I Need to Look Non-Matronic

Truth be told, I really cannot afford to pay someone who's undergone several personal trainer certification programs to help me shape up in time for my stint as primary sponsor in a wedding this June. And it is May already tomorrow! I am still saggy and flabby everywhere even though I have lost a lot of weight.

Sigh.

I am also having acne problems again in a major way but believe I shouldn't really put creams and stuff until Yamee is older and not as dependent anymore on my breast milk. Sigh, again.

I need to look my age, if not younger, at that wedding! I don't want to look worn and frumpy. Good luck to me.

Bye, Bye Easy Baby

I was right not to enjoy the 'easy baby' phase of Yamee so much. Because now, he has been an antsy baby who keeps us up all night. Talk about my under eye dark circles being back. Sigh.

Hubs says sometimes I actually don't wake up anymore as our wee one fusses and cries at around 3 or 5 am. Woe to him though, since he still has to go to work. Just this morning, Yamee woke me up every 30 minutes or so by kicking his father. Hehe.

Yamee also insists in being carried a lot, and seems to be affected so much by the heat (which is one reason why we don't like carrying him, but he demands it!). So, I have turned to twice-a-day baths.

The only one who can really make him laugh now is his Kuya. And much as we love him, we're really crossing our fingers that he doesn't grow up to be a moody child.

Milk Mama Diaries Blog Carnival for the Month for Mothers

The first Milk Mama Diaries Carnival last March was a huge success!

As Jenny previously explained, the Carnival will be held every other month, generally, so the next Carnival will be live on Mother's Day - May 8, 2011. Topic for May will be "Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten" - think of any list of 10 you'd like to talk about. It could be the 10 gifts to a new mom, 10 benefits of breastfeeding, 10 myths of breastfeeding, 10 things you shouldn't say to a nursing mom, 10 places you've nursed in public, 10 problems with breastfeeding, 10 steps to successful breastfeeding, 10 tips to new moms, 10 problems you faced, 10 breastfeeding must-have's, 10 pumping tips, 10 breastfeeding anecdotes... we can go on and on - but I hope you get the picture!

Read my March Carnival post to get an idea on how a blog carnival post looks like.

To join the carnival, please fill up this FORM and include the topic you will write about. We will try to avoid repetition of topics or top 10 lists so the earlier you fill up the form, the earlier you ensure that you will be able to write about your topic. In case your preferred topic has been chosen by another participant, we will email you immediately to request you to change your topic. Otherwise, we will contact both participants so even if they will write about the same top 10, they can choose different items on the list.

Please include this short blurb on the top of your post:

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (May). This carnival is dedicated to all moms, celebrating Mother's Day today. Participants will share various topics covering A Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten List. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

If you don't have a blog but would like to join, please email me (delisyus at gmail dot com) or Jenny (fabnaima at gmail dot com) so we can arrange to have you hosted as a guest blogger. Submissions are due by 4 May 2011 and the carnival will go live on 8 May 2011. I will email you before carnival day for instructions on posting.

Before and After Being a Mom

I made sure to look for pics where I'm wearing a similar top. And yes, generally, I look good in red with deep necklines. But more than 30 lbs. (and six years) separate these two pictures so I am, naturally, more endowed in the AFTER pic.

Some days, I feel I looked better before. No fats, no cellulite, no flab. So yeah, generally, the difference is just the amount of flesh in my frame. And because of the weight gain (which I really can't blame on motherhood... chocolates, cupcakes, cookies, rice, seafood, etc pa!), I now have to invest in a more expensive wardrobe to look good. Before, I could just buy off the rack and a P300-top is already expensive for me. Now, I don't look good anymore in any top for that amount. Unless maybe, we're talking about bras...

Before, I am DELISYUS because I was sexy. Now, I am delicious to whoever I am breastfeeding.

But look at my smile! :)

All I wanted was to be a Mom growing up. And despite the tears and battle scars, I am thankful I am one. And I really felt all kinds of sexy with my first pregnancy, in awe of just how much my body can change shape while affirming the female privilege of being able to grow someone inside.

And then, there's breastfeeding... which, eventhough it made me feel like a milking cow (which it shouldn't since lactation is not just specific to cows), was something so rewarding that it allowed me to reinvent myself. And reach out to other bewbs. I mean, mothers.

And there are my sons... who will always see me as the most beautiful woman in the world (until they get married, and even then, I won't be unseated, just qualified).

So, hello... definitely I am more beautiful now. Inside and Out. I may not have aged as healthily and gracefully as I wanted but the more important thing remains: I have more love in my life. :)


*~*

Official entry to the Facebook contest by Babymama.

Parent-Child Summer Class Started Yesterday

... and Yakee spent the first half of it whining and annoying me with baby talk, because he got overwhelmed by all the other kids who arrived before we did.

He also spent the first half of it running around. And calling the teacher "huy" (which really grates on my nerves because I don't know where he picked that habit up).

But he enjoyed the butterfly and flower I made... and went home to give the flower to Ninang. And he enjoyed the sandbox time a hell lot (which is what he was itching for). And he was in good terms with all the other kids, and another Jap boy befriended him. So, he was happy.

