Our 7th Anniversary

Joema and I celebrated our 7th year anniversary last 8 November. We went out to watch a movie and had dinner afterwards. We watched Spectre.

Tummy pic before we left the house at 21 weeks and 5 days

At the parking before the movies

There's no other way of watching the cinema after we discovered the Director's Club

Since we now live in the area, we ate at Vieux Chalet. The restaurant was still a bit far from our place and the roads leading to it are dark. I wanted to back out when we got to the dark roads haha.

I told Joema I thought this was the most smooth sailing year of our marriage so far. I think we kind of got the hang of each other and I think the addition of our kids really made our marriage stronger. Plus, I think we both now know that marriage is hard work. You have to be committed to make the marriage work. Praying for my husband also helped a lot. We had so many blessings to be thankful for the past year, so many reasons to celebrate another year ticked off our married life. Here's hoping and praying we stay together till death do us part. No plan B for us, honey!

Family Day

Over the weekend, we went to Miya's school for their Family Day. Their section was assigned the color fuschia pink which was a happy accident because Miya's favorite color is pink.

Binata na anak ko

My babies

The first agenda for the day was mass with the other families and then the program for the Family Day started. It was held inside an airconditioned convention hall but because of the number of people who attended, the place got kind of hot. The program were hosted by ABS-CBN talents Andre and Ginger. But I don't think they did a good job considering that their audience were mostly kids. Sure the adults were there to listen to them but they had a lot of spiels during the hosting which I don't really appreciate because it kept the kids waiting. Haha! Sorry about that. There was also a magic show which again I think the magician was not fit for an audience like that. His spiels were not suitable for young children, he kept saying that magicians are not cheaters (because they tend to lie or deceive their audience, right?) because they are faithful to their girlfriends. Duh?!?!  Plus the show as a bit long for the children's attention span. By the middle of the magic show, most of the kids became weary and started standing up and asking for snacks hehe. 

Uhaw na ang baby

Hulas na hindi pa nagpeperform

Anyways, the highlight was the performance of the children of course. Here are Miya's videos.




And then of course, there were games. As I've mentioned in my previous post, Miya doesn't like participating in games because she doesn't like losing. Good thing, we were able to convince her to join. The first game with her Ate (since I can't really do anything physical because of my condition) and then the second game was with Daddy. She even won a Lego toy from the raffle!

Game with daddy

Happy with her raffle prize

I really appreciate activities like this in school. Although we can go out as a family, it's still worthwhile to spend the day as a unit and go on activities like this to celebrate our child and watch her perform.

My loves

Inside the classroom after the program

Updates

This blog has become a once a month thing. I feel guilty for not documenting our lives here as eagerly as before. But what can I do. Every time I want to write something or something happens, I'm lazy to even open the write post tab of Blogger hehehe. So here I am trying to condense in this one blog post all that has happened ever since.

Miya

• She's thriving in her big school. This week is their 2nd term Paper Games and we've been reviewing since APEC week. I'm proud to say she finds Math easier than Language ahahaha. She's not like me because I like studying. She on the other hand needs to be prepared to study. I mean she can absorb and understand so much when her heart is into studying but when I force her to study and her mind is somewhere else then our study time leads to nowhere. 
• She really loves the water. I was able to attend one of her swimming classes in school. The basic thing that was being taught was not to be afraid of the water and she really enjoys it. She's one of the students who is not afraid to follow the coach's instructions and be on the water all by herself. 

During swimming class in school

• We're so much alike that there are times that we tend to fight a lot. I'm not proud of it but we tend to argue so much. There was one time on our way to school she blurted out, "Hay salamat, hindi tayo nag-aaway!" Hahahaha. Yes, she's really like that. She talks like an adult. 
• She's brave. We went to Sta. Elena Farm for their school field trip and she tried on every activity there. She tried horse-back riding, the zipline, riding the boat and the carabao, fishing. 

Zipline!

