I now have a toddler!

I couldn’t believe that one year have passed and my daughter is already a toddler! Yep, you read that right, the little baby I’ve been blogging for the past few months is now an official toddler. Gone were the days when she’d just lay on her back, look straight in to my eyes and whimper whenever she wants to ask for milk. But now that she’s a toddler, she can already express her feelings more and more each day.

From lying on our bed, to lifting her head, to crawling and sitting and now she’s already walking. I tell you; toddlers spend half of their time roaming around the house, trying to do what you don’t want them to do as soon as they learn how to walk. How much more if she can run? I couldn’t imagine myself chasing her to and fro.

From the day she turned 1 year old until today, I have noticed so many things about her. She’s continually changing and developing day by day.

She loves watching videos that are lively. She prefers “real person” dancing on screen like Hi-5. Cartoon shows don’t pique her interest that much, though she enjoys watching the mini movies of Minions (which I am kinda against of) .  

This is Milly while watching Despicable Me 😍😍😍

A video posted by @kc_alcantara on Jul 20, 2015 at 6:03am PDT

She loves dancing whenever she hears the song “If you’re happy and you know”, London Bridge is falling down and Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes. Nothing would stop her from dancing the moment she hears these songs.

Milly's signature dance moves 😆

A video posted by @kc_alcantara on Jun 25, 2015 at 10:21pm PDT

Whenever she starts to cry (out of nowhere, ugh) one way to pacify her is to count slowly from numbers 1 to 10.

She learned to call our dog Princess than saying the word “mama” or “papa”. Whenever she sees our dog, she’d say “Tssesss! Tsessss!”

She enjoys scribbling. She really got amazed when she discovered the wonders of a white board marker.

She loves to flip each and every pages of her book. 

A lot had changed since she turned 1 year old and in as much as I don’t want to spill this, my daughter’s getting a little stubborn day by day. LOL! But even if she tends to get a cry baby most of the time, nothing could ever replace the happiness she brings to our little family whenever we witness all the things that she does every day.

Things I miss before I became a M-O-M

Time’s flying really fast and few weeks from now, my daughter will celebrate her 1^st birthday. Sometimes, I feel like I am on reverie; I couldn’t believe that my husband and I already have our own bundle of joy. She was a dream came true, and God knows, even my closest friends, how much we both wanted to have our own child. Every time we look at her, we always praise God for giving us a healthy, makulit and beautiful little girl. We must have done something really good for giving her to us.

It seems like yesterday when I found out I was pregnant, and I must admit that I am missing a lot of things that I used to do before I became a mother. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mother, but you know that feeling when you realize you have given so much time and effort for your family? That sometimes, you feel the need to take even just a little break from reality? Mother’s deserve a little break too, but we’re too selfless and we’d rather spend our days nurturing and spending time with our family. That’s why I admire some moms who get the leisure to spend quality / me time for themselves - I don’t know if it’s just me, but no matter how much I find time to pamper myself, I just can’t fit the “I-want- to-do-things” on my schedule. It’s as if one day isn’t enough to do all the things that I need to do for my family. I feel like I am always cramming to go home every after work just to spend time with them. But no matter how much I love and enjoy being a mom, sometimes I’d like to spool back my life even just for a day or two.

Here are my top 8 list that I miss doing before I became a busy-mom

    1.       Me time - before, I could spend one day on the salon having my hair permed while I have my nails manicured and pedicured. But right now? I couldn’t stand sitting on the salon chair for more than an hour. I’d settle myself for a simple haircut.  I couldn’t even believe that I used to spend so much money with my hair. (Pero ngayon, I’m fine with a 49.99 haircut. Hehehe!)

    2.       Rest / Sleeping - this is what I call luxury right now. I’m always sleep deprived. Before, I could spend my rest days lying on my bed sleeping all day but right now? 3-4 hours of sleep is my daily routine. I also missed waking up whenever I want to. Before I became a mom, I could wake up whenever I want to, but now that I have a daughter, I wake up between 4 to 5am during RESTDAYS.

    3.       Shopping - yep, I missed shopping for myself. I could spend half of my salary shopping for myself but right now, every money I spend is all for my family. I always think that the money I could be spending from shopping alone can save up for Milly’s future.

