Hello Monday
Well, if you’re wondering if I accomplished anything from my list below, the answer is no. Oh wait - we didn’t spend money except groceries so I think I deserve a star for that. No luck for everything else. I’m still as tired as I was last Friday night, while working on a rush design job at 10:50PM. I tried sleeping in the afternoon but my busy mind refused to cooperate so I turned on the computer and designed some scrapping papers. I didn’t know it could be so hard and fun, by the way.
As of this day, I’m happy and proud to announce that Sandy has been sleeping on her own for 7 straight nights, without nursing at all. She now breastfeeds ONCE A DAY only, just before her afternoon naptime, for 5 minutes. But other than that, she’s as good as weaned 
For those who didn’t have a hard time training their kids to sleep, this may sound like a small feat but not for us. I’m very proud of myself and Sandy because one, I don’t give in at night even when I’m dead tired, and two, the little one just doesn’t ask for dede anymore.
It really helps that I work from home. I can wait for her to sleep on her own (even if it’s taking more than an hour already) without worrying that I need to get up really early. And because I’m home all the time, I was able to potty train her at two years old. This is why some of my friends prefer to find small business opportunitites online than work in a real office.
Baby Things 4U
I’m helping a friend shop online for baby stuff. This was one of my favorite activities when I was pregnant so whenever someone asks me for tips, I immediately jump at the chance to shop with them. First stop - BabyThings4u.com. May I say how I love their website design? Not to mention it’s so easy to find what you’re looking for. The baby industry is so huge that it’s sometimes hard to choose from hundreds of Baby Prams or Baby Pushchairs available. With this site, every product is categorized properly and you can filter the products by brand.
Looking at their Baby Travel Cots, I’m amazed to see how the trend has evolve for the past two years. When Sandy was a couple of months old, my knowledge of travel cots is limited to foldable playpens (we bought Contour Electra by the way) but now, there are pop up travel cots too. I’m not sure if this is something new or I just didn’t see it before but I definitely like it! I don’t need it now but I might consider buying one for my friend as a gift. It folds down very small, has a mosquito net, light weight and comes with padded mattress. It’s good up to 18 months too so definitely a great present for new parents.
Getting Ready
I’m so beat after packing clothes that are good for three nights (just in case), shoes, camera accessories, and a huge bag filled with Sandy’s toys. I should’ve taken advantage of the Swiss Army luggage that were on sale last week. I’m sure all three bags, not mentioning the bag for the DVD player and tripod will fit inside one luggage. I’ve tried several times to not over pack but there’s just no way that we can leave Sandy’s Barbies and living room set, several books, and Barney and friends. These toys keep her busy enough that I might be able to get uninterrupted afternoon naps
Sleeping On Her Own
Whenever Sandy sleeps on her own, I can’t help but do a happy dance inside my head. Last night, when she wanted to nurse, I told her no but offered to carry her in my arms. She agreed but after 10 minutes, she went to her own bed and “looked for her spot”. After 30 minutes of tossing and turning, she stopped moving. As I kept my movement to a minimum, I hopefully checked if her eyes were really close or if she was just pretending to be asleep. And there she was, mouth open, sleeping like a log. I was so proud of her that I wanted to wake up the sleeping husband to share my joy hahaha.
By the way, I’ve changed my weaning plan from June 21 to September 18 (her 3rd birthday). However, as of this moment, she has not nursed since yesterday 2PM. So hurray for the both of us. I’m still letting her nurse during her naptime so I can get back to work quickly. For night time, it depends if I’m too tired or sleepy. But as much as I can, I try my best to just carry her until she’s sleepy enough to find her spot and sleep on her own. Wish me luck because I badly need it!
I’m a Proud Mama!
Mich tagged me.
Things that I like as a mom
I have a one member fan club
Unlimited hugs and kisses at unexpected moments
A light massage when my back hurts from working too much
Daily entertainment - singing, dancing, stand-up comedy act
You can act like a kid again- dance wildly, sing silly songs, play with toys that you enjoyed / you’ve never had when you were a kid
You have a reason to get up in the morning, work harder and dream bigger
Tagging Alpha and Aggie and Jane
Weaning Plan
I have this plan to wean Sandy on her 3rd birthday (September). I’m not really ready emotionally so as early as now, we’ve started telling her stories about a Princess who sleeps on her own and doesn’t need dede from her mommy the Queen. Sandy responds more to storytelling so we figured we could start from here. Her Papa tells her the same story of a little girl (or a bunny, a princess, a star) that wears her blankie and embraces her hag-hag (hotdog pillow) or Barney so she can fall asleep. She tries to sleep on her own, I give her that. But most of the time, she’s really having a hard time. I pity her as I watch her open and close her eyes in the dark. There’s this one night when I saw her crying without sound. My heart just went out to her. I asked why and she said, “I can’t fall asleep”. Hay nakakakaawa talaga. I know we should train her but I’m just too soft.
