Workout Monday

Call my crazy but today I walked home from the gym.  I live in the Sta. Mesa/Manila area and the gym is in Xavier School, Greenhills.  Normally, I'd take a bus ride home which is the most convenient way.  That is, if the driver is unavailable for me to use.  I've always wanted to try walking because anyway according to the app Waze, I only live 2.6KMs away.  So in the gym, I did my long run (did not take note of the KMs anymore, just made sure to run 2 hours straight) and did some strength exercises after (lunges, squats, weights, push-ups, sit-ups, etc).

Gym selfie in between weighted squats.  Must work on those arms!

I finished at 11AM and told myself, okay, since there's no work and I'm in no rush, today, I will walk home.  From Xavier, I walked out to Ortigas Avenue and walked straight until I reached Santolan.  Turned in to M. Paterno - where I started to feel hunger pangs! Hahaha.  After all, I just had a peanut butter sandwich pre-run and 2 small bananas while running.  I stopped at a vendor to buy puto and was told, "Naku ma'am, sold out na po!" WHAT?! Ugh.  So I walked some more... and saw a buko vendor! I ordered a glass and was happy (even if that glass tasted more like water than buko.  Sad).  I reached N. Domingo and turned left and walked more... Until I reached Araneta Avenue, the bridge and was relieved.  Malapit na.

After 48 minutes, I finally reach home.  I'm glad I crossed that off my to-do list but will I do it again? Probably not - streets in the Manila simply do not encourage walking.  Plus, I'd die of pollution if I were to do this regularly.

Home sweet home :)

Say What?

In my first year of being a mommy, I've heard pieces of advice left and right from experienced moms - many I wish I never heard.  Why? I think most of them made me worried and paranoid for no reason at all! Some examples..

1) "Hah? Lagi mo karga? Wag ganyan! Sinasanay mo!!" 
- Hello, I realized that babies really do want to be carried all the time! What's the point in wanting a baby kung ayaw mo mahirapan? Hahaha.  I mean, now that Liam is 13 months old, he hardly wants to be carried and always wants to explore on his own.  My point is, the I-want-to-be-carried stage does not last forever and I'm glad I cherished those days because I actually miss it now!

2) "He doesn't sleep in a nursery? Naku, you'll have a hard time once you go back to work!" 
- There is an extra room in the house, which will be his room in a few years but from Day 1 until this very day, he still sleeps in our room.  Yes, nahirapan talaga ako, having to deal with a baby who still did not sleep through the night and then having to wake up at 5AM every morning for work.  But like #1, hindi siya forever, so konting tiis lang naman.  Plus, I thought to myself, when my baby cries in the middle of the night, I'd much rather he have my arms to go to rather than yaya's.

3) "Breast milk is the ONLY way to go."
- Those who have tried probably know that breast feeding is not as easy as 1, 2, 3.  I had such a horrible time breastfeeding that I gave up so easily (as early as 3 months).  To begin with, I was already mix feeding Liam as early as 1 month so my supply never really came in.  I believe that breast milk is the best, but I don't think I'm any less of a mother for giving my son formula milk early on.  If anything, I feel like I did not have enough knowledge about breastfeeding as well as support for it - something I will make sure I have if given a chance to have Baby #2.  Everyday, I am thankful to the Lord that my mostly-formula-fed baby is healthy and has never had any sickness (save for colds that lasted for a couple of days).  To breastfeeding moms, I salute you 100%!

Anyway, my point is, to each his own.  I learned that comparing will not get me anywhere.  People can give you advice but each baby is different and whatever works for one may not necessarily work for another.  Now that I'm more knowledgeable about pregnancy, babies and breastfeeding, I feel like I can do much better next time (but not anytime soon, hehe).

Seven

Today is independence day and ironically, for me it marks my last free day! Free from papers to check, classes to teach and lessons to plan.  I can't really complain because I have been in this profession for almost 7 years, right? Must be something I like to do, if not, love.

I guess I'm pretty much prepared for Day 1: my lesson plan is ready, my Keynote presentation is all set... ;) I hope my students are likewise looking forward to meeting me!

So how did I spend the last day of 'freedom'?

