Smellin' Oh-So-Good!

A few weeks ago, I’ve started to notice that Gabbie is, well, bigger already. His skin is not of a newborn’s anymore and with the amount of sweat that he generates (amazing how much babies can sweat!), his usual sweet baby smell now usually combines a more sour note (Haha! I can imagine his reaction to this post when he’s 18 years old already) by the time afternoon rolls around. I have been trying to find him a new baby soap that has a bit more fragrance but still mild, gentle, and toxin-free. Still no to parabens or coloring or any other unnecessary additives for this momma (and her bebe)! And let me tell you, it’s not easy looking for a good brand that’s affordable. I stumbled across Mustela in one kiosk at the mall and tried out their cologne on Gabbie while malling. The scent was mild, sweet, and very baby-like, I loved it instantly! But when I found out how much their liquid soap cost, I decided not to ask about the cologne. First things first. But I decided to hold off on Mustela then and tried to look for other less costly alternatives.

A couple of days ago, I got invited to a press lunch for Mustela, organized by the uber-chic momma website Glam-O-Mamas, http://glamomamas.com/. And I thought, well this is the perfect opportunity for me to finally try the brand without “committing” first. Mustela is a French brand of mother and baby skin care line, boasting of natural, plant-based ingredients. They call their baby skin care line Mustela Bebe.

“Mustela Bébé products are hypoallergenic*, well tolerated, tested under dermatological control and are paraben-free, phthalate-free, phenoxyethanol-free and alcohol-free.”—according to their website.

And here’s one particularly great news for all mommas: they’re pulling down their prices from 15% to as much as 35% off! After the lunch, I went home with a Mustela lootbag, excited to try the soap and cologne on Gabbie. Here are three of my favorites:

Mustela Dermo-Cleansing Gel 

– It’s lush, soap-free, and sweet-smelling. Gabbie was all the more soft and squeezable after bath! I used it as shampoo too and worked just as well. If you’re prepared to shell out a bit more, I think this is a good buy as you can use just a little bit for baby’s whole body. The gel consistency made soaping easier and I suppose because it’s free from harsh chemicals, it rinsed out pretty easily.

Mustela Cleansing Milk 

– Very, very luxurious cleansing agent perfect for baby’s skin! It felt like whipped cream that I slathered on Gabbie, and when I finally rinsed it out, oh my! He felt like a newborn again! So soft and supple! This did not smell like the cleansing gel; instead, it smelled mildly of milk so it still fit baby’s natural scent. It’s not very lathery though so I tended to use a lot but I would think this is best for sensitive areas.

Mustela Body Spray 

– As I mentioned above, I really loved this product. The scent is very mild yet distinctive; as if it attached to Gabbie’s natural scent and enhanced his baby smell all the more. He smelled so good, I wanted to bite him! And the scent lasted practically the whole day, too.

They also have their Stelatopia line for dry and eczema-prone skin and sun protection. I’m excited to try their sunscreen for my little one. I think every mom would appreciate Mustela, as it really took to heart what baby skin care means—safe, gentle, toxin-free, and non-irritating. Plus, their products that do contain fragrances smell absolutely heavenly. Super bagay sa baby! I’m thankful to have been able to try their products, and I do love how Gabbie's skin feels and SMELLS like. Now, his baby scent lasts all day long, no matter the sweat. Great products, Mustela. Good one to try, Mommas. 

The Value of Time Off

I wrote about the experience of having no maid http://thegratefulmom.blogspot.com/2012/07/no-maid-no-problem.html while trying to take care of our baby and run the household awhile back. And though I’ve been generally upbeat about our situation, given the grace that God has faithfully provided fresh everyday, there are days that I just feel the weight of things. Fellow moms, you know what I’m talking about. An exhausted, cranky feeling accompanied, and partly caused, by ceaseless backaches is a telltale sign of being overwrought.

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a week-long prayer and fasting session. Since I’m still breastfeeding, I couldn’t fast on food so I chose to fast on something that’s been taking a huge chunk of my attention lately—the internet. No Facebook, Pinterest, or any of the sites I frequent. I only got to check my email for work. I used my “internet time” to talk to God instead, and read up on His word. I had some particular petitions that I wanted to talk to Him about and I wanted to hear Him clearly, void of distractions. I must say, the one week of being disconnected online, and re-connected with God was absolutely refreshing! The constant deluge of information that I used to feed on from the internet really took its toll on me. My mind was cluttered, busy, wandering and dull because of the nonstop influx of new things to “think about”, to “like”, to “comment on”, to “share”. During that precious one week, I stopped and unloaded. I got down to the essentials, the basics, the fundamentals of what’s inside my heart. I wept and cried out to God, I talked to Him, and finally, I sat in silence. I could finally hear myself again, and more importantly, I could hear Him again.

