Bakuna + Book Loot Thursday

Yesterday, we went to our pedia to have Yuri's nth shot. I'm glad to say that there's only one more vaccination we need to have (and pay for) this year, and we're off the hook until Yuri turns 4! Yay!

A big shoutout to Doc Amelia Morata-Lee who just discovered my blog! #thisisembarassing :-P

Here's Yuri before leaving the house:

Segue: I read a thread in the Breastfeeding Pinays Group about delaying vaccinations. Actually, a former schoolmate began the thread. The reason, perhaps, for delaying (or not at all getting) vaccinations is the possible link to autism. I respect the decision. If I were born into a family with the same principles, I would have done the same. However, we were born into families who believe in bakuna. I never knew anyone who developed illnesses due to vaccinations. Also, the link to autism is not proven. On a personal level, I vigilantly bring Yuri to all his bakuna schedules because Yuri was born in the NICU with needles and dextroses (how do you pluralize dextrose?) attached to his newborn feet and arms. I never want to see that sight again, so I wanted to at least gain control over Yuri's health, and immunizations provided me with that feeling of control. The bottom line is that we have different views, and this is mine.

Anyway, enough of the serious talk! Let's move on to the lighter things in life AKA Yuri's OOTD!

Shirt: Crib Couture, Shorts: KID Basix, Suspenders: SM Department Store, Shoes: Children's Place

The weather was pretty hot that morning, so I went for shorts. Also, it's been a long time since Yuri wore shorts. But actually, the realest reason is that they look best in suspenders. :-P

Did you notice na paulit2 lang shoes ni Yuri? He's outgrown all the rest! Oh well, no new shoes muna until he's outgrown his 2 pairs mwahahaha!

So anyway, when we arrived at the clinic, Doc said she saw Yuri's photo wearing only diapers. Haha! Then, she mentioned that she discovered my blog. Ayayay! Good thing I only raved about her here! Seriously, though, I like Dov Amy because I can ask her about anything and everything, which is why our clinic visits never end in just one hour.

Doc was in the other room, watching Be Careful with My Heart. Teehee peace, doc! (I look every inch the Haggardo Versoza mom. My excuse is that I just came from work.)

Another reason why I like clinic visits is the loot we get to take home teehee:

Lotsa Ceelin and Cherifer vitamins!

I swear, I really planned to buy Yuri Cherifer vitamins last Sunday. Only I backed out in the last minute because I thought we needed to use up the Ceelin vitamins at home first (still c/o Doc!). However, I don't need to buy anymore! Thank you, fairy godmother! Also, pwede pala syang isabay sa Ceelin haha! #ignoramus

She also gave Yuri another, bigger activity book! Another addition to our "library" hehe.

This time, it's a sticker book!

With texture pages, too, which is my favorite feature:

At the mall, I also bought Yuri two more boardbooks to add to his growing collection. I can't help it when they're only 79 pezoz:

A pleasant surprise: One of the books only cost P45! Sayang there was only one of this in National Bookstore.

After doing the groceries (when Mama and I are together, a quick I-just-need-to-buy-diapers turns into full grocery shopping), Mama had to return to the bookstore for some sticker paper. Meanwhile, Yuri and I hung around the magazine stand:

On the level of Disney Junior magazines:

Getting curious of the Disney Princesses:

If you notice the whitish area on the lower left of the photos, it's because may powder pala on the lens. Iisa lang ang salarin. Nakakaloka. Anyway, it's clean now. :-)

And that concludes our quick dayout! I just realized I forgot to take a photo of Yuri's band-aid. The one given by Doc is purple with yellow stars. Sayang! :-(

Anyway, have a happy weekend!

PS: This post is supposed to be published hours earlier, pero ang bagal ng internet! Grr!

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Clinic Visit + Book Loot

Last Saturday morning, we went back to our favorite pedia (hehe) for our 6-in-1 shot. Our schedule was supposed to be on the 26th when Yuri turned 18 months, but I had to re-schedule because our yaya had a school event din last Saturday, so sinabay ko na para di ma-doble absences ko. Our ever nice pedia had no problem about it.

