Bubbly Blabber

Daddy, it has been 2 years already... but of course there are still times that we think about you... wishing that you are still here with us. Actually there was a time that I was thinking about you and I cannot help but shed a tear. Then, Giulia saw me. She looked at me so intently... it seems that she wants to ask me what is wrong and why am I crying. Of course I had to wipe my tear and smile at our princess. I just hugged her and I felt okay. I have told you this already, Giulia is a mini-you. Not only that people often tell us that she looks like you but also, she has mannerisms similar to yours. It is also funny because she also likes eating fish and even your favorite biscuit - Marie. Daddy, we miss you so much. I cannot wait for Giulia to grow older so that I can tell her stories about you. I will also show her your pictures. Who knows? But she might say that you look familiar because perhaps you visited her already at one point in time. Hehehe :) Though we miss you and sometime...

I want to have a job that will keep me busy for 8 hours. This means that I can be busy as hell for the whole 8 hours in the office but still I will be able to go home at exactly 5PM. I want to work in a place I can call my second home. A place that you will be comfortable to show your real self. I want to work with people I can treat as friends or like family. I want to work for a company that understands and respect family time. I want to work with people who willshow care and concern that only for me but also for my whole family. I want to work for a company that allowsworking from home as long as you can deliver and complete your required tasks. I want to work for a company that is stable and that I will not worry for my future. I want to work for a company that candefine a clear career plan for me. I want to be able to know that if I strive hard, I can reach the top. I want to work for a company that will offer an attractive compensation package. Okay, I thi...

This blog serves as my online diary...unfortunately, I just cannot update it on a daily basis since I am not allowed to access personal blogs in my new office. But believe me, I already have a lot of stories to share. I just have to find some time to post those stories when I am at home... I just hope that my readers... if there are any... will also find time to visit my blog, once in a while... For those who happen to just drop by, thanks for visiting my blog... :)

This is what the left side of my cubicle looks on a typical day. Right side just includes laptop and some files. This is what my normal day looks like in the office: 745 - 800 My typical arrival at work, log in the attendance sheet, greets                            receptionist good morning 801 - 805 I go to my cubicle, smile and greet everyone. I put my things down,                t urn on my laptop and drink vitamins. 805 - 810 Go to the CR, look at myself in the mirror, fix hair, put powder 810 - 812 Go to the pantry to put my ice packs in the freezer 812 - 1000 Read emails, work, work and work. 1000 - 1005 CR break 1005 - 1200 Work, work and work 1200 - 1220 Eat lunch at the pantry 1220 - 1320 Pump milk ...

My dad has a unique name. He was literally born a hero. He was born in the middle of the World War 2... so I guess his mom realized that being born amidst all chaos should be immediately called a hero... His name is Bayani, Banny for short. When he was still alive, I have never encountered or met another Bayani nor Banny aside from my dad. Well of course, not counting the local comedian Bayani Agbayani. Anyway, now that my dad is not here anymore, I think he find ways to make us still feel his presence. Sometimes, in super odd places and instances, my dad makes us feel he is still here with us. For example, when my sister and brother in law shipped their things from Singapore, they were shock to know that one of the "cargo men" was named Banny. Another instance is during our birthclass, one of our classmates has a surname of Bayani. A nother, the foreman of our sister and brother in law, when they were still constructing their house has a nickname of "daddy"...

Giulia is now 8 months old. Her hobby now includes singing and crawling backwards.   Anyway, if you can remember my post on my issue about breastfeeding . When Giulia is still 3 1/2 months old, I was struggling because my milk supply was already low.   If you ask me now if I am still breastfeeding, my answer is still yes. My milk supply? Still low. Actually sometimes, I can barely get 1 oz from both breasts already when I pump. So yes, I am definitely struggling.   But I believe breastfeeding is a decision.Though we are already mixed feeding, I am still breastfeeding Giulia. Of course, there are times that I want to stop already. But when I think of Giulia and her expression when I am about to breastfeed... her super eager and excited face... it gives me a boost to continue with what I am doing. Giulia seems to be relaxed, calm and content whenever I breastfeed her. So as much as possible, I do not want to take that feeling away from her.   Pumpi...

