thanks to twitter

[As posted last April 11, 2011 on Tumblr]

I finally got my shoes from Crocs that I won from Smart Parenting and it won’t be possible without the help of twitter. So I guess having a twitter account is also worth it because it’s not just for joining contests, following the tweets of celebrities and known personalities but also for getting help like this. I actually followed Crocs Philippines’ twitter account some time ago and remembered to tweet them about my shoe vouchers one month before they actually expire. I was happy that they were able to answer my questions. Even if I wasn’t able to get the actual designs as stated on the shoe vouchers. At least Mia and I were able to get our first pair of Crocs. Photos of the shoes and the rest of the story at my other blog.

Giveaway Alert: $50.00 cash thru Paypal

Of course I wouldn't let an opportunity to win $50.00 in cash straight to my paypal account pass. I joined Miso Glamorous Beauty Blog's contest right away and this blog entry that i've written is just one way to score bonus entries to the contest. All you have to do is to subscribe to the blog via email for you to have a valid entry. That easy!



Head on to the link or click on the badge above to gain a chance to win money money money. Contest ends on May 10, 2011.

not yet over it

[As posted last April 03, 2011 on Tumblr]


Almost five or six months have already passed since the bus holdup incident but still I couldn’t find the courage to travel through the same route on a bus again. I thought I am over it already but I guess I’m still not. On top of the emotional stress it has caused me, it also costs me a lot just for me to go to work or to my destination through an alternative way—through a taxi. Until I find the courage to ride a bus or a jeepney through that place again, for now, I can ride the LRT but then it is still closed. I still have MRT but beyond its operating hours, I guess I’ll just have to continue taking a taxi or face that fear that’s still in me.

                  

I know it can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime but that one incident really made me fearful of such incidents. Deep inside of me, I know it will pass but it will take time and God will help me with that.

still closed

[As posted last March 30, 2011 on Tumblr]


Today is the last day of March 2011. It’s almost 2 months already since the train collision incident and yet the LRT Roosevelt station is still closed. I’m guessing it’s the same with the Balintawak station since they closed both stations after the said incident.

A few days or weeks ago (sorry, I cant remember exactly) after the LRT administration opened the Roosevelt station, I’ve been one of the loyal passengers from that station since it’s nearest our home compared to MRT North Avenue station despite the slight increase in fare and longer travel time.

I have been waiting for the reopening of the LRT Roosevelt station and i heard that it’s scheduled to reopen come second week of April but then yesterday and last Monday, there had been technical problems with the trains of LRT again. Now I am a little doubtful if i should ride the LRT by then. Will it be safe for me to ride the LRT? Well, some years ago I have been riding LRT regularly and i’ve also encountered a couple of times where i had to wait for minutes and had to be late for work because a train on another station had technical problems. When will these problems last? No one knows.

power blogging

[As posted last March 12, 2011 on Tumblr]


been absent from the blogging world for a long time AGAIN. how does one power blog? have lots of posts within a day or even just have one blog entry per week?

lotsa things have happened… AND i have nothing to blog about?? well actually there are but during those times when there are topics going on in my mind, i dont have my handy dandy notebook with me :(

i actually dont have it with me now, im typing fresh from my thoughts.

i need inspirationS! for me to continue blogging and i also need a computer or even a cellphone where i can blog directly from and internet connection and money haha.

now i have to have another notebook (any generous souls out there? just joking!), i actually realized i couldnt find my notebook. and from there, ill write things that are going on in my mind to post them here again… till next entry! thanks for dropping by :)

Goals for 2011

[As posted last February 03, 2011 on Tumblr]

It’s already the second month of the year but hey, today is the Chinese New Year! Happy Chinese New Year everyone! With that, I am sharing with you my goals for this year and I’m trying to make my goals realistic and attainable before the year ends though some might still sound unrealistic just please let me list them here for maybe someday, they’d still come true :)

Drink more water (and limit intake of iced tea and softdrinks). Anyone who knew me years back, knows that I’m more into iced teas, well not much of softdrinks (its more of occasional) and I think I’m not hitting the eight glasses of water a day quota. This year, I’m really targeting to exceed that quota per day. Actually, these past few weeks, I’ve been drinking lots of water because I have cough and I have to get rid of that by flushing it with the help of water water water—so yes, this one is a keeper, not just for this year but moving forward.

