrier. And because Iaine's has a Looney Tunes collection (almost all of her stuff is Looney Tunes), I was dying to take it home with me. It's just the right size--not bulky (bulky as in embarrassing myself in restaurant hitting other people's tables and occupying an entire aisle) and not too small for Iaine either. She won't outgrow it too fast because Iaine's just barely 2 months old; there's plenty of time to use it.

Actually, Iaine already has a hand-me-down stroller and it's still in good condition except for the cloth parts--a little faded and accented with orange so it doesn't exactly look like it's for a baby girl. I also have a problem with the wheels because they get stuck and another thing is it's such a hassle to push it our of our front door and load it in the car. Only my husband can do that. So yeah, it's in a fairly good condition but it's HUGE, and the last thing I want is to embarrass myself whenever I take Iaine somewhere. I can't fold, unfold, load, and unload that thing alone.

But we went home yesterday without the Looney stoller.

This morning I was still thinking about the thing and I was convinced that Iaine needs it. So I asked my sister (who also happens to be Iaine's godmother) to buy it for Iaine because she doesn't have a gift for her goddaughter's baptism yet, and to buy it ASAP before someone else does! I also reminded her that Iaine was baptized on February 20th so she must have had a lot of time to save up already. Haha.

I think my mom and my sisters are at the mall right now, purchasing Iaine's Looney Toons wheels. We're just waiting for them to drop it off here at home.

Again, gotta love 'em plastic thingees!!!

Iaine's First Summer

Iaine is ready to hit the beach!

Summer has started here in the Philippines and I can't wait to take Iaine to her first beach outing. No date has been set yet but Iaine almost has everything she needs already!

Old Navy swimsuit

Coco Cabaña swimsuit

Bebe onesie

Bee tiny umbrella

Disneyland Minnie Mouse umbrella

Best part? These are actually presents for Iaine so I didn't have to spend a cent! She also has Havaianas beach slippers and a rainbow colored tiny umbrella but I can't find them right now. LOL. Although I plan to add more, like sunscreen, shades, summer hat, floaters, etc.

By the way, there's this new Hello Kitty store that sprang up in front of my parents house so the other day I went there and did a little shopping...

Hello Kitty lightweight shoes & Hello Kitty shoulder bag

to put all her stuff in (yes, it's a baby bag!)

It's perfect. It looks like mine but it's actually Iaine's. So now, when I don't feel like bringing her Precious Moments diaper bag, I can just slip in a few of my stuff in the front pocket (like make up, hair comb, wallet, cellphone) and voila! Baby & mommy's stuff are subtly together in one pretty package.

Update: Photo taken on March 28th:

This is me, using the bag for the 1st time.

Pretty sneaky huh! Hehe

As for me, I don't have anything new for myself but what I do have is a super cute chubby pretty new baby in a swimming outfit... and that's more than enough to make our first summer together a summer to remember! ü

Home

The 3-day 2-night stay here at my parents house is almost over. We're only hours away from leaving so here I go, writing about being back here.

While doing the dishes today, I realized that the look of my parents' kitchen has changed a lot. There was a lot of new stuff and I felt crammed in it. I was confused about where I was gonna put back everything I washed and something hit me and it hit me hard. I was surprised to find myself a little lost in my parents' house's kitchen. It used to be my kitchen too. This used to be my house too. But when I got married I moved out and since then I've only been a visitor here. I visitor in the place I used to call home.

And I still like to call it home. Everytime I come here I can't help but feel a little pain, knowing that I don't live here anymore. I miss waking up to my mom's hearty breakfast, the morning routine of going to my parents room on weekends to find my little sister sleeping soundly, girl talks with my other sister before bedtime, talking to the family dog which I rarely even see anymore, having lazy hours of sleeping through the afternoon bundled up in a comforter with the hum of the airconditioner in the background... things like that. Of course I will always be welcome to stay, but things are different now. The look and feel of this house has changed although I could find comfort in the fact that the love has doubled.

