Felicity of a young mom

Lactacyd Mums and Tubs Club Fashion Show

2012-06-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last June 16, we went to the Lactacyd Mums and Tubs Club Baby Care Village and participated in their fashion show. This is actually our second time to join their fashion show. The first one was in Megamall. You can read about my experiences on our first fashion show here.

Mommy and LA @ 9 months old

LA was 3 months old when we first had our fashion show. Now, he's 9 months old. :)

This time around, we didn't stay long. We just stayed for the fashion and went afterwards. We went straight to the backstage and prepared for the show. Everything was almost the same as before. The only difference is they had their hair and make-up crew (last time, we had to do our own hair and make-up)

backstage

The clothes that we wore during the show was from Mama & Me. I love the styles and colors of the clothes in the fashion show. It's attractive, especially for those moms with little girls. They look so cute together on stage.

Other Moms and Babies in the fashion show

Daddy Ariel and LA

The Baby Care Village was colorful and full of booths. You may have your free consultation regarding your child's health with their guest pediatrician and nutritionist. There are also activities for the children and play area.

I appreciated my husband and my mom for supporting us. My hubby became our photographer and I know that he's proud of me and LA. As a token, Mums and Tubs Club gave us a Lactacyd gift pack. (Lactacyd baby bath, feminine wash, and wipes)

If you are a mom and would like to be a part of Mums and Tubs Club Fashion Show, like their Facebook fan page and wait for their announcement regarding the Lactacyd Baby Care Village.

Rockstar Themed Party: JABE's 1st Birthday

2012-06-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, June 2, LA went to his baby-friend's 1st Birthday.

JABE is the son of my mommy friend, Mommy Liv Emetrio. We were blessed to be a part of JABE's rockin' party! Though it was a rainy day, the party was still well attended. Everyone had a great time. Here are the details:

When: June 2, 2012
Where: Casa Camba, New Manila, Quezon City

There was a registration area at the entrance of the party. You will see this sign upon entering the venue.

LA and his cousin, Leean took their rockstar nametag at the registration area. They also received a claiming stab for JABE's giveaway at the end of the party.

Tiny Buds was a part of the event and they provided us with a sample of their products. The Black Pencil Project was also a part of the party. It was a great privilege to be able to help the less fortunate children by sharing some school supplies for them to utilize.

LA wearing his nametag

Leean wearing her nametag and showing her glitter tattoo

The VENUE

Casa Camba is located at New Manila, Quezon City. The place was huge and can accomodate a large group. The tables were arranged according to the theme. There were balloons in the ceiling and in the centerpiece of each table. The stage had an extravagant backdrop that would really catch the attention of the audience. The atmosphere was very pleasant and you could see the excitement in each guest.

The FOOD

The table full of sweets!!Yummy!!

The food was in a buffet set up. There were pasta, fish, meat, chicken, and rice. There was also a separate section for sweets and desserts (yum!). The food was GREAT! My husband and I really enjoyed it. There was also a separate menu for the kids. They had fried chicken, spaghetti, and hotdog.

The PROGRAM

The Program was well organized. The host of the party was a pro! He really did a great job in handling the crowd. The games were new and exciting. There was also a mini magic show for the children. They chose the best rockstar from infant to adult. The prizes were educational and the toys are nice.

the party host

doing his fire trick

The birthday family

The Booths

There were different activities around the area. There was a photobooth near the stage, a corndog stand, an icecream stand, and a mobile bar for the adults

mobile bar

We really enjoyed JABE's party. I had a great time together with my other mommy friends who also attended. My son was able to bond with his baby-friends. My niece enjoyed the program as well as the sweets. JABE's 1st Birthday truly ROCKed!

My Breastfeeding Journey: The First Latch

2012-05-31T06:42:00.001-07:00

(This is the first part of my breastfeeding journey. There are other parts that will discuss my challenges and tips based on my personal experience as a breastfeeding mom. I hope that through these series of posts, I would get to encourage young moms as well as first time moms to choose breastfeeding for their baby.)

When I was still pregnant, there were a lot of people that influenced my decision to breastfeed my baby. I was very blessed to have a mom who's pro breastfeeding since I myself was a breastfed baby up to 3 years old.

LA at 2 days old

I also had a support group that encourages me to go for breastfeeding.

So there I was, very sure that I am going to breastfeed my son.

Then, he was born.

