Breastfeeding Room: Tagbilaran Airport

I was surprised to see a breastfeeding and kiddie room sign at Tagbilaran Airport.

I followed the sign which led me to the second floor waiting area.  

I was GLAD and excited when I peeked into the room and saw this.

There was a complete play area, with educational toys and books, with a television playing Frozen, with a hard drive containing lots of videos for kids, with a rubber matt where kids can freely play in and staying inside is free! It also has a sofa for nursing moms. 

I could not believe that a local airport can be this kid friendly.  If Tagbilaran can do it, all other airports, especially bigger ones can do it too.  It just proves that it's not a matter of government funds, but if there is a will, there is a way.  Doing a room like this is not expensive.  However, it needs priority as it is much more easier for a local government to convert a place as huge as this to be used by a food tenant instead.  It just goes to show how much Bohol puts importance to families traveling and the happiness of their children.  Happy Kids = Happy Parents = Happy Trips!

Officially A Toddler

Since the little man has grown very fast at 15 months, we have started to declutter and to let go of his baby items.  We let to of his wooden crib which I loved, but do not need anymore.  

     His last day on his crib before it was sent off.

We let go of his playpen where he slept when we brought him home from the hospital.  It was also one of the first things we bought him when I was still pregnant. He doesn't like staying and playing inside it anymore.

We also let go of his infant car seat.  He is now more comfortable sitting on my lap when we go off on a drive.  We have to switch to the toddler car seat soon.

     TB photo at 3 months.

We also let go of his first stroller.

Even if I love it to bits and Gavin loves it as well, we have a better, simpler, but 

smaller stroller which suits us now.

    Gavin at 1 month at Tagaytay, his first out of town trip. Hindi niya kamuka.

As they say, letting go is not an easy task.  However, I firmly believe that these are all but material things.  We had great memories using each and everyone of them, but we need room for items that we really need now.  Times have changed, his needs have changed as well.

I hope that when G grows up, he will learn not to be attached to material things.  I hope that like me, he will feel easy to let go even of his prized possessions, as material things are fleeting.  What matters most are people, time, memories :)

Walking on Sunshine

A walking toddler is really a game changer, but we can now walk hand in hand which makes it all the more sweeter.  Gavin hops when he is happy and excited.  He runs when there is a huge space he can run off to.  He dances his little tiny fat feet when he hears Elmo's Hug The One You Love song.

Roseola

A week before Gavin turned one, he caught a fever which I mistakenly thought was due to teething.

He cried when we touched his gums, so naturally we thought it was the new tooth coming out.

He had a hard time sleep, hence, I had a hard time sleeping too.

He was uncomfortable, did not want to drink milk, ultimately hungry and very irritable.

He was not his usual jolly self.

His temperature rose during night time, sometimes as high as 39.8.

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling his very warm skin beside mine.

The age-old warm cold compress on this whole body helped bring the fever down.

Come morning time, it was down to about 38.

After 3 agonizing days and night, he was back to his usual happy self.

It was his birthday and we were glad that the fever broke already :)

Come mid-morning, my sister noticed that he had red spots at his back.

By the afternoon, it spread to his chest, a bit on his face too.

In the evening, it was on his arms and very few on his legs.

It was then that we realized that it was roseola, baby measles.

It wasn't real measles but tigers hangin as the oldies say.

The red spots should be out in 36-48 hours.

We were prescribed to give him allergy medicine.

On the 3rd day during his birthday party, all traces of roseola were gone...just in the nick of time.

It is very hard to catch roseola early on because a fever can be a manifestation of a lot of things.

The only way to determine is when the rash breaks out and the fever stops.

Also, you can catch roseola rough others but the symptoms come out ten days after.

By the time you feel the symptoms, you cannot infect other kids anymore.

Thankfully, I believe you can only have roseola once in your lifetime :)

14 Months

Bulilit turned 14 months yesterday.  We went to the pedia last week and he grew taller by one full inch.

He didn't gain a lot of weight, just a few ounces.  I think that the pedia is worried that he is not eating properly and just gulping down his mashed food without really eating.  She advised us not to turn on the tv especially while eating.  This task has been challenging to do, but what struck me most was that the doctor said teaching discipline should start right about now.  

We were successful on not turning on the tv or ipad the entire weekend.

It was difficult, messy table, messy floor, dirty baby...but we were able to make him chew real food better.  Hopefully by learning how to chew, he will learn how to eat properly too.

Our next challenge is talking.  At 14 months, a baby should be able to say 6 words, but my son still cannot speak a single world.  He learned to walk alone last a June 6, but has not yet mastered the art of talking.  Somehow, I think the doctor also advised against tv and ipad so that there can be more interactive time with real people instead so that he can learn how to talk. 

I'm a little bit worried that he hasn't achieved this milestone yet :( 

Now if only I can get the whole family on board with the no tv rule....

 

Walking Feet

I am absolutely thrilled that I was home to witness Gavin's first steps alone without holding on to anything or anyone.  It happened last June 6 as I was packing for a trip and he was walking along the bed and closets.  He walked by himself from the bed to the cabinets... Yaya and I looked at each other and cheered.  

Starting that day, he walked more steps without helped and after two weeks, I am happy to note that he is walking by himself already.  Ang bilis pa!  Happy mommy, happy feet baby :)

Solids

At 13 months, Gavin only has 2 lower teeth and barely two of his upper teeth.  It has been very hard for him to eat real food, except for tinola and nilaga plus fresh fruits.  London was great for feeding babies because of their extensive selection of baby food.

They had a lot of chunky food selection - real food in disposable containers.  You don't need to ou these in a bowl, just squeeze into a spoon and directly feed to your baby.

It also inexpensive at Php50-60 per pack of you buy it Tesco or Sainsbury.

Some are locally available at a healthy options at Php115.

There were also a good selection of breakfast porridge in different flavors and dinner mix like broccoli and cheese rice cereal.  

The local grocery also had different kinds of baby yoghurt and baby pudding.

My son developed his love for these things when we were in London,

He used to not like the regular bitter taste of the yoghurt in Manila, bit the baby yoghurt had less of the taste and it was in smaller servings.

I was also happy hat they had a lot of selection for baby juice.

In Manila, only he SM Aura Supermarket had different kinds of juice for tots, bit all were out of stock during summer time.  Nakakasawa din ang walang kamatayang apple juice.

We also happened to find different kinds of organic crisps for kids.

They were mainly made from carrots or tomatoes and some flavored with cheese.

I know that making food for your tots from scratch is really healthier, but I was happy to be able to find different selection of ready baby meals.  It increased the taste pallet of Gavin and it also helped increase his appetite more.  I do hope that groceries in Manila can import these baby food items soon to improve the local selection.  I do hope that they can also maintain the value for money prices, in case these products are imported. 

Just an update that our pedia, Dra. Carmela De Lara gave us a moratorium on no watching television or Ipad while eating.  The little one was used to eat only if he is watching Mickey Mouse or Hi5.  She warned us that the baby should learn to concentrate on eating in order to know that he needs to eat when hungry plus to practice him to eat by himself with the finger food presented.  It has been a tough couple of days, but we are slowly getting there - no tears while eating.  God help us, hehe!