* I’ve come across several posts that I thought were completely wiped out, but were fortunately cached by Google. I’d be posting those for the next few days.
Here’s one that I originally published last January 11, 2010, when I was about to wean Mika.
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“If you haven’t weaned your child by 18 months, it’s very difficult to do so until about 36 months,” says Ruth Lawrence, MD, a professor of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
Oh no. Nobody mentioned this to me before.
A month from now my second daughter Mikaela would be turning two– which means I would have to wean her completely. I didn’t really worry much about this before, mainly because the thought of having to wean her from breastfeeding saddens me. I am a very “touchy” person, and so is Mika…so aside from that fact that breastmilk has a lot of benefits for our babies, this is really why breastfeeding works so well for us– We both love the cuddle time.
*sigh* …I can’t believe I would have to stop really soon. I know I can actually choose to extend our nursing days, but I also feel I have to stop so I can “replenish” myself with nutrients if I am to have another baby sometime in the not-so-near yet not-so-far future.
With Alyanna, weaning was very easy. She was one year and four months old when I weaned her completely. The week that I decided to mix-feed her was the same week that I found out I was pregnant. All I did was stop giving her my breasts (we are all women here, right? ) and then she gave up without putting up much of a fight. Maybe because she was less than 18 months at that time? Could it be that the above statement by Dr. Lawrence is true? If it is, then should I expect that weaning Mika this time around would be much much harder? *argh* I dread to even imagine it…Even now, it seems that Mika is more attached to me. It is like she knows that I am planning on doing something that is not to her liking. Ever since the holidays, “Mommy!Carry me please!” or “Mommy, drink milk from your b—s please.” is what I’d hear from her all the time. Oh, Mika. Don’t you know this would make things all the more difficult for both of us??
I am expecting that my weaning process would be very much different from what I experienced with Alyanna, but I will probably try these:
1. Take it slow. Drop one feeding at a time, and replace it with formula or a meal…I’ve already started doing this. I only have three feeding times left.
2. Avoid our favorite nursing places and positions…this would be hard, since our favorite nursing positions are my favorite positions…period.
3. Distract her. I would have to cut our cuddle time in bed short, and move it someplace else, some place she won’t associate with breastfeeding.
4. Cuddle her some more…in different “settings”
5. Ignore her cries.
6. Keep ourselves busy-er…hopefully she’ll think there are more fun things to do after all.
7. Keep her full and satisfied with real food…this shouldn’t be so hard to do. She’s much like her mom.
That’s all I can think of for now. I know there’s not much of a plan here, but we’ll see. I’ll be trying them soon, and I shall let you know which work/s best. I am open to suggestions.
My last resort:
Apply olive oil that has been “infused” with garlic on your nipples as you breastfeed. Our babies (and us, and I’m sure our husbands too—the downside) will hate the odor from the garlic.
I’ve heard of someone who applied coldrub instead…I think anything with a strong scent/smell would do? Again, this would be my last resort. I don’t like the downside of this.
Lately I have noticed that it’s been very hard to get Mika to drink water. I’m not really a water person either (I’d rather save the space in my stomach so I could eat more ), but since I came across some articles on what water really does and what can happen to our bodies when we don’t drink enough of it, I got a little bit alarmed and I am now trying to get into the habit of drinking H2O (after 26 years of existence, it is just now that I realize my science teachers were not exaggerating after all). I even put it as a wall paper on my cell phone as a reminder for me.
My point was, I think my two daughters took on that bad habit. And since I have come to realize the error of my ways, I’ve been trying extra hard to get them to drink water.
So far so good with Alyanna. All I have to do is make it a prerequisite to everything she’d like to do or to have. For example, earlier I was having fresh buko juice over breakfast. Now juice–whether fresh or not, both girls really like. So I was not surprised when both of them started begging me for juice. I gave both of them the condition that I would give them fresh, yummy juice, if they finished their water. I told them that I needed them to empty their cups for me to be able to use the same cups for the juice.
Alyanna immediately took her cup filled with water and gulped down every drop, excited for the juice. Mika, on the other hand, still refused to drink water (even if it was just an ounce or two). Instead, she started whining and kept saying “joo! joo! pu joo!”, gesturing that I pour some juice into her cup. I kept telling her, “Drink your water so I can put juice in your cup.”, but she just didn’t seem to get it. The whining started to turn into a cry of frustration because she was not getting what she wanted. My point was just, “Empty your cup so I could fill it with what you really want.”
As we were going through that whole scene, a thought popped into my head. It was actually a very familiar scene that I was in. I realized that when it comes to our walk with God, many times we start whining and crying out to God, sometimes out of frustration for not getting our desires met. We think “But Lord, I’ve been a good daughter!”, “If you really love me, why couldn’t you just give me this thing that I’ve been asking for?”, “I know that what I’m praying for is according to your will naman, how come I’m still not getting it?”
…and God just looks at us and says, “Because you don’t get it. I just want you to empty your cup. Only then could I fill it with the best thing that would really satisfy you.”
