The year that was 2012

I haven't answered this meme for several years already. Maybe because things got a little boring and most of things we worried about for the past two years were preparing the condo and getting furniture (some people would be excited by this but I have always been mobile and home stuff do not thrill me) and paying bills. Well, 2012 is still about that but with a big "little" extra that I can't get enough of


So thanks to Ina (and Lia who reminded Ina) for posting her year (and yey, Alon and I make a guest appearance!) because I'm copying her questions but not her answers of course.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Got pregnant and gave birth! Snorkelling while pregnant. Saw a sea turtle in its natural habitat. Have a grand vacation with my family in Hongkong (thanks to my Mom’s sponsorship!)

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t usually make any so I didn’t break any resolution. But with my bout with gestational diabetes, I resolved to lessen my softdrink and powedered juice intake. So far, I have been faring well with that one.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Me! And then there was Maricar and Fabiola and Sandra and Miwako and Alem from ISS (and a few of the boys had their wives/partners give birth too!). There was Sarji, Graziella, Evecar and Allison in the office. And Nic-Nic with their third girl. It was a pregnant year for my social circle!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I don’t remember so that means no. It hurt to hear about still births though. :(

5. What countries did you visit?
Hongkong and Malaysia

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Motivation to write my thoughts down on paper. I think they are worth noting down. Hehe, feeling.

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 4. Jan and I welcomed Alon to the world. :)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going to work in the morning (walked, rode a jeep and went up and down the stairs at that) and gave birth without anaesthesia in the afternoon. I am now a warrior. Bow before me, weaklings. Hehe!

And sustaining breastfeeding even if I had a few issues (and now different ones.) Until now, I'm working hard at it and hoping I can at least reach up to a year and even two (or three?).

9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping regular contact with my mom. Sometimes she doesn’t pick up kasi but I should still try more though.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Well, I had gestational diabetes which I could say was a blessing in disguise. I was at my most healthy and most fit. It was easy giving birth and trimming down and I think it helped me provide my son with a healthy start in life too. :)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The adaptor for the Medela pump Rowie lent to me (thanks so much for that Row!). I was able to sustain having Alon on pure breastmilk for almost seven months now. And hopefully I can still keep it up. And those lactation cookies from Raquel and Mommy Treats. They really do seem to work. When I stopped, my production dip but now that I am back on them, my milk increased a bit. I still want to have more production though so I can have the opportunity to donate again.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Nonay, because she has not been infected by the Manila urbanity (yet? Ever?) and I think she listens to her mom more now. Listening to your mom is always good! (Paging Alon!)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tito Sotto. Because really, how hard is it to admit your mistake?
CBCP. Because this fire and brimstone argument for anti RH bill did not win sympathies. I could argue against the bill without resorting to morality issues. Sheesh.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Furnishing the condo and pre-natal stuff and giving birth.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Alon

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
Soft kitty, warm kitty. I sing it every night. Out of tune, but the baby doesn’t care. So there.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner and healthier!
iii. richer or poorer? Just the same I guess. Even if we spent a fortune on the condo and on the baby, we were still able to have some luxuries, so I would say we are blessed. :)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Write or blog.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
crying spells during post partum blues

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my mom and bro and Alon on the verandah of my aunt’s house in Davao. Jan was sick during Christmas eve with a stomach bug so was asleep. We spent most of the day in SM Lanang which had a nice breastfeeding station but poorly located. Then after 6.30, I just slept and slept and slept until the next day. With Alon waking me up for breastfeeding or nappy change.

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
With Alon Camina. And when I remember to look at him properly, Jan Camina.

23. Who got together and who broke up?
There was an office romance. Ninin and Jerry got married. Kaira got married. I don’t know if anyone broke up.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Big Bang Theory. Modern Family. How I met your mother. Ina, Kapatid, Anak. Be Careful with my Heart.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Annoyances here and there but not really hating anyone. No room for negativity.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Baby Book by Dr. Sears. Because it was one of the few books that actually made me confident with my parenting skills. I think attachment parenting is for me.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
U2 and Bob Marley for Babies. Thanks Tita Maita!

28. What did you want and got?
A boy.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn’t get to watch much. And I fell asleep during The Hobbit. Never watch a last full show if you are a new mom who hasn’t had a decent sleep for half a year.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
34. I took care of the baby. I ate some pansit and had some cake and ice cream with Jan and my bro.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
a two-bedroom condo

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Pormatics enough for a pregnant woman/new mom.

34. What kept you sane?
Maybe the internet and television. I was more depressed when we did not have any. :P

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Tom Rodriguez. Ronaldo Valdez.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Cybercrime Law. RH Bill.

37. Who did you miss?
My sister. My mom. Yano.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Alon

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
That the heart is really, truly capable of loving deeply.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.

Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr.

six months!

Oh how I wish I could blog as often as I can about life as a wife and mother.  How I wish I could document every little milestone about Alon.  But given that most of my day is at work, I prefer to experience my son more than write about him.  However, today I fight through the sleepiness and discard "me" time because it is a special day.  Today, Jan and I celebrate Alon's sixth month! Our little baby is half a year old!