1) Errands: went to the mall to pay bills (thank God for payment centers), buy some groceries and went on a side trip to Payless! Good thing I did since they were having a one-day-only sale: buy 2, get 1 free.  Not bad, huh? So mom, Liam and I got one pair each. Elmo sandals for Liam, black Comfort Plus flats for me and sandals for mom, also from Comfort Plus.  I loveeee Comfort Plus! So comfortable (duh) and affordable (ie My flats only cost Php 645).

2) Home-cooked Lunch: since our cook was away for close to 3 weeks, I missed having real home-cooked meals! Our labandera did the best she could while the cook was away, but it was simply no match.  Hehe.  I had a huge lunch since I've been trying my best to avoid dinner since last week.

3) Gym with the boys: I killed myself at Spinning Class last night so I didn't work out today anymore.  Instead, I took Liam to the play in the studio area of the gym while daddy did his thing.  He loved the huge space and the floor to ceiling mirror! :p

4) Jollibee ;) Took Liam to Jollibee so he could have some fries.  Unhealthy, I know.  But so far it's one of the few things he eats and doesn't end up throwing up :( I have yet to consult the pedia regarding this.  Oh, he also had some ice cream ;)

So, I suppose it's a pretty productive day.  Now downloading the Beta version of ios7 for iPhone 4s.  Because I'm impatient like that!

Yummy In My Tummy

For the first time in a long time, we went malling on a Sunday! It's been a while. During my marathon-training days, I was either in the gym running or too tired from running on Sundays. Yesterday, we went out was happy to see that most stores were on sale! M&S for example was having a month-long sale wherein all as in ALL items were on 20 percent off!!! These biscuits were originally P75 but we only paid P60 for it. Needless to say, mom and I went on a shopping spree - mostly on food. Hahaha. 

Look at the little toddler (not a baby anymore huhu) enjoying some butter animal cookies! Yum!

PS Will attempt to run 5km later! Half tamad/half excited.  Always hard to start after a long hiatus (about 2 months).

Out For A Run

I wish!!!

Although it can get a little too tiring sometimes, I do love all the Liam time I have now that I don't have a yaya and it's summer time.  However, I miss RUNNING :( Like I really, reaaally do.  So please, if you can recommend a good and trustworthy yaya... Please do :( In addition to missing running, I also have to go back to work in 2 weeks' time!

My New Best Friend = Naps

If you have ever been a mom to a kid younger than, say, 5, then you would know what exactly I am talking about.  As I am typing this, the little one is still napping and I've already accomplished so much!

I fixed our shoe rack, fixed one side of the cabinet (maybe the other side for this afternoon's nap), took a nice shower and now writing an update! Hah! ;) ...he's stretching now so it's only a matter of a few minutes before I get busy again but at least I'm happy I used his nap time well!

Yesterday was Liam's real birthday.  Since we already had his birthday party the previous day, we just had a quiet day yesterday.

- Heard mass with the little one (we usually don't bring him along but since it's his birthday, we decided to bring him.  Tsaka wala rin namang yaya, who am I kidding).
- Ate lunch at Yabu :D ...where the birthday boy just napped (thank God I could eat in peace, at least for 1/2 of my meal) and then woke up and ate monay which I bought from a kiosk outside.
- Walked around the mall where daddy bought shoes and guama bought Liam some birthday gifts from Mothercare <3

Thank God we went home after! We played around a bit then he fussed from about 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM! I hate teething! :(( All 3 of us slept early because we got so tired entertaining him so he wouldn't remember the teething pain and burst into tears! Too bad no amount of cajoling and dancing and singing would make him completely forget.  Xylogel, ice cream and the frozen teether could only do so much.  Did I mention how I hate teething? Hoping his upper teeth come out sooner than later! According to this timeline, at 12 months, he should already have about 4-6 teeth out! He only has 2! I have a feeling that when the next tooth comes out, it won't just be 1! Probably why he's in so much pain.

Well, today we woke up to still no emerging tooth so I'm still praying!

PS He is still napping!!!

Liam is 1!

And so today we no longer count months.. We start counting YEARS.

