Thursday, March 29, 2012

On Superstitions and Unsolicited Advice

While I was pregnant with Rocco, I was told to cover my belly, especially during my night time walks, to shoo away lurking bad elements.

When Rocco was finally born, I received a lot of unsolicited advice, which are mostly based from superstitions. I know they mean well, but sometimes, it can get to my nerves.

Just the other day, I was told to not let Rocco look at himself in the mirror because he won't be able to talk. Duhhh!!! Pls explain the correlation. All parenting sites actually encourage baby reflection time, because it stimulates their brain & vision.

I'm told to do this, and that, which I usually oppose to, simply because I feel it's not right for my child.

Looks like, everybody has a say, everybody else knows what's right, except the mommy.

So from now on, my new mantra is to not listen to unsolicited advice, even if it comes from well-meaning people. If I need one, I would ask for one.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

What to Expect on the First Year

Yay! I received a gift today. I've been wanting to own this book, and even joined a blog contest from Topaz Mommy to win the entire set. Though the internet is my "go to" guide when searching for answers to usual baby-related concerns, an actual book which I can read anytime really comes in handy. I've been browsing through the pages, and it's really informative and organized. Can't wait to dig in to the rest of the pages.

Thanks to hubby for the gift :) 

Monday Blues

I've always disliked Mondays, but the reasons now differ. I used to "hate" it because I don't get to wake up late in the morning. Those were the glory days of blessed singleness. Now that I'm a mom, I dislike it because it means yet again the start of a week spent away from my son. Motherhood is really tough, especially for working moms. For me, it's the "coping up" that I'm struggling with.

My sister tells me it's normal. My son will not take it against me. It's the quality time, not the quantity of time. I guess it's true. My mama has worked all her life, and we still love her so. I look up to her now more than ever, the way she raised us to be independent yet close-knit. My sister too is a working mom, yet her son still doodles after her. I think her case is worse, because she lives in Manila where everything else is stressful.

As for me, it's still a struggle, but getting better. I always look forward to the end of the day where I get to bond with my son through our bath time, book reading, holding hands, and just lying in bed. 

Last night, I was staring at Rocco while he was sleeping. I started talking to him telling him how much Mommy loves him. Then he smiled, while he was asleep.
That made me feel so good. It's as if my son was telling me, "It's OK Mommy, I understand. I love you too."

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunday is ❤

My childhood memory of Sundays include a family trip to the church, a special menu lovingly cooked and prepared by Mama for lunch, and then our choice of a gallon ice cream to eat for dessert while we watch our favorite Sunday movies. This is how we rolled when we were still young. I'm happy that my parents really made the effort to keep our Sundays especially memorable, because just thinking about it now makes me so happy as I look back on those days.

Now that I'm a mom myself, Sieg and I promised to each other that we would try to do the same for Rocco, and make our weekends always special for him.

Since Rocco is still a baby, we limit the places that we visit. We've been regularly bringing him to church every Sunday morning, then have a quick stroll around the park/mall, then eat lunch while he's downing his milk :)


It's so funny because every time we visit a place that is child-friendly, and with lots of cool amenities for
kids, we keep on imagining the time when we could bring Rocco along already. Exciting times!

Taken this morning after mass was finished. Rocco was his usual perky self.
Hope you guys had a fantastic weekend, like I did. 

xoxo, Dianey

The Faceoff!

Other babies/kids would cry when they see large stuffed toys or mascots. But not Rocco! Last Friday, we went to S&R after his monthly check-up. There were a lot of cute baby toys on sale, including a huge grizzly teddy bear. Look at how Rocco reacted when he faced the bear.
I didn't notice it because I was the one carrying him, but I was laughing hard when I saw the pictures. Rocco's reactions were so funny, especially the one on the right side.

Haaaay, Rocco never fails to make us laugh. Just another Rocco comedy episode.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Rocco and his strong hands :)

I've repeatedly mentioned in separate blog posts (here and here) that Rocco now holds on to the corners of his tub while I'm washing his hair & back.

Finally, the Daddy was able to take a picture of little Rocco during bath time. SOOOO CUTE!
Rocco's grip is really strong. I have to take off his hands from the tub corners before he lets go :)
That's all. Have a happy Friday everyone! Let's keep the positive vibes flowing!

Rocco is Four Months Old!

Happy four months to our dear Rocco! You've been a great blessing and a constant source of Dad & Mom's happiness. Thank you for being such a good baby, rarely cries and throws tantrums, and much to Mommy's delight, can follow instructions when being talked to.