I know very little about pediatricians because this is the first time I have to visit one regularly - I don't recall seeing a particular doctor regularly when I was young, except for our family dentist. However, I do know that a good pediatrician would do this:

Our pedia, Doc Amy Morata-Lee, already knows Yuri so well - well, she was there since birth. Now, she knows that Yuri already reacts to being in the clinic negatively. It's like he knows what will happen inside. By extension, he has not been so fond of Doc. This time, though, Doc was prepared. She immediately set blocks on the floor for Yuri to play. No, these weren't to measure anything (Yuri never had the patience for stacking toys), but just to make Yuri hiyang to the clinic.

In the photos above, Doc is the woman crouching beside Yuri. Cool, no? After a few moments of playing, we held Yuri down on the bed for the shot. Of course, warla ensued. However, Doc immediately resumed to dancing and playing with Yuri so Yuri forgot about the pain right away. Doc also gave him biscuits. Food really is the way to a man's heart.

Before going home, Doc gave me these:

Our Ceelin supply for this month is already taken care of! Yay! I also asked Doc if she can recommend some appetite-boosters for Yuri, and she told me to try a sample of Heraclene.

She also gave me meal plans:

I don't think I can give you the entire photos, sorry!

She also gave Yuri some biscuits and snacks. She also wanted to give us some balloons from the clinic (bakit nga ba may balloons?), but we already had our hands full - it was only my mom and I with Yuri - so we had to return them. Huhu.

After our doctor's visit, we proceeded to the mall because I was to meet up with Charles Goodies' brother for my Crocs shoes. We stayed in the National Bookstore while waiting, where my mom and Yuri directly went to the board books section. Uh-oh.

But it was a good thing because I saw these!

Super duper cute board books with equally cute stories! Now, guess how much they are?

Only around P80 per book! It was like I was in Bookshop or Booksale. The only difference was that these books were spanking new! I wanted to buy more (there were lots of this), but I only had a few cash with me and I left my ATM at home, so I bought two first. I'll surely be back for more!

I was also able to get my Crocs shoes, which I wore in my Jollibee event in the afternoon:

As I mentioned, I was also set for a Jollibee that afternoon and Yuri should be coming with me. I asked Doc if it's okay to bring Yuri with me. Yuri is a big boy already, so a little shot wouldn't get through him. However, I needed to make sure, so I observed Yuri after we got home. This is what I saw:

Okay, I think we're fine here. Hehehe. We're ready to see Jollibee! Please stay tuned for my blog post about Jollibee's 35th birthday.

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Another Doctor's Appointment

I don't want to write anything election-related for now. Nakakadismaya kasi. So let's talk about Y hehe. Last Friday, Y was scheduled for another vaccine appointment with our beloved docky, Doc Amy. This time, Y had a Hepa-A shot.

The night before the appointment:

J: One year old na si Yuri. Bakit every month pa rin ang bakuna?
Me: Hindi ko rin alam, dy. Ang konti lang ng bakuna natin noon no? Parang isa lang akin. Anti-rabies lang. Joke!
J: Isa lang din akin. Pam-purga lang. Hahahaha!

Okay, so much for the joke. Hahaha. Naaliw lang ako. Super mahal kasi ng bakuna, kaya pajoke-joke na lang kami. So ayun. (May another anecdote pa ako actually starring Honey, Y's yaya, but let's save that for another post). Before I digress further, let's talk about the day of the appointment.

Here's what we wore:

Top: Plains and Prints
Jeans: Forever 21
Pambahay Slippers: Fake Crocs (sorry naman)

On Y:
Shirt: Crib Couture
Shorts: KidStyle (my favorite)
Slippers: Oshkosh from this post

Closer photo: Big smiles!

