Shulammite Carrot Soap Review

I learned about Shulammite carrot soap through my cousin.  I noticed her fairer skin. Actually, WE noticed her fairer skin, my mom, my aunts, my sister-in-law.  She told me she's been using the soap for many months already before we noticed the glow in her skin.

At first, I was hesitant because I thought it was just a facial soap since it's printed on the box "Anti-Acne, Oil Regulating, Skin Clarifying."  But decided to give it a try  since I learned that carrot soaps can be anti-aging too.

I used the soap only at night. I tried it on my son too. My mom tried it too. My husband tried it too.  We witnessed the effectiveness of the soap through my cousin that's why we were all so ecstatic to try it.

I am fair skinned to begin with.  I just want to even-out my skin since I don't always use sunblock when going out.  

Pros:

1. I like the packaging because the soap is still packed in plastic inside the carton box.

2. Shulammite has micro peeling effect.
3. The smell is good and very mild.

4. The soap is mild too as my 5 year old son who loves to swim uses it too. No harsh effect on him.

5. My dad noticed that my mom's skin glowed while using the soap that he wanted to use it too.

6. True to its word. It whitens.

Con:

1. Pricey. Php 109.75 for a bar of soap.

2. Melts easily.
3. Since it has micropeeling effect, the skin looks dry so a lotion is needed after bathing.

4. The effect will be seen after months of use.  If you are in a hurry to have a fairer skin, this soap is not for you.

This soap can be bought at Watson's.

Packaging: 5/5

Smell: 5/5

Effectiveness: 4/5

Price: 3/5

I am no longer using this soap as I am trying out another brand.  I will also post my review here after some time.

Snoring in Kids (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome)

"Most people who snore don't have obstructive sleep apnea, but most people who have apnea snore."

Ctto. Got this from Pinterest, can't remember where.

Parents should not ignore snoring in kids.  To some they think that snoring is a normal thing, to others there may be underlying factors that cause a child to snore. For me, I may not have any medical knowledge, but mother's instinct tells me that snoring is bothersome.

I heard my son snore early this year. Since I heard him, I never stopped seeking for medical advice. His pediatrician advised me to observe him and see if his lip color changes as he snores, and to change his sleeping position. We were also advised to consult an ENT doctor.

The first ENT doctor who checked my son just gave him a nasal spray as he might also have an allergic rhinitis just like me. I was still not complacent about it and decided to consult another ENT doctor, my husband's doctor. Dr. Efren Gutierrez of Asian Hospital said that my son has enlarged tonsils and requested for a sleep study.

To make the long story short, the sleep study result is Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. A not so good news indeed.

"Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain -- and the rest of the body -- may not get enough oxygen." 

(http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/sleep-apnea)

When I posted my son's photo while he was being prepared for his sleep study, some told me "Okay lang yan, mawawala rin yan paglaki, ganyan din anak ko naghihilik." I'm a first time mom, and it's also my first time to hear a child snores that's why I cannot accept it as "Okay" just because other moms said so.

The truth is, not every parent is aware that a snoring child may already be suffering from a sleep disorder, unless a sleep study is done. Who would want to spend Php 20,000 for a sleep study? Good thing we have HMO that covers it. So, unless a child undergoes a sleep study and the result says "Okay, normal," I will never believe that snoring is okay, definitely not without a medical proof.

I would want to start an awareness on sleep apnea on kids here in the Philippines because I am a mother. I am one of those moms who wake up in the middle of the night to check if my kid still breathes.

How terrible it is for a mother to witness her child suddenly pauses in breathing. I was even able to count the number of seconds he was not breathing, and it was so devastating.   As per his sleep study result, in an hour, he stops breathing almost every 5 minutes while sleeping especially during the time when he is already dreaming  (REM sleep).

We consulted another pediatrician who specializes in sleep medicine because we wanted to consider CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. They only advise to use this machine for temporary relief for kids. The machine is pricey but three times cheaper abroad. Adults are having a hard time adopting to the machine, how much more are the kids. I don't think my son can tolerate this one because he can't even last in a nebulizer. We were advised that if there are already many symptoms observed on the child, then tonsillectomy should be scheduled sooner than later.

