The Irony

So one day my 10yo son suddenly realized that he had to stop eating meat. Okayyyy. 

Valentine's Kick Off

Hubby decided to have a Valentine’s kick off weekend. He’s always looking forward to celebrating the heart’s day that he has planned to have a weekend long celebration because according to him, he wants to make it extra special. Every weekend, we always go to our parents’ house (either mine or his). Last Saturday was an exception. The kids stayed at my in-laws’ house and we decided to just stay at home. Yes, we had the house all to ourselves.

When we’re too engrossed with parental bliss, we took some time off from it. That way, we can talk and discuss matters without worrying about the kids. So here’s what we did while the kids were out.

Saturday: I did a major house cleaning. Haha! Would you believe? Because the house was so quiet and I have nothing else to do, I swept and scrubbed floors while waiting for hubby to come home. Yes, OC at its finest! We had a movie night, some cheese and wine. :)

     

Nay & Tay alone time. Little Fockers. Wine. Popcorn. Cheese. 

Because talking and laughing to our hearts’ content always gives us our much needed boost.

Sunday: We woke up extra early and went jogging. Well, hubby did. I mostly did the walking. I’m not wearing my running shoes (I’m saving my feet and battered TOMS from an early death) which by the way, resulted into leg pain. And since it was still early that time, we decided to passed by the church to have an early morning prayer. :)

  

Commerce Ave, Alabang: w/ early morning joggers

Because we’ll always find a reason to talk about silly things so we could laugh some more.

Weekend’s over. Back to mom & dad duties. Our last hurrah for the weekend. :)

cezanne's still down w/ colds
cheetos and movie night last night! :)

 Because we can’t bear to be without the kids for a long time,

 we always look forward to those sleepless nights. Oh, pure bliss.

nay and tay: w/ our matching puffy and baggy eyes :)

Happy Hearts' Day, everyone! :)

Raising a Creative Child: Theodore's Doodling Skills

Do you know how important it is to compliment your child? However, not all praises are beneficial if it’s not accurate or well earned. I know the importance of being complimented. It plays a vital part in your child’s growing up years. It’s essential so you could raise a confident and secure child. Sometimes, being a young Mom is an advantage. When you’re young, you’re more adventurous, thus, you’re eager to learn and explore new things. And because I don’t want my child to experience what I’ve gone through, I always make it a point to compliment him. I make sure that every time he does something he’s proud of, whether an artwork or a perfect score in Math, he’s getting that needed boost, in a balanced way, of course.  

My eldest, Theodore, loves to draw. He prefers doodling rather than answering homeworks. So sometimes, I have to be beside him, just to make sure he’s doing his school works and getting it done. He started to draw when he was three. And every year he’s getting better.

Kuya's first finger painting. 02.21.2005

He used to make these when he was just 4yo.
Now, he's already talking about hair gum and Vans. How time flies! 

When Eric was 4, he already knew what he wants to be
when he grew up, he'll be an underdog cartoonist.
At Lola's, trying to hone his tattooing skills. :P

circa '05:
 he eats crayons for breakfast

His drawing methods are pretty much the same. But he’s obsessed with details. I know, he’s still got a long way to go, but I’m happy he gets to enjoy it. His passion for arts and music is something I’m particularly proud of (because mommy’s a frustrated artist, LOL). I just hope I’m doing a good job of raising him to be a well rounded person.

His attempt at making a heavily polluted river.
 Baby, really, a skull?? No wonder your teachers won't allow you
 to make posters for the school, LOL. :)) 

Trying out Paul's (our friend) doodling skills.  

getting better and better
look at those tiny details! :) 

Hi baby! I know sometimes, you visit Mommy’s blog

 (believe it or not, he’s into reading too)

 and I just want you to know that I’m so proud of you.

 Keep doing what you love. I’ll always be your no1 fan.

Trying to play the electric guitar. :)

A Nasty Nappy Rash and Birthday Thoughts

Cezanne's developmental milestones for the year '10
POLIE'S FIRSTS:
from top left: photo-opt when he's still in mommy's womb, birth, bath,
sunny day, grocery shopping, cerelac meal, biscuit day, bottle day,
banana day, trick or treat, mall day & first to stand upon his own     

It is often said that it's mandatory to have a grand birthday bash on the 1st year of age. It's customary, especially in our culture (and you know how we, Filipinos, put so much effort in planning celebrations). But do you know the medical reason behind it? Infant mortality rate is defined as the number of infant deaths (one year of age or younger) per 1000 live births. Just the thought of surpassing the most crucial stage of an infant's life is reason enough to have a big celebratory event. Makes sense, eh?

This was after telling Polie's pedia that I don't see the point of having a grand 1st birthday bash. Personally, I think that the 1st birthday is more for the parents than the child (your one year old isn't going to remember anyway). But then again... Oh well... 

Rotavirus on Day 6: So I've read that the incubation period for Rotavirus is about two days. Vomiting and diarrhea may last from three to seven days. It's a good thing Cezanne only vomited on the first day. His poop is almost close to normal since yesterday. We're still waiting to see that his poop passing frequency lessens. But, he's now suffering from a nasty nappy rash. Because liquid poop spreads over a wide area of the skin, it makes the skin more susceptible to irritation and bacterial growth. Now, I regret not using a barrier cream as a preventive measure. I can see from his face how agonizing it is to have his bottom cleaned. :(

Important reminders when taking care of a child with stomach flu:

1. Make sure your child is properly hydrated. Especially if there's a recurrent vomiting.  

2. If you're using cloth nappies (lampin), stash these away as it will inhibit nappy rash. Use disposable nappies for the time being until the diarrhea subsides. 

