Mommastuff Questions Week 3 - Kid’s Names.

I am actually late posting my entry for Mommastuff Question Week 2. It’s actually on week 3 and Nice has rolled out her question: What are the names of your kids? Who picked them? Any significance of that name/s?

Aside from the blog entry on this I did last month here are some more tidbits I’d like to share on how we came up with the name.

His name is Asher Malik.
Asher - /pronounced as Ey-sher/ - Hebrew in origin
- means “happy”, “blessed”
- Biblical meaning: Asher, the eighth son of Jacob, was promised a life blessed with abundance.
Malik - Arabic in origin
- means “master”, “king”

When we were still trying to conceive, Paul has long wanted to have a baby boy for our firstborn. He has also set that his name would be “Asher”. I am just not sure how he first heard or learned about this name but I remember him saying that he’d wanted to have significant and biblical meanings for the names of our would-be children. Since it took us a while before we finally got pregnant, the term “blessed” would be apt to us.
So there, when we found on my 17th week that we’d indeed be having a baby boy, we started calling him by that name. That’s why on my pregnancy –related posts on my other blog, I referred to him as “Baby A”.

His second name, Malik, was just suddenly thought of while hubby and I were chatting over YM. I was on bed rest that time due to spotting on my 21st week. I asked him to start thinking of Baby A’s second name. He said that he’d want one that has a meaning of a leader, king, or relating to having a great power. We both googled and listed names that we got…pairing it with Asher checking if it sounds right. It was me actually who found “Malik”. At first it was a joke, Malik because he’s “malik-ot” inside my tummy. Hubby agreed that it indeed sounds good.

Side notes and trivias:
1. I, on the other hand, wanted our firstborn to be a girl. Her name would have been Alexa Khloe.
2. My sisters used to call Asher and even up to now occassionally…Baldog. They got it from me when I joked that Baldog and some other mabantot names would be his second name.
3. Other options for his second name were: Keith, Matthew, Paul and several other common names.
4. My Lola (Asher’s great grandma) thought he heard it as “Eraser”.
5. Asher’s Lolo (hubby’s dad) call him “Bilog” or “Ensaymada” because of his round cheeks.
6. Paul and I sometimes call him “Asherito” because he’s our little baby.

Mommastuff Question Week 2.

I’ve been seeing this tag from my fellow Mommy bloggers and thought I would like to answer Nice’s Mommastuff Question Week 2: Do you have routines for your kids? Care to share? Does it really help?

While on my 2-month Maternity Leave, here’s our routine that Asher and I have established. And I must say that I’m so proud that he was able to adapt early although I’m aware that babies do have tendencies to change routines and sleeping patterns as they grow.

8:00 AM – Asher’s and Mom’s wake up time. He’s well behaved and doesn’t cry when he wakes up ahead of me. He just plays by himself and blabs when someone (Lola or Yaya) coos over him and get him.
9:00 AM to 12 noon – Bath time. Feed. Sleep.
12 noon – He wakes up then feed.
In the afternoon, he sleeps, wakes up to feed every 2-3 hours.
6:00 PM – He’s usually awake and waits for Daddy to arrive from work. Play time.
Then naps a little then feed again.
8:30 PM – Wash Up time and change to sleepwear.
10:00 PM – Feed then lights out.
2:30 AM and 6:00 AM – He wakes up to feed then sleep again.

Since he’s only two months old, thus, with the regular sleep-feed pattern.

I had a hard time adjusting with his sleeping and feeding time especially in the wee hours of the morning at first but got used to it. I can say that I’ve mastered already the art of breastfeeding while lying down so no need to get up to dance and lull him back to sleep.

When I got back to work, adjustments were made and we wake up earlier so I can still nurse him before I leave. Then, since our house is just near my workplace, I step out of the office to spend my lunch break at home and breastfeed him. It may be a little tiring on my part especially when the sun’s up (that’s why I have in my bag my vintage sunglasses) and so freaking hot. But I so miss my baby that I can’t bear not to see and be with him even just for a few hours. Anyway, this routine will only be for just a few weeks since I’ve tendered already my resignation. Can’t wait to be with my baby again all day long.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We have a little celebration at home tonight. My hubby turns 27 today.

Happy Birthday, Bi! Asher and I love you so much! Mmwah!

Hot Chocolate.

Here’s something to ponder on:

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were walking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and assortment of cups -
porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive and some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand the professor said: “Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups… and then you began eyeing each other’s cups.”

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, we choose the cups. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. …and enjoy your hot chocolate.

Tuesday.

So how was your Tuesday? Mine wasn’t that good. It’s my second day back at work and it’s actually worse than yesterday. I don’t feel that productive despite having reduced my unread emails to just around more or less 350 (from 850 yesterday). Pending issues and various concerns are springing from everywhere and I wish I should have tendered my resignation earlier or in the midst of my maternity leave so I won’t have to deal with these all anymore. At any rate, I only have two and a half weeks left to transition my tasks to whosoever will replace me. So I just have to be patient and everything will just be fine and will end soon.

The little boy and I are still trying to establish a routine that will work for us, at least while I work until month end. Since my workplace is just a stone’s throw away, my one hour lunch break is spent at home. I eat my lunch briskly then if Asher’s awake, I breastfeed him directly. Our Day 1 went okay as planned but today, he was sleeping when I arrived so I just expressed milk and stored in the ref for his consumption when he wakes up.

