Marlon + She Wedding (My Brother's Wedding)

Like what I mentioned in my previous post, my brother got married last January 20 2013. It was a christian wedding held at Kowloon House, West Avenue. Both the ceremony and the reception was held there. The event was somewhat emotional, well at least for me actually. You see, my brother Marlon is very dear to me. We grew up together in Pangasinan. We were raised by our beloved grandma whom we call Nanay. Now, he's entering the bandwagon I joined two years ago, yun lang he joined it earlier than I did. I was 30 years old when I got married, wehehe! I know, medyo mashonda na ang beauty ko when I got hitched. Haha! But that's another story. :-)

Anyway, yun nga, the event was somewhat emotional for me. When She, the bride (now my sister in law) started walking down the isle, I looked at my brother who was at the end of the isle waiting for his soon to be wife. When I saw that he looked like he was going to cry, awww... My heart was touched and mas nauna pa akong naiyak kesa sa kapatid ko! Hahaha, drama queen lang ang peg ko mga sis! Then the ceremony started. My ever loving lola was naiinip na because nagugutom na siya, hahaha! But when I told her that I was touched with my brother's reaction and when she saw me crying, ayun crayola na rin ang lola ko. Nakakaloka, sa kanya talaga ako nagmana. Nakalimutan siguro niya yung gutom niya. 

Okay, so after the ceremony, the late lunch was served and everybody at our table ate hungrily, especially my two brothers (who were both secondary sponsors by the way). Did I mention that they looked so cute in their lavender long sleeves with tie and vest? Yes, they did. Kaso, they were making fun of themselves, head waiters daw sila! My other brother Gerwin and his son (my nephew) Ryzen wore the same knitted pull over vest in argyle design over their long sleeves and they looked so adorable too! Ryzen wore a sponge bob tie, so cute! Gerwin was the Best Man and Ryzen was the ring bearer. But of course, the groom looked extremely impressive in his coat and tie. She, the bride, looked really captivating in her gown. 

On the same table with us were my sister in law Mae (Gerwin's wife), Yuri who looked too cute in his long sleeves, my cousin Den and Gio, Nanay my beloved lola and of course Allan, me and Trev who's the star of the day for me because he danced in almost all of the wedding songs, hahaha! I featured his danced in my previous post here. I so love Trev's Tinytots Tuxedo onesie talaga. Kering keri ng anak ko. I think I should get another one in a bigger size na. *wink* *paging Allan, penge pambili* (Joke!)

Marlon and She are expecting their first baby very soon so I am really excited! I am going to have a new pamangkin, they don't know yet kasi if girl or boy. Baka daw next month malaman na nila. Weee, excited!

Here are just some of the pictures at the wedding. 

Family pic first. :-)

Lola Nanay playing with her apo sa tuhod. :-)

Trev busy playing :-)

Trev enjoying his "Marie" snack time!

Marlon and I grew up with them when we were still living in Pangasinan. Glad to see them all again!

Look at my brothers, they looked so cute in their tie and vest. There's Ryzen and Yuri too! :-)

With my Dad and Mom

The newly weds!

I am so glad to have attended my brother's wedding. We were almost not able to attend this wedding because Allan was supposed to go to work that day. Good thing it was cancelled. I feel happy too to see my relatives whom I haven't seen in a while. It's only during gatherings or occasions like this that we get to see each other. I'm glad to see also my relatives from Pangasinan especially my Nanay (lola). You see, she raised me and Marlon ever since we were kids. Well, actually, I was already with her since I was 2 months old. Marlon was I think 5 years old then nung kinuha sya ni Nanay para alagaan. So, we're basically ampons ni Nanay, wehehe! I was with Nanay for 20 years before I went to Manila to work. Just imagine how painful it was for me to leave her in the province. Anyway, I think that deserves another story, don't you think? :-)

So, there. That wraps up my entry for now. To Marlon and She, Congratulations and Best Wishes. Hope you have a safe delivery, She. Don't forget to breastfeed when the baby arrives, okay? (Haha, talagang kailangan nakasingit ang breastfeeding?)

This Is The Way We Brush Trev's Teeth

I have always wanted Trev to learn how to take care of his teeth as early as possible. So when his teeth started cutting through one by one (or sometimes in pair), I have started training him with proper oral hygiene. Before, we used to brush his teeth with just his toothbrush and his Wilkin's water but about a few months ago, I decided that he needs a toothpaste already. 

I searched the net and found out a lot of kiddie toothpastes suited for a little toddler like mine. There are toothpastes kasi that are not suitable for little kids yet. I found out that fluoride - free toothpaste should be what little toddlers should use at this stage. I learned too a lot of brands available that are fluoride - free. There's Pigeon, Sansfluo, Tom's of Maine among others. Tooth wipes are also essential especially when your toddler refuses to brush his teeth. 

It's important to use non-fluoridated toothpaste at this stage as a training toothpaste because overexposure to fluoride could lead to Fluorisis.

According to Ehow: 

"Fluorosis is a staining or spotting on the enamel of the teeth caused by an overexposure to fluoride. Children are susceptable to this condition during the years when their adult teeth are developing. Fluoride can be found in many sources, some obvious and others surprising. Toothpaste, bottled water, tap water, and even juice and soda have been shown to contain fluoride in varying amounts"

Good thing that his drinking water is Wilkin's, which is a distilled water and is not fluoridated. 

