Ben and the beach :)

This year, we are quite fortunate to have been given the opportunity to take Ben to the beach twice.  Ben loves the beach, much like his gwakong (my father) and mama.  It's fun watching Ben play with the sand and brave the waves.  He has a tan now, hehe .. I guess that couldn't be helped given the amount of time we were in the sun .. at least he didn't get sunburned (yehey!).  Here are some photos as well as some tips for going to the beach with a little one.


1. Wear the proper attire and bring appropriate toys.  Ben enjoys his dump truck, shovel and rake.  Meanwhile Daddy and I are happy with with his rash guards and beach shoes. 

2. Sunblock Sunblock Sunblock! Our favorites: Shiseido Gentle Sun Protection Lotion and Indigo Baby's After Sun Gel.  The formulation of the Shiseido sunblock is safe of babies and doesn't feel sticky.  Meanwhile, Indigo Baby's After Sun Gel has a cooling effect that is quite soothing to the skin after being exposed to the sun.  (Note: I'm not specifically endorsing these products, nor am I paid to do so.  Just sharing a bit of our experience with them)

3. As much as possible avoid direct sunlight from 9am-3pm.  These are the hours of the day when the rays are most harmful.  Of course, sometimes it can't be help but it's good to know that it is advisable not to stay out side for too long during this time frame.  It was hard for us to get Ben out of the water but we did our best to maximize the best time to stay by the beach

4. Don't forget the meals and the naps.  Too much excitement can cause you and your little one to have so much fun that it's a challenge to make sure there is some rest time.  One thing I have learned with Ben is the more tired he is, the more he fights his sleep.  As for the meals, we finally tried not bringing home cooked food during our trip.  It was very challenging for me to because I have to gauge whether or not how much he ate was enough but we survived, haha!.  Bry and I also did our best to give him snacks in between like fruits or pastries. 

5. Safely Explore and Enjoy !!!  We're quite lucky Ben enjoys swimming in salt water.  We even got him to swim with us when we went snorkeling.  Imagine our pride when he saw a pawikan and said "turtle"! Being in the beach is one of the best opportunities to explore your child to the beauty of nature so make the most out of it.

Ben's Halloween

Before anything else, allow me to thank family and friends who took the time out to vote for Ben's photo in the Res Toe Run's Halloween promo.  Sadly, we ended up in second place .... which is actually not a bad thing since we weren't the second highest number of votes.  This means, the judges liked Ben's costume and pose.  Still, we didn't win and end up with just bragging rights :( Anyway, if only I have time to thank everyone who voted individually, I would.  For now, know that we know who you guys are. (wink!) Believe me, I would refresh the webpage of Ben's photo almost every 5 minutes hoping a vote was added.  I really worked hard trying to get votes and appreciated those who took time to share the link with their own contacts.  Ben felt the LOVE :)!


Anyway, as promised, allow me to share about Ben's halloween. I never had thought much about it in the beginning since we were going out of town during the official halloween weekend.  However, Ben's school scheduled a trick or treat celebration so we had to prepare a costume for him.  Luckily, I was able to find a supplier online.  I like his pirate costume because it was quite comfortable and not as expensive as custom made ones, We bought his sword separately for effect.

Har! Har! Har! Our Little Pirate :)

Ben enjoyed his trick or treat at Explorations, the kids showed off their costumes around the school which allowed them to interact with children and adults aside from the ones in their class.  They also brought home a personalized bag of treats as souvenir.

Ben with his fellow Toddler Piglets at Explorations.  Photo courtesy of their class newsletter

And by another stroke of luck, I found out that Shangrila Mall's Halloween party is scheduled on Oct 23, a week before our trip. Perfect timing! We registered Ben and invited his cousin Basti.  The event was pretty organized. Each participant was given a list of shops to visit.  We ended up with lots of lots of sweets!  I was secretly hoping that we'd get more "non-candy" stuff though,.. like cookies or maybe a simple toy, stickers or school supplies, hehe! The official giveaway of the event was quite cool, particularly the Angry Birds gift pack.  There were also a lot of food booths from the sponsors. We'll surely try it out again but next time we'll  bring our strollers along (as suggested by our  partners in crime, Basti's Mommy Jacq and Daddy Popoy :).

all set to Trick or Treat at Shangrila Mall

So there goes my Trick or Treat report :)  Writing about this entry gets me excited about Ben's costume for next year, haha!

so many goodies!