Some of the symptoms I noticed on my son were:
1. Noisy breathing. Even if his mouth is closed, he breathes noisily that I get confused  if it's already snoring or breathing.
2. Snoring no matter what his sleeping position is. Suspine, left side, right side, on his stomach, I still hear him snore. Less snoring I hear when he sleeps on his left side and on his stomach.
3. Headache in the morning. He used to tell me upon waking up  "Mom, I'm tired, sakit ng head ko." Since I did not know before about sleep apnea, I used to answer him "Kakagising mo lang pagod  ka na? Napagod ka matulog?"
4. Gasping for breathe.  The doctor said, that when this happens, it means that his brain already awakened him so he would breathe again. According to him, this happens after he just stops breathing.

Chicken Pox (Varicella) Vaccine

Before my dad had Guillain-Barre Syndrome, my son had already completed his vaccines.

In year 2012, our company gave a free chicken pox vaccine to all the employees.  I was vaccinated once.

In December 2015, I had chicken pox.  Since I was only vaccinated once, I was still not immune to it. The good thing was, I only had few blisters, 1 on my right leg, 2 on my left leg, 1 on my right arm, 1 on my tummy, 1 on the chest, 1 at the back, and the rest are on my head. Oooops, they skipped my face! I was worried because as we age, the regeneration of our cells slow down.  Unlike those I've known who had chicken pox at a young age, after two weeks, no marks left.

After 2 weeks, my son got chicken pox too. But since he was vaccinated twice, he had a booster, he only got one blister on his leg. That's it!

Oh, now I believe the effect of the vaccines but of course, it still depends on one's immune system. It depends on how your system will react to the  sleeping or dead virus that will be injected to you.

Harrell Horne Integrated School Preschool (Kinder 1) Experience PART 3

On Lessons. I was okay with the lessons being taught until I spoke to a friend who has a son studying in Manila.  In the first quarter when the Math lesson in HHIS was counting from 1 to 20, my friend told me that his son's school was already teaching them to spell from 1 to 50. I was amazed and worried at the same time.  Does it show how advance the schools in Manila are? Does it prove that provincial schools are really left behind academically?  I do not really know.  Well, I studied in Manila,  that's all I can say.

I will transfer my son to another school in Cavite. He took an entrance exam. His Math exam was from 20 to 50, what comes before, what comes after, what comes in between, and addition.  I was nervous he might not be able to answer it as those were not taught in HHIS yet but I knew my son could already count and identify numbers from 1 to 100; I was not just sure if he could write it.  To my surprise, he did well in his Math exam. Glad that he is a self-learner.

In Reading, he was asked to read words. According to the school teacher, their Kinder 1 students are already readers. Out of 20 words, my son was not able to read 6 words, making him a frustrated reader as per the principal. They were stuck in CVC words in HHIS. My son was only able to read more than CVC words because he likes to learn on his own. Glad he will take Kinder 2 in his new school.

Harrell Horne Integrated School Preschool (Kinder 1) Experience PART 2

Grading system at Harrell Horne Integrated School.  I started to doubt about the grading system of Harrell Horne Inegrated School when I got my son's second quarter report card and yet I found a lot of my son's activities left unchecked.  How did they come up with the grades without even checking the activities? The school's explanation made me regret more why I enrolled my son there. 

For the LAS or written worksheets which is 30% of the total grade, regardless if the score is 0 or perfect, what they look after is if the child did his work without a need for prompting from the teacher. So even if my son got perfect score, if he had to play around first before answering his worksheet, his grade will be low. Even  if the child gets 0, but if the child just sits still and do as told, then a high grade will be given. I saw their grade guideline, sad I was not able to ask for a copy.  5 if no need for teacher prompting, then 4, and the lowest is 1, if the teacher keeps on prompting the student to do his work.

This, I found in Deped Kindergarten Curriculum Guide, page 9. It is part of Character and Values Development (Personal Values - Responsibility) - 
"The child takes on responsibility and accomplishes these as best he/she can. 
*Does his/her share of work in the classroom. 
*Does and finishes assigned tasks without prompting.