Okay, so after researching, I finally came up with these for Trev's brushing routine:

Earth's Best Toddler Toothpaste, Sansfluo Tooth and Gum Wipes and Pigeon Stage 2 Toothbrush

I got the Earth's Best Toddler Toothpaste from the ever reliable Healthy Options at around Ph475 (1.6 oz size). According to the label, use a pea-sized amount, but I personally don't follow that, wehehe! I use a "munggo"-size amount of toothpaste only. Although, it's safe to swallow, I don't want to risk it. Besides, he's still training and he still doesn't know how to swish and spit, so might as well go on the safe side. :-)

I got the Pigeon Stage 2 Toothbrush and Sansfluo Tooth and Gum Wipes from Baby Company at Ph139 (12 packet wipes). I forgot how much the toothbrush was though. :-( I intentionally got him the Stage 2 Toothbrush as a training toothbrush for now because (1) He only has 6 teeth yet [4 upper and 2 lower] (2) It serves as a brush and a gum massager, which is good because Trev usually bites on anything to relieve his itchy and achy gums. We will upgrade to Stage 3 once his other teeth comes out. As of now, his canines are already cutting through and I can feel his other lower teeth coming out too. 

The Tooth Wipes, yes the Tooth Wipes! It's very cool that there's one being sold because it helps especially when Trev doesn't want to let me brush his teeth and just wants to play with his toothbrush. Although, he generally is not difficult to brush, he allows me to brush his teeth almost all the time, but since he's a baby, of course there are times that he wants to "prioritize"  his play time, wehehe! I generally don't force him into brushing because I don't want it to become a traumatic experience for him. To solve that issue, when those days come, sometimes I just let him be and just get a tooth wipe to wipe food morsels out of his teeth and gums. It's very handy, really! I bring a few packets along in his diaper bag so I can wipe his teeth when we're out.

Good thing also that my baby is breastfed, because based from this website: 

"Under normal circumstances, the antibodies in breastmilk counteract the bacteria in the mouth that cause decay."

Trev nurses to sleep at night but although there is a study that shows the benefits of breastmilk and tooth decay which I am very thankful for, I couldn't be so complacent yet. I brush Trev's teeth before bed time then he nurses to sleep after. So if he has already gotten to sleep while nursing at night, I try my best to wipe his teeth using the tooth wipes I got for him to make sure that his teeth are clean while sleeping. But I must admit, I couldn't do it every night. :-( I just hope and pray that it doesn't take its toll on my baby's teeth. I hope so because I believe the study above. :-)

It's very important to start early in taking care of your baby's teeth. I, myself, want to because of course, who wants her baby to suffer from carries early on in his life. And toothache! Oh, toothache! I don't want my baby to suffer from toothache as early as now. So, I try my very best as much as I could. I'm so glad that I have a very supportive husband that helps me with this. Since there are times that Trev doesn't want me to brush his teeth, Allan helps me. Although, I sometimes let Trev be if he doesn't want to, there are times when I need to endure Trev's resistance especially when he has eaten sweets or anything like that. The technique that so far works for us is this: my husband holds his head and arm while Trev is lying down (we sometimes do it the other way around because I can see Trev's teeth better if his head is on my lap). For me to be able to brush his teeth, I tickle him and start brushing. It's still a fun time because he enjoys it, laughing while I tickle him. He generally enjoys brushing time. We also let him watch us while we brush our teeth so he knows that there is really nothing to be afraid of in brushing teeth.

My baby enjoying his tooth brush time. :-)

I have learned a lot while researching about good oral hygiene for babies. I want to share it with you. 

• Cavities are caused by germs that are passed from adult to child, meaning it's contagious. So, do not put anything in your baby's mouth that has been in your mouth.
• Do not share spoon with your baby.
• Do not blow on your baby's food.
• Do not test baby's food with your mouth before feeding it to your baby.
• Give your baby healthy snacks like cheese. Apparently, cheese can help prevent tooth decay. (Good thing because Trev loves cheese!)
• Brush baby's teeth for a good 2-3 minutes at least twice a day. 
  
• Help brush your child's teeth until he is 9-10 years old. They couldn't reach and brush their teeth all around so better do it yourself.

So, there you go. We plan to schedule Trev on his very first dental check up already. Hope it becomes a good experience for him. :-)

On Making Home-made Babyfood

When Trev turned 6 months old, I was still a working mom. But I was determined to provide him with all the healthy meals when he starts taking solid. I was a constant lurker in a lot of mommy forums looking for ways on how I could succeed in doing this. I resigned from work when Trev was almost 7 months old so I was blessed with more time to prepare. And so far, thank God, I can say that I was successful with that. Trev did not turn out to be a picky eater, he eats anything that we give him. Whether the food is bland, sour or bitter, he would eat it happily. Maybe he knows that we're giving him what's best for him. Okay, I admit, we gave him occasional store-bought food when we go out, but I settled with organic food from Earth's Best. Foods from tooot, tooot and tooot, etc  are no-no for me, well, for Trev actually.

I have to give credit to the following websites though because these served as my guide when I was still making baby food for my little boy. 