Iaine is here now and everytime we come to visit, my family goes gaga over her. She's like the glue of the family, making our bond tighter. We may not always be together, but Iaine is there to fill the gap.

Family members may come and go and a house may be demolished or built, but I realized that whatever happens to a house, as long as love is the center of it all, it's a home.

I can't wait to come back here to stay for longer.

Daddy's 52nd Birthday

Yesterday March 22nd, my Dad turned 52! Fifty-two and still rockin'. Surely that's worthy of a celebration so last night my mom hosted a birthday party for my dad even though he's way over there in Vietnam. A lot of people came to the party and we're so happy that all of my mom's hard work paid off.

Skype-ing with the birthday boy!

Me and my beautiful family (pertaining to Jai and our wonderful little hunnybunny Iaine of course) were invited to spend 2 nights here in my parents' house and we're so excited about it because the house has expanded! Half of the old garage which used to be too big has been turned into a beautiful and cozy receiving room. There's a sofa set, a split-type air-conditioner, a gorgeous flat screen TV, a bar, a dining set, and a powder room. My mom designed the room herself and she really got a lot of positive feedback. Just take a look at these pictures and tell me you don't like it!

Oh hell yez we're livin the good life.

It's Iaine's first sleepover here so it's kind of a memorable week for us, especially to my mom and sisters who've always wanted us to stay for a few days. They're all goin' gaga for Iaine and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside to see how much they love her. Lol. I mean who wouldn't fall in love with this beautiful face and chubby cheeks?!

Our lil tigress (or should I say dalmatian?) debuting her

black super cool awesome kickass boots!!!

I hope we made my dad happy on his birthday, even though we're miles away from each other. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY! WE LOVE YOU! WE MISS YOU! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!

1 Month 2 Weeks & 30 Something Things

Iaine is a month and a half old today! I look at her now and I see a little girl who has grown a LOT since she was born. There's always something new or different about her everyday. She's really growing up so fast (and growing chubbier by the day, too)! Jai and I can't wait for her to be able to roll over, crawl, sit up on her own, play with us, say her first words, stand up, start walking, and run loose!

8 days old

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1 month old

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1 month and 11 days old!

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Time for a little vent: For 1 month and 2 weeks I've mingled with a lot of people and I'm sure there have been a lot of things being said and thought about about how I take care of my daughter. Well if there are people who think I'm not doing a good job at being her mother, this is what I have to say: I'm so proud that I am a great mother to this child. You know how some people can be. Nothing's just ever good enough sometimes. But no matter how bad of a parent they think I am, I don't care. I'm the mother and I know what's best for her. I know exactly what I'm doing. I love my daughter and I give a damn about her more than myself. And nobody can ever bring me down with whatever verbal weapon they have.

Anyway, I'd like to share a few important key notes I've learned so far based on my own amateur experiences and a little research work:

1. Most babies like to be swaddled and cuddled because it reminds them of being in their mother's womb. This means Iaine is absolutely not spoiled, in contrary to what some people believe.

2. Putting a small amount of table sugar in their drinking water won't give a baby diabetes for chrissakes! In fact, infant formula contains more sweeteners than table sugar. I put a little sugar in Iaine's drinking water to cover up the bitter taste of distilled water. Ever since I started doing that little trick Iaine drinks 2 ounces of water fast. And that's good! A well hydrated baby is a healthy baby.

3. No matter how much breastmilk or formula milk your baby takes in, he/she still needs to drink water.

4. You can give a newborn a full bath as early as you want to, even before the umbilical cord stump falls off. The only drawback is that it will make the stump fall off longer. Iaine's stump fell off at 3 weeks.

5. Baby lotion is obviously designed for babies, no duh. I apply lotion on Iaine's tummy, arms, and legs everyday. I started doing this to help Iaine's skin peel easily (newborns' skin tend to peel for the first week) and it went from dry to soft and smooth. It makes your baby smell good too.

6. If you let them sleep for as long as they want, babies won't fuss during bath time.

7. The rashes on a newborns face aren't caused by kissing him/her too much, or because the father has too much facial hair. It's called baby acne which is completely normal. Iaine has an prescribed lotion to help get rid of it.