Challenges and Rewards of Extended Breastfeeding

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (November). For this month, participants share their experiences on extended breastfeeding.  This includes tips to moms with young babies, as well as barriers and myths which discourage extended nursing. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."
 


If someone told me during Ben's early days that I will be breastfeeding him during his second year, I would not have believed it.  I had such a tough start that I was counting the days until I reach the 6 month mark.

But time flies by so fast, before I knew it Ben turned 6 months, then I found myself planning for his first birthday.  And now, as he is about to turn two, I feel so blessed to be able to nurse him for as long as I have.  Allow me to share my views and experiences with nursing a toddler

The Challenges
When Ben turned 1, there were quite a number of people who were asking me when I'll be weaning him.  I get questions like "Doesn't it hurt?" or "Aren't you spoiling him?".  Then there's the "Woah, You still have milk" and "He's big enough already and doesn't need breastmilk" comments.   Sometimes, it is quite tempting to just ignore them but whenever I can, I try to see these instances as opportunities to show that it (1) it doesn't really hurt for the most part, (2) toddlers who are now mobile and more exposed to the outside world need all the protection they can get and (3) a breastfed child is not more clingy or dependent.  It was a challenge to discipline Ben not to bite when he first started teething but thankfully we got the hang of it.   As for the importance of breastmilk to a toddler, I had come to believe that by nursing Ben for as long as I have, I'm able to give antibodies that help him stay healthy. A single drop of breastmilk has a lot of germ-fighting cells in it and this is actually my main motivation for extended breastfeeding.  As for breastfed babies being extra clingy, this is a little tricky.  I guess I would have to say that during Ben's first few weeks at toddler school, I asked myself  whether our breastfeeding would be factor in his ability to adjust and trust other adults without me around. It didn't happen instantly but Ben did eventually became comfortable being at school without me around. From my observation of his class, each child conquers separation anxiety differently and breastfeeding doesn't make your toddler less confident or independent.

My secret weapon to get Ben to nap when on the road .. nursing ,... hehe (shhhhh ....)

The Rewards
The greatest reward for me when it comes to nursing Ben is his few sick days.  A healthy baby = A happy mommy = A happy home.  And if he does get sick, it's one of my weapons to make sure his stomach isn't empty despite his lack of appetite. Of course, there's the convenience of being able to feed your child anytime anywhere.  It makes traveling so much easier.  There's less stuff to put in the luggage and more ammunition to keep your child from being overstimulated with the excitement of new surroundings.  With Ben,  I know that when I nurse him a nap is just around the corner, or at the very least he gets to settle down and not be cranky.  And of course, there's the joy and fun of nursing a toddler who is able to express himself.  How do you say no to your child who tells you loud and clear that he wants "mum-mum" ? How do you not laugh when your child decides to nurse while reading a book or wearing his shades?  Don't get me wrong, I do intend to have a plan of action for that when the time comes that we are ready to wean (looking forward to it, too!) but maybe I'll stick with it for a little while longer.

How about you guys? What are your thoughts on toddler breastfeeding?

Please do visit the entries of my fellow mommy-bloggers below :)

J and the Three Boys - No more "de-de"

My Mommyology - My Extended Breastfeeding Experience

Mommyluscious - Breastfeeding for Two Beyond Two

Truly Rich Mom - On Extended Breastfeeding (a perfectly normal thing to do)

Life of a Babywearing and Breastfeeding Mommy - Still breastfeeding after 2 years

Got To Believe - Breastfeeding Room Story

Apples and Dumplings - My Constant Challenge with Extending Breastfeeding

Mommy Kuwentos - Challenges and Rewards of Extended Breastfeeding

The Odyssey of Dinna - Nurturing Rafael: Extended Breastfeeding, Stretching Some More Lovin'

Legally Mom - Breastfeeding Beyond 1 Year: Barriers and Issues

Homeschooling Mommy - Yes, I've Got Milk

SOlovelyN - As long as he wants, I can

Touring Kitty - Extended Breastfeeding is Possible

SassyBiatcheMom's World - 1.4 and still breastfeeding

Mec as Mom - Shooting for the Benefits, Extending the Love

Chronicles of a Nursing Mom - Barriers/Myths vs. Extended Breastfeeding

Please Help Ben win a free pair of shoes !!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

For the next 3 weeks, I will be shamelessly campaigning for Ben's picture which we used to enter the Res Toe Run Halloween Promo.  We took it during trick or treat last weekend.  I will be posting more about his first ever Halloween but in the meantime, here is a preview

They will give 1 pair of native shoes and a 1000 gift voucher to the winner based on the following criteria
40 % - costume
30 % - # of votes
30 % - pose

We need your help with the votes by LIKING his photo :)  It's really cool since he's actually wearing Native brand shoes and loves them!