• She doesn't like losing. That's why she doesn't like participating in games hahaha. When she attends a children's party, I tell her she should participate in the games so that she'll get a prize. She tells me she doesn't like, and even if she doesn't participate in the games she still gets a prize - the loot bag hahahaha!

Javi

• He started walking already but because he's so likot we tend to always be just behind him or someone still holding his hand. He doesn't even pause to turn while walking. He just does it with no care. 
• Miya is malikot. But a lot of people were telling me then that iba ang likot ng lalaki kaya mag-intay daw ako kay Javi. Yep, they were right. Iba nga ang likot ng little boys. Javi is really malikot. He won't stay put even if he's carried. He will push you and will start crawling or walking wherever he wants to go.
• He is gala and maarte. Before he goes for his afternoon walk, he knows it immediately when they put on his shoes. I don't know where he got it but even inside the house he wants his shoes on. Hahaha! 

Yehey gala na! 

• Unlike his Ate, he doesn't like the water. Houston, we have a problem! The first time we dipped him in the ocean, it was only for a few seconds. The first time we dipped him in a pool was only for a few minutes because he started crying. We tried dipping him in beach water again but he still doesn't like the feel of the sand on his feet. Ang arte talaga! We're hoping he'll soon overcome this because Joema, Miya and I all love water. Pano kung sya hindi? 

Look how awful his face is kawawang kawawa hahaha

• He is so matakaw! He is at the stage where he will try anything you put in his mouth. Even before he turned one, we started feeding him table food. He wants to eat when he sees someone eating and he will get mad if you don't feed him. That is why his body easily bounces back even after getting sick and losing a few pounds because of his illness. 
• He is malambing but at the same time when he gets mads, he really gets mad! He will cry and cry until you pick him up and carry him and console him. Sometimes even after that he will still shout and cry. 
• He blabbers on and on. He can say mam-ma (for mommy), a-di (for daddy), te te (for ate), yoya (for lola), hai (for hi hehe). We don't understand much of what he says but he will blab and blab and blab.
• Like his Ate, he also likes music. When Miya sings "God gave me you" he will join in on the singing! As in he says la la la or whatever it is that he says hahaha. But we definitely know it's singing.
• He has weaned and he has been sleeping through the night. I think he last nursed middle of November. This makes me sad because I wasn't able to breastfeed him as long as his Ate. He doesn't even try to nurse anymore even during day time when we're together. He weaned on his own but mommy-led as well. During the day, he feeds from a bottle before he naps. And then before bed time at night, he also has one bottle. I want to start weaning him from the bottle as well. We'll try giving him milk from the tetra pack (we give him fresh milk/soy milk). And if he's satisfied with that no need for bottle before sleeping. I don't want him to get hooked to the feeding bottle's nipple.  

My pregnancy

• I'm currently 25 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I was put on bed rest last week because I experienced contractions for two days (felt dysmenorreah like pain). 

Taken last Sunday, 29 Nov 2015 at 24 weeks and 5 days

• Every pregnancy is really different. For this one I had nausea until maybe my fourth month. Although until now I'm easily nauseated. 
• The baby started really moving by the 18th week. She/he (I will alternately use either pronoun) now moves a lot and when my tummy is pressed he kicks back hahaha. 
• We've had our congenital anomaly scan on 22nd week. I was nervous all through out the scan. But everything seems to be A-OK.
• My OB does the ultrasound every month during our checkup but we still don't know the gender of our baby, our choice. We don't plan to know it until I finally give birth. It will be a surprise. We already have one girl and one boy so think of this as a bonus round. :)
• I'm a guilty mother. I haven't been as careful with my eating habits this time around unlike with Miya and Javi before. Sorry, anak!
• I'm not sure if I will be able to publish a blog post I started about how we found out I was pregnant. That's another guilty mother post. 

