Busy Busy

Wow! Time flew so fast, I didn't I've been gone so long from my blogging.

Starting June, I started working again. First it was just during the weekends. I'd go on duty at St. Martin Maternity and Pediatric Hospital, Cavite on Saturday then go home on Sunday. A month went by when I started to work also on weekdays. Of course, I moved my weekend duties to Cavite to Friday so that Sunday would be a family day. When I get home, I'm just so exhausted that I choose to sleep or spent quality time with my son.

A few minutes ago, I just signed up for facebook (at the insistence of my husband, who has, for the past several weeks, become a what I'd like to call as a facebook-holic. he wanted me to sign up so he could add me as part of his crew for the games). Since I was online already, I decided to blog again. I've missed so much! :(

Aside from work, I've also been busy preparing for my son's first birthday. Ang hirap! Ang dami na pa lang kaartihan sa children's parties ngayon. In my quest to create a memorable party for my son (though hindi naman niya maaalala, makikita naman niya sa pcitures), I discovered that there are balloon decorations na, game booths, entertainers with a wide range of repertoire (hindi na simpleng magic show lang), photobooths, etc. At marami nang usong pamigay ngayon, hindi na simpleng loot bags lang - towel cakes, towel lollies, customized key chains, customized bags, etc. Hay! Overwhelming! ...

Anniversary Prayer

Anniversary Prayer

Years ago You took two selfish, self-centered people
and taught us to put You
at the center of our hearts and marriage.
You taught us to take our problems to Your first,
then each other.
You taught us the delight of putting our
mate's needs over our own.
You taught us to serve one another in love.
Your taught us that sharing disappointments and pain
was another side of sharing our love.
We have experienced the sweetness
that together we're stronger than either one alone.
From the wellsprings of my heart,
thank You, Lord.

Thank you, Ninang Angie, for sharing this prayer! It's a wonderful gift. God bless always!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my hubby's birthday.

For the past few days, I've been trying to find him a gift without him knowing it since he likes to join me whenever I go out shopping. Finally, last Friday, on the pretext that my Mom and I were out for some "girl's only" shopping, I found what I was looking for. It took too long that hubby was already calling me (to say that he and Yaya was having a hard time pacifying JT because he wanted my milk) before I've even bought the stuff. So, my Mom and I connived that she'll be left behind so she can buy my gifts while I rush home. Once I got home, I saw my husband took a subtle peek inside my bags (which he now completely denies) so I was really glad that I schemed with my Mom.

With all these secrecy, I was able to surprise him today :) He thought I didn't have any gifts for him. I got him this casual yet smart-looking jacket and a pique shirt that almost matches JT's since he mentioned before dreamily na na-i-imagine niyang naglalakad silang magkaterno ni JT.


We celebrated his birthday with Sinigang na Baboy, his all-time favourite, and Pansit Bihon, for long life.

Happy Birthday, Baby! I love you so much! Mwah!

Before I Was A Mom

Thanks Bambie for this great tag! :) To everyone, feel free to do this tag! :)

Before I was a Mom -

I slept as late as I wanted and as long as I wanted. I didn't have a routine and I didn't have anyone depending on me. My time was mine.

Before I was a Mom -

I only shopped for myself. Now I rarely shop for myself.
I never had to worry about outgrown baby clothes and shoes, buying enough towels, sterlizings baby bottles, a baby-friendly room, what appropriate baby toys to buy.

Before I was a Mom -

I've never been (in order of appearance, LOL) spit on, puked on, pooped on, peed on. I've never had to worry about having spare clothes in the event that the aforementioned happens.

Before I was a Mom -

I've never smiled after being on a 24 hour duty at the hospital. Having JT is like taking care of a VIP patient where I've had to wake every 2 hours to nurse him, groggily change clothes after being puked on, peed on, or pooped on in the wee hours of the morning, look after him when we wants to play or talk or cuddle at 2a.m. AND still make me smile when he wakes me up at 5a.m.

Before I was a Mom -

I've never blushed because I had to nurse in public, wearing a moving (he wiggles a lot) nursing poncho for privacy and receiving stares.

Before I was a Mom -

I'd like to quote Bambi since she has described exactly and perfectly how I feel:

"I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom."

Send this to someone whom you think is a special Mom...

And remember that behind every successful woman......
is a basket of dirty laundry.

-Unknown

Headache

After getting back from Baguio last Monday, I had a very bad headache. Must be from the long travel time, being cooped up in the car for 6 hours, or maybe from the extreme change in temperature. It's been three days and I still have some occasional headaches. Hope this goes away! I can't blog much, can't stand being in front of the computer for long periods. ;) I miss blogging. Hope to be able to catch up with everyone in a few days.

