Bye Buddy!

I totally don't know what to feel this morning when I left the house without my ever reliable milk expressing breast pump. I feel happy that finally I don't need to endure the tiring milk expressing session with my ever trusted manual pump during breaks, no need to "moment time", no interruption in between my work, no worrying about unfrozen ice-packs, no hassle of carrying the insulated bag and most of all I can now go home late without the worry that my freshly expressed milk getting spoiled.  So after 2 years, I can now go back to my daily routine, but I will surely miss my milking buddy, really served me well. 

So this is the feeling? Like all other working breast feeding mothers feel during the transition in weaning, bittersweet. But as I mentioned in my earlier post about weaning D, I already decided to do it with justifiable reasons. Although he's not yet completely weaned, we are getting there slowly. This week, he didn't ask for "dede" during daytime. Even if asked if he wanted "dede" or "milo" he will choose "milo", very good boy! he understood that he already turned 2 years old and as we agreed "no more dede na, milo nalang and juice". But he still nurse the whole night, so I decided to stop expressing milk in during work to reserve it during nighttime, no one drinks my expressed milk anyway. So this is it, baby D is now a little boy. hay... 

Dear Buddy, 

Thank you for making my breast feeding journey successful. You served me well, and as I bid goodbye to you now, hopefully we will be together with baby no.2! lol. You may not be as user friendly as others do, but you are the best buddy for me. You made our life easy by helping me provide D with the liquid gold even if we are in Davao, Baguio, Sofitel, Manila Hotel, Dipolog and Aklan. You are one of the accomplish why D grew-up healthy and active. Together we provided D with the best nourishment he needed. Thank you very much for helping me provide D the best thing that a mother can do, breastmilk. 

'Till we tandem again buddy, 

G, 

D's Pocoyo Party (2nd Birthday)

Where did time go? I have now a toddler (officially). Last saturday, D turned 2 years old and broke 2 drinking glasses, spilled 2 pitchers of juice and had a countless bruises, OMG! what else?! But, but, those things cannot match the happiness that D brought to our family. On both side of the family, he's the ultimate favorite, because he's youngest and he's into the stage of always pasikat! haha aliw lahat!

So there..., we celebrated D's birthday with the whole family and D's barkada (yes! mayroon na!). The theme is POCOYO since D loved the gang so much! I just had a hard time since pocoyo themed party needs/supplies are very limited in the market. But I took the challenge. And in my own assessment, Baby D is so happy with the party!

I have a lot of plans for the DIY Pocoyo Party, but the stress that I had during the week before the party and the upcoming exam dates, I had enough stress and settled for few DIY's.  'Di bale baby D, mommy will make it up to you next month, birthday mo ulet! lol

Anyways, we started D's birthday celebration by a tradition that I want to have every morning with D and our future kids.

Blowing of cake and candles first thing in the morning. 

R and I sang birthday song, while D is clapping and blew his candle, btw, this is a second take na, got so excited and forgot to video the first time. 

And opening of gifts! 

We got him 4 books. I want to develop his love for reading na. 

So after the traditions (my pauso!). D run and enjoyed the rest of the day. 

Its his birthday anyway. And he has a license na as toddler! whew! goodluck to us!

Baby D's first outfit of the birthday boy! 

R is teasing me, pwede na daw isabit si D sa flagpole!

D was so excited and happy to play, so ayan hindi nakikipag-cooperate sa pictures!

My first DIY. D's cake. 

Cake: Large Chocolate Dedication Cake from Red Ribbon

Candle: Liwanag Candle

Topper: Pocoyo and Friends from Toy Kingdom 

Banner : Printed only (sorry the BBQ stick sucks, I will do better next time)

But in fairness, D liked the cake. I also DIY his first bday cake, and planning to do it yearly na. 

And the so eager ever bday boy can't wait ti get hold of the cake topper. 

D enjoying the party. Gulong kung gulong!

DIY wall. 

Gift tag. 

Party Loots c/o DIVI. I bought generic bags nalang, since I cannot find Pocoyo stuffs at divi.