Baby Bashful's first photo - no fetus and heartbeat yet but there's already the yolk sac and gestational sac

• We still don't have a name for the baby. We call her baby bashful now while inside my tummy (Miya named her). As we don't know the gender, we need to prepare one name for a girl, and one name for a boy.
• Although we don't know the gender yet, Joema and I both think the baby is a girl haha. 

Javi's Breastfeeding Journey (The Start of the End)

I haven't been blogging recently due to many reasons I guess. One of these was I just don't have the energy to blog anymore. I'm always tired, I'm swamped with work, I'm emotionally drained haha! So many things are happening, I'm not sure where to begin. But I guess you pretty much had an inkling on what's going on with my last post. In connection to that, let me blog about Javi's breastfeeding journey. Promise, I will blog about my pregnancy soon - I think my stories on Javi and my current pregnancy are so intertwined!

One of the signs I had that I'm pregnant back when I didn't know I was pregnant (gulo ba?), was my milk supply significantly decreased. I think I lost about 1 ounce per pumping session. I used to get around 4oz per session, so then it came down to 3oz. I stopped pumping milk in the office altogether last week. Before I stopped I'd only get around 0.5oz of milk to take home everyday. That's in one pumping session. From 3oz, it went down to 2oz and then 1 oz and then finally only half an ounce of milk per session. That was when I knew it was time to give up. And Javi was already a year old by then. Atleast I reached my goal of not giving him any other milk aside from breastmilk up until he was one year old.

Javi nursing on his first birthday

After his birthday, he was given soymilk to replace one milk bottle a day of breastmilk. That was what happened until all of my frozen breastmilk stash was used up. I think he finished everything during the first week of October. We're still breastfeeding when we're together although not as much. At night, he still wakes up to feed but not as long and as often. We usually give him one bottle of milk before going up to our bedroom. Last Saturday was heartbreaking for me because it was the first time I had to give him the bottle myself. At night when he wakes up, sometimes I had to tell him to stop because my sensitive nipples can no longer take it. Sometimes it's okay with him, he nurses for a while and then turns his back on me (faces his other side) and goes back to sleep, but sometimes he really wants to nurse for a long time, he wails if I don't give him the boob. Haaay! I'm so sad I had to do this to him. I don't want to start comparing Miya and Javi in terms of our breastfeeding journey because I will really get sad. I now know how other mothers feel when they want to breastfeed their kids but their bodies are no longer willing. Javi, anak, please know that Mommy loves you very much! I would breastfeed you as long as my body can take it. I pray my body can still take it to breastfeed you both with your little sibling when the time comes. I love you so much!

Letter To My One Year Old

Dearest Javi,

Tomorrow you will be turning one. I can't believe you're already a year old. Has it really been 12 months already? I feel I haven't been able to savor all those months, all your milestones, your firsts! Even though I'm not able to keep track of all your milestones like what we did with your Ate, know that I love you every minute of the day with every fiber in my being. You know my darling boy, I feel guilty about so many things. One of that is not giving you enough time to be the bunso. When I first knew I was pregnant again, my first thought was you. I worried how you'll be with the next child coming so soon. I know you're still too young to know what is happening but still I worry about you. I worry about the middle child syndrome. I hope it won't have negative effects in you. When my phone crashed last month, I was devastated. I lost 3 months worth of your photos. I was guilty of not taking enough photos of you. I was guilty of not using a proper camera when taking your photos but instead rely on my camera phone. I cried over those photos. Those photos represent all your milestones in those 3 months (June to August 2015) that I can never recover. Please know that I will forever pay for these. Habang buhay kong papatunayan sayong mahal na mahal ka ni Mommy. I love you so much that my heart feels like bursting just thinking about it. Before you came, I was worried I won't have enough love to give to you. But they said a mother's heart multiplies, and so did my heart. I had more than enough love to give you. Unfortunately, I couldn't multiply myself physically to always be present for you and your Ate.