    4.       Reading - I used to read all sorts of novels before a became a mom, but I don’t know if it’s just me or my time management, but I couldn’t even get hold of my e-book  these days. From novels, I am now down to reading story books and all sorts of baby books. :D

    5.       My old figure - I really don’t mind wearing size 40 and XL tops at all, but every time I look at my old pictures, I feel bad for gaining so much weight after I gave birth. No matter how much I try to lessen my food intake, my bulging tummy just won’t return to its old state. It will never be the same again.

    6.       Watching movies/series/television- call me OA, but I am no longer updated with current events! My daughter hates noise and she easily wakes up every time the TV is turned on. So ending, whenever our TV is turned on, expect that the volume is too low or no audio at all.

    7.       Clean room - Our room is always messy. Start with the dresser down to the cabinet. Toys and books are always on the floor and I’ve realized that having a clean room is close to impossible. :D I spend time picking up things when she’s asleepm waiting for the same thing to happen again once she wakes up.

    8.       Quality time with my husband - I am a wife before I became a mother and it’s a must that I spend quality time with my husband. But there are times that we can’t even do the things we used to do before. :D Oh, how I missed going out on a date with him. (We better work on this) Good thing, we enjoy spending time with our daughter by playing and cuddling with her. Now, that’s a great bonding time.    

These are just some of the things that I missed the most before I became a mom, but I do not feel any pinch of regret having my family even for one second. I may have sacrificed a lot of things for them and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Everything I do for them is all worth it. 

Visit at Manila Zoo

Happy almost end-of-month of May! You see I’ve been on pause mode lately. I’ve been very busy juggling my schedule to-and-fro and most of my work got piled up. Mommy chores got piled up too. I must say that this month has been a challenge for me and my husband but thankfully, everything’s doing well already and we’re one way or another back on track.

I celebrated my 29^th birthday this month, my first ever Mother’s Day with our daughter Milly and our 3^rd wedding anniversary. To cap off the busy past few weeks we had, my husband and I decided to bring our daughter to Manila Zoo! We noticed that she loves animals and we thought of showing her “real” animals. My small family is a family-homebody, meaning we’d rather spend time in the house cuddling and playing. So going out during rest days and strolling outdoors aside from the mall was a big thing for us.

Last time I went to Manila Zoo was during my pre-school days (yep!) and to tell you honestly, I do not remember any single detail about it. That’s why when we entered the zoo; I was really quite surprised how it looks like. While I enjoyed watching the animals, I really didn’t find it appealing at all - I think the animals in the zoo are not well taken care of. (Well, I hope I am wrong).  I actually feel sad for the animals that have to experience scourging heat, not-really-clean and rustic cages, swamp water and the environment, far from where they should really be. This may sound old to other people, but for someone who rarely goes out and would like to introduce this kind of leisure and educational parks to kids, this is really quite shocking.  I just hope the government/management can do more regarding its cleanliness and maintenance. They need to spruce it up.

But other than that, we enjoyed our little travel and looking forward to visit more zoos like: Ark Avilon & Malabon Zoo. For sure my daughter would love to see more animals. ♥ 

To end this blog post, let me share the pictures we took during our visit there last week. 

Pro Breastfeeding, Co-Sleeping, Cloth Diaper-ing, Babywearing type of momma

Long before I became a mom, I have already envisioned myself on what kind of parenting I am going to apply to my “soon-to-be-baby.” Nappy changes, white crib with colorful and musical toys mobile, own nursery room, giant stroller and Avent bottles (yup, this specific brand- haha! Marketing is really effective when it comes to baby stuff).  Things always do not happen the way we want it to be, and fortunately, I was equipped for things to be altered as soon as the “real baby” comes.   

Pro breastfeeding - My OB was actually the one pushed me to breastfeed my daughter. I didn’t know its long term benefits - but my main goal was to lose weight fast (they say that breastfeeding mommas tend to lose weight faster than those who do not breastfeed). Thank heaven for breastfeeding advocates and support group for they educated me with its REAL benefits. In my case, the weight loss theory is not true because even if I was able to breastfed thru bottlefeeding my daughter for 8 straight months, my pre-pregnancy weight never came back. Haha! Breastmilk can never be replaced and this is the best sustenance you can give your baby. If you’re still pregnant, I encourage you to breastfeed your child. Think about the benefits and savings too.