Happy birthday to the #1 game changer! The only one who can make me speak in hushed tones (when he's napping), make me not mind staying home all weekend and the one who makes each day a struggle to become a better me.

I promise to always be there to hold your hand tight when you feel scared, give it a gentle squeeze in ouchie moments..but also to let go when the time comes, so you can grow and be the man God wants you to be.

Daddy and mommy love you soo very much!

Photo: April 21, 2012 and April 20, 2013

Liam's 1st Trip!

So last weekend, Liam went on his first trip out of town.  Apologies for the late update, my laptop's charger died on me and I could not find a convenient Powermac/iStudio branch with the specific model.  Thanks to a friend who lent me her old charger (saves me the money, too!).

Anyway, I was so worried about this trip for the following reasons:

1) First airplane ride for the little one

2) No yaya with us

3) I will be the only girl - brother, dad, husband and baby

I'm so glad it's over and done and in all fairness, although I was dead tired by the end of the weekend, I do feel pretty happy knowing my grandma, Liam's great grandma, finally got to see him.  

Here are some photos from the trip:

Hello Again UP!

So today, Leslie and I revisited an old friend - the UP Acad Oval :) Of course, ever reliable Greg was there with us, too.  Since we weren't going to run a far distance (we were thinking 10km max but ended up with just 6kms haha), we said we wouldn't go too early - we were there by 6AM.  Surprisingly, considering it was Holy Thursday, the place was packed! Even saw good friend Mitz (whom I haven't seen since she left school for her maternity leave), her hubby and baby Aaron (finally!).

Chill/relaxing run.  Not bad, considering I did lunges and squats just yesterday :p

Oh, look who's ecstatic to have both mommy and daddy home on a weekday(s)!

11 months and a week old

Yaya Blues

I've had the same yaya for Liam since his birth.  Actually, she came about 2 days before I gave birth! Talk about timing.  She was referred to us by my uncle's midwife.  Thirty-seven years old, mother of 2 and separated from husband.  Although she's never ever been a yaya/househelp her entire life, she did take care of her kids (21 yo and 7 yo) as well as her pamangkins.  

The thing is, I've been thinking of changing yayas for Liam for the longest time.  Here are my top reasons why:

1) My mom hates her.  According to my mom, if it were up to her yaya standards she would not have stayed with us for this long.  

2) Our cook, who is older than her and more experienced, has been teaching her how to do things better and she hardly listens.  Case in point: For Liam's meals, she prepares lapu-lapu fish with congee.  Lita, our cook, has been telling her repeatedly to transfer the fish to be used from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before so that it could thaw a bit and would be easier to cook/prepare.  So far, it's been 5 months since Liam has started on solids and she has NEVER done it.

3) I bought floor mats for Liam to use, so he could play on the floor and practice his crawling as well.   I told yaya to give Liam about 30-45 minutes per day to stay and play on the floor.  So far, she has done it maybe 5x since I told her to do so.  When did I instruct her? Maybe 7 months ago.

4) I caught her forgetting to give Liam's vitamins maybe thrice already.

5) She used to make Liam wear a bib while taking his meals but for the past couple of days, she has dropped the bib and I even caught her using Liam's sando to wipe his face! :( She used to always carry around a lampin, too.  Not anymore.  Tinatamad na ata, kasi the more she uses lampin/bib/etc., the more she has to wash, too! (Yaya washes Liam's clothes, etc. on Saturday mornings)

6) She moves too slow! 

Actually, the list goes on but I think I've made my point clear.  Basically, I'm happy that she loves my son and is very patient with him.  But as a growing baby who's almost a toddler, I think we'll be needing more from a yaya.  I need someone more active, one who would take more initiative and a teacher who can also discipline Liam, with tenderness. 

So, my husband and I have decided.  When yaya goes home for a vacation this summer, I will tell her not to come back anymore.  The problem now is, how.  How does one go about firing a househelp.  If you know better, please do enlighten me!    

I need divine intervention.  

"NO!"

"NO!" seems to be my favorite line these days.