Eat strawberries. I’ve never tasted even one piece of strawberry ever in my life. This is my chance now. All the while I’m thinking the fruit is of sour nature (I like sour fruits too but I’m a very picky one) others say they’re sweet so I think I’ll give it a try.

Eat cotton candy. It’s been long (years) since I last ate a whole cotton candy. Shallow me.

Ride the ferriswheel. This one will be a first too! I still have to gather all the courage there is for me to ride.

Walk more (everyday). This one is to hopefully help me shed the pounds and the inches, etc. Though I walk a lot already going to and from work, I think I need to add more kilometers to achieve the shedding part.

Read at least 5 books. Since I gave birth, I haven’t held on to a book again. I’m reading magazines nowadays (Good Housekeeping, Smart Parenting and the like) but not books. I still have books that I haven’t finished reading so I guess I have to go back to where I’ve left and even start reading up on some more books… And hopefully increase this number in the coming years.

These are just a few things, I might add some more in the future. Good luck to me!

New Year, A new beginning

[As posted last January 19, 2011 on Tumblr]

It’s still January and I believe I’m still entitled to post my Christmas and New Year posts all in one :)

December 25, 2010. With just twenty pesos left for our budget, we (me, my husband and our baby) just spent our Christmas at our apartment with more than half of the day sleeping and when we woke up, we just had some sliced bread and ham and matched it with coffee. We actually did not go anywhere else that day, just literally stayed home. Boring much…

December 31, 2010. I had work that day. The original plan was that we (me, my husband and our baby) are just going to stay and celebrate New Year’s Eve in our apartment and expose ourselves to so much noise and smoke in the middle of metro manila. But just before I left home for work, we then decided that we really wanted to celebrate new year’s eve at the province with our relatives and also because we didn’t get to celebrate Christmas with them. Off they (my husband and our baby with my parents) went to the province before or after lunch—I didn’t bothered to ask anymore.

Me, I only worked for a few hours but hey I still need to travel at least 3-5 hours and I don’t want to celebrate New Year’s Eve on a jeepney or a van while traveling. It was almost five in the afternoon when I left the office so I braved the rush and found myself at the end of the line of people waiting for commuter vans. Luckily, I was able to chance a jeepney waiting for passengers. I left the line and boarded the jeepney we only waited for a few minutes before the jeepney got full and left the terminal. Traffic was moderate to fast moving, except for a certain portion in Cainta where a flock of sidewalk vendors (selling fruits and fireworks) and consumers occupied almost half of the two lane road. I reached home a few minutes after nine in the evening. Hubby bonded with his barkada (which he missed so much) while me and our baby stayed with my parents and titas while we watched fireworks from afar. The display of lights and not so loud noise only lasted for a few minutes unlike from the past years where fifteen minutes before countdown you would already hear fireworks exploding from all directions.

January 01, 2011. I am 29. Yes, I woke up with the usual greeting during the morning of January 1 “Happy Birthday!” from everyone in our house. Nothing so special, we just cooked and ate spaghetti, that’s all. And no gifts too L Well, I’m already used to that. I’m 29 anyways. What matters to me most now is that I’m with my family and we’re happy and together and we have a New Year to face with all the positivity i’m feeling for this year.

So there, that’s my Christmas 2010 and my New Year. How about you, how did you celebrate your Holidays?

so affected

[As posted last January 12, 2011 on Tumblr]


Have you ever been affected with the tv show that you’re watching? I don’t. Not until I watched the Grey’s Anatomy episode where there’s a shooter in the hospital (the episode Derek Sheppard (spelling?) was shot). I was shaking the whole time i’m watching that episode. I’ve never felt like that before. I was so affected that I had difficulty sleeping because every time I would close my eyes, I can see the faces of the people whom the shooter shot. Oh well, that’s how effective Grey’s Anatomy is for me. My sister actually introduced me to that show and looked forward to every new season since then. I even watched the previous seasons while I’m pregnant with my Mia. Actually, not just Grey’s but also Smallville and a little bit of Private Practice. I like these tv shows, they’re so close to reality, you wouldn’t think the scenes are scripted.