I want to confess something I am semi-addicted to that I am afraid I am starting to pass on to my children: my love for cold, heaping Milo with lots of buo-buo (translation: already-insoluble granules).
Ever since I was a kid, I have been introduced to Milo and I could say I have mastered the art of enjoying this drink. And no, I don’t just drink it for the purpose of having some chocolate milk to drink— I savor it. I enjoy its every taste. I drink it and take it in… and then I scoop out every drop left on my cup.
Okay, hold on. I better stop. I’m starting to crave again.
Breathe in, breathe out….
Why did I start writing about Milo again?
Oh yes. The Expo.
Imagine my glee when I went to attend Nestle’s I Choose Wellness Expo at SM Megamall yesterday. The first booth I saw was Milo! Of course, I just had to line up and get my free “taste” (heehee as if I don’t know how it tastes like yet!). I was also excited to find out that they now offer Milo for adults. Again, I had to go get my free taste. “For assessment purposes“, I told myself. I wanted to see if it tasted any different from the “normal” Milo we grew up with. Overall, the taste is the same, except it was a little less sweet, which is a good thing, I guess.
Yay!
My kids are still scared of mascots, so ako nalang!
At the risk of sounding sentimental, I really got nostalgic when I visited the many different booths and activity areas yesterday. I realized that almost all the brands I grew up with are from Nestle. It is also quite a delight to learn that they are now advocating wellness for the family. I listened to some of the talks given yesterday and brought home three short points that I think we can all learn from, not just in the area of wellness.
1. Wellness is a choice.
…. So are all other things in life.
2. We need the support of those around us to be able to sustain our choice.
…. Thus, the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who will build us up and can speak into our lives.
3. We need to enjoy our journey to wellness.
…. As it is with our lives, we need to enjoy every season life brings us….and learn in the process.
Since we are in the topic of enjoying already, I’d like to share with how I choose to enjoy my Milo.
NOTE: This really has nothing to do with being healthy, but I promise you— IT’S REALLY GOOD!!!! Hehe! Enjoy!
This was a conversation that took place this afternoon while Alyanna and I were baking:
ALYANNA: (while mixing the ingredients, smiles and says…) “Mommy, I’m happy.”
ME: “You are? Why are you happy?” *big smile*
ALYANNA: “Because you gave me a chance.”
ME: “A chance?”
ALYANNA: “Um-hm..A chance to mix. Thank you mommy!”
Now, I’m sure most of you can relate when I say that everytime we let our kids in on what we’re doing, it would surely take more time and more mess…but compared to the joy it brings us (and them), we just end up with a sigh and we say, “oh, well!”
Anyway, here is a “recipe” (I’m not even sure you can call it that! The amounts I would place here are all based on my hands and eyes) of what we whipped up earlier:
HOMEMADE “HEALTH” BARS
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup bran flakes
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sesame seeds
4 tbsp wheatgerm
4 tbsp honey
a tiny amount of fructose (just to add some flavor)
a pinch or two of cinnamon
1/2 cup to 1 cup wheat flour (this, together with the water, is basically just to hold all the other ingredients together)
1/2 cup to 1 cup warm water
* Just mix all the dry ingredients (except flour), add the honey and fructose according to taste (not so much or it won’t be as “healthy” anymore), and mix in the flour and water last (I added this last so I can first make sure I liked the taste already).
* Mix everything well and spread out on a baking pan (the ones we use for brownies would be perfect). I greased the pan with a little olive oil.
* Bake at 180 degrees for around 15 minutes.
* Let it stand and cool, then slice away!
This is super fast and fun to do. Mika enjoyed it because it had so much texture. And it was actually impromptu. Those were the only ingredients I had that I felt might be of use and good thing it worked… somehow.
I don’t really know what it is about raisins, but kids generally love them. I myself do not remember the degree as to which I loved raisins as a child, but now I do like them with baked stuff (oatmeal cookies, walnut loaves, breads…anything baked!). Dennis likes them to a much higher level. He loves anything with raisins. In fact, there are some dishes that he doesn’t really like, but put some raisins on them, and he becomes okay with eating them (or wait, does he just eat the raisins off those dishes?? I have to check next time…). Anyway, my two girls are no different from their dad (or other kids). They love love love raisins. I think they can finish a whole can of raisins if I don’t stop them. It is such a treat for them. Raisins, to them, are what cakes are to me— the ultimate dessert. *kilig smile*
I was having a not-so-easy time feeding Mika yesterday. Usually, what works is if I give her the promise of having “dessert” after her meal. Usually it’s any kind of fruit. My kids love fruits and almost every meal time they ask for fruits. I usually just tell them they can have their choice of fruit after they eat their meal and they eat without a fuss, knowing there is the promise of what they consider a treat.
This time, it was a can of raisins. Alyanna saw them in our fridge and asked if she could have some after she finished her food and I gave her my okay. Anyway, they had to finish that can before it reaches the expiration date! Of course as expected, Mika gave her usual “me also??” question. I told her the same thing– yes, once she finishes her food. As I said, usually this tactic works. But this time, she started to whine and say no. She just refused to eat her food. I knew she wasn’t full yet since we actually had a late lunch and she hadn’t really taken in much. She just wanted the treat, without giving in to the condition I have set.
