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Howdy!
My Entire Being... going all out for my husband Dee, my son little Dustin, my family, my friends, my career, my hobbies and my faith... a collage of memoirs. Share my journey and have a sneak peek of my BIG picture!
My Mood Today! 
Potty Trained
I though I will be needing the best eye cream, just thinking about the best way to potty train my son. I admit, I dreaded this stage. I hate mess and I’m not really patient about things like this one. But after just 3 days…
Yey NO MORE DIAPERS every morning. After he makes #2 in the morning, he will only wear this kind of jammies. He misses once in awhile and I blame it from too much playing, he holds it so hard he pees in his pants, I’m glad he knows how to hold it and say he needs to pee and go to the bathroom.
He shouts, “Mommy, wee-wee” while holding his birdie when he feels like doing it. If you are wiser and monitors it, I/the nanny, usually holds the birdie part of the jammies every 15 minutes and if it is sort of wet already, you have to take him to the bathroom, it means he loves what he is doing so much he holds his pee or else you will have a toddler with uti.
I never knew it will be this easy. Now I save more from our grocery budget since I don’t need diapers within the day, the diaper packs last more than a week now. I’m mighty proud. Now on to number 2 maybe this December. Yikes! 
God wants you to know today…
No glass ever became sand again; No bread ever became wheat; No ripened fruit ever became a flower. Welcome change, and choose what kind of glass you create, what kind of bread you bake, what kind of fruit you harvest.
Have a blessed Tuesday! Christmas is a month away and I just can’t help but feel giddy everyday. I just love Christmas season!
Seeking for Condo Houses
My brother and I talked this morning. They want to ask about the condos in McKinley Hill. I think they are planning to buy one unit. I want one too, they look so homey and classy too just like the condos in gulfshores that I saw online. Well the ones in gulfshores are more refreshing and inviting since it’s located in vacation spots but the ones near our parents’ place are also great investments.I wish we win the lottery soon so we can have not one but maybe 3 units, 1 will be for us to live in and the other 2? Well, it will be a great investment to have residents rent the condos so we can earn something monthly aside from our 8-5 boring jobs. If only it’s that easy to win the lottery nuh? I wish Santa is just around the corner and can grant these wishes anytime. ::sigh::
Some More Shopping
I did a lot of shopping yesterday. Aside from the plastic knobs that my mom asked me to buy for her office, I did some shopping for my friend Jacq, well technically it’s for her daughter Iyah. She gave me a budget to look for nice clothing for her 3 year old daughter. They reside in Singapore and prices there are sometimes unreasonable so since sale are all over the metro plus the bazaars that I’m going at for my own Christmas shopping she asked me a favor. Her mom will be going there on December so I will be sending her Iyah’s so stuff to hand it to them. Shipping will be less. What a nice idea right? I can be her personal shopper anytime. I would love to have a baby girl myself but if I can’t? This is the closest thing I can shop for baby girl’s dresses. For the record? It is so much fun!
Mechanic Help
My Aunt has an rv in the US. She told my Mom she asked for an rv repair because they will go for a drive to Florida with it. Good thing my Uncle knows a few about machines that they don’t need a mechanic with them during the travel. My Uncle will pose as the mechanic, my Aunt said. I wish we have something similar to an rv when we travel to places like Baguio or Tagaytay. It will be very fun and comfortable riding in one.
Too Much Talking and Aging
With my friends and my sister, I talk about so much nowadays. From shopping to New Moon. It’s really hard to type and type all the time. We should all get a live chat software where we can chat without the problem of typing to rest our fingers. I sometimes worry about getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because of prolong use of the computer. I’m actually considering of visiting a specialist about it. I’m getting pains radiating from my fingers to my arms and I’m getting worried too much about it. I’m actually taking calcium tablets too since I might have problems about my bones as well. Age is just a number but honestly? I’m feeling my age now that I’m 32.
Coversations with My Son
It’s now nice to talk to my son. Though he’s still got limited vocabularies like most almost 3-year-olds are, we can converse better now. He answers most of our questions and even makes some decisions for himself already, before he just always follows what we say but now, he can answer no and does what he wants.
Dustin upon waking up in the Morning…
Dustin: Goo mowning Mommy. Daddy? Daddy? Whe are you?
Me: Daddy is in the bathroom.
Dustin: Tik, tik bath?!?
While playing with his cars, motorcycles, trucks and some truck accessories…
Dustin: Mommy cars. Nice cars. (holding one of his cars).