How come they made it as a major basis in grading a student totaling to 30%?

Harrell Horne Integrated School Cavite - Preschool (Kinder 1) Experience PART 1

I enrolled my son again for Kinder 1 at Harrell Horne Integrated School because I believed he really enjoyed studying in HHIS. BUT...I regretted it every single day that I had to bring him to school for rest of the school year.

Their supposed to be adviser left in early July for reason neither the parents nor her students know. Only when she came back in January that I learned she left for US to visit her sick mother. Since then, their teachers keep on changing. Sometimes, they have different teacher per subject, and we no longer know who their adviser is. 

It must be very stressful for 4 and 5 year old students to not know who their teacher is, and why their teachers keep on leaving. The reason given to them for this was  "Teacher is out of nowhere because of all of you," making them think it was their fault why they do not have a permanent teacher. They became the training ground of those newly graduated teachers who will be assigned in Negros Occidental.  After a month or two, when the training is over, the teacher will leave.

The progress card of preschool shows that it is based on teacher's observation, on how a child develops, how a child behaves, etc. How can a teacher observe a child if she will just stay for a month or two? In this regard, a child's behavior cannot be managed.  They wouldn't know what to do if a child misbehaves because they do not know the child well as they only stay for a short period.

Bullying at an early age. This broke my heart. My son was going home with a mark on the face, then the following day he will say that he was punched by a classmate, then another day, and another. He always tell me stories about his classmate punching him, stepping on him, but I did not hear anything from the teacher, no notes in the diary. So, I had to do it my way; I taught my son to fight back the bully because during the time when no one is there to step in, my son is the victim, helpless, with declined self-esteem. I had to break the values that I taught him, that it is never right to hurt anyone. As a mother, it is so hurtful that I had to retract what I taught him, for him to be able to learn to stand up for himself, so the bullying would stop, because inside the classroom, no one would care, even the teachers. And yes, he learned to fight back.  But where is the Anti-Bullying Campaign that should be implemented in every school?

One of his classmates even had to be brought to the hospital because of bleeding nose as a result of a punch by another classmate.  How terrible it is! No child psychologist intervention. This bullying never stopped until the last month of school year. I just didn't worry that much anymore as my son already know how to defend himself. 

The second part of my blog will discuss about the grading system of the school.

(Many times I spoke to the teachers, I wrote in the diary, but no action was taken.)

Harrell Horne Integrated School Cavite - Preschool (Nursery) Experience

We visited three different schools but my son chose Harrell Horne Integrated School because of the swimming pool that is used twice a year and the classroom with toys.
When he was Nursery at 3.5 years old, he was very playful and has a lot of tantrums, but the adviser was able to manage his and his classmates' behavior. 
My son used to hide under the table whenever he gets upset over something. But his teacher was able to handle that behavior very well that in the next quarters, I did not hear about it anymore during our Parent-Teacher conference.
I was so happy on how his social skills was developed.
Whenever I ask him what he did in school he will just answer 'play.'  He was playing but learning. I was so happy that he got a silver medal.
Not really surprised because he was performing well in school.
His teacher was indeed great in handling kids that we parents, whenever we talk about her, we just can't help but admire her and her passion. Well, no doubt, because she graduated from Philippine Normal University where the best teachers came from.

I was so happy that my son enjoyed school so I enrolled him very early (December 2014) for Kinder 1. Oh yes, I was over-excited...but excitement was replaced with disappointment. (Read my Harrell Horne Integrated School Kindergarten Experience.)

GIGA Insect Repellant Spray

I have long been looking for the best insect repellant spray for my 2-year old son, good thing, I passed-by a stall in Festival Mall and was offered by the sales lady this Giga Spray.

What I like about Giga:
 
1. It is all-natural. The best thing I like about it is that it is Deet-free because I have  
    heard a lot about the bad effects of Deet to our health.
2. It is water-based. It can be sprayed on clothes, bed sheets, anywhere, without leaving  
    a stain.
3. It smells good. My son loves the smell. When it was first applied on his skin, he said 
    "Bango."
4. It is very affordable. I bought it for only P175.00.