Mika started crying and begging me for raisins. I wish I could have taken a video of it! She actually looked funny, now that I think about it…but of course, at that time she just looked like a child who was being abused and being left for hunger. I am not exaggerating— Mika was crying her heart out, reaching for me and grabbing my arm, saying “Mommy!!! (in her very low, husky voice…exacerbated by her cries) Please! I want raisins!! ” And every time I told her to eat what was on her plate (which was not much really) she would refuse. I stayed calm. “Mika, it’s simple. You obey, eat your food, you get your raisins. If you do NOT obey, then you do NOT get to eat any raisins.” She would then say “I’ll eat, and then have raisins after my food??“, to which I replied “Yes!! (with a tone of relief because she got it) Eat your food, and you can have your raisins!! Go Mika!! (using exaggerated, excited, cheerleader tone)” But again, she would refuse and cry. She really did look like this innocent little angel who was being tortured by her parents by their refusal to give her what she “needed”, but the reality was she was just a cute little girl who was outright disobeying. I had to pass the matter to her daddy.
As we were going through the whole drama, this verse came to mind: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22). I think I even told her that (hehe who knows? She might just learn the word ’sacrifice’ through this). Mika was crying her heart out, expressing to us what a hard time she was having, but none of her drama really mattered because she was not obeying. Of course I felt sorry for her. Of course I wanted to give in and just give her the raisins. Perhaps given any other scenario, I would have. I would have actually mixed the raisins in with her food as a compromise. But the circumstances surrounding this particular scenario we were in caused me to see what was in her heart. And this time, it was not because she disliked the taste of the food or was full, but she really just wanted to exert her will, get what she wanted, and disobey. I could not allow that to happen.
“To obey is better than sacrifice.” So many times we forget this as adults. We show God how hard a time we are having, having to “give up” something (or someone) we really love, we cry our hearts out and sometimes even question God’s heart and question why He’s not hearing us out. We beg and we beg, to the point that would really show how sincere we really are in our desire for a certain thing in our lives…and often, this thing we are asking for is not at all bad. Why, sometimes we are even convinced that what we are asking for is noble. We try to make a deal with God and try to show God how much we are willing to “suffer” to get hold of that certain thing, and God just looks at us and says “I’m not asking you to suffer. I’m asking you to obey. I’m not torturing you, I’m teaching you. To obey is better than sacrifice.”
Oops! It’s been four days since I last checked in?!? Sorry. I didn’t realize it until I checked the last entry I wrote. The past few days went by quickly since we often had to leave the house early and we usually got home very late. Poor kiddos. Here’s the upside: now I can write again since they took a nap two hours earlier than usual this afternoon.
I’ve been wanting to write this entry since we got home last Saturday from a friend’s baby shower. Unfortunately, my brain just couldn’t muster enough energy to function every time we got home. I’m still posting it though, since I’m pretty sure it would help a lot of new moms out there.
This is just a compilation of the advice that were given by other moms, dads, and even single ladies who were there. I’d have to say they were all full of wisdom!
“Nap when the baby naps” –I agree! You’d really need this!
“Be flexible.” — Every child is different, so we would have to adjust accordingly. This is applicable not just in the infancy stage.
“When you feel inadequate as a mom, remember that God hand-picked you to be your child’s mom. The wisdom of God is enough to help you raise up your child.”– Love this.
“Whenever you feel stressed out, remember that ‘this, too shall pass.’ Be reminded that every stage your baby is in is just for a season so you have to learn to enjoy it.” — This goes for labor too! Lalabas din yan!
“Stay connected with other moms.”– This is one good therapy for keeping our sanity.
Here are some of the best tips from the dads:
“Prioritize your wife.”
“Don’t just be a servant, be a slave!”
“Be hands on.”
“Enjoy every stage, it’ll come by really fast.”
“Treasure every moment. Document as much as you can.”
“Give you wife some time off.”
….and all the wives say, “Amen.”
Next up, advice from the single ladies– all of whom I know will be great moms!
“Give you wife the budget to pamper herself.” – oh yeah!!
“Pray for your child.”
“Be expressive in showing your love for your child”
“Let your child know that you’re with them even through the difficult times.”
I am very blessed to be surrounded by people who constantly remind me how to better parent my children. An even greater blessing is having a Heavenly Father who models for us what it means to love unconditionally, to be patient, to be kind, to be forgiving….who first parents us, and gives us the grace and wisdom to parent our children.
PS: Here’s a cute gift idea from our friend Voice Romualdo– a personalized fill-in-the-pictures scrapbook of the baby shower!
), but since I came across some articles on what water really does and what can happen to our bodies when we don’t drink enough of it, I got a little bit alarmed and I am now trying to get into the habit of drinking H2O (after 26 years of existence, it is just now that I realize my science teachers were not exaggerating after all). I even put it as a wall paper on my cell phone as a reminder for me.
