Started Carrots

I started carrots on Aeisha today. And she didn't give me a frown this time. She just played neutral. I can say that she prefers carrots over potato, but loves her cereals the most. Next I will try on is the squash. I guess I might have to buy the jarred ones because I only need a few handful of scoops, the rest, who's gonna eat it? Not me. HAHA

Feature Weblink for the Day

Granny's Garden
http://www.grannysgarden.ca

This is what I call a hobby turned into a business. Even for Granny Rona, nothing beats out the creativity in you. Armed with her skills in knitting, she was able to make her creativity speak for itself. The products that she is selling are mostly hats for children and also for adults too. She also has booties that are included on some of the hat sets. Granny Rona is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, although she is accepting orders from the US & elsewhere as well. The price range for the items are $22-$25. For a small additional charge of $2.95, she will gift wrapped her creations before sending it to you via Canada Post for a mere cost of $2.50 per hat, or hat and booties sets to Canada and US. She is also accepting International orders. Just drop down a line to her at her email which can be found in her website. One more thing.. I like her website. It's straight to the point and cool to the eyes. Nothing fancy but very informative.

Holly Hobbie

I love Holly Hobbie, she's so adorable! Ever since I was a kid, I love all her collectibles. Then years passed, she's all forgotten until Carlton or I guess American Greetings revived her. I want to start her collection, but being a sane person that I am, there are other priorities that I need to attend to... especially my bag collection. HA HA. Just kidding!

Holly Hobbie has been in existence for the past 40 years already. When I logged into their website (www.hollyhobbie.com), there is a new version of the said character. I don't like it but I guess her creators want to cater to the new generation now.

I got this on the internet:

Holly Hobbie, the charming girl in the oversized, blue chintz bonnet, is a character, who personifies childhood innocence. It was named after its author and creator, Holly Hobbie, and introduced as a character design on a few greeting cards in 1967 by American Greetings Corp.

Holly’s engaging smile and friendly, country girl appeal hide a deeper wisdom and strong, optimistic outlook on life —one she is quite happy to share with others. In a
rustic, early-American setting, Holly Hobbie, her brother, Robby, and best friend Heather, share friendship and happy times together.

Hmm.. interesting. I just loved Holly Hobbie that I didn't know that there exists a brother and a best friend. HAHA.

Bag Craze

I don't know why I am so obsessed with bags. In my closet, I have a big box of bags that was previously 'worn' by me. And I still kept it. I guess there is no bag in this world that will ever satisfy me. HAHA. But I can say that the oldest bag that stayed with me was the Lacoste shoulder bag that my sis-in-law gave me years ago. I must have used it the longest. I use it during weekends as I can't use it at work. Too small. To this day, I can say that I have at least 20 bags in the box ready for storage or in my closet that's ready to be used anytime. He he. Ok, not only do I am crazy about bags.. also diaper bags. HAHAHAHA. I must have bought Aeisha 5 diaper bags up to now. And I want to buy one more. It's an Eddie Bauer blue/brown mini-diaper bag on sale. Half the price. But Os stopped me! I have too many already he said, which is very true. HIHI. I have to stop this obsession else my savings will go down the drain. I must think that there are still other important things to spend my money on than bags. Bu hu hu

Layers

I had my hair cut yesterday. Kept the same length but added layers. They are not that visible though since my hair is not that long. I vowed to go back to the hair salon every 2 months to 'fix' my layers. This will post as a challenge for me since the weather is gearing towards spring and summer. But good thing that I don't need to go out if I don't want to. No obligations to stay outside the scorching heat of the sun. Read my blog from Summer 2006. All I did was to complain about the heat. One day it struck to the 40's and I was out, pretty heavy on the belly and waiting for the bus. OOOOhhh, I don't want to go back to that stage.... i.e. the summer part. HAHA

Wasabi

Today we went to Wasabi with friends. It's been a while since we've been there and been in touch with our friends. It's so nice to have a sumptous meal with them. We spent $19 each for the all-you-can-eat buffet lunch. One thing that I find it weird is that, the washroom doesn't have a change station for babies. I bet there have been comments already about it. But still they are not installed. The last time we went there was on December when the restaurant was fairly new. And we had to use a bench near the side entrance (unused) to change Aeisha's diapers. So, hopefully they can correct this and also cater not only to the 'eaters' but also to babies.