I wasn't able to experience the "unang yakap" since I became unconscious after he came out. The resident doctor and nurses told me to breastfeed my baby, and so I did. Unfortunately, no milk came out of my breasts!!I was so sad but I didn't gave up. We tried to latch him again and again but he cries even louder.

Luckily, his pediatrician came and checked us. She taught me how to properly latch my baby. She even encouraged me to continue on breastfeeding because eventually, the milk will come.

We went home and everytime LA's hungry, we'll breastfeed. The first week was very challenging. I almost gave up because we are not latching properly and it hurts.

After 3 days, we went back to our pediatrician for LA's check-up. While waiting for our turn, we tried breastfeeding LA. My husband was holding him while I breastfeed. To our surprise, LA had milk falling from the side of his mouth!! At last, my milk came out and it was abundant!

From that moment on, I was determined to breastfeed LA whatever trials we'll go through. As long as LA wants my milk, I'm willing to give him everything I have.

Simple tips for new breastfeeding moms:

* Always make sure that your baby's mouth is wide open. (it's part of their reflex to open their mouth when you offer your breast)

* Offer a big portion of your areola to your baby and not just the nipple. (the reason why some moms are scared to breastfeed because of the thought that "it's painful". It is easy for babies to suck the nipple alone that's why it hurts. When your baby learns to latch properly with the areola, your breastfeeding experience will be a whole lot better)

* Your baby's lips should be in a "fish-mouth" position. (to know if you're baby is latching properly, he/she should have lips that are turned out)

*RELAX! - like your baby, you should also be relaxed. do not think of breastfeeding as a "job". Think of it as your own personal way of showing your baby how much you love them. Take time to caress your baby and sing him/her lullabies. This is your best form of bonding that no one can take.

HAPPY BREASTFEEDING!

Smart Parenting Breastfeeding Video

2012-03-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

I, together with LA and my husband, went to a home store, IDeas for Living, at 2100 Chino Roces Ext., Makati City for a video shoot.

LA and I became a part of Smart Parenting's Breastfeeding video which aims to encourage future moms to choose breast feeding for their baby.

There were three other breastfeeding moms with us during the shoot. I had the opportunity to mingle with other moms and LA had his time to "talk" to other babies.

Everything went well, I had a great time because I learned a lot about breastfeeding.

Here are some of the knowledge that I learned from Ms. Nona (Nanay Nona):

1. Most of the time, moms forget that breastfeeding is NOT only good for their babies. It's also good for themselves. As a breastfeeding mom, I am less prone to breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis!!!

2. The reason why my baby is always sweating, is because I eat a lot of food rich in seasonings.oops! my fault!

3. Breastfeeding moms should be aware of their food intake. We are advised to eat at least 8 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

4. Our breast milk has antibodies that is very essential for our kid's health. Each teaspoon of breast milk has millions antibodies! It's like having a drugstore right in front of you!haha

5. Breast milk is like the best ointment for your baby's insect bites! It's actually effective even for adult's itchiness. Try it!

6. When feeding, make sure you have a glass of water, a bowl of soup, or a piece of fruit beside you. Breastfeeding can make you really hungry and thirsty.

7. Do not tolerate any pain during breast feeding. A minor pain can lead to something worse. Try changing the position or the latch.

8. Breastfeed up to 4 years of age. This will make your child loyal to you.:)..I hope I can do this...

9. Your breast milk becomes thicker in consistency during feeding. This makes a signal to your baby that it's time to stop drinking milk. (cool huh?)

10. Breast fed baby girls are also less prone to breast cancer. (Yey! I was breastfed too)

There are a lot more things that she shared to us. You can add her on Facebook if you have any questions about breastfeeding.

Thank God I fought for breast feeding. I almost gave up, but learning how great breast milk, I am encouraged to continue breastfeeding until I can and until LA wants to.

Some photos from today's shoot.:)..can't wait to see the video!!

LA's playing inside the crib

change location. LA's too young for the shot:))

After the shoot, we had a little token for participating. I got a book from Smart Parenting! "150+ fun and creative activities for kids" by Ciara Lazatin Mapa.

I can't wait to use these activities with LA. But for now, It'll be of great help when I teach pre-schoolers!

Loving the Married Life

2011-12-26T03:02:00.000-08:00

I was looking at my husband's profile in Facebook and I found a song he wrote for me way back October,2009. I just wanted to share how sweet my hubby is. I don't even know if he could still remember this, but it's okay.