Me: Wow! How nice!
Dustin: Mommy, motorcycle. Nice motocycle. (holding his motorcycle)
Me: Wow! Yes, nice motorcycle.
Dustin: Mommy, truck! Nice truck! (holding his truck)
Me: Oh yes Dustin.
Dustin then looked around.
Dustin: Firetruck!? Where are you?
When dressing up on work days…
Dustin: Mommy, les go!
Mommy: Where?
Dustin: Timezone.
Mommy: No, we’re going to the office while you stay here with Nanny Irinne.
Dustin: Go timezone.
Mommy: We’ll go there this weekend.
Dustin: Timezone? Buy car!
Because he gets most of his toy cars there after all the games. That’s why!
I’m glad he can somehow carry a conversation now and doesn’t just say no or okay. My husband and I often laughs at his antics and answers. We are even surprised at some of the words he says. Because before he never say like thank you, welcome, good morning, labu (love you) to us. He still baby talks but I’m glad we can talk more now.
Christmas is in the Air
Can you feel it? It’s getting colder every morning. Night is longer and Christmas carols are played everywhere. I love it! And what is it about Christmas that I can do even without giving a great excuse? Shopping! I did some at a bazaar near our place buying stuff for our families so I can start my Christmas wrapping this week. I also did some online shopping, that needs shipping boxes since my sister in law is coming to the United States and everything will travel with her when she comes back. I’m excited to see the Disney Store loots I got for my son. I hope everything looks nice in person, you know pictures on websites ca be deceiving but this is Disney we’re talking about. I need to do some mental note in taking pictures of our house too. Christmas decors are up and everything looks festive. I hope I can do some snapping this weekend. A few more days to go til we hear the sleigh bells again!
Everybody’s Free, Wear Sunscreen
I almost forgot about this song. I LOVE this and when I heard it last Saturday morning… it all came back to me. Love it and I want to share it, some of you may not know this…
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ‘99
Wear sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
It. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
Scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering
Experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
Understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
Recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
You and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
Imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
Effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
Bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
Never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
On some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you
Sing
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
People who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
You’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
Yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
Succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
Life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
Wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
Olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe
You won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
Chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
Congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
Choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
Use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
Think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
Own…
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
(Brother and sister together we’ll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you’ve been hurting, but I’ve been waiting to be there
For you. And I’ll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody’s free.)
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
Good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
People most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you
Should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
Lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
Knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
In Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
Philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
That when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
Noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
Maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
Might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will
Look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
Supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
Fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
Ugly parts and recycling it for more than
It’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
(Brother and sister together we’ll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you’ve been hurting, but I’ve been waiting to be there
For you. And I’ll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody’s free.)
Saved
A friend who works in a casino/hotel in Las Vegas told me about the state of their jobs right now. They used to have a rocky status because of the problem in our economy and she used to worry so much when we talked before. It seemed that there is no other solution but to close their company and they will have to look for a new job. But when I talked to her this week, she was happy and it seemed that our conversation last month didn’t exist. She has high hopes and now that her company consulted a Las Vegas cpa firm called KC&K to help them increase their cash flow and studied their system to uplift and improve whatever it is that needs improvement. Right now, everything is going on smoothly and that they didn’t need to quit after all.
Done Some Christmas Shopping
I did some Christmas shopping today in The Fort with my boys and the nanny and I think, I’m almost done with my list except for some minor gifts for my friends at work which I’m just planning to give pastries. I might drop by Greenhills to look for a few more items and then I think, we’re done. This weekend has been a very busy but fun weekend. I had fun with my boys. It was tiring and our pockets had holes after but at least I spent quality time with my boys plus did some major striking on my list. next weekend I will be very busy wrapping the gifts so that the tree will not be empty before November ends.
Not Just for Kids
What I love about Dominique’s party is that, the entertainment wasn’t just for the kids. I myself was so entertained with the Wanlu Show that the first plan of sitting in one of those kiddie chairs in front was just to take photos but I found myself sitting there until the show finished because I had fun!
I was super amazed with this magic.
Even Dom’s parents, Gelo and Peachy had parts in the show.
From all the entertainment this was indeed my favorite. Namawis ako kakatawa. The Nannies deserve a round of applause from being a sport.
There was a bubble show that I saw for the first time. So I was also glad about this. Too bad my son isn’t with me to witness this, he loves bubbles.
