Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Modern Pinay Wife's Birthday

..............................

Happy morning!

January 23, 19nevermind--- the day I was born. For the past, I guess, seven years, I started treating my family during my birthday. Previous years, it was the duty of my mom or my ever loving nanay Lileng (lola), who I must say I terribly miss on my birthdays since she would always give me a call to greet me a happy birthday and a box of either cake or an ice cream will be sent in the house
afterwards.

Since I got married, I have been celebrating my birthday in two days. First day, the birthday itself, was spent with my family. My Rockville family, as expected, had simple yet satisfying ways to celebrate it. This year, they just requested for a bucket of KFC (hot and crispy and original recipe combo with overflowing gravy), Arjay barbecue (the best in Nova I guess), Jollibee spag (original plan was Tropical Hut spag but the branch near us was under renovation), and two liters of chillin' soda. This setup never failed to remind me of my childhood since these are the very food that I grew up with. These are the food that never failed to put a smile on my face.


Second day, I spent it with my Fairview family. We heard mass since it was a Sunday, then proceeded to Teriyaki Boy afterwards for my lunch treat. Honey and I took charge of ordering the food and we ordered our usual favorite-- Teriyaki Boy Chicken, Tofu Steak, Yakisoba, Japanese fried rice. Two of our dishes we ordered for the first time and turned out to be great too, the Wafu beef and the Cold Soba.


For dessert, Jeff and Brian bought two boxes of Caramia Gelatia. I have been hearing good reviews about Caramia and was always excited to try one. Good thing the two gentlemen got it for us for the taste was really heavenly. I was not able to catch what particular flavor they bought, but whatever that was, it was uber yummy.


We ended our lunch with the very pinoy tradition of picture-picture. Too bad my little sweetheart could not fight his sleep and just went to slumber land.

My baby's birthday gift to me--his first words

.............................

Hallo!

Flashback: Migo and I, along with my mom, visited the pedia for the monthly check up. Honey was in Australia by the way, and thanks mom is always there to fill him in. When the pedia asked me if Migo was already talking, I said not yet. Which was true because he would just make sounds, not talk. "No consonants" was how I described it. Pedia checked the record. Eight months. No talking yet? She then started talking about how important it is to talk to the baby often, face to face, no television, actual interaction, etcetera etcetera. I was not at all listening for I was doing all that already. Even the yaya (I wanted to believe that, but the truth really, I was not sure at all). She then dropped two words that made me focused to her again--developmental pedia.

Developmental pedia?! Wait, wait!! I did not want these words. Did it mean my Migo was sort of slow? Or behind? Eight months and not yet talking. I texted all my cousins and girlfriends and asked them what month their babies started talking. Six months. Seven months. Some even as early as five months. My little man was already eight months!! I got scared really. And how am I going to tell this to honey? I was not able to sleep that night.

That week, we were scheduled to spend it to my parents' place. I asked everyone to talk to Migo as often as possible. It did not come as a problem for they were all really sabik for my baby. Apart from that, I spent several, as in several times in a day talking to him with just da-da-da-da. Just da-da-da for I heard almost babies started with these syllables. I even often sang to him Lady Gaga's Bad Romance replacing the lyrics to da-da-da. That was how determined, dedicated and hopeful I was. It went like that for a week, non-stop.

After one week, we went back to Fairview (had to be back in time for Elmer's arrival). I told honey the "news". He shrugged it off. Okay, at least one of us was not panicky about it.

January 24, 2010-- we were having dinner at the gazebo and all of us were gathered there. Just when everybody was doing their chikas, Migo uttered da-da-da. Yes, he did!! And everybody stopped to listen to what he had to say. My heart skipped a beat as I watched his mouth move, giving out a loud voice saying da-da-da. It eventually became da-da-di and it made Elmer smile. A big smile, actually.

When we said our goodnight's to everybody (since it was already 9:30 and I was set to be strict with that sleeping time), I had a one on one talk with my little man. All I just said to him was thank you, thank you, thank you so much. That was the best birthday gift I have ever received--your da-da-da.
..............................

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Established sleeping time

............................

Bonjour!

From Migo's birth up to his seventh month, I was terribly looking forward
to some quality, deep sleep. That was because Migo was so hyper up to midnight
and some point up to 2 in the early morning. It was really so hard to put him to
sleep. Honey and I struggled to find ways to make him sleepy--- sing to him, dance
him, shake him a little, give him a warm bath, even baby products to invite sleep,
etcetera, etcetera. Once he got his sleep, I already felt so tired and harassed. I had no time to do the things I love doing before going to bed. That meant I had no time to catch up on my reading, no time to go to my fave websites, and even no time to take a shower!! Goodness!! And the sad part of it all, Migo is an early riser. So no matter how late he slept, he would wake up at 5ish or 6ish. And I had to be up by the time he's up. Imagine how short my sleep was.


Good thing our one week of stay with my parents' house helped me to at last
establish his sleeping time. We had to stay over my parents' place for a week because
honey was in Australia. We had no company so dun muna kami natulog sa kanyang
papu and mamu. Peeps there sleep early. 9 in the evening and lights off already. That's because my dad and mom jog in the early morning, plus Migo's kuyas (cousins)
-Nico and Dane- sleep early for the next day's school. Also, my sisters work in a call center so they are not around during night time. My brother naman stays in his room all evening to watch the movies he downloaded from the net. So in other words, there was no much happening come evening time. And though I find it odd, it was a great way to find my baby's sleep time. 9:30 in the evening became Migo's official bedtime.

A week after and we were back to Fairview. I had doubts if I could go with this pattern once back there. Dinner time there is 8ish, some days it could be as late as 9ish. And we still have to do some chika here and there afterwards. And of course, after-dinner is the time they-the uncles, aunts, cousins and even manangs-play with Migo. The time we will be back to the humble pad is like 10:30, and by then we would struggle to put him to sleep. Hyper na sya by that time due to the talking and playing with him made by people around him.

I was really determined to establish his sleeping time. What I did, I snatched my little Migo away from everybody after dinner. That was around 9pm already. And good thing nobody gave me a violent reaction, hehe. I had to explain my plan of putting him to sleep same time everyday and everybody agreed. So far so good. In fact, he would be the first one to show signs that he was sleepy already. I just had to sway him a little, sing any song in a soft voice, give him milk to suck, and after ten to fifteen minutes, he's in dreamland already.

This has been going on for several days now and I am crossing my fingers!!
..............................
Freelance Jobs