Author: Em Alcantara

How I dropped the pump

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                           Breast friend indeed

For the past month, I have totally given up pumping milk for Aria. Not even an ounce of breastmilk can be found in my fridge. I have donated all the frozen milk left as well.

No, I have not yet given up breastfeeding yet. I just dropped the twice daily pump I’ve been religiously doing for the past year and a half. Luckily for me and for Aria that I can go home for lunch to have her nurse. And when she’s asleep, that’s the only time I pump, which has not happened for the past month.

Aria gets to enjoy all the breast milk she wants when we’re together. And when we’re not, she takes fresh milk, and all the yummy food she sees. She’s a happy eater, knowing what to appreciate, what not to eat (she isn’t a fan of chocolates and sodas, even sweet juices, thankfully!), but she so loves yogurt, eggs, bread, fresh fruits like apples, bananas, papaya, veggies, chicken. She drinks a lot of water, as well as yogurt drinks and fresh milk in brick packs.

She isn’t showing any signs of weaning, though. She stays as much on my breast as she can. And has now added some more tricks while breastfeeding. More on that on another post.

But I’m prepared to pump, still, if ever we’ll be separated for more than seven hours. That was my limit back then, and am still setting the same limit if it happens. There were days that she wasn’t able to nurse at all for 12 hours because of work, but I make sure of my schedule ahead of time so I could leave her some while I’m away.

I was supposed to pack away completely my pump kit, but decided not to, maybe for another year. It’s just on standby on a plastic box if ever the need to use it arises.

Who helped me in pumping? My Pigeon Manual Breast Pump, which was a gift from my husband’s officemates for my baby shower two years ago. It was the most used item on my newborn essentials, I must say.

I borrowed a Medela single electric pump from a friend, but found the manual more effective in draining my breast. More hard work but better performance. Besides, the electric pump is noisy and I can’t use it when Aria’s sleeping. 

So here’s a tribute to my dear pump, who has served me long and well. I know I’ll use you again, like tomorrow, when I have to stay longer at work, have planned to pump and have the milk picked up for dear daughter.

 

~ Touringkitty

Homeschool, sweet homeschool!

It’s June once again, and I bet most of our parents who have schoolchildren have been working doubly hard in preparation for their kids’ school. I think kids should prepare, too, by setting their body clocks to usual school mode, and the usual school routine, especially the first-timers.

Have you heard about Singapore Math and Science? I heard some schools are already adapting this method. Hmmm makes me wonder what method will be taught when Aria is in school.

As you have read in my previous post, we didn’t push through with toddler school. I know, it’s not that expensive and just a hop away from home, but Aria might not be prepared for it. Besides, toddler school is just my excuse for taking away Aria from home. She has 24/7 access to TV, DVDs, iPad, and internet at home. She does have playmates on the condo playground but she could be really makulit especially when she’s sleepy.

To make up for the supposed two hours three times a week toddler school schedule, we make each day spent with Aria a learning experience. Thus, the Schatzi Homeschool is born!

We bought additional iPad applications like Little Reader and Little Math (www.brillkids.com), bought books, toys, musical instruments, DVDs. We repeatedly sang songs, danced with her, recited the alphabet and counted to twenty. She’s got an amazing memory, anticipating the next story sequence or reciting her flash cards and repeating what she hears.

So far, at 21 months, here’s what Aria can do:

Language: simple two-word phrases of instructions like Mommy, drink/eat/dede/sleep/watch, Open please, Sit down, Let’s go, Come. Says her name as Ananee Acantara (sometimes raising her hand then says Prishent! – just like in the TVC), completed the alphabet and words that start with those letters. Here’s the alphabet song which she memorized in a few days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BELlZKpi1Zs
What’s amazing with Aria is you have to catch a perfect timing for her to learn new things. Like recently, we were able to teach her opposites like up and down, small and big, in and out.

Numbers: counts to ten very clearly, tries to hold up fingers in twos or threes, counts 11-30 but skipping, she can count five to one and says “blastoff,” just like the Little Einsteins

Music: plays the maracas, tambourine, egg shaker and toy trumpet well in constant tempo of about four to eight beats, now she’s trying the soprano recorder, sings Twinkle Little Star completely and other nursery rhymes with a few missed words, has tried strumming the guitar to the tune of Twinkle Little Star in almost perfect rhythm with Daddy fretting the chords, can identify sounds of trumpet, guitar, drums, and piano (just last Sunday during children’s choir rehearsals!) when she hears it, can mimic how an instrument is played

Gross motor: walks, runs, often carelessly so we make sure she’s a hug’s reach from us, can kick a ball strongly, can climb in and out of the crib, can jump a little though not feet together in mid-air, claps, shakes body, dances

Fine motor: blowing, toothbrushing, combing hair, flipping books and magazines, holds crayons, positions her fingers in the recorder, shakes maracas and shakers, playing the piano with one finger each key–sometimes!