She has lots of tricks too when she can’t sleep. One minute, she’s facing the wall (her favorite sleeping position) and the next minute, a small hand will poke my back. She’ll then say:
Sandy: Mommy, no more dede ha?
Me: (I know this is a trap) Yes, no more dede. Go to sleep.
Big pause here.
Sandy: Why no more dede?
Me: Because you’re a big girl. Come on, sleep na.
After five minutes.
Sandy: Mommy, no more carry ha?
Me: (Oh my God) Yes, no more carry. Go to sleep.
Two minutes
Sandy: Why no more carry?
Me: Because you need to sleep on your own.
An hour will pass and she’s still awake. I’m usually pretty beat up by this time so standing up to carry her is close to impossible. And so we won’t disturb her Papa who needs to get up in five hours, I’ll just give in and let her nurse so she can sleep. It’s my fault, I know. We told her that after my birthday, she’s not allowed to dede anymore. I hope I can stick to it. She didn’t nurse last night. I just embraced and carried her while I sat on the bed until she fell asleep so one point for me.
Circle of Life
It’s been two years since I last received bridal shower invitations. I miss surprising bride-to-be’s whether it’s a chic, classy dinner party or a wild one where a “surprise guest” always arrive before 12M. Two years ago, everyone seems to be getting married but now, it’s all about babies. There are birthday parties and baptismal parties everywhere you look. Drinking and dressing up with feather boas and tiaras have now been replaced with magicians, balloons, ice cream carts and piñatas. My friends who can’t seem to understand why I don’t want to go out that particular Saturday night is now emailing and texting me with birth classes, best brand for cribs and bottles, 1st birthday party planning questions and everything else that goes with mommy hood. And the weird thing is; now that I can go out, they are all busy tending to their newborns. 
Well at least now they know where I’m coming from.
Scrapping Everyday
I’ve been trying my best to scrap one layout daily.
Mich and Aggie are right. Scrapping is the best way to relieve stress. I also like how I get a chance to re-visit old photos and remember the moments behind them. I usually forget our photos as soon as I’ve downloaded it from the memory card and posted them on my blog. Now, I found another way to go back in time and I’m definitely having a blast!
Guess How Much She Loves Me
There are small things that make me know for certain how my daughter loves me.
Whenever I’m working hard, I will notice that something will always, and I mean always materialize at the right side of my table. It could be a plate of banana, pizza, pasta, celery and like yesterday, a big chili pepper made of red clay. And it doesn’t stop there. The plate will have a fork or spoon and a cup of soda or the soda bottle itself.
Sandy: Mommy……..
ME: Yes baby?
Sandy: Look (pointing at the plate)
ME: Wow, you have food here. Are you going to eat?
Sandy: No. It’s for you. I ate already.
Sometimes, she’ll even give me a cup of coffee with ice cube. All of them are toys, but you get the picture. This happens everyday. She makes sure that I don’t get hungry when I’m working.
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When I hurt myself, she will rush to my aid while I whimper and whine from the pain.
ME: OUch, ouch, aaaaaaaargghh! Ouuchhh!!
Sandy: What happened? What happened?
ME: I hit myself. I’m okay, it hurts a bit though.
Sandy: (in a mothering voice) Come here, come here. MMmmwaah (big kiss with matching embrace). There. No more aw aw?
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After washing my face, I sometimes forget to wipe it because I was so busy doing something. She’ll say:
Sandy: mommy, come closer
Me: okay, what?
Sandy: I’ll wipe your face (then she’ll wipe my face using any cloth near her, a dirty blouse, her lampin, tissue)
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She knows now that working is important. She rarely disturbs me anymore except when she’s sick and needs extra TLC. But sometimes I miss her so I take a break and go to the bed to read her a book. She’s always surprised to see me. She will ask, “Mommy? Are you done working? Can you play now?”. Of course, I’m never done working. But I’ll smile and hug her tight because she’s so considerate and tell her, “yes baby, we can play now.”
All About Bedbugs
Before we bought Sandy a new mattress, she wakes up with bites every other day. I’m suspecting bedbugs but I’m not really sure. I’ve read from this bed bugs guide that it’s hard to tell if you have them or not. The first things to look for are dark spots on the mattress, which thankfully we don’t have. The second sign are little red bites just like what Sandy has from time to time. The guide said you can also catch them in the act by using a flashlight at night (they only come out once a week) or stick double sided tapes on the bed to see if some bed bugs will get stuck on it. Good thing we got rid of the old mattress. If you have bedbug problems, try these natural remedies - vacuuming, steam cleaning, diatomaceous soil (haven’t tried this) and leaving the mattress, pillows, etc outside. Bedbugs do not transmit diseases but the bites can become infected due to constant scratching. And if you’re allergic to the bites, you can go into anaphylactic shock.