I am very blessed to have a husband that never fails to make me feel safe, happy, and contented. I will never trade this love for anything in the world. He gave me the most precious gift, our son, Lewis. He's my other half and I will forever love him. ♥

Here's the lyrics:

1st stanza:
when i first saw you girl dont know what to say
you smiled at me and i feel the wind on my face
and i want to know you more and more each day but will you allow me to

ref:
let me hold your hand girl you can trust me i will never
ever let you down coz girl ur the one that i've been waiting
for all this time

chorus:
you are the reason why i still believe in fairy tales
the reason why im waiting on my shooting star
the only thing that keeps me awake at night and i hope
you'll be singing this song with me but i dont know when

2nd stanza:
i know you've been hurt before and i know that i can't do
anything about that but there's one thing that i can do for you
that is to prove that im a better man than him and whenever
you fall there's one thing you should know that is you'll never
hit the ground and you won't feel no pain because i will be there
catching you everytime.

Talking to your baby

2011-12-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

My three months old baby is still too young to speak, but we start communicating with him already. I have read articles about the benefits of talking to your baby. Based on the testimonials of other moms, their babies were able to speak earlier than others because they took time to bond and talk to their little ones even if they still can't respond well.

According to Kevin Osborn, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bringing up Baby", Your baby will learn language more quickly from her primary caretaker than from anyone else. Because your baby knows you best, she's learned to recognize the way you speak: your tones, your inflections, your facial expressions. So talk around your baby and talk to your baby. Speak naturally and clearly.

I always make time to talk to LA whenever he is awake. He loves to talk to people. He stares at your face and waits for your next move. I smile every time he looks at me to create a positive connection between us. I never show him negative vibes whenever he sees me.

At first, I was having a hard time talking to babies since it's like having a monologue all the time. Babies couldn't reply to all I am saying, but now, I am much more comfortable talking to LA. He makes silly sounds too! "cooo,cooo" "abooo abooo" "aaaaw awww" and many more.

Here's a video of Lewis talking to his Opa (grandpa)

Mums and Tubs Club presents Lactacyd Baby Care Village @ SM Megamall

2011-12-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

December 11, 2011

Mums and Tubs Club presents Lactacyd Baby Care Village @ SM Megamall

We were so excited to go to the event. The call time for participants in the fashion show was 1pm, but the event will start in the morning around 11 am. I wasn’t able to watch the first part of the program because we got stuck in traffic.

We were able to arrive 1:30 pm and Thank God they haven’t started the fashion show yet. We went to the backstage and changed our clothes. They said that the sponsored make-up artist was not able to come so we have to do our own make-up and hair. (Good thing my baby’s a boy with no hair. No need for make-up and hairstyle, haha)

After we got dressed up, we went inside the Baby Care Village and watched the show. We were given passport that we need to fill-up to get a gift pack from Lactacyd and have a chance to unlock the code for a special prize (too bad someone already won ahead of us).

We first went to the “Bathing Demo Station”. I was really looking forward for that demo since LA is having a hard time during his bath.

Next was the “Pre-school Teacher Consultation Booth” and “Play area”. This is where I did my breastfeeding since they removed their breastfeeding lounge to accommodate more people for the show.

We went to different sections like the ff:

Weighing Station

Healthy Snacks Station

Nutritionist’s Consultation Booth

Nutri Wheel

Photobooth

The program was hosted by Christine Jacob. There was a talk show, puppet show, cooking demo, magic show, fashion show, story telling and more!!

I had a really great time during the event even though there are some glitches. I am very happy that LA and I were chosen to be one of the participants for the fashion show of “Pois Belly and Kids”.

I was able to meet some of my mommy friends there and was also able to mingle with other new moms.

Lots of learning, Lots of fun!

Coming from Las Pinas City, it was really a rough journey but it was all worth it. Thank you to Mums and Tubs Baby Care Club for this wonderful opportunity. It is something my son and I will cherish. Hope to see you again on the next event!

Lactacyd Baby Bath Baby Care Village

2011-12-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be the last leg of the Lactacyd Baby Bath Baby Care Village at SM Megamall event center.

The event will start at 10:00 am up to 8:00 pm.

Weeks ago, they asked for the participation of mommies and kids to their fashion show.

"Mums and Tubs Club

Hello Mommies! We are going to have another Lactacyd Event on December 11 in SM Megamall and it will have a fashion show. If you are interested to join, please email the photo of you and your kid at info@mumsandtubsclub.com. Thank you!"