Co - sleeping - I bought my daughter her crib before she was born; I’ve always wanted her to sleep inside a girly crib which actually looks like a Princess Tent. My daughter hated it the first time we tried to let her sleep on her crib. And since my daughter’s so clingy, our crib has served its purpose - a giant toy box ala playpen. 

Milly and Princess playtime haha.

A video posted by @kc_alcantara on Mar 20, 2015 at 11:07pm PDT

The first night we co-slept ♥♥♥

We’ve been co-sleeping for 9 straight months already. I used to be so malikot while sleeping but I never had problems transitioning when we decided to co-sleep.  

To this. hahaha! 

Read more about the benefits of Co-sleeping here: http://www.naturalchild.org/jan_hunt/familybed.html

Cloth diaper-ing - I was never really convinced with the of benefits cloth diapers until I realized that my husband and I are spending so much when it comes to disposable diapers. My daughter is already teething and she’s a heavy wetter so we buy 2-3 packs of diapers per week. (Buti nalang mura ang EQ! haha) So that’s 287 pesos x 3 = 861. My daughter also started to have diaper rash which made me really worried. This compelled my husband and I to change her nappies every 2-3 hours. (So magastos talaga.)

So 2 weeks ago, I finally gave in and started trying cloth diapers.  It may look expensive because you have to shed a large amount of money to build your stash, but if you compute it, you still save a large amount of money as compared to weekly expenses of disposable diapers.

My daughter and I are both enjoying cloth diapers and I love the fact that I get to wash her “lampin” every now and then. I don’t mind the laundry at all. I am still in the process of collecting stash for my baby girl, and right now, we already have 11 cloth diapers and 7 more on its way.

While the costs of cloth diapers can vary depending on the brand, you can choose CD’s like Alva, Naughty Baby or Baby Land if you opt to save more.

Our first ever stash of Cloth Diapers! ♥ 

We’re using Alva 3.0 & Baby Land Pocket diapers.

Read more about the benefits of Cloth diapers here:

http://baby.more4kids.info/2007/02/advantage-of-cloth-diapers/

http://wellnessmama.com/3692/why-cloth-diaper/

Babywearing - Perhaps this is the reason why my daughter is so clingy. But the number 1 reason why I wear her is because I always wanted to be close to her; it has become my passion because it soothes her.  I love how it feels whenever I feel her close to me.  I wear her because she is soothed by my voice and the beat of my heart. This is my way of reminding her where she belongs, how wanted she has always been, how wanted she will remain. Long will be the years I cannot carry her, so I carry her now.  

Read more about the benefits of babywearing here:

http://www.babywearinginternational.org/what-is-babywearing/babywearing-resources/benefits-of-babywearing/

We may have different parenting styles and ways on raising our children but we always have a common ground - and that is giving  and knowing what is best for our children. 

Every day is Mother's Day

Long days, sleepless nights, endless cries and puffy eyes. Giggles and chuckles, laughter and joys, smiles and frowns of my happy little one.

That pretty sums up my life every single day. I will never get tired of “feeling tired” as long as I can give what my baby needs.  I will sacrifice everything just to make her happy and promise to be the best mom I can be. I will love her more than the stars, until infinity and beyond.  

Few days from now, we’re about to celebrate Mother’s Day. (At the back of my mind, I like to appeal that every day should be Mother’s Day; that we should be thanking and celebrating life with them every day. ) It’s going to be my first Mother’s day and for first timer moms like me, the ordinary day every 2nd  Sunday of May unexpectedly turned in to something special. Right this very moment, I still couldn’t believe that I have this beautiful daughter who adores and appreciates me. My dream of becoming a mom has turned in to reality.  How can I not dream about being a mom? This is actually the best thing that has ever happened to me. It made me a better person and after I gave birth to a lovely daughter, it’s like all the stars have aligned and all my questions in life have been answered.  I will forever be thankful to God for this blessing and letting me experience this bliss.

