One big ugly bump

I came home early today to get some of my unfinished work done. When I got home, Andrei is at my sister-in-law’s house which is just a few steps away from ours. After a few minutes, my SIL brought him home and he was so happy to see me. After hugging me and babbling some words I can’t understand, he started playing with his cousins. I was getting ready to eat dinner when I heard Andrei cry. Apparently, his forehead bumped into the floor while playing. I thought it was nothing at first but oh how wrong I was. When I lifted him, I saw that a bump was slowly emerging on his forehead. Before I reached the fridge to get some ice (which is around ten running steps to where we were standing), it has turned into one big ugly bump.

Andrei - all sweaty and puffy-eyed from crying

 This is a first time for him. He didn’t want me to put ice on his “bukol” so we were struggling with each other. The bump did subside but only for a little bit. I let him watch TV afterwards, observed him and made sure he stayed awake. After more than three hours of observing him and not seeing any extraordinary, I let him sleep. I'm just so glad that he's okay now.

Here are some helpful tips on what to do when your child bumps his head (http://www.askdrsears.com): 

1. Don’t panic. Stay calm. If your child sees you remain relaxed, he is more likely to calm down.
2. Ice, ice, ice! If your child will let you, gently hold an ice pack (a "boo-boo bunny") to the bump (bag of frozen vegetables works great!). This will decrease the eventual size of the bump. Apply the ice for 20 minutes and then take a 5-minute break, then 20 minutes again. Offer your child a treat to eat during the icing to consol him.
3. Many children will kick and scream if you try to apply ice. You can decide if it is worth it. The main benefit from ice is cosmetic appearance. Rarely, a large bump will leave a tiny pea-sized residual hard calcium deposit felt under the skin. Applying ice may help prevent this.
4. Stop the bleeding. The skin on the face and scalp is extremely rich in blood vessels. Cuts on the face and scalp will bleed much more than other areas of the body. Simply apply gentle pressure to the cut using a cloth (may have ice inside it). The bleeding will stop with time. Children virtually never lose too much blood from a cut or bump, even though it may seem like a lot.
5. If there is a cut over the bump, wait for the bleeding to stop, then examine in closely. Click here on Cuts, Scrapes & Stitches to help you decide if it needs stitches.
6. You need to observe your child's mental status. Try to keep him awake for at least an hour. After that, you can allow him to take short naps, but no more than 20 minutes without observing him.
7. Observe your child. If your child is alert and conscious, walking, talking, playing, and acting like she was before the fall, administer a dose of parental sympathy, apply an ice pack to the cut or bump for twenty minutes, and begin a period of observation before calling your doctor. The reason for the period of observation is because doctors often rely more on how the child behaves after the injury than what happened at the time of the injury. If the brain has been injured, signs may show immediately, or they may appear slowly during the next twenty-four hours. After the period of observation, depending on your baby's condition, you may or may not wish to call the doctor. Besides any when-to-call-the-doctor list there is an overriding inner voice. Trust this monitoring system as much as the most sophisticated electronics. If it tells you something's not quite right, call your doctor to report baby's condition, seek advice, and above all tell the doctor why you are concerned. 

Click here to read more.

 I'm pretty sure all of us have our own share of "bukol" stories. After all, it's a "painful" part of growing up.

Me and my four eyes

Due to frequent headaches and dizziness for the past weeks, I decided to have my eyes checked. The doctor said I still have perfect vision but I have astigmatism which might be the cause of my dizziness. I need to wear corrective eyeglasses. Earlier today, Andrei and I, together with my parents, sisters, sister-in-law and my niece, went to SM Marikina. And since we’re already there, I went to Executive Optical to have my eyeglasses made. Their regular lens cost Php 995 while the multi-coated lens cost Php 1,950. I chose the cheaper priced lens. Good thing I found a cheap frame from the SM department store which only costs Php 199.95 less 20% discount so the price is down to around Php 160. I spent a total of Php 1,155 for my eyeglasses. Whew, I didn’t know a pair of eyeglasses can cost that much and they’re just for astigmatism!

I didn’t wear my eyeglasses until Andrei and I got home. I can’t help but laugh when I saw his reaction. He was looking at me strangely and was pointing to his eyes. He was babbling continuously as if telling me that there’s something in my eyes. And when I leaned towards him so he can take a closer look, he tried to grab my glasses off my face. Good thing he got used to it after a while.

How motherhood changed me

No amount of words can explain how motherhood can change a woman’s life. Although there are a lot of books or articles to read about motherhood, only a mother’s instinct can truly teach a woman on how to be a mother. My life took a 360° turn when I became one. My priorities changed. My son’s needs is on the top of my list. Every trip to the grocery would always take me first to the diapers and infant milk sections. My weekly visit to Starbucks became a once-a-month thing. Becoming a mother taught me the value of money. Every peso saved goes to Andrei’s everyday needs. Becoming a mother taught me to give a big part of myself to my son. A mother's love is truly an unconditional love. There are no strings attached. There are no price tags for each task done. A quick kiss on the cheek and even the short phrase “Mommy” is enough to make up for everything.