I emailed them a photo of myself and LA (just trying our luck). Good News! We were chosen to be a part of their fashion show. According to Mums and Tubs Club, they will be giving us a Lactacyd Baby Bath gift pack as a token of our participation.

I am so excited because it's going to be our first time to join such event.

Seeing photos from their previous events made me ever more thrilled.

Lactacyd Mascots Cid and Lucky

Here's a link to their fan page: http://www.facebook.com/mumsandtubs

They have a lot of activities for moms and babies. I expect a lot of learning from this event. I am looking forward to learn more about bathing your baby and other baby stuffs.

I will be sharing my experience tomorrow in another post.

♥young mommy, Lolly

MomCenter Philippines

2011-12-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since I last updated this blog. So here I am again, full of stories to share, I will try my best to keep this updated.

Today, I registered in www.momcenter.com.ph

It is a website that provides information about pregnancy to caring for your baby. I’m curious on what this site has to offer, so I gave it a try.

As soon as my account was activated, they gave me a gift.

A free download of their “Life Stages and Guides” YEY!!!

Now, I can easily check on the milestones and development of LA every week. It’s so exciting to see what he is about to do or what are the things he knows already.

The first tab that caught my attention was the “Interactive” tab. I tried my luck with the MomCenter Pic of the Week. I have such confidence with my little boy so I send one entry, still waiting for the results.

I have yet to explore everything from this site. I believe they have a lot more to offer, especially for a first time mom like me.

Here's the Pic of Baby LA that I submitted. If you think this handsome little boy deserves to win their Pic of the Week, Kindly vote for him. I will be writing another post if ever he becomes a finalist.

Photographed by Sofia Shalaby

♥young mommy, Lolly

Caleb's Closet Giveaway

2011-12-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

I've always been curious on how cloth diapers work. I have knowledge about it but I never had the chance to try one.
I am currently using disposable diapers for baby LA. Everything's doing well but I would also like to learn about cloth diapers and its benefits.

It can be used as an alternative whenever our disposable diapers are all gone. This will be perfect because it happened to us several times that we ran out of diapers. Having a cloth diaper around that can be reused will definitely help in this dilemma.

Chronicles of a nursing mom together with Caleb's Closet Ecostore will be giving away a yellow one sized charlie banana cloth diaper. It's a cloth diaper that can grow with your baby. You just need to adjust it in order to fit your baby.

If you wish to join this giveaway, follow the instructions HERE.

♥young mommy, Lolly

LA meets his grandpa

2011-11-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, November 28, LA celebrated his 3^rd month of life. We started the day with our normal routine and headed to the airport at around 9:30 am to pick up his grandpa. It was my father’s first time to see baby LA and he was really happy.

He had so many gifts for LA

Baby Onesies with cutie statements

Stuff toy monkey

German coloring book, Ball and Yoyo

In return, LA gave him his sweetest smiles and giggles. While papa was looking at baby LA, he said “He’s a miracle from God”.

Truly, LA never fails to make everyone around him smile with his innocence.

Singing songs for my baby

2011-11-26T22:15:00.000-08:00

Years before I had a baby, I was already fond of listening to different children's songs as well as Disney songs. I'm a Disney fanatic and most of their movies, I already memorized the lyrics! (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, etc.) I'm also an education student which made it easy for me to learn new nursery rhymes that i can use to teach pre-school children. I may say that I have a wide range of selection when it comes to singing songs to my little one.

photo from google images

One of the cutest nursery rhyme that I've always wanted to sing to my baby is
"This Little Piggy"

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went...
"Wee wee wee" all the way home...

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b_wac0wtrM&

Every line you sing, you touch one toe of your baby..and on the last line, you get to tickle your baby "wee wee wee" all the way home!

When I first saw LA's tiny feet, I immediately sang this song to him...Sadly, he's still unable to laugh at that time but I know for sure that he felt my tickle. He just can't express it yet.
Whenever baby LA cries, I hum "Jesus loves Me" and he'll relax and fall asleep. Since then, I always sing to him this song.

I read an article about singing to your baby and they suggested a song that'll help the baby learn about God and the people around him. "He's got the whole world in his hands"

According to Babycenter.com, Babies recognize oft-repeated words long before they're ready to say them, and familiar names are the friendliest verbal cues of all.

Grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, pets, babysitters, and daycare teachers – your baby will love to hear you name them all. One of the most natural ways to do this is with a song like the old spiritual "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." The words are simple and repetitive: "He's got the whole world in his hands" repeats four times, and then the verses go on to name general categories: "He's got the wind and the rain in his hands..." "He's got the tiny little baby in his hands..." ending with four lines of "He's got everybody here in his hands." But instead, try substituting your baby's favorite folks: "He's got [baby's name] and Papa, in his hands..." "He's got Grandma and Grandpa in his hands..." and go on from there.

Source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_lets-play-up-up-and-away-song-of-myself_1498436.bc

It's fun to play with your baby. Sometimes, we are not aware but they are able to learn new things through bonding/play time. Take time to talk to your little angel and share with them how wonderful our world is. It'll stimulate their senses that will help them understand in the near future what is happening around them.

♥young mommy, Lolly

Latch A Babe Nursing and Maternity Wear Giveaway

2011-11-25T03:33:00.000-08:00

It has been almost 3 months since I started breast feeding LA. I am really proud of myself because it's such a great blessing to be able to give my son the best gift in the world, mother's milk!

It wasn't much of a problem since I'm currently a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) and I am directly feeding him. But of course, there are times that we have to leave the house and go to public places such as malls. I will never forget the first time we went to the mall and LA got hungry. Since I'm a first time mom, I didn't see it coming. I haven't tracked his feeding routine yet because he was just 3 weeks old that time. He cried and cried and I couldn't feed him on the spot because I didn't have any nursing cover so we hurried and looked for the nearest breast feeding station and that's where I fed baby LA.

It's right there and then that I realized how important it is to have nursing wears on hand. I'm still in search for nursing wears and tops that could help me breast feed LA with ease.

Latch A Babe Nursing and Maternity wear is just one of the many shops that offers clothing that is suitable for breastfeeding. It was very timely that they are having a pre-Christmas giveaway together with TheLazyMama!

There are actually 3 prizes that Latch A Babe is giving away to three (3) Lazy Mama readers:

1 Latch A Babe nursing top of your choice

2 Discount Coupons worth 20% OFF quoted price from Latch A Babe

This Giveaway runs until November 30,2011

If you want to join, just follow the instructions in The Lazy Mama blog post.

CLICK HERE to join!

♥young mommy, Lolly

2 months old Baby Lewis Azriel

2011-11-23T03:57:00.000-08:00

	1^st month	2^nd month
Length	56 cm	59 cm
Weight	4.4 kg	5.6 kg

Baby LA was said to be a well baby according to his pediatrician, Dra. Maricel Landagan. There were no problems regarding LA’s health. The only concern I had was his breathing. Every time he breathes, it seems like he’s gargling. The doctor checked him and said his lungs were fine. It’s just that my baby likes to play with his saliva and that causes the sound. (We call it “halak”). That’s basically one of the things I observed during his 2^nd month.

On the early days of his 2^nd month, he learns to follow objects with his eyes. Good thing we bought him a mobile. He really loves to watch it move. He now moves his arms and legs when I communicate with him.

He smiles more often!

Before he sleeps all day and all night, now, there are times after feeding that he’ll rather wonder around than to sleep.

Funny thing is that he cries when no one talks to him. He loves to get attention. (Just like me)

While we are reaching his 3^rd month, he starts to recognize his parents’ faces and voices. Whenever he hears my voice, he’ll look for me and when he finds me, he’ll smile (it melts my heart).

It’s such an amazing experience to watch my little angel grow. Being a mom is a continuous learning process. As your child grows, you gain more knowledge on how to be the best mom for your baby. I may be too young to be a mother but that doesn’t mean I can’t have the capabilities to raise a child. LA is turning 3 months old and I must say, I’m proud of what I have accomplished. He’s still small but in his eyes, I see love...

♥young mommy, Lolly

Healthy Party with other Mommies (Philips Avent Early Christmas Treat)

2011-11-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

Last November 19, I, together with my husband and baby LA, went to Philips Avent & Aprica's Early Christmas Party.

The party was held at the LJS Group of companies Bacood, Sta. Mesa office from 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm. The theme for this Christmas party was "Nutcracker".

We live far from the venue but we were able to attend because of the kindness of Philips Avent to pick us up at SM City Sta. Mesa at 2:30 pm.

The Food

- it's in a buffet set up. The food was great! I personally loved the dessert especially the salad with crushed graham and cherry syrup.Yum! My husband liked the meat because it was really soft and tasty.