Values: we teach her the Filipino “mano po” which she does with the elders at home, she packs away her toys…and takes out more toys after a split second, we teach her limits–which she isn’t that good at yet. She always wants things her way at this toddler stage, which I will from now on call as Terrific Twos because she is terrific in her own way. Since it’s Independence Day on June 12, we bought her a small Philippine flag and had been singing the national anthem every morning. Now she puts her right hand on her tummy while waving the flag mightily on the left hand!

Prayer time: says the sign of the cross (she once said while she was confined in the hospital– Father, Son, Holy Sipit, Amen. Getting there, I thought) but still doesn’t attempt to do it, recites Angel of God one new word a day, morning prayer — joins in certain words like Papa Jesus (not that clear yet), day, me, Amen.

All of these we do upon waking up, lunch time when I’m at home, and before sleeping. More learning done with her Nonna — my mom, who is so patiently taking care of my rambunctious toddler when we’re at work of have church activities. Weekends and holidays are dedicated to Aria — we eat out, go to a different place so she could discover some more, hear Mass (though oftentimes she’d just run around the church, saying hello to other kids), watch shows and concerts when it’s outdoors (she’s really talkative and reacts loudly so she can’t go inside a theater yet).

Forget toddler school! Schatzi Homeschool has started school year 2012!

~ Touringkitty

Horses on stick

Carousels are what I mean, silly minds!

Aria shrieks every time she sees carousels. Simple joys for a simple kulit kid like ours. Let the pictures take you to the carousels she has experienced so far:

At Market! Market!
At Mall of Asia.

This is where she first rode the carousel before she turned a year old, with her Dad. Undocumented, because they were alone at that time.

I had another picture, taken at Rockwell, but have to find it first.

And when she quite misses it, she does this at home:

Heart. Attack.
And loads of laughter!

It’s her Dad, by the way, forced by Aria to face down so she could ride the “tigig-tigig” and go up and down!

It’s more fun with Aria at our Schatzihaus. She has indeed become the light of this 29 sqm condo unit and of our lives as well.

~ Touringkitty

The rain made me sad

Pag-asa finally got it right. So it rained, twas a tropical storm even, making us spoil all our plans to hit the mall and eat with the family today.

The other night, while my officemate and I ran in the rain under a small umbrella just to get home soonest after watching a concert (how we love our job–free concerts to watch! And foreign acts even!), we saw a girl about ten years old sitting down, hands clasped around her body, in the middle of the pouring rain. My officemate told her she should have gone home. My question is, does she really have a home to go to?

And it made me really sad. I told my husband and my daughter about it, and we prayed for that little girl that she may have a dry place to stay for the night.

Blessed. That’s what our families are. For that we should never cease praising Him.

Aria slept early tonight. Good thing because she was awake way early than usual. So while the humming of the aircon was lulling my little rascal to sleep, I fixed our mountainous closet. Two weeks after the helper left and we’re coping with late night cleaning, ironing, fixing whatever we can while we get some peace and quiet with the sleeping toddler. Lately, she’s been quite a handful, two handfuls even, running around, falling, bumping, screaming, throwing things, not listening, what have yous. Terrible twos? Nah, make it REALLY TERRIBLE TWOS!!! And she’s not even two!

As I was folding clothes, I saw the plastic bag full of rashguards, swimsuits and trunks. We bought it two months ago supposedly for the Boracay trip that never was. Seeing those stuff made me sad. We never got to use it even if we’re disease-free the rest of May. I wonder if those will ever fit Aria next summer. I doubt they will, she grows at lightning speed after she got dextrosed. She eats so much now that she sometimes eats more than I do, though a quarter of the serving usually goes to the floor or table.

I kept blaming myself in my head as I was folding the rashguards. What did I do, what did I feed her? Why did it ever have to happen? I bought her one with a duck hoodie on it, the other a pretty rainbow colored one. She could have looked good on it. She would have loved splashing on the water. We lost a lot of money for this trip because of the cancellation policies of hotels and planes. No mercy for the sick baby indeed. Thinking of it makes me cry inside that I don’t want my husband to see me in tears because he would have told me, it’s so last month.