8. A simple cold to you is something totally different for a baby. Take your child to her pedia immediately the moment you find out he/she has a cold. Actually, just take her whenever you sense something is wrong healthwise.

9. When a baby pushes out the nipple with her tongue it doesn't always mean he/she isn't hungry. There is something called extrusion reflex. A baby sticks out her tongue when the tip is touched.

10. Sterilizing bottles everyday is unnecessary, or else it will wear out the plastic more easily and shorten the "life span" of the bottle.

11. A baby could suck all day if he/she wanted to. They're not hungry all the time. Sometimes they need a pacifier to achieve oral gratification which is extremely important for their age.

12. Babies can smile as early as a few days old but I'm sorry to disappoint you--it's not the social smile. The social smile happens at around 1-2 months, or as soon as they can recognize faces.

13. Babies can wake up and go back to sleep on their own without your help.

14. Breastfed babies won't be any smarter than formula fed babies, unless genetics is the reason.

15. It's totally safe for babies to lie on their tummy as long as someone is watching them.

16. A crying baby isn't always a hungry baby. It could mean a lot of other things. Pain, hotness or coldness of the environment, rough handling, wet/soiled diaper, and many others.

17. Family over strangers for nannies.

18. Participating in mommy forums is more helpful than believing old wives' tales.

19. Photos are a good investment. It pays to look back at those first few days of his/her life. I can't help but go aaaawwwwww...

20. Vitamins do a LOT of good for your baby. Never skip a day.

21. Some older relatives like to think they're right. Fact is, they're not always right.

22. You could try different sleeping positions for your baby to figure out which makes her sleep more comfortably. Ever since I discovered that Iaine likes to sleep in a high back rest position, Jai and I have been having more hours of sleep. Yay!

23. Breastfeeding moms aren't the only ones who can have a special bond with their babies. A formula feeding mom can also achieve this bond by making physical contact with their baby. I do just that.

24. The dad's role in a baby's life is just as important as the mom's. It's best if he's as hands on as his wife.

25. A baby should make his/her parents marriage stronger, not tear it apart. (Actually, this one is up to the mom and dad.)

26. A pack of diapers isn't really that much.

27. A can of milk formula isn't really that much either. Lol

28. Talk to your baby as often as possible. It's also a form of bonding.

29. A quiet baby usually means she's feeling all right, but it doesn't mean he/she's not hungry either.

30. A bedtime routine is important. It helps your baby get used to the idea of nighttime.

31. I realized that the "letting baby cry in the morning" thing is bullcrap. There is a reason why your baby needs you. Go fetch.

32. Never ever ever everrrr leave your baby unattended, even when he/she's asleep.

32. Never ever ever everrrr wake up your baby just to feed him/her!!!! Babies wake up when they're hungry, so let them sleep in peace!!!

But still, there is this one important thing you must remember:

34. Not all babies are the same.

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I'm a new mom myself, but this is not all I've learned. These are just some of the things that I've learned in a month and a half. (If I'm going to type in everything here it would probably take an eternity to finish.) Anyway, I'll probably add some more in my next blog entries. Moms should never stop learning! I just hope that with these 34 items, I could help at least one mother who's going crazy with all the questions in her head and all the new mommy adventures she's going through.

Wow. Iaine is exactly 42 days old today, happy and healthy (aside from the minor cold she has, Lol). So happy one month and a half birthday to you, my dear lil tigress! Momma and Poppa will keep doing our best to make sure you're gonna grow up to be the best person you can be.

And by the way, Iaine stopped using mittens today. Ohhh my big baby girl!

>

SAHM and Proud

If you don't have an idea what SAHM means it stands for stay at home mom and I'm proud to be one. Almost all my hours are spent taking care of Iaine so you can expect that I don't go out very often. Usually my only past time is sitting in front of my laptop and surfing the net when Iaine's asleep or when it's the husband's turn to watch her. But it doesn't mean I'm neglecting Iaine. I'm learning something about my baby just as when I'm hands on or when someone else is keeping an eye on her when I'm online. I do that by participating at The Bump.

