Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch

Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch

I just love this book 🙂  A great book for all the wonderful Nanays (Mothers) out there 🙂

I love you forever, I love you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.

 

Happy Mother’s Day!

Fashion Haven – NITA

NITA store in Greenhills Shopesville

Fashion Haven – NITA

If you like the clothes from Bayo or Kamiseta but find them pricey, well here’s the shop for you – NITA.

Located at the 3rd floor, Shoppesville – Greenhills Shopping Center (beside the atms and vendo)

Store hours: Sunday to Thursday – 10am to 8pm
Friday and Saturday – 10am to 9pm

They’ve got great designs, use high quality fabric and stuff are reasonably priced! (As compared to branded local lines)  All clothes are meticulously sewn and the owners even give their own personal touches on each design.  Clothes are also proudly made in Manila :).  Sizes are from 0 to 4! Another thing I love about their line is that each design is limited to only one or two per design – – so you won’t have to worry seeing at least 4 people in one mall at the same time wearing the  top you’re wearing..haha! (I know that’s an exaggeration but it happens right?)

And of course, the owners are my very good friends that’s why I’m promoting their store.  But even though I don’t know them personally I would still give them a great review 🙂 Their stuff are really nice.

So if you happen to be in Greenhills Shopping Center, please don’t forget to visit their store.  But if you’re too far from the area, you can still check out their collection and buy online.

https://www.facebook.com/nitaclothing or http://nitaclothing.multiply.com

Enjoy shopping!

Raising Good Boys: The 5 Values you Need to Teach your Son

Raising Good Boys: The 5 Values you Need to Teach your Son

I just want to share another article I read from http://www.smartparenting.com.ph .  It’s a good read especially for those parents who have sons.

When I read through it, they seem so easy.  Lucas is still so young, but I know in the simplest ways we can, we should already teach him the values enumerated here.  I’ll keep praying to God that my husband and I will be able to  instill these values to him.

Here I’ll quote the 5th value mentioned in the article which I consider the most important of all:

“5.  The value of being prayerful

Wouldn’t you like to raise a son who has an unwavering faith in God? Start by praying together as a family. Try asking your son to lead some of the prayers and say it in his own words. Make it a daily habit and your son will grow up to be a prayerful person.  
You can also strengthen his belief in a Higher Being by reading bible stories together so that your son can learn more about God and the values He teaches. Share your own stories too. Tell him how your faith helped you in your own life. Raising a son who is able to integrate faith in all that he does will help him face the challenges that come his way and guide him in choosing the right thing to do”. – Raising Good Boys:  The 5 Values you Need to Teach your Son (www.smartparenting.com.ph)

Breastfeeding Benefits for Mothers

Breastfeeding Benefits for Mothers

Another article published in smartparenting.com.ph

Breastmilk is not just beneficial for babies but also to the mothers.

A Primer on the New K-12 Philippine Education Curriculum

A Primer on the New K-12 Philippine Education Curriculum

For the parents who want to really understand the new K-12 Philippine Education Curriculum, I’m sharing a link published by http://www.smartparenting.com.ph

Here’s a part I quoted from the article.  I just hope this will really be implemented in this new curriculum starting next school year.

According to Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro, the new curriculum is focused more on the learners and not on the teacher. Luistro said, “We are making it a real learning experience for the students, meaning, it will be less on memorization and more encouraging of critical thinking”. In addition to this, a mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE) will be used for instruction in Kinder to Grade 3 classes after studies showed that students learn more when their language at home is used in discussing the lessons in school. Also, there will be less contact time as Grade 1 pupils will only attend school for half a day instead of 6 hours. Luistro explains, “It is important that our learners develop that natural love for learning and not feel that it is something imposed on them…we will reduce it to four hours to make education less stressful and more enjoyable.”

For the first year high school curriculum, Luistro mentions that the lessons will be more interactive and meaningful to everyday life. This means that Science will be reflected in terms of its practical use. He further explains, “as students go up the ladder, we want them to learn skills that are being demanded by employers while at the same time giving them the chance to appreciate and enjoy the lessons”. For instance, Luistro stresses that Science is to be integrated in all learning areas since it is a complex subject. He further expounds, “the focus of early education (Kinder to Grade 2) should be the fundamental skills and literacy of the pupils to develop better comprehension for more complicated subjects such as science”.