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren

A Harry Potter fanatic

As I am writing this blog entry, Andrei and I are watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on HBO. I'm glad HBO has been showing all Harry Potter movies for a few weeks now. I have been a fan of the Harry Potter series even before they were made into movies. Every year, I have been anticipating the release of each Harry Potter book. I always make it a point to reserve my copy from National Bookstore months before the release of each book. I also have a collection of some Harry Potter collective items. I somehow miss the feeling of looking forward every year for a Harry Potter book. Good thing there's still a second part of the Harry Potter 7 movie to look forward to this year. And there are some rumors going around that JK Rowling will add one more book to the series. Well, I'm crossing my fingers for that. Bring it on, JK Rowling!

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Rainy days are here again

Tropical storm Chedeng officially ends the summer season. We will be experiencing rains in the coming days. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the summer season, in fact, I enjoyed a few outings this summer. But summer season nowadays is extremely hot compared to the summer seasons I experienced when I was younger basically due to global warming. This extremely hot temperature is what I do not like about it. I would prefer a little late afternoon drizzle than a 24-hour humid day. I would not, however, wish to rain all day everyday as it is too hard to get a ride home from the office when the streets are flooded. And who will ever forget the trauma brought by the Ondoy rains which flooded my hometown last 2009?

As most people prefer to be indoors on rainy days, I came up with my my top 5 reasons why I love to stay home on a rainy day:

1) It's snuggle time and cartoons time with Little Andrei! It's nice to snuggle up with someone when it's cold. We usually stay in the bedroom and watch Andrei's favorite cartoons on TV. We'd lie down on the bed all day with the blanket wrapped around us. Andrei hated blankets. When I put one on him, he would always continuously kick until the blanket fall off his body but on rainy days, he doesn't mind being under a blanket.

2) Staying in bed longer because of the cold weather. That's what you call "bed weather". It's so cozy I can stay in bed all day and maybe read a book.

3) When it is raining, I usually clean our room and sort out clothes in the closet because I don't get to sweat too much while moving around.

4) It's family time during rainy weekends. When it is raining on weekends, my siblings are too lazy to go out. The result: my mom had to cook merienda for all of us. My mom would usually cook goto or champorado and we would all feast on the food in front of the TV.

5) It's time to wear those pajamas. I don't usually wear pajamas to sleep but I take them out of the closet when it's cold and raining.

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It's best to stay indoors when it's raining to avoid getting sick but if you really have to go out, just be sure to bring your jacket and don't forget to bring your umbrella!

Mommy's note to baby

I can still clearly recall the day your dad and I learned about your existence. It was the evening of March 9, 2008 when I first took the home pregnancy test. After following the instructions written in the kit, I waited for a few minutes. And a few more minutes. But nothing appeared. No single or double red lines showed up. So I just shrugged, threw the kit in the trash and went off to bed. The next morning, your dad woke me up with a huge smile on his face… showing me the strip with two red lines. That was you inside mommy’s tummy.


On March 19, 2008, we saw you on the ultrasound screen. Being only 5 weeks old, you were just a tiny mass but your heart was already beating. We were so happy and excited.


On May 8, 2008, daddy had to leave the country to work in a ship. He wasn’t able to see you grow inside mommy’s tummy but he always send text messages of love and kisses to you whenever he gets the chance (and a cell phone signal).


On August 2008, I finally found out that I am having a baby boy. In the ultrasound screen, I saw your head, your body, your arms, legs, your fingers, your toes. I got more excited to see you and hold you in my arms.


Saturday, November 8, 2008 at around 8am, mommy’s water bag finally broke. We went straight to the hospital. I stayed at the labor room all day. And since there were no signs that you’re coming out via normal delivery, the doctor had to literally take you out of my tummy… via cesarean procedure. At exactly 5:02 pm, you were out of mommy’s tummy. I felt elated when I first held you in my arms and wishing daddy can share that special moment with us. At that moment, I knew my life will never be the same again.


Being with you everyday changed my priorities in life. Whatever I do, wherever I go, you’re always the first thing on my mind. Before I had you, whenever I go to the mall, I go straight to the ladies’ clothes and shoes sections. Now, I go straight to the children’s section. Before I had you, going out with friends is my way of unwinding after a stressful day at work. Now, I can’t wait to get all my work done as early as possible to be able to go home and be with you.


It breaks my heart everyday when I hear you cry every morning as I leave the house to go to work. That everyday scene always makes me wish we’re wealthy so I don’t have to leave you everyday to go to work.


I consider being a mom to you an endless job. I didn’t apply to get accepted. I took no exams and interviews. I work on a flexible schedule. It is a job without sick leaves and vacation leaves. No overtime pay, no holiday pay. And certainly no bonuses, incentives and 13th month pay. But one thing’s for sure, having you as my baby makes me wealthier than the wealthiest man on earth.


Thank you for the unconditional love and for making me a part of this special day for mothers. If life is a game, you are my trophy.

Blessed JP II

May 1, 2011 was a special day for all Catholics around the world as this marked the day of Pope John Paul II’s beatification. The People’s Pope, Pope John Paul II was beatified by his successor Pope Benedict XI. He is now called Blessed John Paul II and is a step closer to being a saint.

I consider myself lucky having caught a few glimpses of the pope in 1995 when the junior and senior students of my school camped out in Luneta to be part of the 1995 World Youth Day. Being a part of the 5 million people who celebrated the occasion was an unforgettable experience.

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We can now call upon Blessed John Paul II to intercede for us.