Cuddles and Crumbs

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Paksiw na Isda

Published by Abigail

Last week I received the award for drama queen, was feeling really sad, alone, tired, and didn’t want to talk to anyone. My poor husband was left guessing what was wrong, he would find me crying along with our baby.

Really missed my siblings, mom, and friends back home. I miss being in the office and earning but my heart breaks at the thought of leaving my kids with a nanny while I go back to work.

V saw me crying myself to sleep and my husband suggested that he accompany V till the bus came so I can get more sleep. They both kiss us bye and V whispered “Don’t be sad na Mama. Let’s eat fish later okay.”

He greeted me at the bus stop with a kiss “I’m home mama. You’re happy now?”

We talked about school and what kept me busy that morning. V showered me with hugs & kisses. Re-assured me that everything will be ok.

We shared our favorite fish dish – Paksiw na Isda. Eating using our hands we enjoyed each bite with steamed rice.

That’s all I needed. Yes I was happy.

Paksiw na Tilapia

2 pieces large Tilapia, cleaned and scales remove
1/2 cup Vinegar
thumb-size Ginger, sliced
1 medium Onion, quartered
5 cloves Garlic, crushed and skin removed
3 Eggplant, sliced
5 Okra
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 cup Water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Procedure:

Arrange fish in pan. Add vinegar, fish sauce, oil and water.
Top with Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Eggplant, and Okra.

Bring to boil and simmer over low heat until fish is cooked.

Eat using your hands and enjoy with steamed rice.

Chloe Isabelle – 4 months old

Published by Abigail

Oh October what a busy month that I almost forgot to post that our Chloe turned 4 months old. Time is flying fast but each day we are full of joy. Chloe is such a happy baby that just lights up a gloomy day! His Kuya V loves to cheer her whenever she tries to roll to her tummy and back. Although she would sometimes shower her brother with vomit kisses he just adores and love her to bits.

We have been attending a baby massage class and she just loves every stroke. It’s also our first mom-baby group activity, there’s just some joy when you are around babies and listening to stories of other Mum assures one that we are doing the best thing we can for our babies.

At four months old:

Weighs 6.2 kgs and is 63.5 cm long
Received her 2nd dose of DTap, PCV, and Rotavirus vaccines
Manages to sleep on her own (I put her down on the crib half awake).
Sleeps on her back or tummy and no more swaddling
Laughs! (Just gives so much joy to her brother)
Responds with coo’s and giggles when we talk to her.
Rolls to tummy
Reaches for toys

We have been out on most weekends attending birthday parties and she’s such a people person giving each who greets her a smile (except when it’s her sleeping time).

Thank your for giving us so much joy my love!

Pwera Usog

Published by Abigail

Usog is a similar concept to a evil eye hex which usually affects a child who is greeted/praised by a visitor or stranger. According to our elders once affected by usog the baby/child gets sick or would just become restless and would cry for hours.

To prevent this visitors are requested to (“lawayan ang bata” ) put his saliva in a finger and rub this on either the baby’s tummy, forehead or feet and say “pwera usog” before leaving. I just find it utterly disgusting to mark a baby with saliva! Whenever someone did this though I would secretly (didn’t want to offend the elders) wipe the area with antiseptic wipes.

Another practice is to let the newborn where a red bracelet (some a mix of red & black) called corales (beads are made from corals). The beads is believed to catch/block away the usog and would draw the visitors attention to the bracelet first before the baby.

When Auntie Bing found out that baby #2 is a girl she suggested to let the baby wear a corales bracelet, I requested a gold corales but they didn’t find any to their liking (they were looking for a design which was similar to what I wore when I was a baby). Her Lola Bing (grandma) bought her 3 bracelets and yes she wears them everyday.

I defied a lot of pamahiin (traditions) when V was a baby. He didn’t wear any corales and to the horror of my MIL didn’t even put aceite de manzanilla (believe to prevent baby from getting stomach ache) before and after bath time. The only thing I did though was to not let V out of the house (except for doctor visit) till he was baptized.

And when all of the option above fail they say that boiling the clothes of the baby worn on the last place you came from will cure the restlessness and crying. Coincidence or not but I did this 1 time for V – When we reached my Aunts place after attending a New Year celebration on my husbands side my poor baby who was sleeping on the way home was suddenly crying (he was 3 months old). I tried everything from feeding to bathing him but he was still restless and already vomiting from crying and finally after 30 minutes my Aunt mentioned “baka na-usog ang bata” so she ask C to call his mom and ask for help. My MIL suggested we boil V’s clothes worn on the party when the water started boiling with his clothes V stopped crying and slept peacefully.

Do I believe in any of them? Well I can’t say that I don’t; let’s just say that there is no harm in following traditions as long as it doesn’t hurt the child or would ask me to do something really crazy/disgusting.

*Sahar from our baby massage class told me that I need to cleanse the beads daily by soaking them in salt and water mixture.

What are the practices that your family/elders do especially with a new baby?

Drowning in dirty clothes

Published by Abigail

We are a family of four and I have to our dirty clothes everyday and I still can’t keep up.

I was almost in tears when my ever reliable 4 year old washing machine gave me 7 blinks (telling me that something is wrong), the handy mommy in me walk to my husband’s tools took the long nose pliers and cleaned the filter. Turned it on and it gave me a loud chug. My usual fix didn’t do the fixing!

Patiently I waited for the service guys to come only to deliver the sad news that they have to take my friend back to the warehouse and replace the motor.

I feel so helpless my friend is leaving me (for a while) I don’t really know how to wash clothes by hand and don’t have the time to do so with a demanding baby in my arms. Since we are celebrating the Eid holidays I have to wait for 6 days till she comes back home.

I’m drowning in dirty clothes and stinky cloth diapers!

*by the way our car also got sick and needs to see the mechanic and stay with them for 6 days as well!

I guess we are stuck at home this Eid drowning in dirty clothes.

Vierte clowning to 5

Published by Abigail

V chose a clown cake design to celebrate his 5th birthday. He gave me specific instructions on how his cake will look like.

We asked him if he wanted to have a big party or special gifts from us. All he wanted was clown cake for school, chocolate muffins, Oreo bites and special gifts.

Baked a chocolate cake on a bowl pan so the face wont be flat but the cake turned out to be dry so I decided to use round 6″ inches baking pan thus a flat face for this clown. So sorry for giving you a flat face happy clown.

Before leaving for school V made us promise that we bring his sister to school as well.

The joy on his face when we revealed the cake in front of his friends was priceless. “My mom made that for me!”

We learned a lesson from last years 4th birthday dragon cake to not make a mess on the classroom. Instead of slicing the cake for the kids to enjoy each one had a vanilla cupcake with nutella frosting, chocolate covered oreo bites and fruit juice.