Some more fun and games
The very lovable and cutie pie debutante, este, birthday celebrant, Dominique…
Thanks Mareng Peachy for inviting us.
Beauty School for the Nanny
Our nanny is studying high school. She is actually working for us to pay her tuition fee. I admire her for that. Not all nannies here in our country strive for a dream like hers. She wants to finish school and since her parents cannot afford to send her, she is doing that for herself. She grew up poor and she doesn’t want to grow old still poor. Anyway, we talked tonight and since she is going to be a senior in high school next school, I asked her about her plans after that and she is not sure what to take in college so I suggested a Cosmetology School. She finds it interesting that I suggested that. In our country people are becoming aware of taking care of themselves. Many are going in the salons, spas and even beauty clinics to be beautiful so it will be a booming business if you ask me. So it is very important that you study in a very prestigious beauty school like the Regency Beauty Institute to get the best training if you want to be successful in putting up a beauty salon. I pray for Dustin’s Nanny’s success, she is serving us well and all we can do is pray and support her all the way.
Marriage 101
“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7) — Cut your spouse a break today. Be generous. You might be the beneficiary of some lenience later.
I still have so much work to do when it comes to relationships. This will be a post for my husband though. I need to shrug things and start not to worry BIG. I know he has his own worries and selfish as I am, I still want him to worry about my worries. Cut him some slack. I need to keep this in mind!!!
Finally!
Last Sunday, I attended a short but fun filled party in Makati. It was Dom’s First birthday party and I was so happy to finally meet some of my online friends whom I’ve known for quite some time know. The Bebots are close to my heart, it started as a small Pinay group forum who love one thing, digital scrap booking and though some of us are not scrapping anymore we continue to bond everywhere online, from YM, Twitter and Facebook. Anyway here they are…
Kaje and her adorable daughter Abi.
Mich and her lovely daughters Alex and Andie.
I don’t remember Toni being a part of our Bebot group but I find her really nice when I met her through blogging and Twitter. It was so nice to have finally met Toni and her beautiful daughter Hannah. Too bad I wasn’t able to take a photo of her eldest, Lance.
I even got the chance to finally meet 2 of MBAPs members, Jody and Jane. Well, I’ve known Jody through Twitter and we’ve been acquainted with each other for quite some time now. Jane, I only knew through some blog hopping though. Here they are…
Aside from the very fun filled, extravagant party of Dominique, I had fun seeing old online friends and meeting the not so new ones, FINALLY!
Smokey Fireplaces? Let’s Fix It
My sister has been telling me about some houses in Canada have those outdoor fireplaces and I’ve never seen one in the US actually. I want to see one and maybe if I have a house in the US or in Canada I would want one in my home. But a friend of hers had a problem of her smokey fireplace and she asked me to research about it and an article about it…
A fireplace that allows smoke to escape into the room (back puffing) is a nuisance and a downright danger because fireplace smoke carries odorless but deadly carbon monoxide. Diagnosing the cause of your smoky fireplace is essential to finding the most efficient and cost effective solution to your back puffing.
Here’s what to do if your fireplace smokes:
First, make sure the fireplace is getting enough air to replace the hot gasses it is sending up the chimney. Shut off any exhaust fans than may be running, even upstairs in your home. Those exhaust fans are pulling household air (or maybe your fireplace’s smoke) to the fans. If shutting off exhaust fans doesn’t stop the back puffing, test by opening a door or window near the fireplace to see if that corrects the problem.
I don’t know much about it but I sure hope she gets it fixed or else it might be very harmful.
Post Pregnancy Weight Loss
I am thinking of starting a cleansing diet for just maybe 3 days, just to get rid of the toxins and a friend suggested of a colon cleanse to clean everything inside and start a brand new healthy diet. A colleague of mine who just recently gave birth asked me if I have any post pregnancy diet and actually I didn’t have. I lost weight tremendously and thinking about it, I actually didn’t worry about it too much because I was so busy thinking of my son’s colic that time. Here are a few routines if you are interested:
- Once you feel up to it, go for walks. Take your infant in a stroller and walk with him.
- Eat right with proper food and keep it balanced. Fruits and veggies plus less on sugar and carbs.
- Breastfeed if you can, I was not lucky enough to have enough milk but if I did, I will not deprive my son and myself. Women lose those pregnancy fats faster when breastfeeding!