The Steps are as follows:
(1) Like the Res Toe Run official fan page here
(2) Then Like Ben's photo here

Thanks so much!! Spread the word!!!

Things I learned during the lactation counselor training

logo taken from Latch website

I am humbled!

Just finished my lactation counselor training through L.A.T.C.H., a breastfeeding support group that aims to provide encouragement and information to nursing moms.  I am honored to be chosen as one of their trainees and it is a joy to be surrounded by like minded women.  Despite having read a lot about breastfeeding, I learned many new things which I am eager to share with my future counselees.  Here are a few of my favorite facts about breastfeeding that I took home from my training

1. Long term breastfed babies get as much as additional 8 IQ points.  Hopefully this will help Ben in the future, hehe!

2. A smokers breastmilk is actually even better than formula.  Would you believe that? of course, SMOKING AROUND THE BABY is NOT ALLOWED!

3. Only 1 percent of moms are medically incapable of producing enough milk.  I like this because a) there is such as actual low milk supply so one should be sensitive to mom who claim to have supply issues and b) since it's only 1%, it means most moms are capable of breastfeeding with proper info and support.

4. Breastmilk is medically, the ONLY type of milk a person really needs in his/her lifetime. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, formula is only given to infants less than a year old if necessary.  Once a child turns 1, he/she can actually get his calcium and other nutrional requirements from non-dairy sources. Or if desired, fresh cow's milk can be offered. why is toddler formula not preferred? They contain too much sugar and other additives, leading to possible obesity and dependence to milk for calories which should be provided by a well balanced diet.   Breastmilk is the standard by which all types of milk are being compared to.  Whatever they claim to have to improve brain development, breastmilk has them too in a natural and easily digestible form.

5, Children get sick, whether breastfed or not.   The difference is breastfed children get sick less often and recover faster.  It's not a miracle worker but it's effects can be felt even after weaning, especially if you breastfed  long term.  I now have more admiration for moms who are into child-led weaning. True, it might be tough but the brave moms who goes through it has faith that a child knows when he/she is ready.  There was a case when a mom was wondering whether her child will ever wean, only to discover later on that her child had complicated health issues and that their extended breastfeeding greatly helped in the recovery.

I'm sure I'll learn even more as I start my journey being a cheerleader to other nursing moms.  Thank you Lord, Our Lady of La Leche and LATCH for the opportunity to fall in love with breastfeeding all over again!

For more information about L.A.T.C.H,  visit their website here:)

Why We love Frazzled Cook :)

I've been wanting to blog about Frazzled Cook ever since I first had dinner there with my dearest ex-officemates.  Bry and I are lucky that the restaurant is quite close to our house.  A place with great food and nice ambiance that's close to home.  What more can you ask for? Yahooooo!

Beef Kebab with Seafood Paeilla
 on the background

Pan Seared Dory in Olive Oil and Thyme

Frazzled Cook is located along Luna Mencias going towards Shaw Blvd.  They serve a variety of dishes, from sandwiches, pasta to paella.  Bry and I love their beef dishes.  Hubby likes their wagyu salpicao while I think their filet mignon is sooo yummy.  The price is alright,  not very cheap but definitely worth it.

My boys bonding over the food.  
We love their iced tea, too!

What I enjoy most about Frazzled Cook is its ambience.  It's very inviting and homey.    It's ideal for dinner dates as well as gatherings with close friends and family.  I actually had by birthday dinner there.  They have cozy couches for couples as well as high chairs for the kids.  One of the reasons we keep coming back is their staff is always accomodating whenever we bring Ben with us.

For those interested with Frazzled Cook, here's their website.  Happy Eating

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs ... See, even our little Ben (at four months back then) loves Apple

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for sharing your talents to the world ..

The Techie Tans