My bag

I rarely get comments on this blog and when I do I always make it a point to check out the commenter’s blog. I then checked out Posh Pinay’s blog where she is having an online contest! Well, you know me! I’m a sucker for these online contests.

Anyway, I’m supposed to post a picture of my bag and what the contents are. So here’s my current bag in use, a Rootote that I bought online after reading a post about it in shopcrazy or some other site.

So let’s see what the contents are…

1. Wallet – this is a given

2. Tissue, Alcogel, Shades, Hair brush, lip balm – must always have this.

3. Pen, umbrella – you never know when you will need one

4. weird paper -this is actually my membership doc for Fitness First. They don’t have my membership card yet so I have to give this to them every time I want to go to the gym.

5. Keys – given.

6. Tiffany bracelet – hubby gave this as a Valentine’s slash birthday gift and I always wear it so it stays in my bad.

7. Cell phone – not pictured because it was not in my bag at the time. 

 

I really hope I win!

Project: Self Improvement

I admit it. I sort of let myself go these past 6 months since I gave birth. Now, I am reaping the sorrows of my laziness. I went to the dentist and found out that I had an incredible amount of cavities not to mention gingivitis. I went to the dermatologist to have my post-preggy warts cauterized. Last but not least I signed up for the gym.

I had already been walking slash jogging around the park when I bring baby J out in the afternoon. However I noticed that my feet were hurting from the pounding and decided to walk. Still didn’t feel good then realized that my running shoes were over 2 years old and the rubber was probably not as good anymore. That’s when I decided to do a little research on the latest running slash cross-training shoes available.

It was good timing that Nike came out with the Nike Sister One shoes in such cute colors. I admit I am hesitant to even try purchasing Nikes since my last two pairs of running shoes were New Balance and Adidas. Unfortunately I am a sucker for advertising. I did a lot of online research and browsed the malls. This pair was definitely going to put a dent in my wallet but I didn’t want to have any excuse not to regularly go to the gym so I splurged. 

I really wanted the fuschia colored pair but turns out that was the first color they came out with. Now there’s like silver, purple and even orange! No way was I getting orange since my last pair was orange. Silver seemed so blah so I went for the purple kicks and am quite happy. 

I tried them out at the gym today and they were lightweight but able to cushion my feet as I did my time on the treadmill. They were also able to support me as I did my weights and machines routine. My previous running shoes were quite cumbersome and I like the fact that these Nikes allowed my feet to better grip the floor. 

I actually can’t wait to try them out in some group exercises. So, I’d better check the group x schedules of Fitness First.

New Beauty blog in town

I’m an Internet junkie and I spend a lot of time on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook and on blogs. A new blog about beauty has gone up and the author is giving away prizes if you just link to her entry here. 

The first prize is a Shu Uemura brush set but there are others and best of all she will shoulder the shipping!

I really hope I win!

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.

To supplement or not to supplement

At Joao’s five month check-up we confirmed what my family has been feeling for the past few weeks, he didn’t gain enough weight. For a baby who was gaining at least half a kilo for the past few months this was a surprise. I was already feeling that I wasn’t producing enough milk and when I pumped it wasn’t as much as before.  ”Was this it?” I was thinking. Are we finally switching over to formula? I voiced my concerns to our pedia and she recommended that we supplement with formula after I feed Joao from both breasts. She also said we could start him on rice cereal  in the morning.

I admit I was a bit disappointed in myself since I have a friend who is still breastfeeding her son at over a year and a half. She however once broached the idea to me of a lactation consultant so I thought if there was any time to have a lactation consultant see me, it would be now. 

I coordinated with Ms. Zeny to come see me last week. I wasn’t really sure what to expect since I had to prepare towels and a basin of hot water. Turns out it was a part massage part consultation on exactly how I have been breastfeeding. She immediately was able to identify that I had lumps in my breasts and I told her that I have had plugged ducts in the past. She told me that this was because Joao wasn’t fully finishing the milk in one breast thus the lumps were formed. She helped improve the circulation of the milk and said that I could actually produce 6 to 8 ounces! I’ve never done that before but I was amazed at how much milk flowed after our session. 

Joao however has not been that cooperative in finishing off the milk in my breasts. In order to avoid engorgement I would pump in the morning when he’s full from his rice cereal and then feed him the extra milk in the afternoon. We had actually bought a very expensive can of formula but Joao refuses to drink it! I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. It was very expensive eh. 