Yesterday, we had a new maid who arrived suddenly. She was referred to us the day before by a neighbor’s yaya. And now, we have someone helping us around the house. Pretty good timing too as Gabbie has learned how to climb and crawl already and this week has been really tiring for me. So even though our new help has been with us just for a day, I took her with Gabbie and I and we took the afternoon off to the nearby mall to while the time away. I needed to see beyond the four walls of our condo. And now, I’m back home, tired but feeling a bit better.

And I realized how time off for us moms really is a necessary luxury (luxury only because it’s so rare and truly valuable). We're more than caretakers; we need to be a channel of love, wisdom and blessings for our family. How can we be, if we're too tired to see beyond today? Our purpose is beyond cooking and cleaning; it is truly being the "helper" of each member of the family to reach his/her purpose. And that is no easy feat. But by the grace of God, and a revitalized spirit, I realize I can do these things and more. But I have to take my time off to recharge. Even the Energizer bunny has batteries.  But more than that, I come to the conclusion that time off need not always be a physical hiatus; that the best, most recharging kind of time off is actually quiet time. After all, the best kind of wife and mom is one who is spiritually connected, purposed and energized in mind and spirit. Oh and as for my backache…our nearby home service spa was all too happy to give me some relief. Aahhh…!

What do you do on your “time off”, moms?

Sleep Train My Baby?

It’s 12:30 am and my son has woken up three times already since falling asleep at 8 pm. That’s a normal night cycle for us—waking up still every hour or two at night. He wakes, cries, I pick him up, he nurses, falls back asleep, then I put him back down, then wait for two hours again. This happens night after night since the time he came home from the hospital. The longest he has ever slept through was about four hours. That’s happened only once so far. At nine months old (10 days shy of being 10 months), I’ve resorted to “full-on” co-sleeping to give my back some rest and to get more sleep. When he was younger, and lighter, I would nurse him sitting down (so I won’t fall asleep), then put him back down to his crib again and again, thinking that at least my husband and I can enjoy our double-sized bed. But now, I can’t stand carrying him while he nurses at night as I get too exhausted. So when he cries to be picked up by the time my bedtime rolls around, I make space for him in our bed and all three of us sleep soundly—at least for two hours. Co-sleeping has definitely made it so much more bearable. There are nights when I don’t remember how many times we have woken up because he simply rolls to my side and nurses while I am still half asleep. And I do love having my baby sleep beside me, so close for me to kiss and cuddle.

But knowing about sleep training, I wonder if I’m missing out on something? Sure, co-sleeping is practiced here in the Philippines by practically everyone but what I’m more concerned about is the frequency of my son’s waking, and why crying is his very first reaction upon doing so. Nursing is his go-to plan of action to “soothe himself” and put himself back to sleep, so that’s why we do it each time he wakes. But I wonder, is this part of Gabbie’s personality or is this a “problem” that I should be addressing?

I welcome your thoughts J

Goodbye, Old Friend

THINGS I LOVE:

Yesterday, I said goodbye to an old friend. As a mom of a preemie who needed to express milk every two hours WHEREVER I MAY BE, my trusty pump was my constant companion. It brought me relief when my baby could not latch on to me yet and it enabled me to bring my precious milk to my little one at the NICU. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was fortunate to have been lent a Philips Avent Duo IQ Isis unit by certified lactation consultant, Abbie Venida Yabot (0917-8292268), as she instructed me on the rudimentary know-how of breastfeeding and milk expressing. And yesterday, I returned it already as it is on its way to be used by another mom of a preemie (of course the tubes and flanges that I used will be replaced). 

This pump was really great and I'm glad I had this unit with me during those critical months of establishing my milk supply. The Avent Isis IQ Duo came in a big sophisticated black bag (that looked like a cute bowler’s bag) and complete with two pumps, an electric motor, separate parts for manual expression, two milk bottles and cute silver bags to house those small parts. It was really intimidatingly “professional-looking”. Little did I know that I would be so adept at it that I would be carrying that pump wherever I went, even to client meetings (I put the manual parts in a sterilized Lock & Lock). It was like my bestfriend.