Momtastic's Wholesome Babyfood - This was my number one guide. I learned a lot from this website. Really awesome site!  

Homemade Babyfood Recipes - This one is very similar with the website above although here, I found other recipes which are really good too!

Nurture Baby - I found a lot of yummy baby food recipes here.

I have to acknowledge also all the other random sites I chanced upon via google. Thank you for sharing all the wonderful baby food recipes. 

I just made a little tinkering on some of the recipes I gathered from the above websites and some other googled sites because some of the listed ingredients were not available locally. 

This will probably be a series of blogs about how I prepared my home made baby food for Trev. I hope I can catch up though. 

Okay, so first on the list. I researched on how I could store home made baby food. You see, I planned to make it in bulk, at least a week's worth, so it will make life easier for Trev and I. I followed the 4-day wait rule I have been reading in a lot of sites. 4-day wait rule simply means that if you are introducing a kind of food to your baby for the first time, serve it to him for 4 consecutive days and observe for any reactions like allergies or anything. If baby is okay with it, then serve a new one again repeating the same routine. 

Since I plan to store and freeze baby food for Trev for a week's worth, I decided that I needed to have a storage. I followed the ice cube method and it was very useful. 

Here are the things that I first used when I was still starting with this journey.

His very first feeding set. Bought this from SM Baby Company. I think it was worth Ph500 more or less. Medyo mahal nga eh. Pero I'm still using this until now to store some of Trev's food. Note that Trev is already 15 months now. So, sulit na rin kahit panu. :-)

The foodmaker set that we bought from Landmark Trinoma. I was so happy with this buy because it was way more affordable than the other brands. Got it for a little over Ph300 only. Other known brands would cost you around Ph900. :-)

This is the most expensive among all my baby food making (and storage) finds. I got it at SM Baby Company for I think Ph1600, discounted na yan kasi onsale that time. 

That Dr. Brown's storage pods are my most loved among my baby food storage finds kahit super expensive siya. I am still using it until now to freeze Trev's food. Yes, I still freeze some of Trev's food until now. Masisira kasi yung fruit or veggie na binibili namin if I don't cook it right away so I cook in bulk and freeze the remaining. So this storage pods are most useful. I can use it kasi individually, so if konti lang naluto ko, I wouldn't need all of those pods inside the freezer, unlike pag yung ice cube tray gamit ko which would consume more space inside the freezer, di ba? Tapos I can just take one down from the freezer to the ref lang for thawing the night before so I can serve it to Trev the next day. Buti na lang Allan approved when I asked him if I can buy it. You see, it's been a while since I was looking for a storage pod na ganitong ganito, yung parang rubber or silicone  yung material, so when the saleslady at Baby Company offered me this, I got it na. Buti na lang on sale. Partida, on sale na ang Ph1600! Wehe. I forgot na nga lang how much the original cost was. :-)

Finally, nakahanap din kami ni hubby ng ice cube tray na more or less eh 1 oz. per cube ang size and with matching cover and storage. Not only that, it's BPA free pa, san ka pa! Sa SM Department Store lang yan, I think it costs more or less Ph200 ata.

Short kuwento lang about the other items in the photo above. Trev did'nt like the Munchkin Sippy Cup, mas gusto pa niyang uminom straight from his cup. Or dapat tatanggalin mo yung spout para uminom siya, wehehe! I use naman the Munchkin Food feeder whenever I give Trev fruits like oranges, grapes, pears, apples etc. He loves munching on it, especially if chilled or frozen yung fruit. About the spoons, well I have to add more spoons for Trev kasi he has this tendency na tabigin yung kamay mo while feeding, hahaha! Feeling niya siguro, naglalaro lang kami. Countless times, nalalaglag yung spoon niya so we had to get more pa. 

Allan got me this blender with coffee grinder. This blender/coffee grinder costs more or less Ph900 ata at SM Department Store. 

Nirequest ko talaga yang blender kay Allan because I was having a hard time grinding the other veggies for Trev using the Bebeta Food Processor. Just imagine kung ganu kahirap magdurog ng broccoli or cauliflower or baguio beans using the manual food processor di ba? Wehe! Tsaka kailangan ko rin i-grind ang brown rice at steel cut oats ni Trev when I started giving it to him, so the coffee grinder really helped a lot para magawa ko yun. Buti na lang naawa ang hubby ko sa akin kaya binilhan ako, haha! Joke! Ang negative side lang ng blender na ito: Takot si Trev sa sound, naiingayan siya, sus ang iyak pag naririnig na niya!

Allan bought this for me too. It was around Ph250 more or less ata. He got it from SM Supermarket.