I hope to have another consultation with Ms. Zeny soon. I didn’t like the thought of having to result to formula but was more scared on Joao’s little weight gain. We’ll see if my efforts come to fruitition in his next pedia appointment.

Baby J is ok!

We had the hernia operation at Makati Med and the doctor we choose was Dr. Wilma Baltazar. Our anasthesiologist was a Dr. Merle Odi. They were very open about what the procedure entailed and the possible complication that could ensue.

The whole thing took an hour and a half. Baby J was crying when he came out which is a good sign that he wasn’t adversely affected by the anasthesia. He then slept for most of the afternoon. By the next day we went home and this week Baby J is as active as ever. It’s like nothing happened. I’m still of course giving him his antibiotics and changing the dressing on his stiches every day but he’s doing fine. Best of all, he turns four months old today!

I wish I could say my Makati Med experience was perfect but it was not. It took us almost two hours to get a room even though we had called the admissions office two hours ahead of admission time. Can you imagine a crying infant that I had to handle at the lobby of Makati Med for an hour and a half? One good thing that happened however is that I actually breastfed in public. I’ve never done that before but if your baby’s hungry and crying I honestly don’t care if I flash anyone in the MMC lobby.

They sincerely need to improve the admissions process. When the girl said to wait for them to clean the room she neglected to mention it could take 1 to 2 hours! I had to repeatedly ask her what was taking so long.

Perhaps it was because the hospital is undergoing renovation? The entrance is new already and quite nice looking but the room we stayed in was quite old.

Sigh, sorry to say that I will never opt for Makati Med ever again. There are other more efficient hospitals out there. Other than the admissions process I will however concede that the nurses and the doctors were very accomodating and caring.

Cold snap

Things are pretty much moving along with me trying my best to be a good mother to baby J. The problem is that I can’t ever leave his side for too long since it is difficult to be too reliant on my mom to feed him a bottle. I don’t want to impose on my family too much. Another is that baby J shouldn’t cry. He has an hernia which we verified via ultrasound and will need surgery as per consultations with two pediatric surgeons. Thus when he cries a part of his intestine pokes through the hole in his abdominal wall

As per the pedia, this is farely common among male infants and the surgical operation is a simple one. However what scares hubby the most is the general anesthesia will be required. Baby J is simply to young for being operated on when we first found out. However, my fear is that one time he may not stop crying because his intestine will have become incarcerated. Right now it slips back and forth inside that abdominal wall when he cries but the possibility of it not going back to its proper place is there. Once that happens surgery won’t be elective anymore it will be an emergency.

That’s why every time baby J cries I’m on edge doing my best to make sure he stops. He is literally hurting himself more when he cries. Unfortunately he has gotten so used to me hopping to him at once that taking breaks for myself are very difficult unless he’s sleeping. He must always have someone with him watching him to make sure that he doesn’t cry. He’s also a very curious baby who insists that he be carried and walked around. He hates just staying in one place.

Anyway, we plan to schedule the surgery this month since baby J is already 3 months old and much bigger and stronger. Please pray for us.

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Being a temporary stay at home mom is making me a couch potato. At first I would watch all the cooking shows and TV shows I could. Now thanks to my mom I have actually watched a few episodes of Deal or No Deal and Wowowee. All I can say is that the banker in Deal or No Deal actually gives the fairest offer considering the remaining amounts and that probability of getting said amount. There would be a whole lot more millionaires from that show if the contestants weren’t so greedy. I’ve seen several people offered a 1M deal which they turned down because they wanted the 2M or 4M jackpot. Of course I have yet to see someone win it and usually after they turn down that 1M deal they end up with much less.

In Wowowee a woman seemed to be so easily swayed by the host’s attempt to have her say “one more” when she had already won a house knowing that if she got another “x” she would win nothing. That host was really trying to play up to a person’s greed. Good thing she finally stopped and kept the house. Turns out she was the first person to win a house and lot on that game portion. Good for her.

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Right now it is quite cold and is literally a cold snap for the week. I make sure when I give baby J a bath all the windows are closed and I run the hot water for some time to heat up the room before disrobing him. We haven’t used the aircon in some time and last night even the fan was too cold! Unfortunately in our area there are some inconsiderate people singing karaoke even at 11pm. How rude!

