On Using the Potty

We are officially diaper-free! At three years and two months. Yes, a bit late but nevertheless, we are not buying any disposable diapers anymore. And I'm now guilt-free of the tons of garbage we produce from these non biodegradable inventions of our generation. Thank goodness! I'm so relieved because I've been trying to potty train him since he was 20 months old but I never succeeded until last week.  I know I should've listened to my instincts sooner. Here are my tips which are purely based from our experience.

1. Trust your instincts! 

2. Remember that potty training is a combination of instincts and timing. It also helps that you are an expert when it comes to your child's natural schedule and mannerisms. 

3. Common sense is also helpful! When you are with your child 24/7 you tend to sync your schedule with him/her, in my experience, the times when I need to pee myself are also the times that my child needs to go to the potty.

4. Act and lessen the talkies. I noticed that the more times I remind my child to go to the potty, the lesser he is interested to actually go. I have learned that when I feel its time for him to go, I just make him sit and that's when he pees/poops.

5. Accept that there will be accidents and as much as possible, don't reprimand your child when it happens.

6. Always empty your potty as soon as it's full. It's less messy, I tell yeah.

So congratulations to Mommy and Daddy is in order. Cheers!  And of course, this is primarily the little man's accomplishment. Well done. 

A Challenge to Breastfeeding Moms

Breastfeeding a toddler comes with several challenges. I thought I've overcome them all, including the physically excruciating ones and the subtle reminders of my own mother that will make you think twice if you're still doing the right thing. But there will always be people who will let you down once in a while and make you feel so insecure. And no matter how much you explain to them, they will never get your point. These are the same people that make you want to just lie and keep things secret from them.

My decision to breastfeed up to toddler hood is a product of informed parenting. It was also a choice that my husband and I both agreed on. So I think I have a valid reason to get pissed when someone criticizes how I raise and feed my child.  To all the mothers out there who breastfeed their toddlers, please be strong and be warned that we will be put down a lot of times because our kids may be skinnier and shorter than other kids. Deep in your hearts please be assured that they are ok. And as long as they don't get sick, there's no need to be alarmed. They are growing, and as parents, we should be fine with that.

Left: 3 years old, Right: 2 years old. He GREW!

Breastfeeding at 28 Months

Since Inigo started talking, his words for breastfeeding have evolved. At around 18 months, he'd say "De-dey" really clearly and loudly whenever he wants to nurse. At 24 months though, it changed to a short "Puh". Now 28 months, he's reverted back to Dede (without the "ey" in the end) followed by, "other one' when he's done with one boob and wants to finish off with the other one as well.

Here's his schedule for nursing this time:

Morning, upon waking up - around 10-30 mins (depending on how busy I am) There are times when he'd nurse back to sleep but there are times when he'd stay awake nursing until he's ready to get up and start the day. After the nursing session, I usually offer him water and light breakfast (usually fruits and cereals)

Noon -- after his bath and when he's gotten tired and sleepy

Noon or mid-afternoon, mid-nap - As I work, sometimes he'd wake up from his nap and ask to nurse again. I'm happy when he goes back to sleep because I'm able to go back to work again

We have lunch after he wakes up from his nap.

Late afternoon -- before dinner but just a short feed that lasts less than 5 mins.

At night when he's about to sleep (usually a long feed accompanied by a painful bite).

I know this schedule is quite frequent for a toddler at 28 months and realize we're nowhere near weaning.  I would like our weaning experience to be as natural and gentle as possible with my baby's needs taken to account primarily. The main reason that I'm working from home is to breastfeed my baby as long as he wants, or at least until he no longer needs the comfort of my breasts whenever he's hurt or feeling weak.

Here are some more active weaning techniques.I like the idea of a weaning party when my nursling weans. 

Nursing I. at 22 months. Cebu, Philippines.

A Balanced Diet

Being healthy shouldn't stop at eating nutritious food. Our meals should also be well-balanced. Here's a list of the food groups that should comprise a toddler's daily food intake according to USDA. Younger ones aged 2-3 yrs old are required at least 2/3 portion of the following:

Grain group: 6 servings
(Serving size examples: 1 slice bread, i/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta; 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, 1 ounce of ready to eat cereal)

Vegetable group: 3 servings
(1/2 cup of chopped raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables)

Fruit group: 2 servings
(1 piece of fruit or melon wedge, 3/4 cup of juice, 1/2 cup of canned fruit, 1/4 cup of dried fruit)

Milk group: 2 servings
1 cup of milk or yogurt, 2 ounces of cheese

Meat group: 2 servings
(2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of meat

Fats and sweets: Limit calories from these

Here's another guide I got that we try to adapt at home once in a while (it's for vegetarians and we aren't). It's comprised of indigenous kinds of food that's actually better as they're locally available and most are chemical-free:

How to Have a Great Summer Vacation with your Toddler

1. Take the time off work (ask your husband to do the same) and schedule your vacation when you don't have a yaya or when she's taking her vacation to her own province in tralala. You'll never ever going to feel you need one and you get the privacy you have waited for so long. Be ready to do your own cleaning up and cooking though.

2. Book your flight tickets ahead and make use of those mileage! For accommodations, the deal sites not only offer discounts but also make it easier to look for quality resorts.