I'm not sure if at this age, Rocco can already understand me when I talk to him, but most of the time, he really does follow what I tell him. Like when I tell him to open his mouth so I can wipe his gums, he opens his mouth. When I tell him to show me his tongue so I can wipe it too, he playfully shows his tongue. When I tell him to show me his neck during bath time so I can wash it well, he lifts his head up so I can wash his neck with ease. The list goes on and on. SO AMAZING!

Anyway, last night, I tried my best to go home early so I can spend more time with him on his 4th month. Sieg had practice so I went ahead of him. I'm so happy because when I arrived home before 7PM, Rocco was still awake!
At four months old, Rocco is developing really well. He is growing stronger and brighter everyday!
I constantly track his milestones, and so far, he's been doing great.

- He can straighten his back well and hold his head steadily.
- He can sit well with support. He loves doing this!
- He can lift his head and lean forward to reach for his toes.
- He brings anything he can hold on to his mouth. Name it- bib, pajamas, toys, lampin, etc. We have to be very careful not to put anything near him that might be a choking hazard.
- His vision is now very clear, even at a far distance. When I move his toys from left to right while standing from afar, his eyes follow where the toys go.
- He can roll from his tummy to back. He does this especially during early mornings!
- He makes a lot of sounds! I think he's trying to talk. When we look at him eye to eye, he starts yapping, as if trying to tell us something. He even talks to his toys. So cute!
- He can reach out his arms to grab his toys. He's also clingy. When I carry him in a cradle position to let him sleep. He holds my hand with both his hands. So touching.
- He can distinguish the difference between an angry voice and a friendly voice. He cries when I raise my voice, so I have to be very careful with this.
- He laughs a lot, as in a lot!
- He shows interest when I read books to him. He listens to me.
- He holds on to the corners of the bath tub when I put him in sitting position so he won't fall back. I never initiated this, so I was just surprised that he already knows cause & effect.
We love you so much Rocco! Thank you for teaching Mommy to smile more often :)

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Like Father, Like Son

Happy 4th month to my Rocco Pogi! (More of that in another post).
----------------------
Sieg and Rocco are REALLY so alike in many ways. I have yet to discover their other similarities, but it's so funny because  I'm seeing a lot of similar sleeping habits.

They both sleep with their mouths wide open, and their arm raised above their head. I posted it here, LOOK!!!

Last night, I took a quick trip to the comfort room, and here's what I found when I returned to the room.

They really sleep like this, the exact same position. Aren't they cute?!!! Like father, like son :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Since he discovered he can sit...

...the little boy attempts to sit all the time! He even lifts his body forward to sit down during bath time. What's cuter is, he holds on to the tub when I'm washing his back. Daddy has to take a picture next time.
 Last night was no different, our little buddha was too eager to sit.
He looks like a cute little boy here. Rocco's gonna be 4months old in a few days!

Krushers, I'm In Love

Looks like the little boy will take on my crazy love for KFC Krushers :) During our quick lunch trip to KFC Parkmall last weekend, he kept on staring at it, and even smiled when Daddy offered him some.

You're definitely Mommy's boy, Rocco! It's OK to like Krushers, just not Daddy's Cheetos, OK?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Rocco's First Plane Ride

I've heard and read horror stories of infants travelling via plane. I myself had apprehensions, so I armed myself with information on how to deal with Rocco in case he cries or show tantrums while travelling.

Our pedia advised us to let Rocco suck during plane take off and landing to ease off pressure from his ears. I didn't want to pop-out my boobs in the plane, and we never used a pacifier with him, so my option was to bottle-feed him. I adjusted his feeding schedule, so it would be easier to feed him during the flight.

So last February 9, we all trooped to the airport for our first Tacloban vacation. I'm so proud of Rocco because he did not give me a hard time. As if on cue, during take off, he drank his milk, then fell asleep. I didn't wake him up during landing, because he was still fast asleep. As if on cue again, just about the time that the FA announced our safe landing, he woke up and smiled. AMAZING!

Rocco doesn't like loud noise, so I just cradled him for comfort while waiting for our boarding.
I think I was more agitated than Rocco. He was so cool all throughout the trip!
Rocco smiled a lot, which really relaxed me!
Pretending to be scared. LOL. 
Rocco's first boarding pass.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Rocco's Christening Invitation

 I didn't have time to make a really bongga invitation, so I settled with whatever resources I had. I just wanted it to be young, clean and straight to the point. I think I got it right with how the invite turned out. (Sorry for the pixelized picture, I don't know where I stored the hi-res version.)
We printed the invites in thick specialty paper, and bought 5x4 beige envelopes. Thank you Lexmark for the free printout! :) 

Total expense: P72.00 and lots of love :)
Specialty paper= P40.00
Envelopes= P32.00
Printing= Free
Design= Labor of Love

Rocco's Christening Cake

I didn't really prepare anything for Rocco's christening, because his grandparents shouldered everything. Am I just so lucky or what?! :)

Grandma Flor & Grandpa Nitoy prepared the Church & Godparent requirements. Grandma Marlyn & Grandpa Tol prepared a really bongga reception. Grabe, food was overflowing! They requested it to be held in their home, and since Rocco is their first ever apo, I gave in. I'm glad I did because it was intimate and fun, with only family & close friends in attendance.

