I Nested This Way

I really insisted on washing every one of my son's new garments (even the blankets and swaddling cloths) and ironing them for his first use. This isn't even the half of all I washed... and it even got to a point where i'd cringe when I get new things for his layette from people because I really end up hurting after.

I washed these on the sink because I obviously couldn't squat plus I started buying stuff and 'nesting' when I was in my 8th month already. It's irrational but I just really wanted that the first things to touch and hold my son would be things my hands lovingly washed. For me, it was a ritual of sorts... me attending to my son's needs.

I don't know anymore how many of each item I washed but I'm pretty sure of 3.5 dozen of cloth diapers (1 dozen Plain White gauze, 1 dozen printed gauze, 1 dozen Gerber pre-folded ones, and half-dozen Chino Pino pre-folded ones).

Ouch.

Your Baby's Sweet Tooth May be Your Fault

It was reported that Diet Influences The Taste Of Breast Milk.

Weirdly enough, I have noticed that my son is happiest to latch after I have consumed a criminal amount of sweets. Yikes. And yes, he hates nursing after i've eaten anything with garlic.

So, although a mother's diet does not really affect the nutritional content of breast milk (which is why it's so wonderful and magical), what we eat does affect our milk's nutritional value. And no, am not saying that we should always eat sweets so our babies will nurse more. Actually, this should be a call for us to lessen the sweets intake so as not to predispose our babies to liking sweets. And we could maximize this phenomenon by eating more veggies so our babies will grow up with a tendency to like vegetables!

* Please note that a mother's diet affects the amount of breastmilk she produces. Poor nutrition will ultimately result in decreased production no matter the direct feeding. It's only logical, the body needs nutrients to make nutrients.

Treat your Mom!

Old Swiss Inn is due for another Rollback treat for its patrons so treat your Moms to their favorite sausages and s'mores this August.

And remember, you shouldn't be asking yourself for a reason to treat Mom. Even if you tell her everyday how much you love her, and eventhough she'd be the first to scrimp, and save and budget money...nothing really beats the feeling of being pampered, thought of ands pent on (and it's not like you have to spend thousands for this).

Trust me. I just missed a wedding because I was feeling sorry for myself for not having the right accessories to wear along with my old dresses. It was a big deal for me to look great because I didn't want my husband's colleagues to see me so poorly dressed/kept, what with my husband being a manager and all... and it was my fault really. When I got preggy, I stopped investing on ME.

Motherhood makes it soooo easy to stop investing on oneself. SAHMhood all the more so. Hopefully, I will do better in the coming days.

*~*

Meanwhile, here are some ideas for fellow SAHMs to get them earning from home.

Britney Spears as a Mom

Honestly, I do sort of feel for Britney Spears.

But when I see pictures of her drinking while carrying her child, or smoking in front of her kids, I really can't help but feel she deserves all the crap being piled on her plate.

But then again, smoking is a pet peeve. And so many wonderful people I know smoke, or have smoked at one time in their lives. And I guess I will always be surprised that not all mothers' first instinct would be to protect and care for a child, not just her own.

PPBC 6: What type of parent are you?

PPBC 6: What type of parent are you?

If you are a parent of new born babies or a first time parent to-be, what type of parent would you want to be?

My nieces started messing with my SIL's cake, using their fingers to get the chocolate icing. My other SIL egged them on, and gently reminded us that it's one of the joys of childhood.

I commented that my son would be deprived, because it isn't something am likely to allow in our home, since I love icing and really don't want food being played with. I further said it's good that they can enjoy that in their grandma's house, because MIL is more inclined to let them have their way with most things.

I realized that I need not deprive my son of fun. I could purchase a cheapy-cheapy cake he can have his way with,or have him play with his own slice (instead of the entire cake).

But there it was again, an indication that I would be strict and uptight. And I worry. I worry that I will always confuse good discipline with being strict, conservative and non-fun. And I know it doesn't have to be that way. I know cool, fun parents can still have unquestionable authority with their kids. Nay, the kids might even respect and obey them more because they are allowed to BE kids.

I want to be the type of parent who my kids will want to be with in discovering things, and when they're enjoying things. I want to be able to instill in them a sense of fun and wondrous. I want them to be able to exercise their indepence, creativity, resourcefulness and individuality. I want them to feel that they have a bigger hand in how their lives are being lived.

But I have much to learn. And I accept that I am only just defining what things I really value most, the ones I want to inculcate in my children, the ones I want my family to measure success and and happiness against.

I read it from Tin

... that Pinoy Moms Network is up again, having just transferred to a new server.

I believe I wanted to join them last year (not sure if I have, and can I really blame anesthesia for this forgetfulness?) but wasn't sure if I could commit to their demands (one entry per week, which I didn't think I could handle then, hehe, maybe because I didn't know how consumed i'd be with motherhood just yet... but then again, I am really overwhelmed by it now and mis-managing my time generally... and I have got to stop rambling).

But anyway, I hope to join them (where else to find legions of fellow SAHMs?) finally and take advantage of the blog exposure they give to Mom Blogs. :)

What about you, care to join?