3. Choose a location where the beach is near and accessible (approximately 10 to 15 mins from the airport). That way, you save a lot of travel time and literally be in the beach as soon as your plane lands.

4. Don't hesitate spending a little on newly-opened resorts (ideally, two to three years of operation). This way you get the best facilities and service! We stayed at Crimson Resort and Spa. The entire place was vast, rooms were spacious, very nice ambiance and accommodating staff who spoke like they can qualify to be in the call center industry.

5. Pack just right. You have every excuse to pack a little more since you have a toddler (think floaters, beach toys, and other paraphernalia) but please be considerate of your husband too, who will be carrying your luggage.

6. Breastfeed. Although its not the first time our baby took a plane ride, I was more cautious and worried that he'll get fussy with all the wait in the airport, not to mention the noise in the plane and all that. When my son was about to get upset, he'll just turn to me and ask for "dedey". You avoid getting stared at in the plane with a noisy child because yours will be sleeping peacefully the entire flight.

7. Bring hotdogs*, bread, and an apple for lunch. Our flight was at 12:45 pm and we arrived at the airport two hours early to check-in our baggage. We would have been so hungry and cranky if we didn't eat at the airport despite having a full breakfast at home. Good thing, I was still able to pack us some lunch which we ate during the two hours of wait after check-in. A can of soda at the airport costs 50 pesos. We didn't bother checking how much the other food there costs.

8. Have your iphone or any android gadget ready to take pictures and upload to instagram right away. You'll never know when that Kodak moment may come and when you get started with the pic collage app and start making digital scrapbook real time. It's also always nice to have your family and close friends know where you are at the moment and how much you're having fun.

9. Call your mom. No matter how far you are or how much fun you are having, you never stop needing your mom. I told my Mom how his apo's favorite word at the moment is "sim" for "swim" and how much he giggled when he first heard the crashing of the waves.

10. Relax and seize the moment. It was the best vacation with my family so far. Stress-fee, absolutely relaxing, very nice place and food. We couldn't ask for more. Oh, wait, could we ask for this vacation not to end?

Here are some pictures of our trip. Captions by my husband (based on our favorite, Dr. Seuss)

*havent had hotdogs in a loong, loong time. Oh, and our pact to "no canned goods" has just been broken this week (separate story to follow). 

Here's to our last infant-without-seat booking.

"It's opener there in the wide open air."

He found the sound of waves crashing terrifically funny.

I tried, but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Don't worry, I can't swim too.

We belong to the kiddie pool.

Remember this when you grow up a little and go crazy over those gaming consoles.

Beach breastfeeding

A nice view, a lounge chair and a box of Champion raisins.

Obligatory jump shot. This is why I am not a photographer, mum.

"You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights."

"Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left."

What are you up to now, Daddy?

Post-foot spa glow

Cloth Diapering in our Home

"I want to use cloth diapers on my baby", I said while I was pregnant with I. and most of the people I told this plan to just laughed at me. I was five years old when my younger sister was born. I vividly recall how my mom has used lampin on her. In fact, I have stored somewhere in my memory bank broken details of that day when my sister was born. I found the whole cloth-diapering process really pleasant then, as if so much love and care are involved in every fold, twist, and pin of the lampin.

And then it was my turn to be a mother. When I. was born, we were more than aware of the many options we have in catching those pees and poos. Unfortunately for our generation, cloth diapers have become exorbitantly priced. Luckily though, aside from the stash that we were able to afford, we have been gifted with not one but six custom-made and adjustable cloth diapers, shortly after I. was born. I was more than happy, although I wasn't sure if husband felt the same way. As I was recovering from my CS operation and our housemaid then was completely unreliable (thankfully, she left after a few months and was replaced with a fairly competent one), my husband had his share of washing the soiled nappies. He related, it was fun during the first few days, but became really taxing when he had to return from his paternity leave. After about two weeks of cloth diapering, we had to stop. Inigo was hospitalized for five days due to infection from an unknown cause and so we poured all our energy into his recovery. In the midst of all the worries, we had to forgo cloth diapers and use disposables instead. It was much easier then, and it saved us a lot of sanity. Thankfully, his fever went down and we were sent home after sleepless nights and a tearful experience in the NICU under the bilirubin lights.

Since then, we have become mixed diaper users. On mornings before his bath and weekends when we are not out of the house, we use cloth. His physical development has not been that abrupt and we are still able to use almost all of the cloth diapers we originally owned, save for a few that were given on his first birthday. Even after many uses, the custom-made diapers remained really sturdy. The snaps were still well-secured and the garters around did not loosen. The colors and designs were not as bright but did not fade much, after 21 months of usage. He has not shown any signs of preference between cloth and disposables and has been very cooperative when it's time for a nappy change. It's true what they say about cloth diapers, they're much better to use especially now that we should all do our part in reducing non-biodegradable wastes. I cringe every time I put a used diaper in the trash and imagine the tons of garbage that it will be joining. But it is also my choice to use these disposables, especially since this is my nanny's preference (she's also unstoppable with wipes and I don't want to get started on this!). This mixed-diaper set-up is what works for us at the moment, and it's what makes us all happy right now.



I. in his custom-made cloth diapers



I. in his Charlie Banana cloth diaper