I don't want to make this letter seem like a sad story all over. Because you bring us so much joy. Your smile that you give us every time we call your name. The smile that you give your Ate every time you want to play with her. I had difficulties when I was pregnant with you. I had other mommy friends who had miscarriages when I was pregnant with you. But one year ago, I gave birth to you. When I heard your cries in that delivery room, I was filled with emotions I had to keep myself from crying. I thought, after all those difficulties here you are at last in my arms. I know you are destined for great things! Because why would our good Lord bring you here but not those other babies. You are destined to be alive here and now and do great things for humankind. I know that deep in my heart. You may not be a doctor or a lawyer or a successful professional, but I know you will bring forth so much greatness in other people's lives.

I always give thanks to our Lord for giving you to me. And I always pray for Him to guide me and your Daddy in parenting you. May He always bless you Anak and guide you all throughout your life! I love you so much! Words are not enough to tell you how much! Happy birthday my darling boy!

Love,
Mommy

How Are You?

It's been more than a month since my last post and that wasn't even an update on what's been happening lately. So many things have happened and I've been swamped with work. But finally we're getting wifi at home so hopefully I will churn out more blog posts in the coming days. Meanwhile, let me share with you the latest photos of my kids.

Where to Stay in Incheon: Incheon Airport Transit Hotel

In my last business trip, a leg of our flight had a stopover at Incheon International Airport. We had an 8-hour layover so we just checked in at the transit hotel inside the airport. The hotel had an east wing and a west wing. We were booked at the west wing which is located almost in front of gate 43, take the elevator going up and that will lead you to the hotel. No need for visa as you don't have to go through immigration to get to the hotel. The information center inside the airport was very helpful in assisting us getting to the hotel and then advising us on what to do for the transfer of our next flight. 

The room is very basic but very clean as well. 

When you enter the room, you will be led directly to your bed. To the left is the door to the bathroom.

Toilet inside the bathroom

There's a big mirror and desk beside the bed

Shower stall inside the bathroom

Sorry no complimentary toiletries here. 

I was booked in a standard double room. The hotel charges are based on the length of your stay. The room rate does not include breakfast. 

Incheon Airport Transit Hotel

Departure Area, 4th Floor, East and West Wings

Tel No. : 82-32-743-3000

Website: http://www.airgardenhotel.com/english/index.php

Homecoming

I'm back with more stories to tell and more photos to share. I'll start with the most recent events. We've transferred homes! Oh yes we did! Thank God for this wonderful blessing. As of now, we haven't finished unpacking. We still have a lot of boxes to go through. I don't want to rush this step as I want to edit our things: give away what we don't need anymore or use. Living in a small space and now transferring to a not so big space, I learned that I need to let go of our material things and not buy stuff that are only for display or will just result to trash. Even with clothes, I realized I need to buy clothes that are not too cheap that I only get to wear once or twice. When I went on a business trip, I didn't even bring home a souvenir coz I knew it will only be more junk in our new home. Now my idea is, if I don't find anything beautiful and at the same time useful in our home from our trips I won't buy it. So goodbye ref magnets haha! Anyway, there are always photos to go back to to reminisce the trip. The title of this post is quite fitting as we transferred homes right after I came back from my business trip. I arrived Saturday evening (and came home to our old house) and then we transferred houses the next morning. Haggard! But it was all worth it. Seeing the smiles on my kids with all the spaces they can move about, we get our own room with a door and finally have some privacy, even our househelps have gained their own personal space.

Here are photos on the day we moved houses.

Dining area

Our bedroom

Miya's room

Kitchen and dining area

I can't believe we accumulated that much stuff and we're able to keep all those in our 33sqm unit.

We also got to celebrate my son's 9th month birthday in our new home and we invited our closest friends and family to celebrate with us. Javi's first name Javier means new home. I was pregnant with him when we started building our home. Joema and I really find time to name our kids with meanings that our dear to us. 

Celebrated with Javi's Ninongs and Ninangs

With my side of the family on Father's day. It was a triple celebration: Javi's 9th month, Papa's birthday celebration and Father's day celebration for all the fathers in our family.