Six months. Half a year.  When I think about it, the emotions are all a jumble.  I look at him and see how very much different he was from when he was born.  He is no more a helpless newborn but now a curious infant.  He is no longer entirely dependent on me but rather on a quest to discover every little thing in the world.  I am nostalgic of those days that I am enough for him.  Yet I am excited for him to know more and more about the world.  I look forward to the games we can play together and a bit of the mischief he might do or the wisdom he can share or the funny things he will say.  I am imagining the time when we jump for pictures together already.  I look forward to all the memories we will make as a family.


My dearest Alon, I did not expect you to arrive on July 4! I even came to work in the morning though I was already having contractions but I didn't know I was having them.  Silly me!  I thought it was just Braxton-Hicks so I walked and rode a jeep and went up and down the stairs.  The pain, however, was getting more intense which made me realize that it may be time to go to the hospital already.  It's funny though.  People around me were panicking more than I was.  Thank God for those lamaze classes your Tatay and I took that I was calm through out.

I got admitted to the hospital at 1:30PM.  By 6:07PM you were out.  I gave birth au naturelle! No anaesthesia.  Something I am really proud to have achieved.  So you, little boy, do not have the right to complain much when you skin a knee or bump your head because I know what pain is like. And you, being a boy, will never ever experience that.  So yeah, skinned a knee?  Clean with running water and soap and you'll be fine.  No need to wail or whine. :)


You scared me your first few days.  You got an extreme case of jaundice and had to be admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  I had to stop breastfeeding you because breastmilk made it worse.  There was even a time when your doctor told us that if your bilirubin levels did not go down, we would have to do blood transfusion.  How I stormed the heavens when I found that out.  And God is good!  You got better and better each day until finally they let me breastfeed you again and you were back in regular care.  After a week in the hospital, we could already go home.

But what happened got me a little paranoid.  I was afraid that every little thing I do would hurt you even if your pedia told us that babies are actually hard to hurt (not that I would ever ever want to do that!).  It took a while for me to get my groove, but eventually I felt better as a mother and had less fear of taking care of you.

By the second month, you could already lift your head and smile and suck your entire fist.  Like most babies, you wanted to be fed every couple of hours.  But you slept much longer and more comfortable if I was your bed.  This was perfectly fine by me.  I get to sleep longer and I get to cuddle you too!

I have to say, you had this absolutely funny looking poopy face.  You'd stick out your tongue, groan and shiver a bit.  I actually miss that face. :PI have to say, you had this absolutely funny looking poopy face.  You'd stick out your tongue, groan and shiver a bit.  I actually miss that face. :P

By your third month, most of your hair fell off.  I was happy to see you had a bit of hair when I gave birth to you.  Imagine my horror that every time I check your sheets, I'd see little fuzz on them and less on your head!  But I guess it must be my family's genes working on you.  Many of our boys have high foreheads... if you catch my drift. :P

You were also laughing a lot already and doing funny faces and sounds.  You liked to stand up, not by yourself of course.  You enjoyed listening to the stories I read and actually liked holding the books yourself.  Your eyes focused more on the letters than on the pictures but that could be because you still preferred black to colors.

By the fourth month, you were already an expert with finger sucking.  Thank God your pedia encouraged it because it helped you sleep longer and better (which also means I get to sleep more too).  .You enjoyed being on your tummy and worked a lot on your mini-push ups.  You were starting to communicate too so our time together was becoming more and more fun.

This was also when you had your Christening.  A lot of people came to welcome you to the Christian world. You got lots of gifts and we used what we could already.  But you are indeed my son because you most appreciated the books you received .

You just get more awesome by the day!  By the fifth month, you were already reaching for your toes and even sucking them.  You start to creep (early stages of crawling) and can not be left alone any more.  You try to get to your toys and books.  You turn over quite skillfully already that changing your diaper has become more and more of a challenge.

You are also a very emotional child. Another trait you got for me! You smile and laugh a lot, but you also cry a lot too.  You seem to have a "look, but no touch" policy.  You would have this very sweet smile for people but would cry in a minute if they carry you.  You'd rather I or Yaya hold you while people play with you.

You've done quite a lot of things on your fifth month too.  You took your first airplane ride, your first boat ride and celebrated your first Christmas and New Year.

What Nanay was most excited about is that I was finally able to take you swimming.  The moment I got us tickets to go home to Davao, I was already imagining our day at the beach.

Well, you did not squeal with delight when I got you into the water.  Could be because it was too cold.  But at least you did not cry and you looked genuinely curious about the experience.  What I liked best was that you knew how to paddle your foot.  You did refuse to let go of me though.  I didn't mind though.  I did not have the courage to just throw you in the water and see if you would swim by your self. :P

And now you are six months! You will be starting your solids soon (tomorrow in fact).  Your bag of tricks are getting bigger and bigger.  And you entertain me in new ways on a daily basis.

Ah, dear Alon... what I wrote does no justice to show the world how amazing you are.  But it does not really matter.  What's important is that your Tatay and Nanay know this.  And someday, I hope you find this out for yourself without letting it go to your head.  And by finding out you are amazing, you go and make others realize they are too.

My dearest Alon, we are so blessed to have you as our son.  I hope we do justice in being your parents.  I hope we raise you well.  Nanay and Tatay love you very much. I love you very much!