My Weekend Journal

It has been a family practice to have the first hair cut when baby turns one year old. Before going to any salon, we'll cut a few hair strands and insert them to a page in a book. It was believed that the child would become smart or would excel in some fields depending on the kind of book where the hair was inserted. Is this a joke? I personally do not believe this crap but I do it anyway, hahaha! We won't lose anything here if this is not true but, if it is, then baby will grow smart. I did this to my first two kids and I will do it again to my baby (though he is not a baby anymore, I still consider him my baby). Oh, well, huh. Belief or No Belief, we are going to have baby's first hair cut. His hair has grown long and thin, and it becomes unruly especially after getting out of bed. I did the first hair cuts with my first two kids. However, with the second one, I went to a salon and let the hair experts finish the job. I realized then that it's more difficult to cu...

Can somebody help this little one put on the headset? When baby's in our room, you could always find him either pressing the keyboard, pulling the mouse, helping himself with the headset, biting the mouse pad, and the worst, unplugging and/or plugging the power cords! Oh my!!! What could a 220 volt power do to a little one?

I ’m a little bit nervous for baby’s second follow-up check-up to his pediatrician tomorrow. The doctor will decide whether baby will be re-admitted to the hospital. A week after hospital discharge, the phlegm came back and if it won’t be treated by the new antibiotic the doctor prescribed, baby will be admitted back to the hospital! After hospital discharge on April 16th, we were advised to see the doctor for a follow-up check-up on the 20th but when we went to the doctor’s clinic she was not available because she attended a conference in Manila and another doctor took her place. Her secretary did not even mention that when we called the clinic the day before the schedule. Her replacement is not affiliated with our health insurance so we decided to go to the health provider’s clinic. The doctor advised us to continue the medication. On April 25th, we went back to baby’s pediatrician. She gave us another antibiotic for his phlegm and advised us to come back on April 27th. If the d...

I have saved 50% for my baby's food. Cerelac Wheat Banana & Milk is on sale and it's BUY ONE TAKE ONE! For only Php51.25, I got two of my baby's favorite. Most commonly, products on this kind of sale are a few weeks short their expiration date. I checked the product label and, to my surprise, its expiration date is on February 2011! The selling clerk told us that the product is on sale because it will have a new packaging soon. I bought them at La Nueva Supermart in Opon. I am not sure if other grocery stores offer the same sale. As of the store's closing time, there are a few packs left on their display. So Moms, and retailers as well, grab this rare opportunity before their stocks last!

We've said "bye-bye" to the hospital this morning and were just so excited to come home. My baby is fine now although he still has the cough. There are at least four medicines to maintain - two antibiotics, salbutamol and zinc supplement. Giving those medicines is so difficult because baby would spit out the liquid. We have tried tricks like putting sugar on the spoon and let him have that sweet taste first then the medicine. The first try was successful but it does not work always. He would even spit out his sweet Vitamin C supplement. (*sigh*) At night, he still has nightmares. He suddenly cries while sleeping. Maybe he was dreaming of his hospital ordeal. My poor baby.

My baby was confined at Mactan Doctors Hospital last Thursday because he was showing some common symptoms of pneumonia like cough and difficulty in breathing. He does not have fever so the doctor set aside the possibility. His x-ray showed phlegm on his lungs that caused him to have breathing difficulties. Hubby was the one who went through all the agony of watching our baby endure all the pain from IV insertions and needles at the emergency room. The first IV insertion on my baby's left hand was unsuccessful so the nurse tried the needles again on my baby's left foot. Thankfully, the nurse hit the vein. Hubby really wanted to twist the nurse's head because he could feel baby's pain all because of the nurse's incompetence. On the third day, the doctor told us that they would transfer the IV. We were so concerned because this would be another painful experience for my baby. Two nurses came and set the IV. The nurse tried my baby's right hand. She had inserted...

The weekend was so tiring. We just stayed at home but the household chores and the baby consumed all my energy. I wish I have even just a day to lay my back flat on bed and take the complete rest I need. Since baby got sick, I rarely had enough sleep. With the dark circles around my eyes and the dizzy feeling caused by stress, I would be compared to a walking zombie. A new household help came tonight. I wish she would be different from the previous nannies. My baby had changed his habits since he got sick. Before, he laughs a lot and would cry only when he is hungry or sleepy and when something is bothering his diapers. But now, he seldom laughs and often cries. I still have to adjust to his new ways and I wonder if his new nanny could do the same. With my baby’s new habit, I would not be surprised if the new nanny would only last for a month or so.

I am now facing the greatest challenge as a mother (I think). I have to make a choice between leaving my work to personally take care of my baby or keeping my work and let other people I do not even know do my job as a mother. How I wish I could have both. If only I could have my present job at home, taking care of my baby would not be a great concern anymore. Our last two nannies, Rose and Julita, were a nightmare. My baby got sick two weeks after Rose started to (mis)handle him. Whenever we come home from work, there were plenty of mosquito bites on my baby's skin. Luckily, he did not get the most dreaded Dengue Fever. A month later, when she collected her first salary, she did not come back after she asked to go out with her mother. She sent her boyfriend to get her clothes and personal belongings. What a face! Far worse is Julita. In just as short as five days, my baby had a fever. A neighbor told us, Julita leaves the house an hour or so, after we leave for work, comes back...

Mom, can you please help me choose between the two bottles on the table? Oh, never mind Mom, you seemed pre-occupied. Oh, my big sister is coming to my rescue. Ate Angel, could you please give me that brown bottle? I would like to try that one. My taste buds are getting used to that white you always give me. I think I need some break. Thank you, Ate! Ate Angel: Okay little brother, I'm going to hold the bottle for you. No, No, No! I want to take it by myself! I have to teach myself to become independent and I will start as early as now. Ate Angel: That's enough for now little bro. I don't want you to get drunk. Waaahhh! Give it back to me! Give it back to me! One last drop and I'm good. Well, I think this would be enough for now. I could feel my head spinning and my eyes are already dropping. Time to have a good sleep! [A note from Mom: My baby did not really drink the beer. He's on the stage where he puts anything he holds in his mouth.]

I feel a little dizzy today. My head is throbbing so hard and my eyes seem to roll on their own. I did not have enough sleep for three days now. My five-month old baby has changed his sleeping pattern. Normally, he sleeps at around 9:00 pm and wakes up at around 11:00 pm but sleeps again after drinking his milk. Now, he still sleeps at 9:00 pm, wakes up at 11:00 pm but would never sleep again even after drinking a bottle or two; and stays awake until at most 3:00 in the morning. Last night, he turned from one cute little angel to a fussy baby. I gently rocked him, sang a lullaby, gently patted his back and tried all things I know about calming a fussy baby. It did help for a while but then again he would continue crying. I wonder why he is not himself anymore. I checked his body for some causes of irritation but found none until I noticed that his tongue keeps on flipping his lower lip. I checked his gums and was surprised to see a tiny white speck. My baby is teething; and he is...