Ben goes to the dentist

Ben had his first appointment with the dentist today. His dentist is Dra. Mariza Custodio who was referred by a family friend. I was very proud of Ben because he was so behaved, and we were lucky daddy Bry took the day off to be with us. I was quite impressed with Dra. Custodio. She was patient, pleasant and knowledgeable. She even gave Ben a toothbrush and a balloon. She also let Ben wear sunglasses and played with a stuff toy to make him more comfortable.

Stuff I've learned, hmmm ....

1. It's good to use toothpaste with fluoride for kids even as young as Ben who don't know how to spit, a thin smear of it on top of the toothbrush will do.

2. Sweets are okay, as long their not the hard ones like candies or gummy bears. Jellies or Yogurts are better

3. For Juices, it's best to let them drink ones with no added sugar to lessen chances of cavities

4. Teething gel may help with the pain, but if it still bothers him, we can give Ben paracetamol

Happy Weekend, Everyone! Don't forget to brush your teeth, hehehe!

Ben at the Little Gym

Ben finished his first term at the Little Gym El Pueblo today. I am proud of the both of us for being able to go through all the 8 sessions.

What's great about The Little Gym is they have a specific skill that they target the kids to practice each session. Ben has improved a lot since he started. He has learned to bend his legs when jumping, land on his feet when going down from a higher area, and put one foot in front of the other when walking on a beam. He also more comfortable when doing assisted forward rolls, something I can't even do on my own. Of course, there are the bubbles and stamps that they receive as rewards for doing the tasks. One helpful tip I got during the classes was I don't have to always lead Ben towards the center mats whenever he wanders off to explore. Teacher Tin would just remind us parents to let the children explore a bit while we do the activity ourselves and eventually the kids return to the center mats because they want in on the action.


For more info on the Little Gym, check out their website here

Happy Birthday, Daddy Bry!

Happy Birthday, Daddy Bry!!!

Sharing a photo of my boys. Reading is one of the favorite activities they do together, and in honor of his birthday, I would like to share with you our Top 10 favorite Children's Books that we read to Ben. And as an added bonus, we will be giving a lucky reader one of these books as gift! Just simply comment with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY BRY" on this blog entry before this day ends. We'll raffle of your names and let Ben choose the winner. (Naks, pa-contest daw!)

So here are our favorite books to read to Ben. Special thanks to Ben's Baby Sign Teacher Alaine for the recommendations :)

1. Going to Bed Book - By Sandra Boynton

2. Brown Bear, Brown Bear - By Erik Carle and Bill Martin

3. Goodnight Moon - By M. Wise and C Hurd

4. Red Hat, Green Hat - By Sandra Boynton

5. A Color of His Own - By Leo Lionni

6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - By Erik Carle

7. Opposites - By Erik Carle

8. My First Bible - By Scholastic Books

9. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

10. Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss


Have a Blessed Weekend Everyone!

The truth about having the sniffles

Ever since Ben had his first cold, I have tried researching and researching on how to avoid them and what to do when it happens. Here are some tidbits that hope might help :)

1. Having the colds is not the end of the world
Babies can catch the cold as much as 12 times before their 2nd Birthday. This is because they are still trying to build up their immune system. Though there are a lot of meds out there, the best remedy is saline drops/spray and nose suction. In fact, in the US they don't recommend any cough and colds meds for children younger than 2 ( some even say until 4 years old) Sigh ... This is so hard for me especially whenever I notice Ben's nasal congestion at night. Decongestions may help but might backfire if used more than 5 days so use as directed by the doctor. Anyway, the good thing about someone getting a lot of colds when they are very young is that they are immune for those viruses when they get to big school, which hopefully leads to fewer absences.

2. You can only catch a cold from someone who has one
You catch the virus when you touch someone or something who has it and put your hands near your nose or eyes. In fact, one has a bigger chance catching a cold shaking someone's hand that kissing a person on the cheek. You can't catch a cold from cold weather or leaving your hair wet. Being cold just makes the mucus lining of your nose susceptible to the virus.

3. The Power of washing hands and the face mask
This is our pediatrician’s constant reminder of how to avoid passing the cold virus to Ben. It's simple but very effective, also a challenge when taking car of a toddler who likes touching everything he sees. Having a humidifier or vaporizer especially in an air-conditioned room also helps.

4. What about Water and Vitamin C?
They don't exactly cure but help with the decongestion, making us feel better. A bowl of hot soup also works because warm liquids help decongest better that a cool drink.

5. There are medicines you can take while breastfeeding
Natural remedies are priority for a nursing mom, but there are medicines she can take so she doesn't have to stop when she is sick. This is why having a breastfeeding friendly doctor is important. Worst case scenario, you can pump and dump only for a short duration then go back to nursing again.

* Disclaimer, I'm no doctor, just a makulit mommy, hehe,

Swimming with Ben

One of the things I loved doing with Ben is his swimming lessons. Personally, swimming is the only sport I am actually confident in. We enrolled under the Lozada swim school. They had a branch in Oakwood in ADB Ave. We were invited by my sister-in-law and her friend to join them and their sons for 8 sessions and end up extending more 8 more. The classes are only for 30 minutes but it's a great workout even for the adults. Also, the good thing about enrolling in Oakwood is they have an indoor heated pool. We’re enjoying it so much that we even planning to continue even after summer. I think that it would do Ben good to do it regularly so he continues to be more confident in the water.