Got this image from Amazon: Philips AVENT ISIS iQ DUO Electronic Breast Pump

I started expressing milk October 22, two days after my baby was born (I used the hospital’s milk expressing facilities prior) with the schedule of two hours during the daytime and every three hours at night every day, as if baby was already with me. Sure, I felt like a cow but a momma's gotta do what she's gotta do! I followed this schedule until about third week of November, that is, until I could finally go to NICU to have my baby try to latch on to me. Even during and after this, I used the pump to express extra milk when I had plugged ducts, mastitis and bouts with engorgement. Yes, the challenges of breastfeeding are there, but all worth it ;) Good thing I had a pump to help me express milk when I needed to.

My rigorous pumping schedule was by no means easy to follow, but it was really made so much more pleasant because I had a dependable, sturdy pump that was intuitive, easy to use and really, just so incredibly efficient. All I needed was 15 minutes per session. And I must say, there were two specific things I really loved about this pump is a) the built-in memory of the electric mode wherein I pump manually a few times then it stores and continues my natural pumping rhythm b) the super soft breast suction petals that feels really comfortable. I thought the pump was going to be painful to my breasts but not at all! The electric motor was also a silent machine that I could pump in the wee hours of the night without waking my husband. The Avent pump was in my hands (or should I say, on my breasts) almost three-fourths of an entire day so needless to say, we knew each other inside and out J

I’d always recommend investing in a good, trusty breast pump for every mom, not just for working moms. Any breastfeeding mom can attest that there always will be possibilities of plugged ducts or engorgement and having a pump handy can help greatly, besides direct breastfeeding. Not to mention needing one when you have to go out and have to leave milk for baby. And if any mom would ask me, I’d definitely reco the Avent Isis IQ Duo. I do miss my old friend already, and I think it’s time to get one of my own J

*Note: This is not a paid endorsement. This is just a personal review of the author.

"Delinquent" Days

There are lazy days too, believe it or not. These are days when I just refuse to rush and just go with the flow. 2pm lunches, Gabbie bathing at 330pm, extended playtime, going out for leisurely walks while the house is in disarray…you know what I mean. I feel really grateful to be able to enjoy such days and feel that there’s nothing to be guilty about.

Back in my corporate days, I was an efficient machine, all geared up to get several things running and delivered on time. I hated being late and I was always working. I also missed out on quality time with loved ones and on daylight (since I was in the office all day plus overtime). I was tired all the time and never allowed myself some quiet time.

Thank God that season is over! And what perfect timing too, now that I am married and I have a baby. Everyday spent with them is truly a cause for celebration because it could easily be another nine-hour stretch of time spent behind a cold, cluttered desk. I know a different season may arrive sometime soon—one that may see me busier and possibly more involved elsewhere besides homemaking. But things are different now. It is no longer I who navigate my life, it is the Lord. I choose it to be His responsibility now. Clearly, He’s way better at it. His timing is perfect and His ways far wiser.

For everything there is a season,
 a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
 A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
 A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
 A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
 A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
 A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
 A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

 A time to love and a time to hate.
  A time for war and a time for peace.

 What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11)

11 am: Taking fun shots

2 pm: Playing with Gabbie during lunch prep

5 pm: Eating faux banana cream pie from bananas, whipped cream and raisin cookies

What’s To Be Grateful For On An Exhausting Day?

It’s 7:45 PM and I was looking at a stack of unpacked groceries on the floor and a sink full of dishes since breakfast. With an addition of dinner to prepare and nine kilos of fresh laundry to put away, I was looking at a busy night ahead. It’s one of those nights where exhaustion has gotten the better of me and there’s just so much more to do. To top it all off, Gabbie was in one of his “carry-only” moods. With no way to get started on anything, I started to trudge back to the bedroom with him, too tired to even try.  My hubby Mike was in the other room, working. I knew he was busy, but I had to ask.

“I need help”, I said bleakly.

After a few minutes, he got Gabbie and I was face to face again with my daunting kitchen.  45 minutes later, I had dinner all prepared and the dishes washed. I was starving. Gabbie was still in a cranky mood and squirmed in my arms. My husband, God bless him, took our baby and just let me eat. Oh, what joy! To eat peacefully with two of my hands. After dinner, my husband said the sweetest thing.

“I’ll take care of the dishes.”

He even mopped the floors, wiped the stovetop and cleaned the rice cooker (it was begging for it).