Good Morning!!
Oh tons of stuff to do today.
1. Post Sandy’s “graduation” and first hair cut photos
2. Tag marathon
3. Scrap at least one layout
4. Finish all my assignments
5. Update all my blogs
6. Research on Lasik centers.
Whew. And that doesn’t even include my design tasks on my fulltime job. This is what happens when you try to take care of two kids for the first time. No computer and online time over the weekend for me.
update
As of 5:08PM, I only finished item #5. I’m too tired and lazy to do anything so I will just continue my list tomorrow. Got loads of photos to share so please make sure to check it out!
Who’s Your Hollywood Mom Match?
Got this from Kelly
If there’s one mom everyone’s heard of, it’s Angelina Jolie. Thoroughly modern and always on the move, your celebrity mom match never fails to get people talking. Like the tomb-raiding, pants-wearing, do-it-all mother herself, whether you’re bonding with the kids (and hunky hubby!) or planning the next family trip, you’re anything but boring. Totally in control, you’re more likely to be captain of the jet set than flying coach. Though sometimes people may suggest you slow down, you know that the best way to lead your family is full speed ahead.
You adore being on the go and getting things done. And one thing can be said for sure — you’re never short on adventure — or love!
Bwahahah parang mali? I want to be like Reese Witherspoon!
And to be honest, who I really want to be is Martha Stewart. She can make anything beautiful with only the simplest changes whether using vintage wine racks or old school bird cages. I absolute love love love the ideas from her website. I visit the site almost everyday just so I can inspire myself to create something nice. The colors, fonts, boxes and photography are just amazing that I always leave the site feeling like I want to design something similar. Kudos to Martha’s designers and creative team.
Happy Mother’s Day Pahabol
A photo taken last year. Just re-visiting.
I was having a quick massage while waiting for the plane here.
All of a sudden, I felt two small hands kneading my legs. See her fingers?
Don’t you just love being a mom?
All Good
Let me great all the hot mommas a Happy Mother’s day!
My mother’s day was just a simple day at home but it was all good.
- Woke up late
- Behaved little girl
- Our very own version of nachos with dip using pizza chips with melted cheese and chili con carne
- Moo ice cream with peaches
- A beautiful and yummy dinner thanks to The Husband (he wants to join Iron Chef :P)
- A cheap home massage
And the best of all, Sandy’s limping is gone. Thank you God! When she woke up yesterday, she asked, “Mommy, can I jump now?”. When I said yes, she jumped, hopped and ran like there’s no tomorrow. I think she was also relieved that she wasn’t limping anymore.
That’s it. I couldn’t ask for anything more. There were no pictures because we we’re just too lazy to do anything LOL.
Hope you had a great one!
Mommastuff Questions Week 2
From Nice.
I obviously missed week 1 but here’s my answer to this week’s question:
Do you have routines for your kids? Care to share? Does it really help?
8:30 AM Wake up and look for mommy. If I’m lucky, she’ll not ask to nurse anymore. When she’s done nursing, I’ll bring her to the bathroom so she can pee and wash her face
9:00 AM Breakfast with Mommy while watching Hi5 or Harry Potter
9:40-11:00 AM Play with all her toys, read books, etc with Yaya. Harry Potter could be playing in the background here
11-11:30 AM Rest on the bed while drinking milk from the bottle. Still watching Harry Potter.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM My break time. Time to play or read a book with Sandy while Yaya is preparing our lunch.
12:30PM - 1:20 PM Lunch time with me
1:20 PM Mommy will brush her teeth and give her a bath
1:30 PM - 2PM Hanging out time with Mommy just before nap. Includes breastfeeding till she falls asleep. I’m reading ebooks on my phone while she’s nursing.
2PM - 4PM Naptime. Freedom!!! hehe
4PM - 6PM Play time again. Reading books, watching her movies, playing with her dolls, cooking on her kitchen etc. with her Yaya
6PM - 7:30 PM Mommy’s break time. Also known as Coffee Prince time with Sandy. I sometimes squeeze some learning time here. (Writing, drawing, reading)
7:30 PM - 8PM Dinner with Papa and Mommy
8PM - 8:30 PM Toothbrush and washy washy time.
8:30 PM - 9:30 PM Playing or hanging out on the bed with her Papa or her Lola (other room)
10:00PM - Turn off the lights. Turn on the projector. Story time with Papa until she’s ready to breastfeed
10:40-11PM - Sleeping time.
The routine really helps. I’m so happy to note that I only breastfeed her 2-3x a day now compared to 5-7x a day. Her yaya is a great help too. Now that she’s drinking fresh milk, she’s not as clingy as before so I get to finish more tasks at work.
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About Joy
I am Dzoi, a 28 year old Filipina who currently works as a web designer. I am a loving wife to my equally loving husband Sherwin and a mommy cow to my 2-year-old daughter, Sandy.
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