There, those are just two make it three of my favorite tv shows… just wanted to share :)

GH Moms’ Meet-up at Salt and Pepper Restaurant

[As posted last November 28, 2010 on Tumblr]

Last Thursday, November 25, me and my youngest sister Jona were lucky to be invited to a moms’ meet-up by Good Housekeeping Philippines. The event took place at Salt and Pepper Casual Dining Restaurant in Mandaluyong. Fortunately it was my sister’s off that day so she was able to come while I on the other hand came there straight from night duty. We came there just before eleven in the morning and a number of participants have already registered and starting to get acquainted with each other.

After registration, we sat on a table meant for six people where we met Evelyn, Dy-Ann, Ting and Joyce.



L to R: Jona, me, Evelyn, Joyce, Dy-Ann and Ting

 

commuters beware

[As posted last November 10, 2010 on Tumblr]

Just wanted to drop a quick post for the sake of relieving myself from the stress it caused me and for the people who’ll read this to be informed and forewarned…

I am still a bit shaken but very much thankful to God for protecting me from harm and bad elements. Earlier this evening as I was boarded on an ordinary bus (via EDSA) commuting to go to work at around eleven o’ clock, the flow of traffic was slowing down a bit because of the bottle neck road and the ongoing road work (Maynilad pipeline laying) on I think they call the place Cabrera in Pasay City a group of at least four or five young men boarded the bus. Suddenly there was a commotion and at first I thought the men were fighting then I realized it was actually a HOLD UP. I actually heard one or two saying “wala nang papalag”. Then in less than a minute they decided to get off the bus. I was in shock. The whole time the hold up was happening, my mind was blank, all i can remember during that time i was thinking of what IFs: what if they try to get my things, what if something wrong happens, what would i do?

With all the stress i already have in my life and the financial problems i am currently into, God sent me an angel to protect and to shield from harm. I am blessed. Nothing bad happened to any of us on the bus, no one got hurt. I still have my bag and all. I did not dare look into the faces and the eyes of the bad guys for i thought they might prompt their attention to me so I have no memory of their faces nor voices. After that, I only heard stories from behind me, the bad guys carried knives or sharp objects, they got the necklace of a guy and bags of two ladies who are all one or two seats behind me. I am actually sleepy during that trip but during and after what happened, all I ever thought of was to thank God and prayed to protect me from those kinds of people until I reach the office. Thankfully, I reached the office safely.

As the holidays are fast approching, bad elements are actively roaming around everywhere. Just last week, one of my officemates became a victim of the Ketchup Gang. I still haven’t heard of her story because she’s on day shift while i’m on night shift. I’ll try to get her story and share for everyone to be aware.

Let us all be careful and watchful of our surroundings. If possible do not bring valuables whenever unnecessary. Pray.

tweet tweet tweet

[As posted last October 22, 2010 on Tumblr]

“Follow me on twitter… Its twitter.com/<user name>”

This is what you’ll usually hear from celebrities during their guestings or closing spiels. I am not a celebrity but I have a twitter account too! Yes I have one.

I joined twitter a few months ago as a requirement in joining an online contest. I have to follow the twitter acount of the contest host and retweet the contest rules, etc. So there, what other uses do I have for owning a twitter account? Whenever I have access to twitter just like when I’m home and was able to borrow my sister’s laptop, here are the things I do: I get to follow the celebrities and people I admire. I get updates from groups, organizations, even government agencies. I still use it for joining contests. I also follow friends who have twitter accounts too. I retweet important announcements coming of course from the people I follow.
Now, if I only have an IPhone, a blackberry or a cellphone where I can access twitter and other internet sites :( sigh… #wishfulthingking

a series of unfortunate events

[As posted last October 21, 2010 on Tumblr]


I have been on and off the blogging world for weeks now actually for months already. A lot of things have happened and they’re sort of why i’m not blogging during those days, just blog-hopping and reading and sometimes, leaving comments…

