The Mommy Diaries

On Nicknames

2009-12-14T18:19:00.005+08:00

As you would have guessed, by this time, Jacob already has a nickname. Several nicknames, at that.

Here's some of the most used:

1. Peypop
- To stop Jacob from crying, I have a habit of sing-songing his whole name repeatedly, changing some of the consonants every time. For example, there's "Babob Babriel Bena Bumalon." We do this until we reach "Z". The letter "P" version is my favorite: "Papop Papriel Pena Pumalon" and I do it repeatedly until people started calling him Papop instead of Jacob. "Papop" became spelled as "Peypop" and "Peypop" eventually became:

2. Peypers Marquez
- I love adding "-ers" to most words, Filipino or English, "Peypop" is not an exception. While Marquez...is just a random name I added.

3. Jacok/Jacop
- My 1 year old inaanak coined this nickname. He loves Jacob to bits (to the point that his gigil hurts Jacob, haha) but he can't say his name, he can only say Jacok and sometimes Jacop.
Saaad. But it's really cute!

4. Bütch
- (yehey marunong na ako mag u na may umlaut! haha!) During my baby shower, my friends came up with a set of nicknames from which the visitors will vote (supposedly) a suitable nickname for Jacob. Sadly... this was voted no. 1. And so now a small group calls Jacob, Bütch. Haha.

Sorry for this post's lack of creativity, I'm doing this while carrying my baby, YES AT THE SAME TIME.

<3 Mommy

Jacob's Christmas Wishlist

2009-12-10T19:46:00.008+08:00

Ages. I haven't updated for ages. No explanations, sorry about that. But since its Christmas time, what's better than posting a wish list? Not mine, but Jacob's. The following things are what Jacob needs, or what I want for him. Haha. I'll post the websites too so you can buy easily. Don't worry, they don't cost much.

1. Baby Legs /Funky Tubes.
- Funky Tubes are cheaper than Baby Legs, but I think they're the same.

Funky Tubes

Baby Legs

2. gDiapers
-eco friendly diapers with compostable/flushable fillings. Okay, let's care for the environment. Go ESS!! haha!!

3. The Picture Company GCs (*ehem vir ehem* hahaha.)

4. Anything from this IndigoBaby album or anything from Brussel Sprouts.

5. Kayo na bahala, di naman ako mapili. (Ako talaga?!) haha!

Papa's out, Mommy's in.

2009-10-15T21:26:00.012+08:00

Tonight is the eve of James' finals so he won't be staying with Jacob and me. He's staying at his dorm for a week to spend time studying. It's actually my first night alone with Jacob and I wonder if I'm all ready. You see, James and I share duties with Jacob to make things easier for both of us.

Jacob has this habit of waking up at 2am to sawa where he does everything from pooping, to eating, to urinating, to just listening to a conversation, everything except for sleep. Thing is, for him to do that someone has to be awake, or else he'll cry like hell. And that someone is usually me (James' duty is from 6am until he has to leave for school). At the event of his pooping, I'd wake up James (because he likes changing diapers), but if he won't wake up I'd have to change Jacob's diapers myself. And believe me, it's not that easy. There are actually several steps in changing his diapers:

Step 1: Make him milk.

My son cries during diaper changing time. He has to have a distraction, and what better distraction is there than food? Problem is, when all the bottles are on the kitchen sink, I'd have to go wash 'em first and sterilize 'em. That's another long process.

Step 2: Prepare everything.

While he' being distracted, I need to prepare everything needed to clean him: changing mat, baby wipes and diaper. James actually uses cotton and warm water (which he still has to heat) instead of baby wipes because he insists that it cleans more. Uhm, I don't think so.

Step 3: Change him.

The time has come. (Okay, the baby in the picture is not Jacob, obviously. I just got it from the net. :p)

Step 4: Clean up.

Sometimes, I have to repeat steps 2-4 over and over again, 'cause Jacob has this habit of pooping right after I change him. Or if I'm really unfortunate, he pees on me (he's a boy, he pees in a trajectory), while I change him. Oh, how I love my boy. :)

And what happens after he poops? I'll update you next time. Now, I have to prepare myself for battle. I have to sleep early so when 2 am comes, I'm all propped up. Tonight, Team Jacob is a one-woman-team! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Source

I'm A Party Girl

2009-10-12T17:19:00.006+08:00

...a KIDDIE PARTY girl.

People have different thoughts on partying. For some, partying meant dancing and getting drunk while taking photos of themselves on the dance floor. For others, partying was about getting laid or something. But for me, partying was always about drinking and good conversation.

Everything changed yesterday.

I realized that becoming a Mom meant changing my idea of a party: no drinking and maybe, having just a little bit of good conversation. Partying now meant changing diapers while everyone else is eating, having small talks about how big my baby was when he was born (49cm and 6.4 lbs) or how many ounces of milk he consumes per day, and, instead of the usual "midnight song" they play on Que Rico, the place where I used drink (and get drunk), I now hum to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or " I'm a Little Tea Pot"; but I like it. I got to see everyone in a different light. My friends, instead of drinking beer or rhum, drank coke and water. Instead of eating chicharon and papaitan, ate paella and lengua. Visitors got to entertain themselves and did not (unconsciously) put pressure on me to deal with them. The day was just so... wholesome.