I don't exactly recall how I came across thebump.com but right now it's my favorite website! It's the perfect site for women, especially mothers.

I've been hanging around the 0-3 months board which is heaven sent! I start a thread and BAM, responses come immediately. No question is left unanswered. My co-Bumpies are so accomodating and it's nice to know that I'm not alone in my new mommy adventures! That board is usually where I ask for advice when it comes to everyday issues regarding my baby girl. So far being a Bumpie has been effective because aside from learning from my own personal experiences, I also get to share them and gain knowledge from other moms in return.

me and my two loves

(march 17th & 18th)

So are you pregnant? Expecting? Lost your little one? Trying to conceive? Are you a mother? Well it's time to check out The Bump right now!!!

You can also check out The Nest and The Knot. No, I wasn't paid to write this post if that's what you're thinking. Lol

My Poor Sick Sivela

Iaine is sick. She doesn't have a fever but she feels ill, I just know it. She's been co-sleeping with us for a few days now and last night I noticed her breathing had been unusually noisy. Around 4am this morning I saw a trail of clear mucus coming out of her nose. So that explains why she's been fussy for a couple of days now. She also coughs, but rarely.

Seeing her like that this morning, I thought I was gonna cry. My poor baby is sick for the first time. I'm sure you came down with a cold before so you can imagine how bad it must feel for a baby not to be able to breathe, eat, and sleep well.

I feel like it's all my fault. I was sick with a cold and cough last week and I think Iaine caught it. We're taking her to the doc tomorrow coz she's out today so for now I'll just have to prop her head up when she's lying down to help her breathe easier and force her to drink water even if she absolutely hates the taste.

I'm just thankful that I'm here to watch over her and not anybody else. I've never been a fan of having a baby nanny. To me it's absolutely unnecessary. But if the time will come that I need someone else to take care of Iaine I'd hand her over to family members. Or if my life depended on it, I'd still hire a family member, no matter how far she's up in the family tree. But total strangers? NEVER. I've heard many stories of nannies neglecting and abusing babies and I don't wanna risk that happening to my own child. You just don't know what some people are capable of.

Anyway, I hope Iaine gets well soon. It hurts when your child is the one suffering, when it could have only been you.

Our Future Swimmer

The infamous drought phenomenon called El Niño is a pain in the ass. I wake up in the morning feeling cool and fresh, then I give Iaine a bath and end up sweating like a pig. This happens everyday and everyday the heat gets worse. Anyway, to my surprise and utmost delight Iaine didn't cry during bath time today! Maybe it was because I talked her through it or she had enough sleep last night. Either way, bath time today without a screaming episode was fun and it felt like a true mother-infant bonding experience. I just wish I could say the same for tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I'm happy that she's starting to love the water because Jai and I plan to make swimming as Iaine's first learned sport. We're gonna enroll her in a swimming club to train her to become a true swimmer. The perfect reasons are: (1) I personally love swimming and I took lessons too as a kid, (2) Iaine's aunt/godmother Yayie and uncle Nonoy are both bonafide swimmer athletes, and (3) Jai loves the water as well--he's a licensed scuba diver. It's the perfect sport to teach our future three year old child wonder.

Seahorse Hunt

As Iaine grows older by the day it's getting harder to put her to sleep because she's developed some kind of 'tude already. Lol. She doesn't like to be put down until she's definitely knocked out cold. My arms are about to fall off, and Jai has the same problem.

I need to know where I can find this cutie. I've been looking around Multiply sites but still no Fisher Price "Soothe and Glow" Seahorse.

It has absolutely captured my heart! I'm sure Iaine will love it too.

Bloody Heck

Before we go any further let me warn you that this post contains too much information. Whatever happens, I'm not liable if you throw up.

I've been having really heavy blood flow for 3 days now. And I mean really. Too much information, I tell you.

As a nurse I'm familiar with what goes on after a woman gives birth but after 3 weeks of bleeding red after my c-section I started to wonder if something might be wrong. I really didn't pay any attention to it until the other day because I realized I used up 7 maternity napkins in 2 days.

