Oh
dear, I’m not complaining. If there’s one mom who is lucky to be able to work
and care for her kids at the same time, that would be me. In fact, I’m so happy
with how my personal business (which will turn a year old this June!) continues
to grow and I’m excited for the plans I have plotted for the next half of 2017. It’s
just that with my line of work, I feel the need to update myself with social
events around me which results to scrolling down my social media accounts
almost all the time. There’s a need to keep up or be knowledgeable on events,
new baby products, mommy workshops and teacher seminars around the metro! Whew!
I
feel guilty because the things that I do pull my attention away from the kids.
Instead of spending more hours in the morning singing nursery rhymes with Ate or giving the baby a bath before
lunch, I spend my time typing and researching topics for work. After that, I
have to prepare my learning materials for my students. It’s gasgas to say but “So many things to do,
so little time”.
Which
is why I promise to unplug every
Sundays (except for this post!). I promise to dedicate this day for rest, and
be a tambay at home. I have to stop
thinking about deadlines and just watch movies and series I’ve been planning to
see. I want to make healthy dishes for the family, or just sit down on our red
couch (which is the one always left unnoticed) and do NOTHING- no phone checking. I also
have to work on my reading habits, any suggested books? Lastly, I want to find
good music that will fill the soul (naks) and not just the same mainstream
Calvin Harris suggested on Spotify. The list goes on but will focus on these
first.
Moms,
and you, reading this..let’s just unplug, shall we?
Don’t blink or you might miss a moment- been telling this to myself ever since I became a
mom of two. Everything happened so fast. The payatot baby boy that came out
from my tummy is now a sumo wrestler. I’m not exaggerating but he gained so
much that my arms are challenged whenever I carry him. And it’s not just my little
boy, but also his ate. Ameelia now is really The Ate. She still
continues to adore Aloncito (thank God, no bickering yet!). I love that she has
become more malambing and madaldal at the same time, I think we
just graduated from the Terrible Twos phase. YAS.
June is also the month where
we introduce solids to Aloncito. Hooray! I’m so looking forward to this. I promise that I’ll be more cautious with what he eats and that he keeps a healthy diet for as long as I’m around. Because the dad likes giving McDo to our eldest hoho why!
Half of me rejoices because I don’t have to
pressure myself to produce a lot of milk but the other half feels like what
just happened, he was just glued to my boobs now he wants to stay his own plate
and utensils to eat? Actually, he want to eat everything he sees and holds with his very hard grip! Hay.
.
Although there are many highs for 2017, there are days when I feel dead tired and still wish for a sub. Like in the
middle of the night, when I’m having a good dream but then the baby suddenly
decides to cut the dream because he wants dede.
I want a sub, the same Mama Kat who can give 200% energy to give her kids and still be able to manage all work-related responsibilities. But
when I think about it, I don’t want another person to replace me, even just for
a while. Sounds selfish but I want my children all for myself. Why? Because in
just a few years, they will be doing things independently that I won’t hear the
demanding Mama,Mama! from them. For
now, I just want to save a mental picture (and of course, some real photos) to
remind me of how these human beings are taking over my life.. in a good way!
In my early twenties, my birthdays were celebrated with good food, drinks and great company. But as adulting and motherhood consumed me, all I wanted for this year was to get some good sleep. However, I was (again) surprised with a staycation at Shangri-la at the Fort Manila by my partner. I’ve already planted a me-time scenario in my mind but hey, it’s not everyday that we indulge in a 5-star service so why notttt.
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I finally gave in to a shorter hair cut, hair color and treatment shortly after having baby number two! I thought that maybe it’s something that would help me shoo the baby blues away. But just what I expected, I had to deal with some physical postpartum issues including hair fall. I tell you, it really bothered my daily routine especially while I breastfeed the baby. Hair was just everywhere! eeep!
My grandmother gave me this shampoo and conditioner set from New Zealand and it was ok for a while but come summer time, there it was, coming down the drain every time I take a bath. Not just a few strands, but 21879234205 hair strands. Exagge right? So I told myself, hey Kat, you know this is inevitable but you need to at least find a way to lessen your hair fall. You don’t wanna go bald in your twenties, right?
Zenutrient’s Gugo Shampoo (250ml), P249 Gugo Conditioner (200ml), P260
My lifesaver. The #GugoStrong Hair Care System from Zenutrients. I’m a newbie when it comes to all-natural hair products. I’ve been coloring my hair for like what, 15 years? The salon obviously always recommends products for chemically-treated hair so I had to avail those. This time around, I listened to my mama instinct and told myself to give Zenutrients a try.
