My Sick Son

After traveling back and forth on Christmas and spending the holidays in three houses, the stress of the Christmas season got to our son. As soon as we arrived back home in Cavite on the 27th he developed a cold that won’t go away even after I gave him the medicine his pedia recommended.

We spent the entire night of the 28th until the morning of the 29th carrying our overly fussy baby as he refused to be put down on his crib or on our bed. I was near tears already when I saw how he’s having a hard time trying to sleep, seeing how teary eyed he was because of his colds, how difficult it is for him to breath and how irritated he is by the way he rubs his entire face on my shoulder while I was carrying him. Kawawa talaga.

We were just able to put him to sleep at 6am on the 29th but he still has colds until today so I am still giving him his colds medicine and hoping he gets well before the new year starts.

Johan finally sleeping at 6am

First Christmas as a Family

This is our first Christmas as a family and even if the holidays are pretty stressful (causing my milk supply to deplete, waahh!) it was memorable just the same.

My wish to celebrate Christmas Eve at our home instead of hubby’s was granted this year although we almost never made it because hubby was on call at work that day but decided to ditch work around 7pm so we could be on the road already and arrive at Loly’s and Papa Lolo’s house before midnight. I had the perfect first-Christmas Eve outfit for Johan that he never got to wear because he slept Christmas Eve away.

Christmas Day was spent on two venues, we first went to Tita Menia’s house in QC for lunch, Tita Menia is my Papa’s sister. Then we left around 2pm to go to the annual Christmas reunion of the Tan Clan, my Mama’s side of the family.

The day was super tiring but definitely worth it as we celebrated Christmas as a family. A great Christmas tradition that I want my son to grow up and look forward to.

Johan dressed up and ready for our drive to Loly’s and Papa Lolo’s house in Laguna – Christmas Eve

Johan asleep at midnight – Christmas Eve

Mommy and Johan photo ops beside Tita Menia’s tree

Daddy and Johan at the Tan’s Christmas reunion – as usual camera shy ang Daddy

    First ever Christmas family picture

I'm looking forward to more Christmases in the future with my "mag-ama" and here's hoping you all had a wonderful one as we did!

Book Review: A Year with God by R.P. Nettelhorst

A Year with God is a daily devotional filled with scriptures from the bible. As a devotional, it has 365 different scriptures for each day of the year and a discussion about the scripture at the bottom of each on every page.

I have collected various devotionals over the years but I particularly like this one because the scriptures are of different topics and the titles make each one of them more interesting. I also like the idea of consolidating the table of contents in a way where everything can be found based on what you are feeling like all the scriptures for Love and Hate are consolidated together same with all the scriptures about Perseverance and Quitting. It makes it easier for the readers who are looking for guidance but only wanted to read scriptures basing on their emotional status.

What I think would make this an even better book is if the author included a small portion on each page for the readers to write what they thought about the scripture for the day, how it affected and helped them or how they will incorporate what they read in their daily lives.

A Year with God is a good read, a perfect reminder to include God in our everyday lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Merry Christmas Everyone!

T'was a Long, Sleepless Nighta

Johan is sick. He has the fever since yesterday afternoon after we got him vaccinated with the DPT 1 and OPV 1 vaccines in the morning. I had him take a paracetamol drop right after we got home after he got his vaccines as a preventive maintenance for the expected fever.

He wasn't hot when I left him around two in the afternoon to meet my father at a nearby mall to get the shirts we are going to wear on the 25th and the pasalubong of my sister RK from Cebu. I got home around six in the evening (no thanks to the horrendous traffic that the usual 30 minute ride turned into an hour and a half). When I went inside the house, hubby just got up from his nap, Johan awake but lying in his carseat on the floor. I played with him a little until he became irritated and I scooped him up so I could carry him. That's when I felt how hot he was. I immediately went in our room, got the thermometer and took his temperature. It read 38.4 degrees! It was pretty high and I was angry at hubby for being clueless that our son already has the fever and I was also irritated that Johan was left in the living room by himself. It does not make it better when they told me Johan is sleeping anyway when they left him. You do not leave a sleeping 2-month old infant alone in a carseat on the floor with a high fever. You just don't. It made me even angrier when I was told that it was already felt Johan is a bit hot before I arrived but they did nothing, not even a sponge bath, not even taking the temperature.