I love my sister's headband! This costs only P25 in Uyanguren. :-)

Y was a happy camper on our way to the clinic. He just kept mumbling to himself, pointing to the cars and buildings, and playing with my bag. When we entered the clinic, he greeted Doc Amy's secretary with a wave and a smile. However, when Doc Amy went out, nag-morph na si Y into this:

I had to crop my face off this photo because I was laughing hard. Hahaha!

Does this mean kilala na ni Y si Doc? At 13 months, may fear na pala ang babies sa doctors and clinics. I did not know that! I need to brief Y ASAP! Doctors are friends, baby!

I wasn't able to take more photos inside the clinic because Y was like a madman. He kept crying and shouting even when they were just taking his vital stats. Segue: Y was 9.5 kilos when he was 10 months young. Now, guess what? He's 8.9 kilos! Anyare?! Hmmm..

When we arrived home, Y sought refuge in his walker and his new friend, Babbit:

Y can't walk on his own yet. Well, actually, I believe he can, but he's not feeling confident yet. It's okay, baby. In your own time. :-)

A mere fifteen minutes after we arrived home, heavy rain poured down. After another fifteen minutes, there was power interruption. No electricity means no internet! No internet means no work! Eeep!

Gloomy afternoon

On the other hand, I can't remember when we left Doc Amy's clinic without bringing home something. I remember she gave us bottles of Dr. Edwards water when Y was just a few months old. Plus vitamins, cards, books, kung anu-ano. Now, she keeps on giving us educational toys, like what I wrote here and here. We love them all!

Now, Doc Amy still didn't disappoint and sent us home bringing these:

Sorry for the dark, grainy photo. This was taken using my phone during a rainy afternoon. Plus brownout. San ka pa?

Our clinic loot contains two boxes of Nutrilin vitamins (to increase Y's appetite), his third Enfakid activity book (with CD and worksheets!), and two Butter Coconut biscuits. :D

I think this is already our third Enfakid Activity Book. Never mind that I don't buy their milk; I love the books! 

And this workbook is serendipitous (took me 15 second to spell that). You see, I was really supposed to buy Y a musical CD or DVD. I planned to visit Mantex after the appointment for pirated DVDs hehehe. Now, I don't have to! Doc already gave us one! Thank you!!!

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It's not a competition.

Last Wednesday, we went back to the Barangay Center for our MMR shot. I'm glad to announce that that was finally our last center appointment! Graduate na talaga kami, at long last!!!

Now, don't get me wrong. I like having the option to avail of free medicine and immunizations in the barangay. I think I have already saved around 30k just by going to the barangay center.

However, there are a couple of things I dread whenever the date of our appointment nears. First, even though the appointment is free, it is too taxing time-wise and effort-wise. Imagine, you have to be there before the center opens at 8. And when you arrive at around 7:30, don't expect to be the first in line. In fact, last Thursday, we arrived at 7:30 and we were 23rd in line. Also, it is not (never was) a comfortable wait. The center is cramped, hot, and full of wailing babies - Y included. LoL.

The second and worse thing I hate about going to the center is having to socialize with a lot of other mothers. I'm not antisocial, but there's something about sitting with a smorgasbord of women with their babies. This is because I notice that the conversation will always, always steer toward how well and how advanced their babies are performing. And sometimes, it boils down to pure boasting.

I would hear a mom taunting another because the other's baby is not sitting yet. Her baby, she claims, began sitting when he was still a few months old, a lot earlier than the other baby. The others can clearly tell whose mothering style is better. Guess who feels bad?

Another mom would proclaim that her 8-month old is already walking, making the others stare at her at awe. How did she do it? What kind of mothering did she do? She now reigns supreme in the field of mothering. The mommy queen-bee.

My 13-month old still uses the walker. Does this make Y a poor baby? Of course not!
He's wearing his aunt's headband, by the way. Hahaha!

Now, because the center is cramped, mothers would generally see each others' babies weight and height. We're stuck at the 9 kilogram mark, while other 1-year olds would have already achieved 10 kilograms. I saw a mom with a bigger 1 year old look at my card, but I just smiled at her.