The Band

-while we enjoy the delicious dishes, we were serenated by a live band. They did well. My only concern was because we sat on a table that was near the speakers, my baby LA's getting shocked by the loud bass. So we decided to change our place and continue to enjoy the awesome band.

The Mascot

- TRUMAN! The oh so cute mascot of Philips Avent. The children really enjoyed it when Truman made an appearance. It's not a scary mascot that's why the kids were happy to be around Truman. Sad, I wasn't able to have a picture with the mascot since at that time, I was breast feeding baby LA.

The Games

-I was part of the first game. The goal is to fix the Philips Avent bottles according to the photo that will be given to you. I was able to assemble their breast pump. Too bad we didn't win but I was still thankful for their generosity because we had a consolation prize, a Sunnex Vacuum Flask!

-Other games were played by other moms. The cook off challenge where mommies have to create their own recipe of baby food using the Avent Steamer/Blender, The "Pinoy Henyo" type of game where mommies have to guess the Avent products, and The "Pera o Bayong" type of game where in we get to choose the correct answer from letters A,B,C,D.

It was really a blessing because for the first time, I was able to meet my mommy friends personally and wow! they were all so friendly and approachable. This made the party more fun since all of us were comfortable with each other.

*I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures. I forgot to bring our digicam. I only took photos with my phone.*

At the end of the party, we wrote our thank you message to Philips Avent on their tarpaulin. Each VIP Mommy was able to bring home a loot bag!...Here's a photo of what's inside the loot.

Thank you so much to Philips Avent for choosing me to be a part of your VIP moms. Congratulations for a very successful event! Thank you for the continuous service to moms and babies. God Bless!

♥ young mommy, Lolly

The search for Mommy friends

2011-11-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

As a first time mom, I need some guidance on how to take good care of my little one. Ofcourse, number 1 is the support that you get from your family, especially your own mother, because they had the same experiences too. Number 2 would probably be the support you get from friends.

Uh-oh!

Question: "how can my friends help me if most of them are still single and young like me?"

Answer: Finding a new set of friends that share the same experiences!!

Thus, starts my Philips Avent Discussion Board story...

It was by accident that I became a part of Philips Avent's online community. I was just browsing on their fan page and I saw their DB (discussion board). I read and read and was able to gain knowledge from the experiences of others. i started to share my own experiences while I was still pregnant and I shared all my concerns with other mommies. I never knew I could gain a lot of mommy friends through this online community.

I am very thankful that my journey as a young mom became less stressful because I had a support group that is ready to guide me and encourage me to become the best mom for my baby.

♥ young mommy, Lolly

Moro Reflex

2011-11-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

What is Moro Reflex?

It is also known as the "Startle Reflex". Basically, it's because this kind of reflex on babies make them startle. It is involuntary and is present until the baby reaches 3 to 6 months old. It's caused by hearing loud noises from the environment or if the baby feels that he/she is falling. When Moro reflex is absent in a newborn, be worried because it may indicate an abnormality, an injury or a disease.

*Have you ever experienced sleeping and dreaming that you're on the edge of a cliff and you suddenly wake up and thought you're really falling from a high place? Well, that's exactly what babies feel. Only more often.*

Photo from Google images

The infant will have a "startled" look and the arms will fling out sideways with the palms up and the thumbs flexed.

This is the only reflex I hate on babies. It disturbs their sleep and makes them cry more. As for my baby LA, this reflex is extra strong. Just the thought of putting him down from my arms makes him startle. He starts to grab my shirt and wake up. Sometimes, at the middle of his sleep, he'll startle continuously which makes him cry louder than usual.

Tips on how to avoid startling

♥ Swaddle your baby. This works for us especially during his night sleep. It simply makes him feel that he's still inside my tummy with a limited space to move around. You may ask the nurses while you're still at the hospital to teach you how to swaddle your baby. On my case, I searched an instructional video from YouTube to help me out. Click here to watch how to swaddle.

This is how I swaddle baby LA.

♥ Use pillows to restrict movement. I guess almost all babies have their body pillows. Use these pillows to keep your baby in a tight area were his/her movement will be minimal.

♥ Hug your baby. Babies love the warmth from your body. It makes them feel secured and safe. Once you see your baby's starting to get shocked or startled, hold their hands and tap their leg/thigh to get them back to sleep.