Tried Insect Repellants:
 
1. I was advised by my son's pedia a branded mosquito repellant made in US, but it's too  
    pricey, it can only be bought in Rustan's. It costs P1,100.00. I did not buy it, instead, I   
    tried another branded (baby/kid's brand) mosquito repellant, which is half the price of 
    what my son's pedia recommended.However, my son had allergic reaction to it.tiny 
    white bumps appeared on his skin immediately after application.
2. I tried another one, it's lotion-type. The smell is not too strong but it's hard to have the 
    lotion come out of the bottle, I have to squeeze and squeeze till my fingers ache. 
    Ooops, the bottle was just newly-bought.
3. I tried the sticker. This I'm not sure if effective since I only put at the back of my son. 
    For me, the one directly applied on his skin is more effective.
4. I have tried an oil-based bug repellant. It is so smelly that even me get dizzy... no  
    doubt the mosquitoes will fly away, hehe! It is definitely effective. However,  
    since it is oil-based, it feels warm on the skin, which my son doesn't like.
5. While I was still in-search for the best insect repellant for my son, my mom tried 
    applying my nephew's insect repellant to my son. It contains Deet that's why I 
    disapproved the use of it.

I also bought one for me...the Citronella Body Spray. I like it cause the smell is not too strong unlike any other citronella products in the market.

My Breastfeeding Experience

I wasn't able to share this experience after I gave birth until Mommy Jazz of SmartParenting chatted with me and asked me about "How breastfeeding helps in losing weight" At the same time, I want to share to all  mothers out there the joy of feeding your babies with your own milk.

I attended seminars wherein I have learned that breast milk is so essential to baby's health.  Before giving birth, my husband bought me an Avent Philips Manual Pump because we both agreed that I will breastfeed my baby as long as I could because I was breastfed by my mom for only two days when I was a baby.

In the hospital, I even hired two lactation consultants to teach me how to breastfeed my baby properly, but then, it was really hard for me and my baby to feed him directly from my breasts. So, I just expressed my milk which for me is better because I felt that I was able to get more milk that way. On his first week, he drank 2oz of milk, but I was able to pump 4oz of milk, so I had extra milk to reserve. I was blessed with a lot of milk, not needing to take any supplement to increase my milk supply but I still tried taking "Malunggay Capsule" thinking it might help more to increase my milk production. I was able to express 9-11 oz of milk every 4hours. NO wonder, from 3.2 kg, my son became 5kgs 4 weeks after.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

I have no background in Medicine but since I was misdiagnosed of Amoebiasis for what was supposedly Hyperacidity only when I was in Dubai, my curiosity on medical stuff began.

"Guillain-Barre (ghee-YA-buh-RAY) syndrome is a disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. This disorder was a stranger to me until my dad was hit by this disease, and our lives had changed." (definition and picture below were taken from http://www.mayoclinic.com)

Guillain-Barre syndrome destroys the protective covering of the peripheral nerves (myelin sheath), preventing the nerves from transmitting signals to the brain.-

 Late 2012, around October or November, he began complaining about the tingling sensation in his hands, sometimes feeling stiff. We thought it was just a simple arthritis. On January 31, he felt pain on his back and was so weak, so my parents went to the nearest clinic. He was even referred to a Cardiologist but he was okay except for a mild Urinary Tract Infection and an elevated SGPT level.

The following day, February 1, 2013, my dad started vomitting, complaining headache. Anything he takes in, he vomits. He did not want to be brought to the hospital. I told my mom to call me immediately even in the middle of the night if the vommitting persists. Saturday morning, February 2, 2013, I received a text message for my mom saying that they would bring my dad to the hospital cause he never stopped vomitting the whole night.

The next was Medical Center Imus Horror...

My dad was admitted in Philippine General Hospital at 11pm of February 3, 2013, Sunday. "They rarely admit patients on weekend except you are showering in your own blood", said my tita. His former Gastro-Enterologist attended him the following morning, Monday. My dad has a history of ulcerative colitis that's why we requested for his GI to check on him. However, the doctor said that his symptoms of body pain, back pain is extra-colonic. 