- Have your “ME” time. Stress of having a baby and having a new lifestyle can take a toll on any mom so to keep yourself fresh and ready for more challenges as a mom and as a wife, take time to be with yourself and do something for yourself like go to the spa or meet up with your best friend and shop!
- Eat several meals a day. You must eat several small meals a day. If you don’t eat an adequate amount of food, your body realizes it’s not going to receive any nutrition for a while, so it stores up all the fat from the food you’ve eaten. You lose more weight eating than by starving yourself.
- Drink lots and lots of water!
- Exercise! Take time even for just 30-minutes every other day, do some brisk walking. Sweating it out will surely help.
- Be patient. You will never get that overnight, it needs a lot of work and losing your patience won’t do you good.
- Look good. Take time and take care of yourself. Wear what you feel makes you beautiful. Splash a few perfume, looking good will make you feel good and it will inspire you to strive to your get your goal.
Good luck! 
Saying “NO!”
Dustin loves saying, NO these days.
- Let’s take a bath? NO!
- Lets’ eat? NO!
- Go and ask for Daddy’s blessing and say hi. NO!
He always answers NO! Even if I think, he wants to say Yes. And it is very difficult. Dustin is in the stage of being so terrible. I would always say, oh we have a very good boy with us but now, he throws tantrums, cries all the time and shouts NO to everything. I had moments when I cry to my husband saying, we might be doing something wrong in disciplining him. I sometimes feel that I am losing some weight not because of the fat burner I’m taking but because of being so stressed out every time he throws a fit which is almost everyday! Thank God for Baby Center, I now know that every toddler goes through this and my son is not an exemption.
Of all the words your child is picking up this year, it may seem like he has one grand favorite: “NO.” What’s the attraction? Preschoolers say “no” a lot because they’re discovering their own free will. “No” is a handy way to voice their opinion. (Sometimes they even say “no” when they really mean “yes.”) Sometimes a not-very-verbal child will resort to “no” just because he’s mad or flustered and struggling to get his point across. Your preschooler may also learn that if he says it loudly and forcefully enough, Mom and Dad will really pay attention … they might even go along with it!
Giving your child choices is one way to reduce the number of no’s you hear from him. Also, encourage him to answer in a quiet voice, and coach him in some alternatives: “What’s the opposite of ‘no’? ‘Yes!’” “You can say ‘no,’ or you can say ‘yes,’ or guess what’s in the middle? You can say ‘maybe!’”
Going Gaga for Googoo& Gaga
Enough of window shopping for myself, I still need those weight loss pills to fit into those sexy nice clothes I’m drooling for. It’s now time to window shop for my boy, I haven’t bought anything for him since August. I saw this over at a family friend’s blog, Tin’s Manila Fashion Observer. Her daughter Berry looks so cute in those tees and of course, I visited the shop to took a peek. And yes, I’m drooling for my son. Look at these nice unique tees I’m eyeing for Dustin…
Those 2 last tees are my fave so far, but they only have 4T as the smallest. Still, I’m considering. Teehee! I will be emailing them soon. These are Filipino made by the way, which makes me even more proud!
Coming Back to HK?
Are we pushing through with the plans? My Dad said yes, we were supposed to cancel our HK plans due to shortage of budget, we are actually pushing it maybe late next year if we still have enough extra from our US trip but my Dad asked us to ask around and luckily, my SIL’s future sister in law who works in a travel agency told us yesterday that there is a PAL promo of just 120$ to HK but the catch is we have to decide until October 30 so we can buy tickets already. My Dad said okay! WOOHOO. It’s Dustin’s first time to ride a plane and I’m more nervous now if he can manage to behave inside the plane. We’ll be able to test it this January. We might have the trip late January next year. I should be researching about useful tips when riding a plane with a toddler. Plus I should be preparing a first aid kit with paracetamol and lots of vitamins since there will be no health insurance like those bcbsnc that I know since we are just visiting for 4 days and I have to be sure that my son is ready health wise as well especially that we will be going there during the Winter season. I should prepare some cold weather clothes as well. I need to make a list the moment we’re 100% that we are really going I’m so excited, I hope it will really push through!