A study done by SEAMEO points out that the current curriculum allots about 1,100 minutes per week in elementary education to Science, which will change with the introduction of K-12. Luistro says, “this, coupled with teaching more competencies, imply congestion in our current elementary Science curriculum.” To address this, Science will now be integrated into the teaching of the Language, Mathematics and Health under MAPEH subjects beginning at Kindergarten.

Prof. Calingasan further explains that the K-12 curriculum for Social Studies will instead center on historical thinking skills rather than memory work (of dates, names, regions, capitals, etc) and accumulation of facts. She mentions examples of thinking skills such as “weighing the evidence of any information, using primary source evidence, analyzing and interpreting information, manifesting ethical standards (e.g., respect for differences, recognition of sources of evidence/idea). The K-12 Social Studies curriculum will  also teach students about local history.”

Breastfeeding Beyonce

Breastfeeding Beyonce

Yey for Beyonce!

I feed my baby with breastmilk until now he is 13 months, though not exclusively at the moment.  But I’ve directly breastfed him for about 6 months and I never tried doing it in public.  I envy Beyonce for she was able to do it 🙂

Feels Like Yesterday

Feels Like Yesterday

I’ve written this note last January 19, 2011.  I shared my first every Nanay moment.  I still cherish everything and for sure I won’t ever forget this experience.

I can’t believe it’s been a year.. it feels like yesterday.

For those who can’t view the note I made in Facebook.  Here it is:

I know every mother has her own “mommy” moments especially when the time comes she feels the labor pains for the very first time.  I just want to share my own Nanay Moments, days, hours, and minutes before I truly became one.

January 13, 2011 (Thursday around 1:30 am)

For 9 months of being pregnant, once again I felt pre-menstrual cramps.  It was really weird so I thought this could be the start of labor.  Since it was my first time, based from the articles and books I’ve ready I have to time it, so I did.  The pain was tolerable, but it was happening in irregular intervals between 10 to 15 minutes.  I timed it for about 1 and a half hours and still it was happening, I decided to wake up Brio and my parents.  Just to be sure at around 2:45 in the morning, we drove to the ER of St. Victoria Hospital.  I was IEd by the ER doctor, gave my admitting order slip, but my cervix was still closed.  The ER doctor called my OB and she talked to me that she feels it’s not necessary for me to be admitted yet.  So then, it’s a false alarm, we went home.  I tried to get some sleep, and decided not to go to work anymore so I could observe the pains (it’s still happening in irregular intervals).  I woke up at around 8am, still feeling the tolerable cramps (maybe because I have high tolerance to pain), but then I had bleeding that was probably caused by the IE.  I informed my OB and she suggested that I go to her clinic for her to do the IE herself.  We went there and it was still closed.

Many were saying it was Braxton Hicks, but I really felt differently.  Because from what I’ve read, Braxton Hicks shouldn’t hurt at all…but maybe for someone who’s doesn’t have a high pain tolerance, what I’m feeling is painful already.

Thursday was almost over, I decided that I’ll go to work the next day.

January 14, 2011 (Friday 1:30am)

An even painful pre-menstrual cramp woke me up.  But of course for me it’s still tolerable.  I timed it and it’s happening with intervals of about 10 minutes and each cramp lasts for about 30 seconds or so.  Brio asked if we need to go to the ER, I said I’m fine and I can handle it.  I told him to go to work, but as for me, since I was sleepless and the pain was getting weirder, I decided to stay home.

I gave my OB an update and she said that I just observe the pains.  So I did.

I texted some friends (T.Rhea and Maiti), that in case the pain gets really worse I’ll give them a call because I’m sure I won’t be able to drive myself to the ER.  They were on stand by.

The whole Friday, I’ve been feeling the contractions.  Still not knowing if this is false or real labor.  I even managed to go out and have a merienda with my friends and Brio in a nearby restaurant despite the contractions every 10 minutes.  When we went home at around 7pm, the contractions still persisted, but still they were tolerable.

Until around 10pm I was getting really uncomfortable.  I texted my OB and she said I better have an IE.  So Brio and I went to the ER again and found out my cervix was 1 to 2 cm open.  So then I was admitted.

