How Tall Will I be? Check this Height Predictor!

pardon this photo again. this is also a teaser to the upcoming blog post: Jared Goes to School

I’m just 5’ 2” but I look taller than my actual height. I’m actually a picture of the average Pinay. Medium built, sample size clothes and sample size shoes. I need not ask for my size when trying to fit shoes because those on the racks fit me to a T.

Now, Jared was born small and so very fragile. It was only when he turned 1 that he started gaining weight. At two and a half, he was hefty and carrying him the times he’d demand to be “like a baby” would mean back and arm ache that would last a day or two.

So we stopped buying him the probiotic drinks and the sweet treats he loves so much as what his pediatrician suggested. The doctor said he was at the 95% percentile with his weight, while his height was at 50%th percentile only, making him a bit overweight.

Looking at him last night, I became worried he looked kind of lean—too lean for me. His daddy suggested check his height.

It came as a surprise that be shoot up at least 2 inches from two to three months ago. We were kind of worried he was stuck at 4 ft, so we skipped checking his height every month and just let him be.

Here's the link to the height predictor. According to this, Jared will be approx 5 ft 11 inches.

The Dawn of Cable Days

Ours is the only household I know who still doesn’t have cable. My friend Ces used to not have cable too, until a year ago, when they finally had it installed for their son. That made me feel so alone. Hehehe.

Last weekend, the cable guys finally reached our place! I couldn’t argue anymore since the monthly fee for SkyCable is down to P288/month with a P1,999 installation fee.

Now the daddy can have his fill of basketball TV. So, there we now have cable. And I admit the AFC is not too bad.

Ate Vi

She is talented but no, I am not a fan. My mother is, though.
The Ate Vi I am referring to is our beloved car, a fiery Vios.

Ate Vi came to us at the most fortunate time—during wedding preps. And with 1,001 errands always on our list, she proved to be a lifesaver.

Almost 6 years down the road, she’s having the usual breakdowns, in as much as we bring her to regular check ups.

So now, the question is, can we afford a new one?

I Feel so Adult, So Responsible

At 34, I sometimes see me as my 25 year old self. I do have lines now on my face, and a husband and kid to boot, but there are days I still think and feel like a 25 year old.

But not yesterday.

It was a landmark day. I signed up for an insurance with VUL from my friend who is a Sunlife agent.

We used to discuss our ‘song of the day’, night outs and outings. Now, we are talking about investments, critical illness riders on insurance, and emergency funds.
My, my, we are getting older.

But I am happy.

And I feel like the title says, so adult and responsible.

I finally took that baby step to start our retirement funds. In 5 and 10 years, the two will be fully paid. Just in time to get the most out of the most productive years of my working life.

After this initial step, I am raring to go and save, save, save! Maybe a budget planner will be of help, no?

A Happy Childhood

this is a picture totally unrelated to the post. hahaha.

Because we’re products of happy homes, not privileged certainly, but happy nevertheless, we wanted to give our son the same, or an even better one.
As parents, we are still trying to learn the ropes. With 3 years experience, we have a long, long way to go. Our hope is that we’ll be able to raise a smart, happy, productive and a kind-hearted child who’ll be ready to face the world when the right time comes.

Without bias, I can say that so far, we’re in the right track in raising a happy kid. As with most children, he takes delight in simple things such as sticks and wires for toys. But unlike some, he is openly affectionate, far from shy, and seeks other kids out to play.

Here's our thoughts on a few things which we think affects our child's upbringing.

Establish routines. It says routines ground a child, give him an idea of order. We’ve included in our family budget (more on this in a separate post) a certain amount for our Saturday and Sunday activities. It’s not much and our activities can just be a simple as going to the park or mall—but we want to take our child out on a “date” on weekends. We (more of I) feel he’s cooped up inside the house on weekends and Friday night is the start of being with mommy and daddy. We let him enjoy his favorite things like running, playing at the park, Sundays at Mcdo, and pasgeti (spaghetti) at Jollibee. I sometimes can’t tolerate the smell of Jollibee anymore but all for the sake of the little boy.

Balance. He can’t have all the trains in the Thomas and Friends series, he can’t play with electronic games yet, he can’t have all the chocolates and ice cream. Even if we want to actually give him more than what we know is good for him.

Share. This is a concept we practice at home. Often, he’ll even shove a toy under a baby’s nose to “share” his toy. But he’s still a kid and just this weekend, refused to share his spaghetti with mommy...even if he’s done eating. So, we just repeat. Share.


Hitting. I think most kids go through the hitting part. I consider ours a lighter than normal problem. He’ll hit his daddy in the face when he’s excited. But not me. And for me, it’s more of waving his arms in utter joy (and hitting your face in the process)than really hitting to hurt someone. In the presence of younger kids, my son is more careful, more gentle in fact than when he's with us.