Our only family picture. D's so malikot at ayaw makisama. 

He blew his own cake candle! praktisado yan! lol

The menu: 

Spaghetti, Lumpiang Shanghai, Chicken Joy, Hotdog on sticks, Biko and Puto pangasinan c/o D's lolo and lola, fruit salad, cake and chico. 

The grannies. 

Look! He's so grown up na!

D enjoying his b-day food. 

The kids enjoyed the pabitin. We also DIY it. 

I need to carry D, kundi madadaganan siya! Siya kasi pinakamaliit, yet nakikigulo!

Famila E. 

Happy birthday my Love! you will always be mommy's baby D!

Happy Birthday D!

Exactly 2 years ago, during this time, I am on my not-so-active labor pa lang, nervous but so excited to hold baby D in my arms.  Ngaun? my not so baby but a little boy is turning 2! Where did time go? He is now running everywhere, conversing with me, chooses his own clothes and growing up so fast!

This years celebration is a simple one (which daddy R said, "Simple pa ba yan sa lagay na yan?!". Promise! I'm planning a simple and intimate celebration for D. I want his close friends and relatives lang. I want him to enjoy lang. Unlike kasi last year, he's more aware of his bdays na, so I just made sure he'll be happy. 

Hence, the Pocoyo and Friends theme. We'll, good luck to me and daddy R's budget. 

Dear D, 

Happy 2nd Birthday! I don't know when will you read my letters, but I'm still writing them so mommy will capture every special moments that we have, to document your development, so when mommy's momnesia attacks, I still have stories to tell you. 

You are growing so fast, smart and a healthy baby boy. I always thank God for that, and for everyday that you make us (mommy and daddy) and the whole family happy. I hope that we are doing things right and raise you as a God fearing, respectful and gentleman someday. Mommy and Daddy may not be always with you everyday, but don't worry we will always make it up every weekend. I love you more than the whole universe anak, and I will do anything to give you the best in life. 

Enjoy your birthday baby. 

We love you so much. 

Mommy, 

On Weaning D

Over the holidays, when we meet our relatives they have the same comments for D:

"Anlaki mo na D, awat na" 
"D, dapat no more dede ka na" 
"Lagyan mo ng sili yan para maawat na, para kumain ng kanin, tataba yan!"

And I am also conditioning D, I talk to him and I always say;

"D, kapag 2 years old ka na no more dede okay? drink nalang milk, milo, eat hotdog, rice, gulay, okay?"

sometimes D will say "Okay!" sometimes he will say "Ayaw!"

And now 11days before his birthday, I am bittersweet in weaning him. I mentioned before that I will try to nurse D as long as he wants. And I still want to, but there are some valid reasons why I am considering weaning him this early. 

He's not weaning into solids. When D turned 1 year old, he's 10 kilos, and now that he's turning 2 years old, he's still 10 kilos. I not worried though, kasi he's very active and healthy naman. Our pedia said he's not malnourished, he's healthy so nothing to worry about since he's breastfeed naman. The problem is that ayaw niya kumain ng rice whenever I am around because of "dede". We all know that even breastmilk is the best milk, there are nutrients that a growing (and hyper child) needed that mommy's milk cannot provide. 

He's getting so dependent with me. For reasons that I want D to grow up independent. I love how D calls mommy everytime he needed me for dede. I love how we snuggle and hug at night, especially ngaun na malamig. I love how I can kiss D everytime he nurses at hand lang. Pero I want my little boy to grow as a tough man. I have to let go. 

Sigmund Freud, Psychosexual Development. This is an offshoot of my weekend classes. Malaki ang bilib ko sa theory ni pareng freud na yan. He says that each stages of development needs to be resolved, otherwise child will be fixated. D is still in the ORAL stage, and the main challenge is weaning. I don't want the effect of fixation in ORAL for baby D. Being talkative and overly vocal is not the trait suited for a man. 

