Batman Birthday

We found ourselves in Baguio for the long weekend and for Gavin's fourth month birthday.

We survived the five hour road trip! Gavin wasn't fussy and his yaya didn't vomit, double yay!

Not much activities for the little one, but we were able to bring him to Burnham Park, Palengke, John Hay among others.  It was also his first time to go to mass and glad that it was at the iconic Baguio Cathedral.

It has been quite some time since we last went on an out of town trip with extended family.

As always, it was full of drama but also full of unexpected fun fun fun in the fog.

We started Gavin's fourth month birthday with a wonderful breakfast at the Hill Station.

Thanks to Tita Marielle for the batman costume she gave when Gavin was still at my tummy.

It fits him perfectly now.  He had loads of fun wearing it that day.

        Lolo and his favorite*

At siyempre, walang batang makakaligtas sa walang kamatayang Baguio City bonnet.

His yaya was excited to have him wear it (#whygadwhy).

I discovered that he really likes cold weather and was even perspiring even if we were all freezing. 

I made him sleep in a hoodie-frog suit for fear he will get cold, but his head was namamawis in the morning.

We capped off the night with a family dinner at Forest House.

The streamline cake from Tea House was delicious and the staff gamely played the Happy Birthday song with our prepared candles for the little one.  

Hope you had a happy fourth month birthday Gavin!

I love you to the moon and back!

Zoom Zoom Zoom

It has been four months since I gave birth and I'm getting a bit sentimental. 

When I started this blog, it was to have something to do to keep my sanity over the long extended bed rest and all my hospitalizations. I did not have any idea on what motherhood will be, what my child will look like, how it will be to give birth and so on.

I can still remember every single thing that I did the day before giving birth.

I remember that my husband and I stopped by the gasoline station to eat hotdog before we went to Genesis.  That time, I was already thinking that it was the last time that it will just be the two of us.

Come tomorrow, there will be a little one to take care of.

You will see in my past entries the ordeal we went thru when Gavin was born.

One of our friends told me when I was narrating my sleepless nights that I should cherish it because they grow up pretty fast...that I will look back at it with fondness and that I will miss it someday. 

That someday is today.  At four months, Gavin cannot fit into his newborn clothes anymore.

He has outgrown his co-sleeper.  He has learned to control his head upright. 

He can now see as far as the end of the room.  We have even started him on solids today.

I miss the times that I can carry him with just one arm.

I miss that he can fit into his swaddle and can spend the whole day sleeping in our arms.

I miss our time together, even if I felt that my time revolved around him entirely.

I miss changing diapers 6x a day.  I miss his little mittens.

I miss his full head of hair.  

I am keeping this blog so I can jot down our memories together.

Time runs by really fast. 

If I can just freeze it for a bit sana.

Gavin, please don't grow up yet.

I'd like to have my little baby for a longer stretch <3

Breastmilk Is Best For Babies

Since August is breast feeding month, I'd like to share some tips from my breast feeding experience.

1. Do not invest in bottles prior to giving birth if you seriously want to nurse.

2. Invest instead in a reliable breast pump.  

    I started with a Medela Harmony Manual Pump which broke down after two weeks.

    I them switched to a Medela Freestyle Digital Double pump.

    It was pure heaven sent.  It cut down downloading 5 ounces of milk from 30 minutes to 10.

    It was handy, it can fit into any handbag. It's chargeable so I can use it for 3 days straight.

    I can easily control the strength and power while checking on the time consumed.

3. Say no to plastic! It's very costly to keep on buying breastmilk plastic containers in zip-like form.  

    Try to get a container that fits your pump valve and can be stored in a ref or freezer too.

    This way, you can re-use it again and again.  I only used the zip like ones when I was able 

    to make A LOT of milk that my containers ran out.

4. Use two nursing covers.  When one is in the laundry, you always have another to use.

    I have two types, the Boncho which covers my front and back and a front cover only. 

    Both are very useful depending on my outfit.

5. Make sure you follow the correct storage tips.  

    Milk at Room Temperature-I usually keep it for 6 hours

    Refrigerated Milk - 3 days

    Milk inside a Freezer with separate door - 3 months

 * Do not microwave stored milk, put it in a mug with hot water instead to defrost

5. Do get the washable nipple pads instead of disposable ones.  Avent makes it and the brand, 

    Mom & Baby has the exact same one as Avent but at only 30% of the price.

6. The blue ice pack is a big help when transporting milk.  Get an insulated bag too.

7. At work, wash your valves in hot water.  You can pump while working, but be discreet about it.

    Now that my team is used to me pumping milk, they don't even notice that the pump 

    is turned on because I am properly covered and the sound isn't that loud.  

8. Prioritize, make time to pump! 

9. If needed, get in touch with a lactation consultant.  

    They will help you hurdle the hardships of the first few days of nursing.

10. Learning how to hand express is a life saver.  

    If you forget your pump at home or if there is a brown out in your area,

    you can always express milk.  Hand expressing also helps you avoid mastitis 

    because it empties your breasts completely.

Hope this helps! Don't give up when you feel like doing so.

Tomorrow is another day :) 

You can do it!!!

Kalookalike

Sige na please...we look alike, right? Hehehehe!!!

Lola's Grand Apo

I'm the first apo on my Father's side and my parents lived beside my Lola when I was born.

Mama has always had a special spot for me perhaps because I was the first.

Now, it's Gavin's turn to be the first great grand apo :) 

He is lucky that my Lola is strong enough to carry him, take care of him and to still be wise enough to give me mommy advice.  Great grand mothers are a grandparents' antithesis.

They have been there, done that already.  They have raised their children and grand children.

They have learned from their mistakes and I feel that they are more lenient to great grand kids but not spoilers like the grand parents. Hehehehe!

Not Yet Loving The Water

 When our pedia gave the go signal for Gavin to be dipped in a pool, we were all excited!

Bought him a baby salbabida and rash guard.  I was hoping that he would loved the water, but his first try was a bit of a fail.  The little man cried his lungs out probably because the water was quite cold.

Next time again...maybe when he is a bit older :)

In the meantime, practice muna sa bath tub!

Day Out

Took a leave and brought Gavin to his pedia.

He took his 5 in 1 immunization and we celebrated by going to the mall after :)

We also met up with my best friend, Babits and her kids, Isla and Carlyle.

Gavin enjoyed his day out at BHS.

It was his first time to be outside seeing a lot of people, dogs, colors, etc.

I really hope that there would be more open spaces, trees and parks here in Manila.

It would be really fun for the kids to have a lot of greens to see and trees to climb instead of them

Being mall rats.  

I still remember when I was young, there was no cable tv then so cartoons were only shown a few hours in the morning and during weekends.  Hence, we spent the rest of the day outdoors playing patintero or riding our bikes or playing bahay bahayan using our imagination.

These days, I usually see kids playing with their iPads and I am also guilty of this because at his early age, Gavin already watches Pocoyo in the iPad too.  Yikes!

Sana I can give more authentic outdoor experiences in the future :) fingers crossed

Gavin also spent time with Tita Pia and Tito Josef before they went off on their honeymoon :)

 

Worth the Wait

Remember the photo in April with this shirt?

Gavin is now wearing it.

It pretty much sums up my whole pregnancy and motherhood experience because

this little dude is definitely worth the wait, worth the sleepless nights and worth everything that I have been through.