Set examples. Children this age are mirrors. What they see, they'll copy. He's affectionate because four people shower him with kisses every day. He has learned to hug and gather us in a big embrace to say "family" because that is what we do. He doesn't shout in anger (but shrieks in glee)because he doesn't hear that at home, he says thank you, please and welcome, even to total strangers (food delivery guys, even the cable guys).

I could go on and on but let me reserve that when I have gotten to know more about parenting and its many challenges.

Building Friendships

I just read at Babycenter over the weekend that kids Jared's age are just beginning to understand the concept of friendship.

I agree with this. A few months ago when he was just two, even if there are other kids around, he would just look at them and will proceed with his own play. They have a term for this at babycenter and that is parallel play. It means playing side by side with another child but not really playing with each other.

When he turned 3, I got so excited to see him interact with other kids and this summer at play school, I believe Jared made his first ever friend.

The boy's name is Miguel. He is a few months older than Jared and although Jared always says "Midel (for Miguel) pushed Jared", I've seen how fond he is of his playmate. He shares his toys with him, calls his name when Miguel wanders around in class, and during their culminating activity, he actually saved a seat for his friend.

Ay anak, I hope you'll cultivate beautiful and lasting friendships as you grow older.
Miguel and Jared with Teacher Kate


Jared (in orange) probably asking how Miguel is

On my Bike

This should have had a great biking picture with it but alas no camera yet.

Moving on, Jared learned to bike just last weekend! As in propel himself forward by actually pushing on the pedals.

I'll borrow my sister's cam and take photos this coming Saturday. Or maybe a UP visit will be much better.

Life Without a Camera

No camera= no posts.

It’s just not right that I document my son’s life in this blog without pictures.
My latest cam is a Panasonic and it lasted me less than a year. I had a Sony before that, and a Casio before that Sony.
Is it me (and my son’s deft hands) or are digicams becoming ‘disposable’ too nowadays?

Will be back with a vengeance and hopefully a new camera.

Here are some old photos to tide me over as I go through this blogging drought.

Top 10 Things I Wished I’d Done When I Was Still Breastfeeding

I was supposed to join the Milk Mama blog carnival, but other activities and things got in the way so I didn't make it to the deadline. But I'm posting my Top 10 here just the same._______________________________

Breastfeeding was a wonderful experience for me and I’m pretty sure for my son, too. I breastfed him for 2 years and 8 months until he weaned at will. Up to now, I still miss that special bond, the look a baby gives his mommy, during feeding time.

If only I could turn back time, I will…

1. Jot down my breastfeeding experience in a journal or blog from the very first day. I was apprehensive on starting a blog and letting everyone in on our lives. I started actively writing in the blog when my son was already 8 months old. The result: a lot of backtracking and in the process, forgeting the minute details that will forever be unexpressed in words. Write down your breastfeeding experience and and let other moms learn from your experience.

2. Sit down for a nice photograph. Breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful moments experienced by mother and child and it is but apt that you immortalize that moment in a nice photo. If I have one, I’d gladly display that in a prime spot in the house. Sadly, I only have photos of me breastfeeding in ratty clothes. Tsk, tsk.

3. Raise the awareness on breastfeeding more actively. We still lack breastfeeding facilities in the Philippines. I was lucky I got pregnant and gave birth at a time when information and the importance of breastfeeding is being resurrected. And we are starting to have breastfeeding stations in malls. I know breastfeeding in public ( in plain view) still makes people cringe—not the mommy but more of those around her. I regret not writing to malls who still doesn’t provide breastfeeding stations, and then not writing to let them know my appreciation as a user of the breastfeeding stations available. I can go on and on here.

4. Wait until I meet my son before buying baby stuff, breastfeeding stuff included. I bought a lot of breastfeeding covers before I even met my son. I didn’t know yet he will sweat and feel utterly uncomfortable under one and rendered my purchases unfit.

5. Not dilly dally in my decision to shell out money for an electric pump. I’m a working mom and I’m not yet in a position to give up work to be with my son 24/7. So like most CS moms, I went back to join the workforce after 78 days. And with only a manual pump to build up my stash of breastmilk and to use as pump at the office for a month or so, I got sore fingers and almost, almost gave up on breastfeeding. The P16,000 I spent on an electric pump was one of the wisest decision and well-spent investment I’ve ever made.

6. Chillax. As a first time mom, I wanted to be the best, to do everything for my baby, to be supermom. I didn’t want anybody to hold him. In the process, I was putting added pressure on my already sleep-deprived and harrased self.

7. Buy a fridge to go. I lugged around my breastfeeding paraphernalia in one eskimo cooler. Not cool. It always looked as if I’m carrying an organ for a transplant. Hahaha.