Medical Center Imus HORROR

**What you will read here is from my personal experience in the hospital.

 February 2, 2013, Saturday, my brother and mom brought my dad to the emergency section of Medical Center Imus (MCI) because he's been vomiting the whole night and he's already so weak. They told my mom that he needs to be admitted, so we had him confined there though we're quite doubtful about it. He was roomed-in at 2pm. An IV Antibiotic was given to him, plus a dextrose to keep him hydrated. He continued vomiting. I asked the nurse why does he still continue to vomit, she said "Okay lang po yun ma'am". I kept on following up on the nurse station regarding my dad's attending physician who's still not around at 6pm. My dad was complaining of headache already. They just keep on saying that the doctor is coming. I went home and told my mom to update me.

The following day, Sunday, February 3, 2013, I came back to the hospital. There I learned from my mom that the attending physician of my dad arrived at 12midnight. What? Whole day, my father was there, they did nothing but just inject dextrose, antibiotics, check his temperature. I was asking for a resident physician cause I know there should be someone looking after him in case the fellow is not present. But they don't have, the doctor was just texting the nurses for instructions. I was shocked with their kind of system there. I have been hospitalized before so I know how a patient should be taken care of.

What Did You Say, Doctor?
My mom told me that when the doctor came he told her "Ang pagsusuka, galing yan sa tiyan, hindi yan galing dito (pointing to his neck) o dito (pointing to his head)." When I heard of it, I was surprised cause that was the stupidest explanation I have heard from someone who should be knowledgeable of his field. I have spoken to that doctor also on Sunday afternoon before my dad was discharged from the hospital, I asked him what does it mean if the SGPT is elevated? He told me "Hindi natin masabi, kaya nga ni-refer ko siya sa GI, oo, Gastro yun di ba?" I was not convinced by his answer, and the more I became convinced that I should really transfer my dad to a better hospital.

Gifted or Simply Bright

Words:At 14-17 months:
My son could say a lot of words. He does not simply repeat the words but points at the object he was referring to.

Noun - tree, flower, key, light, milk, water, moon, star, heart, wowo, mommy, daddy, ball, balloon, car, pen, rice
Verb - up (for stand-up), down/baba, open, sleep, swim, get, hug

Alphabet.
At 18 months:
My son completes "A is for ___". Apple.

Between 18 - 20 months:
A is for Apple
B is for Ball
C is for Cat
D is for Dog
E is for Elephant
F is for Fish
G is for Guitar
H is for Hat
I is for Ice cream
J is for Jollibee
K is for Kite/Key

Primary Complex

Last June 24, 2012, a lymph node was felt on my son's left neck. We immediately brought him to his pedia. His pedia then consulted a pedia surgeon regarding this because there were signs of sickness observed on my son. He's active and healthy. He is continually gaining weight, no cough, no colds, no any manifestation of viral infection. We both agreed that my son's lymph node is nothing to worry about. However, to be sure of what is really the cause of that lymph node, my son was given antibiotic, the one stronger than amoxicillin to be taken for 7 days, then the Pedia Surgeon advised for an xray exam to be after he finishes his antibiotic.

He had an xray exam on September 5, 2012, and to our surprise, the result was "Suggestive Primary Koch's Infection." On September 13, a PPD (skin test) was given on him. It was heartmelting to see my son cry so hard because of the pain as the needle penetrates his skin, his doctor even cried to see him in this way for the very first time, since my son has not been crying during his vaccinations. The following day, I saw the injection site grew into a raised red rash, right there and then, without consulting the pedia yet, I knew he is positive for primary complex. On September 8, when the pedia saw and measured the rash, she confirmed it is a positive primary complex.

The Sophisticated Dermatologist

My son's pedia was a bit worried of the red flaky rashes he has on his back , she wasn't sure if it was skin asthma or pulmonary manifestation that's why we were referred to a Dermatologist.