Loving Vivienne Marcheline

Yup. Angelina Jolie has given birth to her twins (5th and 6th children with hunky, yummylicious Brad Pitt) last July 12 I think.

I am not so hot with the son's name Knox Leon (it makes me think of the gelatin brand I use for my cathedral windows dessert) but I guess it does go with Maddox and Pax :) And yes, I am wondering if he will grow up as hot and smoldering as his parents.

But I truly love the girl's name Vivienne Marcheline. Marcheline came from Jolie's Mom. It's not so girly a name and it doesn't sound like a dominatrix or porn star name. And it's really a surprise that I liked it because i've never liked the names of the other kids (especially Shiloh's), except maybe Zahara (and from pictures i've seen, it seems she's the one who managed to channel Jolie's dark, seductive, mysterious and out-of-reach air).

Anyway, may Jolie and Pitt really raise these kids well.

Another Reason to not like Reborns

Lifelike reborn dolls got police panicking in an incident in Australia when the owner left the dolls inside a car.

I find reborns creepy, in all honesty. Yes, I am impressed at how extremely lifelike they are but would rather dolls look like dolls, and grieving/longing people care for dogs or do volunteer work to manage their depression.

And now this. Getting people upset because your toy (or collectible) was mistaken to be an actual human in danger of dying. There should be a law drafted to penalize owners for causing similar anxieties and offense (in case owners hold their reborn dolls using one foot and upside down) in others. Otherwise, people might start assumming every out-of-the-ordinary they see is a reborn doll and fail to save a life.

It's like a "boy who cried wolf" modern-day nightmare waiting to happen.

PPBC: Baby, When You Grow Up

PPBC 5 topic is "What would you like your children to be when they grow up, and why?"

I really would like to have at least one of my kids to take up medicine because there aren't doctors from my side of the family. It would be great to have someone to get free consultations from, or at least serve as sounding board and check and balance for all the medical thingies that we deal with in life.

BUT... more than that, what I really hope my kids will do is travel the world more than I, and my husband, ever did. I want them to be outdoorsy, to go camping in several countries, to really immerse themselves in different cultures, to wake up with the rising sun from all over the world.

I want them to experience things they will get to read in books. I want them to see animals in the wild. I want them to see ethnic groups in their local settings, and to taste authentic cooking right from the hearths of other people's homes, in obscure and far-flung villages.

I want them to say they have lived and are alive because of all they have seen and felt and heard. I want them to be humbled by everything they will experience, because seeing the world will help them put things in perspective.

And lastly, I want them to travel far and wide and still know their way home.

How Names Have Changed

Live Science reports how Most Popular Baby Names have Changed Dramatically, which is why nobody raised an eyebrow anymore when Nicole Kidman named her newborn daughter Sunday Rose.

Here in the Philippines, I must say that I silently cringe whenever I discover another baby to be named Sophia (or Sofia). I know, it's such a pretty name which is probably why it is so popular. And given that Maria used to be attached to little girl's names for many years (Maria Theresa, Ma. Victoria, Mari Rose, Mary Grace, Marijoy, Jean Marie, etc), I really shouldn't object to parents naming their child with something that is so common.

I cringe more though when parents don't consider their surnames in naming babies... and pick much-too-foreign-sounding ones. Weird/uncommon ones are okay, as long as they go well with the surname. That's how a person's name gets character anyway, when it sounds like a complete package.

Then again, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin says a name is just noise.

Why Mothers' Hands Are Rough

It's not really all the washing and cleaning that they do, but the fact thay they do all that and the minute they put lotion on, the baby will poop. Or spill something. Or create a mess. Or insist on being fed.

Basically, it's a law of nature and the degree of mess requiring the use of the mothers' hands again will be directly proportionate to how expensive the lotion or cream she just lathered on.

And yes, of course, after washing baby's tush and setting things right again, she'd forget to put lotion again.

And yes, she could wear gloves, but which Mom has time to put some on?

The Reason for my Inefficiency

... is my son.

I know... it's bad to be blaming someone who never asked to be born. But I really go crazy when his sleep and feeding cycles change. And I really can't do much when he insists on nursing (a sling helps, but only to a point because then, he would want to be involved in my tasks as well). Or when he insists that I remain by his side. It's like he has a Mommy-seeking radar that goes off the minute I leave his side... even if i'll just be working at the foot of the bed.

Ugh.

I wonder if all Mommies get this, or only my fellow SAHMs.

Trust

My son ran a fever for days and I found myself torn between insisting on more lab tests to find out what's wrong with him, and not, lest he ends up being subjected to unncessary procedures.

But the true realization I gleaned from this hard week is that I should trust my instincts more... not just because i'm my child's mother, and not just because I stay home with him, but also because I am a smart Mom. I mean, I am not operating on pure instinct alone, nor guided by old wives' tales. I was educated well. I was raised thinking so I should have more confidence in what I know.

One other thing is that I should trust more my (our) choice of pedia. Because he is a good pediatrician, reknowned acually in the country.

Ahhh... now if only I can quiet the fears and insecurites of being a first-time parent.