My noon in the office didn’t get any better. I’m so overwhelmed with everything that I wanted to go back home. I wasn’t even able to sneak and do my online rounds to chill. I didn’t even manage to reply back to YM buddies who buzzed me. It is these times that I wanted to fast forward time so I can clock out of work.

And now hubby and I just ate my dinner. Asher has just been fed, too. Mom and sister is currently playing with the little one as I type at this moment. I’ll try to check out twitter later and bloghop. I just hope my brother doesn’t nag and kick me out from this seat. He’s so anxious to watch the Dela Hoya-Mayweather spring bout reruns online. He’s so into it that he’s doing a research about the upcoming rematch some time this September and is also hunting for De La Hoya/Mayweather tickets. The final dates and venue haven’t been settled yet but the deal is almost closed according to Golden Boy Promotions. This will be big again, in fact, this might be able to break the PPV records set on their last bout. Oh well, before I get practically kicked out in front of the puter, I better get going and end this post.

By the way, we’ll be having a feast tomorrow as we celebrate the husband’s birthday.

Advance happy birthday, Daddy!

And The Countdown Begins.

Just 29 days to go and I’ll be a stay work at home mom, just for a year perhaps. After careful consideration, long serious talks with the husband, praying for signs and deep thoughts engagement, I tendered my resignation from work today….for the simple reason that I’d like to be with and personally take care of my little man.

This decision is actually bittersweet. I was confused at first and wasn’t that decided. My mind & my heart were battling crazy. I didn’t want to leave because I so love my work, the comfort, flexibility and opportunities that the company gives. Most of all, I’m paid well. But I guess, no amount of money can equalize the joy of being with your child the whole day, seeing him grow, and being assured that he’s safe under your utmost care. Simply put:

Being a full-time mother is the highest salaried job…since the payment is pure love.

Baby A…just a few more weeks na lang.

Random 10.

Got tagged by Berna:

* Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose ten people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. Aside from the laparoscopic cholecystectomy that I just had, I’d undergone a minor surgical procedure as well a few years back: ganglion cyst excision on my right hand.
2. When I was born, I was initially thought that I’m a boy.
3. I preferred to play with those little plastic green toy soldiers and guns when I was a toddler.
4. I was the Natural Science Club President during my senior year in high school.
5. I’m a Piscean but scuba diving and under the sea adventures give me creeps.
6. I have a brother who’s also a cousin. Weird noh? Sige isip kung pano nangyari yun.
7. I can’t sleep without a blanket covering my feet eventhough it’s hot.
8. I can be a voracious eater without gaining much weight and getting fat easily.
9. I don’t know how to drive.
10. I just resigned from work.

Thanks for reading my random 10. Now I’d like to see yours Diane, Suzanne, Litzie, Chikai, Kathy, Karla, Jacque, Wella, Buge and Rissa.

Rooming In.

Just the other weekend, Asher got a reddish tiny bump on his arm. It appeared that he was bitten by an insect of some sort..just don’t know which kind. For some reason, I don’t know where they are coming from, our room in Frisco gets suddenly attacked by ants crawling everywhere…on the windows, on the bed, on the computer table. They just suddenly appear. It could also be mosquitoes since our windows aren’t screened. Hubby thinks that it could also be bedbugs bites. Well, whatever it is, we better get rid of these tiny creatures rooming with us. I learned from this site that using a certain type of double-sided tape around the bedside makes a good bug trap.

Back at Work.

First day today (after 9 days of Vacation Leave, 60 days Maternity Leave and 5 days Sick Leave) and I’m so lost and undriven.

850 unread email messages.
Voice mailbox is full.
Piles of assorted documents and files adorn my desk.
Forgotten and expired access passwords.
Desk is a total mess.
Boss is inviting the whole team for a lunch out.
I left my breast pump at home.
I AM MISSING MY LITTLE BOY SO MUCH!!!

Arrghh…don’t know where to start. I want to go home na.

Describe Yourself Today.

Yen started a tag about describing one’s self today.

Rules:
1. List 6 things that describe yourself today.
2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs.
3. Tag other online friends you know.

Today, this is me.
1. One happy mommy - just seeing my baby drives all my worries away
2. Newbie Mother’s Day celebrant - first time mom here and I had a blast. We attended the Sunday Mass in the morning. The priest’s homily about a mom’s hardships and how she should be acknowledged got me teary-eyed. We went to SM and dine at Cabalen to celebrate this day. It was also Asher’s first malling experience and he’s such a one behaved first-time maller. He didn’t get cranky especially when we are at the kids/infants section and the salesmen were showing and playing with him plushies and toys. We bought him six sandos, three burp clothes, a blue hat, one set of pillowcases, another baby pillow, and two educational/developmental toys for infants. Check out pics below.

3. Hungry - I’m still thinking what to eat for merienda.
4. Sad - Today’s the last day of my maternity-leave-with-one-week-extension-sick-leave. I’ll surely have a hard time bidding goodbye to Asher tomorrow morning when I leave for work.
5. Excited - Because number 4 is short-lived and will last for 30 days lang naman. :big grin:
6. Anxious - My eldest sister will be arriving tomorrow from Qatar. This calls for balikbayan boxes digging.

Links: Creative In Me | Little Peanut |Me and Mine | Pea in a Pod | Sugar Magnolias | The Scrapaholic Me | Love. Happiness. Us. | Swept Away | YOUR BLOGS

I’m tagging Diane, Jayme, Jacq, Mec, Jacque, Con, Karla,