Okay then, that same day we went to the Derma. I showed the photo of my son's back the first day the rashes appeared, like a sun-burnt skin. Then she saw his back already in flakes. That was the time I have learned that it was 'Skin Asthma', never knew about it before.
I was expecting for an explanation, why it happened, what triggered the condition, what should we do, what are the foods he could and could not eat, and a lot more. But to my dismay, she did not say any, even a single thing about skin asthma. She immediately pulled-out a set of products from her drawer - lotion, cream, and liquid soap. The lotion looks like a home-made product labeled "Triamcinolone." - printed in blue 'Times New Roman' font, with edges unevenly cut (so home-made isn't it?). The liquid soap is also home-made labeled "Sorbolene." Lastly, the cream, a big Avene Cream, about 1 and 1/2 size of my whole hand, as if my son would be able to finish it, and it's of foreign language 'Akerat,' I don't know what's that.

Usanimals

After I stopped expressing milk for my son, I noticed that when I shifted him to formula milk, his immune system got weak. He started to get asthma attacks, he's had cold every two weeks, followed by cough, then skin asthma. I have then decided not to follow his pediatrician's prescription but my own instinct. I continued giving him PedCee though, but I bought him a multivitamins made in US. Since it is not yet sold here in the Philippines, I am just buying it from a dealer who's getting his products from Hong Kong. It's pricey, yes, but I get the value for my money. Why? When my son started taking 'Usanimals,' he can finish up to 5 bottles of milk in the whole afternoon, unlike before, lucky if he drinks a bottle. Now, aside from his milk, he also eats very well that he even asks for it, he is very active, and... the season had changed, he never caught a cough or cold.

What made me happier? It's not hard to give him vitamins anymore because it's chewable. The nightmare of giving him vitamins through drops is gone. My parents were telling me that my son was already 'umay' with the vitamins he's taking through drops that he was running, covering his mouth, and doing anything he could just to excape the not-so-good taste of those vitamins. But now, whenever I tell him to take his vitamins, he will be the one to take my hand to walk with him to the fridge. Happy me...I have learned about this product!

My Hypersensitive Son...

Skin Rash. For a first-time mom like me, it's shocking, panicking, and terrifying to see my son's face and body covered with red rashes.
It started with just a small dot which looked like an insect/mosquito bite, then after sun exposure and went in an airconditioned establishment, to my surprise, it grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger as day passed by.
He was prescribed with antihistamine - 'Allerkid', but nothing happened , so we had to rush him to the nearest hospital few days later when the rash almost covered both of his cheeks because I was afraid it might affect his breathing; then, he was given steroid. On the first take of Prednisone10, the spots started to fade.
"Hives", that's what my son's pedia told me. Cause? We did not know. Food? I guess not, because his food allergies easily subsides after taking an antihistamine. Most probably the hot weather because I have noticed that when he is exposed to sunlight, the rash becomes more red, and those fading rashes seem to be coming back to life, gosh!

Back to work...

I just got a job. Oh yes, it's hard, been having separation anxiety attack at times.
Been seeing myself teary-eyed as I hear my baby cries or call "Mama/Mommy" whenever I leave him in the care of his wowo and wowa. I can't help  not to look back; been wanting to run back to him and hug him for the nth time before I go to work, but it will just worsen the pain. But I have to...I want to...go to work.

I realized that I have to grow also as a person. Said my baby's pedia, "Mommy, let go of your baby. Let him learn to depend on others and not on you alone. He might grow weak."Yes, she's right, so I did heed her advice. I don't want my baby to grow-up depending on me only. I want him to grow-up strong and independent and realize that there are other people around him who could help him and not only me. The adjustment period wasn't easy but I know it will all be worth it.

My baby turns 1...

Oh, time flies so fast! Been noticing changes in my baby, indications that he is indeed a toddler.

1. I no longer need to rock him to sleep. Thank God, because he's almost 12 kilos at the age of 1, too heavy for me to carry said my doctor. Good thing he can now sleep on his own, but I should be beside him because he likes to hold my hand as he sleeps. So sweet! I still sing to him a song before he sleep, it's 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', but now, he sings/hums with me until he fall asleep.

