How He's Grown

One year separates the two photos below:





He's mostly playing 'baby' when he sits on this rocker now, kinda immitating his 10-month old cousin. One of the true testaments to how time has flown and how much he's grown.

*~*

Last night, he babbled 'ba-ba-ba' while pointing to the picture of banana, then started signing it. Then he said 'dog' and pointed at the picture and signed it too.

I was too ecstatic for words, I almost bit him from delight. (He's been signing banana for a while now but it's only the 2nd time he's recognized it from a picture... and the first time he signed dog and recognized it from a picture, even though he's fond of the creatures). Haha. Poor Pappie was a little sad that he wasn't around to witness it. But I did remind him that he's the parent who's always willing to let Yakee run after actual dogs, so am sure what he contributes to our son's happiness is better.

Yes, Mommy Can

Boys toys are a challenge for mommies who didn't like playing with toys as a child. But I finally managed to set up my son's train set.





Not that he really played with it. He liked dismantling the railway and nibbling at the station sign, but that was it.

Anyway, one other thing that Mommy can do... is change her mind about going on a plane trip. Hubs is going extra crazy with me but since he's vowed to love me for better and worse, he's still in love.

I still blame PMS. But right now, am also a little bothered by the global recession so I think we should save the money instead. If ever I do change my mind, at least the travel money is there. But if not, it's savings our family can benefit from.

Thanks for Him

Leave it to hubs to make me feel all the more loved even after I abandoned him and Yakee two nights ago. I guess you know it's true love indeed if you're already going ballistic and all your partner wants is to hug and kiss you more.

Anyway, since i've gotten some good sleep too, I think the PMS madness has come to pass. And hubs has given me the perfect reason to go and plan our plane ride trip come March. He says I might be preggy later on this year anyway, and he wouldn't really feel comfy flying with me.

So maybe we'd go to Balay Indang on our wedding anniversary instead. And maybe we'd go there sans Yakee. We haven't left him behind yet and he'd be two by then already... I think we wouldn't feel as guilty.

*~*

But the anniversary thing we're really going to do is attend a basic parenting skills seminar. It would be the best investment anyway.

*~*

Hubs came to work wearing a pink barong I bought for him. He looked so cute!!!

Torn and Unhappy

Let's blame hormones, okay?

And an inherent wanderlust spirit from my end.

I think I enjoyed our Island Cove trip so much that i'm ten times all the more restless for a trip. A family trip that would include a plane ride, and preferably in a different island group.

Sigh.

I have cried in my husband's arms about this. And now, i'm seething with so much resentment and bitterness. I hate being this way but I also can't help feeling denied.

I hate that i'm wondering if giving up my job was worth it. I hate feeling poor. I hate feeling deprived. I hate comparing our family to others.

And it's really not that we cannot afford one. It's just that my pregnancy was difficult before (and expensive!) so travelling was really out of the question for 2007. And it was our (maybe even mostly mine) choice to throw Yakee a truly wonderful party and I know, i'd never have it any other way. And we're struggling to really have some savings and not live on credit.

I guess we're still adjusting to the one-income setup. And I guess I have to allow myself moments like this... just so I can remember for myself the really important things. Like being as involved in raising and nurturing Yakee.

*sigh*

Now, for the torn part. I made reservations for us at Balay Indang this Feb after reading about it in N@W and seeing that trusted friends have found the place worth it. Told you, I was jumping crazy to go somewhere. But then I got to thinking, what if we just spend more this March for a plane trip somewhere to celebrate our 9th (non-wedding) anniversary? At least i'd get the need for the plane ride out of my system already.

If truth be told, however, we may need to dip some into our savings for a plane trip. We've originally scheduled that for the third quarter of the year.

But gosh, I don't think I can wait.

I'm hoping the Balay Indang thingie can pacify my heart some... and it would only cost us around P5-6k (and am coming into some money this Feb which we can use there). But that's only an overnight thingie.

Ugh.

God, please shower me with some serenity and grace to accept the things I cannot change. I really don't like making Pappie feel bad because am sad. But am really, really sad right now.

*~*

I think it's hormones. Just like last month when I was soooo into having a second baby asap. Sniff.

Tsk. tsk.

Of course, Pappie loved this pic which I sent to him via MMS. His boy is growing up just like him...

... smiling face? :D

A Better Yakee

... also means a more willful, playful, spirited Yakee.

