Bells Will Be Ringing!

I have longed for this time for Trey. I can't wait!

Outdoors!

Meet Gianna, Trey's "best friend" from Maya Playgarden. They're almost the same age having been born on the same month and year. They first met in one of the parent-child programs of Maya and now they're buddies in the kindergarten! And, oh, how they love to play in muddy puddles!

I am so thankful that Trey and Gianna, on their own, discovered the joys of playing outdoors without prodding from any of us at Maya. I guess it's the environment that paved the way. It's readily available so it's there for their taking at anytime!

When was the last time you played around in puddles?

I am a Breastfeeding Ilongga!

Trey is a breastfed baby. Albeit for only 10 months, I am still glad he got "liquid gold."

 

As a working/schooling mother during my breastfeeding journey, it didn't stop me from breastfeeding him whenever, wherever. At night, I would pump milk to store in the ref for his consumption while I was away. At work or at school for my post-graduate studies, I pumped milk at lactation stations, inside the car, inside offices, and even inside bathrooms. I would talk to managers if I can store my pumped milk inside their ref and just get it when it's time to go home. Wewin regularly bought me avocados because it made me produce more milk. We would do anything just to get me "pumping." And when I'm in the comforts of our home, Trey would go on latching for hours.

 

It was not easy and how I wished I could have done more. He wasn't even exclusively breastfed and how I wished he was. I didn't have a support group then but how lucky and blessed all of you are because Breastfeeding Ilonggas are here to help you now!

What's your breastfeeding story? Share! Join us at Hakab 2015, August 1, 10AM-12NN, Robinson's Place Iloilo in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week.

- Jorvy, Breastfeeding Ilongga
‪#‎HakabNa2015‬ ‪#‎BFIjoinsHakabNa2015‬

(Photo Credit: Stanley Ong Photography)

- Repost from FB

Trey's Playschool!

Ginikanan

Ginikanan is Hiligaynon for parent. Having been the first-born child to parents who have lovingly nurtured me until I was 38, I never thought it would be so hard. Of course, this realization came when I became a parent myself on the day I turned 38.

It has been two years and six months. My son is now a toddler and as expected, he's almost always all over the place!  At this particular stage of his life, his goal is to move around, to jump up and down, to run and run, to climb stairs and everything else in between, to throw objects and see how you react, to cry when he sees you getting dressed up and ready to leave. But this is also the time that he could talk coherently, sing with gusto, dance like Daddy, draw on paper and not on walls, play with sand and water, and he helps out in the garden and carries the pail and watering can like a pro! Now that he's a regular part of the Maya Playgarden Parent-Child Program, he has since learned how to socialize with other children his age group and has done activities with the other children and their parents/caregivers. He talks about sharing and borrowing but I'm not sure if he really gets it yet. But he is just adorable just the same!

Time flies so fast indeed.

Tonight, Easter Sunday 2014, I was playing with him at bedtime, singing our circle songs and just laughing together at some silly story, and I looked at him and I almost cried. How he has grown! I still remember the time I used to carry him in my arms and breastfeeding him. Now, he eats on his own and loves rice, fish, and soup so much! I also remembered the time when he couldn't hold his head up yet. Now, he's an acrobat! Wasn't it just yesterday when his Dad was so worried he couldn't walk and talk yet? Hah! He can run fast like the wind and oh how he talks, sings the Hiligaynon lullaby "Dandansoy" while strumming his guitar, and  reports everything from how he got his bump to how he got scared when a relative suddenly picked him up without warning and how his Manang Nana, his 5-yr-old first cousin, would always tell him to "go out" whenever the former would have tantrums. 

My child is growing! I took his face between my hands and kissed him and said, "I love you, Baby!" He looked at me funny but said the customary reply, "Love, Mommy 'Day" (contraction for the Hiligaynon female nickname Inday), which I know he doesn't comprehend yet. And we proceeded with our regular nightly ritual with his current favorite "read," "Alice Through The Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll with illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. He knows all the characters' names and imitates their actions as illustrated. His fascination with the book is pinpointing where an identical illustration can be found elsewhere in the book. 

He never ceases to amaze me. I love discovering him every day. No rush.

milestones

when you're an early childhood educator on top of being a mother, you cannot help but be mindful of milestones of your child. i guess most mothers are, too, but as a teacher you're more likely or inclined to also assess your child one way or another. 

my son just turned one year and 10 months yesterday and i was glad i was home just in time to be with him. (i just arrived from manila attending the curative education workshop). not that i was particularly nosy about what new tricks were up his sleeves but i was really paying close attention. well, i didn't notice anything new apart from his hiccups (which they say is a sign of growing-up!) and i just left it at that. 

this morning, however, i did my usual clean-up in the house while he was playing and i noticed that he was observing me. he would glance at me from time to time while he carried on with his play. he was playing with my pilates ball, his daddy's orange cones for basketball training, assorted balls (football, basketball). he was also moving the chairs about and had the brilliant idea of throwing the balls in between two chairs like in basketball! he was particularly happy until he threw the pilates ball which couldn't fit in between the chairs. he abandoned his play and went on to check his other toys. he played with the maracas and i noticed that he was about to hit the floor with it so i took the other maracas and started playing and singing. he joined me and started singing and playing with the maracas, too! the kookaburra song came naturally. after a while, he got the other maracas from me and gleefully ran around the room holding it with both hands. 

i resumed with my cleaning (i was wiping the chairs and tables) and then he started to join me. using a small cloth (the cloth used in reading glasses), he wiped away the dust and started sneezing! but he slowly took his time and cleaned the chairs with so much focus. 

after a while, seeing me wash my rag cloth, he also wanted to join me so i let him wash his own rag cloth. he couldn't reach the sink so i helped him push one of the chairs to boost him up. of course, he liked "washing" which eventually turned into splashing and extended time playing with water. the challenge for us parents is to how to properly transition from one task to another without forcing our child. what i did was ask our yaya to get the clothespins and show it to him. he immediately knew what it was for so he happily let go of the wash basin and followed me outside to hang the rag cloths.

then i got the broom to sweep the floor and i was so touched when he got the dust pan and gave it to me!

it was work/play and not only did i accomplish my housekeeping chores, i also had a great time with my son!

my son's ability to "comprehend" what's happening in his environment as well as managing to "cope" with the changes is a milestone.

look who's getting ready for the parent-child program this coming saturday!

with his new pair of rain boots!