Last week of August, Mia was hospitalized and was diagnosed of pneumonia which occurred along with her asthma :( We were at Cardinal Santos Medical Center for four full days. To think it started with just cough and colds, we didn’t think it would become something worse like that the next day with fever of 38 to 38.8. In the wee hours of the morning actually around one in the morning of August 25, we packed Mia’s and our things (just in case she’ll be admitted for confinement) and headed to the hospital. Because the first two hospitals that we went to were full, at around 2:30 - 4am, we ended up at Cardinal Santos Hospital. After a few interviews with the doctors, tests and waiting for results, we were admitted. At 5am, we were at our room already. The room for Mia’s medicard plan is semi-private but because all the other rooms were occupied, we were given the private room. I was carrying Mia almost the whole time, and most of the time we were at the couch not the hospital bed because Mia doesn’t want to be put down :( and she just wants to be with her mommy…

There were also good things that lightened my burden during that ordeal: medicard covered almost all of our hospital bills except for the excess fees (incremental costs, etc.) for the room rate and the doctor’s professional fee since we opted not to transfer into another room anymore after two days for our convenience since we have more than 2 visitors each day; we had more than enough hands who helped us, my mom, my dad, my sisters Jen and Jona, my tita Lucy and tita Lily.

First Monday of September, while i was checking on the stats of my site, i landed on something that offended me (i could not go into details yet for this one as this is still a pending issue and awaiting resolution—will try to blog about this once i have the results—hopefully better results for me), which also made me uneasy and vulnerable for about two to three weeks… but that didn’t stop me from doing what i am usually doing. It also made me re-assess / re-evaluate myself. If there are things that I learned from this, that would be: you can not trust even the one you thought you could trust and that you really really can not please everybody—whether the things you do are good or bad, still someone would say something not good towards you. Just ignore if you think you’e on the right side.

Second week of September, I found out from my mom and my aunt that my grandmother had on and off fever for several days. A week after, they told us that she’s not eating anything anymore and could not even turn from her lying position in bed. She could not drink even a drop of water as she chokes everytime they had her try. My mom and dad together with my sisters already went home to help my aunts and uncles and everyone else back home taking care of our grandmother. I wasnt able to come with them because I already used up my leave credits before and during Mia’s hospitalization. That was one of the sad part :(

Last September 21, I am on graveyard / night shift by the way, I received a text from my sister that our grandmother already joined our Lord in heaven. I still went to work the night after I received that then filed for a three days leave without pay. We went home for the wake and the burial then spent the rest of the week with our relatives. We are thankful that our grandmother did not suffer and just peacefully slept.

Currently, can say that i was made stronger by each of above mentioned events. I also learned that with every ordeal, it is your family and true friends that chooses to stay close and help lighten up things for us. Thank you for all the help and the prayers. Thank you Lord!

prayers for my inang

[As posted last September 21, 2010 on Tumblr]

i believe i said to myself that i am ready even from the time that i heard that she’s not fine. that i am just waiting for a text or a call. but when i finally received a text saying that now is the time at around 2:30 in the morning, tears started falling from my eyes. i felt sad. i cried.

inang, we will miss you. i know you will now be one with God in heaven. you’ll be in His paradise. you’ll be together again with tata. thank you for all the things that you’ve taught us. specially to us, your grand children. i know you loved us all so much although during the last few years while you’re little by little losing your memories and hearing and eye sight, you obviously had favoritism but we understood that that was because you’re getting old.

few of my memories of inang Eling:

- she would let me count the duck eggs to be sold to the balut maker.

- she would carry a basket full of tomatoes (already in separate plastic bags containing a kilo each) with me in tow to sell them to our neighbors

- we were at their house, inang, tata, jeff, jenny, jona and me—we shared a dinner of rice, sardines in can (w/tomato sauce) and pineapple slices (in can with 4 slices in it) as our dessert. she even made the pineapple slices into tidbits for us to have equal parts

- she was the first who taught us how to cook rice on wooden fire

- she would tell us “dalas” which meant faster when we’re going to their house specially when its starting to get dark already

- she cooks the best “pinugot”. a shrimp dish with kamias.

- she made us experience how to use a hand powered “stone” grain grinder whenever we would make kutchinta or dila-dila or ginataang bilo-bilo

- i could not remember one, i think she never raised her voice on us and never ever scolded any of us, her grandchildren.

