Nine months of giving baths, dressing up, changing pooped diapers, singing lullabies, rocking a baby to sleep.
Nine months of cuddling and kissing this beautiful creature that has my genes (actually more of my husband’s).
Nine months of discovery, learning, recording milestones, picture taking.
Nine months of newfound love.
Nine months of waking up everyday thanking the Lord for this wonderful gift.
It has been the best eighteen months (counting also the past nine of my pregnancy) of my life. And I look forward to many more months and years with the family God has blessed me with.
Happy nine months, sweetie! The whole family loves you very much.
For those who are wondering, I deactivated my Facebook account since yesterday. It’s sort of a self-punishment for being curious (and stupid!) for clicking a link and actually spreading a javascript spam. So for those who received it, I apologize.
Anyway, I also found this perfect opportunity to assess my internet life. I have deactivated my account and will return after a week. If I can stretch it longer, the better.
Yes, I admit that I live with this technology. I spend almost the whole day updating my status, posting pictures of my daughter who had learned a new trick, commenting on my friend’s photos and all that. Sum it all up and I spend a total of at least five hours a day, with half of it on Facebook. If I can’t sleep at night, I’d spend an extra hour lurking on the news feed. I can’t believe I enjoyed talking to a wall expecting to talk back to you through the comments of your friends. Honestly, 1/4 of them I don’t really know personally, but because of a group I once belonged to I’m “expected” to accept them. Not good, eh?
But on a positive note, I have gained a lot from Facebook and from the internet in general. I found and reconnected with old friends, I get inquiries for voice and piano lessons and singing engagements, researched about breastfeeding and other baby care stuff, and I am able to write for pleasure (this blog) and for income (through several writing assignments). I also research music which I use for my choral arrangements and was able to download a free music writing software where I can freely work on my scores (visit www.musescore.org to download). I ask my friends (and strangers through yahoogroups and various mommy-related fanpages and the blog carnival) for tips on taking care of the baby and give advice as well.
Facebook is a lifestyle for me, another way of channeling my stress, frustration, and joys over this little girl who was once so fragile to hold, and now is spinning like a tornado. The whole world (or at least those in my friends list) saw my baby grow, and I’ve allowed these people to be with us in this wonderful moment.
But it has gone overboard. It became a business and destructive at the same time. If not spam messages, people will tag you to sell their products or do marketing. Ugh, I just hate spammers!
So I do hope you’ll help me in this experiment. One whole week of no Facebook. But I still have to use the internet, though, as my friends abroad need to contact me and vice versa. For that, I’ll overhaul my blog theme and official website (www.marylouise.webs.com) and maybe create a new logo or masthead (yes, I love blogging already!). I shall also finish pending arrangements and create new ones.
Update you about this no Facebook thing next week, Thursday. Good luck to me!
And she never fails to bring in the sunshine even when there’s rain.
The past nine months have been filled with joy, tears, laughter, and love. Milestone after milestone, the whole family witnessed and cheered for this small wonder. And we’re just truly blessed.
I can now declare I am rich!
Not with wealth but with good health. Not with late night outs with friends but with evenings of cuddling and laughing with my husband and daughter.
And I shall wake up tomorrow praising God for another day to live this wonderful life He gave me. I hope you’ll be blessed as well with even the littlest things God bestowed upon you.
“Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (May). This carnival is dedicated to all moms, celebrating Mother’s Day today. Participants will share various topics covering A Breastfeeding Mother’s Top Ten List. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants.”
With all the stresses I’ve been experiencing the past weeks — daily Aria rituals (cooking and preparing her food, bathing her, playing with her, putting her to those precious and hard-to-achieve naps and bedtime), pumping milk thrice a week, part-time work in and out of home, et cetera, I deserve a good laugh trip.
Unfortunately, it had to be Aria, who else.
During the course of my eight-month breastfeeding experience (and we are not stopping anytime soon!), I have curiously taken note of how my daughter nursed. She’s nursed in different positions, occasions, schedules, and places.
I listed Aria’s ten habits while breastfeeding (in no particular order). Let some of the pictures tell the story.
Oh, and before I forget, Happy Mothers’ Day to all the mothers. Yey, mommies truly rock!
1. She nurses while she’s crying, as if she hasn’t nursed for a really looooong time (even if it was really just five minutes ago!) She talks (or mumbles) while she breastfeeds. This baby is amazingly talkative. And she has been squealing a lot lately. Add to that, she’s teething (she’s got two teeth on her lower gumline already) so imagine how she talks while she feeds. Ouch!
2. She listens to whoever is talking while she nurses. Or to whatever new sound she might hear — a new voice, utensils falling, door banging, car horns, sirens, helicopters. Did I tell you she’s very “chismosa?”
3. She nurses on her tummy, especially when she has a hard time to sleep.
Her newest trick
4. She jumps out of my breast to watch TV, especially when she hears the closing credits music (yes, CLOSING CREDITS MUSIC) of her favorite cartoons – Little Einsteins, Angelina Ballerina, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She loves and laughs while watching the scrolling text that goes with the music.
5. She loves to scratches whatever is at hand, like my breasts, her other arm, or my underarm.
She loves scratching my underarm
6. She raises her hand like Hitler. I can’t understand why.
7. She would nurse for a few minutes and jump off me onto the bed because she’s about to sleep.
8. Or she would nurse for up to one and a half hour while we’re both napping, and when she senses that I opened my eyes, she would, too.
9. She holds her feet way up high.
10. She looks at me as if she’s saying, “Thank you, Mommy, for the sweet yummy milk.”
And smile after she’s content with the milk she just drank.
Oh, how I love my little Energizer Bunny. Hope you also have a yummy milky breastfeeding experience.
My hubby joined the carnival, too! I’m super proud. He’s the only daddy who joined 🙂