Modern Home
There are so many kinds of homes. I would want to try living in one of those luxurious mobile homes I see on television but not permanently, of course! I still want to have that modern dream house that I’ve been dreaming about.I actually saw one in a magazine when we were having breakfast at Seattle’s Best, I had to take a picture. Yes, right now we can’t afford that dream house but someday, I know we will. (Think positive!) And I would be ready to show that picture to the architect who will be building our dream modern home…
I really love this, just like the one I’m seeing in my head. Even the lap pool I dream of is there. I wish someday we’ll have the chance to show this to our future architect
Hit the Grocery
We need to go to the grocery soon… I have a lot of on my list and since I got to my temporary assignment, I always sneak in to do the grocery. When I was in Camp Aguinaldo, it’s always during our payday week when my husband and I do the grocery, now I already have a long list not to mention some stuff for our home which my brother asked me to include like pet supplements, laundry items, kitchen stuff etc. I need to go to the grocery. I might ask the husband to drive me this evening. I hope he says yes or else I will be going alone again tomorrow to do some fast shopping again. Yikes!
On to More Baby Matters
I am actually focusing on myself lately. Nothing to be guilty about, I deserve to take care of myself and spend time alone. Been so into my weight loss diet, the run, Christmas shopping and blogging that I tend to miss some important issues like potty training or more quality time with the husband. I don’t intend to forget the important matters for myself, I deserve that but I shouldn’t forget the needs of my boys as well so next month, I am dedicating a week to potty train my son. Why next month? This month is a busy month at work, I’m assigned temporarily to another hospital hence I can’t ask for a leave. Next month, probably will be the time I will go back to my mother unit so maybe 2nd week or 3rd week I will file a leave just to potty train my son. He is ready, I can sense it, it’s me! I need to do this. I should and I will. Anyway, this leads me to the topic of clothing diapers. Do you advise these to toddlers who are potty training? Do they need it? I want to know… So I got this over at Baby Center.
Cloth Diapering Options:
Fitted: Fitted diapers have elastic around the legs and waist for a snug fit. They fasten with snaps or hook-and-loop tabs – no pins or fasteners required. They’re usually used with a separate waterproof cover.
All-in-ones: These may be the easiest choice for cloth diapering. They’re fitted diapers (see description above) with added features: a waterproof outer lining, and a “soaker” (absorbent material), which is either sewn in or removable.
Pocket: These are fitted diapers, typically with a waterproof outer lining, featuring a pocket in which you insert the soaker. You can use an insert made for that diaper, a pre-fold, a washcloth, or other material.
Contoured: These hourglass-shaped diapers don’t have elastic but are shaped to fit comfortably around your baby. They’re used with a cover.
Flats and pre-folds: Flats are simple pieces of fabric, typically cotton, that you fold to fit your baby. They’re used with a cover. They include squares and pre-fold diapers, which generally measure 14 by 20 inches and have a center strip that is several layers thick.
Covers and wraps: These provide a waterproof outer layer and are used with most types of cloth diapers. Some are pulled on like underwear. Others fasten over the absorbent cloth layer with snaps or hook-and-loop tabs. They’re available in several materials, including polyester, nylon, polyurethane laminate, cotton, and wool.
Liners and doublers: Flushable paper liners offer two primary benefits: They make it easier to flush away solid waste – just shake it into the toilet – and they wick away moisture, keeping your baby drier longer. Some parents use liners overnight to avoid leaky, soaked diapers in the morning. Cloth liners can be washed and reused, and inserts such as doublers can boost absorbency.
Fasteners: Most cloth diapers used with a separate cover need to be secured with diaper pins or another fastener such as a Snappi. Some parents prefer to forgo a fastener, instead holding the cloth in place with a snug cover. But to avoid accidents and keep your baby comfortable, it’s usually a good idea to use pins or a fastener.
My Ever Reliable Desitin
It was when Dustin was around 7 months old when I had my first encounter with the rash. It was horrific, I dread the times when I had to change his soiled diaper and had to wipe his butt and toot to keep him clean. He would cry and cringe when I touch his skin. Thanks to his Pedia who prescribed Desitin and I never experienced diaper rash ever again. What do I do to prevent it?
- I apply a very small amount of the Desitin cream every time we go out, I know that when we go malling for 5 long hours, I might not be able to change him unless he poops of course.
- I apply the cream every night. Sometimes he sleeps straight already so we don’t as well. The cream keeps his private parts dry even if his diaper is full already.
Desitin cream miraculously keeps the skin dry, protecting it from pee and it makes the skin cool and fresh even with full diaper. It is handy, I carry it and it never leaves his baby bag. It is safe so you can apply it over and over again. No overdose from this one.
Gift Ideas for My Boys
It’s Christmas once again and no matter how much ideas I have on what to give our love ones for Christmas, when it comes to my boys, it’s really hard to pick one nice gift for them. Actually, Dustin has 3 gifts from us already and since he can somehow understand what Christmas is, I want to add more.