Galing Mo, Manny!

The Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight was awesome. I'm not really a boxing fan. I feel for the fighters. I flinch with every punch. So I don't watch. But I made an exception this time. Despite my feelings toward the sport, I'm proud of Pacquiao. He made me proud to be a Filipino.

Schedule

I wanted to set aside a day to just talk about my baby, his growth and development, hence this gimmick - Monday Milestones.






Not wanting to leave my husband behind, I thought of this next. Hopefully, I can stick to my own schedule. ;D

Feeding Time

Since JT started feeding 3 weeks ago, we've made do with using a ceramic saucer that fits in the palm of my hand. I wanted to feel out first how much he's gonna be eating daily so I'd know what to buy, how big his bowls or plates need to be. Within that time span, his consumption increased from 1 tsp of cerelac once a day to 1 tbsp three times a day. The saucer wasn't enough anymore. And he kept grabbing the spoon and fragile saucer that I feared it'll fall out of my hands and smash on the floor. So we went to SM Megamall (of course, Lola Emilie had to come, too).

We bought a 7-pieces feeding set (3 bowls of different sizes, cup, 2 spoons, and a fork); a set of 3-pieces bowl with lid of different sizes to store in his food (the one currently stored in our refrigerator is mashed chayotte or sayote) and will also double as his feeding bowl whenever we go out; and a transparent plastic container to put all these stuff and his bottles in.
For his first spoon, I'm using the one in the middle. The other ones are for when he grows older. This set was given by his Ninang Fawie. What I love about them is that they change color (turns white) when the food or liquid into which it is immersed is too hot for baby.

And here are the welcome additions in our pantry!

Oh Fishy You're so Fine!

This is JT's current favorite toy - his Mr. Fishy rattle which also has a teething ring (see the oval shaped fin at the bottom part). Lately he seems to be more irritable and can only be pacified when I give him something to chew on.

Much as I'd love to see him grow a tooth or two, I'm a little bit apprehensive on how it will affect my breastfeeding. It already hurts to nurse without teeth, what more if he has them?

Diaper Graffiti

When Sherwin was studying for his board exam, he occasionally took breaks.
By his schedule, he should have been finished by Friday and relaxing by Saturday; his exam was Sunday (040509). But due to unexpected interruptions, his schedule was disrupted and he was cramming like crazy come Saturday. On one of his brain cell-refreshing breaks, he had an idea.

It looked fun. So I had to do it, too. See the little scribble on the side?

JT didn't seem to mind. So, on his next diaper change...

Si Yaya, nainggit. Nakigaya din.

*** Thanks to TJ (and Twinkle) for the suggesting the title :D

'd TAYAGs

Introducing ..... dum dum daaaaaa!

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Thanks for this tag, Chris! It was really fun :D

I'm passing this on to Twinkie, Ninang Angie, cousin Eariel, Beth, and Jeng. Hope you enjoy this, too!

Catching ZZZZ's

My mom said she never had any problem putting me and my brother to sleep. We'd sleep straight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. And every parent we knew had their kids sleeping straight by the time they reached 4 months. When JT turned 3 months, we were so delighted that he showed "the signs." He slept less during the day (around 2 to 4 hours) then slept 8 hours straight for 3 consecutive days. Then it stopped. Then it happened again. This cycle occurred only thrice. He reverted back to sleeping with 3-hours interval. He turned 4 months. He turned 5 months. He turned 6 months. There was no improvement. In fact, it only got worse. He'd sleep the 3-hours interval until 4 a.m. then he'd wake up every hour crying. Oh the headache! My husband (who is a light sleeper) and I despaired.

Then Beth suggested I read her blog "Zzzzzzzzz....." She mentioned how useful this site was to her - Johnson's Baby Nursery. So I checked it out. There you can download lullabies with lyrics, create your own ambient sound, create your child's sleeping profile and give you tips if the results were not so good, as in our case.

JT's sleep profile showed a disrupted sleep pattern.One, he was so used to being rocked (he has this very useful rocking cradle) that he can't sleep on his own. Two, sometime during the night, we transfer him to our bed. Apparently, a high percentage of babies who sleep in their parents bed experience a disrupted sleep pattern. I noted that he flails around and search (with eyes closed, head turning, and pursed lips) for...ahem...my breast. Third, JT had a hard time adjusting to our routine since our hours were pretty much unpredictable. So, following Johnson's advice, I made a "before bedtime" routine.