With Liam being so active, I sometimes miss the little him - easier to carry, does not complain much, wala pang alam sa pagiging naughty! These days, I find myself giving Liam a firm, "NO!" more and more.  Just this morning, I had to give him a strict, stern "No!" because he was playing with his food! At 3 days shy of being 11 months old, he now knows the concept of being shouted at - he responds by first frowning and then crying out loud :( It breaks my heart to know that I'm the reason for his tears but I do want to raise a disciplined child.  I don't want him to grow up thinking it's okay to do anything at all! The paranoid in me tells me that all the NO's might damage our relationship and might make him hate me or whatever - yeah I know, OA much.  One of my favorite go-to websites, babycenter.com, has an article on the matter.  According to the article, although discipline should be enforced, spanking should never be an option.  I don't have plans of the latter, but H believes that moderate and purposeful spanking should be okay - he wants to be the type of father the his child fears to a certain level.  I think that should be fine, right?

Liam at 2 months, roughly 9 months ago.











Liam with mommy and daddy on Chinese New Year, at 9 months old.









If I were to think of every single thing I would do or say to Liam and it's possible effects both long-term and short-term, I think it will drive me nuts!!! I guess the best I can do is just to make sure that I do all things out of love - after all, what other reason could there be?

Nine Months of Love!

Happy 9 months to my little Liam! <3

Mommy and daddy both love you so very much :) 

PS Don't grow up too fast, please :(

Back in the Grind

As you can see on top of this page, I wrote,

"Run, teach, change nappies - welcome to my world."

I'd say my life is segmented into those three aspects although I do admit, I almost always talk about running :p Last week Thursday, after 18 days of being off school, I finally had to go back to work.  It was a painful HELLO to all the papers I had to check and documents I had to prepare.  We had two days (Thursday and Friday) to prepare, ergo, no students yet.  Yesterday, Monday, it was the students' turn to feel the back-to-school pains.  I remember as a student I hated the Sunday night feeling when the reality of going back to school on a Monday kicks in.

Anyway, so I met the kids again and although I was longing to be at home, making silly faces to make Liam laugh, it only took me 5 minutes to get back into the groove of teaching - and to remind me all over again why I do what I do.  Within minutes of being around the girls, I instantly felt happy to be back and forgot all feelings of dread.    No, I work not for the money, after all, no one teaches to become rich! But the fulfillment that no other profession gives....and knowing that even in a teeny tiny way, I help change the world.

Some would question me for choosing to be a working mom, having to divide my time between papers to check, lessons to plan and being a mom.  More so adding running and training for a full marathon to that! But I cannot over emphasize how all these three aspects make me who I am and a better me at that.

I am so grateful to have students who make my time away from my son worth it :)

Re-posting from Instagram

It's amazing to see how much this little one has grown the past year.  I can tell you about how great a feeling it is to run kilometer after kilometer, or how fulfilling being inside the classroom feels... But absolutely nothing in this world comes close to being a mother.  I'd go through all the aches and pains over and over again for motherhood's sake.  

Cheers to more mommy moments this year and the years to come! :)

I love being a mom!

Chill Christmas

So, like my birthday, I also have ZERO photos from Christmas.  Could it be because I've been busy with Liam? Too busy to take photos? Speaking of Liam...

Cutie :D 

He's getting more and more kulit as the days go by - plays with his saliva in his mouth, always has that kagat-labi look, makes sooo much noise, shouts when he's excited - but all these are signs he's a happy, healthy and active baby boy so I'm very much grateful. 

Gali + Amie (plus Liam)

It's my brother-in-law's wedding today and for the first time ever, Alvin and I will be part of the entourage as secondary cord sponsors.  The last time I was in an entourage was to be a flower girl, eons ago!

Here's a photo of my brother-in-law and his bride with hubby and I during our wedding day.  I really am looking forward to their wedding and having another addition to the Guce family.  I can't believe it's been over a year since this day! So much has changed since.

Case in point: It's already been 7 months with the baby! Where did the time go? I used to think of how I wished he'd grow up faster, since taking care of a newborn took so much effort.  Now, he's beginning to work his way through baby talk and I'm getting all sentimental thinking that in a few months, he'll be walking on his own! Sniff.

