Chesska would mumble "Nam-Nam" when got  hungry or even thirsty.  Can you relate? Or maybe, your baby has another way of saying it (whatever...),  but generally most babies would say "Nam-Nam", when hunger struck them.  Now you know that for some babies, "Nam-nam" is pertaining to "tsibog"- eat or nibble, so you must get ready to hand her foods.

Chesska’s first pair of teeth started to sprout when she aged five months old, and more and more teeth were appearing gradually as she got older. Since she also started nibbling solid foods, there were some food particles which stuck between her teeth (yuk!), so it started to bother me, and asked myself, “When could I ever start brushing her teeth“?

Perhaps most of you have come across this in TV ads ,"Bibibons" , a 2-in-1 biscuit nibbler and cereal for 6 to 24 months old babies. What makes "Bibibons" interesting to me is that,  it can be a "finger food" for teething babies,  and the fact that my 18-month-old baby girl didn't like cereal at all, so I thought she might like this food.

Babies grow faster than we'd like to think. As they grow older, they have milestones to discover and achieve to develop their gross motor skills,  by engaging them through stimulating and age-appropriate games and activities.

One quiet afternoon, I saw my 18-month-old baby inside our room, knocked down on her pillow, looked tired,  after pulling out all things inside our cabinet. Our room is completely scattered and messed up! It's like, it was hit by a typhoon, signal no.1 (lol). In fact, she is adventurous but buggy. She likes to learn every part and corner of our house. Everything she sees catches her attention. She tastes and bites anything she holds. Grab the things and throw them anywhere.When I pick them up and return to the place  where they belong, she again grabs them and throws them back. I try to discipline her by telling her to put the things back to the proper place,  she follows for a while,  and I affirm by clapping my hands for becoming obedient but later, she does scattering again. She also tries to reach everything in sight, like our calendar hangs on the wall. She rips it like a confetti.

January 14, 2012, I gave birth to a cute baby girl, named Chesska. Since she was a breech baby, I delivered her via CS-section.  (Ouch!) Normally, babies born in hospitals have to undergo Apgar Test and Newborn Screening (NBS),  until the Pedia notified us that Chesska had to stay a few days in the nursery room due to Bacterial Blood Infection (Sepsis),  and she would be treated with Antibiotic for 5 days.

One of the challenging behavioral stages of our children is to surpass their toddler years. A mother’s patience is tested during this span of years – one to three. Most common but less adorable behaviors of toddlers are hitting, biting, hair pulling, interrupting, lying, running away, screaming, throwing tantrums, tattling, teasing, throwing things, whining, kicking

Who would not believe that "stay-at-home-moms" could not earn while taking care of their baby at the same time? There are actually many ways which you can monetize your skills in the internet, depending where you can maximize your ability.

Baby from 6 months onwards must be given fresh, natural, and indigenous foods.  In addition to breastfeeding, I gave my baby natural foods such as papaya, banana, watermelon,  mashed potato, and mashed squash, etc. I do not rely too much on instant food which you can buy from the mall. "The fresher the better".

I know preparing foods yourself is tiring, but when it comes to your baby's nutrition, you don't think twice to prepare it. Here, I will share with you how I cook mashed potato and mashed squash.

Mashed Potato - My Baby Loved it!

Ingredients:
a. Potato
b. Butter
c. Cheese
d. Milk(evap)


Procedures:
a. Cut the potato into quarters
b. Boil the potatoes until tender then smash them. Or after boiling,
    I used blender for fine texture.
c. Melt butter in the sauce pan, and add the potatoes.
d. I put the milk slowly into the potatoes. Mix well. Be sure to lower the heat.
e. Lastly I put the cheese, then mix, mix, and mix.

Be sure that your baby is not allergic to cheese, butter, and evap. But my 10 months old baby
loved it so much.

Mashed Squash

Ingredients:
a squash
b.butter
c.cheese
d.milk (fresh milk or evap will do)

e.garlic (little amount finely chopped)

Procedures:
a. Cut the squash into small
b. Boil the squash until tender. The same process as above, you can blend it for
    fine texture.
c. Heat the pan, then melt the butter.
d. Saute the garlic
e. Put the smashed squash, then slowly put the milk. Mixed together.
f. Lastly put the cheese, then mix, mix, and mix.

My baby loved it too.Take note that  squash is a good source of Vitamin A for good eyesight.

Disclaimer: The information shared on this site is based on my personal experience. Health condition and nutritional needs of a baby differs from other babies,therefore,  it should not be considered  medical advice. Always consult your baby's pediatrician before taking action after reading this blog.

Maternity check-up, hospital bills during delivery, vitamins, and supplements before and after pregnancy for a mother’s health maintenance are one of those essential expenses spent in the early stage of motherhood. What's next to this list? Well, expect more expenses especially in bringing up your baby’s needs. Infant milk, diapers, vaccines, vitamins, and other necessities will be already included in your budget.

Amidst life's difficulties, I embrace practical ways in order to economize expenses. Here are my true-to-life story tips.

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.