I mentioned kasi that I want an ice cube tray from Biokips kasi meron siyang cover, air tight and BPA Free din like the first one we bought. Kaso, based solely from my experience, wrong choice kasi I would find out later na hindi siya madaling gamitin: (1) Maliit yung content per cube, less than 1 oz lang. (2) Matigas yung tray talaga pag frozen na yung food so ang hirap niya i-twist para makuha yung cubes. A lot of times, nag-sspill yung mga cubes pag tinatanggal ko na siya from the tray, diretso sa floor, tsk tsk! Disaster! There was even a time natapon lahat ng cubes ko, oh my! Sayang ang food and effort, huhu. :-( (3) Ang hirap gamitin nung mga cube parts sa corners and sides because mas maliit siya kesa sa cubes sa gitna so kahit marami siyang cube compartments, di ko rin ma-maximize. Epic Fail! Wehe, okay lang, I learned my lesson. :-)
 
Not in photo: Lock n Lock food storage. Yes, I have pa aside from the ones shown here. I have it in the following sizes: two 15 oz, 13.5 oz, 10 oz and we bought Trev a Barney feeding set with cover and spoon. I also use The First Year's Breastflow milk storage as Trev's food storage kasi it has a cover, I have two of those, 4 oz each.

Nag-hoard ata ako ng mga food storage and utensils ni Trev. Pero mind you, nagagamit ko lahat yan! Sulit! So far, aside from the ones mentioned above, meron pa siyang 5 na baso (Note: ginagamit ko rin yung Breastflow milk storage niya as baso so parang 7 lahat), and I think 11 spoons more or less, hahaha! Three of those yung normal na kutsarita namin, it turns out kasi na puwede naman pala niya gamitin yun kasi liit lang naman. :-)

So far, those were the things I came up with when I started this journey for my baby. It was challenging at first but as time went by, I can say that I was able to manage. And thank God because it paid off really well. My baby is not a picky eater and I am happy that I am able to serve him with healthy food. 

Watch out for more entries because I would like to share with you guys how I make home made baby food for Trev. I hope through this, I will be able to help and inspire mommies out there. If I may add, preparing home made baby food does not only save you money from buying expensive store bought food, but it's also a good training ground for babies not to be picky eater (at least based from my experience), and in my humble opinion, at least you are assured that your baby is not taking in all the bad effects of preservatives that can be found in some store bought food. Healthy baby = happy parents! :-)

My Very First Nail Art

I am a very simple person. I don't put on makeup, I am okay with just a face powder and lip gloss and an occasional use of eyelash curler if I feel like it, kikay na yan for me. 

When I got pregnant, I wanted to feel pretty kahit I was looking like a balyena na (no offense to other preggy moms ha, this was how I feel lang when I was pregnant, laki kasi ng tiyan ko nun and I gained so much weight!). Kaso, even though I wanted to feel pretty, parang I couldn't make myself to ever even try, ang bigat ng pakiramdam ko that time. 

Anyways, I used to put on nail polish on my toe nails when I was still single especially when I joined the mountaineering club in our office kasi medyo nangitim mga toe nails ko! Yung malaking toe nail lang naman. Medyo semi-dedbols ba, ganun. Wehehe! (Yikes but true.). Pangit naman kung medyo looking like naghihingalo siya di ba so dapat may color para di obvious! :-) (Nope, I don't blame my mountaineering adventures sa semi-dedbols kong nails noh! Dun kaya kami nagkakilala ng asawa ko!)

But when Allan and I got married and then later on got pregnant, I stopped putting on my nail polish. Kahit after I have given birth already. I felt like it was bad for my baby.

But not until the other day. It was an early morning and Trev was still sleeping. I was a little bored because I couldn't go back to sleep anymore. So I got my new stock of nail polish and started working on my toes. Before, I only apply the usual dark and neutral shades but today, I decided otherwise. I tried the Bobbie Smashed Metallic Blue on top of the Chic Platinum. Yay!

New shades that I have right now. Sorry, hindi ako bumibili ng imported, mahal kaya yun! :-)

Oopps, I wasn't born with pretty feet so I can only show you this. :-)

I think I like this one. It's the very first time I have ever gone extreme with my nail polish. Blue polish, for me, is already extreme. I tried the Bobbie Smashed Black on top of the Bobbie Red the other day pero my nails looked like lady bugs, hahaha!

Anyway, I enjoyed doing this very easy nail art. And it's amazing and exciting at the same time how the nail polish crackle after a few seconds of application. 

I have yet to try my Bobbie Magnet-Ficient Polish though. I don't put nail polish on my finger nails but I tried it one time on my left hand, try lang. It was okay and I was happy already. Ang galing din how the design comes out after you put the magnet on top of your nails. Kaso, when I applied it on my right hand, ayun very sloppy since I am a right-handed person. Pangit tuloy! Haha! Binura ko na lang, buti na lang marami akong acetone, wehehe! 

Allan, my husband, doesn't like my blue polish that much though, sabi niya "Bakit parang sira?". I told him "Mahal, ganyan talaga yan, nail art nga eh." :-P

Oh well, ang asawa ko talaga. I love you so much, mahal ko! :-D

P.S.
Alive na alive na ang mga semi-dedbols kong nails. Di na sila nangingitim. Good thing gumaling naman sila. :-)

Pancakes or Hotcakes?

The other day, I woke up early so I started blogging. I got hungry and craved for pancakes. Trev was still sleeping soundly so I decided that I would cook my breakfast na lang muna. I want pancakes but we didn't have instant pancake mix so I cooked it from scratch. Buti na lang, the ingredients are staple in our kitchen. I got to work and after a few minutes, I was already enjoying this. 