The Buzz Lightyear will be given to Dustin by Santa as soon as the clock strikes 12 on Christmas Day… (the other Buzz is for my nephew which his parents bought for him as well) The cousins will both have a Buzz on Christmas Day…
Then Woody will be given to him on New Year’s Eve.
I can’t wait to see his reactions…
I also bought a Sigg bottle that he can use instead of the sippy cups and straw bottle he’s been using for ages. I’m also planning to buy a few more stuff like maybe Disney books about the movie Cars and a few smaller items so he can open so many stuff at midnight.
As to my husband? Can I just pick one of the nice orlando vacations for him? But then again that would be like, buying the gift for myself and not for him since I’m the one who loves to travel. hahaha… Last year, I think I gave him an iPod? I can’t remember… I want to buy him a sports watch that he can use for biking and maybe a new laptop? Just joking. I don’t have that much money… Oh, a Bulgari perfume is on the way, I might wrap that too. I admit, my ideas for the husband is more limited. I need more ideas and I have more than a month to decide.
The BIG Boy’s Request
Since my sister in law is going on a trip next month (see post below), my husband and I were talking about the items we can ask her to buy for us. I thought the husband would go far and ask her to buy some bike parts for him but he is actually considering of maybe buying something electronic, too bad Circuit City has closed its doors. It would have been easy to just ask her to go straight to the place for some electronic items. What’s the stuff my husband wants to buy? Well, let me tell you something, it’s something a bit expensive and a bit small. High tech huh?
Her Own Trip
My sister in law will be attending her sister’s wedding. It’s a much awaited event but since she is the only one in the family who can possibly attend it, my brother allowed her to go on this very exciting adventure alone. It will be a very short trip because as a dedicated wife and mom as she is, she will not be staying away from her boys that long but I guess it will be very exciting since it’s her first time to go to the United States plus she’ll be traveling on her own which makes it more exciting. I want to try that someday… maybe when my son is a bit older and can manage on his own, maybe I will ask my husband if I can go on a trip alone or maybe a trip with my best friend will be nice. We can go around and experience new places we’ve never been to like going to rackmount or go back to places we love to visit like new york. SIL is going for a week in LA and she told me she’s going to dedicate a day or 2 to go shopping. HAHA. That I want to experience. Well, she’s telling me that she can shop for me. With my tight budget, I might just ask her to buy somethimg for my boys. We’ll see.
He Still Loves Cars
… and there is nothing to stop him. I was talking to a friend who was telling me about call center services that she is actually familiarizing with since she is planning to get a job in a call center and surprisingly our conversation ended up about her having kids and my son loving cars. I am still worried that Dustin is into cars, he loves playing with his toy cars, he loves watching anything about cars and recently, he learned how to operate his father’s iPhone car games app. I want him to be into books, but I’m having a hard time finding books about cars. Anyway, my friend told me that at least I know that my son is really a boy since he’s into cars and not Barbies. She has a point. So what do I do to take advantage of the situation? I am now teaching him colors by using his toy cars. He is still a bit confused but at least I think, he now knows what blue is. HIHI… Anyway, here are some of the pictures when we had breakfast at High Street and he saw this Benz parked for display…
Touch with Love
Examines and is very particular with the tires
He was saying, “nice cars” all the time while going around the Avantgarde.
My friend is not fond of having kids but when I talk about my son, she somehow thinks she can manage if it’s all about cuteness. And this is definitely cuteness right? HIHI…
Aim for Next Year
I am aiming to save next year! I admit, I spoiled myself because I know I need a pat on my back but with all the on going plans and my son is growing up fast I need to be focused. Next year we are planning a vacation in the US. We want to go to Vegas and watch Las Vegas Shows. Plus do some shopping here and there but basically we are there to tour my sister in law and my husband who will be seeing the US for the first time. Plus our relatives and friends are all excited already to see the tots. For sure this will be a blast, I can’t wait!
B-A-D Day!
I have my monthly visitor. I had a bad night last night. My internet is unstable. I still have some online stuff to do. I faced a bad situation in the hospital’s washroom which included one of the hand dryers. I feel nauseated and hungry but I feel guilty of eating snack since I will be meeting up with my best friend today after work and that might include a dinner and I’m STILL on a strict diet. My cholesterol is high which prompt me to be more careful of the food I eat. Private issues, not personal but just private. More in my head. I need time out! Can I just shout!? TIMEOUT!!!!!!
