That's Life!

I got allergic rhinitis so I took my anti-allergy medication. One effect of the drug is that it makes me very sleepy. I felt really groggy so I decided to take a nap. Because my husband had other things to do, my kids were with me while I took a rest.

My eyes felt so heavy that I had a hard time knowing what my kids were up to. When I opened my eyes, I saw my little girl on top of a plastic toy box, singing and dancing with delight. Groggily I got up and had her get down but before I could even lay down my head on the bed, she was up on the box again. Not having enough strength, I called on my husband for reinforcement. He took out the box and I figured, I'll probably get the rest I needed then.

Without the toy box to amuse her, my toddler got on the bed and began poking my eyes saying, "Mommy! Wake up, wake up." Arrrggg... I just want a little rest and it seemed like I'll never be able to get a good one. She then snuggled up next to me and said, "I love you, Mommy." Sigh! Who can remain irritated after that? "I love you, Baby," I said, and then she began jumping on the bed. Oh well, that's an extra super Mom's life.

BedWetting

I woke up from a restful sleep when my daughter shouted, "Daddy, finished! I have weewee in my panty." It was around 6 am. My husband readily got up from bed and went inside the bathroom where my 6 year old daughter was waiting, sitting on the toilet.

Between my two daughters, it is my first born who occasionally wets the bed. Sometimes I would wake in the middle of the night sensing her to be uneasy. I would either wake up my husband or assist her myself to the bathroom so she can relieve herself.

Sometimes my husband and I are just deep in sleep and wouldn't know whether she feels like going to the toilet. There are times when she gets up on her own and proceeds to the toilet all by herself. I noticed she prefers to be accompanied when it is still dark but goes to the toilet alone when there's light from dawn coming inside the room.

My daughter drinks water a lot, and I'm thinking it's one of the reasons why she needs to wake up in the middle of her sleep in order to pee. Her little sister is not much of a water drinker and seldom needs to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.

As my husband was the one assisting my daughter in the toilet, I did not bother getting up anymore until I heard her shout, "There's weewee on the bed." Oh dear, my toddler is nearly lying on the wet spot and I have to clean up the mess. I guess, it's time to get up now. What a good morning!

Bond Of Sisters

My younger daughter was already up and about when it was time for my 6 year old to go to school. She knew that her daddy and sister were leaving so she asked for her shoes and started to panic, afraid she'll be left behind as usual.

Not wanting to make her cry, I decided that we will all go together in the car and bring her older sister to school. She was very happy as she sang along to some Disney songs being played on the car stereo.

At the school, only my husband and my 6 year old got off. My toddler started to panic again but because I was with her, she calmed down. When my husband came back to the car alone, my 2 year old started to cry and called out for her sister. She cried and shouted her sister's name all throughout the trip home.

Back at home, she kept on crying and calling for her sister. I tried to amuse her with her favorite videos but she just kept on crying. She literally cried herself to sleep.

My 2 year old was in a much better mood when she woke up but she still kept calling her sister's name and asking, "Where are you?"

She was very happy when her older sister got back from school and they hugged each other. I found out from my husband that according to the teacher, my 6 year old also cried after we left her. She had hoped that her sister will be with her in school.

It's heartwarming to know that my children truly care for each other. I hope their sisterly bond will grow stronger each day.

The Star

My 6 year old came home from school with a star stamped on her hand. Upon seeing it, my youngest daughter looked worried and said, "There's a star. What happened?" It was so funny seeing her so concerned over her elder sister while the latter is proud of it.

I asked my daughter what she did why she got a star and she answered, "Uh, nothing."

Saline Solution

I usually use a store bought saline solution for our family to save time and effort (an extrasuper mom has lots of things to do, you know). But you can actually make one in your home. Here's a very simple recipe to make a saline solution.

Mix a half teaspoon of salt (preferably kosher, canning, sea or pickling salt) and a pinch of baking soda to a cup of water (room temperature). Place the mixture in a clean container and use as necessary. It is better to make a new batch everyday, but you can actually store this mixture up to a week.

For my kids, I normally use 2 to 3 drops per nostril and then let them blow through their noses. For infants and kids who don't know how to blow their noses yet, a nose suction or aspirator is a handy tool. You can do this 3 to 4 times a day.

