The day Malaya turned another month old was a day after an earthquake shook Central Visayas. The quake hit at around 8 am.
And while our old wooden apartment shook, equipment glass and whatever falling everywhere, the boy laughed as if this was all a game.
Meanwhile, I was downtown wondering what sort of end of the world movie set I'd stepped onto.
It's just been one thing after another. Lolo Rudy's train arrived earlier this month, which is why his daughter (Mamita) and one of his sons (Lolo Drigo) came home from the US.
And while it has been a trying time for Christian's family, the little boy was busy turning frowns upside down for his Villa relatives.
The boy is now 13 lbs. Doesn't sleep on my chest much anymore, probably because he won't fit. He's a handful. He smiles at us in the mornings, goes "eyo" when he wants our attention, and he's been experimenting with the Oohs and Aahs. Sometimes, he leads me when he wants to be sung to sleep. Such a bag of delightful noise this creature is turning out to be.
Observe:
And he LOVES going outside. Seems like he has cabin fever all the time. He loves going out and engaging strangers in the mall; passengers on the jeep; construction workers on the truck beside the jeep; etc. One day at the mall CR, I was hunched over the baby bag to get something. When I turned, someone was already shaking his hand. I blinked, and the whole room of girls were fawning over him.
While the sling's been working swell, the swing bearer has not. The boy's gotten a taste for travel too. When we're in the room, he kicks to signal that he wants up and looks to the door. It's hard NOT to succumb to the boy's wishes when he does this to you:
Compelling, isn't it?
And because of the decision to stay yaya-less, we bring him wherever we go. Needless to say, it's time we started looking for a stroller.
To be honest, baby wearing is great. You can commute via jeepney easily when you're carrying a sling around rather than a baby PLUS a stroller.
But for those times when terrain is going to be mostly pavement, and you have to lug other baggage around, a stroller sounds wonderful.
And while it IS tempting to be cheap, this is The Stroller. This item will see about 2-3 years of abuse, and probably another 2 to 3 years after.
Not that we're planning a follow up soon.
*cough*
...so began our quest for The Stroller.
Considerations:
Must be good for all sorts of terrain (specially since the road outside the house is under repairs, and since elections are over, Malaya might be walking before the project is done).
Must fold easily.
Must be lightweight enough to carry around during travel.
Must be able to hold an infant from 3 months to 3 years old.
He was supposed to be due this week. Instead he's on antibiotics for pneumonia he doesn't even have anymore.
We came home last night, after 3 days of hospital stay. There's still a needle in Laya's foot, where the antibiotics are to be fed until Saturday, and then he's home free.
The kid was pierced 2 more times after my last post. The second IV came out because he kept squirming. We didn't know it was dislodged for a time because he kept silent. A nurse came to take it out and left to get someone else to reinsert the IV. Meanwhile, Malaya was cheerful, with a naughty glint in his eye. As if he'd removed the IV on purpose.
When the people came to insert the needle into his leg, I was without escape. He wanted to feed. I asked the people if I could feed him through it. One of the nurses said he might choke on his milk. I asked to feed him before they insert the needle then. They said their shift had just ended and they needed to leave.
I noticed Laya had taken to snorting like a pig through feedings, without the expected porcine appetite the other day. We were set to go to the beach the next day for sunlight and saltwater to help heal my lady-parts. I thought we should pay the pedia a visit just to get the snorting and wheezing checked. He was diagnosed with mild pneumonia and sent to the hospital for antibiotics.
I, the big neurotic, broke down in mommy's office as we discussed what could have led to the pneumonia. He'd only had it for a day, so the waterbirth was ruled out. Maybe it was how he was always naked. Maybe it was how we lived in a nipa house in the mountains, where the summer sun baked us hot in the mornings, while the breeze blew us cold in the evenings. Maybe it was how mommy and daddy kept sneezing. Maybe it was how we were always generous with kisses. Maybe it was my laziness in burping him after feeding. Maybe it was the angle at which I was feeding him.
Argh. I feel like a bad mom. For all my naningness, it seemed I missed the obvious rules on newborn parenting. My own mom told me to pull myself together, that this was just the beginning.
After the IV was inserted, and the doctor administered a nasal spray, his appetite returned and the wheezing all but stopped. He still has mucous in his nostrils, and we're supposed to finish the antibiotics, so we're still here.
One of my aunts came to visit and noticed the IV stopped dripping, and there was a spot of blood on the bandages where the needle's supposed to be connected to a vein - all indications that the dextrose was no longer connected and needed to be reattached. I asked Chris to go with the nurse while reattachment was done.
Meanwhile, I sit here, cursing the world of pain Malaya is entering. Nevermind that he's only smiling through it and healing faster than expected.
I am honestly embarrassed by my wussiness in the face of my baby's pain. He's a strapping young fellow with an infectious laughter, never mind that we have no idea what he's laughing at (probably his neurotic mommy), why should I worry?
Man, how is this kid going to be able to ever do cool things like cliff diving; coconut tree climbing; bungee jumping; wolf wrestling; etc. etc. if mommy's afraid of a few bugs and needles?
I'm sorry baby. I need to work on these nerves of mine. I'm just glad you're not empathizing and crying out for me.
Breastfeeding isn't as painful anymore. My angle was all wrong. It still hurts, specially when he clamps onto the nipple faster than I can get all of it in. Props to Ninong Jerome for linking me to the La Leche League Website. xD
No serene nursing photos for juu. At least not yet.
Chris and I ran out of clothes yesterday. Chris just packed light, while I didn't have too many shitproof/breastfeeding friendly clothes. Lola Diana suggested we leave the baby in her airconditioned office while we go Ukay-ukay crazy.
This kid amazes me. Remember how he kicked his own umbilical cord off? Look at that bellybutton heal! Also, both his ears are pointed. You guys know any brown elves he can cosplay as?
There's something a lot of people leave out when they tell you about pregnancy - they don't tell you you'd feel like a Tikbalang had his way with you in the aftermath.
But if the Horse was Khal Drogo, it wouldn't be rape.
My. Whole. Body. Hurts.
They also don't say much about how difficult breastfeeding can be. Malaya doesn't have tongue tie. I just didn't know how to feed him. We're also still learning, and although the learning curve is painful, a rock hard breast is worse than a scratched nipple. VCO's been a wonderful nipple cream btw.
And much less likely were the chances of anyone warning me about how much of a hassle it is to bring around baby's still intact umbilical cord and placenta.
Baby likes to kick the right side of the belly. He stops when people are around and expect him to. One of my friends think it's performance anxiety. Hah. Filmmakers make shy baby. The irony.
I remember the first time we noticed him moving, we found the kicks cute, but a little hard to identify - kinda like shooting stars on a clear unpolluted-by-artificial-lights sky. Now they're like meteors on Armageddon - painful, frequent, and a sign of the end of days.
The doctor told me "Buntis na jud ka" ("You're definitely pregnant now") as if I wasn't to begin with. But I know what she means. I've had it relatively easy til now. Suddenly, my feet are ballooning, my bump is a basketball, and I feel like yoga can wait for a few more hours days. Cats gestate for less than 3 months. Maybe I am a cat, and I really HAVE only begun to be pregnant. As much as the first trimester felt like a bitch because of mood swings, why do I have a feeling these remaining months are going to be the longest in my life?