I loved every inch of it. Thanks to everyone who came. It was all so special. Now is an era of partying. See you on Jacob's 1st! :)

On Jacob's Baptism and Bathing After Giving Birth

2009-10-02T17:35:00.001+08:00

I was Baptized in the Manila Cathedral 2 weeks after I was born. My Mom and Dad wanted me to get baptized as soon as possible so that I may receive God's blessing ASAP. James and I wanted to do the same for Jacob. So today, I called the Manila Cathedral office to inquire about their baptismal requirements. The woman whom I talked to told me that we needed to submit Jacob's birth certificate, and our (James' and mine) Church Marriage Contract. She asked me if James and I were married within church rites, I told her, we aren't yet married. The exact words she replied was "Ay, hindi kami nagbibinyag ng hindi kasal." I said okay, feeling discriminated but at the same time accepting because, that was not the first uncomfortable conversation I had about my marital status.

I told this to my Mom and asked her if this was an SOP for the Catholic Church (which I am doubtful because I don't remember Deacon Barth Bracy talking about this in our Theology 131 class). Mom said that that is unreasonable. It was unreasonable to deny our baby the Catholic faith and God's acceptance just because James and I have "sinned." Minutes later, my Mom called the Cathedral and asked about this, trying hard not to shout at the woman I talked to. The woman told her that they actually baptize kids born out of wedlock but they require the parents to talk to their local parish priest first. The woman said that she didn't inform me because I did not ask. Mom got mad at this remark, pointing out that it was the woman's obligation to tell me.

Actually it really was. What if I was a doubtful Catholic? "Ay, hindi kami nagbibinyag ng hindi kasal" would actually make me rethink my faith more. Now, they actually worry that many people are turning their backs from Catholicism? I love my faith, but like what I said during my very last Theology 151 finals, the problem lies on the micro level. In times like these, I appreciate being educated in the Ateneo.

So, oh well, goodbye Manila Cathedral. Good thing San Agustin Church only asked for the baby's birth certificate.

...

I finally had my first real and normal bath today. Abstinence from bathing wasn't my idea, it's an old wives tradition that most Filipinas follow after giving birth. The reason behind it is that they believe that labor and delivery stresses your entire being, thus, being exposed to "lamig" is not advisable as it will form "pockets" in your body. You also have to eat hot soups and drink hot beverages to keep your body warm (and sometimes even hot). After a week (or 15 days for some) you can bathe - not in water, but in tea, in Pito-pito tea, to be exact. Pito-pito is a mixture of seven different medicinal herbs: "alagaw, banaba, bayabas, pandan, and mangga with half a teaspoon each of anis and cilantro" (source). After that, you undergo "suob", a procedure wherein you sit on an arinola filled with boiling Pito-pito for quite some time and let the steam cleanse your womanhood. The whole thing culminates with a traditional post-natal hilot where the manghihilot pushes your uterus to its proper position.

I have undergone all these for the past week. Not faithfully of course. My Mom would pity me everytime I feel icky that she would let me shampoo my hair, of course without having the water touch my body. I also clean myself using a cloth damped with alchohol and lukewarm water, and of course, I clean my you-know-what with Lactacyd.

The pito-pito bathing was surprisingly very refreshing - or maybe I was just too desperate to bathe. But not the Pito-pito "steaming". It was quite painful "down there". And the massage? Oh how I needed that. Thank God the process included massages.

BUT ALAS. I AM FINALLY CLEAN.

Looking back, it was quite an experience. That's why I think my mother had me undergo that procedure - for the experience. It was an experience most Filipinas had undergone, and it would be sad if I didn't have that weird, icky, but wonderful experience.

The Chinese have a similar tradition called Po-Ge-Lai which means "month after". You can read about it here and here.

A First

2009-10-02T01:00:00.000+08:00

Hello. Whether you're my friend or you've just stumbled upon my new blog, welcome. If you stumbled upon this blog by googling "mommy tips" or "mommy advices", I am sorry. You won't find it here; because no, I am not "THE ultimate mommy", that one mommy who deserves to use this blog's title. I am a new young Mom who's just learning to breastfeed properly and change diapers. Yes, young or maybe borderline young. You see, I gave birth to my little baby boy a day after my 20th birthday. If he decided to come out 2 days earlier, then I would have been a teenage mom - for a day.

Oh, I forgot. You can call me Pat. You can see that on the right side of this page. You can also see my photo there. That has-been bulge there is now a wonderful baby boy called Jacob. Here, meet him:

He's the reason why I am posting this blog at 1:15 am. He's been keeping me awake all night for almost 2 weeks now. He's a week and 3 days old, by the way. He's not actually a colicky baby (for non-mommies, search colic on the net if you don't understand), but like a normal baby, he wakes up and cries when he's hungry. And when I say "hungry" it's not the normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner times hungry. He gets hungry before dawn too. He poops at inconvenient times too. Luckily his Dad helps me out. We take shifts. But anyway, even though Jacob's like that (of course he is, he's a baby) he's also a source of happiness. He makes us laugh when he pees on us or when he poops again just right after we change his diapers. Not to mention, kissing him is the best thing in the world!

How I love being his Mom.

And that's the reason why I created this blog. I want to document day to day lessons that I learn from Jacob, and maybe even those that I teach Jacob, as we go through, perhaps, the rest of our lives.

More pictures:

Jacob and His Papa

Jacob on his 1st weekly birthday.

Thank you for visiting this blog. Maybe you' ll learn from us too. :)

(We can also learn from you! Comment if you have parenting tips to share. :p)