So back to my title. I’ll give you one guess J

That day is over, and I know I’ll have one of those again sometime. What is worth noting, however, is that I’m not alone in my homemaking tasks. I’m blessed to have a husband who has a heart to help around the house (and who doesn't give me a hard time when lunch is served at 2 PM already). Praise the Lord! J

No Maid? No Problem!

We have been living in a “maid-less” household for about three weeks now, and with a baby who refuses to be put down, things can get pretty challenging. I know foreign society might laugh at my little predicament but this is the Philippines and the norm is to have maids in practically every household’s employment. Being “help-less” can easily take away a lot of the joys of being a wife and mom—three meals to cook a day, mounting dishes on the sink, dirty floors, stinky reusable diapers, and a baby who just refuses to separate from his mother’s arms.  So tempting as it may be to complain, I think it’s time to take ownership of my household. To those who may be in a similar situation as I am, here are some helpful reminders to keep things in perspective, and to help keep the household clean and running (well, as much as possible):

Cooking while feeding Gabbie

Clutter and cute baby. I choose to focus on the latter :)

• ·      Choose one or two of baby’s sleeping time to get some work done – ever heard the good ol’ advice to ‘sleep when the baby’s asleep’? Well, I couldn’t follow that. At least not all the time. I use Gabbie’s short nap times to do as much as dishes as I can, iron, chop ingredients. I do a big chunk of chores like cleaning the bathroom or kitchen at night when Gabbie’s asleep. If I have some writing or editing work to do, I just put him in a sling during the afternoon and let him nap in my arms (sleeping in my arms equates to longer, uninterrupted sleep for him). BUT I try to join in one of his afternoon naps so I don’t get all burned out.
• ·      Adjusting my standards. – I can live with a little mess now. Unmade bed, cluttered dining table, chaotic kitchen…it doesn’t mean I’ll never attend to them. But if Gabbie needs me or if I need to prepare lunch right now, then those chores would to wait. The most important lesson I have learned when I had a baby was FLEXIBILITY. Not everything will go according to my plan and schedule but all can be graceful and even enjoyable.
• ·      Wear a baby sling – for moms with babies who just refuse to be put down for one reason or another, a baby sling is a lifesaver. I use mine when I have to do some editing, wipe tables, wash dishes or whatever else that require my two hands. I use a SaYa SSK http://www.facebook.com/pages/SaYa-Baby-Carrier/141111665979997
• ·      Use rubber gloves for quicker, more efficient washing AND less germs – I don’t have much time on my hands to I make sure I protect them so they can work faster. It makes dishwashing or diaper-rinsing so much more bearable and easier to do. Plus, since I’m one who prepares the food around the house, my hands are kept cleaner. I use a regular Ansell pair, bought for about P80 at the grocery.
• ·      Cook in bigger batches – More chances of leftovers for the next meal. I do this for our and baby’s food. I blend, mix and mash a good meal for Gabbie, put the leftovers in his own ice cube tray and freeze them. I thaw and heat a few cubes for meals thereafter.
• ·      Involve baby when I can during chores – I count the laundry with him, make him eat his food as I finish up the cooking (of course I make sure the cooking dish isn’t spewing out hot oil or anything like that—just stirring soups or sauces and the like), dance as I wash the dishes, do whatever it takes J
• ·      Thank God that I have a husband, a cute baby, and a home to look after every single day. The everyday tasks are just to-do’s, they’ll get done sooner or later. But what I have are priceless and the joy of being with them should never be lost.
• ·      Depend on God fully and completely – it needs to be said that I can try to be a super mom and do everything I can for my family day in and day out, but without the grace of God that is fresh and new everyday, I will accomplish nothing. I’m a first-time wife and mom and I have no prior experience at this, but the reason this household is blissfully joyful is because God is faithful in answering our prayers to lead us in our marriage, in parenting, and in our work.

 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. “ James 1:5

Don’t get me wrong. There are days when things are extra challenging and I wish I’m be a better homemaker, wife or mom. But I rest in confidence that it is not I who will carry out my tasks for me to fruition.  “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philipians 1:6

So really, having no helper is of no consequence to the Cabardo household. There is joy in our hearts especially with these easily-missed benefits of having no maid:

• ·      I get to cook again and my husband enjoys it.
• ·      We save on cooking oil and rice, which our helper did not use sparingly
• ·      Privacy in our condo
• ·      Enjoying service like no other from my husband who shares dishwashing and cleaning chores with me J

What is your maid-less experience like?