And yes, this past month has been filled with triumphs, trials, and blessings. We’re all safe, no one is sick at the moment, we’re eating well. We just have to be careful even more now that Aria is in her explorative year. Our little family is very thankful for the love we receive from people who care–my mom, my sister, my aunt, most especially, for making themselves available for Aria when we can’t.

We’re facing June energized, happier, and healthier. The stay-out helper will start next week. Mom will still take care of Aria when we’re out. Aria will not anymore attend toddler school after much praying and deciding. Our toddler is growing and the household should cope up with these changes. She is hungry for learning, so we’re exposing her to more interesting stuff. We’ll enjoy her babyness and naughtiness in the meantime. She won’t forever be like that.

~ Touringkitty

P.S.

But of course I have to use that rashguard, so an indoor pool outing must be on my list this month. Persistence is the key.

My mother, my hero

Dear Mommy,

We’ve come to this day again when we honor you. It seemed as if it was only yesterday that we celebrated my first mother’s day as a full-fledged mom and you as a full-fledged lola.

But one day in a year is never enough. We want to honor you even on Fathers’ Day, Grandparents’ Day, your birthday, Christmas, Valentines Day, today, tomorrow, and every single day!

We love you, you know that. Even if we disagree on so many things. Even if we argue about parenting styles and choices, which I now realized is truly inevitable given the quarter of a century gap in parenting a newborn.

We know you love us, and that love extended to my family, especially to our daughter, which I will be forever grateful for. Ariadne is such a unique girl. She’s smart and playful, naughty and beautiful. She’s easy to love, though sometimes hard to take care of because of her playfulness.

I thank the Lord for giving me and Myk such a thoughtful and caring mother. We wish we could be as thoughtful and caring as you are. You’ve shown me what a mother’s love can do. And now, it’s my turn to show my daughter that this is how my own mother showed her love for me–that whenever the need arises, the world will stop and mother’s love will shield everyone from harm. You perfected that, Mommy, for the past 28 years and until now your love remained the same for me and Myk, even doubled! That’s how amazing you are. And if we could show the same love for our children, we really have ultimately honored you well and good.

I love you, Mommy!

Your daughter forever,

Em

Few thoughts about parenting choices

Advanced Happy Mothers’ Day to all moms in the world! Whatever choices we make as a mother, trust that it’s best for your baby. We surely make our mother of all mothers, Mama Mary, truly happy in this wonderful day!

A few weeks ago, I told my husband how expensive it is to be a modern-day parent.

Sure, we breastfed, we attempted cloth diapering (as in the good ol’ lampin), we made our own baby food and bought only fresh veggies and fruits and meat for our toddler’s meals (no hotdogs, no processed, though sometimes we’ve succumbed to fast foods). And after doing the math, we therefore concluded it’s expensive to be a modern-day parent.

Luckily, I am now able to work full-time, thanks to my mom who volunteered to take care of our daughter (Happy Mothers’ Day, Mommy Luz! We love you!). Even my mom and I have a hard time bridging the 25-year gap of parenting a newborn, but we were able to get through it. At least that’s what I think.

Feeding the baby for the first year: breastmilk vs. formula

A manual pump would cost around P2,000. If you’ve been back after the two-month maternity leave (oh why is it so short?!), you could get a double electric pump which would cost at least P8,000. Add to that the bottles or milk bags, cooling bags and ice bags for keeping your milk fresh as you go home. Can be pretty expensive, right? That’s probably the reason why some families opt to formula-feed, which would cost around P4,000 for the powdered milk alone, not yet counting the bottles, clean water, sterilization of bottles.

Our choice: breastfeeding all the way. I would never have it any other way. I delayed full-time work for more than a year to focus on the baby mainly, but still do things that I love occasionally, like teaching, singing, and pampering of course!

;

Collecting booboos down under: cloth diapers vs. disposables

My mom wanted us to try it their way: lampin. So off we bought 2 dozens of lampins and almost always, at least almost all of it gets used up within one day. After a month, we totally dissed lampins and went on to use disposables, which cost us an average of P1,000 a month. I know we’re not being environment-friendly on this one, but it was the better solution than washing off all those dirty laundry!

Nowadays, cloth diaper makers have taken a step higher, or even ten steps higher, with all those cute designs and special absorbent powers that come close to a disposable. It could be quite an investment, but many have attested to its convenience. Something to consider with the next baby.