I chose not to get affected. Why would I? Y is very healthy. He eats a lot, breastfeeds a lot, plays a lot, and sleeps a lot. He laughs at my jokes and I'm his favorite person. What more could I ask for?

Here's my question: Are babies trophies? Are babies sort of benchmarks we need to work on to prove to others how well of a mother we are? Are our babies' milestones something to compete over?

I'm a mother, too, and I know how it feels when your child has achieved another milestone. But I don't think we need to flaunt our babies' achievements in order to feel superior over the next mom. We have no right to do this because in the first place, babies are different. They develop at different paces.

Your babies' achievements are something to be proud of, yes, but they are not something worth gloating about. If your child develops early, smile, be thankful, and pray to God.

On the other hand, we might see ourselves on the other side of the competition. We might admire (or envy) someone whose baby seems so easy to pacify. Or we might envy someone whose baby has already started walking or talking early. But you know what? There's no need to keep stressing over the fact that your friend's baby is developing faster. Your baby is unique and special as he is.

Just be happy and keep loving. Isn't this the way it is supposed to be?

One of the possible reasons why he isn't fat: we're still breastfeeding. :-)

We're all mothers (well, not all, but you know what I mean). We're supposed to understand what each other is going through. We're supposed to be there for each other, not against each other. For a change, why don't we stop boasting about our own babies' achievements? Why don't we focus on the fun part? The playing part? You know, the loving part? 

Let's forget about the competition (if there ever was one). I'm sure we would all be happier mommies when we choose to talk happy. And did you know that happier mothers equal happier babies?

Happy Mother's Day!

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Clinic Visit

Last Thursday meant another clinic visit for us. It's the day our doc would give us the second dose of Y's flu vaccine. Our appointment was scheduled at 11am, but I had to go earlier at around 10:30 because I had to go to the mall for some transactions. OOTD muna! #pagbigyan

My dark knees won't stop me from wearing shorts. Bwahahaha! Ang init kashe.

Cardigan: GAP

Jeweled tank top: H&M

Shorts: Old Navy

Bag: Fossil

(No shoes? Hahaha)

Mama: Ang init-init naka-blazer ka!

Me: Sorry wala na akong damit. Ibebenta ko na lahat.

I had a couple of transactions in the mall. One was a meetup (I bought something for Y again! Di ko na napigilan), and another was a bank transaction (errr, I bought something for myself). But I swear, these are the only "wants" purchase I'll be making this month. Anyway, after that, I got these:

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Crunch!

My mom and dad were out of town again this weekend (in the time of writing actually), and they're taking my sister along. Seriously, it's the third time they're out of town this summer. First, they were in Camiguin and second, they were in Samal. Now, they're in Surigao.

How does this explain the happy food above? Wala lang. Haha. Actually, the ones above were bought two weeks ago. I just renewed my supply. I'm not even sorry!

An hour later...

An hour later, I was on the way to the clinic to meet up with my parents, who were bringing Y. Y was clearly not in the mood and was even teary-eyed. You see, I left the house with Y still sleeping. Ang himbing pala ng tulog nya. It was already 11 but he was still asleep. So no choice ang lola, she had to wake him up.

Kaya yun, galit na galit sa clinic. Our doc tried to kiss him, pero nagalit lalo. That was before he had the injection. Imagine his reaction after being injected. Warla.

To make up (and since Y also just had his birthday), our doc gave him a lot of stuff, which the little boy immediately played with upon going home. Here they are:

Textured flash cards! Perfect! But there are four of these dapat. Where's the other one?

Here! The little boy got it pala. :D

Texture for touchy-feely babies

A brain puzzle, too!

The puzzle inside the envelope

Trivia!

Last, a musical card!

The little boy plays while eating lunch - which explains the bib.

Yay for clinic loot! Next month ulit, Doc! Hahaha!

Let's read na, baby!

We have another schedule this month sa center, and another doctor's appointment next month. I just hope Y wouldn't be as cranky as this time!

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