When I was still a kid, I remember her as a tireless woman who’ll gets sick if she stops working even for a moment. that was my inang. goodbye inang. i love you!

my breastfeeding story

thought i'd share this story here on my new blog. enjoy reading!

[As posted last August 15, 2010 on Tumblr]

on breastfeeding

There are a couple of breastfeeding related articles that I’ve read already and stumbled upon for a while now and most of them say that it’s breastfeeding week/month this August.

Well, Breastfeeding week or month it is, I would also like to share my own experience about breastfeeding even if its just for a short period of time.

I gave birth March of 2009 (that was my 38th week) thru Caesarean section. And because I still had to recover hours after the operation, Mia was given formula milk at the nursery. The nurses and the doctors there said she feeds well. As much as I could recall, she feeds for two ounces every two to three hours.

I believe it was already almost the next day before I was able to stand and walk after the operation. It was also the time that I asked to be brought to the nursery to finally see my baby again after our cheek to cheek encounter at the delivery room. Few months before I gave birth until that day, I still dont have milk but i was very eager to try my first time at breastfeeding so the nurse at the nursery assisted me and told me that its okay for me to breastfeed even if i still dont have milk, according to them: in time and with continuous stimulation, milk would finally come out.

I went back and forth to the nursery for two days and thankfully, Mia has been patient with me at that.

We weren't able to room-in because the doctors said that we couldn't bring her back to the nursery anymore once we bring her to the ward. We decided for her to stay at the nursery until after 5 days from her birth date. That was because she was under observation and medication because I had UTI (urinary tract infection) during my 36th week but was cleared on my 37th. Good thing, she had negative results.

best ever post

[As posted last August 14, 2010 on Tumblr]

I believe I have, at least on my own opinion, written one of my best narratives here on my blog existence. I posted it for at least a couple of hours. To those who were able to read the whole context of it please let me know of your opinion on it. Drop me a note on my email posted on the left of this page. For those who weren’t able to even have a glimpse of it, i’m sorry i couldn’t bring it back anymore… maybe some other time but definitely not now, now that everything’s almost back to normal.

Let’s just say i was awakened and since then moving forward, i have to write my blogs on a tactful but interesting way. Honestly, that’s hard to do! These past few days, i have to deal with sensitivity issues and i have to admit, it is really tempting to post something that could actually boost or even add up to the readership of this site specially if the topic is really controversial in some way but hey i said i woke up one day and told my self that i’ll be careful this time… to protect me and the people around me.

Uhmmm well, i guess i really have to find other ways to make this blog interesting to readers and visitors as well. Hope my friends and family would one day appreciate my efforts on this blog :) I’m also doing this for myself, i think i’ve written from one of my previous posts that blogging is therapeutic for me—one way to release stress from everything, it makes me happy—brings back good memories while i’m trying to remember every detail as i type for a new post and of course the current happenings to current me as a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a frustrated writer, a career woman, etc.

on being a blogger than a writer

[As posted last August 06, 2010 on Tumblr]

There are actually a lot of things going on in my mind right now and even before i could grab a pen and paper or even reach a computer, they’ve already managed to escape from my aching, stressed head within either one by one or all at once.

I am just amazed at how other bloggers—famous or not famous—manage to blog about two or more different topics posted within the same day or in consecutive days. I envy them. I actually want to learn from them.

Well, as I have written on my profile at the left panel of this web page just below my profile picture, that i am not a writer. I am a frustrated one actually.

When I was in high school, I attempted to write a story, even a script but it turned out, i only had a great story in mind and once i started to write, the idea wouldn’t or should i say i couldn’t put it into good writing. Now, i just decided to forget about it.

To those who managed to read this far, Thank you! And to those who might have just stumbled upon this blog and decided to read on or even go back to the previous posts, please bear with me, please bear with my writing, most often than not the’re senseless, at times the focus goes out of topic. Gosh, so hard to be a frustrated writer, now i’m a frustrated blogger. geez…

currently…

[As posted last July 07, 2010 on Tumblr]

As of current i still dont have my own camera, we still dont own a camera. I can’t even use the camera on my cell phone (with 1.3 megapixels) because the picture’s quality is not good and not good for online viewing (actually even on actual screen).

If you see pictures on this blog, this is because the image was taken by my sisters (each of them owns a camera).