Evolving Viewing Preference

I'm not sure how it happened but right before my very eyes, my 6 year old's TV viewing preferences have evolved. I got so used to her watching Blue's Clues, Dora, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Maisy Mouse and the like that it felt strange seeing her a little bored with these shows and opting to watch shows such as Pokemon, Totally Spies and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'm not even certain if she understands what she enjoys watching nowadays.

How do you keep your child from being exposed to TV shows with questionable content and still give her freedom to explore her taste? I don't want to be super strict because this could lead to rebellious acts from her which could worsen as she gets older. At the same time I don't want to be too lenient because I'd like her to develop good values. So what to do?

The best solution is to watch TV with her. I have to discuss the shows with her and point out what's good and what's bad. It's time consuming but it's the only way I can think of to give her a bit of freedom and allow her to discover her own preferences while making sure that good values are in place.

Dealing With A Cold

I have posted about my eldest daughter getting a cold, now my youngest child caught it. It is inevitable considering they are playmates and they sleep beside each other. I wouldn't mind too much about it really if only my youngest daughter would drink her medicine. As of now, making her drink her medicine is like a torture session, both for her and for me...arrrg.

My eldest child was like this also when she was still a toddler. When she was sick, I had to try every trick in the book in order for her to take her medicine with only 50% success rate. Now, I have to relive this stressful experience with my youngest daughter.

A nose suction and a bottle of saline solution is essential for an extrasuper mom who has a child with a cold and who refuses to drink her medicine. Although my toddler already knows how to blow her nose, I still use a nose suction to effectively suck out the mucus especially before bedtime. I prefer using a nose suction which has a little bottle and a long tube (like a straw). Suctioning her nose is essential for her (and for me too) to have a good night's sleep.

Television and Kids

Nowadays, television is a common fixture inside a household. Admittedly, it is a good entertainer of kids and could be valuable to extrasuper moms like me. With the television taking hold of my children's attention, I am free to do the oh-so-many things that I have to do in order to keep our home well-oiled.

But dangers do lurk in TVs. If you're not too careful, your kids could absorb things that will not make them better persons. Sometimes TV channels, supposedly for kids, carry programs that I deem not child-friendly at all.

My eldest daughter learned to say "stupid" and other nasty comments from cartoons. I saw her hitting her toys as well as shouting at her younger sister while pretending to be angry. All these offensive acts were acquired from watching television.

It is very much necessary for me therefore to be fully aware of what my kids are watching on TV. If I chance upon a show that has a nasty element, I usually tell my kids, "It's not a nice show." I then try to explain to them why I don't like them watching such shows. My eldest child understands what I'm saying but she tries to reason out that "it's a nice show" whenever she is caught watching a particular show that I told her not to watch. She will then proceed to tell me the story and why she likes watching it. It's really tough to reason with kids.

With the proliferation of children's videos, I am able to, more or less, control my kids exposure to television. I buy them videos that impart good values and learning and they enjoy watching. It's just a pity that my eldest daughter has learned to operate our video system. She's able to switch back to watching TV whenever she wants to.

Mom's Day Off

Sunday is "Family day." This is the day we go to church, go malling, buy groceries, and most importantly, it is my day off from being a cook.

During Sundays, we usually eat out or buy take aways. Sometimes we eat leftovers. Being spared from cooking, even for just one day in a week is already a big relief for me. It gives me more time to relax and get a chance to watch television. And because it's also a non-working day for my husband, he gets to do more household chores, like washing the dishes (way to go, Honey).

It is really important for me to have this bit of day off from being an extrasuper mom. I don't want to get burned out because I am swamped by too many household chores. A little relief is all I need to continue doing what an extrasuper mom does for the rest of the week.

School and Getting Sick

Now that my eldest daughter is in school, she is more vulnerable to getting sick. My fears were realized this week. She missed a day in school because she got the cold. She had difficulty breathing and sleeping at night and she woke us up crying while saying, "Please help me."

The most obvious source of infection was found in school as the only places she has been to this week were home and school. Nobody in our home has a cold except her.

I don't want my kids getting sick but it's a fact of life that we cannot completely protect them from it. Even with all the immunizations, they will still get sick one way or another. One thing we can do is arm them with our prayers and if they do get sick, give them all the tender loving care that we could give.

Children and Dealing With Death

My grandfather died recently and we attended his funeral. It was the first time for my children to see a dead person. I was curious to know how they will react upon seeing him in the coffin.

My youngest daughter took a look at my grandfather and did not bother looking again. My eldest daughter after seeing my dead grandfather asked, "What is he doing? " I told her that her great grandfather died and is already with God. I also explained to her that we were there because it will be the last time we will be able to see him physically and we are going to say goodbye to him.

