August

My husband left for Singapore tonight after 5 weeks of leave (2 weeks work from home, 2 weeks paternity/vacation leave, 1 week leave extension). He was with me from the time I was about to give birth until our little one turned 4 weeks (today). It's the first time that we lived together for a looong time. Our longest prior to this was during our wedding which was 2 weeks. So this month of August has been so much of an adjustment. I realized that we're still really getting to know each other as a couple. Parenthood is also new to us, so everything's been trial and error with Thirdy.

Right now, all I want is just to get an uninterrupted sleep.

The Great Escape

Have you heard of that quote from Maya Angelou? "I've learned that people forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

I think the same is true for travelling. When you get to a foreign country or place, what you will remember most is not so much the landmark or the people but the feeling that the sights and sounds have evoked in you. 

 HK 

CBD

VN

MC

SG

But perhaps, now that I have a son, every time I travel (with him), I'll care about his feelings more than my own. Is he enjoying? Is he uncomfortable? Where else would he like to go? Is he learning? 

My son, I'd like you to explore the world. 

Mommyhood

It's been 1 week and 1 day since I gave birth to my little boy, Thirdy. I gave birth last Aug. 3 at exactly 3:30 in the morning. It was along labor for me, and I almost had to go through a C-section but I am so blessed because everything was normal for both me and the baby. I had a normal vaginal delivery and because of that, I was already up and about 5 hours after I gave birth. I didn't have any complications and I am thankful that the baby was also free from infections even though I caught the flu one week before I was due. If I had the C-section, most likely the baby would still be in the hospital by now (C-section babies have greater risk of getting infections) and I'd probably be still lying on bed like an invalid because of the surgery. We went home Aug. 4 - just one day after I gave birth.

I am happy because even if I wasn't able to print out a birth plan and give it to the delivery room staff, I was able to have the Unang Yakap - a process of letting your baby latch on your breast right after he comes out of you, and I was able to breastfeed right away (3 hours after) - activities I definitely couldn't have done if I had to go thru C-section. They didn't give him any formula milk which I'm really thankful for because I intend to breastfeed for 6 months.

Right now, I'm wearing maternity pads because my uterus is still getting back into shape (through the help of breastfeeding). But I could feel that I'm recovering quite fast. I only have light bleeding now. Having Thirdy around is a big adjustment. He could be demanding that right now I'm typing this with one hand only. He wants to be held all the time and if he isn't sleeping or pooping, he's taking charge of both my breasts. My biological clock has also changed because of his erratic feeding patterns especially at night.

Mommyhood could be very exhausting, but hey, I'm not complaining.