And now you might be wondering how this blog exists with me not owning a computer—thanks to my mom who sometimes lets me use her pc and to my sister jen who lends me her laptop when she’s not at home or when she’s not using it (read: she’s already asleep and tired to use it) and sometimes i must admit, when i’m extending my stay in the office i am typing my pre-written notes from my notebook which i always bring to write stuff that i would like to blog about (i write them at home before i go to sleep or while i’m commuting read: on the jeepney, on the bus, on the train).

dear readers, i am not writing this for you to have pity on me or to bring my self to the lowest level but to remind my self that despite the fact that i do not own some things (materially), there are people who are still willing to share their blessing to others like my family. Thank you nanay, jenny and jona. If not for you, this blog would not exist. Time will come, I will also be able to pay back and please dont lose hope on me :( as currently… i am again on the verge of giving up and losing hope… i have just received a call and that call made me feel low again, that call made me helpless and hopeless again, that call made me feel worse than i am yesterday…

what’s happening to me?

[As posted last July 06, 2010 on Tumblr]

i’m not feeling well today. actually i’m not really feeling good these past few months already… i’m guessing this could be because of stress? that my immune system has almost already gave up on me. yesterday, i’m feeling cold, today i have dry cough itchy and sore throat (my mom was even giving me ice cream the other day when i was still feeling better). i think i have to rest for now need to work tomorrow and most of all my baby needs me as i’ve sort of quarantined myself from her today :(

Xing

[As posted last July 02, 2010 on Tumblr]


whenever you see me trying to cross to the other side of the road, one would actually think that i am that brave to cross the road with the coming vehicles speeding left and right—i am actually not! truth is i am really afraid to cross the street! with the increasing number of road accidents happening almost everyday being reported in newspapers, radio and tv and even on the internet, who would be brave enough to cross the street these days? though there are footbridges almost everywhere now, most places that i go to everyday don’t have, so i don’t have a choice but to take the risk everyday.

i just pray! everytime i had to cross the street, i pray! that’s the most important thing to do. and the ever true rule that you always have to follow before crossing the street is to stop, look (left and right) and listen. and nowadays, it not just crossing the street, you also have to be watchful of your things while crossing with other people.

i think this is also true with having to take the risk in everything that you do everyday, not just literally crossing the street but the decisions that everyone had to make every time is always taking the risk like crossing the street. one also have to be cautious though because we all know one move/step could make or break everything else.

on baby essentials…

[As posted last June 26, 2010 on Tumblr]

I’ve just read the latest post of Topaz Mommy regarding baby essentials and thought of creating a post in relation to that. The list of baby essentials is actually long and based on my own experience, most of them we used but some we did not. The weaning essentials could be bought a few months after the baby is out since weaning would be around 5 months up.

I know there are mommies who’ll agree/disagree with me but i just can’t help it but share this, of course from my personal experience:

We bought abdominal binders but didn’t get to use them. I gave birth at a hospital in Quezon City and one of my titas is a midwife—we’re at the hospital for a few days and they didn’t ask for any binder for the baby, they didn’t even make the babies wear them (no instructions from our pedia to use this). You’ll notice that when babies breathe, their abdominal muscles are at work too, that’s what my tita told me (not the actual words but the thought is there), the binder could hamper the breathing of the baby so if you’re going to let your baby wear an abdominal binder make sure that it’s not tight and the baby can breathe freely.

Having relatives and in-laws from the province (we’re from Rizal province, not much a province now but where we came from, there are still rice fields, carabaos, trees, clear skies and fresh air), i also had to deal with them regarding issues like the use of abdominal binder or “bigkis”. Elders from the province believe that babies should wear them specially for girls because that would make them “sexy” when they grow up. Honestly, I didn’t believe in that, they made me wear “bigkis” when i was little and look at me now, with 30 something waist line eeks. If there are doctors here (even non-doctors) who can tell me the main function or any scientific explanation of why a baby should wear an abdominal binder, i’d be glad to hear that.

So there, the last paragraph revealed that i’m a semi anti-“pamahiin” well not at all, i do believe in some of them and if there’ll be no harm in believing that then i’ll follow but if there’s something that i think could or might cause wrong, then i don’t.