Baby LA with his Daddy

♥ young mommy, Lolly

1 Month old Baby Lewis Azriel

2011-11-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

As a first time mom, I have no idea on what to expect during LA’s first month. As we all know, babies are unique and develop differently from one another.

Let me share with you the things that I observed with my little one during his 1^st month of life.

I will be comparing my child’s development with the developments that I have searched in different sources.

	Baby’s development according to other sources	Lewis Azriel’s development according to experience
Physical	Feedings: 5-8 per day Sleep: 20 hrs per day Sensory Capacities: makes basic distinctions in vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, touch, temperature, and perception of pain	Feedings: every 2-3 hrs which makes it 8-12 per day Sleep: almost all day! Sensory Capacities: reacts with sounds, moves his eyeballs to wonder around, cries while bathing (because of the sudden change in temperature)
Skills	Lifts head when lying on tummy Responds to sound Stares at faces	Lifts head and pushes away using arms and hands when lying on my tummy. He gets shocked whenever he hears the garbage collector’s horn and the sounds of plates while washing the dishes. He can stare at my face while breastfeeding Smiles and giggles while sleeping

Oh Yes! LA loves to sleep!

He starts to figure out how to thumb suck!

He sleeps better on his tummy

and cries to communicate if he's hungry or wet

There are so much to observe in your growing baby. I will be discussing other developments on a different post.

♥ young mommy, Lolly

First Time

2011-11-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Photo from google images

Blogging was never my thing. It’s maybe because I’m not fond of writing as well as reading. I believe that I’m a visual learner because pictures catch my attention while reading. If there are a lot of illustrations, I understand the content better.

One of the reasons why I am trying this is to enhance my writing skills. Writing over and over again is one way to improve and to expand my vocabulary. Another reason is because my life is full of adventures. During my last teen year, a lot happened and I am more than excited to share it with others for them to learn from my experiences.

This space will be more on my personal experiences as a young mom, the knowledge I gained from studying, my handsome baby boy’s milestones and development, and the like.

I hope that through this blog, I may be of help to other young moms out there. I promise to make every entry as creative as possible so my readers won't get bored.

Thanks for reading! ;)

Sunshine Babies Boutique Giveaway

2011-11-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all young moms out there!

From October 28, 2011 to November 11, 2011, Sunshine Babies Boutique is hosting a giveaway!!

Sunshine Babies Boutique's owner, Em, recently got accredited as a LATCH peer counselor and because of that, she will be sharing her blessings by giving away a Nursing Mom gift set which includes 1 BabyBond and 1 MilkBand to 1 lucky mom!

What is a BabyBond?

> It is a unique cover as it covers the mom and not the baby. Mom is able to maintain her modesty while baby remains uncovered and benefits from the opportunity to make eye contact, interact and communicate.

Three (3) types of BabyBond

BabyBond Original™

It is worn-like a sash, functioning like a nursing top. Nurse from the top of your shirt. Separate the layers of fabric to achieve latch on. Double panel keeps breast covered above & below. Belly and back remain covered with your own shirt.

BabyBond Flex™

It is worn with shirts that are accessible to nurse from the top and has a removable burp cloth and matching pouch storage pouch.

BabyBond Couture™

It is an adjustable nursing cover creating custom fit as your body changes after baby arrives. It is a hybrid between nursing top and belly band. It can be worn to nurse from the top or the bottom of your shirt so it works with your entire wardrobe. When worn like a sash, it functions like a nursing top. When worn like a belt, it functions like a belly band. It rolls up into a self-storing pouch.

What is a MilkBand?

Milk Bands™ are a uniquely designed nursing bracelet that enables the mother to quickly and conveniently identify which breast she last used to feed her baby by simply turning the bracelet inside-out!

Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelets have time measuring sliders that can be used for multiple purposes such as tracking how long your baby fed or what time!

Milk Bands™ work regardless of which wrist they are worn on and are so easy to use it only takes one hand! Our breastfeeding bracelet works in the dark and can be worn during any and all activities!

When the time comes, Milk Bands™ can be used to help you wean your baby!

Let Milk Bands™ keep track of the basics so you can worry about more important things!

Both products are available at Sunshine Babies Boutique online store.

If you want to win the gift set, Visit Chronicles of a Nursing Mom and follow the instructions to have multiple chances of winning.

Click here to join now!

Sources:

http://www.chroniclesofanursingmom.com/2011/10/sunshine-babies-giveaway.html

http://www.sunshinebabiesboutique.com/category/for-moms/breastfeeding