What I noticed during the first two weeks? Less hair fall and stronger hair strands. Before, it used to be like 50 hair strands but now it’s down to just 20 (hah! as if I really did the counting!).
I like the scent of both the shampoo and conditioner, not too strong and is actually very calming.
The packaging was well-thought-of, proud that it is locally made and budget-friendly. Seriously, when you’re a mom you start not to notice what brand of shampoo you’ll be using for the next few years because priority now is the monthly check-up and diaper expenses, right?
The only downside I could think of is that I feel the need to put on more conditioner. My hair feels a bit dry and harder to comb since the ingredients are all natural. How about you, what hair products are you using and how did you deal with hair fall postpartum? :)
Before
my eldest turned two, I already prepared myself to what they call Terrible Twos- how bad could it be? I’ve
witnessed my students throw tantrums and I was able to handle the situations well
so I can definitely do it again right? WRONG. It’s so much different when it
comes to your own child.
Students
still has a bit of hiya to go all out
in school. They don’t show 100% of their personality knowing that teachers will
be watching over their moves. Sometimes, they even show an entirely
different personality in school that’s why parents get shocked when I tell
them that their child is behaving well. “Ha?? di siya ganyan sa bahay teacher eh” When it’s your own child, they will
just shift their mood whenever and wherever they want to. And that makes me SO
FRUSTRATED that I sometimes shift to someone else too- like a monster.
My
daughter is now 2 years and 10 months old and I’ve seen so many shifts in her
emotions. Often times she’s in the mood to talk and play with everyone but when
something doesn’t go her way, that’s when we enter the fight zone.
Fight
zone is when I try my best to patiently explain to her why she needs to wait
for her turn or why she needs to finish her meal before eating dessert BUT she
insists on getting what she wants right there and then. Then comes the shouting
and I shout back then she starts to cry and I scream some more because I can’t
tolerate the fake cry (yes it’s fake I know!). Such a scary scenario I tell
you. I honestly don’t have a lot of patience to deal with her right now because
I also have to reserve my energy for her younger brother who needs my attention
and needs to breastfeed from time to time.
I
feel guilty whenever I give in to her wants just because I don’t want to enter
the fight zone anymore. I’d rather be in peace and keep up with her wishes than
go to the cycle of shouting-crying-screaming. But I still want to do the right
thing so I try my best to be MORE PATIENT (like 1million times) because I don’t
want her to think that crying will give her the hall pass!
So
what do I do when I can’t take it anymore? Walk away.
It’s okay to walk away from your child.
I’m not saying that you leave her alone in the room and let her cry for hours.
I’m saying you get your sh*t together and just leave- leave the room, leave the house
if you can! When I can’t handle it anymore and I need to finish work, I go to a nearby coffee shop. This helps me clear my mind and heart. I
need to do this not only for the kids but also for myself. I’m so thankful that
I have a patient partner and yayas. They’re my sub!! Walking
away doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be a mom anymore; I just need a break
from motherhood and just be Kat.
It
doesn’t end there. I make sure that every time I walk away, I reflect on the
things that just happened and assess my behavior as well. I think of other ways
on how to effectively approach my child. This is the peak of toddlerhood and it’s
inevitable-I really have to experience this with her and before you know it, it’s
all over.
Here I am now inside a coffee shop, finishing this
blog post and working on other work-related articles. I’m trying to be more composed so that when
I come back, I’ll be better..
hopefully.
If you’re pregnant right now, chances are you’re
still in bed and typing whatever pregnancy-related concerns pop out of your
mind. And when boredom strikes, you tend to do some (or maybe a lot) of mommy
shopping!
Frankly, my number one concern was losing the
extra baby weight right away even if everyone tells me that it’s okay to eat
because I’m still breastfeeding. I do eat, and I mean I eat without calorie
counting! It’s just that I feel so much better handling motherhood when I see
myself looking confident and not turning into a losyang. Hope you get what I mean. I
attended a baby fair and spotted Urban Essentials Inc.’s booth where I immediately pre-ordered
the Wink Compression Wear. I was shocked when I found out that my size is medium. Waaah all
this time I thought I can fit the smallest one! Anyway, after two weeks, my
order was delivered just right in time before I gave birth.