January 15, 2011 (Saturday 12 midnight)

I was at the labor room at 12 midnight.  This time I was sure I was having the real labor pains.  There happening with intervals of 5 minutes and each contraction lasted for about a minute.  I was then prepped by a very friendly female nurse.  She taught me to breathe by blowing whenever I feel contractions.  She shaved me and gave me an enema (which was so uncomfortable!) and monitored my baby’s heartbeat, my blood pressure, my heart rate, my temperature and my contractions.  I was also in dextrose because during that time I am not allowed to have any food or water.  I kept on looking at the wall clock and hoping that my doctor would tell me or us something.  She was calling the labor room while the nurse gives her updates.

I was also not comfortable because my nose was really really congested.  I could just breathe through my mouth.  So my OB decided to give me a tablet of Neozep for temporary relief.

At around 6am, the ER doctor gave me an IE and surprisingly after 6 hours my cervix dilated to about 4 to 5cm! I was halfway…no doubt the contractions are getting painful (during this time, I haven’t asked for any pain reliever because the pain was still bearable but whenever I feel the contractions I blew harder, squeezed the blanket and sometimes whispering “oh shit!)).  Before the friendly nurse’s shift ended, she called Brio and gave us a chance to talk.  Brio held my hand, rubbed and just kissed my forehead.

waiting area outside the labor/delivery/recovery room where Tatay Brio waited for hours…

After about 2 hours, it’s getting really painful and I started to pray the rosary and to Padre Pio. I felt that delivery time is getting closer. That time I asked the nurse if they could give me something for the pain, so the nurse injected something in my IV.  A fetal monitor was also attached to my belly so they could hear and check my baby’s heartbeat from time to time.  The contractions got even more painful and then again I started to feel so tired, so I asked if they could add more dose of the pain reliever.  The nurse injected something in my right arm, then I felt really sleepy, but the contractions kept me awake.  Around 9am my OB came and gave me an IE. My cervix was dilated by 6cm.  She was going through the fetal monitor print out and noticed that whenever I have my contractions, my baby’s heartbeat slows down.  She explained to me that is not normal, there could be something wrong, like a cord coil (umbilical cord around the baby’s neck).  I also started to feel liquid coming out whenever I contract.  My OB tried to pop the bag, again it was weird, I didn’t have enough amniotic fluid but I wasn’t soaked at all.  She monitored me for more than hour and she explained that I might deliver through C-section.  I told her, do what you think is best for me and my baby.  She decided to put oxygen but then realized that my nose got congested again.  They gave me a dose of Drixine, once again to give temporary relief and so I could breathe better.  I started to feel a lot weirder because despite the pain relievers they gave me, my contractions are so painful that I really couldn’t take it anymore.   My OB talked to Brio and my parents outside the labor room and they agreed that she does what would be best.  When she went back, I started to cry because of the pain.  I begged her to put me to sleep and just do the C-section.  She then injected something through my IV and said that she’ll do it.  The last thing I remembered was my last contraction that I think I grabbed my OB while I was crying and told her “Doktora di ko na po talaga kaya!”  I remembered her saying “Oo na-inject ko na patulugin na kita. Huwag ka na umiyak baka bumalik sipon mo at mahirapan kang huminga.”

there goes

the reason for my C-section..look at the knot! that’s how likot Lucas was when he’s in my belly

Lucas is out! 😀

That’s all I remembered.

I woke up, I have no idea what time and where I was.  Maybe around 6pm, I’m not really sure.  I felt pain in my lower abdomen and touched my belly.  Then I realized it was over.  My baby was delivered.  I was positive he’s alright.  A few minutes later, my OB showed me Lucas.  I can’t believe he was just inside me a few hours ago.  He was so tiny.  Still feeling really weak, I just touched and rubbed his head.

our bundle of joy 🙂

There goes my Nanay Moment.  It was tough and painful (until now) but fulfilling…

But for now Brio and I would say…”one baby lang muna ang hirap pala..”  🙂  We’ll first enjoy being parents to Lucas.

*As of now he was left in the nursery for it was found out that he had UTI, so he needs to have a complete 7-day dose of antibiotics.  We thought this is better than forcing to bring him home.  We’re confident that the nurses are giving him all the care he needs.  We may also visit him everyday until he comes home with us on Sunday 🙂

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us.