Well, enough about that.  Now time to have breakfast (yay, can take a long, slow, relaxed brekky since I'm on leave today), shower and head to the hotel for wedding preparations! It's like my wedding day all over again, hehe ;) 

KOTR ++

I ran my first race last Sunday, September 30 in the Adidas King of the Road.  Although my husband thought I was insane for signing up for 10km category (he thinks I should have joined the 5km run instead), I managed to finish the run in a pretty decent time of 1 hour and 22 minutes.  My fastest was at 1 hour 6 minutes and longest, first ever 10km was at 1 hour 30-something.  So, I conclude, that my time is not so bad at all!

I've also found a running group!

Van, my grade school classmate and Leslie, my college blockmate (both batchmates from high school)

We train separately but got together when we decided to join this run.  We plan on joining one run each month! 

October - Unilab 10km

November - New Balance PowerRun 10km and RunBGC 10km

December - I know there's a Nike Run, just not sure when it's going to be and if there's going to be a 15km run for that 

All these runs will hopefully prepare me well for my February full marathon! Phew, just thinking about me gives me a million butterflies in my tummy.  A mix of excitement and nervousness for The Dream Marathon. 

I'm glad I've been regularly running already - save for this week when I've just ran Thursday so far and had gotten sick today :( I have a feeling my body's had too much.  Been running lately (both under the rain and not) then not eating as much (in the hopes of losing weight) and doing teacher work.  Ugh, it's crazy.  And on top of all that, I never really get to sleep a straight 8-hours anymore since Liam was born.  I'm not complaining but my body seems to be.  For over a week, I've just been having milk for dinner except tonight when I had a full plate of spaghetti (today's menu for dinner) in the hope of gaining back my energy.  In my mind: I have to get better so I can ruuuun.  Yes, call me obsessed.  

I mentioned the baby a while ago and my is he growing up so fast! He's turning 6 months in 2 weeks and here he is now:

My little big boy! :) Lately, it seems that every waking moment is spent shrieking and shouting! In as much as I hate having my sleep interrupted, he really does make it so worth it <3 Oh, motherhood.

**

I don't know if I'm biting off more than I can chew trying to manage so many things at the same time... but I'm glad to have the feeling of being tired.  To me, being tired means being productive.  I'd rather do so much and be tired rather than not do anything at all! :) 

So thank you Lord, for the blessing of my many roles in life!

Mother, wife, runner, teacher... Signing off! 

What what?

What happened? Has it really been almost 2 months since my last blog entry?! Again, what happened? Well, school/work/Liam/going back to running happened.  And I can't complain.  I know that the busier I am, the more productive I am, too! :-) So this should be a good thing.

Updates on my 3-dimensional life:

On Running...
I am very proud to say that I have gone back to consistently running! I am back to running with A.  Although my progress seems to be quite slow, I am still very happy to say that yes, there is progress! We run every Wednesdays and this week, I was able to finish 7kms! Happy happy.  Next week seems quite daunting, though, as we aim to finish 9kms.  Of course, this is all in preparation for the Adidas KOTR Run which I signed up for:

Note: I registered for 10kms only, as CA thinks (and so do I!) that I'm still not ready for 16.8 :-) 

Photo from Adidas KOTR website.

So apart from this run, I also bravely registered for The Bull Runner's Dream Marathon happening in February 24, 2013! If you know me well, I have always wanted to run a marathon simply because I want that feeling of accomplishment I will get after crossing a 42-km-run's finish line.  Here's my welcome kit: 

Of course, CA will be helping me train for this ;) Two weeks ago, while running, he was talking about how, at the rate I'm going, I should just run with his wife (Lani).  I had to encourage him by saying, "Uyy don't give up on me! I'll get there again!" Parang baliktad, ako yung nag cheer on sa coach ko, hahaha! Anyway, it's all good.  I know it's harder to train this time since I haven't been running for over a year (sayang, I was halfway there with that Goldilocks 2012 half-marathon) plus, I gained so much weight so I'm heavier now, harder to run.  So it takes extra effort now, but I'm up for it.  After all, apart from that marathon dream, there's a lot of weight I still need to shed off!

