Yohann's September pics

September is Yohann's busiest month so far. Daming get-togethers!
- dinner with tito Abet's Angels
- kuya EJ's birthday (where he cried non-stop for 30 mins, screaming at everybody. haha. na-overstimulate ata at nainitan,poor bebe boy :p)
- kuya Dabe's birthday party at home, where he discovered the joy of playing with balloons!
- attended his first birthday party (adult ha) at Imperial Suites in Timog
- despedida lunch for tita Hazel who left for Singapore, and
- his first ever studio pictorial at the Picture Company! He had so much fun he was laughing during some parts of the shoot :) He just hated getting into the costumes, pero when we set him on the pots and giant shotglass, he did his thing and the photog just clicked away. :)

Precious Moments

Yohann had his first studio shoot last Saturday at The Picture Company in their Podium branch. We've been thinking of using a gift check for one photo session with them, and last Saturday was the best time for that.

candid shot of dad and bebe haha

Before the shoot even started, I was already thinking of what we could get to keep aside from the single printout included in our GC. Once the photographer started clicking away on her camera, I knew I'd be having a hard time deciding which shot to choose for the printout. Yohann was made to wear three costumes and he had a blast posing for the camera! Each of the three sets produced several cute shots. By the time we were already viewing the files, I was already going crazy, I couldn't choose a single one to print. I wanted them all! Wah!

When I asked about getting a copy of the hi-resolution files, Andy our photographer pointed to a package which would give us access to about 10 files, which would cost a total of our house rent plus several bills for a whole month. Wahaha! So we just opted to avail of their trial package which would entitle us to four more 8x10 printouts (but no hi-res files, *sigh*).

tired and sleepy after his first photo shoot :p

After the photo shoot, hubby and I had been teasing each other about our gastos. Being a couple of practical persons, we normally would not shell out such amounts for things other than those that we really need. We both are simple people with simple wants and simple desires, but when it comes to the little boy we can go beyond our simple ways especially for things that we believe will be a consistent source of joy to both of us. Yohann's photo shoot was definitely a happy experience we would want to remember for a long time. Will share the pics once they're here! :)

5 minute meals

Being a newbie mom means that I have to learn to do chores in a really fast manner. I take a bath in 10 minutes, wash the dishes in 3 minutes, and prepare meals in 5. I didn't always have the speed skill, so I had to learn to do these things while taking care of the little boy.

Here are some easy to prepare meals I've learned to whip up in a flash:

The Veggie Salad with Nuts

I am a big fan of salads. This one I made with lettuce, carrots, cheese, and Nagaraya nuts (you read that right!) and mayo and ketchup (and some salt and pepper) dressing. I can eat this everyday, and actually feel full for several hours with just two servings. This one goes well with buffalo wings too! But then, that takes a long time to prepare. :)

Sauteed Bean Sprout

I love toge (bean sprout)! This one's really easy to prepare. Just saute onion, garlic, tomatoes and bean sprout and season with oyster sauce. Toss a little, then you're done. I like it better when the toge's still crunchy so it's better to cook it really fast :D

Buttered Veggie

I was craving for bok choy, which my sister got me from Singapore pa, so hubby bought Baguio pechay instead. Because we were having pork for dinner, I wanted some veggies to go with it. I melted butter and threw in the Baguio pechay, seasoned with garlic powder and voila! Buttered veggie in less than 5 minutes. I can eat this every day too, I love butter and veggies together :) 

These are just a few of my experiments that don't take much time to cook. I'll post some more when I come up with some more recipes :)

Anytime, Anywhere

When I decided to breastfeed Yohann, it didn't hit me yet that this would mean I would breastfeed the little boy outside of home. I guess it was because we were cooped inside our home most of the time, as I was also recovering strength after giving birth via CS. But when he turned three months and still refused to drink even expressed milk from a bottle, it was either I just give up going out of our house until he's weaned, or muster the courage needed to feed him anytime, anywhere!

Initially, I had reservations with breastfeeding in public. First off, I didn't want to show even just a hint of skin in front of people I didn't know. Also, I understand that some people are offended with even a little breast exposure in public places. But my reservations slowly disappeared with every trip to the mall with the little boy. The first time we brought him to the mall, he immediately cried for milk even before we were supposed to eat. So there I was in some restaurant table, feeding Yohann with just a cloth diaper for cover. I felt a bit uneasy that first time, but then again the baby's needs are more important than my uneasiness.

Several trips to the mall later, I've learned to dress up in such a way that feeding Yohann in public would be easier and comfortable for both of us. I've decided against a nursing cover as I feel that this would only attract more attention and would be more uncomfortable for Yohann. And, knowing him, I bet he'd only try to break free of the cover and forget about feeding altogether. 

So far, so good. We've been breastfeeding at restaurants, in front of our neighbor's house, in our pedia's clinic, at the SSS Marikina office, in church, right in the middle of the men's shoes department, in front of friends and strangers alike. I have gotten over my initial shyness and already feel no shame whenever I offer my milk to the little boy. After all, these breasts are made to nourish and shame be on anyone who would take offense at seeing an act of pure love and nurturing. I am a breastfeeding momma, and proud of it. :)  

5 months and counting

Just some updates lest the cobwebs start appearing on my blog :p

The little boy turned 5 months a couple of days ago! Yay! What do you know, he's getting to be quite a handful, not yet crawling but already able to propel himself around when on his tummy by kicking like crazy! I wake up most mornings to find him at waist level, and if I get to be such a heavy sleeper I'm afraid one day I'll just find him on our bedroom floor. To avoid this from happening I just put a pillow beneath him and rest my leg on it, so I'll feel it whenever he's pushed the pillow away.

love this boy with the crazy hair!

Since he's already grown longer, he's lost a bit of his massiveness (lol) and is even more active than he was previously. He likes to jump a lot, often tries to squirm out of our grip wanting to go down on the floor. I'm already contemplating on getting him a walker since he has sooooo much energy, maybe the walking will help him calm down a bit :p But that's still pending, anyway he'll be 6 months soon and maybe that would be the perfect time to let him try walking.

doing his jumping jacks :p

Soon I'll be giving him his first taste of food, and I'm already thinking of what to prepare for him. I'd like to feed him baby food that I'll make myself, and my ultimate dream is to see him enjoying his ampalaya meal :D That will come in a few more weeks, so for the meantime I'll be searching and researching on how and what to feed the little boy. Wish me luck on this. :)