Potato with a Face

I started to give Aeisha potato yesterday and what a grimace of a face I got from her. HAHA. She was scowling on every feed. I prepared the potato the night before. As recommended by a friend, I peeled the potato. Boiled them til they are very soft and tender. Then I pureed it with just plain hot water. Then I set it for a while to cool. Then I put 2 Tbsp of the pureed potato in each cube in the ice tray. For Day 1, I cracked out 4 cubes of the pureed potato. Oh it was too much for Aeisha. So today, Day 2, I just cracked 2 cubes. And she finished it! She still frowned.. giving me her Datu-Puti look. HAHA. If you can picture what I mean. We'll see tomorrow.

Rainy Spring

Yes, I know that spring is supposed to be rainy here in Toronto. And this is what's happening right now. Well, rain is so much better than snow. Snow gets muddy in the end. Rain just dries up. He he. The temperatures right now at in the positive side although the clouds are still hovering up the sky which leaves the sun out for a while. I can't wait for the weather to clear up. There's just so many things to do outside. Plus, I want to be able to bring Aeisha to the park. She gets the shivers when we are outside just even for a few seconds. She is not adjusted to the wind yet. We can get fresh air there although it's not much since there is a construction right across the park. It was supposed to be a 'man-made lake'. But I guess business is business. A certain builder bought the whole lot and turned it into what they do best.. real estate. Oh well.

When You Reach Home with Baby

This is part 4 of my reminder blog. After a few nights’ stay at the hospital, the attending OB gives you a go signal to go home. My OB stopped by my room on her way to work the next day. I was really amazed at how after a 24hr shift, she can still manage to look so proper and up and running for her day’s work at the clinic. It was learned that her shift at the hospital the night before was extremely busy. September 21 was the busiest!

Anyways, so when you reach home with baby, make sure you have the following at home:

At least 1 feeding bottle ready to use. The rest can be sterilized after the first feeding, i.e. if you plan to bottle feed as in my case when my milk supply was at its lowest.
Have baby’s crib ready for sleep.
Prepare enough blankets and receiving blankets to swaddle baby.
Have enough wash cloths too. This is best when feeding baby. Instead of using bibs, wash cloths are good alternatives.
Formula: Buy this as soon as you are discharged from the hospital. You never know if you have enough milk in you.
Diapers: Stock this way before baby is born.
Diaper rash ointment: Just in case.
Cotton balls: To wash away the poo.
Wipes: You can buy at least one for now since we don’t want them to dry up if you stock them.
Spring water: Use this if you plan to formula feed baby.
Hot water in electric pot: The most convenient way to have hot water in handy.

What to Bring for Mommy & Daddy

This is part 3 of my reminder blog. And this list is for mommies and daddies, too.

1. Jacket: The hospital room can get chilly especially at night time. It was late September when Aeisha was born so the temperature outside was kind of in the teens. I had to be in my jacket at night time.

2. Pillow: The private room I had did have extra pillows for me. I had about 4. Hi hi. But we still brought our own pillow. Bring extra pillow for Daddy, too.

3. Blanket: This is for Daddy. If you had a private room, a couch is provided for Daddy. We were lucky to have a couch that is functionable and sleep-able. The other rooms didn’t have the kind of couch we have. You can also bring a cot but the room we had was too small. And the couch was just perfect for Daddy.

4. Bengay: Oh, gosh I needed this because I was sore all over. It did help a bit but the soreness was internal. But it did provide relief for my arms.

5. Going-home clothes: Ok, I didn’t have this!!!!!!!! The night before we were to be discharged, Os went home to get new supplies and bring home old ones. And I shipped these (going-home clothes) with him. My mistake. I learned that it is still best to bring your maternity clothes. The jogging pants will be best coz it’s stretchy and comfy. A big tshirt will also serve good as top. I had to use Os’ jogging pants in going home cz it’s loose. He he.

6. Socks: You need this since it’s cold at night. I found it very comfy to wear socks.

7. Toothbrush & toothpaste: You will have likely to have visitors so it is good to be prepared.

8. Laundry detergent: You need to soak your bloodied undies. Yes, you will still be bleeding and staining can’t be helped.