8. Bring my baby to out of town trips. The most stressful moments I had related to breastfeeding were during trips when he wasn’t with me. The first time was when he was a mere four months. I was pumping and stressing over my milk half of the time. I pumped on the plane ride beside a male colleague who had no idea what the movement was behind that breastfeeding cover I had on and I experienced expressing milk by hand on a bus (my manual pump broke at the most unfortunate time). It would have made life easier for me. Now if only I can do that for business trips.

9. Eat tons of malunggay! Not only does it increase milk supply, but it’s also really nutritious. I ate lots but if I can do it again, I’d put malunngay in everything I ate. I discovered the wonder of malunggay powder late.

10. Maintain the weight I had when I was breastfeeding. I was 120 lbs when I got pregnant and ended up 40 lbs heavier when I was due. Three months later, I was able to fit back into my old clothes. Then, a year after I was down to 116 lbs! Thinner than when I first got pregnant. Breastfeeding burns calories. I was constantly hungry and eating but didn’t put on a pound. It’s just sad I kept the appetite even after we stopped breastfeeding. Don’t ask me how much I weigh now.

The good news is, I still have the chance to correct these mistakes once we’re ready for baby #2!

Mother's Day post: I am Turning Into My Mother

I am turning into my mother. And I say that in a nicest way.

You see, my mama is the most simple mother. Growing up, there were times when I'd wish she’d dress more fashionably, put on make up, or be glamorous, like those moms I see on magazines and TV. I sometimes wonder how me and my sister turned up like this (maarte).

It was only when I was in college and papa passed away already when I finally understood and appreciated the simple-ness of mama. She was simple so we can be dressed up in the best brands (Patrick dresses, anyone) our money can afford, sent to private schools, taken to SM Makati on weekends for malling and eating out and never wanted for anything that we needed.

Growing up, we never went out of the house looking like slobs. And I would see kids looking unkept when their mothers looked immaculate. To this day, this is one thing I swore I'll never do.

And true to this entry’s title, indeed I am… turning into my mother that is. I may not be as simple, but I always put my son's needs before mine.

It also used to bother me that my mama would write in my diary more often than my classmates’ moms do. I mean she would write to ask questions and she has plenty. I used to be so embarrassed to show teacher. Now my son is going to summer play school and when asked one day on what happened in class earlier, he replied “Midel (for Miguel, his classmate) push Jared. My, I wanted to wage war against a three year old that day.

Like my mama, I work fast and I absolutely hate people so are slow, in all ways. It makes me think they are lacking in energy or food or sleep, whichever is not so good an excuse to be sloppy. I also walk fast and I talk even faster.

On some weekends when I was small, she'd bake her infamous coffee cake for papa or my favorite custard cake and all kids in the neighborhood would be waiting for the left over icing in the mixing bowl I'd share with them. Now my son is growing up, I'd want him to have a nice memory of his mommy in the kitchen, concocting all sorts of wonderful and tasty goodies for him and yes, even his friends.

There are a lot more things I'd want to follow, especially on how she raised me and my sister. We turned out to be wonderful daughters so I'm praying that my husband and I can raise a son well and prepare him for when he's ready to test his wings out in the world.

This post is dedicated to mama, my blog’s most avid follower and my son’s greatest fan. I could have added more stuff here but I'm saving the others for the following years. We have more Mother's Day to celebrate.


'm

10th Anniversary

My husband and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary as a couple this year. We met in graduate school, I was nursing a broken heart and he had nothing better to do.

There is always a debate on who ‘made the first move’. I talked to him first, yes but only to ask him to move his newspapers so I can sit down on the bench he as hogging all to himself when the other applicants had nowhere to seat.

Our anniversary will deserve another post but let me go before that and highlight another important thing that came out of spending time taking post graduate studies: we found a group of friends that I’m pretty sure we’ll be with until we grow old.

Not all of us graduated with that degree, not all who graduated did at the same time, but 10 years after that first day in Management 101, we’re still here, still friends.

Happy 10th anniversary, GroUPm8s!

Here’s to many, many more kids, more adventures and more years of beautiful friendship.

The Untold Story

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
- Maya Angelou

Because today is May 1, Labor Day here in the Philippines, and more than three years after I gave birth, please allow me to tell THE STORY through this scrapbook of how our son Jared Nicolas came to be (minus the PG details, wink!).

Finally, one album down.

Here's a preview of some of the pages.

Six months after the wedding, our boy was conceived.

It wasn't an easy pregnancy and it was one filled with small sacrifices and constant fear that he will be out early.

But God and out little boy heard my prayers and...


and on that fateful day in April, just when he turned exactly 37 weeks, our boy came to this world. Full-term and healthy!

At the nursery, he was always trying to open his eyes and the look he gave his daddy on the other side of that glass was priceless.

The days that followed were about trying to make the thought that we are now parents sink in and trying hard to frantically learn what we needed to learn: holding the baby, giving him a bath and feeding him right. I was in and out of the nursery to breastfeed the hungry boy. Never mind the CS operation on me.


Four days after, he took him this precious bundle of joy.