Yummy! :-)

Unfortunately, we don't buy pancake syrup (san naman namin gagamitin yun di ba? haha!), so I just made my syrup out of caramelized brown sugar. Yun lang, super sweet siya. Palpak ang pa-cham kong syrup! Pa-syrup syrup pa kasi ako, puwede namang wala. :-)

Anyway, I was so full I couldn't finish them all in one sitting. At least I still have some to spare for lunch. PG mode lang! Haha! That's what happens when you're all alone with a sleeping baby in an early morning. :-)

By the way, what do you call this nga ba? Pancakes or Hotcakes? Hmm....

Trev's Little Booboos :-(

Allan and I have always been very protective of our son (well, lahat naman siguro ng magulang protective sa anak, di ba?). We make sure that he's always safe and healthy. Minsan nga, feeling ko mas OA pa 'ko sa husband ko, haha! I get so paranoid kasi kahit wala naman dapat ipag-alala. Di ko mapigilan eh, nanay ako eh! Haha! It comes out naturally. I guess, if you have a baby, you can never become too overboard with protecting your little one. He needs all the attention, love and care you could give now since baby pa siya and he couldn't protect himself yet, right? 

The reason why I mentioned that is because Trev has a little scratch on his right knee, mababaw lang naman pero I got so paranoid talaga. I don't want him to get hurt, no matter what. I don't know where or how he got that tiny scratch, and although he doesn't seem to mind, I do! :-(

Aww, my poor baby. :-(

A few days after that, he got another one! Another tiny scratch on his face. This one is much lighter than the one on his knee but again, it got me so worried!

The scratch is very light and he doesn't mind this one too but still, it's a booboo. :-(

I honestly don't know where he got those scratches. Our bedroom has undergone a lot of babyproofing already. All of the walls are padded, the floor is padded, we removed our bed and just put down our mattress on the floor, we removed his crib too and put down his mattress beside ours so parang japanese style na ang bedroom namin, our electric fan has a net cover, the bedroom door has a gate, his toys inside the bedroom has a storage box, name it! We might have already done it inside our room. But still, he had booboos. :-(

And if you think that's the only thing he got, well sadly, no. The other day, he just finished his meal and was playing at the sala with his Tatay, walking here and there. He was clumsily walking and then suddenly, he tumbled down and bumped his head on the floor. Ouch! I picked him up right away, iyak nang iyak. He got a little bruise on his forehead. 

I don't know what happened. But, one minute I was looking, and then I just looked away for a second and then there he was with his booboos. Sad. 

Maybe he's getting more malikot na these days since he's a growing up boy. He goes anywhere and everywhere around the house (with me or his Tatay looking after him of course). Eversince he learned how to walk unassisted, ayan, he's so ecstatic he would jump and walk around everywhere, hahaha! It's so amusing how he grows up so fast, parang nahipan lang! Oh well, I think I just have to be more careful next time and keep an eye on him double time. Hay, the things with first time moms like me... I guess my husband is right anyway, sabi niya kasi "Falling down is part of growing up." Tama, di ba? And of course, we, parents, should always be there to catch them every single time. :-) Ayoko na kaya magka-booboo siya ulit! (Pero, admit it, what he said also applies when your little one grows up na, di ba? :-)

My Dancing Baby - With Video :-)

We went to my brother's wedding last Sunday. Glad to have attended because I have seen a lot of my relatives whom I haven't seen for a while. Also, the last time I attended a wedding was my own wedding almost 2 years ago, wehe!

The wedding was somewhat emotional for me. I will probably blog about that later. Meanwhile, I want to show you my dancing baby. He knows a lot of tricks already and this is just one of those. Trev kasi loves music and everytime he hears one, he would dance with the tune. Depende pa yan if mabagal or mabilis yung tune. If mabilis, aba mabilis din ang dance niya, if mabagal, sway sway lang siya, hahaha! So, here he was dancing when we were at the wedding. He looks so adorable and so cute (wala pong kokontra ha, anak ko yan, hahaha!)

Enjoy watching! :-)

We love you so much, anak! Be a good boy always, okay? Everyday, I thank God for you.

 May He bless you always, baby. *Big hug from Tatay and Nanay*

Nursing In Public

Warning: Loooong post. I can't make it shorter, sorry. :-( 

Breastfeeding has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done (and still doing) for my son. Every challenge that we went through is nothing compared to the benefits it gives us. It is indeed priceless. Everyday, I thank God that He made me capable of giving this precious liquid gold to my baby. 

I think one of the tiny bit things that make breastfeeding a challenge is nursing a baby in public. Some mothers find it hard (or awkward perhaps) to feed their baby when they're in a public place. I, myself, at first found it a little difficult, especially with a wriggly baby like mine, haha! But, happily, I was able to find ways to solve the dilemma. I actually do not have any qualms nursing Trev when were out, it's just that I want to do it discreetly because of course, who wants to expose "herself" into the world, right? Haha! But, it's all good. 

Some people, when they see a mother nursing her young in public, always gives this weird glance as if they're seeing something  unusual. I think some establishments even don't allow breastfeeding mom and baby in their place, I wonder why that is. More often than not, when you see a mom nursing her baby, you can hardly even see anything from the baby's mouth. Besides, what's wrong with that anyway? It's far way more decent than seeing women expose their flesh in public, that's what I think. I have always encountered this statement in most of the NIP articles I have read: "If adults have the right to feed in public, then babies should have that same right, too." It's all true. 