2. He is no longer allergic to chocolates. Yes, at last, he can now digest chocolates, hehe! No more skin rash whenever he eats food with chocolate content, he can now also drink Chuckie. Still, no to nuts, egg, and lemon square cupcake. And ooops, I've learned a new food allergen...Potchi candy, why oh why?

3. He is near to walking. He loves walking, though he still could not do it on his own, with the help of a walking sling, he keeps on walking. But he's been able to make few steps, however, the problem is, he doesn't want to be held or assisted whenever he walks, as if he's an expert, and he doesn't care, he turns around if he wants to, he picks up something like an independent boy...but he just thought he can, at times he still lose his balance and here I am, the over-protective mom won't let him slip-off the floor that's why they said my little boy walks fearlessly because he'd never experience to fall on the ground.

Watching you grow...

Well, I could say that I am really already a mother... Whenever I have idle time as I watch my baby sleep, I get emotional, I get to think of poems, and letters that my baby would surely be able to read someday. I was teary-eyed, no I wasn't, in fact, I was already crying when I composed this. I was crying because I was so grateful for the gift of life at my sight, for the opportunity to be able to take care of my son 24/7, and for the fear that this little boy I used to cradle at night might soon grow-up and I may not have this same chance to watch him as he sleep, to kiss him goodnight, and hug him so tight...

"It's heartmelting to see you who were once a cell inside my womb grow up right before my eyes. I would not want to wink so I would not miss every single moment of your life. From head control to rolling over to crawling to sitting to standing to walking. From reaching to grasping to mouthing to teething. From smiling to laughing and giggling. From cooing to gurgling to talking. I feel so proud as a mother as I watch you reach each milestone. I'm so glad I was able to witness your first smile, first laugh, first word, first grip, first step, and first fall. Those were the moments that cannot be captured by the lens of the camera.

Time flies so fast, soon you will grow up very very fast, but there's one thing I always pray - that God's protection be with you every minute and every second of the day. Son, no matter how grown man you may be, I will always remember the times when I used to hold you in my arms, when you used to sleep on my chest, when you tightly hug me in the dark, when you smile at me as you wake up from an afternoon nap, when you cry so loud as you see me walk away, and the way you say 'mama' whenever you want me to carry you. I will surely miss those moments, and I thank God I was able to experience those as not every mother was privileged to.

I love you little boy! I will always do! I will take all the stones thrown at you and all the arrows bound to hit you. But I know at times you have to get hurt, you have to feel the pain so you would be strong and wise...so you would know what life is, and you would understand who God is. I just want you to know that mommy will always be here for you, mommy will always love you! I love you so much my sweet little angel! :)"

The Superwoman

After giving birth, a lot of changes happened in my life, I've learned a lot of things especially because I am a full-time mom and didn't hire a nany to look after my baby, simply because I want to enjoy motherhood.

1. Ambidextrous - I am a right-handed person but now I am very good in using both of my hands in doing anything, whether it be eating, texting, picking up something, etc.
2. Multi-tasker - I'm used to multitasking, in school, at work...I was good at it, but after my baby has arrived, I became an expert, yeah!
3. Military person - I need to do things quickly whenever my baby is asleep. I take a bath in just one minute, hahaha! I don't really time it, but I do it in a flash that's why at times I see myself grasping for breath, oh why always in a rush!
4. Runner - In relation to being a military person I suppose. I keep on running around the house, to the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the bedroom, and to my baby especially whenever he cries. Oh yes, forget about the incision.
5. Gymnast - Flexibility comes with motherhood, yes it's true. While carrying my baby, I pick up somehing using my feet, my toes, especially when it's placed too far. Moms, am I right?
6. Alarm Clock - When my baby was a newborn, he should be fed every two hours as per my lactation consultant's advice. And yes, my baby cries exactly every two hours, why, because he's drinking breast milk, and unlike formula milk, breast milk is easily digested inside my baby's tummy.
7. Singer - I don't sing, as in! Well, it's because I know I have nothing to brag about when it comes to singing, but with my baby, I don't care if I sing out of tune but I have to sing to calm him when he cries or to bring him to sleep, and yes, my voice soothes him, lucky me!