Mina Likes Me!

I don't know what's changed, but Mina suddenly likes me nowadays. She's so cute!

I don't have anything new, so please visit Babies Online Blog this weekend!

Thumb Sucker

Here she is, still sucking her thumb. Never took to the pacifier this one, and 'm glad.

Preparing To Conceive?

Try these tips on getting yourself ready.

Children And Body Image

A relatively small study out of Australia has found that preschool aged children are already aware of body image. 53 children in four kindergarten classes were surveyed, and it was discovered that parents, especially mothers, are unintentionally impressing their own image issues on their children. The study found that children learn by watching their parents, and so if their mother is constantly verbalizing her dissatisfaction with her body, they internalize it and make it their own.

From Babies Online Blog

My Child Reflects Upon Me

Does every parent believe that?

When Mina screams and hollers impatiently outside I think it's a failure on my part to instill self-control in her. It doesn't help that my mom says all the time that I and my brothers never did that (i find it hard to believe, selective memory perhaps?). And I know its ridiculous for me to think that my 1 year old will have self-control. Quite impossible. Still the feelings sometimes comes unexpectedly and persists.

Another example of reflection. If Mina goes outside, I always make sure she's dressed well. I mean, always! If she's madungis (unkempt), I feel like people will look down on her, and on me as a parent. At least I don't buy her Baby Dior or something crazy like that. Still, she definitely has a better closet than I do. What does this say abut me? I want to teach Mina not to be ruled by what others think. Am I being a hypocrite?

Questions, questions.

Why Does She Like Grandma More?

Sometimes, emphasis on some, Mommy trumps Grandma in terms of who Mina prefers. She'll put up a token effort in going into Grandma's arms, and cry for me. She'll squeal with delight when she sees me. Then in a few days, it'll be back to normal. What I mean is, everything is back to it's opposite. She'll put up an effort going into MY arms, squeal with delight when she sees Grandma, cry for Grandma.

Why?

Dang, it hurts.

At the Bookstore

To pass the time, I sometimes let Mina run around in bookstores. I have to do my share of running around, picking things up and putting it back from the shelves she just tore it from. It's worth it though as she simply loves being at the bookstore! Beats the library, as she can usually scream and squeal more.

Read Up!

For more articles on Babies, Pregnancy, Toddlers, and anything else MOmmy-related, head on over to Babies Online Blog. I am a writer for them, and a reader too!

How Can My Daughter’s Closet Be Better Than Mine?

Posted on September 12th, 2008

Because I’m back in school, we’re living on one income. As a family, we’ve had to cut back on many purchases and expenditures, and on top of that list is clothes. My clothes are so passe I think I hear last two seasons calling, asking for them back.
I like shopping like anyone else, [...]

10 Things To Do Before Getting Pregnant

Posted on September 11th, 2008

Have you and your partner decided to get pregnant? If you have, congratulations. Trying to get pregnant can be a snap for some couples, but for others, it may take awhile. Before you and your partner take the plunge however, you’ll be ahead of the curve if you try to at least [...]

5 Things I Hate and Love About Being a Student Mom

Posted on September 10th, 2008

I’m going to school right now to pursue another degree. I’m one of those whom statistics cite as changing their field of career at least once within their lifetime. With that comes a lot of sacrifice, juggling of schedules, and many other unique stressors that accompany being a “student mom”.
5 Things I Hate:

Having [...]

Entertaining Your Kids

I feel guilty when I just leave Mina to play with her toys and wander around the house. I'm not really good at unstructured play. I can only read so many books, sing so many songs, tickler her for so long. Maybe some people would say she's too young for structured play, but I feel better when she actually has something to do.

Here are my top favorite activities for Mina:

1. Sign her up for an affordable community class. Last month we were at a Parent and Child Music class at one of our local community center. At $50/mo, this once a week class was fun and Mina, being the youngest in the class, still thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to enroll her in a baby gym class the end of this September.