I have a few tips here that I myself do which made nursing Trev in a public place easier. Note that these are only based from my own experience:

• Check your closet. You might have some tops that you can use to nurse your baby in public.

When I was still starting, I didn't have any, not one, stuff that I could use to nurse Trev in public conveniently. But since I was so determined, I scoured over my closet to find clothes that could help me do that. I found this top that I used when I was still pregnant and it kind of did the trick. I hated using this top when I was still pregnant kasi mainit yung fabric niya but since it's the closest I could use to nurse Trev discreetly, I settled with it. It has an empire cut and has opening on the bust area that made it easier to get Trev to nurse. At first, I didn't have any nursing cover yet so I just used plain cloth lampin to cover myself. It was still okay to use lampin as a nursing cover when Trev was this young because at that stage, he doesn't pull the lampin to expose me to the world. Haha!

Trev was around 5 months here. Look at those chubby thighs! :-)

• If you can spare a few bucks to purchase nursing tops/blouses, then that would be great, too. 

I didn't have a lot to spare myself, as you know I'm now a stay at home wife and mom, so tipid mode ang drama ko. Wehe! But since that was the only top I could use to nurse my baby, I checked online what other options I could try. I was like literally hopping with joy when I found Tinytots FB page because they offer really affordable nursing tops (not to mention really cute baby boy clothes and other baby stuffs, but that's another story, haha!). I decided to try it out and ordered. Here's my loot to help me with my Nursing in Public (NIP) journey. 

I got 2 nursing tops, a Milky undershirt (black) and the
 Nurse & Shield nursing cover (stripes). (Oppps, that's my adorable little one 
sleeping right there :-)

My Tinytots finds are so worth it. Been using these for a few months now and nursing in public has been more convenient now. My baby's pedia was also amazed with my top when she saw me nursing Trev while waiting for her at the clinic. The fabric they used are really comfy too! The Milky undershirt, by the way, is a great find too. You can use it under any regular shirt that you have and viola, you have now transformed your regular shirt into a nursing top. I got mine in black so I can pair it with any top that I have. (Note: This is not a paid ad, I just love my finds so much that I would really recommend it to any nursing moms like me.)

Here I was nursing Trev while waiting for his pedia, wearing the gray 
Tinytots nursing top. Notice that I didn't  put on any cover but nothing 
was exposed here. It's all good! Love it! :-)

Here naman I used the Milky undershirt because I was wearing 
a regular top. Viola, my top was instantly converted to a nursing top!
 I also used the Nurse and Shield nursing cover here, so no worries
 feeding Trev at Kenny Rogers! :-)

When I went to the Mommy Mundo Clearance Bazaar August of last year, I was really happy because Mommy Matters was on sale too! I was able to buy 3 nursing tops at 50% off each! What a steal indeed! :-) (Mommy Matters and Latch A Babe nursing wear are also being sold at SPOILED Store in Robinsons Galleria. I bought a Latch A Babe nursing wear there kasi. Wehehe. Affordable din!)

Here's my loot from the Mommy Mundo Clearance sale. 
The blue, mustard and fuschia tops at the right are the Mommy 
Matters nursing tops and I just love them! Notice that my baby was 
very happy too with what I got for him! Haha! :-)

   

• You can also use a nursing cover when nursing in public. 

The first nursing cover I got was from Nursing Mom. Check out the photo above, it's the one on top of the fuschia nursing top. It's very helpful, especially when you are in a public place with a lot of people. You and your baby are both covered really well. It has a "bone" or wire at the neckline that helps air flow inside the baby, aside from the fact that the wire could help you make eye to eye contact with your baby while nursing. Although, admittedly, Trev has this tendency to pull the cover away, mainly I think because he feels hot in it. So, to solve that problem, if I feel like he's feeling hot inside the nursing cover, I don't cover his body entirely, I just cover his face with it, leaving some room for him to breath comfortably of course.

While we were watching my husband play at their bowling tournament. Note that there were a lot of  people here, but I was able to nurse Trev with no difficulty. :-)

I also got another nursing cover from Indigobaby, the Boncho or the Breastfeeding Poncho. Based from my experience, it's much more breathable. Also, Trev doesn't make so much fuss when he's covered by it. I was even able to nurse Trev while we were riding a bus full of passengers! As in standing na yung mga tao! Of course, we were seated, pero I mean the passengers standing beside me could easily take a peek, right? But no, nothing was exposed to the world! The fabric is so soft, add it to the fact that the Boncho is so versatile, you can wear it any way you want, nursing or not. :-)

Having lunch at Tokyo Tokyo :-)

• Try using a regular padded tube bras rather than the usual nursing bras. 