Our choice: given that we live in a small condo unit and there are constraints in washing clothes, disposables it is. Good thing our baby likes the cheaper brand more than the expensive one!

;

Feeding frenzy: freshly-made or instant?

Nowadays, almost everything comes in an instant, and we have the industrial revolution to thank for that. But we chose to give our daughter freshly made foods as her first solid foods. Every morning, we boil or steam veggies, mash it and mix with breastmilk and voila, better-than-bottled foods!

I’ve seen these gadgets that have been marketed for making baby food fast. They cost expensive and clean up could sometimes take time. What do we use then? A fork, what else!

And now there are also organic bottled foods which cost a little higher than your popular brands. I once tried but my daughter easily recognized the different taste and she didn’t like it. What I buy her is the organic cookies and puffs which she loves (and hey, their prices may be high, but it’s far better than the sugar-filled Marie!).

Now that I’m raising a toddler, her food should be always freshly cooked and nutritious. Our grocery budget sure skyrocketed (and we’re not even buying organic or free-range at that!), but my husband doesn’t mind at all. He’d prefer to spend on food, educational materials, be it iPad apps or books or toys, and vaccines which we get from her pediatrician.

Our choice: cook-it-your-own! I have learned to cook food, bake oven toaster cookies for snacks, and concoct simple desserts all from scratch!

;

After all these musings, I wonder how life was when it was my lola’s time. It definitely is not that expensive as it is today. I haven’t even mentioned the choice of toys nowadays — iPad or Waldorf toys or dirt on the ground? Take your pick!

;

~ Touringkitty

Life’s firsts

A TMI post, I know. But please bear with this first-time mommy who didn’t expect this to happen just as when they’re preparing for a family vacation.

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First word, first tooth, first solid food. As moms we anticipate those. I can’t believe there will be a first hospitalization for my little big girl.

On Labor Day Tuesday, she woke up, rather lazily. She took a few minutes tossing and turning around the bed. We thought it was just one of her new tricks. But when I touched her forehead it was hotter than the usual. True enough, her temp went almost 39 degrees celsius. We gave her paracetamol ad just vomitted it. We held our decision to proceed to the ER until after lunch, when we gave her another dose if medicine and spat them all out. She was uneasy, sweating, cranky, and crying.

We were sent home so we could just monitor. But at 10.30pm, when she’s about to take another dose, she was shivering. That moment, we decided to head back to the hospital, nevermind the pambahay clothes. Her temp went as high as 40. Good thing there was no convulsion, bad thing because depite the meds, hydration, nonstop breastfeeding, and attempts to give her food she’d take, our efforts weren’t enough. We had to check in at the hospital.

It was almost midnight. We weren’t aware of the hospital policy that no guardian is allowed while IVs are put, so imagine our worry leaving Aria to the nurse and doctors. If we were worried, more so my mom, who can’t go an inch behind the door where our poor baby was shouting, crying helplessly. I told my husband that if they weren’t finish in five minutes, I’d bang the door open. Finally, what seemed like forever took less than five minutes, and as the door opened and I was getting Aria, she kept on shouting ‘goodbye!’ to the doctors. My poor little one. We warned them of her kalikutan and yes, it proved to be so according to the nurse.

We were assigned a private room and good thing my daughter has a health card! (thanks, daddy!). We watched Little Einsteins and it’s as if nothing happened; though weak, she imitates Leo the conductor, got ready for blast off and tapped the rhythm from slow to super fast!

Today, Wednesday, Aria pooed, peeed, and vomitted her meds in the morning. I pity her, she’s not the usual happy kulit baby I know. But we prayed, really hard, to take whatever pain out of her little body. Medicines were administered by doctors and nurses and boy did she hate all of them now! Just hearing their voices makes her cry. So hard.

The antibiotics we hope will cure whatever infection she might have gotten. I’m just so exhausted to think of things other than Aria. Schedules were forgotten and people may have been affected but this is out of my hands already. Both Aria and I just want to go home, cuddle, sing songs and play. Please offer a prayer for all the sick little kids all over the world. They don’t deserve to be sick at all.

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No one’s gonna hurt you, not while I’m around.

~ Touringkitty

On sharing God’s gifts

Share your blessings, so that they will come back a hundredfold.

 

Yesterday, I shared the following status message in my Facebook account:

Today, I was fortunate to visit the baby who benefits from my excess frozen breastmilk–Baby S. One brave little girl. She’s a preemie, feeds through tube and bottle but only breastmilk is given to her. She’s made progress already, reaching 1.1kg from 0.95kg in two months!

