jill’s

I was working inside my room when suddenly I heard my 2-year old boy cry incessantly.  I went out and found out that their last three remaining red old smelly and flat pillows had gone to my mom-in-law’s laundry.

THE RED OLD SMELLY FLAT PILLOWS

Originally, they had 8 red old smelly flat pillows.  We have tried to slowly replace them with the same red pillows but the minor differences were so obvious for them.  My children’s senses have worked so good on this thing.  These red old smelly and flat pillows have become a part of my children’s life.  Anywhere they go,  whether they move on to another room in the house, they would bring them to just lie on for pleasure or sleep onto it. No matter how old it looks like and how smelly it can be, they just love it!

BREAKING THE ATTACHMENT

My mom-in-law had been wanting to take it away from my children. We all know how attached they are to those red old smelly and flat pillows.  It’s what we know as Comfort Blankets or Toys. But my mom-in-law always remembers the girl from the Pinoy Big Brother (Teen Edition, I think) who had to face all her fear that her old rugged tattered doll had to be taken away from her. The feeling was just so hard and my mom-in-law just doesn’t want it to happen to my kids.  She wants to break the attachment as early as possible.

FIRST NIGHT

Tonight will be the first bedtime without those red old smelly and flat pillows.  I am sure they would still fall into sleep however, there might be some unexpected tantrums or lots of comforting on our part.  As parents, it’s important to be the best comfort to my upset and frustrated kids.  This would be a very emotional time for my kids but I hope it wouldn’t cause any harm to their character as they grow up.

Read more about this.  Why children become so attached to toys and comfort blankets?

Ready! Set! Gooo!!!!

No, not yet! I have yet less than 2 weeks to go.  After the hump, (on the 36th week) the baby and I can be in full swing to start the labor.  As of last Satruday, the baby is already in her right birth position.  It’s good but she has to wait for the right time. That should be on her 37th week.

This bump is really heavy and makes me get so tired easily.  I can’t sit or stand for very long.  But lying down sideways makes me feel more comfortable.  I feel like my whole body is being stretched to its limit especially when the baby moves.  I have swollen legs and feet.  From my original 45 lbs. I am now 63 lbs.

What Mommy is doing?

I am doing all I can not to hasten to the labor mode.

• take plenty of rest - or bed rest if necessary especially important for mothers who had previous preterm labor.
• eat just right for myself and the baby  - I haven’t felt the need to overfed myself even if I want to at this time.  My tummy is just so full because the baby’s size has grown.  My doctor advised that if I want to have a normal delivery I should start to diet.
• continue to drink my pre-natal medicines - Since the baby has grown rapidly, the more that I need to supplement her needs, as well as mine.
• walks for some exercise - I know some mothers who can still do so many things at this stage (just as I was). But for mothers like me who had previous preterm labor light activities are highly suggested.

After buying baby stuff, I haven’t really prepared yet for my due.

Days have passed and I am still packing all those stuff only in my mind.  They are still in the closet, in another bag or container.  What have I done?  What do I need to do? At this stage, I am getting anxious that the baby will just come one day while all the stuff are still cluttered all over.

Okay, this is the third time but why I haven’t learned it yet.  Blame it on this pregnancy blues!

There is one thing I am really afraid of.  PRETERM LABOR/BIRTH. This happens when the baby is born before the 37th week.  I had it with my first two.  The culprit: S-T-R-E-S-S. Both were delivered on the 36th week.

I am once again counting the days before that dreadful 36th week.  It really insanes me especially now that I can feel the baby is actively moving inside me.  I definitely do not want it the third time.  I know I have taken care so much of myself from the very beginning and yet it still haunts me.

Maybe blogging might pump me up and help put away those blues.  So, here are some things I’ve done (with **) and I haven’t yet.

**-Request leave from my online job at home.

**-Buy baby stuff

-Pack….

• my hospital bag (includes: toiletries, undergarments, socks, slippers, sandals, going-home clothes, documents, clothing for Chris, towels and towelettes, extra blanket…anything else?)
• baby bag (includes: receiving blanket, going-home clothes and diapers)
• our food bag/utilities (includes: paper plates, spoon/fork, plastic cups, dish washing soap, magazines..what else?)

-Laundry some old baby comforter, blankets and lampin (cloth diapers) that can still be used.

-Prepare my househelper and yaya in the house and with the kids while I am in the hospital.

**-My doctors and the hospital.  They are fixed.  They were there since my first pregnancy.

-Lastly, may I ask you to pray for me and my baby’s safe and normal delivery.  That would be the best blues’ eliminator for me. =)

My name is a combination of my parent’s names.  It came out to be very unique.  ELIZAGIE (Maybe I’ll blog about it next time) Most often it is misspelled, mispronounced and hardly remembered.  I had to spell it or say it over and over again until they get it.  I have been usually asked if I am a Moslem, Japanese or whatever.  But actually, I love it and the uniqueness it brings to me.  Consequently, I didn’t want my kids to feel or be treated the way I expereinced with my very unique name.

For our eldest daughter, we gave her the name that we love to hear, easy to remember and spell as well.  Or in other words, it is exactly the opposite of how my name is.  She is SOPHIA KATRINA.  Both names are of Greek origin.  Sophia meaning “wisdom” while Katrina is the modern form of Katherine and the like which means “pure”.

Katrina would be a remembrance of my life as a college student and as a pregnant mom/wife.  They came from my two friends in Miriam College whose names are spelled as Katrina.  They were, of course, one of the the school’s pride.    The one graduated as Magna Cum Laude in Miriam College and the other is a member of the MC Dance Troupe.  Whatever Sophia will be, que sera sera. And who would forget the hurricane “Katrina’ in 2005, it was still fresh when we were playing on our baby’s names.

For our second child, we were thinking of using our initials, C & E.  It was pretty difficult.  Chris searched the net to find a not-so-common name that starts with the letter C.  He found CALIXTO and I agreed.  It’s a Greek name meaning “the most handsome”.  And he really is! (of course, for us!) His second name is ELIJAH, the prophet from the Old Testament.

And for our next baby girl, who will be arriving in a few weeks from now, her name will be as pretty as her, we’re sure! Can you make a guess?

Family Day turned out to be a day in the hopsital (VRPMC-Edsa, Mandaluyong City).

Calixto, our 2 year old son had to be admitted due to an accident at home.   Sophia and Calixto loves to bang doors, open and shut them either they were playing with each other or getting rid of the other.  At this time, Sophia accidentally banged the door while Calixto’s tiny little fingers were still there. Ouch!!!! Imagine, how that felt.

As much as Calixto felt so much pain, Sophia felt so sorry too.  I tried my best to do some first-aid to his fingers but Calixto kept crying very hard.  It only means I need badly proper handlers for this situation and to this boy who is so young and fragile.

Being his mother and pregnant at the same time, it really is not very easy for me to see Calixto crying intensely while being injected for CBC, dextrose and performing X-rays and for the grand finale tomorrow (Sunday) will be the surgical operation to remove his fingernail (not sure if it’s a part or whole nail) on his right ring finger that has been almost chipped off.  He will be given some dose of anesthesia for the operation to keep him sedated.  No matter it doesn’t feel right for a baby to be given some anesthesia but doctors said it will be very traumatic for the child if he will be awake as much as it is to a grown-up person.

I know it hurts for Calixto but it also hurts me, his mother, to see him in his intense and loud cry.  Expectations of the worst come to my mind but I try to slip it off.  It won’t help.

I just pray that everything would be fine before, during and after the surgery  and that there’ll be no next times anymore to things like this. It is just so heartbreaking.