Baby Weight Loss

 I bring my baby to the pediatrician every month for his regular check up and immunization. During his check up, the doctor measures his head, length and weight. She also checks up my son’s breathing if there are abnormalities. My son just turned four months and when we had our regular check up, we found out that he lost 200 grams of weight.   

We were analyzing the cause of his weight loss. The doctor suggested that the quality of my milk was deteriorating so I had to eat healthier foods. She also suggested giving him solids if he is ready. She mentioned that one of the signs to look for if the baby is ready to eat solids is when he starts opening his mouth when we are eating. Also, if the baby starts rolling and lying tummy down on his own. My baby has not started doing any of the mentioned signs so he is not yet ready.

About  two weeks before his check up, my husband and I were more rested at night because our son sleeps about five to eight hours straight without feeding. We realized that this is the major cause of his weight loss. Though, I would love to sleep the whole night without waking up, it is not healthy for the baby. Breastmilk is faster to digest than formula milk so I have to feed him every 2-3 hours.

 So now, I wake up every three hours to feed my son. It’s a good thing that he still feeds even if he’s asleep. I want to prolong giving him formula as long as I can and I want to start giving him solids when he is almost seven months. I just read so many articles saying that delaying solids will be more beneficial for the baby as allergies and having diabetes can be avoided.

I hope and pray that his weight will improve on our next visit. 

Sunscreen

I heard this song playing on the radio and it brought back fond memories of my younger days. I love the lyrics because it reminds us that life is too short to waste on worrying. I read somewhere that 90% of our worries do not materialize. So, to make the most out of life, just lift everything to the Lord and trust that every problem has a way out. Enjoy!

Baz Luhrmann
Sunscreen lyrics

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97.
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience... 
I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked... 
You're not as fat as you Imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. 
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind.
The kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; 
Sometimes you're ahead, 
Sometimes You're behind.
The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults;
If you Succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your
Life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't Congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. 
Enjoy your body, Use it every way you can... Don't be afraid of it, or what other people Think of it, 
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own... 

Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you've been hurting, but I've been waiting to be there
For you. 
And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can. 
Everybody's free.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; 
They are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. 
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; 
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will Philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. 
Maybe you have a trust fund, Maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen... 

(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you've been hurting, but I've been waiting to be there
For you. And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)

TGIF

Thank God it’s Friday. It is indeed my favorite day of the week because it finally gives me weekend. I guess all working gals look forward to weekends for it allows us to unwind from our work.

There are many ways to unwind. One may go to the beach, watch movies, go shopping, pig out, or some just simply stay home and enjoy the company of family. Personally, I enjoy spending time with family especially now that I have my own.

Our Saturdays are usually hectic as we go to my in-laws to visit. We enjoy spending time with them however sometimes, my hubby and I wish that we could just spend the whole Saturday at home playing with our little one. We don’t have to wake up early to get ready and go out. Our Monday to Friday is so busy: waking up early, preparing breakfast, pumping, taking a bath and in my case still have to breastfeed before leaving for work and pacifying baby when he starts to cry in the morning.  Having a once a month “lazy” Saturday seems like a piece of heaven. 

Have a great weekend everyone:)

Baby Body Carrier

There are a lot of Baby Carriers in the market. I can only give reviews for two of them because they are the only ones I have tried. The “Ring Sling” Baby Carrier and the “Mei Tai” Baby Carrier.

Ring Sling: By the name itself, this kind of baby carrier consists of a long rectangular cloth that has two rings sewn on one end of the cloth. The rings are placed on one side of the shoulder and the cloth is wrapped around the opposite hip and the end is threaded through the rings to create a buckle effect.  A pocket is then created where the baby is placed. The sling can be adjusted by pulling more fabric through the rings to loosen or tighten it.

Mei Tai: This style of carrier is Asian inspired. There are no rings or buckles involved. The Mei Tai is all cloth with a rectangular panel with long shoulder and waist straps. The straps are padded which gives the wearer comfort. Adjustment is easy because you just tie the straps according to your size. Baby can be worn face front, hip-carry and at the back.

When I tried the ring sling, my baby was fussy and I had a hard time putting him in and adjusting the sling. I felt very uncomfortable using the ring sling. My shoulders also hurt because there was no cushion on my shoulder and most of the weight is on one side of the shoulders only.  I wanted to use the ring sling because it can help me nurse in public discreetly while walking hands free. However, after a few attempts, I just gave up and searched for other baby carriers in the market.

I found the Mei Tai baby carrier and decided to try it out. I found it much easier to use compared with the ring sling. I would just tie the rectangular panel to my waist and put my baby. I then lift the panel over my baby and cross the shoulder straps to my back and tie it. It is also easy to adjust. It is also more comfortable because the shoulder straps are padded and the weight of the baby is evenly distributed to both my shoulders. One negative thing about it is that the straps are too long and I usually need an assistant to hold the straps for me to avoid touching the floor. My baby is so comfortable in the carrier. I can go anywhere and have him near me hands free. It’s hard to nurse in it though because his head is above my breasts unlike the ring sling where in the baby can be carried in the cradle position. With the Mei Tai, the baby can be only carried three ways: face-front carry, hip-carry and back carry. The ring slings have more positions in carrying the baby.

I prefer the Mei Tai baby carrier because it is easier to use especially for first time moms like me who is not used to baby wearing.

Asking for Things

Just wanted to share this.

Asking for Things

author unknown

I asked for health

that I might do greater things,

I was given infirmity,

that I might do better things...

I asked for riches

that I might be happy,

I was given poverty

that I might be wise...

I asked for power

that I might have the praise of men,

I was given weakness

that I might feel the need of God...

I asked for all things

that I might enjoy life,

I was given life

that I might enjoy all things...

I got nothing that I asked for –

but everything that I hoped for

almost despite myself,

my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men,

most richly blessed.

                                                                               

Spicy Tuna Spaghetti

    I discovered another experimented recipe that I love. I am a “tomato” fan. Any food cooked with tomatoes are always welcome in my palate. One of the tomato based recipes that I love is Italian Spaghetti and I usually use canned stewed tomatoes.

     One day, my husband bought lots of red tomatoes from the market because they were sold at a lower price. I decided to make my tomato sauce from scratch. I chopped the garlic, onion and tomatoes into small chunks and sautéed them. I let the tomatoes simmer for about thirty minutes before I put the hot and spicy tuna chunks. I chose spicy tuna to give the recipe a kick. I added salt and pepper to taste.

    When the sauce was done, I immediately put the pasta and cheese. It is best to add the cheese while the sauce is still hot for the cheese to melt. Yummy. My husband loved the recipe. When tomatoes are cheap again, I will definitely make this recipe again.

Bottle Drying Rack

      I started giving my son expressed milk through bottle when I started working. I would pump morning, lunch and evening to store milk for him to use the next day. Washing and sterilizing my breast pump and his bottles have become part of my daily routine. I actually enjoy doing it because I love to make sure that his bottles are squeaky clean to avoid unnecessary illness.

     After washing the bottles and my breast pump, I have to air dry them. I found the “Bottle Drying Rack” very helpful. I just place the bottles on the rack and I would just leave them there to dry. I can do other things while waiting for them to dry up. I just make sure that the surroundings are clean and no one would be sweeping the floor to avoid dust clinging on the bottles.

     I would definitely recommend this product.