9. Sanitary pads: I used Moddess maternity pads but you can also use long Always Maxi pad with wings. It worked the same for me. The moddess was given to me by my friend who recommended it and my mom also brought some. In total, I must have hoarded 10 packs of 8.

10. Razor/Shaver/Shaving cream: for Daddy.

11. Face cloth: You do want to wash yourself everyday. Since there are no area to shower, there’s no need to bring a big towel which will consume space in your bag. But have one (towel) for Daddy since he can bathe at a relative’s house nearby. You don’t want Daddy to be out of your sight for a long time.

12. Telephone numbers of friends: Jot down all the numbers of friends that you want to call. I felt bad that I didn’t include one of my friends’ number. And we haven’t talk since.

13. Notepad/Pens: If you want to record anything.

14. Rechargeable batteries: for your digital camera

15. Digital camera: You don’t to miss the moments with the little one.

16. Videocam/Videotapes: Same as #15.

17. Video charger: Same reason as #15.

18. Stroller luggage: It’s easy to lag your things around rather than have bags. Surely you won’t need just one bag. You also have to consider baby’s bag and Daddy’s bag, too.

19. Foodstuffs: Mostly for Daddy since mommies aren’t really allowed to eat til they pass gas. I did pass gas on the 2nd day already. Plus you’re on dextrose so you won’t feel like eating. One tip: Put the foodstuffs in 1 bag. Daddy will share your hospital food but will most likely be hungry still. There are microwaves in the hospital pantry so bringing of microwavable foods is recommended.

20. Juices: For daddy. Although water is available in the pantry, too.

I bet this will be edited still.

Barley

I started the Barley oats cereal on Aeisha. And she loves it as well. It's like our Cerelac back home. The smell. The consistency. No wonder it's every kid's favorite. Hehehe. It's day two tomorrow, so we'll see if she will still like it. :)

Let it flur...Let it flur... Let it flur...

I know.. I know.. there's not even a word in the entire world called FLUR. HAHA..

Anwyays, we've been having flurries since last night. And now they've accumulated on the roof. Here are pictures up for grabs. See it for yourself. :) I took this picture from the inside. This is our neighborhood.

Temperature right now is freaking cold! We're back on the minus side now. In fact, it's -4 right now as I type and it feels like -12. Oh boy! Spring...

Hand in Hand They Fall

As I blog right now, flurries have started falling since dusk today. They came down together with the rain. I guess they go hand in hand during Spring. It's a nice feeling when you hear the raindrops hitting the windows but when you're outside, it's a different story. It's freaking cold! bbbrrr. We postponed our trip again to the mall because of the cold weather. So tomorrow then. I need to buy the Barley cereal for Aeisha. Then I can proceed with my home made potato puree. Ciao!

Flurries in Spring?

It’s kinda bizarre to have this kind of forecast. Starting tonight, there will be rain/snow shower combination. Then overnight until next week is going to be flurries. I just find it weird to still have flurries in spring. Oh well, maybe the forecast will change again.

Rain Rain Go Away

Yes, I am singing or reciting this. I want to go out as soon as Os comes home from work but we couldn't because it's raining. And I don't want to go through the hassle of bringing Aeisha out. The weather station forecasted that it's rain rain rain starting tonight until tomorrow afternoon. It's supposed to clear up partly tomorrow evening. But who knows? It's just a forecast. And it will change again. Hay.

What to Wear

What should babies wear? From the time they were born, parents should have their 'welcome clothes' ready. In my case, since I had a CS birth, what we prepared had gone haywired. Os didn't have any idea what to bring. I was in a state where I want baby to come out already! We missed bringing the baby clothes and cap to the operating room. So baby was swaddled... naked except for a diaper, which the nurses in the room provided. Because of tension, Os didn't cut the umbilical cord, didn't see the placenta, didn't take picture inside. What we planned for, they didn't happen. But of all its worth, Os was beside me, comforting me. When the attending OB said, "It's a girl!". All I remembered was, "YES!" coming from him. So he wanted a girl! HA HA. I was in a groggy state so I barely remember everything. He just keep on reminding me that it's a girl. And she looks like me. When I saw her, she has her eyes closed, and yawning, and blinking her eyes, as if to tell me "Mommy, I'm here." Hi hi hi. It was so perfect a sight to see. And so much a relief for me. Finally, I thanked God for making it so smooth and FAST. Just like what I prayed for. HA HA.