Our Baby Today
The traces of Hot Choco from Seattle’s Best. His first time, it was surely a treat to him!
He has my eyes, only my eyes. Even the dark circles under eyes when I was still a baby, he got that from me. I sure hope he will not have any eyebags when he grows up, mine are too big and it ain’t pretty, my eyes look so tired all the time because of that. I was also white like him when I was young so I am scared he might get my skin too, I hope not. I pray no pimples will appear on his face.
Today, Stinny is our parrot. He repeats every word we say, be it in Filipino or English. I know he still have limited vocabulary since he still can’t answer most of our questions but he now formulates sentences, easy to construct sentences like, “Look, pretty, nice cars!”, “Man is walking”, “Daddy wek up!”, “Dustin playing nice cars!” and etc… Most of his sentences still include cars. So I’m exposing him to more movies while we talk about it, his favorite now? Ratatouille and G-Force!
He loves to eat. He loves Japanese and Italian dishes. His favorite food at home is fish. He hates eating meat because he has a hard time chewing it. His sweet tooth? He got from his Dad.
He gets excited when we all dress up during the weekends, he knows we are going out and when he sees the malls, he will shout, malls! He knows he will have a grand time walking and riding the escalators there. He knows that when we dress up on weekdays, it means we will be going to work and he usually blurts out, “Daddy opis!” or “Mommy, going? See yah!”
He still sleeps with his toy cars. He can cry on cue nowadays which is why we call him, best actor most of the time. I think he is in that stage where he cries his way over everything just to get what he wants. I tell you, it’s irritating and it’s taking a toll on me most of the time especially now that I am often tired from work.
Parenthood is such a challenge. No matter how tiring it is, seeing this little guy with all his little antics makes me proud to be a Mom…
Top 7 Mommy Guilt Trips — and how to handle them!
I came across this article over at BabyCenter.com and it got me interested. I’ve been guilty of a few of those and I’ve beaten myself up over and over again, now maybe I will know much better how to handle it. Here are the Top 7!
- Feeding your baby formula.
- Using tv as a babysitter.
- Being environmentally unfriendly.
- Feeding your kids junk food.
- Leaving your child with another caregiver.
- Yelling at your kids.
- Not being able to afford all the extras.
I will have to share the views from the article to which I am guilty off.
Feeding your baby formula. Soothe it! You may feel like you’re the only formula-feeding mom in the universe, but this is far from the truth. Whether it’s due to supply issues, latch-on problems, going back to work, or something else entirely, many mothers find themselves relying on formula to supplement or replace breastfeeding. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control, 42 percent of U.S. moms are still nursing at 6 months but only 11 percent are nursing exclusively. And in a BabyCenter poll, 68 percent of moms said their babies had formula in the first six months. In other words, there’s a lot of the stuff floating around.
Using tv as a babysitter. Soothe it! if you break this rule, you’re not alone: A poll of BabyCenter moms reveals that only 9 percent of moms with toddlers forbid TV completely. And 70 percent think it’s okay to let babies watch some TV. Another 51 percent let their baby watch the TV shows and DVDs they’re watching. But the shame is still in play: 32 percent of moms lie about how much TV their children watch! Is television really so evil? No, say Renner and Pflock: “Using television entertainment as a form of quiet time is perfectly appropriate.” The key is moderation. If your child is under 2, keep viewing time to a minimum, and break it into 15-minute chunks. Watch with your child, and pick programs that are appropriate. If your child is older, see our TV guidelines for preschoolers and big kids. Then relax and send your guilt on its way.
Leaving your child with another caregiver. Soothe it! Working moms often struggle with intense guilt — especially when they first go back. “Since I was returning to a job I loved, I thought I’d feel happy and worthwhile. I didn’t expect those feelings to be so tempered by guilt,” says mom Johanna Villanueva. Working moms can also feel guilty for wanting to work. Tela Durbin of Working Moms Against Guilt was tearful and upset when she left her son at daycare — but she also felt relieved to have some time away from his colic. “I had two kinds of guilt — guilt for leaving him and guilt for wanting the break,” she says. If you’re in this position, know that studies have shown time and time again that good childcare can promote cognitive, language, and social skills. Relieve your guilt by choosing the best daycare center, home daycare, babysitter, or nanny that you can. To ease the transition, become familiar with your care provider before you go back to work, says Durbin. “Do practice runs. Maybe even leave your child there for a few hours while you run an errand.” Stay away from the online “mommy wars” between working and at-home moms, and tune out any judgmental comments you may receive.
