Are you planning for a classy getaway that fits to your budget? If your answer is yes, Camp Holiday is a perfect venue for any occasion without spending much. It is far different than the other resort,  simply for its mesmerising ambience which makes you forget the hustle and bustle of a city life.  It was not crowded, knowing that it was summer time the last we visited.  I loved their wide and greenish landscape, suitable for a  nature-lover person like me. I highly recommend  Camp Holiday for your "rest and recreation".

Immunization program differs in the availability, here in the Philippines, our Government offers free immunization of selected vaccines for infants. I went to the Health Center of our Barangay for Free Immunization if the vaccine is available rather than going to private doctor, it is quite expensive. Now, here's  the list of  a Baby’s Vaccination:

Do you feel happy when your baby started to mumble? Of course, it’s a YES, our feelings are mutual. My baby girl Chesska began to mumble in the mid 3-4 months by simply expressing "okoh". She started to mumble one-syllable words like pa-pa and te-te when she started crawling. She had been saying these constantly everytime she woke up early in the morning. I envied my husband because Chesska could already say pa-pa. (lol). I wanted her to say mama but it was not happening yet, despite teaching her every morning that sound. I knew that was only a baby talk, just mumbling without meaning and comprehension.


When my baby reached 6-7 months,since prior to these months, she was exposed to watch an educational cd entitled "SOUNDS" of different animals, it seemed it’s easy to stimulate into her brain to baby talk more words. She started to mumble shhhhhh sound of a snake; other words like eeffff, mmmmm, and erf – these uttered sounds gave me no idea what she meant. Playing that cd constantly in the morning and afternoon, she began to express emotions like being excited and happy. I was also awed of her focused- attention watching the cd for 15 minutes.Always remember, babies have short span of attention, right?

When she was in her 8 -10 months, I noticed that she began to refuse watching the cd. I thought she was tired watching it over and over again, so I switched the cd to Barney and Friends and played it constantly. As time rolled by, she was already interacting by giggling when the dinosaurs giggle, and jumped jubilantly when her favorite scene was viewed.

On her one year of age, she received a gift, a Dora doll. When you press her tummy, she talked. She was fond of listening to her, most especially when Dora sang a song. She rocked her head and shook her body with the melody. It was really enjoyable to watch my baby rocks with her Dora doll.


Now, she is one year and one month old, she can understand when I say “NO” and she simply nods her head. When she cries, at times, she says ma-ma. Sometimes, her gestures like waving hands for expressing “bye” as well as clapping her hands when she is happy – these are some of the behavioral manners she imitated from me.

Final Words

A mother plays a vital role in child's development in any aspect of learning. Provide him/her quality time by  playing together, baby talking together, eating together, bathing together and most importantly,  provide a happy, love-filled and interactive environment. Start to teach good examples, simply because, babies are great imitators. The onset of learning of a child during this stage is very crucial, pampered the child what we think is best for the baby’s exploration, discovery, and learning.

Crying is normal for babies for a reason. It is the only immediate communication a baby can do. In the early weeks, it's hard to recognize yet what your baby is telling you, and you may feel distressed and panicked when you hear him/her crying out loud.

I have experienced a similar situation as described above, but as time passed, I was able to determine reasons why she often cried. Here are the following reasons:

Could you ever wash the dishes, do the laundry, cook food, or clean the house while your baby is awake? Yes, you could,  if you'll use your common sense. Just like a game of chess, plan wisely to make your pieces cooperate and coordinate.

Don't wait for “last-two” minutes to complete the things you need before delivering a baby. Based on my mom-to-be experience, I seldom went to malls after I gave birth to my unica hija.  So it is convenient to prepare all the things you need.  Here's the checklist:

• Baby Powder - I use Johnson Mild baby powder. I apply it moderately all over her body to make her feel refresh. I often apply this when she is sweating.

• Diaper - I prefer Pampers more than any other diaper brands. The design is very comfy as well as my baby’s comfortable too.

•  Alcohol - I use Green Cross 70% solution. I pat gently with  cotton balls to clean her umbilical cord and navel. I suggest not to tie your baby's umbilical cord for fast drying. The stump will just fall off about 2 weeks.

•  Petroleum Jelly -- I apply small amount of this oil around baby's butt to prevent diaper rashes.

• Baby Oil -  After bath, I gently massage her cradle cap with Johnsons baby oil. I also use soft hairbrush to loosen the flakes. Her cradles started to show about 5 days since birth. Do no attempt to scratch to avoid rashes and infection. This will disappear in due time.