My only participation was choosing the cake, but still, I didn't have to pay a cent because it was a gift from Tita Dona and Ninong Junjo!

I didn't have any theme in mind so I just chose Spongbob & Friends :) Cute and colorful!
I also ordered cupcakes, and requested Rocco toppers. How cute and personalized can it be!

 It was a two-tiered chocolate cake. No styro foams, only layers of chocolate goodness!

 The cupcakes were yummy too! I chose the colors blue, yellow & white for the color theme :) Yummy!

Motherhood Dramas (Part1)

I just realized lately that my son Rocco doesn't like loud noises, or voices for that matter. Two times, I raised my voice (not to him, of course), while he was around, and he cried so hard each time. My heart was crushed, and I felt so guilty afterwards. I promised myself I would never do that again, if it means I have to control my temper, manage my moods, or just eat my pride.

The first time..
Sieg and I were arguing in the car because we misunderstood each other's instructions on where to meet after Rocco's pedia checkup. We split ways after seeing the doctor because I was still paying, and he had to  go to the CR. Because I was insistent that I was right, I started raising my voice to prove my point. Suddenly, the little boy cried hard. It's so unusual because he rarely cries! We all stopped talking, and when he heard silence, he stopped crying too. I wanted to cry that moment :(

The second time..
I was giving Rocco his night time bath. I removed his cloth diaper, and there were fabrics from the cloth that was sticking to his bum. Worse, his bum was reddish. When I checked the diaper, it was stained, and looks like Zonrox was the cause. I have instructed the helpers from the start to never use Zonrox on Rocco's clothes. I have repeated in SO MANY TIMES to them. Haaaay, I was tired from work, and the helper was right there pretending to be innocent, and that made me so mad. I scolded the helper, and in the middle of it all, the little boy cried so hard again. I immediately stopped talking and consoled him. He looked at me, as if telling me, "Mommy, please don't raise your voice." I wanted to cry again :(

This is a big learning for me as a first time mother. I must always remind myself that I'm not single anymore, and every spoken word that comes from my mouth may strike a chord with my son.

Motherhood is really tough. It takes a lot of balance, and the end point is always doing what's best for your child.

Very hard, but still worth it...for my son.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

I Love Grabbing My Own Hair...

The little boy thinks so! He grabs his hair every chance he gets, even while sleeping. Haaay anak, I hope you outgrow this grabbing thing ASAP. Konti palang hair mo, pls let it grow first.

Peek-A-Boo!

One of our favorite family weekend bonding activities is staying in bed, and playing. This weekend, was so much fun because Rocco initiated the play and did his own peek-a-boo!

Where did your eyes go, Rocco? :)

Peek-a-boo Rocco!
Rocco trying to cover his face. When I tried to remove his cover, he squealed in delight. So cuute!

I love ordinary weekends like this.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

A Jar of Hope to Shoo the Fly Away

As a first time mommy, I'm always wary of anything that might cause harm to my son, Rocco. I'm mostly paranoid about toxic baby products, and pesky insect (read: mosquito and ant) bites.

Back when I used to live with my sister, mosquitos would swarm all over me instead of my sister. Until now, I get MORE bites out of nowhere, compared to Sieg or the girls in the house.

My son has inherited my skin type. Even if we put a mosquito net on his daybed, or change his beddings regularly, he still ends up with bites. So I vowed to put an end to this.

I searched the internet for good products which are baby safe. I came across a lot of products, but somehow, after reading reviews, I was not convinced, UNTIL I learned about Indigo Baby.

Meet "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me." It's an all natural product with therapeutic grade essential oils, and with citronella, a proven insect repellant. I've been using this product on Rocco, along with Human Nature Insect Repellants, and so far, the bites have lessened! Though it's all natural, I still avoid putting this on his hands because he bites, licks and eat his hands a lot.