That makes 4 weeks of bleeding, and that's a lot of blood.

So I texted my mom last night and told her I've been bleeding since February 6th and the past couple of days have been extremely heavy. Today is March 12th which means I've been bleeding for more than a month. She told me I should go back to my OB and find out what's going on.

I followed her advice and this morning I paid my doc a visit. The moment I stepped into the clinic I happened to see her outside her office and immediately there's a look of shock and surprise on her face. Which is understandable. My appointments have ended 2 weeks ago and there should be no reason for me to come back post-op. But I was there, so she might have been thinking I could be pregnant again or there could be a problem. (Pregnant again? As if.)

My OB was a little skeptical about the news but why would I lie about something that could be very serious? Worst case scenario is she would operate on me again to cauterize a bleeding blood vessel or something. There was a hint of worry on her face though. She asked me a lot of questions and I was patient to answer each one truthfully. I told her I've been bleeding red nonstop since I gave birth but this week I've noticed that there's an increased amount. Sometimes it stops but then it comes back. And then I told her that a few days ago I soaked 7 big napkins in 2 nights. With clots.

She looked a bit alarmed, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She and the ultrasound technician scanned my uterus and ovaries and found out that everything appears to be normal. "The endometrium looks alright," she said. And then after a bit of deliberation, they came up with a conclusion that didn't even cross my mind.

It seems that my period has come back.

Yep, the M word. I'm back on the red cycle. I'm still a little skeptical though why I never really stopped bleeding, but I guess it makes sense that the bleeding did fade a bit for the last 2 weeks and then came back bright red this week. So was the faded red blood lochia serosa after all? And did my period came back and overlap the lochia alba phase? Sounds pretty unusual, but I guess it's plausible.

My OB prescribed iron tablets and contraceptive pills then sent me home.

Glad that's over. At least I found some answers and peace of mind. My only worry is that if I still continue to bleed for a couple of more weeks, this could be more serious than we all thought.

You're So Vain!

No, taking care of a baby isn't a walk in the park.

It just annoys me that some mothers act like it's is all rainbows, cupcakes, unicorns, and that babies just act cute and angelic all the freakin time. EARTH TO MARS: NO!!!

Babies are work. It's a blessing to be a parent and have your own bundle of joy but actually you can't miss the hair-pulling, ear-smoking, eye-popping, nose-flaring sides of being a mom or dad! The cons of parenthood are in your face LIKE THAT.

But don't get me wrong. I'm so lucky that Iaine is very well-behaved in general. As long as she gets enough sleep and doesn't have pee or poop in her diaper, she just stares into my eyes or the environment. She likes to be snuggled and carried around. She likes to be sung to or hummed to, and coos back. She's just a quiet, good girl. But once she goes hungry or wets herself and poops, she gets fussy.

When babies get fussy things go UGLY. Every baby born in the history of the world gets fussy. In fact, I might have been the fussiest baby ever (at least according to my mother). So people, don't try to sugarcoat things that are just not happyjoyjoysprinklesandcandies every freakin minute. The truth is that being a parent has its ups and downs, and no one is exempted from the rule. Deal with it.

Sure, you can say you have the perfect baby. (I know I do and I will always be proud to say that!) So why should you conceal the rest of the nasty adventures of parenthood? Iaine has rashes on her face. Iaine's skin color is a little tan. Iaine's neck looks irritated most of the time. So what! I don't care, she's my daughter, she's beautiful in my eyes, and yes, to me she's perfect. She has sparkly eyes, a high nose bridge, pouty lips and chubby cheeks. And I love everything else about her, even how she likes to pee all over the place just as I'm about to swap her soiled diaper with a clean one. So what's your problem? Why can't you deal with your own and your kid's imperfections? Why should you act like people should worship you and your parenting methods?

I blog and tweet about the details of everyday life as Iaine's mom, but I don't parade around as if I'm wearing a BEST MOM IN THE WORLD shirt.