• Wipes - I don't use specific brand for this. Wipe is used when my baby poops. However, I wash her butt with running water when at home. I usually use it during our travel.

• Baby Lotion - Johnsons baby lotion helps moisturize my baby’s skin. I apply this every after bath. My baby smells fresh and kissable, of course!

• Liniment Oil - Don't you ever forget to include Manzanilla in your baby kit. Mostly, babies are prone to gas pain. I have this ready all the time in case of gas pain discomfort. Before sleeping, I rub gently a generous amount of Manzanilla to my baby's delicate tummy and head. Why I chose Manzanilla more than any other brands like Efficascent?, simply it has mild menthol content.

• Baby Bath- Aside from Johnsons baby bath, I use Lactacyd as an option. It is good to use for prickly heat and diaper rash.

• Cotton Buds - I remove ear wax from her outer ear not in the inner ear to avoid infections.

• Nail Clippers (for baby) - My baby finger nails grow fast, I carefully cut her nails.

Beddings:

• Crib - It is the most important thing for me, I feel at ease when my baby was put in a crib when I have to do other household chores.
• Mattress
• Two infant Pillows
• Mosquito Net
• Pillow Cases

Traveling Accessories

•     Baby Carrier
•     Baby Bags with Many Compartments for bottles, etc
•     Blankets (ones with the hood in the corner)
•     Extra Clothes
•     Powder, cologne, and infant's milk

Feedings

• I have at least 5 bottle-fed of different sizes. The smallest which is 2-ounce/60ml of bottle was used when my baby was a week old; 4-ounce/120ml of bottle from 1mos.-3mos. and increased in ounce, as she gets older.
•  Baby plates, cups, and spoons are provided when she started to eat solid foods and drink water on her own.

Bathing Needs

• Baby towels - I have bought two, smaller towels for her.
• Small basins
• Sponge or wash cloth - Choose a smooth cloth to ensure that the baby's skin will remain soft and smooth avoiding irritation.
• Toiletries –Use baby soap or top to toe wash, baby powder with powder puff case, cotton swabs, baby oil, alcohol, hair brush, nail clipper, etc.
• A soft-bristled hairbrush 

Clothing

• Tie Side-Shirts
• Pajamas
• Mittens
• Bibs
• Socks
• Cap

My newborn baby sleeping pattern especially at early weeks was very odd. She slept as much as 16-18 hours at daytime and stayed awake more for the rest of the night which interrupted my sleep. It was very rare if she slept a lot at night. I tell you, this kind of stage was the most sacrificial time I've ever encountered.

According to the research about newborns sleep, babies don't know the difference between day and night yet — and their tiny stomachs don't hold enough breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for very long. They need food every few hours, no matter what time of day or night it is.(source: http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/sleep/sleepnewborn.html)

1. Plan Ahead

Plan at least two or three months before the birthday party to avoid “last minute” preparation that leads to messy outcome. Keep in mind that this is a party for your baby, not for the BIG ones. Prepare what are needed for the children to enjoy the party. Then, consider the important thing, the budget that would cover everything according to the parents’ desire and affordability.

Most babies are vulnerable to rashes because of their delicate skin.  However, it can be prevented if we keep baby clean.  My newborn baby had also experience rashes due to weather temperature- too hot that made her sweat a lot.

January 14, 2012 when baby Chesska finally arrived through CS-section. No words could describe how happy I was the first time I saw her angelic face, and all parts of her body..I said "wow, amazing, thank you Lord".

I have these clothes ready in the hospital and at home:

• Tie Side-Shirts - It is convenient to dress up a baby using this kind of clothes-to protect baby's cord from touching. I bought long sleeves and short sleeves tie side shirts. I did not buy many since baby grew extremely fast.
• Pajamas- I bought three pajamas preferably white in color. I bought medium size since baby grew  fast within the first two weeks.

Seeing you improving day by day is such a great achievement for me as a first time mom. I've never regretted giving up my teaching profession to devote my time for you because I want to be there to guide you during your first crawl and first step, to hear your first mumble,  and to cook the first solid food for you.

Three days ago, I received an email from someone I didn't know, requesting me to share the video of  her personal story on my blog. As I watched the video through a link she provided on my email,  my heart was moved by this courageous mother and mesothelioma cancer survivor. Her name is Heather.