On Liam & Family Life:
It's been a great almost-5 months with Liam.  He turns 5 months this coming week! How fast! Time really does go unnoticed, pretty soon, I'll be attending his grade school graduation.  HAH, fast forward much? Here's his most recent photo:

Here's the little one, after a 5:00 AM poo session ;) 

It's 6:30 AM now and he's back in his crib, sleeping. 

Ahh, married life is not a bed of roses, that's for sure.  It's a constant, everyday, learning experience.  Each day, I learn about my husband and his likes/dislikes - I've known him for seven years now and there are still so many things I don't know about him! As a mother, I started out with ZERO experience but I survived, thanks to my mom, mommy-friends and of course, Mr. Google (I find myself Googling almost everything like, "how to burp baby" or "how to sleep train" and many more).  I'm sure it will be a life long learning experience and I'm not complaining because as I discover more about parenting and homemaking, I also learn more about myself.

On teaching:
This year, I am very, very grateful to be blessed with wonderful students.  I can honestly say that I enjoy all 7 sections that I'm handling this year.  As I have said before, although teaching + being a first-time parent is never an easy combination (to add to this, training for a marathon), I find these 3 preoccupations of mine, that I strive hard to juggle, teach me so much.  Did that make sense? What I mean to say is that, teaching helps me become a better mom and vice versa.  Then, to get a break from both, I run - and as I run, I learn so much about myself and how much I can do physically, if I set my mind and heart to it - again, self-discovery and self-improvement.

***

Today's a Saturday and as a teacher, I've always looked forward to Saturdays as days when I can sleep in (having to wake up at 5:30 AM from Mondays through Fridays).  Since Liam though, sleeping in has been a foreign concept.  I know I have a nanny around but leaving him to the nanny, when I'm at home anyway, just feels so unsettling to me.  Nevertheless, I'm determined to have a busy and productive weekend:

Saturday:
7-8AM, run in the gym (cancelled or postponed to later time due to heavy rains - it's been raining since 12MN, I think?)
10AM, accompany mom to downtown to do some errands
1PM, leave for husband's basketball game - watching it with the little one!
6PM, go to the mall to get sister-in-law's birthday gift
9PM, watch a movie (last full show ;)

Sunday:
9AM, go to mass
10AM, go to the gym (if no work out today)
12NN, family lunch out
2PM, visit my dear best friend who's scheduled to have her cesarean section done 7AM, Sunday)
4PM, try to go to a friend's child's first birthday party

Edit edit: My best friend's waterbag just broke! So, looks like I'll have to squeeze in the hospital visit today! :) Wheee baby baby! :)

Of course, the nights are reserved for doing school work! :p

***

Ahh, life is good.  Thank You, Lord for a busy and productive life! :)

TGIF

TGIF has never meant as much to me as it does now that I have my Liam. I love that it's Friday tomorrow because it means I can say "Happy weekend" in my classes! It means I can stay up late on a Friday night not worrying whether Liam will keep me up or not, since there's no work the next day.

I do have a seminar to attend the next day but who cares! At least it's only half the day :-) This weekend is pretty special, too! It's Liam's christening on Sunday. FINALLY! :-)

Here's Liam at 3 months :-)

Firsts

Whenever Liam's awake and alert, I try as much as I can to chat him up and do some cooing and oohing with him, to encourage him to talk back.  Lately, he has been very active with his baby talk, so happy.  Husband says, "Blame it to his overly talkative mother." Guilty :P Anyway, last, last Sunday (May 20), I saw baby's first big smile! :)

I tell you, there is nothing like a smile like this to make all the hard work worth it.  I remember this one batch mate from college saying something like, "Having a baby is so much hard work but you'll love it so much you won't mind." So true.  It really is SO MUCH HARD WORK!!! Most especially for the mom! I used to think, the mom carries the baby for 9 months ++ , delivers the baby...and STILL has to deal with the stresses of breastfeeding?! In as much as it's all done by the mother, I learned to see it this way: Instead of complaining about why everything has to be done by the mother, I just see it as MY privilege to be able to do all these for Liam :) In everything, it's all a matter of perspective.