resolution

The husband wanted to go walk last night and I said yes right away. When he got home the little man and I were all bundled up and ready. His reason for walking was to get back in shape which means last night was not just a spur of the moment and that there will be more to come. I am looking forward to that because I made a resolution to lose a few pounds without going to buy ephedra or any other diet pills. I will try to do this the natural way and see what happens. If the walking will not do any good then it will be time for me to look for other means. If we are going to visit Leyte on April next year then I only have a few months to lose weight. I have to do this so my family back in PI will not make fun of me. They have always criticized my body's tendency to balloon which is actually not good for my not-even-five-feet height. Hopefully I will be successful with this quest.

terrible two

The little man is being a handful again. I don't know what to do with him anymore. He stays away from the computer if I tell him to but that doesn't mean he will not be back messing with it again when he thinks I am not looking. If I say spank he tries to spank his thigh and then goes right back to messing with things he isn't supposed to. Are two year olds supposed to be like this? When is this going to end? The annoying whine when something doesn't suit him is deafening me and makes me frustrated. He wants to play alone and if I so much as try to touch a toy he is playing I get a loud shout. Where is my sweet little boy anymore? Why can't he be good natured all the time? This one surely have short temper and is never hesitant to let us know if he is disgusted with us.

The husband and I can't wait for the time when the little man starts minding us again. I sure hope this is just a phase. I don't think I can stand this if this keeps on. It is making me crazy and it makes me think I am a failure as a parent. The only thing I am grateful right now is that the times we go out to restaurants or other public places he is as good as can be. And he eats whatever we give him when we are out. But it is a different thing when we are at home. Why can't kids play with their toys instead of playing with laptops and pots and pans? And why do they have to shove paper and plastic in their mouth instead of the food we give them?

the prettiest eyes

Need I say more?

starving

I am so hungry right now but I don't want to eat rice. I want something else. I have hawaiian pizza but I am not in the mood to even heat it up. Yeah, I am lazy. And I will probably starve myself in the process. Perhaps this is a good thing to do. I need to lose some weight anyway. This way I don't have to use alli or any other diet pills for that matter. I just hope my ulcer will not act up because the husband will surely get mad at me if I get sick again.

Anyway, the little man has cold and couldn't sleep good so I just got him out of his bed to let him play than to hear him whine. He is watching Raggs right now and he looks happy enough to be up. We will watch a movie in a little while when I finished updating my blogs.

uh-oh!

The little man yelled Dada several times when he woke up this morning. He always does that when he couldn't see his father in the room. Of course the husband didn't listen. He was busy reading the news online. When the little guy got tired of calling out for his Dada he decided to try another tactic. He yelled again this time calling his father's name. He did it three times and sure enough Dada came running to the room. I laughed so hard at them for their silliness but I did correct the little man so he will not try to do it again. I also told the husband that when the little man calls for him to acknowledge it or else he will do it again.

sick

The little man is sick. He has fever. I am keeping an eye on him and praying that he will get better. It just feels different when he is sick. I feel like I am too. Crazy.

I want to watch the DVD's we borrowed from his aunt but he is watching the Imagination Movers so I have to wait. I don't want him getting upset for now. I am sure the husband will be calling every now and then to check on us. Got to go. Can't stay long online with my boy not feeling well.

happy birthday little man

Happy birthday gorgeous! It has been two years since you came into our lives. Oh, the sleepless nights and the frustrations. The giggles and the joys. You are one of a kind and we adore you for that. Dada and I hope that you will grow up to be a good person. We will be here for you when you need us. We love you so much!

up early

We woke up very early this morning. The little man woke up screaming so loud and didn't stop even if I tried to pacify him. I had to bring him to the living room so as not to disturb the husband more. It was awful. I didn't know what to do. He seemed to be frustrated over something. The husband thought it was tummy ache but I am not sure. He settled down after thirty minutes so I brought him back to our room and put him between me and his father in bed. He tossed and turned and kicked me out of bed. He then snuggled to his father. But he was restless so we went back to the living room again where I let him watch cartoons. I put him in the playpen then I went back to sleep and when I woke up the little man was, and still is, wide awake. I am just letting him do his thing and wait when he wants to take a nap. At least now he is not crying anymore. How I wish he can talk and tell me what is wrong with him.

eating problems

I have problems with the little man. I've said before that he is finicky and it was true. But at least he tried other foods as well even if it was just tasting the food I gave him. For the past few days though he wouldn't eat the usual food I give him. And he wouldn't take anything new either. That is other than cheese crackers. I am running out of inspiration. I hate to throw food away anymore which has been happening since he started with his new "diet". I certainly do hope that this is just a phase because if this continues I am ready to shove food in his mouth just so he gets something substantial.

sleepless night

I didn't sleep good last night. It must be the moon. I wanted to laze in bed this morning but the husband kept on waking me up to fix his lunch. And the little man was awake so early. Really, this man is getting as spoiled as his son. I ask him from time to time where is the man who fixes his own food to bring to work while making sure his little wife also has something to eat when she wakes up? I don't see him anymore. He said that was years ago (two years and nine months to be exact) and that he was young then. I didn't know a person can age that much in such a short time. But anyways, so I fixed his lunch bag and then let the little man out of his crib. Of course I got thank you's and hugs and kisses for my effort. Not bad, eh?