On the actual day of Javi's 9th month. Naunang picture sila ni Joema kasi coding ang car, he left early hehe 

With Lolo and Lola. They get to dropby everyday because we're so near them na. They're the happiest with our moves, me thinks haha! 

Javi and Breastfeeding

I realize I haven’t blogged about in detail my breastfeeding journey with Javi. This is really for me to go back to on how he’s breastfeeding was and for my reference for the next kid (naks!). I found my blogposts about Miya’s breastfeeding to be very helpful with Javi this time around.

I mentioned in my birth story that we didn’t have a problem with latching. We were able to experience Unang Yakap when Javi was born.

Unang Yakap when Javi was born

A lactation consultant went to my room at the hospital during our stay.

Lactation consultant checks if the latch is correct

On our nights at the hospital, I didn’t put Javi at the bassinet provided. He immediately co-slept with me. I had him sleeping beside me the moment he was born.

Still at the hospial

What I noticed with Javi (in comparison to Miya) is that he doesn’t feed regularly. During his early months, I would feed him for a few minutes and then he will throw up most of the milk (sometimes milk will come out of his mouth). So the pedia advised me to feed him in small amounts instead. Problem with this kid is he doesn’t know when to stop, he will nurse and nurse and nurse and then throw up. So I learned to nurse him only for a few minutes say 5 minutes at a time. I don’t know if this is the reason why I think he doesn’t drink too much milk or what he gets is really enough for him. In comparison, I think mas matakaw si Miya sa milk before. That’s why I started pumping milk when Javi was only a week old. I had so much milk and he wasn’t drinking all of it. I had to pump and store earlier than I did with Miya. I was also praning of getting a mastitis because of story I heard about it hehe.  Although when I started working, Javi can consume around 3 to 4 bottles of 3 oz milk (that’s from 7am-7pm). That increase a few months back to 5 bottles. But now that he eats three times a day, he’s down to 4 bottles again (this is very recent like this week recent). When I had the measles and he had to be away from me, that’s when I realized that he doesn’t sleep through the night yet. When we sleep at the same house, he usually sleeps around 6pm and then wakes up again around 8pm. So we get to play with him until he sleeps again around 9 or 10, I nurse him to sleep. And then I thought his next feeding was around 5am already although there are days when he wakes up during the night to feed, I thought he was going through a growth spurt. Turned out he does nurse during the night. When he was away, I told my mother and the yaya to prepare 3 bottles for the night. For his 10pm feeding, and then around 1-3am feeding and then when he wakes up at around 5am. Turned out my estimates were correct. So while we weren’t together he drank 8 bottles of 3oz milk. But before I got sick, I usually leave him 5 bottles of 4oz of milk already. We had to lower the measurement of milk because my frozen milk was bagged at 3oz each. I didn’t want my yaya to stress out about transferring the milk and measuring each one. So I told her to just pour each bag to one bottle. But now, we’re back to feeding him 4oz of milk per bottle. I ask my yaya to list down his schedule, time he sleeps and the time he drinks his milk. So that I know if he’s had enough nap times and if he’s had enough feeding.

Breastfeeding on his 4th month birthday

Breastfeeding while out in Baguio

When Javi and I are together, say on weekends, he doesn’t really feed as much. He usually nurses as much as he wants when it’s time for him to sleep. I nurse him to sleep. But during the day, he won’t feed as much. I always joke that it’s because he’s such a chismoso. When he feeds and he hears someone talk he will turn his head and smile at the person talking hehehe. He needs complete silence for him to focus on his feeding. So when we’re out, there are times that I don’t even have to feed him because he can’t concentrate on feeding and end up not nursing at all until we’re back at the car on the ride home. Unlike with Miya before who really feeds anytime and anywhere.