I’m fortunate to have helped her with the two batches of milk stash I’ve given. I told the nurse who was feeding her that I’m really humbled to have helped her, and that I hope I could still save some milk for her. This while my supply is also dipping as my toddler doesn’t nurse as often as before. The nurse asked me if my baby was normal and if I was exclusively breastfeeding my own and I said yes to both. Now I realized all the sacrifices I had to do since pregnancy (despite the endless fretting) paid really really well!

As I was leaving the room, I can’t help but cry. Here I am stressing myself on the small problems about myself and the family while that little girl is fighting for her life. She’s fighting well, and with our prayers and help, she will continue experiencing the wonder of life.

Friends, please pray with me and if anyone has excess breastmilk let me know please! Every drop counts for baby S!

To the parents of Baby S, you’re doing a great job! Continue fighting with Baby S. Claim victory in God’s Name!

I may have provided for my own baby but I didn’t force myself to provide for others. I’m just lucky to have stored some intended for future use but might as well share some for someone in dire need. I didn’t ask for money, even milk bags, because I know they needed the money as well.

This post is not to brag about anything. I just want other moms to understand that’s it’s not our obligation to provide milk for others. Mind your OWN baby first. If there’s excess, thank the Lord for it. If you wholeheartedly want to donate, why not? But don’t obligate yourselves to donate.

 

I posted the super long message to just take off the heaviness that I felt yesterday. It was a bittersweet day spent with my darling toddler who ran around, ate a lot, took a long nap while waiting for me while I was having a derma treatment (fortunate are those who have silky smooth faces), ran again at Gymboree, and got her new shoes.

But before all of it, I spent a few good minutes with a stranger, a little girl who is trying her best to survive. It was hearbreaking. I fret on a lot of things but I know I shouldn’t because there are far more people struggling in the battle called life. Newborns like this little girl deserve far better than their situation now.

Life is good. Life is beautiful. Why not let others experience it?

 

~ Touringkitty

 

N.B.: I would like to give major props to the nurse who was feeding Baby S. When I went to visit, only the yaya and the nurse on duty was with baby and the nurse was feeding her through the bottle. Her dedication is truly laudable. And when she asked me if my baby came out normal, I said to myself, thank you, Lord! You kept your promise to me. I pray that this little baby will live long enough to experience what my daughter has been experiencing. Life is indeed good.

Ten Things I’ll Do for Baby Number Two

No, we’re not pregnant! But it just dawned me that I could have done a lot better with my first pregnancy and the first few months postnatal. I realized I could have traveled more, accomplished more. I could have even avoided postpartum depression which lasted many months!

Anyway, I just wished I was able to do the following with number one early on:

1. I can travel with baby in tow. And it’s much easier if she’s still a baby! Mobility will be your worst enemy I tell ya. I have not gone for a long trip lately only because my baby is malikot.

2. I will still breastfeed and never make it a hindrance to working, meeting friends, serving the church, and doing so much more. Not that I’m that lakwatsera, but I will act normal because breastfeeding is normal! The modern generation makes this impression that breastfeeding is a big challenge and that formula is the norm. Not true!

3. And in line with number two, I’ll master babywearing! Started this too late, and this could have saved my hands from De Quervain’s syndrome. And with babywearing, I can do anything!

4. Cupfeed! So I could have transitioned easily from breast to cup and skip bottle. Occasionally my daughter drinks from the bottle and I do hope we could skip it altogether soon.

5. I will still not use pacifier like I did with my daughter. This is to avoid nipple confusion.

6. I will go for baby-led weaning. Weaning means transition to solid foods. We were so afraid to give my daughter foods so we delayed weaning to seven months or even later. It’s usually common for second children to go for BLW mainly because the first-time parent is testing waters for her firstborn.

7. Will still co-sleep because it’s much easier for the family. Fathers usually benefit from this a lot because they sleep longer. Ask my husband!

8. Will never panic about spit-ups! It has unnecessarily sent us twice to the emergency room. Spit-ups are usual.

9. Will act normal. I realize the family was filled with so much panic, confusion, doubts that we all went frantic instead of happy that we have a baby at home. And will not believe pamahiins or voodoos still.

10. Shower our baby lots of love. That’s what they need. We don’t spoil newborns for carrying them the whole time. They bond with you more when you do it.

How about you moms, did you change anything with your parenting styles when number two came?

~ Touringkitty