And too bad for him, since his poop is still soft, we're only allowing crackers and meatless porridge and banana and apple for him. Hubs can't wait to give him Pediasure so we'd easily recover whatever he lost from the week-long confinement due to acute gastroenteritis. Hehe.



It just occurred to me that I could have entered the above pic at Babycentral since he's wearing red, mainly because that's the only standard that is being followed it seems. If i'm to be honest, i'm starting to get annoyed with all the messages and e-mail alerts I get from moms asking for votes in that site. I mean, sure, you want your child to be showcased and discovered... but the truth is, not all babies are THAT cute, and some pictures could have been better taken. I mean, if you're going to pimp your child, can't you also make sure it's worth other people's while?

Oh and it's so sad that Nido had an age requirement because I was really excited about joining. Hehe.

Yakee's Recovering

We still don't really know if it's a result of taking antibiotics (a sort of intolerance for it, like Mommy has)... or our son is just like any other child out there who caught some viral thing that resulted in gastroenteritis (the ER is overflowing with similar cases and hospitals, I here, are full of admitted kids suffering from the same malady)... but anyway, he turned One year and Three Months in the hospital.

It's what... our fourth-fifth day here?

Good thing though... he's recovering already. He's taken to chewing or tugging his IV tube though, or pushing his IV stand around the room, and crying after doctors or nurses (while other kids cry when they arrive, he does when they leave without him). It breaks our heart to see him beg for the food we eat, and abolutely drives me crazy that Oresol, Pedialyte and even Gatorade makes him gag.

We're just thankful we can afford the hospital care (though this is via an HMO) because I can't help but think of all those other kids who might be etting sick because of the colder clime.

Hopefully, we can go home tomorrow. People have promised Yakee so many things already just so he'd recover fast (his fave food, trips out, milk beverages, fattening up, etc).

Not really how I hoped our first week into the New Year would be... but all in all, our son is still a healthy boy, and that's all that counts.

*~*

I, however, have binged so much from the stress of it all... which is bad, seeing as hyubs and I have already come up with our health plan.

Some Hope and Tougher Love Please

Yakee woke me up by soiling the bed with poop. That's how he started our day filled with diarrhea and nausea, till we had to go to the ER because he was just not keeping anything down.

But since he still breastfeeds and is actually eager to eat or drink (he just can't keep them down), they did not admit him for confinement. Unfortunately, we have to brave several more days of oral antibiotics (which he so hates). Hopefully though, the pooping and vomiting will cease soon. Heaven help me administer the meds!

God, please make him well soon. I know all parents go through times of sick kids, and we're still really lucky that at most, this is only cholera or gastroenteritis (and he passed his stool exam naman). But it really pains me to see him suffer and hear his cries.

And heaven help me, I am such a sympathetic puker, which won't do for a Mom with a sick child.

*~~

Poor hubs too. They're really very busy at work right now but he had to rush to our side at the ER.

*~*

Inferno though, my binagoongang baboy is really good. Hopefully, it took away from my hubby's stress.

Happy New Year Guys

Yakee thought the boys playing outside (age 3 and up) were playing with him so he ran along after them... and ended up scraping his knees. Ouch.

But my son seems to have been made of a tougher spirit than I... he didn't cry and just continued running after them. Didn't even whimper after I cleaned his knees.

Then again, he didn't cry at the doctor's too when he got his MMR shot. I just wish he'd be as brave taking his medicine (then again, I know it's the principle of rebellion that makes him make it hard for me to administer the meds to him) so there won't be any episode like last night.

Mind you, like what I told hubs, I was more upset that I was retching and nauseated by the smell of the meds and our son's vomit... not helping my son who seemed to think it was okay to retch and heave because Mommy was doing the same.

Family Bonding Time at Island Cove

First of all, I just want to say that we found Island Cove's Family Fun Package to be sulit! :)

Hubs and I chose it, thinking that it offers enough activities for our son. Unfortunately, we miscalculated the December cold so Yakee ended up cold and thus unable to really enjoy the water park and hotel pool. But of course, that's not to say, he was deprived.





Yakee likes to socialize now, trying to engage other tots to play (except this really pretty girl which got him shy... hehe). And though the weekend was spent trying to engage him, hubs and I still managed to reaffirm our love for each other.

How could we not... when the proof is a giggling, chortling chinky-eyed boy?