She loves Oats!

Oat cereal... Aeisha loves this! She will stomp her feet on her high chair to demand for it. HA HA. Today I gave her 1 Tbsp with 2 Tbsp of water at breakfast, lunch & dinner. She tricked me by not finishing her milk. Just leaving 2oz. Enough to mix cereal into it. HA HA. So I gave her the oats & she quickly finished it. So I can say that she is OK with oatmeal. Next week, I am going to try the Barley Cereal. Then after the Step 1 milk is finished, I will switch on the homemade potato puree. As my friend recommended, I just have to put the pureed potato in an ice cube tray then freeze it. Take out what I need in order not to keep on using the blender every time I will serve Aeisha her pureed potato.

New Costco... opening day blues?

Costco open its doors to the Markham residents yesterday, March 30. It is situated at Kirkham Road and Markham Road. I was excited upon seeing the ads late last year. And I can't wait for its grand opening!

On its opening day, it was kind of a big disappointed for me and Os. The place was jam packed when we went. Considering it was already 8pm! Finding a parking was a pain. It took ages for us to find a spot. So Os dropped me and Aeisha first and we went in. Good thing the line to go in wasn't that long. The line at the Registration was LONG. Days before they open, Costco had a big signage about pre-registration of their membership. And yet, people ignore it until the opening day. There were Costco employees at the entrance checking the customer's membership cards. If found none, they were not allowed to get in. They have to apply for the card on a separate area.

OK, once we were inside, we found the area to be very massive. There were lots of items. But not much were on sale. Although there were items that were on sale only at this branch. But still it wasn't much. We just bought the usual... eggs & milk. I bought a finger puppet & board book for Aeisha and a lullaby CD.

Will I go back to this branch? For convenience sake, YES. But if I were to choose, I'd still choose the Woodbine branch. It's much easier to navigate and people are well-mannered there. The place might be pint-sized as compared to this newly opened branch, but as they say, it's more cozy. And going there on a weeknight or Sunday morning before lunch is better. So I guess the population there will definitely be lessened because of Costco Markham as most of the residents here had to drive all the way to Woodbine just to get their grocery needs. So less people means roomier. :)

A Quick Siggy

This is another quick siggy for Aeisha. I used scrapbook materials from Shabby Princess. Their site has got great kits to download for free. www.shabbyprincess.com. The picture I have of Aeisha is when she already 6 months old. The dress she wore was given to her by my good friend Shirley. Dresses back home are so nice! The roman numeral number found on the lower right portion of the siggy is ... take a guess. Come on?!?! A quick guess?? Give up!? You can do it. So? Ok ok.. I'll tell you. It's her birthday. 9-22-2006. :) As the caption says, "Spring has spring... and I'm ready." Yes, we are ready. I have lined up all her cute dresses. When the weather is nice out there, I will have them lined up again for laundry! Then it's ready to use! :D

Proud Aunt

I'm so proud of my nephews. They excelled in school this semester. Andrew got a medal for being excellent in Math & Science. One of the few in his class to receive this award. Adriel got awards at Kinderhall, too, and so is Curly (Aetom.. haha). I can't wait for Aedan to receive such awards as well. Hope this will be an inspiration to him while he grows up. I wonder what Ashley has. All I know is that she is a member of St. Jude's Dance Club. She loves to dance! Keep it up my dear nephews and niece!

Siggy Amateur

I had some spare moments today and I've decided to create Aeisha's siggy myself. Just for fun and this is what I did. I used some scrapbook paper materials that I downloaded on the net. The used Scriptina font for her name. A clipart for Easter on the lower portion of the siggy. Os helped me edit the clipart. Pictures were taken just recently and Aeisha turned 6 months. It's fun to try on the spring clothes on her. She doens't complain! hehe

Ship Internationally

Sometimes I just wish that we were residing in the US! There are so many good deals online where they only ship in the US and not internationally. And Canada is considered as "International". My sis agreed since she's really into scrapbooking stuffs and all the free shipping that she can find online are only available for the US. Much as she wanted to send it to me, the shipping rates are costly and sometimes unreasonable already! Oh well.

Another Siggy

Here's another siggy for Aeisha.