Ben has made very good progress in just over a month. He loves being in the water and can hold his breath under water for a few seconds. I am also glad that he is able to follow the instructions of Coach Angelo and is not afraid whenever the coach gets him and lets him “swim” for a few seconds towards me. Recently, he is able to climb up a certain part of the pool, sit on the edge and wait for my signal before “jumping” towards me inside the pool. I call that progress for someone who is a little over 3 months ago had just started walking.

The coach is teaching Ben and his classmates more skills now, like reaching for a toy underwater with his (the coach’s) assistance. We are very happy with his way to reaching since he doesn’t force the kids and at the same time he tries to challenge them appropriately. Until now, I am still nervous every time a new skill is introduced (especially since I have to tiptoe almost the whole class!) but I trust his judgment that they are ready whenever he makes them do a certain activity

Thanks again to my sis-in-law Jacq, her friend Aihleen and Ninang Annie for introducing the classes to us.

For more info on Lozada Swimming Lessons, check out their website here

My Top 10 Favorite Foods for the Breastfeeding Mom

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (May). This carnival is dedicated to all moms, celebrating Mother's Day today. Participants will share various topics covering A Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten List. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

Happy Mother’s Day!!! As a way of celebrating my 2^nd year as a mom, I finally decided to put up a blog for those who would like to accompany me (and daddy Bry !!!) in our journey as parents. I promise to try to get him to write something in future. In the meantime, what better way to start things of by sharing about two things that are close to my heart, breastfeeding and food!

One of the things I love about breastfeeding is being able to eat a lot without worrying how to burn the calories I take in. A breastfeeding mom burns about 500-700 calories a day, making it a natural way for her to return back to her pre-pregnancy weight. Here are my personal favorite foods as a nursing mommy.

1. Oatmeal – Most breastfeeding moms find that they pump more milk during the days that they had oatmeal for breakfast. A possible explanation for this could be that it is a great source of iron which helps maintain milk supply. Oatmeal cookies are great snacks, too! (plugging Mommy Paola’s Mommy Treats - http://www.mommytreats.ph)

2. Salmon – I’m not much of a fish eater, but I do love grilled or baked salmon. It is a good source of DHA that helps a baby’s mental development and at the same time contains the least amount of mercury compared to other fishes.

3. Salads – Green Leafy Veggies are an excellent source of non-dairy calcium. Also, compared to food supplements, they are a more natural way to boost your milk supply. Eating vegetables in their natural state allows you to maximize the vitamins and minerals they contain.

4. Fruit Shakes and Juices – Fruits are an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin c that gives mommies that extra boost of energy. They don’t only taste good but may make our breast milk taste a little sweeter, too!

5. Lean Meat Bulalo – I admit, I’m a fan of bulalo ever since I was a child and this is not my list because it is a personal comfort food. Having a regular serving of hot clear soup is another way to ensure you are getting enough liquids in your diet. Lean meat is a good source of protein. To be on the safe side, you can do without the cabbage and use pechay (since some moms claim that cabbage sometimes make their breastfed baby gassy).

6. Eggs with Whole Wheat Bread – Eggs are a good source of vitamin D (for bone development) while eating whole wheat helps us provide our breastmilk with folic acid. These are as important to our little ones now as they are when they were still in our tummies.

7. Chicken Tinola with Papaya – A tribute to my own mom who loves this dish. Who can resist a bowl of good old chicken oup? This dish is soothing and easy to prepare. Papaya is another good source of 400 mg recommended daily intake of calcium for a nursing mom.

8. Sauteed Munggo with Ampalaya Leaves – For Vegetarians, beans are a good alternative source of protein. Ampalaya leaves also have a lot of nutritional and medical benefits, particularly for moms recovering from childbirth (though personally, I like this dish with some pork bits, hehe)

9. Brown Rice – A healthy source of carbohydrates which we need since we are burning a lot of calories by breastfeeding. A nice recipe for brown rice would be cooking it Chinese Yang Chow Style with eggs, ham and green peas. Make sure you leave some for hubby so he can help you take care of the baby (wink!)

10. Halaan Soup with Malunggay – I personally consider this the ultimate breastfeeding dish! My mother-in-law lovingly served this to me when I first gave birth. Clams are a great source of iron and protein, complimented by our beloved local galactagogue. Need I say more?

As a final note, there’s really no strict diet for nursing moms. But a well balanced diet gives a mom the energy and nutrients she needs to take care of herself and the baby. And an occasional sweet treat as a reward would not hurt either. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Here are the other entries! Check them out!

Our Breastfeeding Library

May Blog Carnival: Top 10 Breastfeeding Partners

Things a Handy Mommy Can Do While Breastfeeding

Top 10 Life-Altering Moments of a New Breastfeeding Mom

Nurturing Rafael: a breastfeeding mother's best-10-of-'em-all

Part 1: Top 10 Things I Now Know About Breastfeeding Just Because I Breastfeed!

10 ways to cheer up a breast-feeding wife

Aria’s Habits While Breastfeeding

Top Ten Tips for Pumping and Working Moms

Tips for Moms - How To Breastfeed Your Baby In Public (Part 1 of 3)


10 Things You Don’t Say to a Breastfeeding Mom

10 Reasons I Still Breastfeed, Even As a Low-supply Mom.

Nursing must haves…and cheaper alternatives (1/10)

10 Breastfeeding Nice-To-Haves