When I was still pregnant, I bought 2 regular nursing bras from SM, thinking that it would make my breastfeeding life easier. But when I tried it and breastfed Trev in public, it was just a hassle. Baby's already fussy and hungry and I was still struggling to unhook my nursing bra. Tapos, after feeding, you have to struggle putting the hook back again. Hay. I realized that nursing bra is not for me. Also, it's unpadded pa. So just imagine how it looks, hahaha! I'll let your imagination wander na lang. Sayang lang tuloy yung nabili ko, dalawa pa naman. It's now there sitting in my closet, di ko na ginagamit. :-(

When I went to the Mommy Mundo Clearance Sale, I bought a nursing bandeau (Blissful Babes) from Momtrepreneur Shop. Check out the photo above with my Mommy Mundo Loot, the nursing bandeau is the one just below the SaYa, brown. A nursing bandeau is just like any regular padded tube bra, only that when you lift the first layer of the nursing bandeau, there's an opening on both breasts so you can breastfeed without need of unhooking any strap like the regular nursing bras. I noticed that the material is very similar with any regular padded tube bra. So, as much as I was very comfortable with my nursing bandeau, I needed to consider my budget of course! Instead of buying another one, I decided that I could do with just any regular padded tube bra. And I was right after all! It's even more affordable. I got one from Sogo and one from Lady Grace, both from SM Department Store only. Based solely from my experience, this one is easier to use than a nursing bra. All you have to do is lift and nurse away! No hooks whatsoever! And the pads are not so thick, just right. :-)

So, that's what I can share. Through this, I hope I gave a little help to some breastfeeding moms out there. :-)

Trompy Cologne

I have been a fan of Baby Bench Cologne in Bubble Gum scent for a long time. When my baby reached one year old, I started using the same baby cologne on him. Not that I don't like his natural baby scent, I so love it. It's just that I wanted him to feel and smell fresh especially on hot days, he sweats a lot by the way. But don't get me wrong again, I also love his sweaty smell, hahaha, ewww? No, I love my son's scent no matter what. :-)

Anyway, going back, I love putting on colognes so I wanted my baby to smell fresh too. So far, my husband Allan, who's very picky (and I mean VERY picky) when it comes to scents, likes it too. Allan is very maselan with scents and has been using the same cologne for I think as long as I can remember, Bullet by Zen Zest. I love the scent of Bullet and it already created Allan's identity in my brain, whenever I miss him, the scent lingers in my brain and it's like a nostalgic feeling. Haha, cheesy!  :-)

One day, as I was lurking over the internet, I came across a forum about baby toiletries, hahaha! Yes, here we go again with baby toiletries. Moms have been raving about the scents of Denenes and Nenuco (Spain brands daw)! They said that they used this when they were young, and use these on their babies now. I honestly am not familiar with these scents. I don't know why, maybe because all I know when I was young was J&J Colognes. Haha! They said though that it's now hard to find those colognes. Some moms said that they still get to buy those at some PX stores and sometimes available in Landmark. So, the curious mom in me went to Landmark one time to look for it. But sadly, I didn't find any. All I saw were other Spain brands too like Para Mi Bebe, Gotas De Oro and Trompy. They said that the scent of these colognia infantil are very similar with Denenes and Nenuco. I tested it of course. Here's what I can say:

Para Mi Bebe: Please don't get me wrong, but in my personal opinion, I didn't like the scent of this baby cologne. :-(

Gotas De Oro: I like the Sport version, but I personally didn't like the Suave version. 

Trompy: So far, of the three, this I liked the most. 

So, ang ending, since Trev's Baby Bench Cologne is almost consumed, I bought the Trompy Colognia Infantil. :-)

I purchased the big bottle (400ml)  which cost I think a little less than Ph200.

I was so happy with my purchase! At least, kahit I was not able to find Denenes or Nenuco, I got naman the Trompy. Of course, Trev and I tried it. And so far, I like the fresh scent. I still love Baby Bench cologne though. :-)

One day, I asked Allan what he thinks about the scent of Trompy. He said, "Ang gara ng amoy, amoy insekto!" Hahahahaha! Pasensya na sa mga fans ng Trompy, it's just him. Oh well, that's VERY him. Very maselan lang talaga siya with scents. Hay, just when Trev and I are already enjoying the scent, epic fail pala ang purchase ko! I should have bought na lang pala Baby Bench Bubble Gum Cologne para sure. 

P. S.

I love you, mahal ko! Di kita nilalaglag ha. I'm just amused with your reaction! :-)

Babywearing Mom: SaYa Baby Carrier

For someone who is trying to practice attachment parenting, babywearing is something that you should learn and apply. Based from this site:

"Carrying or babywearing meets a baby's needs for physical contact, affection, security, stimulation, and movement (all of which encourage neurological development) while on the go."

I have already shared with you how much I love my ring sling. It's been a great help for me whenever we go out with Trev. However, when I was reading a parenting forum one day, I found out that some babywearing moms like another baby carrier better than the ring sling. They have good praises with the SaYa Baby Carrier. I got curious about what this baby carrier is. What can it do that the ring sling can't? Is it more comfortable than the ring sling? Will the baby be comfortable when worn in the SaYa? Well, so here I was again, scouring the internet for more reviews simply because I haven't seen anyone wearing a baby in a SaYa nor seen any display in SM North or Trinoma (that's the nearest mall in our place by the way). I found out that it's more expensive than the Next9 Ring Sling, being sold online and in select brick and mortar stores like Babyland, for Ph1400 for the Versatekk Blend (VTB) and Ph900 (or was it Ph950 I think) for the Semi-Stretch Knit (SSK). I have read quite a number of good reviews about it already and have seen some pictures of moms and babies in the SaYa, and they look happy and comfy. Babywearing is not just for the comfort of the babywearer, the baby carrier must be ergonomic for baby too for their optimum comfort and of course to avoid stress or  injury. Of course, no one wants to risk their baby's safety just for their own comfort, right? 