A Star for Aveeno

Once again, Aveeno product topped it all. For almost 7 years that I've been living here in Canada, nothing beats out dry skin during the winter season. So I was constantly in pursuit of a good hand cream. I’ve tested over a good 3-4 products and some offered temporary relief from dry and itchy skin. Until I tested Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream. It contains active naturals like natural colloidal oatmeal which lasts through hand washing and moisturized for 24 hours. This non-greasy cream leaves hand soft and smooth even after washing. Some products that I tried were Neutrogena Hand cream which was the first one I used. It was ok at first but when the tube is close to empty, the smell becomes stinky like the product already expired. Then come a new variety of the same brand. It’s fast absorbent and leaves hand smooth. But after the first washing of the hands, the cream is all gone. And I think it is water based too. Getting more frustrating especially during winter where my cuticles are acting up, I sought relief in Olay Quench Therapy Hand Cream. It is Olay’s fastest relief hand cream for extremely dry & itchy skin. It worked! Only that after washing my hands once or twice, the cream is gone. And the smell is so overpowering that you can smell a stench of it a distance away. Then came Aveeno! *whew* What a relief! So far, I’ve tested the previous products, Aveeno stands out! By the way, Aveeno is a product of Johnsons and Johnsons.

First Solids

Rice cereal is recommended to be the very first solid food for babies because it is the least likely to provoke an allergy. I received sample packets from Heinz and Nestle-Baby, some coupons from Beechnut and Gerber. A friend recommended Heinz Rice Cereal to me. So I bought a box and served Aeisha. It’s been the 3rd day and she loves it that she will growl after every bite. That's her way to show that she wants more. HAHA. I mixed 1 tablespoon of the dry cereal with 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water. I made sure that it’s thoroughly mixed. I have no problems about the consistency because the cereal dissolved quickly. Next week, I will increase the frequency of the rice cereal to twice a day. Perhaps lunch and dinner. The week after, I am going to increase to 3 tablespoons of the dry cereal. :)

It was recommended to wait for 2-3 weeks after the rice cereal before introducing the veggies and fruits. Between new foods, it was advised to wait for 3-5 days before doing so. I fed the cereal to her during dinner, lunch, then on an afternoon snack. I also fed her before or after her milk intake. Hmm.. she got the same reaction. She LOVES it. Then I'm moving on to Nestle. Then Beechnut. Then Milupa. Hehehe… Gerber doesn’t have rice cereal. If there’s any, I haven’t found one. They only have the jarred foods.

Right now, since we couldn’t find a good high chair for Aeisha, she is relaxed like a queen on her seat. I know it is not recommendable to do so. So hopefully we can get her a high chair already. The one branch that we went to didn’t have stock in store. They are selling the floor model. So we walked out. HAHA. We’re going to try our luck on the other branch. Else… hay! I have to research for another high chair. I was luring for the Fisher Price one but when we tried Aeisha on it, I had difficulty sliding the tray out with one hand. When I tried the Graco Mealtime one, swoop! It was fast and secure. So we decided on this one only to find out that it was the last one. Bummer!

What to Bring

This is Part 2 of my reminder blog...

The welcome of a baby is a very momentous event. So we want to be certain that we are primed with all baby-necessities. Being a first time mom myself, I had it all planned and yet, I missed out lotsa items. I guess my resources didn't give me all the details that I need to know. OR were my questions too broad and vague? Anyways, here goes.

Based from my experience, I would remind myself to bring the following for the baby:

1. Diapers: Provided the hospital supplies you these, you need to bring at least 1 bag of diapers. I used Pamper’s Swaddlers #1 because I wasn’t aware of a size for newborns. Besides, they grow very quickly that the maximum weight for the newborn size is 10lbs. In a span of 2 weeks, babies will go beyond 10lbs. Unless the baby is born very small, newborn size is not recommended. I’d say 1 bag because of a last minute decision to proceed with C-section, I didn’t bring enough diapers that I had to ask my mom to buy me one pack.

2. Wipes: You use this to clean the baby’s bottom for pee and poo. I’d still recommend cotton balls soaked in water for the poo. I used Huggies Wipes which was OK although I didn’t like the scent. I’d use Pampers’ Sensitive wipes.