2. My Kid's Clubhouse which is just several miles away from us. It's a good-sized indoor play area, with mazes, kiddie toys, snack bar, for $8 per play. It goes down to $6 if you're with a playgroup and and you can also get punch cards of a membership. It beats another play area, My Gym which charges an exorbitant amount in my opinion.

3. My mall has an indoor play area for little kids. Mina loved it at first, but I think she gets overwhelmed with the big kids that go there the last few times we went. I may have to take her in the morning only, when the bigger kids are usually at school and only the little ones are there.

4. Just let her roam around the mall. She loves walking now and sometimes even refuses to hold my hand. I have to tell her that she has to hold Mommy's hand and I make sure I have a tight grip.

5. We still have the outdoor parks, but I don't usually take her there anymore. She has tons of bungang araw (don't know the English translation) and so I try to avoid the sun for her nowadays. I could go early morning but -- I'm sorry baby -- I usually get up too late.


I've noticed that Mina is getting an attitude nowadays. I try to keep my calm because she mimics so much, I dont' want her to add any frustrated action I show to her repertoire. Right now she screams when frustrated, pulls on your face, or other parts of your body, squirms etc. And she gets frustrated often. I keep asking her, can I have my sweet baby back?

Here's Miss Attitude:

The Worry Never Ends With a Child

I don't know why I ever worried about Mina being fat before. Babies are supposed to be fat! If a mom isn't worrying about her baby being skinny, she worries that her child is on its way to experience the cruelest teasing from her or his classmate about their overweightness by having the tiniest bit of extra fat.

I'm serious. I just watched a show on FitTv.com where this obese mom watered down her baby daughter's milk because she doesn't want her daughter to be overweight. I think the baby was less than a year old.

So I never watered down Mina's milk, but I worried she was on the path to weight problems. See, I hadn't watched my diet when I was pregnant with her as close as I would have liked. I gained 40 lbs. To me, that was a heck of a lot. And I ate fried foods. I couldn't help it, I was craving fried chicken strips from Chili's all the time! So Mina came out bigger than any baby in my family had come out. 8 lbs. 3 oz. Nice and healthy right? I couldn't be happy, I had to worry.

Now Mina's leaning towards being a skinny string bean at 1 year old. Boy, my breastmilk must have packed a punch. We can't seem to feed her anything that will put some fat back in her bones. She's 21 lbs. 6 oz at her 1 year check up. Based on projections, she should have tripled her baby weight. She's missing an extra 3 lbs.

And still I worry, though she's fine on the charts of normalcy. I think it's a parent's perogative. If she were to gain weight and keep gaining, I would probably swing to the other side of the pendulum again.

She has a runny nose now too. I'm sure if I tried hard enough, I could come up with a terrible thing to worry about that might be causing this runny nose.

Note to Mina

You're getting more and more mobile now. At first, you insisted Mommy hold your hands, sometimes even both hands when you walked. Now, you get irritated when I try to grab your hands and you give a little shriek. It's quite ear-piercing.

I have to remember to make sure to keep calm. You're very keen on imitating now, and yo imitate the good as well as the bad. I'm really puzzled because you somehow learned the work "kurit" without me teaching it to you, and everyone else claims they didn't teach you either. When we say "where's the kurit", you lift your hand up and make a pinching motion. *scratches head*. It's cute cause you don't really know what it's for. YOu make the pinching gesture but don't know to pinch anyone.

We visited the pedia (I miss your old pedia Dr. Jackson) and you're only 21.6 lbs. I am sorry I ever fretted over you being tabaching-ching. You're too skinny in my opinion. I miss the folds in your arms and your thick thighs and legs. I miss your chubby cheeks! We're trying to fatten you up, but you're metabolism has definitely gotten much faster. We'll keep trying though.

Your favorite food right now is grapes, and yes, rice as well. You will absolutely stuff your face with grapes one after the other even if you haven't swallowed the rest. You're so funny.

You've definitely got a little personality. Sometimes, when we're in the parks or at the playground, older toddlers will cozy up to you. If you've had enough of them, you have no problem pushing them away!

I love you baby. Don't grow up so fast okay. What's the hurry? Cuddle next to mommy a little bit longer.