To all the moms out there, flabby tummies, messy hair, battle scars, stretch marks, eye bags -  these are just some of the few things that we are made of. Whenever long days and endless nights seem like infinity, just take a look at your beautiful living miracle and everything will be fine. One day, all of our hardships on being a mom will pay off. Seize every moment, enjoy the time while  you can still squeeze your children and hug them tight. Continue looking in to their eyes and showering them with smooches. Remember, these kind of moments will turn in to memories, because one day, you’ll be surprised, that the little bean you have pampered from months to early years of childhood, no longer wants to be kissed and touched. 

Kudos to all of us. We are doing a great job. Cheers!

PS: To my mom in heaven, I know you are watching over us. Thank you. I will never be a great mom, if not for you. I never understood the depth of your love for me until I became a mom.

My daughter's mini collection

When I was a child, I’ve always dreamed of having my own book shelf and my own “set” of encyclopedia. But since our budget that time was very limited, my mom wasn’t able to fulfill that "dream" for me. Mababaw na kung sa mababaw, (haha), but I have so much passion in reading that’s why I treat every book with so much love.

I remember encyclopedia those days were so heavy and thick but since I never had to chance to own one, my only resort to researching stuff are my text books. I always got worried during my elementary and high school days most especially if we have to research something because my resources that time were very limited. (That’s why kids nowadays are so lucky because research is just one click away). To be honest, I even envied my classmates who used to bring those thick educational books at schools because I’ve always wanted to own one. I can still remember that I used to rent pocketbooks so I can update myself with the latest stories of Sweet Valley Kids and Goosebumps. :D

 And so I promised myself that as soon as I get my own job, I will buy any books that I want. No more rentals, no more getting envious. J

Fast forward to present -  Now that I have my own job,  I am able to buy any books that I like, but ever since the dawn of Internet and e-readers, I only read books thru e-books. (but no e-book can ever replace the happiness it gives me every time I read a story from a “real Book”. The smell of books give me so much joy. ahhh!  

I also want my daughter to have the passion in reading. I know every mom would love it if their child grows up to be a book worm and smart. And if we want our kids to be smart, they need to embrace and acquire a love for reading. That’s why as early as now, my daughter and I are taking our baby steps to read books together. i am showering her with so many books and I want her to know the importance of reading a book.

I’ve already started working on her mini-library, and I hope when she grows up, she would appreciate and love reading as much as I do.  

Here is a good article regarding the benefits of reading a book to your child:

http://www.raisesmartkid.com/all-ages/1-articles/14-the-benefits-of-reading-to-your-child

Maternal instinct

Have you ever looked at your child, shed a tear and asked how did you manage to raise your baby? I don’t know why and how, but as soon as I gave birth and brought my daughter home, my maternal instinct just kicked in. My very own intuition told me how to do things the right way.

To share you a piece of me, my mom died few months before I gave birth. She was the one who’s supposed to babysit my daughter as soon as I return to work from my 4-month long maternity leave. To tell you honestly, I really don’t know anything about taking care of babies. I don’t know how to bathe them, feed them, pacify them - I was clueless that time. I didn’t even know if I was doing the right thing the moment I came from the hospital.  As painful as it may sound, no blood relatives visited me that is why I am very thankful to my husband, in laws and friends (you know who you are) for supporting me after I gave birth.  I almost went through postpartum depression. I know I am a strong person, but still it’s different if there’s someone you can talk to regarding what you’re going through like the pains and joys of motherhood and experiences in the labor room. Someone who can understand what you went through is the best person you can talk to, and for me that time, it was my mom whom I need to talk to during that phase of my life.

My husband and I were clueless with everything, and we were too anxious how to take care of our daughter. The pain from CS was excruciating but I managed to keep up with it just to take care of her 24/7. We didn’t have a go to person and a guide who can help us teach the basics of baby care that time. Experience really is the best teacher and we'd like to give ourselves credit for that. We know that we are newbie parents and still have a long way to go, but right now, our daughter is our pride and we know deep in our hearts that we are doing a good job nurturing her. I am so grateful to have a husband who is so hands-on in taking care of our baby. Just like me, he was also inexperienced, but right now, I can proudly say that he is becoming more of an expert. Thank you too, to my mommy friends for sharing your pieces of mommy information with me. 