And I trust he will learn in time to be more gently present. Scrap that. We will both learn in time to be gently present.

My Fault

It was my brilliant idea to let Yakee watch The Incredibles. Now, both he and I have to pay for my bad judgment by banning all shows. See, Yakee's failing to draw the line between pretense and reality and has been daydreaming about being a superhero slaying villains that he's hitting people left and right... even strangers at the mall.

It's a little hard though since my brother lets his son watch TV all day and we go there for meals. Good thing my son can entice his cousin to just play bubbles or color here at home.

Sigh.

No more brilliant ideas, Mommy Mec.

Heat Is On

Summer heat has finally come... last week, it was still generally cool. But now, you can absolutely feel the heat devouring you after stepping out of an air-conditioned room.

And because the heat is on, air-conditioners are working overtime. I'm guessing some would need to use a dehumidifier too for extended A/C use.

I am already thinking of really bathing my boys twice a day. Yakee used to do that till he started having colds all the time so I stopped bathing him at night. Yamee, on the other hand, seemed sensitive to colds and rhinitis so I have only done it once.

But the heat is on. We can all do with more baths!

Bittersweet: Milestones and Jealousy

Yamee was given solids yesterday.



Can you hear Yakee thanking us and applauding us for taking care of his younger brother?

But later on, Yakee would also be very unruly, disruptive and physically aggressive. And I believe it was because he couldn't process how he felt about all the pride and attention over his younger brother's milestone.

The day ended terribly for him.

As Yamee becomes more engaging, Yakee also tests his limits more. Just this morning, he scratched my face for the first time in a tantrum. He also started using his feet to push Yamee away when I was trying to put him down for a nap. This... despite continued QT with him.

Sigh.

Heaven help me be a better, more understanding and patient parent.

Disappointed with the Children's Workshop Expo

I made hubby promise to take me and that he did. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. I guess I expected more vendors there. I was really looking forward to seeing new trends, all possible play groups, preschools and classes there that's available to families from the metro now. I was looking for something to enrol my child in once we start homeschooling for real that will provide socialization and avenue for creativity.

Still, I was impressed with the wushu classes because wushu was something I saw my child doing. And he loved getting a spider painted on his cheeks. Hehe.

Now, I shall go over all the brochures given away at the expo and blog about them. I'm sure some others will find them helpful. Oh yeah, I do like getting a copy of the latest Mommy Pages.

It Just Really Hit Me that It's Already April

Haha. Kinda stupid, right?

But it just really hit me that it's already April. I have actually been saving photos taken in April in my March folder. Tsk. Tsk.

Soon, it will be May and mother's month already... and time for getting gifts like chamilia charm bracelets, books, new Eden stuff, chocolates... mmmm... suddenly, I want April to be over, haha.

But... yesterdy, we celebrated Yamee's 5th month birthday. The little guy was sooo fussy all day that I almost put him on timeout. I wish I can say he's teething but he's had days like that since he was 3 months old so I don't know anymore.

And Yakee had a major meltdown... one that made me realize that in a year or two, I'd be hardpressed carrying him to our bedroom for a timeout. Sigh.

I just thank hubs for buying me white chocolate cupcakes to soothe my soul.

My Hyper Yakee

My Yakee has started on his swimming lessons with Lozada. This is his third summer in the Baby and Me program. Tomorrow, I have to bring goggles for him because his instructor is making him do slightly more advanced activities for him.

Is he enjoying it? You bet! If he was an adult, you'd say he doesn't need foods that increase testosterone because he's pure lean muscle and adrenaline! So, I really hate that it's still really cold (it rained last Monday) because my son absolutely doesn't have any fats in his body, so he's always shivering. But still, he's a happy camper. I get hurt because he won't stop kicking!

I'm a happy Mom though. And really proud because our (his and mine) efforts are paying off... he's remained happy in the water.

HK Scenario One: Sick Child

Hubs asked me a question the other night: What if one of the child gets sick while we're in HK? Follow up questions included 'will we still go to Disneyland' and 'who will stay with the sick child.'

I said that if it's a major illness, that's what the credit card will be for. Good thing they have good hospitals in HK.

If it's just fever and colds, and if it's Yamee... I will stay behind with him. I will, of course, not risk further infection by bringing him to where there's a big crowd. Plus, maybe it's just rest he needs.

However, if it's Yakee who will get sick, all of us would have to stay behind. I cannot care for a sick preschooler and an infant, plus, I am breastfeeding Yamee so they can't take him without me. I also doubt I can pump while there.

I just really hope though that none of us will incur any Offshore Injury. We can deal with the colds and exhaustion, and maybe allergic rhinitis, later... after we get back to the Philippines. Hehe.

The New McDonalds Commercial and My Concerns

I am glad I didn't blog about this last night because I would have been more emotional last night and maybe made a mountain out of a molehill.

Anyway, the new commercial features a cute little girl asking a cute little boy if she culd be his girlfriend. The boy gets indignant, saying something like girls are so demanding, they want this and that. The girl frowns and says she actually only wanted some fries. The idea was, the fries are very affordable and it's so easy to please the girl, I think.