When the coffin was being put inside the tomb, many people were seen shedding tears and some were even bawling. My 6 year old daughter was also moved to tears and she kept on crying until we got back to our hotel. She cried because she was saddened to see people who were also sad.

In all, it was a smooth experience for my children unlike what I had to go through when I was a child.

I was around 7 or 8 years old when I first experienced going to a wake. My aunt brought me with her when she went to pay her last respects to a friend. On our way there, she was scaring me with ghost stories and she told me that I will be visited by the spirit of the dead because it's my first time to see one. I tried to look brave but it took all my guts just to take a peek at her friend inside the coffin. I had a hard time sleeping that night. I kept hearing creepy sounds and I was afraid that something will appear beside my bed.

Now that I am a mom, I have realized the folly of my aunt. I would never want any child to go through what I had experienced.

Earnest Prayer

One time I had a terrible headache and I was groaning while cradling my head. My eldest daughter asked, "What's the matter Mommy?" I told her about my headache and I asked her if she could pray to God to take it away. She readily agreed and started to pray, "Dear Jesus, thank you for this food..."

Breastfeeding (Part 3)

Before giving birth to our first child, I had initially planned on expressing my milk and let my baby feed through a bottle occasionally. This is primarily to let my husband get his share in bonding with the baby during feeding as well as allow me to go out for some hours. I was discouraged by our pediatrician against doing this as it could lead to "nipple confusion." I took her advice and decided to completely do away with the bottle.

Having decided not to feed my baby through a bottle left me no choice but to constantly bring my baby and my husband with me wherever I go. I experienced feeding my baby while shopping (I literally breastfed while browsing from one shop to another), while attending a church service, while waiting at the doctor's clinic, while eating in a restaurant, while onboard an airplane, bus and car, and in many other places while doing my usual activities.

I have learned the art of breastfeeding in public. Most people don't realize that I'm breastfeeding at all. Maybe it's because I don't make it too obvious. The only thing I need is a wide baby blanket coupled with a happy disposition.

Admittedly, breastfeeding is not for everybody but it is something which should be encouraged. I had my ups and downs with regards to breastfeeding but I never regretted doing it. For me, the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.

Breastfeeding (Part 2)

Before we had our first child, I had already resolved on becoming a full-time mom while our kids are still young. When I got pregnant, I stopped working and devoted myself to reading books. Having been breastfed by my own mother and having an older sister who exclusively breastfeeds her kids, I have decided to do likewise.

I have read and heard about the pains experienced when breastfeeding so I have mentally prepared myself regarding these.

My sister has been plagued by mastitis while breastfeeding her kids. It was distressing seeing her moan in pain and trying to alleviate it by applying warm compresses. I did not look forward to experiencing it but I have prepared myself just the same.

I did not have mastitis but I had a similar, if not more painful, experience.

Because my baby was not properly latching on to my breast during feeding, I developed a tear on my nipple. It grew bigger and bigger and breastfeeding became painful more and more each day. Later my other breast got a tear too. I remembered kicking the bed and groaning in pain while feeding my baby.

I sought the help of our pediatrician and she gave me a cream to be applied on the affected parts. It did not make much difference so I made my own research.

It was a blessing that we were living with my sister's family at that time. She agreed to feed my baby before we went to bed at night so that my breasts can take a bit of rest and be encouraged to heal. I wet the affected parts with my breastmilk and airdried them. Once in a while I expressed milk by squeezing my breasts in order to prevent more painful problems.

After a 12 hour rest, my breasts began to heal. I resumed feeding my baby and I made sure she was latching on properly. Slowly, the pain ebbed until breastfeeding no longer became a painful ordeal but a wonderful bonding experience.

More about my breasfeeding experiences later. Watch out for Part 3.

Note: Some people may be grossed out by what I have posted but I am only stating my own experiences. Things like these do happen.

Breastfeeding (Part 1)

Both my daughters were exclusively breastfed. They never learned to feed from a bottle and they have never tasted any infant formula. This is something that I am very proud of.

I had no milk yet 2 days after giving birth to my firstborn. My daughter got her first feeding from my sister who had a four month baby at that time. This was not the only time that my sister breastfed her (more about this on the second part). I think my mammary glands got jealous because I was able to express milk just hours after my sister fed my baby. I breastfed my eldest daughter until she was 2 years old.