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Last of all I had a plugged duct last night. This is the second time it happened and I researched on the breastfeeding egroup I had recently joined what to do as well as on Google. I made sure the affected area was blasted with very warm water and tried some pressure massage. It still wasn’t budging so this morning I breastfed in the side lying position and also on all fours like a cow. My boob was literally dangling over baby J’s mouth while he fed. Good thing it actually worked and no one saw me. Whew. Plugged duct gone.

It takes a family

When I first found out I was pregnant I thought about the other moms in the office and immediately assumed that I would take my maternity leave then go back to work pronto. Over the course of my pregnancy I began to feel more attached with every little kick and nudge. I took a look at my current situation of a 1BR condo in Makati with hubby and wondered if I could really leave my two month old son at home with a yaya while we both went to work.

It was obvious that we’d have to move. There just wasn’t enough space for a baby’s crib and a place for a yaya to sleep. More to the point, I didn’t even have a yaya yet. Was I willing to trust my son with someone I barely knew and leave them in our home for 8 hours a day? The answer was no. Not when my son would only be two months old.

It was a difficult decision to make since I had always assumed that I’d head straight back to work after maternity leave. I discussed this thoroughly with hubby and we both agreed that I could take time off from work – resign even to make sure that our baby’s first few months would not give us cause for worry.

Bad Yaya!

When baby J hit the two month mark, I was relieved I made that decision. He was still so small and the yaya that my MIL found for me just didn’t fit in 100%. She knew how to take care of babies but her attitude left much to be desired. I would give her instructions and she’d follow them the first few times then do what she wanted. The longer she stayed with us the more my dislike increased.

I have magazines in our room since hubby brings home several that get sent to him. Imagine my surprise that she was reading several that I haven’t even opened from the plastic. Aba binuksan niya at nagbasa siya. First of all, ok lang sana if she reads our magazines but opening one from the plastic wrapping is kinda assuming.

I normally have snacks in our bedroom since I get hungry all the time breastfeeding. I came back one time and found her eating our popcorn! Nakita lang daw niya, wanted to try it and she only ate 3 pieces naman eh. Of course I was shocked since none of the maids in our house would even think of doing that. I reprimanded her and told hubby to do the same but he inevitably forgot.

She asked if she could go to the grocery to buy supplies so I agreed. After several hours, (with the grocery being two streets away) I texted her. No reply. Finally I called her and then she claimed she met up with her cousin in SM! She didn’t reply because she had no load. I really though to myself that she’s lying since how could she meet up with her cousin in SM without any load? They wouldn’t be able to find each other. Worse of all is from the grocery she ended up in SM without asking me if she could go. That’s just plain insubordination. It really hit on me that I could not rely on her. So I agreed with my mom’s advice that we would need a yaya and a maid when we moved to our new place. I would stay on until the maid (from my lola) could transfer to us.

The final straw that made me fire her was her day off. I specifically told her to be back by 7pm and she said she’d have to leave in the morning to do so and wanted to give baby J a bath first. His bathtime kasi is usually 11am to 12nn so that he doesn’t get cold. I insisted that she needed to back by that time and hubby said she could leave in the morning just to make that curfew. 6:30PM I told hubby to remind her she had 30 mins. 7:30Pm yaya R texts that she missed the bus and she’ll only be able to come back tomorrow. I find that another lie. If she really did miss the bus she would have texted us sooner. My suspicions were confirmed when the maids in my mom’s place said yaya R brought clothes with her when she left and claimed she was allowed to go overnight! Argh! We’re too nice daw sabi ng maids and ayun inabuso. She misjudged how reliant we were on her and trust me I did rely on her. But there was no way I wanted to have someone like that in my employ. I knew I would break my back taking care of baby J but no way did I want to even see that liar again.

It has been so difficult without a yaya but thank God we’re currently living with my family. My mom helps me take care of baby J when I’m tired and even my little sister burps him and puts him to sleep. Even our maids can be counted on to watch baby J while I sleep.

Although living with my family has increased the drama level in my life I cannot help but appreciate how we are taking care of baby J together. He recognizes my mom, his lola and even cooes at her. My dad and other sister feel their stress melt away when the spend some time with him. The privacy and independence of living with hubby alone is something I miss sometimes but I cannot begrudge the impact baby J has had on my first family.