Still, the commercial has many parents frowning, because of the suggestion of a boy-girl relationship when the kids aren't even in big schools yet. Harmless? Not to parents of kids with broken hearts. Not to kids with surreal expectations of themselves or others. And definitely not harmless when kids hit puberty and start dating, given, not just the emotional issues from boy-girl relationships, but also the social issues of unplanned pregnancies and STDs.

What gets my goat though is that it feels to me as perpetrating the sterotype that:
1) boys/men have to be wary of girls/women because they will ask/demand things of them, use them, exploit them, etc.

2) girls/women will dangle relationships in exhange for goods. For material things. For their whims to be satisfied.

3) boys have to provide for a girl.

Why can't McDonalds come up with commercials like:
1) The cute little girl/boy falls and mildly scrapes a knee. The cute little boy/girl sees, helps clean it with a tissue, gets a sundae to cool the scrape (by placing the cup on the wound) and they then share the sundae (after all, it's summer). At least it will send a message that when you get hurt, you fall back up, and you'd get by with a little help from friends. Plus, sundaes and summer go together.

Or

2) Cute little girl and cute little boy are being asked to play together by their parents. They have thought bubbles, "But he's a boy/she's a girl." But then they play soccer together, bake/play together, etc. then have McDonalds after, as equals.

Or

3) Cute little girl and boy decides they want fries. They don't have money. They go over their stuff and consult with parents what they can sell then they have a garage sale of it, where other kids buy their stuff. Or, they offer to do extra chores for money. Then, they use their money to finance the fries.


McDonalds has given us great commercials but lately, I think there's less critiquing on their parts... or less budget for the ad agency they hire.

*~*

I heard an expert say before that they count one complaint/feedback as ten (whether in commercials or other consumer goods), because people are not likely to really contact them when they have complaints. Let's write them and share our thoughts, anyway, so we can effect the change we like to see in this world.

Contact McDonalds:
Golden Arches Development Corporation
17th Floor Citibank Centre, Paseo De Roxas Avenue, Makati City
Telephone No.: (632) 888-8500
E-mail: writeus@ph.mcd.com

I guess we can also comment on the Youtube links of the said commercial (which I won't share here since I really do not want to promote this commercial).

*~*

The commercial can be a teachable moment too. Parents can remind their kids to not look outside of themselves or their family for gratification, for their needs or wants to be met. Especially if it's just fries!

*~*

Once upon a time, a gag by Will Ferrell and friends made the internet round. They got this cute little girl to pretend anger, and they edited it to make the girl seem like she was saying 'sh!t' many times.

I found it funny. At that time.

It took a childless friend to make me realize how wrong it was to even find it funny. The dignity of the child was at stake because, though it was only edited, adults she trusts put filth in her mouth.

Maybe that's the same reason why I felt so strongly about this commercial. I don't have a girl. I may never have a girl. But that doesn't mean I won't forever ache for one, and that I won't forever fight for a world where they need not sell themselves short.

*~*

We are not fast food fans and we don't watch that much TV. I can't say the same for other families though. Plus, it's easy to just laugh such things off... same way that it's easy to laugh it off when your little girl twists her shirt up to expose her belly button, puts makeup on, and struts her stuff at age 4. However, it's no laughing matter already when she does the same at age 14. And definitely ludicrous when she still does it at age 44.

It's easy to laugh it off when a little girl worms her way out of chores by being sweet... or tries to get treats by being sweet. It's not funny anymore when she grows up thinking that's the way to go about in this world.

I am a Mom of sons. I'd equally hate for them to deal with such girls when they're all grown... or to go about in this world thinking that they can buy a woman's affections.

It's a tragedy. We can stop it.

Breastfeeding Picture

I still don't have a professionally-taken breastfeeding picture. And already, my Yamee is not that little anymore. Kinda sucks too, given my investment in great nursing tops, hehe. Plus, my girls won't stay perky, you know.

Well, I really hope to have one done... and soon. Before Yamee starts really sitting up and walking. I want a beautiful picture for this beautiful relationship and time with my son.

*~*

I do have a picture of happily doing it in public :D



*~*

Meanwhile, check these pictures of celebrity moms breastfeeding.

A Summer Affair: Children’s Workshops Expo 2011 by Working Mom Magazine

I am pretty excited about the Children’s Workshops Expo 2011 happening on April 10 at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City. Yakee is pretty much covered for the summer but I want to see what classes are being offered now, if anything is near where we live, what I can offer on my own and new educational/enrichment trends. Consider it as research for my homeschooling dream.

The expo is from 10 AM to 7 PM. See you there!!!

Personalized Gifts

I had recently just gotten the photobooks I had intended to be birthday gifts for our nieces. And since the photobooks sort of chronicle the girls' growth for the past 3 years, they're really more of Mother's day gifts.

Now, I stumbled upon personalized gifts found at PersonalCreations.com and may I just say, I am in danger of getting bankrupt again? I especially liked the Puzzle name stools (wonder if there's a local producer), the alphabet quilt and the wooden rocking chairs. Sigh, to have money and space for all these cute things!