I was able to start breastfeeding my second daughter hours after she was born. She is not yet weaned and she doesn't seem to have any plans to stop at all. My heart breaks everytime I attempt to wean her and she gives out a painful cry. But I have already resolved to wean her when she turns 3 years old. I just hope it won't be very hard when that time comes.

Breastfeeding my kids has given me a sense of achievement and satisfaction. I have developed a special bonding with them and they made me feel important. It has allowed me to have more cuddle time with them and plenty of eye contact.

I have seen the healthy advantage of breastfeeding. Both my kids seldom get sick. Breastfeeding is also very economical. No need to spend on infant formula as well as baby bottles and all those gadgets associated with bottle feeding. We also have less things to pack and carry whenever we go on a trip.

There are also many sacrifices. More about that later.

Be Careful!

It's my 6 year old daughter's first time to go to school. The school is located near a busy street so we kept reminding her to stay inside the school and to never go out on her own or with other people in the absence of her Mommy or Daddy. She was constantly advised to wait inside her school and not to venture out to prevent accidents.

After oh-so-many times of reminding her, we asked her again what she was supposed to do to prevent accidents like getting hit by a car and she promptly answered, "I will stay at home." Smart girl!

My Lovely Daughters

Now, I'd like to talk about my two beautiful kids. Without them, I wouldn't be the extra super Mom that I claim to be.

My eldest daughter is now 6 years old. She's got very expressive eyes and wonderful lips. She enjoys having cuddles with me, her daddy, as well as with her little sister. Her usual line is, "Give me my hug." She's got a very good appetite and she adores babies.

My second daughter is nearly 3 years old. She loves to sing and has a good memory for different tunes. She enjoys parroting whatever her elder sister says. In fact, she repeats what she hears from songs, television as well as from us, her parents. Her favorite show is Maisy Mouse.

My first daughter came into this world without much ado.

I started to feel the contractions around 8 am and I gave birth to her before 3 pm of the same day. As far as I can remember, the labor pains were bearable. I was just disappointed when I first saw her. She looked ugly! She had puffy eyes and appeared like she came from a boxing match. She turned out to be a pretty little girl.

I had a totally different experience with my second daughter. What I went through during her delivery convinced me not to have another baby.

My amniotic fluid started to leak so I was advised by my doctor to stay in the hospital. I stayed inside the labor room for more than 24 hours without feeling any signs of labor. Finally, my doctor decided to induce my contractions. It took nearly 24 hours before I felt the labor pains. The contractions I had were unbearable. Had I not thought it embarrassing, I would have shouted to my heart's content. But I did make it through without making a raucous scene. I just wished I had thought of having an epidural beforehand.

Both my daughters have given me so much joy. Having them made me realize the importance as well as difficulty of being a good mom. Their presence in my life made me appreciate my own mother more.

I Will Never Forget...

I mentioned that I am a mother to 2 beautiful girls but I got pregnant thrice. I had a miscarriage before I had my second daughter.

Having a miscarriage was a painful experience. I was already 12 weeks pregnant when I visited my Ob-Gyne. No heartbeat was heard so an ultrasound was advised. I had to harden my heart and open up my mind to the possibility that the baby inside me no longer has life.

Fetal demise... these words were written in black and white on my ultrasound result. I felt numb but I had to be strong for my eldest daughter and for my husband.

After 2 days of taking some medications prescribed by my doctor I started to bleed and had to go to the hospital for a D & C (Dilatation and Curettage). While waiting for the surgery, blood kept gushing out and I felt something solid came out. It was my baby.

My baby already looked human, complete with a head (with facial features), legs and arms. I felt like crying then, but I could not.

My second baby did not make it, but I will never forget...

A Little About Me!

Finally, I got the nerve to make my own blog. I am hoping this will help me cope with stress related to being an extra super Mom.

Hmmm... what can I say about myself? I'm an extra super Mom who's in her 30's and blessed with 2 lovely daughters and a loving husband.

Why am I an extra super Mom? Well, I am a full-time mother to my 2 kids... that's the Mom part. The "extra super" part comes from being the cook, dishwasher, dressmaker, secretary, housekeeper, teacher, nurse, counselor, entertainer, and a lot more.

My blog will chronicle my adventures and misadventures as a Mom, inside and outside my home.

Enjoy reading!

I am now in Blogger

I am planning of making Blogger my new blogging home.