Breastfeeding at my cousin's wedding last February

Breastfeeding really is amazing in keeping babies healthy. Both Joema and I had measles and we co-sleep with both kids but until now none of them are showing symptoms of getting it from us. Well, Miya has measles vaccine and booster shot, but Javi hasn’t had his measles vaccine yet. Although we’re not yet in the clear, we’re a few days short of the three week mark. Now, Javi has cough but he’s active so we’re still monitoring him.  

As for pumping milk, I'm now catching up to pump for my frozen stash of milk because I'm going on a business trip in a week. My frozen stash was used up by Javi when I had the measles. He used up all of them, he drank up the milk I pumped while I was sick and Javi's godmother gave us breastmilk too. It was depleted. Good thing, the last few bags I pumped while I was sick was not touched and as of last count last night, I have enough milk for him for 5 days (assuming 8 bottles a day). One of the breastfeeding moms in my office, also generously gave me her extra stash for Javi. I'm super duper grateful to my breastfeeding mommy friends for giving their milk to Javi. I'm so terrified of having to buy milk for Javi. I can't fathom the idea of Javi drinking other milk aside from breastmilk before his first birthday! Before I got sick, I dropped pumping milk before going to the office. But now to catch up for our frozen stash, I have to pump milk before leaving for the office. And then I pump 4 times at the office: 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 6:30pm (if I'm still at the office). I also pump now during weekends. My goal is for my weekend pump to supply for Javi's Monday milk so that's 4 bottles. Last weekend I was able to do it. Hopefully, I can do it again this weekend. I'll be gone for 6 nights, but I'm preparing atleast 8 days of supply for Javi. Because I'm not sure if I can pump regularly while on the business trip. And I don't want to stress out on how to bring home my milk. I think I'll pump and dump while I'm away. I plan to store my milk on the second leg of my trip, but I'm not sure how much I can bring home. So the two extra days is for when I'm back and have no extra milk for Javi. Hopefully, everything will turn out okay. I'm not worried about Javi having problems latching when I get back because we didn't have that problem when we were separated when I got sick and that was longer than my business trip.

Quick Update

And when I was so good blogging I suddenly disappeared again. Well, I have good excuse this time. Joema got sick - measles! And then after two weeks it was my turn! It was hell! When Joema got sick, me and the kids went to my parents' home and stayed there for the duration of his illness so that we won't get ill. But measles is contagious even before the rashes came out, so yeah I caught the bug from him and was sick after two weeks (incubation period is 2-3 weeks). When I got sick, the kids were then sent again to my parents' home. It was torture for me to be away from the kids, from Javi specifically because we're breastfeeding. They told me there were nights when he didn't have a good night sleep and he wanted to be carried the whole time. I couldn't leave him a shirt or piece of clothing so that he'll smell me while we're not together because my clothes might be carrying my germs. My stash of frozen breastmilk was gone in a few days. I had to pump milk continuously even if I was feverish or itchy from the rashes. No worries, I did all that for my son and I missed him and his Ate terribly. I had a few breakdowns while they were away because of home sickness. I guess it was God's way of preparing me for my upcoming business travel. I should have been gone this last week but because of my measles the trip was postponed to second week of June. I guess the only difference when I was sick was I didn't know when I'll get well, unlike for a business trip I know when the trip will end. Haaay! While I was tortured to be away from the kids, my little girl was having a blast hahaha! She thoroughly enjoyed her "summer vacation" at her Lolo and Lola's place. Javi on the other hand really missed me. The day I got my doctor's clearance I went to see them. Javi was crying from his rocker when he saw me, apparently he wanted me to carry him. And when I did, he hugged me and he propped his head on my shoulders. It's the sweetest thing I tell you! I felt like crying while we're hugging me. I didn't expect for him to miss me that much. And then these days, he's always "naghahabol". He doesn't want me leaving his sight. I think he hasn't recovered yet. Poor kid! He turned 8 months, by the way. I hope to blog more in the coming days. I don't know how because I'm swamped with work because I was gone for two weeks! But I think I'll manage to post a few things. See you around!