Our daughter is turning 9 months few days from now, and I am so thankful that God gave women the power to nurture a child. Without this gift, I know I wouldn’t be able to raise a very healthy and beautiful baby girl. Maternal instinct is so true, because with it, I am able to nurture and see our daughter grow right in front of our eyes. 

To my daughter Milly, you may be too young to understand what I am writing right now, but when you're old enough to read this, I hope you can appreciate all the things your dad and I are doing for you.  Thanks too for bringing out the maternal instinct in me. Because of you, I have learned to love deeper and to appreciate kids even more. We love you and always will. 

Feeding your baby the healthier way

Start them young.

I remember my mom used to tell me that instead of eating Cerelac, I’d rather munch on string beans. I am a big fan of vegetables that is why I also want my daughter to savor eating veggies too.

All babies can handle interesting foods before the age of 1 that’s why as early as now, I am teaching my daughter to eat vegetables so by the time she has mastered the art-of-eating, I wouldn’t have a hard time feeding her.

This is also the reason why I decided to make her baby food. I feel more confident and safer if I am the one who prepares her food. (plus its cheaper) As much as possible, I do not want to give her ready-made rice cereals and jarred baby foods. These types of foods are really sweet because of its high sugar content and since diabetes runs in our family, I’d rather be on the safe side.  I am also afraid of its long term effects. Just like Gerber. Most moms I’ve talked to are telling me that babies who grew up eating Gerber tend to be picky eaters. (Is it true that these jarred foods do not have preservatives? If a fresh baby food only lasts 3 days in the fridge and 1 month in the freezer, how come these jarred baby foods has an expiration date of almost 2 years?) I am not against ready-made and jarred baby foods, and to tell you honestly, I almost resorted to giving her these type of foods because there are times I am already running out of ideas what menu to prepare for her (plus pagod from work). Actually, I have one box of Cerelac readily available just in case I won’t be able to make her own meal. So far, the box is left untouched and has been sitting in the pantry for 2 months already. :D

I go to the market every day to buy fresh vegetables that I can steam, boil or puree. And now that she enjoys munching on vegetables or any food that has more-texture, preparing her meals is now easier because I don't have to puree veggies and fruits all the time. I feel very proud of myself because I've been making her own food for 3 months already and I know that I am doing the right thing. 

The other day, I experimented to check if she'd choose veggies over cookies. I placed 2 Bibibons cookies and sayote sticks on her table and guess what - she chose the vegetables. (Way to go baby).She was able to finish 1 whole of sayote in one sitting while she barely touched the cookies. Actually she just tried to nibble then threw it on the floor. hehe.  I just hope that she will have the same appetite with vegetables as she grows up.

Here's a pic of my baby enjoying her okra for yesterday's breakfast. Aside from Okra, she also ate Pureed Bananacado with brown rice. haha

For recipes, you can check my other blog at: Mommy Katrina Cooks

This is a good guide for parents who are wondering what to feed their babies. This is more of a helpful rule of thumb and not a law, meaning you can give foods earlier or later as long as you make sure your baby can handle what you feed them. Not all babies are created equal and there are some babies who can handle foods better at an earlier age, while others need more time to get the hang of it. Just like Milly, I started giving her Potato & Pasta as early as 6 months.

Again, its just fine to give Cerelac, baby cereals or any commercialized baby food you see in the market. You know what's best for them, and as long as your baby is healthy and doesn't have any allergic reaction to any food you give him/her, then you're on the right track. But if you have the time to prepare their own meals, go ahead. It's fun and fulfilling. Remember, mommies make the best food ever. ;) 

I fell in the top up trap

I did my best to supply her with my milk for more than 8 months.