They said I overreacted and it is just normal for infants to have a fever after being vaccinated. Norm or not, it's a 38.4 degree fever nearly 39 degrees where most infants will have convulsions. And anyway, there isn't anything overreative about that. You just don't take anything in stride when it comes to your child and you are a mom. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Johan is doing better after I gave him numerous sponge baths and made him take his medicine in a 4-hour interval. He does not want to be put down last night so I carried him most of the times and was only able to put him to sleep earlier around six in the morning after nursing him. I took his temperature and it was down to 37.4 degrees finally.

It was a long, sleepless night but I am feeling better now knowing that my son is well.

I Won Again!

Remember that I joined the Yoga Baby Bliss’ A Babywearing Festival contest on Facebook? The winners were already announced last night and our photo bagged the 2nd prize. Woohoo! Here’s my prize that is yet to be shipped by Mommy Joanne:

A brand new SaYa Baby Carrier in Teal Floral

Here’s how it looks like when worn.

I’m so excited to receive this in the mail before Christmas. What a nice Christmas present for me and Johan. Again, thanks Yoga Baby Bliss for a wonderful contest!

Our Saturday in Photos

We went out last Saturday to do our grocery at SM Dasmarinas. Of course, the little boy went along with Mommy and Daddy. There was a nice little spot near the supermarket where you can have your picture taken with Santa Claus in a huge red couch with huge Christmas trees behind you for only 100 pesos. I would have wanted to have our picture taken but my son slept the entire time we were at the mall and won’t wake up even in Mommy nudged him several times, “Sorry, anak, if I tried waking you up. I just want to have your first Christmas documented in pictures.”

Anyway, here’s our simple Saturday in photos:

On our way to the mall, here’s Johan looking out the window. A few moments after this picture was taken, he was already sound asleep.

Of course, Mommy had to be in the picture too!

  Johan sleeping while Mommy eats her lunch. This was the first time I wore Johan outside our home and I was super scared to drop my hands for fear that the carrier would give but I soon got the hang of it and let go.

   Johan still sleeping even after Daddy and Mommy were done doing the groceries, had his baptism pictures printed and strolled a little around the mall. This picture was taken while waiting for Daddy bring the car around to pick us up at the mall entrance.

   Johan already awake at the car on our way home.

    This was how he looked like after Mommy took a long time removing him from the Chicco carrier and he’s already asking for milk.

     Johan smiling after drinking his milk.

Johan’s Christmas Wish List

I know Johan can’t ask yet what he wants for Christmas, but as they say, Mommy knows best. So, here’s Johan’s Christmas Wish List from Mommy’s perspective. You’re going to thank me someday, Anak. I’m sure about that. Hehe.

Mosquito Patches – to keep the dreaded Dengue-carrying mosquitoes away from Johan

Baby Legs - Rainbow Leg Warmers

Upspring Baby Walking Wings Learning To Walk Assistant

Fisher-Price Precious Planet Potty 

Fisher-Price Precious Planet Jumperoo

Baby Einstein Toys 

(Clockwise from left:Baby Einstein Bendy Ball, Baby Einstein Press and Play Pal Toy,Baby Einstein Touch and Explore Discovery Book and Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes) All of these on sale at Amazon and comes at prices less than $10.

Lamaze 

(Clockwise from left: Lamaze Dream Screen, Lamaze Peekaboo, I Love You, Lamaze Multi Sensory Soft Sorter and Lamaze Garden Bug Wrist Rattle and Foot Finder Set)

Statement Clothes (Onesies or shirts)

Shoes

(Clockwise from left: Tommy Hilfiger InfantToddler Lil Bryce Sandal, Adidas NBA Cribbie Infant Basketball Shoes, JORDAN 6 Retro CB Crib Infant Shoes and Beeko Infant Bobbie Sandal)

 

DVD Player – for Johan’s Baby Einstein DVDs (Calling Ninang Tit An!)