Also in the list is a “water proof plastic panties”, honestly, i think i already saw something like that but didn’t bother to buy/use any of that. All through Mia’s 12 months, we only used cloth (gauze type) and disposable diapers. Why gauze type? They’re easy to wash with just soap and water and the very visible spaces in between the thread makes it airy and comfortable unlike the bird’s eye type of cloth diaper. I remember when my younger cousins or a relative’s baby used bird’s eye cloth diaper, somewhat a little harder to wash and the dirt (read: poop) clings to the cloth. The disposable diaper on the other hand, is being used once mia is already asleep at night and that’s until she wakes up in the morning. Oops, before any of you reacts, of course we change her diaper whenever we see that it’s almost full. We dont wait for 10 hours or what the diaper packaging says that it can last up to, it really would depend on how often or how much your baby had to pee. This is not a paid advertisement but i just thought of sharing, we used and are still using up to now Huggies Dry Comfort or Huggies Dry because they have a cloth-like cover (actually the whole diaper is cloth-like), i don’t like my baby wearing something that has plastic which comes in contact with the skin which i’m afraid might cause scratches and plastic is not breathable the heat stays within the diaper in contact with the baby’s skin.

Other mothers out there forgive me but this is my own opinion okay, you can still have your babys wear other diaper brands :) Good thing, until now (mia’s already 15 turning 16 months old) she hasn’t had diaper rash. For the first 6 months, Mia wore cloth diapers during the day and disposable diaper at night. 7 months up, we still use cloth diaper as lining for her panties :) now, she wears panties during the day and still disposable diaper at night, we have yet to train her toilet manners.

Diaper clips. We used the metal ones (i think the brand name is Farlin), they last longer too. The first time we bought things before i gave birth, we had the plastic clips but the time we used them, they’re bulky and leaves a mark on the baby’s skin (to think that we’ve left just enough space between the clip and the baby’s skin, if we adjust further would result to a loose diaper).

Walker. No walker for us. Mia learned how to walk on her own in her crib and with our guidance. I am not against walkers but i read somewhere that it somehow poses risks to the baby. Having multiple wheels and the baby without control on where he/she wants to go to, could cause the baby and the walker to fall down the stairs, bump on furniture (which could cause shock to some), and some other accidents. So if you want your baby to use a walker, full supervision should be imposed. if not the parents, the nannies’ eyes should always be on the baby because accidents happen with just a blink of an eye.

Babies should not be left alone even if they’re fast asleep. While they’re awake one turn and you wouldn’t know if they’ll fall from something, hold onto something which they could also swallow, etc.

Stroller. It’s almost 16 months and I’m proud to say that we survived even without a stroller. As far as I can remember, we only brought Mia to the mall when she’s already 6 months old but very very seldom, only when we badly needed to buy something after her monthly checkup but that’s all. Baby’s immune system are still developing that’s why you don’t want to expose them to places that are crowded like malls and even parties. Thank God it is only after Mia turned 13 months when she’s not having cough and colds very often but before that i think every other week we’re at her pedia’s clinic for checkup due to cough and colds.

Back to the baby essentials, i am not a pro here, i’m just a first time mom of a 15 turning 16 months old baby and i would like to share my experiences here. Every baby has their own personal needs and whichever you think would be useful for you and your baby, go and buy them, you think there’s no use for what you have, perfect gift item :)

choices

[As posted last July 20, 2010 on Tumblr]


i have a friend whose name i cannot disclose for now and she shared her current writing with me. she also gave me a go to share it also with you my dear readers. i hope you enjoy reading her stuff i actually am encouraging her to create her blog so she can also share her thoughts with blog readers everywhere, she’s a good writer don’t you think?

CHOICES…

Each day as soon as we wake up we already decide and choose what to do first. We choose if we would go straight to the bathroom to shower or take a cup of coffee first to awaken a sleeping soul. After which we then choose what to do for the entire day.

There is no minute of the day that we did not make a choice…

We choose what to wear…

What to eat…

What to say to people we meet…

What to buy…

What to read…

What to search in the net…

What to pray for the day…

What to do…

Even on what to feel, admit it or not we choose how we would like to feel and perceive things…

How about choosing your future?