Since I gave birth, I’ve been religiously pumping my milk every 3 hours which actually eats up the time that I am supposed to spend with my husband and daughter and chores in between. Imagine, 8 months of pumping in and outside the house. It’s like I have an inseparable relationship with my breast pump and I am just not yet ready to let go of it. I’ve been doing my best to re-gain the milk supply I had before but I guess there will really come a time when a mom’s milk will start to dwindle. They say that as long as your baby latches on you, your milk supply won’t dry up but my case is different here. (I am an exclusively pumping mom. I breastfeed my daughter through bottlefeeding) :) 

Sounds weird eh? Some might think that I am over reacting, but I am pro-breastfeeding/breastmilk. I feel sad every time I see the amount of milk that comes out of my breasts, and unlike before where I can pump 10-12 oz of milk per session, I am only able to get 1oz of liquid gold right now.  I am not sure what I did wrong, but I know for sure that I fell in the top up trap. So to all breast feeding moms out there, please trust me, because the top up trap is so true.

Here’s a good illustration of the top up trap.

The more you mix feed, the less milk your body will produce. Every ounce of formula you give is one ounce that you told your body not to produce. Do not fall into the Top Up Trap.

When my daughter started taking solids, I've started supplementing her with formula milk to save myself from pumping. There were times that I felt tired and fed up saving milk stash every now and then so it was a relief for me to skip and lessen my pumping session. I was confident that my milk won’t drop because ever since I started pumping, I’ve had a very good milk supply (knowing that I am an exclusively pumping mom).  When I started to mixed fed her, that’s when I noticed that my milk started to dwindle.  I continued my daily routine schedules of pumping milk but I was only netting a total of 4 oz of breast milk per day and I tell you, that amount is very unusual for me. Partly, I'd like to blame myself for losing the supply I had before but I always say to myself that I did my best just to give her the best milk. I had sacrificed a lot of things by pumping milk and I tell you, being an exclusively pumping mom is no-joke and I'd like to commend myself for that.

Take a look at my milk supply before:

Was able to pump this for only 15 minutes; 1 breast only. 

I even donated 90 plus Bags of breastmilk to preemie babies and some baby friends.

and here's how little I get right now. Such a drastic change.

I tried saving my milk by taking lactation drinks and munching on lactation cookies. I’ve increased my water intake and added more pumping sessions. Took some malunggay capsules and eat soupy dishes. But for some reasons, I can not produce more milk.  I've always planned to save milk for my daughter until she turns two years old. I actually look at it as a disappointment because I wasn’t able to reach my goal but what's important is that I was able to give her pure breastmilk until the age of 6 months.

Right now, I am still in the process of re-gaining back my milk supply. I just can't let go and separate ways with my pump.  I still want to give what's best for my daughter. I may not yield enough milk for her, but what's important is I can still give her my precious milk. I tell you, this is not an easy feat for me but I know that I can make it.

 Mother knows best and I know deep in my heart that I gave what’s best for my baby, and will continue giving that to her.  

My typical weekends

Gone were the days when my rest days or weekends held the promise of going out, watching a movie and lazy mornings in bed. The moment my husband and I became parents, our lives had changed as in - TOTALLY. Our weekends are no longer centered about catching enough sleep, dating, late movie nights and so much more.

We now spend our weekends watching Baby Einstein, Furchester Hotel and listening to nursery rhymes. Playing with our daughter and going to the mall less than 2 hours just to buy something important. On a side note, I know deep in my heart that I’d be lying if I tell that I feel really well-rested during my rest days from work.

This is how I spent my rest days last weekend: 

·         Cooked this meal for the family (as if we’re a big number, I just love cooking by batches so I don’t have to cook during lunch and dinner time, hehe)

·         Played with our daughter (Palagi naman :) )

·         Fed and made my daughter's baby food (palagi din :) )

·         Went to the grocery

Took this photo a week ago when we went to the grocery too :D 

·         Spent some quality time with my husband. After several months, we finally got the chance to catch up a late movie. Too bad we weren’t able to finish it, because my daughter kept on waking up so i had to go back and forth the bed to cradle her.

·           Got to read a very good book.

·         Went to Paranaque to meet my stepmom.

·         Did some general cleaning and re-arranged the room.

·         Organized the cabinet :D

I barely get enough rest during rest days, but I know things will get better as soon as my daughter grows up. (or will it become worse?) 

There are times that I still miss the old way, but I wouldn’t trade this kind of weekends with our daughter for the world. Weekends are no longer fun as much as before, but what I enjoy the most about my rest days is the time I spend with my husband and my daughter, and that is just priceless.