Tiredness. Yeah. Katamaran. For two years, I am expressing milk 5 days a week and minimum of 3 times a day using a manual pump. I know I once said that I will never get tired for baby D, but come on! I think I did the best for 2 years for baby D, who is know a little boy. I want my life back. I want my body back. And daddy R wanted my body back also chos! Kidding aside, I wanted a normal life again before having baby number 2. Ayayay!

So there, I think I have enough reasons for weaning D. I already justified the reasons, but I am still having second thoughts. I will miss baby D's clinginess. And I am also afraid baka lumayo ang loob sa akin ni baby when we stop nursing since I am a working mom and I will travel a lot this year. I don't want that. But I want D to grow up. Dilemma. 

What will I do?!

2013 Christmas Rush!

Hello 2014! Today is January 6, 2014 and my first day at work! (I know! buena mano ang leave) I welcomed 2014 with a flu, so bad, but as I said, I am still very positive for 2014! Last year was a bit difficult for me, for us, but I know it will be better this year. In spite of the struggles, I learned and realized a lot of things last year and will try to do a separate post for that. Speaking of learnings, I wanna share you how my December went, how rush it was. And I promise to do better this year to avoid the rush. 

Every year, palagi nalang ako nagugulat, December na pala?! I am always a crammer! so when all the mommies are busy shopping and preparing for gifts, I am packing money in ampaos. Hindi na kinaya ng powers ko na magshopping because of the hectic schedule at school and work. But mind you, there is a weekend at school that I came early. As in I am only 5 minutes  late!, thats once in a blue moon in my weekend classes. 

I am really a mess last year.  I don't even have any gift for D! Ngaun pa naman na he's appreciating gifts and christmas, the lights and kanta "santa claus". Last minute I planned on buying a red sock, but when I came back, GONE na! But nalang D has great ninong and ninangs, and marami pa din siya na-open na mga gifts!

For the two months, I am 7days rolling, so no weekends and play with D so I made it up to D by bringing him at our office christmas party, D enjoyed a lot, my officemates also enjoyed, ako?! hindi ko alam. Haha look at D disaster at our car?! batang energizer bunny yata siya!

December is the time of the super stressed, busy at iba pang words, but my boys are soundly relaxing and peaceful at sleep. I envy them, so that morning I decided to skip my weekend class. Hays.. 

Father and son talaga?!

As a result of my unexplainable cramming attitude, as usual we made our shopping during the christmas rush peak, and while I am stressed looking at good buys, and R is stressed with me dahil ikot ako ng ikot. D is relaxing at our cart! Hindi kasi uso sa amin ang stroller, ayaw niya sumakay dun, pero sa grocery cart, ayan at nakataas pa ang paa. Hay D, you never fail to make mommy amazed!

We spent the last two weeks of December at the province, we left the busy city and I thought I will have enough time to read, relax and reflect because mas slow and buhay dun, Akala ko lang pala yun. Time flies so fast when you have a comfortable bed, cold weather and yummy food everyday. Ang bilis matapos ng bakasyon!

 Speaking of rush, this little boy can't wait to eat his "getti" even if we are still praying, ayan!

D also joined is his first kiddie Christmas party, since he is the smallest, hindi pa siya kasali sa mga games except for the exchange gifts and dance-dance. 

Nagsasariling magsplit. 

The rest of the group. 

I may be not a very good girl last 2013, but I still thank santa for giving the that best gifts. R and baby D. Promise I'l make it up this year. haha.

And speaking of rush, here is the evidence of "rush" D is always on the move nowadays. I cannot document na how many flower pots, vases, glass bottles, placemats and toys he destroyed. Kagulo talaga! knowing that he will just turn 2. Paano kapag 2 ka na talaga anak?!

And we started our year at the beach. Yeah, remember on my Christmas wish list?! haha nabasa at natupad naman siya ni R. Yun lang, we didn't see baby D run and play along the shores. Yuck daw kasi ang sand. We didn't enjoyed as what we planned because we're sick. But I loved how we walk hand in hand along the shore. How we tease and chat at the waters. I loved how the infinity of the water inspires me to achieve my limitless possibilities this year. 

Cheers for 2014!

g,