6:00 p.m. Cerelac
6:30 p.m. Breastfeeding
7:00 p.m. Bath time
7:10 p.m. Massage with Physiogel AI cream
7:30 p.m. Rock and cuddle him to ABBA's Golden Hits (He loves their song! He stops crying when he hears 'em)
8:00 p.m. He's fast asleep on his crib

The first 2 nights were difficult. He would wake up after a few hours. Once he realized neither his Daddy or me were going to pick him up, he cried hard and loud. It was heartbreaking. I only pick him up after several minutes, after making sure he really is hungry. Once he was asleep, I put him back on the crib even though I was so groggy that I didn't want to get out of bed. Finally, our efforts payed off! It's been 5 days since JT started sleeping through the night. I checked his sleep profile again and Voila! It said GOOD SLEEP.

Thanks so much for the tip, Beth!

Thankful for my Sherwin

I've read and heard stories of how new mom's could become so focused on their babies that they forget the husband. I didn't want this to happen to us. Every so often, I'd ask him if he feels neglected and he'd answer Ok lang, baby kasi yan, mas kelangan ka niya.

A few weeks back I read Chris' blog on how thankful she was of her husband, which brought me to this other blog. Long story short, these made me think of him. Of how I haven't asked him - Napapabayan ba kita, baby? - for quite sometime.

It took me a long time to make up this list, making me realize how much I've taken him for granted these past few months. Of course, having the occasional marital disagreements makes it difficult to be appreciative and sets me back some more hehe.

But really, I'm thankful to God for giving me Sherwin because he ...

• loves my parents, brother, and relatives.
• loves his parents, siblings, and relatives.
  
• has faith in God (in his own way).
  
• is a kind and generous employer.
• is a patient and sensitive doctor to his patients.
• thinks I'm beautiful and sexy even when I was so unattractive and ungainly before and after pregnancy.
• loves me, even during my most stubborn, disagreeable or unpleasant moments.
• for always seeing to my comfort, for always taking care of me.
  
• for helping me take care of our baby, even waking up several times in the middle of the night, even when he needs his sleep because he has to wake up early, even when he needs his sleep because he was on duty from the hospital and he hasn't slept for 48 hours.
• can't sleep without me beside him.

I'm sure I'm still forgetting a lot. And I've deliberately omitted some that might be awkward for him. I know I might have made him sound like a saint, but hey, this blog is about being appreciative for his good qualities. I am aware of his imperfections, but I still feel blessed.

I so am thankful to Him for the circumstances that made me choose to intern at PGH, leading me to find Sherwin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After reading this blog, my hubby asked, What about JT? Aren't you thankful for JT? :D

Why and How Do You Pray, My Friend?

I studied in a Catholic school so prayer was a big part of life. We began and ended each class with a prayer. Sometimes the teacher would lead, sometimes a student would be assigned. Some teachers would encourage us to compose our own prayers instead of saying the Hail Mary or The Lord's Prayer. And when October arrives, the month of the Holy Rosary, we always pray the rosary after the flag ceremony.

Ninang Angie's recent blog, Why Do I Pray? ended with the question: why and how do you pray, my friend? I was moved to answer.

In my prayers, I always start with a thank you - for every new day that we wake up to, for the safety, good health, contentment, and peace of mind of me and my loved ones, and for the blessings that come our way.

Even in my darkest moments, I never forget to say that. Because after that moment, I believe that something good will follow. God never gives us problems that we cannot handle. Yes, the problem may seem unbearable at some point in time but we survive it. And we're stronger for that. So why not think of it as a challenge and come out a wiser and better person?

Occasionally, I would ask for something. Sana po pumasa si Sherwin ng boards. Sana po ma-outgrow ni JT yung atopic dermatitis niya. Sana po...sana po... And I believe he always answers. Not obviously. And not always yes. But always what is best and right.

Sometimes, I'd include a special request for a particular patient.

Then I end with The Lord's Prayer because I don't think I could say a better or more complete prayer than this one.

How about you? Why and how do you pray, my friend?

I'm a Mother, I'm a Wife

Rules PLEASE:

1. Link with the person who tagged you.

2. Copy above images.

3. Post this on any or all of your Blog/s.

4. Answer the two-part questionnaire following these Rules. (Feel free to elaborate your answers. For questions 8 - 14, post only the one (1) which you believe best describes your choice).

5. Share this with at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll.

6. Come back to Living A' La Mode (DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK PLEASE.) and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.

7. Have fun!

Parenting Style

1. Do you exercise full or minimal control over your child's / children's behavior?

FULL CONTROL. For the 1st year, I'm gonna be a full-time mommy.

