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.”

As promised, here is a list of things to bring for your hospital stay, right after giving birth…

MOM’S BAG:

- Nursing bra (buy cheap ones first since you wouldn’t really know yet what cup size you’ll have after…)
- Nursing pads (Normally, I use washable ones, but for your hospital stay, it’s also helpful to have a few disposable ones on hand)
- Bath robe / night gown / your husband’s button-down shirt (just make sure the color looks good on you ) / nursing shirt…I prefer loose cotton shirts since our breasts would tend to engorge and can go from cup A to Z (very unpredictable, so at least loose shirts would allow for more “room to grow”)…and cotton material, to easily absorb sudden milk let-downs
- Other nice AND comfortable clothes
- Underwear (of course!)
- Maternity pads / adult diapers (hospitals charge a lot for these)
- Abdominal binder (although the last time, my nurses advised against this…)
- Toiletries (Don’t forget that ever-so-refreshing facial wash…and feminine wash- Betadine is a good brand, especially if you would have an episiotomy)
- Towel
- Hairbrush and hair bands
- Going home outfit
- Some would bring their breast pump with them, but so far, I don’t know of anyone who got to use this and has found it helpful. I just found it painful, actually. (BUT, very helpful after the first week! SO still, I’d encourage you to buy one)
- In case dad forgets, bring another set of clothes for him, too!
- Nursing bib (in case you would need to feed baby while visitors are around)

* Don’t think that you’d have a lot of idle time, but if you still wish to bring a book, go ahead!
* Most hospital stays are only 24 to 48 hours

BABY’S BAG:

* Remember, baby doesn’t really need a lot of clothes at this time!
- a PACK of diapers
- A lot of cotton
- Container for the wet, ready-to-use cotton
- Receiving blankets (bring extra, since we don’t know how cold your room would be)
- Tie shirts (have both short and long-sleeved ones)
- Onesies and pants or frogsuit
- Mittens
- Booties
- Bonnet
- Wash cloth
- Bath soap
- Mansanilla (I like the smell, plus they say it helps prevent/eliminate gas)
- Cotton swabs and alcohol for cleaning the cord stump (the hospital would actually provide this, but at least you know– you have an option)
- Going home clothes for baby

* Make sure the infant car seat is already in the car
* You might want to bring a blanket for dad and extra pillows (for daddy…and helpful for you, too, especially if you’ll be nursing)
* You may also want to bring a “guest book” to keep a record of those who visited your precious bundle of joy

SIBLING’S BAG:

* I suggest you arrange with the grandparents ahead of time, so ate/kuya can stay with them, but still have these ready with you for the following day, when he/she comes to visit:

- Change of clothes
- Books
- Games & toys
- Blanket
- Snacks
- Gift FROM his/her new baby sister/brother

MISCELLANEOUS BAG:

- Utensils
- Water bottle (so you could just fill it and not have to go out of the room every time)
- Cups (hospitals usually provide one for the patient, but you won’t be the only one in the room)
- Extra plate or two
- Small sponge and dishwashing paste/liquid

* You could bring disposables so you won’t need to wash anything

….This is all I can think of for now Have fun packing!!

It is 1:06 a.m. and I am writing just to share how tired my whole body is now.

I worked on our kitchen today. Not quite done yet, but I think I just need one more day to get that part of the house over and done with. I noticed that I have a lot of plates and utensils. It’ll be a nightmare to pack it all up and find a way to store them all, but I really don’t think I am ready to part with any of them just yet… and it’s not because they are expensive because most of them were really cheap finds. I just love the whole idea of having people over and enjoying friends’ company over food. If there is one other thing I am excited about in this whole moving-house thing, it is the fact that our house will be a lot more accessible to friends, which would hopefully mean they can come over more often.

Decisions, decisions….

To keep or to let go??

Paper plates or somewhat nicer plates??

Decisions, decisions….

I’m sure people won’t mind if they eat off paper plates. I’m sure it’s the company that counts (and of course, the food).  BUT still…. hehe Let’s see.

I was hoping this blog would end with something insightful that can be of help to you, but sorry. There are just those days when you start running on autopilot and all available neurons decide to stop firing. This is one of those days.

*Blagag!* ZZzzzzz……..

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.