Some of the items below are alreadyincluded in the 25 things about me. I just want to introduce myself againand share things about me. 1)        I'm shy. Yes, you read it right. I am shy and timid when I am in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. Other people think that I am a snob because I will not initiate a conversation. But that is just because I am shy. But when you get to know me, you will know that I am SUPER talkative. Ican talk non-stop. 2)         I do not have sense of direction. I think that GPS navigator is a very good invention. I just hope we can use it even inside establishments or offices. hehehe :) 3)        I do not know or better yet, I am afraid to ride mass transportation in the Philippines. Of course this is also related to my item 2. 4)        I hate waiting and doing nothing. This is ...

What I miss about my old company 1) Of course, I miss the people. Myold company is like my second family. I do not need to wear a mask or pretend to be someone when I am there. I am so comfortable with the people. I love them and miss working with them. 2) I miss going home at 3:45 every Friday.Yes, we work at 7 - 5 PM from Mondays to Thursdays but we get the reward every Friday because we only work up to 3:45. 3) I miss the business travels. Thanks to my old company, I was able to go to the US thrice. I also go to Malaysia at least twice a year. 4) I miss the convenience of working at home. Note that this is not a standard practice. But if I have early morning telecon or if there is an emergency, I was allowed to work at home, provided that I accomplish all my to-do tasks for the day and that I will be able to reply to all emails as soon as possible. What I like about my new company Yes, I have been with my company for almost four months now and these are t...

Hi Daddy, It has been 1 year and 8 months...though I know you can see me and you continually guide me... I want toupdate you in the latest events of my life: Banny's Angels Giulia is now 6 months old. She can now roll over, and roll over, and roll over on her right side. She also hasa new habit of sucking her toes. She seems to talk german because when she is mad, she will really tell you she is mad. Sometimes it's hard to pacify her and cries really loud. But over-all, she is a happy baby. When she wakes up in the morning, she will smile at you immediately. She sometimes laugh and giggle. She also sings during mass. She is so adorable. She sometimes acts like you. Some peoplesay that she looks like you. She has some mannerisms similar to yours.Unfortunately, she also snores. But that is okay, we find it so cute. Sometimes I wish that you are still with us so that you can carry and hug her too. I sometimes wish and hope that she had the chance to know you....

As some of you know, I just started in my new company. Unfortunately, I still do not have a laptop... so forgive me if I have not posted any entry in this blog lately. Hopefully I can find some time to write here again... Stay tuned!

I am writing this incident to make the people become more aware, conscious and vigilant especially when riding public mass transportation. Last Tuesday, April 17, 2012, I decided to get NBI clearance as part of the pre-employment requirements. Of course, my ever loving and helpful husband acccompanied me. We first went to the Alabang branch and arrived at around 9 AM. We were told that they already had their cut-off. The guard suggested that we go back at around 11 PM to get a number so that we will have my clearance processed the following day. I really wanted to have my clearance on that day because there are still other requirements that I did to do the following day. Thus, we decided to go to the main branch at UN avenue. We decided to park at the mall in Makati, ride the MRT then LRT to go to NBI head office. We thought that it was the fastest way to go there. Besides, we do not know if we will be able to find a decent parking space in UN...

Life sometimes has surprises for us, which was proven to me again just recently when an opportunity presented itself that would hopefully benefit me and my career.  These kinds of decisions are always tough to make, but I have come to accept the fact that it might just be time for me to shake things up by accepting a new challenge and in the process leave some people behind.... The time has come for me to say goodbye to everyone that has made me smile here over the last 5 years.   I would just like to say that there have been many great people here, both past and present, that have made my job truly enjoyable.   I have so many people to thank for their support and dedication.   I can't tell you how difficult it is to describe how sad I am to be leaving. I have enjoyed my time here and I will miss all that this place represents. As with any special place it is the people who make it and it will be those I will miss the most.   This company made me...

Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby or child in a sling or other form of carrier. Babywearing is far from new and has been practised for centuries around the world. In the industrialized world, babywearing has gained popularity in recent decades mainly because it   allows the wearer to have two free hands to accomplish tasks such as laundry while caring for the baby's need to be held or be breastfed. Babywearing offers a safer alternative to placing a car seat on top of a shopping cart. It also allows children to be involved in social interactions and to see their surroundings as an adult would. Benefits of babywearing include: •            Mothers' oxytocin is increased through physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond, easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of postpartum depression and psychosomatic illness in the mother. Infants who are car...

Disclaimer: The first part of this speech was actually taken from a previous post on this blog. This is my speech no. 10 for Toastmasters. Yahoo! I am now a competent communicator! ====================================================================== Let go and let God. This is the title of my toastmaster’s speech no. 1. It talks about my life, the obstacles that I went through and how I lived by my motto – to just let go and let God. Now that this is my speech no. 10, I think it is just fitting that I end my toastmaster’s journey with a speech about my new life – a life of a new mother. Allow me first to share the first instance, a tip of the iceberg, my first pregnancy.   Actual photo of my PT  March 2010 , I got a pregnancy kit to check if I was positive. I was not expecting anything because I have checked several times and the result was always NEGATIVE... But lo and behold, I saw 2 pink lines on the stick!!! It was around 5:30 AM when I checked and I...

In my previous post, I said that Breast is Best… however, I am getting frustrated now that it seems I am low in supply. I have been working for almost a month now and I pump in our office thrice a day then direct feed at night. Sometimes I only get 2 ounce per pumping session. Then at night, Giulia sometimes sleep for 5-6 hours so I get to direct feed only for a couple of times. I also had my period on my 3 rd week at work and I guess that also contributed to my low supply. I have tried so many things to increase my milk supply. I take malunggay capsule, fenugreek capsule, eat malunggay cookies, drink lots of water, drank “boiled” buko juice and still my supply is low. I already have a back-up formula – S26 Gold HA as suggested by our Pedia. But of course, as much as possible, I want to still breastfeed Giulia. I will continue to pump until God knows when… I am still hopeful that I will be able to provide enough nourishment for our princess. J

Baby Blues The baby blues are a period of mild depression which can occur about three or four days after your baby is born. About 50% - 80% of all mothers go through a patch of baby blues which lasts for a few hours, or, at most, for a few days and then it disappears. Source Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual prevalence rate unclear. Among men, in particular new fathers, the incidence of postpartum depression has been estimated to be between 1.2% and 25.5%. Postpartum depression occurs in women after they have carried a child, usually in the first few months, and may last up to several months or even a year. Specifically, the onset of postpartum depression begins within 4 weeks and lasting up to 6 m...

Photo Source I was fortunate enough to have friend who is a certified lactation consultant. I was also able to attend a childbirth and a breastfeeding class. Therefore, I would like to share important information on breastfeeding: Storage: Milk in Freezer (separate door) – 2-3 months Milk in Refrigerator – 3-5 days Frozen milk when thawed or at room temp – 2-4 hours Other notes: Do not shake breastmilk – just swirl. Do not microwave frozen breastmilk – it can create hotspots in the milk; just dip in warm water or use a bottle warmer When travelling, you can store breastmilk in a cooler with ice packs, then you can just put it in the refrigerator or freezer when you get home. Here are just some information, note that I am not an expert on breastfeeding, I would just like to share information for first time moms out there. If you need help on breastfeeding, just message me… I will try to help you or refer you to a certified lactation consultant. Happy breastfeeding! J

As I have mentioned in my previous entry, Breast is Best...  ear infections diarrhea  respiratory infections meningitis Other factors help to protect a breastfed baby from infection by contributing to the infant's immune system by increasing the barriers to infection and decreasing the growth of organisms like bacteria and viruses. Breastfeeding is particularly beneficial for premature babies and also may protect children against: allergies asthma diabetes obesity sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) As a group, breastfed babies have fewer infections and hospitalizations than formula-fed infants. Nutrition and ease of digestion. Often called the "perfect food" for a human baby's digestive system, breast milk's components — lactose, protein (whey and casein), and fat — are easily digested by a newborn's immature system. As a group, breastfed infants have less difficulty with digestion than do formula-fed infants. Breast milk tends to be more...