2. Do you expect your child / children to obey 100% or let her / him / them do what pleases her / him / them?

I expect JT to obey 100%. When he's older, we may compromise.

3. Do you welcome discussion or you simply set rules?

I would very much welcome a discussion.

4. Do you reprimand? YES.

5. Do you use spanking for punishment?

JT is still too young for that but I hope I won't need/do it in the future.

6. Do you use some kind of a reward System for motivation?

JT is still too young. But I do plan to use it.

7. Do you enjoy being a Parent?

Yes, mixed with terror of making a mistake.

8. Are you a hands-on Parent or do you have a full-time Nanny?

Hands-on even though we have a full-time Nanny.

9. At what age would you let your child make simple decisions for himself / herself?

As soon as he can.

10.Do you and your Husband have the same Parenting Style?

Yes. But when I tend to coddle and spoil, he does the opposite. And vice versa.

Wife Style

7. How long have you been married?

Almost 10 months :)

8. How do you feel about being a Wife?

It's fun!

9. What has been your typical sleeping attire since you got married?

PJs

* A cotton night gown.

* Sweats or Shorts.

* Something sheer & soft.

* Nothing.

10. How do you show how appreciative you are of your Husband?

* By being always affectionate.

11. What do you do when your Husband annoys you?

* Keep quiet (I have to sort and think things out first) for a little while then talk.

12. You are buying or planning to buy your first house as Husband and Wife ....

We don't know yet. Still a looooong way to go :) But we're dreaming of a large estate where our parents/siblings could stay with us.

13. How does your house look like at the end of the day when Hubby gets home?

* Immaculate and spotless. (Most of the time hehe)

14. How do you feel about running a household?

* Whatever! Just part of everyday life :)

15. What is the sweetest gift you have given your Husband so far?

My husband says, YOURSELF. awwww.

Thanks Twinkie for sharing this! I had fun :)

Hmmm who am I gonna tag?...

Getting What I Wished For

Have you ever had a wish that affected your life in a big way?

Wish #1: To study
When I was in grade school, I loved to study. I know...I know. I sound like a super nerd. I wished then that I could study forever.
Well, I got what I wished for.
I'm a medical doctor, having just passed the Physicians Licensure Exam last August 2008. To get here today, I had to take 4 years of medicine, 1 year of internship in PGH, and 1 1/2 months of reviewing for the boards. But that's not the end of it. I still have to undergo training if I want to specialize and this usually takes 3 to 5 years depending on what I decide to take. And even during then and after, I still have to study, to keep updated, because there's always something new being discovered or developed everyday in our field...

Physicians' Oathtaking, September 2008, PICC

Wish #2: A year off
...But during my 1 year of internship, I felt fatigued...burnt out. I wished for a very long vacation. When my mom talked of my options for residency, I'd occasionally mention that I might take a year off first. But she wouldn't hear of it. I wasn't so sure that I really wanted it too. Half of me wanted to rest but the other wanted to be done with it. Because I was 25 years old. And single. And I dreamt of having my own family but didn't know where and when I'll fit it in. And felt my biological clock ticking.
I got what I wished for.
I got my year off, because during the time the applications for residency were being processed, I wasn't accepted. And I was happy.

Duty at the Emergency Room (May 2008) - Internship at PGH

And then I met Sherwin

Wish #3: A family
During internship, despite the busy schedule, I was still able to date. I had fun. I made a lot of friends. Then I met Sherwin. And he swept me off my feet.
I got my third wish.
We got married after I finished internship. And we had a little one on the way. That's why my application for residency got rejected. My due date coincided with the pre-residency (this is the 3rd step in screening the applicants - the first was a written exam and the 2nd was the interview) so I only reached step 2.

My mom said that it was a fruitful year 2008 for me. I've certainly never had a more blessed one.

New Day ... New Blogger

I woke up today feeling refreshed and well rested. This was something new since I haven't slept straight in the 5 months since my baby boy was born. As the day passed, surprisingly, I felt bored. Surprising because JT is more demanding of my attention now that he's awake more often during the day. I feel like I've finally caught up on all those lost sleep. I am energized. I am recharged. Though I love being a full time mother and catching JT's new antics, I am starting to miss work.

To pass the time when JT takes a nap, I surf the net, check out my friends' site and catch up. Or I upload his latest photos or videos. Today I came across my friend Twinkie's site (she's in U.K. so it's really great reading her blogs) and I thought, "Gusto ko rin mag-blog. Gusto ko maalala ang mga nangyayari para maikuwento ko kay JT paglaki niya." Since the timing seemed right and I have time on my hands, here I am....blogging.