Now there is no way I can go back to bed even if I want to. Not with the little man running in circles in the kitchen. If I try to put him in his playpen so I can take a catnap I am sure he will protest. It is time to be up after all. Besides I am afraid I will only have a headache which happens when I take naps. Sometimes I wish there is somebody to help me here with the little man while the husband is at work. When I think of what it is like in Leyte where somebody is always available to help a mother to keep an eye on her child, I want to hightail it back there and stay until the little man is old enough to care for himself. But then we can't leave Dada here by himself. This is only one of those days though. Most mornings I am fine with waking up early. Perhaps I just need to have more stamina to keep up with my boys. Or maybe I just need to think about Disney vacations to break this monotonous schedule everyday. We certainly need a vacation to refresh our minds and body.

plans and more plans

The little man is growing up fast. He is starting to have his own preferences on things that concern him. And if he doesn't get his way then it means trouble. I don't give in easy though because I know if this becomes a pattern then he will be so bad when he gets older. The husband is different, he gives in to his son right away and blames me for spoiling him. Notice the problem? We argue over what to do with the little man's tantrums and it gets tiring sometimes I just want to say to h*ll with it. But I know I will be the one to suffer if I am not firm with imposing discipline. I didn't know parenting could be this hard. I feel like I am raising two boys while the husband thinks he is raising two kids, lol. Go figure!

Anyway, the little man is getting to where he can climb out of his crib if he wants to. I am afraid of that so I thought about just dismantling his crib and make it into a toddler bed so I know he will be safe from falling. The problem is I want a new bed for him. Something wider so he will have more room and it won't hurt if it is new. And the best thing would be if he will have his own room I can decorate with lots of modern furniture that will be good for him to use for years. I am thinking long term here, can't you tell? But as it is, his brother is living with us and there are only two rooms in this house and I don't trust them to stay in one room. And the husband is thinking of looking for a house near his work. So I will have to postpone my plans and wait until we find a new place to settle down. I can wait with a promise that the little man will have his own room soon.

waiting...

We are waiting for the husband to finish fixing the SUV so we can go to the beach and walk a few miles. He wants to go now but he needs to fix our car today since he will have to work tomorrow. The little man is in his playpen for now because we left the door open just in case the husband needs my help. I know he will run outside the minute he gets the chance so he has to stay in the playpen for his safety. I hope the husband will fix the car early. The fuel pump went out on it last night while we were at the gas station. Fortunately it was only a few minutes away from the house and his friend helped him tow it. He is in the driveway right now on the process of replacing the old fuel pump with the new he bought last night at Autozone. The disadvantage of owning older cars. Good thing he is a mechanic. If not then we probably would have to shed a few hundred dollars to get it fixed. I am sure it will be good as new when he is finished with it though. That is my husband, he is a good mechanic and very thorough too. Do I sound like I am bragging? Well, I have the right to be. I have seen him in action several times already.

we might move

The husband talked about us moving near his work probably early next year. The cost of gas plus the worries over snakes and bugs are the reasons why he wants us to move. We will just finish the lease and we will start looking for a new place, preferably a house, to move in. We love this place we are at right now, quite and actually peaceful, but it is almost an hour from his work and he has to spray for bugs every month or else they will swarm the place. Not only that, the AC is not working good and the insulation is old. You can't imagine how much our electric bill is every month. Hopefully we will find us a nice place without this problems even if we have to pay more.

As it is, I think it will be time to get out our moving boxes again. Thankfully we kept them in the shed. We don't have to buy new ones, just reuse the old ones we have. It will be a tedious job but I am used to it and as long as the husband is happy with the new place then I am fine with it. I am beginning to think that I married a wanderer, lol. And the thing is I actually like moving and settling in a new place. Weird huh?

what a nice surprise

My finicky son eat the noodles that I fixed for breakfast. Wonder of wonders! Lol. I decided to fix ramen noodles with eggs for my breakfast and decided to let the little man have a taste. He loved it and wanted more. Have I told you he doesn't like eggs? I have tried giving him scrambled and hard boiled eggs but he didn't eat it. I guess all I need to do is disguise the food as something else so he will eat it. He ate more than I expected and left me a little but I don't care as long as he eats food other than what he has been eating for months now. I hope this is the start of him trying to eat whatever I serve him. I have to do this little by little and keep my fingers crossed that he will not say no.