3. Diaper rash cream: Just in case there is an early sign of a diaper rash.

4. Vaseline: The hospital provided this for us but better to be ready in case you ran out of it.

5. Facial tissue: You’d want to use this to scoop the petroleum jelly from its container and into the baby’s bottom. We didn’t have this since the petroleum jelly that was provided came in a tube form. So the nurse taught us to just squeeze the petroleum jelly out from the tube into the diaper and apply it directly using the diaper as an ‘applicator’. You also use to dry the baby’s bottom when cleaning up the poo.

6. Receiving blankets: I’d say bring 10. Why, because it will serve as a swaddling blanket for baby. They tend to love it when it’s warm and they are snuggled inside. It can also be used as a burp cloth.

7. Thicker Blanket: To place this on the ‘bed’ of the baby. The mattress is too paper thin.

8. Sleepers: Make sure that it’s long sleeves and closed with snaps, not zipper. We have to be careful of the umbilical cord area. I’d say at least 8.

9. Socks: at least 5.

10. Infant cap: Babies had to be warm from the head to toe and no better way to warm them than an infant cap. I’d say 3 is enough. I didn’t think about this so baby was cold that we had to cover her with the receiving blanket and I ran out of it. Recycle recycle recycle.

11. Face cloth: When feeding baby, to wipe milk residue.

12. Change pad: This will come in handy when you want to change baby in a larger area.

13. Car seat blanket: Whether it’s summer or fall, the car seat needs to be covered.

14. Car seat canopy & head rest: This is a boo-boo for us. We weren’t prepared for this. The canopy was sitting inside the box! So it’s a must to have this when checking out baby.

15. Bundle me: When it’s winter, this is very convenient as baby wants to feel warm.

16. Car seat cover: A thicker blanket to cover the car seat. For protection from unwanted particles from the hospital.

First Ever Siggy

This is our first ever Siggy by Salena. You get to send your pictures and wordings and she will take care of it in a day or two. Two at the most. There are 3-4 other artists who give their creative time and put these pictures at work. Their website can be found in http://vipsignatures.proboards84.com/index.cgi.

No Coffee

I am not a coffee drinker. I just happened to drink a medium Tim Horton's .. just for fun. They have the Roll up the Rim promo again. As usual, I didn't win. Os wasn't lucky enough either. And what a nightmare it has made to me! I was reading "The Innocent Man" by John Grisham, his latest nonfiction. Oh boy! I read and read and read until 330am. Then I slept. At 530am, I was awake. Went on a potty break then went back to bed. But I couldn't sleep!!! I was awake until 730pm when I hit the sofa and slept soundly for 1 solid hour. Now, DST (daylight saving time) started, and it's supposed to be 12:48am now, almost 1am and I'm still awake. My sleeping pattern has been side swept by a medium sized Tim Horton's coffee.. double-double. He he he. So, from now on, I won't drink coffee anymore!

A Milestone

Aeisha has entered into the stage of teething. It started very obviously last night. She was so uncomfortable and didn't want to eat. She had diarrhea on Monday-Tuesday. She was so so drooling uncontrollably. I have to have at least 5 washcloths daily. By Wednesday, she was a bit OK. Her feedings were so inconsistent last night, from 6oz per feedings every 4 hours to 1-2oz per feeding every ??? hours. I lost track! My sister doc suggested to use a medicine dropper just so she will be fed. So that's what I did, and she had fun taking her milk by the dropper. HAHA. We peeked into her mouth and saw two little bumps and whitish color on her lower gums. So I guess this is it! I do hope she will have a positive experience out of this. I know that she will have another round of 'this' by the 7-8th month when her upper teeth will erupt. Oh boy!

New Trick

Aeisha knows how to kick the blankets that I so lovingly put over her at night fearing that she might be cold. Now, I have to at least get up in the middle of the night just to check on her. In the mornings before Os goes to work, he makes sure that she is still snuggled. New tricks everyday. He he.

Now, Mommy has a new trick. Once I sense that she is fussy, I start to read her the Noah's Ark board book I got for her. She will then feel lightheaded, her eyes will start to look sleepy. I keep on reading to her but now narrating on what I will do next like "Now, Mommy will put Baby to her crib. Baby will take her nap." and so on. This is the 2nd time now. HA HA.

More tricks to come...