Not everything works for everyone. If you can't understand that, clearly something is wrong with you. Go get get a wake up call and hit yourself in the noggin.

The Breast-Bottle Battle

I'm gonna stop breastfeeding.

THERE, I SAID IT.

Before you accuse me of being a bad parent, allow me to explain exactly why I gave up on the breastfeeding business even though I don't really need to answer to anybody. That's right, I'm not just gonna stop, the term is giving up. And duh, don't you think a nurse knows the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding?

It took several days after Iaine's birth before I could breastfeed her because I just couldn't. The word that would describe the level of pain I was in after giving birth is yet to exist. So, the hospital had to start feeding her with S-26 Gold formula as prescribed by Iaine's pediatrician.

The pain only became tolerable a few days after we got home. And by the way, the cradle hold was the only convenient position for me because anything else would be a hassle.

The first time I breastfed there was no problem at all. Iaine latched on pretty easily and I was very proud of myself that breastfeeding came naturally. Instincts, that sort of thing. But the next few days of switching between pumping and feeding became such a chore. Iaine started to hate being breastfed. No matter how hard I offer my breast she keeps turning away. This goes on for so long that I couldn't stand all the crying, kicking and screaming. My mother-in-law and my husband have tried helping me out with positioning Iaine properly but she just keeps pushing away.

I've tried researching about breast refusal and followed the tips on how to breastfeed successfully with the help of countless mommyhood sites but to no avail. Iaine just hates it.

Surprisingly this week, things have been a little different. I tried the side-lying breastfeeding position which seemed to be successful, but don't get too excited. After about thirty minutes Iaine stared to push away again. And then more crying, kicking, and screaming. I was told to coax her to feed and not force but actually neither of those did the trick. So it's back to the bottle.

I guess that will be the case until she weans to a sippy cup.

Closet Retrospect

Yesterday Jai and I went shopping for groceries and a few things for Iaine. Since she came into our lives I haven't been able to go to malls very often, so yesterday I took the opportunity to buy myself new jeans and shorts.

I wore the jeans today. CELEBRATE!

After putting them on this morning I took a long look at myself in the mirror. Front. Left. Right. Back. And repeat. Things don't look like how they were nine months ago, but the fit definitely deceives the eye. The pants work like magic! Reminds me of the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; 4 girl friends wear the same pair of Levi's and they fit each girl like a glove. Er, pants.

Anyway, my evil tummy pooch is still a little obvious, but I've always been a little chunky in that area so it doesn't really bother me. The pants are tight in the waist so some of the fat is being squeezed evenly upward, making my pooch look a bit smaller than it actually is. And that's a very good thing.

What's more is that I can wear my old t-shirts again. When I was still pregnant, one day I raided my closet and found my small old t-shirts at the bottom. I was surprised to see that they were too small for me and wondered how I was able to squeeze myself in those tiny tees before. Turns out I was just too humongous to compare. =P It's been 4 weeks since I gave birth to Iaine and now I can wear them again. Best part, surprisingly they don't fit so bad. I wore my Woodstock shirt today with those pair of fitting jeans and it felt good to look good. Foxy Mama if you will. Lol

As for my old shoes.. Now that the edema is totally gone, my feet are back to a size seven! I'm not stuck to wearing flip flops anymore. And heels are heaven.

But I'll probably need more shorts than jeans. Summer is coming and it would be too weird to wear pants to the beach. =P

Wonderful

There are just some things you can't explain. Like how that strand of hair just can't hold still. How fast you can go hungry again after 60 minutes. The mystery of .99 in price tags. Why some people have 2 hair whorls or more. The purpose of the intestinal appendix. The bermuda triangle. Why Twix tastes so delectable. Why beautiful popular kids in high school usually don't grow old to be the same. The endorphin-induced high that chocolate gives. What runs in the minds of people who worship the iPad. And while we're at it, why Steve Jobs keeps wearing the same thing.

And I wonder

If anyone could explain

How a father and mother's love could be so pure...

And how the sound of their child's laughter could lift them in utter bliss.

Wonderful.