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

Ultra Running

You read that right, ultra + running.  No, not running longer distances, as the term ultra running alludes to hahaha.  So far from that.  I remember saying a few months before that 2013 might just be the year to consider running longer.  I'm changing that now, haha.  Not that the marathon traumatized me or anything - but before I start punishing my legs/thighs any more, I figured I'd focus on going back to my pre-pregnancy weight first... and I have about 20 pounds to go before that happens.  So for now until after 20 pounds, it will just be leisure running, lots of dieting, yoga and strength training.

ANYWAY, what I meant was running in Ultra (Philippine Sports Commission), haha! I remember the last time I was there it was to have the deadly massage (I had 2!) by Coach Salazar.  I was kind of excited to run on a track, since I haven't done that in a while (last time was years ago in Ateneo's Moro Lorenzo sports center).   Much to our disappointment, the track was closed! So we had no choice but to run around the complex - horrible.  #1, cars were passing us every few minutes.  #2, the ground wasn't smooth - bako-bako, to say the least.  Definitely not for running.  #3, there was a part that's a super steep uphill (the one sort of across the track gate).  Fine, maybe #3 was actually a good thing - I totally felt my legs burningggg.  At some point in the incline, I thought to myself, "Am I even moving pa?" Kasi parang hindi na ako gumagalaw... yun pala, numb na dahil sa sakit haha.  The only saving grace was we ran easy since I just went there to follow Sharl and Kaka's run-walk program.

Although I may have cursed those uphills, I suppose with the level of difficulty, I burned more out there than if we had done the track!

Summer '13

The most awaited time of the year!!! ...fine, next time Christmas, hah! As a teacher, one of the nicest benefits is having April off...especially now that I have Liam, this really is something welcomed with open arms.  What to do this April?

1.  Lose at least 10 pounds.
Seriously.  I have to be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy casual clothes by May so that I won't have to buy new ones! The plan? Yoga + squats + lunges + running/gym-ing when I get the chance and of course, DIETING!!! I've already lost about 40 pounds from my pregnancy so another 10-15 should be doable.  Fight!

2.  UBE (Ultimate Bonding Experience) with Liam! 
Since yaya will be on (permanent) vacation, I expect to have a lot of time with Liam <3 Which explains "running/gym-ing when I get the chance".  The past months that I have spent training for the marathon, I admit I counted on yaya too much.  This time, running will take a back seat and Liam will be #1, I promise.

3.  Liam's first airplane ride
Will be visiting my 90-year-old grandma in Cebu on the 13th so she can also see Liam.  It'll be Liam's first airplane ride so please help me pray it goes well.  It will also be our little family's first out of town trip.

4.  Read books!
...at least at night and while Liam is napping, hehe.  The books I plan to read/finish reading are:

• Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
• Why We Run by Robin Harvie
• Mere Christianity by CS Lewis

I will end there because I don't want to bite off more than I can chew!

**

I guess that's it.  My workload for the school year is not yet final but if what's being planned (by my bosses) pushes through, then I'm going to have a crazy busy school year ahead! So far, Ive already got the following on my plate: Faculty Club secretary, CLE teacher, CLUB moderator.  There are 2 more things that have yet to be finalized :p So for now, hush hush muna.  

How about you? What's going to keep you busy this April? :)

So, thank you SY 2012-2013! As for next school year, will worry about that in a month's time.  For now, partayyyy!!! .. NOT! Yaya-mode, actually <3 

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.  

NatGeo 2013

A good friend Wel messaged me on Facebook and sent me the link to this:

(screenshot from http://www.natgeorun.com)

Soo excited! <3 The last NatGeo Run I went to was in 2010 with the husband wherein we ran 10km.  I'm still thinking if I can do a half-marathon distance of this or just another 10km.  Hmm.

BDO Race for Life!

Next run! Registering for 10km, first run after the marathon :) Should be good! See you there!

"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?