And this is my absolute favorite, "Jar of Hope First Aid Gel." From the name itself, it really is a jar of hope. It serves so many purpose, from insomnia, motion sickness, rashes, cuts and wounds, but I particularly love it because it can instantly lessen inflammation from insect bites. I've tried it many times on Rocco, and his insect bites would be gone in a day, without the unsightly dark marks! AMAZING! The product says it can also help with baby's teething. I'm excited to try it soon!

The products are available online through Indigo Baby. Just google them :)

Sunday, March 11, 2012

My 2012 Birthday

Pardon the picture-heavy post. It's my birthday, so hubby was giddy to try his new camera tricks and document my day. 

Just before midnight, hubby had a little surprise for me, and at exactly 12MN of March 10, I blew the candles of my yummy cake and made a wish! (I barely had a decent look in the early morning pictures so I won't post them :P)

Later that day, we invited the Crisostomo family to lunch. It was Rocco's second mall visit. The first was at Parkmall a few weeks ago. It's so hard to plan and survive a day trip with a baby in tow. I'm still getting the hang of it.

The Best Birthday Greeting

Look at who greeted me with a wide smile when I woke up on my birthday...
Ooops! Rocco is becoming such a wiggle! Daddy couldn't hold him still :)
If only the little boy could speak, I'm sure he would blabber HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!! Such a heartwarming feeling to spend my first birthday as a mom. My boys are my happiness, and they made it a very special day.

xoxo to my boys :)



Friday, March 9, 2012

My Latest Addiction...

IS BOOKSALE!!!

I've been planning to build a collection of storybooks for Rocco, then make a small library in the house where he can read all the books that he might take interest in. My dilemma is, storybooks aren't cheap!

I'm so happy I found Booksale! From there, I discovered a lot of really great selections for children. AMAZING!!! These are the classic, hardbound or board books which are hard to find. What's great about Booksale is, by the name itself, the books are on sale! Imagine, a Dr.Seuss storybook for only 55petot!!! From now on, I will surely be a regular customer.

Tadaah! All nine storybooks for a measly sum of 400petot. Wagi for a kuripot like me :)

I searched through the racks, and even sat on the floor looking Dr. Seuss's storybooks. I managed to find only one. Maybe next time.
The title of this storybook is "The Many Ways I Love You." I love that it's a board book, and the pages are 3D :)

 The title of this book is "Spot's First Easter." It teaches the kid reader how to count, recognize colors, and shapes. Plus, it's interactive! You flip through some parts of the page to spot the easter eggs!
 This storybook is engaging to both the parent and the child. It tells of the many ways to tickle a child :) I can't wait to read this to Rocco while tickling him.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Super delayed..But...

Daddy Siegfred celebrated his birthday last February 15, and Rocco showed his winner smile!
xoxo to my boys :)

Holding On...

In another post, Rocco was just learning to hold his bottle. Fast forward to 3 days later, I think he has mastered it already.

He insists on holding the bottle on his own, and pushes my hands away.

My baby boy is growing up so fast.

Sponge Time Riot

Before, Rocco's night time sponge bath went on smoothly. The little boy was always so behaved. Look!

Now that he has discovered what more he can do more with his body, sponge bath time has become Rocco vs. Mommy's wrestling time. I should call him Wiggle instead, because he can't keep still, and keeps on wiggling away from me. 

Turning to his side, away from me.

 Playing with his hands. He can't keep still. 

It's amazing how much he has grown the past 3 months. 


Finally! After lots of wrestling and wiggling, we're done. Now time to sleep :)

While the rest of the world is sleeping...

the little shaolin is busy playing!
Rocco's new event is rolling and rolling.

 His latest favorite night time toy is Itchyworm! Thanks Ninang Fiona for the toy :)

How can such a little boy occupy so much space?

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Tale of the Falling Hair

I was surprised I didn't suffer postpartum depression. Despite the rough first month, I pulled it through. Of course I have issues with my body (goodbye Coca-Cola body) but surprisingly too, it doesn't bother me. I still have pounds to lose, but it takes time, so I'm okay with that.

What's bothering me though is my falling hair. It started when Rocco hit his 3rd month...and that is what the textbook says too! What started as mild falling hair is turning out to be a serious case. Part of my scalp is showing already! This is really freaking me out.

My hair is scattered all over the house. Name it: bathroom, bed, pillows, floor, car, sofa. I'm so scared of my hair landing to the mouth of Rocco that I just tie it off the whole day (and that makes the falling hair worse).

What to do...what to do. This is really bothering me.

Any ideas out there? Please help!

Hold Your Head High!

Finally, the wobbly head got steady!

Rocco was so fixated with the NBA. I, on the other hand, was so happy with his new milestone!


Uhuh! Rocco learns to hold his head high.

Too cute! 

I know, love your own, but he's really so cute!

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