Thank you, Ninongs and Ninangs!

Happy 2nd Month Birthday, Johan!

Our little angel turned 2 months last Saturday, December 4. He’s growing up so fast that I found myself whispering to him that morning, “Don’t grow up too fast, Anak. Mommy wants to enjoy you as a baby pa.” He can now see and he recognizes Mommy already. When Johan’s with somebody else and Mommy walks by, his eyes catches Mommy’s face and he smiles. My son is so in love with me. Hehe.

Happy 2nd month birthday, Anak. Mommy and Daddy love you so much.

   

Belated Thanksgiving

There’s so much to be thankful for this year. The arrival of our little angel, good health for my family… but I dedicate this post to my youngest brother, Vincent Lian.

Bob as we fondly call him – short for “pa-baby” (I don’t recall how it ended up it Bob) – is my youngest sibling. I can say that he is closest to me as I tend to baby him more since I’m the eldest and he’s the youngest. Whenever he needs money he asks from me, I’m the first he calls/texts when he’s had problems in school, I’m the one he makes “sumbong” to when Mama and Papa scold him. I tend to give him what he wants since I’m a little bit guilty and I felt I owe him. You see, when I was in my fifth year in college and those were hard times in the family, Lian was forced to stop going to school just so I can graduate. My schooling was prioritized over his, so for that, I felt I had to make it up to him.

Lian is the typical teenager. He loves going out, he loves playing computer games, he’s “mabarkada”, he’s having a hard time in school most probably because he tend to go out more often than he studies.

Saturday night of last week is a usual night for Lian, he went out to attend the birthday party of his friend but come early Sunday morning at around 1 am, he figured in a motorcycle accident that left his face swollen and bruised beyond recognition, some of his teeth missing and some pushed up into his gums, his arms and legs with deep wounds and a CT scan showing a blood clot in his brain.

My father was the first one who heard the news and immediately called my sister, RK, working then on the night shift. RK then told me it was the first time she heard our usually calm father – his voice tensed and trembling when he told her “An, naaksidente si Lian. Hindi maganda ang lagay ng kapatid mo”. Everyone of us, his siblings, rushed to the hospital on Sunday morning as soon as we heard the news. All of us were shocked and were stopped in our tracks when we saw him. We cannot recognize him. We wanted to cry but we can’t so Lian won’t see us crying. My mom tried to hold her tears as she talked to him saying, “Kamusta ka, Anak? Kaya mo yan”, then she would turn her face away and cover her mouth with her hand so Lian won’t hear her whimper and cry.

We stayed there the whole day of Sunday waiting for news regarding the blood clot that was found in Lian’s CT Scan but since it was a weekend and the next day was a holiday, no doctors were around (or was it just there at Perapetual Hospital that it’s like this?). Everybody went home except for my parents and my sister RK. I cried when I got home and saw the pictures of Lian at my son’s baptism. It was just yesterday when he was smiling and he’s being his makulit self, his pictures then showing his usual pa-cute smile, his face not swollen and bruised.

Tuesday, a surgeon arrived and informed us that there was also some mild swelling found on Lian’s brain but since Lian is conscious and can talk, there is nothing to worry about – yet. He should be observed for 2-3 weeks for the manifestations of the blood clot and the swelling on his brain to appear. Lian is cleared for discharge on Wednesday. Hopefully, the medications that the doctor gave him will treat the blood clot and the swelling. He is now at home recuperating from his wounds.

As I’ve mentioned before there’s too much to be thankful for, but this year, our family is most thankful for the second life that our brother Lian is blessed with.

Thanks to all the prayers, the moral and financial support that everybody gave us. Please continue praying for Lian’s fast recovery.