Yelling at your kids. Soothe it! No one feels good about yelling at their kids. In fact, Pflock and Renner’s survey of mothers found that yelling is the number one cause of mommy guilt. When this happens, take a careful look at your own behavior. Was the yelling out of the ordinary? Are you usually calm with your child? If yes, then let yourself off the hook and take this as a learning opportunity for both of you. As Elizabeth Pantley says in The No-Cry Discipline Solution, “Even the most peaceful easy-going parent loses patience and yells from time to time.” Reassure your child that everything is okay, and explain what happened: “Sometimes people yell when they’re upset. But that can hurt people’s feelings. I’m sorry. It would have been better if I had said ‘Please be quiet. The baby is sleeping.’” But if screaming is becoming a habit, you may need to take action to manage your anger and reduce your stress levels.
Not being able to afford all the extras. Soothe it! It’s easy to feel bad when you can’t afford an activity for your child, or when you’re the only mom in the playground with a plain stroller rather than a deluxe model loaded with bells and whistles. But many of the things that we think of as “necessary” aren’t. What kids really need is love — not the next expensive activity or “It toy.” In fact, too much stuff can be a problem. “If you’re constantly overindulging your children, they’ll never learn the value of money,” explains psychotherapist Kate Levinson, who leads workshops for women to explore their emotional relationship to money. “You also want to teach them how to enjoy life and solve problems in ways that don’t have to do with buying things or using money.”
For more life changing articles visit BabyCenter.com
Investing for Our Future
With the present calamities that happened, it got me thinking and questioned myself if my husband and I are really preparing for the future. Not that I’m thinking negatively that in the future will be facing a problem but it’s really normal that you be ready of everything especially if you already have a child who is depending his everything on us. We are actually thinking of putting up a small business, what business is it? That we are not yet sure of, we are actually choosing from the three businesses in our minds but I think one of the businesses needs millions of capital so that will have to wait until we win the lottery. Yes, one major issue is the capital and where to get it, certainly putting our money in the bank and waiting for it to get it’s interest will not help, so his boss suggested why not invest in something that has a stable earning and won’t take too much of our time since we are both working. Investing in bullion are popular among his bosses and it somehow got me interested.
There are actually types of bullion, gold, silver and platinum bullion coins which are the popular ones. Metal, purity and weight are the factors that affect the value of the bullion. The American eagle bullion coin that has the classic design of the walking Liberty and is a public favorite of all time caught my attention though. It’s classic design can make it into a collector’s item.
I was actually skeptic about it but my husband told me that this kind of investment was already practiced for centuries already even with our ancestors to gain power, wealth and prestige. A very authentic practice that with the right tool can make you earn more than what you expect. So where to start is the next question and so I browsed and found a trusty site that can help clueless people like me, Monex has been helping people since 1967. Every investor gets equal help and expertise from their staff in putting their buy and sell coins in the market, gives updates about their investment and answers every question you have in mind. I will definitely study more about this, you never know, with enough money we might invest on this before we put up our dream business for a brighter future.
Another MomCenter Event
Art Collectors will be given an early treat! Artworks by National Artists: Federico Aguilar-Alcuaz, Arturo Luz, Jose Joya and Bencab; Established Artists: Prudencio Lamarroza, Marcel Antonio, Angelito Antonio, Norma Belleza, Ivan Acuna, Raul Piedra, Phyllis Zaballero; Emerging Artists: Marcial Pontillas, Buen Abrigo, Anthony Palo, Camille Ver, Jaime Gubaton, Andres Barrioquintos, Agang Maganda, Lotsu Manes, Kaye Miranda, Butch Payawal, Joselito Jandaya; and Sculptors: Ramon Orlina, Michael Cacnio, Renato Rocha, Julie Lluch, Kelly Sonio & Nina Laurel. For the whole month, artworks by these famed artists will be sold at a special holiday rate of up to 50% off gallery prices.
Visit their site for more cool and fun filled events.
Marriage 101
Another great one to ponder on, you spouses out there:
“The moment when the instinct to love is greater than the desire to be loved is the instant we become an adult.” - Dr. Steven Stosny
When have you put your spouse’s pleasure before your own and vice versa? Now this is something I have to ponder on. Oh well, everything is learned.