3. Wash your baby's bottom with lukewarm water and a mild soap every time he needs a nappy change. And make sure the skin is completely dry, especially in the creases (while baby wipes might come in handy, it's not enough to clean your child's bottom). 

4. Make sure to replace bedding everyday to avoid spreading the virus.

5. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after giving your child a nappy change.

6. On the onset of diarrhea, put a barrier cream on your child's bottom to protect the skin from irritation. Calmoseptine is a multi-purpose moisture barrier ointment which protects, soothes, and helps promote healing of skin irritations. Effective and very cheap.

7. Sanitize, sanitize and sanitize some more!          

And remember, prevention is always better than cure. It seems that my OC-ness isn't enough in keeping a germ-free and healthy household. Have your child vaccinated to avoid the dreary Rotavirus disease. Believe me, you wouldn't regret it.

Rotavirus on Day 4 and Other Random Ramblings

Cezanne’s a lot better now compared to two days ago. But last night, he threw (yet again) another uncontrollable crying fit. It’s 8PM and he’s still half awake, then he started crying at 930PM and this went on for two hours, he just won’t stop. We checked his temperature, temperature’s normal—he doesn’t have a fever. We lowered down the AC thermostat and we wrapped him in layer of blankets (thinking it was the cold), still nothing happened. I rubbed Aceite de Manzanilla (it’s a combination of chamomile and citronella oil which help alleviate gas pain) on his tummy because I’ve noticed his tummy turned rock hard (a sign of infant colic); he stopped crying for a while, but started crying again, now, even louder. His face’s so red from crying and we started to panic. We called his yaya downstairs and to my disappointment, he stopped crying when his yaya carried him. I felt from that moment how useless I am as a mom. To make matters worse, I could hear Manang’s (our older nanny) instantaneous rant about folkloric medicine. I felt so insecure because I’m the mother and I can’t do anything about my son’s condition. So I pretended I was asleep and I let them take care of him. By 12 midnight, Cezanne’s already sleeping. He woke up again at 1AM, again, crying. I carried him in my arms and to my surprise, he stopped crying. He fell asleep in my arms while we were on the bedroom couch. It was a moment of pure bliss. And suddenly, I’m okay, my worries melted away just like that.

This morning as I was cleaning Cezanne’s room, I’ve noticed the back portion of the Lysol can (as I was about to spray it in Cezanne’s room), says:

GEEEZZZZZZ! ;|

Damn it! I guess my trusty Messy Bessy Tea Tree Disinfectant spray is not potent enough to kill those dreary viruses. 

has been a staple household cleanser for years

On a lighter note, hubby got me a heeled Oxford shoes as his (better late than never) Christmas present. I almost cried when I was able to get hold of them. Since we started living in our own home and got caught up with marital and parenting bliss, we seldom buy things for ourselves anymore. I’m grateful for the insights family life had taught me. It made me more appreciative of people, situations and sweet nothings. I am loving this thing called “adult phase” and I think I’m getting better at it. :)

best thing about it: a real bargain! ;)

day 4: better than yesterday's better :)
(w/ lolo Pol)

Manic Monday: A BAD BAD Virus

Remember my Holidazed Twenty Ten post regarding Cezanne being on top of his health? Well, I guess the universe is playing tricks on me again. :(

It was just hours before New Year’s Eve when Cezanne started to pass stool after every feeding. We had him checked by his pediatrician (good thing that she also resides in the same village) and we were told that he contracted a severe type of diarrhea caused by ROTAVIRUS.

image taken from google

I was shocked. How can he get it? I am so wary of bacteria and dirt in our home making sure his toys, utensils and cot are clean and properly sanitized all the time. He uses distilled water for his milk formula and we even boil it! His bath water is purified water. So, how on earth did he get it??

When I was still pregnant, I saw a TV commercial advertising the ROTAVIRUS vaccine. I immediately told myself that I’m getting this vaccine for Cezanne. There are no meds/drugs for infant diarrhea, you just need to monitor your child making sure that he’s properly hydrated every time he passes stool (that’s why it’s very important to look for signs of dehydration).

      

When I gave birth and asked his pediatrician (his first) if he could get a shot for the ROTAVIRUS vaccine (which is normally between 3-4mos), his pediatrician told us that it isn’t necessary, plus there was still (at that time) unruled side effects of the said vaccine that she didn’t recommend having it taken.

At first, I thought it was his erupting lateral incisor (he also had a slight fever on the second day). And it’s quite normal (for some babies) to have diarrhea when a new tooth erupts (as they chew on things to alleviate gum pain). But when he started to pass stool after every feeding, it was alarming already and we decided to have him checked.

It was New Year’s Eve and I was just inside the room (my in laws’ guest room) looking after for Cezanne. I’m still thankful despite of almost non- stop stool passing, he’s still active (although a little cranky)-- a good sign that he’s getting better. 

day 3: a lot better :)

It has been three days and I hope his freakin’ diarrhea stops.
And I’m doing a major house cleaning today with Lysol overdose, just in case.

last night: two more rooms to go! 

Happy Monday, everyone (still staying positive in negative times)! :)