So, I thought, will I get one for us? But where and how? I want to be sure that my baby and I will like it so I wanted to see one personally first before I buy. Then one day, I learned that Mommy Mundo has a clearance sale in Fun Ranch Ortigas, so I decided to check it out. Sadly, the SaYa Baby Carrier was not on sale in any of the particating stores, although Indigobaby brought a sample for customers to have an idea how it  looks like and how to wear it. I checked it out too and so far, I was satisfied. They said they sell it online and didn't bring any for sale at the clearance bazaar. Sad. I checked on the other stores and I happened to stumble upon Momtrepreneur Shop. They said that they have my size in their store in Shangrila. I was so excited. I asked them to reserve it for me and I will pick it up asap. Good thing the bazaar was just in Ortigas and Shangrila was just a short cab ride. I went to Shangrila and checked out my find at their kiosk. I got the SaYa VTB which is Ph1400, quite pricey, right? Yes, but worth it. So, I went home happy with my loot. I got a few stuffs for Trev too that I  bought from the Mommy Mundo Bazaar.

Of course, when I arrived home and found Trev playing, I tried wearing him in, excited lang talaga! Haha. It was also a little tricky at first, quite confusing for a beginner because the two interlocking loops were like puzzle pieces to me, or was it just me. But anyway, I finally figured out how to wear it and put Trev in. And it was indeed so comfortable. Trev was happy and comfy too. He kept hugging me and putting his cheek on my chest like he wanted to doze off na. I knew it, he would love the SaYa! 

Although, the package came with a manual, I found the manual a tiny bit hard to comprehend (or was it just me again). The SaYa is a little tricky to put on at first so I read a few blogs for instructions on how to wear it fast and easy. Then I came across The Painter's Wife's blog and read her posts here and here. Her instructions are very comprehensive, I learned how to put on the SaYa easily. And like what she said in her blog, "with confidence and conviction", I am now able to wear my son using the SaYa baby carrier. Credits to her for sharing the very comprehensive instructions! Super like! :-)

Here's our first attempt with the SaYa carrier. Baby and mommy are happy! :-)

While watching hubby play in their bowling tournament. My baby dozed off already. Look at how comfy he is. :-)

Pagbigyan niyo na ako in posting this, I'm a fan of Miss Jenny Ong kasi and I regularly visit her blogs too. So, I was so happy to finally see these pictures taken by her husband and displayed at SM North Edsa. That's Miss Jenny Ong and her son, Baby Erik, in the background. :-)

Handsfree! :-)

I love the SaYa Baby Carrier! It made going out easy, and sometimes going to the mall with only Trev and me possible! You know how difficult it is to go somewhere like the mall, alone with a heavy and wriggly baby in tow. But yes, I can go to the mall with Trev basta I carry him in the SaYa. This, I can do better than with the ring sling (not that I can't do it with the ring sling, I could too. It's just that for me, using the SaYa when going to the mall or anywhere else for that matter, alone with Trev is much safer). And so, we're both maSaYa! There were even times when I had to go to my dental appointment in the afternoon on a weekday, that I had to bring Trev for obvious reasons, nobody's going to take care of him, haha! So I have to bring him along, of course with the help of the SaYa. So, with a bag on my back and Trev in front of me, we can travel from our home to SM North Edsa, walk towards Trinoma, then walk towards MRT North, ride the train until MRT Ortigas, then walk again from MRT Ortigas until Robinson's Galleria (whew! ang layo ng dentist ko, hay!). It's fairly easy when you have the SaYa carrier though. :-) Hubby just picks us up from his work after my dental check up. Well, Trev is a growing boy so he's getting heavier each day so, yes, that travel gives me a little back and shoulder pains here and there, of course, I wouldn't deny that. But the pain is more tolerable compared to when I am only carrying Trev with my bare arms, di ba?  And much safer for Trev too, if I may add. I couldn't have done that if I wasn't wearing him.

SaYa is also very versatile like the ring sling. I sometimes use it as a cover while breastfeeding Trev on my lap. I could also nurse Trev while wearing him in it. At first, I didn't know I could do that because Trev was like 10 months old when I started using the SaYa and I thought, what the heck, how am I supposed to nurse Trev while wearing him in the SaYa? He's so big to reach and nurse. I also can't do the pod position on him anymore simply because he's no longer a newborn and he would no longer fit in that position. But recently, I discovered that I can do it pala using the Yakap position. I just lower the sleeves to the fullest and pull the cross part of the seat just under my baby's bum and viola, Trev is lowered but still safe and comfy to nurse. Too bad, I don't have a picture to show you how. Like the ring sling, I could shop or window shop (hehe!) while nursing Trev discreetly in the SaYa. 

Oh, well, I have so many good things to say about the SaYa and the ring sling. I just love them so much and I think it's really a wise decision to buy those. Take note that this is not a paid blog, I just want to share how much goodness and joy these kind of baby carriers bring. I would definitely recommend it. :-)