On another note, last night I had an argument with the husband. He was not happy that the toy computer I ordered online for the little man will not get here until probably a week. I ordered it yesterday and instead of paying for express I did the regular shipping. He said the point of ordering the toy is so his son can have his own computer to play with. I countered that we only have to wait for a few days not years. He was annoyed that the little man climbed up on his lap while he was reading the news and instead of just sitting with him, the latter started punching keys, lol. Honestly, the men in this house needs to exercise patience and just chill. And he wonders why his son is acting all spoiled? Men!

keeping him safe

We are currently watching the little man's favorite Babyscapes alphabet DVD. He is in his playpen right now for safety purposes. He gets on top of the coffee table and jumps up and down which is not really safe for him. And you know how toddlers are, they might listen when you tell them to get down but it is not a guarantee they will not go back up. I am afraid he will fall down and break some bones or worse his neck. I don't have the energy to keep up with him today, I have a bad headache and I am not really feeling well at all. Besides he is enjoying reciting the alphabet. I will have to give him a bath in a little while but not until after I give him lunch. The husband is worried about his son's safety as well. He knows this little guy is not afraid of falling down or hurting himself. So we need to keep a close eye on him all the time.

quite time

The little man is having a lot of quite time the last couple of days. In the mornings after I gave him his milk, he would get up on the couch and sit there watching cartoons. No sound, no climbing up windows, no running around. Just being quite as a mouse. I have touched his forehead on many occasions wondering and worrying if he is sick. Knowing he is not makes me sigh with relief. I guess this is just part of him growing up because after a long time of being quite he usually is back to being his normal rambunctious self.

It amazes me how different he is everyday. Like he is developing into a different person. He is still sweet and rough and everything in between but there are traits that are showing which identifies him from other kids. We are proud of him and we hope he will grow up to be a good person.

huge fit

We went to the beach yesterday to unwind. We let the little man walk instead of letting him ride in his stroller. Which was a mistake I should say. We wanted to walk close to the water but the little man wanted to walk on the dunes, getting a kick stepping on the grass. I tried to get him away but he opposed. I let him walk near the dunes and told him not to step on the grass because the husband said it was not allowed. He was so happy with what he was doing but his father was tired of looking at us from a distance so he came over, picked the little man up, and then walked near the water. He kicked and screamed and cried.

When he settled down, the husband put his son down and we let him walk with us. He had a good time playing in the sand and looking at dogs. The crying and screaming came back in full force when it was time for us to go back to our car. He knew we were going home by the direction we were headed and he didn't like it. He was so angry that he screamed so loud people started looking at us. He kicked and yelled for a good thirty minutes like he was on energy pills before he decided to settle down. It was awful. We even had to walk another mile so he will stop crying which only did little. We didn't know what got into him yesterday but I hope it won't happen again. Next time we will make sure he will be strapped in his stroller before going on a walk. Unless we will stay longer to give him time to play in the sand.

uh-oh!

Last night the little man climbed out of his crib and thankfully landed on our bed. Good thing I had the presence of mind to move his bed closer to ours just in case he will do something like that. In my mind I knew he would try to do it like he did when he's in his playpen. We were in bed trying to pacify him because he was screaming loud wanting to be let out of his bed when he knows it was bed time. He landed on my side which really didn't stop his father from spanking him in the butt for what he did. I then put him back and had to explain to him that it was not the safest thing to do. More screaming and crying ensued.

We might have to dismantle his crib and let him sleep in a regular bed but I don't want to think of what it will be like. I am sure it will not be fun. I just hope he will get settled to a new routine right away or there will be sleepless nights for mama trying to keep an eye on little man.

his first trip

When the husband visited me in Manila three years ago, he seemed to know what to do even if it was his first time to travel to another country. He had his things in order, his important travel documents were intact, he had cash and international credit cards lined up in his wallet, and even managed to bring presents for my family. I was worried about him being new to the country and his first time to travel abroad but he did fine. The fact that he read a lot of sites about what to do and what to expect made him prepared for the trip. He had a good time. In fact when I got here he started talking about moving back to PI and live there for the rest of our lives. I want to do that too but we have to think about long term planning and not just jump on a plane. We need to save first and then plan later.

picky eater

The little man still is picky with food. He only eats what he regularly eats and I know it isn't healthy. He doesn't eat any fruit except for bananas. He doesn't eat rice or vegetables. He loves noodles and pasta and nothing else. It makes me frustrated to think that he is not getting the right nutrients he needs. He drinks milk and we sometimes give him vitamins but I know it is not a lot of help at all.

When we introduce new food to him, it takes a long time for him to even taste it and when he decides he doesn't like it then it goes back on the plate or it is dropped on the floor. Why am I having a finicky kid? I sure wasn't when I was little, I ate whatever was given to me whether I liked it or not. This little man is different though. The husband used to get on me for not making his son eat healthy but after he tried several times he is resigned to the fact that his son has his own preference in food and we can't do much about it. When he told a friend about this predicament, the friend said that one of his friend's son only eats Golden Fish every meal time. I guess I could say my son is better but still it is not good enough. I hope we will get past this phase soon.

skin problems

There is a white spot in the little man's right cheek. It just come out one day and we don't know what it is. I thought it might be a birthmark but the husband said it is some kind of skin problem and to put cream on it which I did. Thankfully it is not as dominant as before. The spot is still there but it is starting to fade away. Hopefully it will completely disappear. We don't want him to be embarrassed by his looks. His skin is sensitive that he gets rashes right away if something in the air doesn't suit him. I hope he will get better when he gets older though. No more skin problems of any kind. I hope he won't be like his Uncle J who we had to buy a lot of acne treatment when he was a teenager. I don't really want him to go through that phase. Maybe Mama can do something to prevent it by letting him eat healthy foods.