Have you already decided your options?

If you are of the same age as I, at 32 years, what would you choose…to marry or stay single forever?

Many times I’ve seen this question asked in Facebook, they ask which is better, to have a boyfriend or stay single?

Well, there is really no exact answer to that, right?

Much so to the question of whether to stay single forever or get married!

For those who are married, they have much more to say and react to this.

They have experienced each side of the world. They could tell which one is better.

Is there really such a thing a “better” between staying single or married? Mmm….

I think every thing depends to the results of your choices.

I think it is fine to stay single as long as you can also live up to its demands such as being alone in most times of your lifetime.

Somebody once told me that staying single is not bad at all and that there’s nothing wrong of saying “NO”.

I’ve been thinking, if I choose to marry even if he is the guy I truly love and wanting to be with for the rest of my life, it is just my choice that matters?

So this makes me think again, after the choices we make, it doesn’t stop there…

Choices we make comes with greater responsibility of its results, positive or negative, we should stand for what we have chosen.

I am not sure if I am making sense in what I am saying, but what I just want to share is that…

We have a CHOICE and it comes with responsibility.

Now for those, who are on the same dilemma as mine, getting married is a choice not an option.

and now, i believe i could not comment on the content of her writing since i am already married and happy with my married life but i would like to share that i am proud to have made my choice to marry and its already been one year and seven months now. we also have a 16 months old baby girl who really brings joy to our family.

i would also like to share that as a person i can say that at times i have also been a risk taker. being that [a risk taker], i can say that it is not always easy to make the decision but when you make a decision you always have to think so many times before you end up with one and on pondering on how to make that decision, you always have to think of the effect on you and not just you but also to everyone around you. you also have to take into consideration that when you make a decision/choice, that you’ll end up happy whenever and whatever happens, that way, you will never have to think of what ifs and buts at the end because what you did is for your own happiness and when you have happiness in your life you never have to explain to everyone else.

homesick

[As posted last May 22, 2010 on Tumblr]



just as i thought that i am ready, yet i am still not…

november 2008. a month before ipe and i got married (i was 5 months pregnant then), we decided to move out of our parents’ house and got an apartment [in mandaluyong]. everything went well as we were very excited living on our own, did things together freely and without hesitation and knowing that we are building a new family. but on almost every night of these days, with ipe already asleep and maybe already dreaming, i find myself crying. i’ve never felt this way before. even during the time when i tried for the first time to move out of the house and lived with my office mates in one apartment (this was i think around 2006 - 2007), i never cried even for a day because of homesickness neither felt homesickness at all during that time. it was really a new and different feeling for me. my husband would wake up and assure me that everything is going to be fine, then he would hug me. that [feeling] went for almost four months. but then i am very thankful to have him [my husband] by my side. i am also thankful to my family who’s always been there specially during my pregnancy, and to lessen the feeling of being home sick, my husband would offer to bring me to my parent’s house during weekends and my days off then sometimes my sisters and my parents would come to our apartment for movie marathons or even just for lunch or dinner and a little chat.

the pessimistic side of me

[As posted last May 21, 2010 on Tumblr]


if you hate negative things, please skip this post. thank you.

i am not losing faith (faith in everything). i think i should start reminding myself this again and again.
this is me spiling about the ugly truth about my current life. i am not complaining about who i am with right now. i am happy i am with my family, we’re all living under one roof and none of us is sick. but then with all the big big changes, one of us might finally get sick and that is me! i should then change the title of this blog to: THE CRAZY ONE—LITERALLY!

i remembered for a few years ago already, i wrote to one of my friends that i might have a trip to some place and that place is a mental facility. during those months (not just days) i was feeling very very low but then one day i came to realize that its just a series of tests for me to be ready for a more challenging but rewarding part of my life and that is my baby coming into my life.

my new home... here

Hi! From months of thinking and thinking if I really have to move yeah, finally I moved here from my other blog but I will be keeping my Tumblr account so you'll still see my old posts and I might also link some of my posts here to there. I will also re-post here some of my favorite/need to re-post articles here--and some updates if there are, anyways this and that are both my blogs so i have the full authority to do what i want right. I hope this is really it! Your comments are so welcome. Thank you in advance.

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