Hello Fro-Yo

I think I must have mentioned before in older posts that I have tried the I Love Berries frozen yogurt at the Rockwell Urban Bazaar. I didn’t feel compelled to really measure it against the other fro-yo stores until now.

I was first able to try Red Mango in Trinoma since my family lives in QC and Trinoma is their favorite haunt. My sister insisted that she absolutely loves Red Mango and that I had to try it. So try it with my hubby I did. I like its tart taste and creaminess. They also had many varied toppings but I usually either get banana or mango as a topping. I also noticed that their spoon is quite different and seems better made than other plastic spoons.

My other sister likes fro-yo but her favorite brand was the one simply names Fro-Yo and though there is one branch located on Morato in QC, they are also found in the Hobbes and Landes stores. Meandering around Greenbelt 5 I was able to convince hubby that we should try this brand as well. It is definitely creamy but not quite as tart as Red Mango. I unfortunately have not tried any toppings since I wanted only the plain yogurt. 

Last week in Rockwell, I tried Lulubelle’s frozen yogurt. Unfortunately this was the one I liked the least. The taste was definitely blander and not as creamy as the other brands. I also tried a bit of their strawberry and green tea yogurt. I didn’t like them at all too. Their green tea yogurt was like a watered down version of the Fruits in Ice Cream Green Tea ice-cream and not as good as the Red Mango Green Tea yogurt. I think Lulubelle’s strength lies in the FIC ice-cream they serve. I must admit though that I want to try their shakes next.

In conclusion, I still consider I Love Berries my favorite yogurt because it is tart with a bit of sweetness. However, I have to catch them at the Urban Bazaar since I don’t know of any branches. For a quick fix in Makati I’ll go for the Fro-Yo in Hobbes in Landes. While in QC it will definitely have to be Red Mango.

Operation: Baboy

For Baby J’s 6 month check-up we were alarmed to discover that he did not gain any weight! In short, he stayed at 6kg despite gaining 3cm in length and also growing his head circumference. Although our pedia says that she will wait for 3 incidences of no weight gain, she advised us to give formula to Baby J as it has a higher caloric content.

We have tried so many formula brands like Nan, Promil and Bonamil. We even tried Similac but Baby J will spit it out despite being hungry. I am at my wit’s end having just bought Pediasure at over P800 for a can. I am really hoping that he’ll drink it if hungry.

On the other hand, our pedia was pleasantly surprised to see that Baby J is now pulling himself up to stand at the tender age of 6 months old. He literally has the motor skills of a 9 month old baby. Personally, I’m a bit scared because it means he’ll start walking and running around soon! At least hubby said he’ll chase after Baby J. 

So, I am doing my best to fatten Baby J up by feeding him  banana yogurt and pureed beef with rice cereal. I will then update our pedia at the end of the week.

I want it back

The whole title should be “I want my breasts back, thank you.” I have been breastfeeding for almost 6 months since baby J turns  6 months old this coming April 11. I cannot believe I have actually lasted this long. One of the most pressing reasons that I have been able to do so is that I resigned from my job thinking that 2 months maternity leave is too short and it is. I gloried in the ability to spend as much time and give as much attention to my little one  is these precious first few months. However there are other things that I think really helped me continue even though I thought I couldn’t last a month.

1. Breastfeeding information and support – I’d like to thank my friend Jane for acting like a breastfeeding helpdesk! I would text her at all hours and she unfailingly gave me support and information in those first few days of craziness. I had also surfed the internet for information on breastfeeding and what to expect. I repeated to myself the many benefits breastfeeding would give to both mother and child. I also resigned myself to being half naked every 2 hours or so. Hehehe.

2. My Breastfriend breastfeeding pillow – Not only does it go all around your waist and fasten but it is quite firm and can support you little one as he feeds. My arms used to get so tired holding up the little guy nevermind if he was just 5 pounds or so. Try holding the same position for half an hour to 45 mins and do it every 2 hours or so. I found out about this pillow from an officemate who also used one and had breastfed her children for months. It is a godsend.

3. Entertainment – or more specifically something to do while breastfeeding. In my case I always had my Nintendo DS with me. I played all sorts of games and managed to finish off some of the RPGs as well. At night I couldn’t very well watch TV as hubby would wake up and TV is kinda useless if I can’t hear what they’re saying. Oh but playing on my DS didn’t need sound and I was fully entertained while baby J took his time eating.

4. A good pump – Of course after a month of being shackled indoors you’d want to go out and have some fun but cannot very well bring the baby with you. We bought the Medela Pump in Style Advanced and although it looked and felt a little freaky at first I am now at ease pumping my milk. Storage guidelines are easy enough to follow and training our help in how to warm up the milk was easy. 

5. A session with a lactation consultant – Baby J was around 5 months old when his checkup revealed he didn’t gain enough weight. So I thought my milk production was going down and recommended to start supplementing with formula. Good thing I opted to meet with an LC and it turns out I had lumps in my breasts because baby J wouldn’t finish one breast so the flow of milk slowed down. I actually had a lot of milk! She was able to teach me how to improve the flow and another bfing position.

  There are times when I still sigh as my son grabs my shirt in his hunger. But when I see all the good breastmilk has done for him I’m so proud. I am looking for work now but do not regret resigning at all.