Product Review + Giveaway: Belo Baby Talc-Free Powder #BeloBaby

I was already watchful when it came to choosing the products that I use and the food that I eat when I was still single. But when I became a mom, I became extra vigilant. I wanted to make sure that I always give the best and the safest to my kids.

Then, I learned that my firstborn son had sensitive skin. He also doesn’t like strong smells. We had to change the baby products that we bought from the supermarket to products that are recommended by his pedia-dermatologist. Then, I had two more children. They also have sensitive skin.

Since all of my kids’ skin have adverse reactions to the usual baby toiletries, it always makes me happy whenever I discover baby products that have natural ingredients. But these kinds of products can be costly. So, I am always searching the market for baby or kid-friendly products that are made from natural ingredients and at the same time easy on the pocket.

That’s why I was happy to discover Belo Baby talc-free powder. It’s made with all-natural ingredients and no harmful chemicals. It’s also hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested. It’s made from finely milled rice and maize powders that absorb moisture to keep baby’s skin, soft, fresh and dry. It’s carefully formulated without talc, gluten, phthalates, parabens, dyes, and most common allergens.

This is great news for a mom like me with active, energetic kids who are all boys! My boys sweat a lot because they are always on the go. My eldest and my youngest sons have the most sensitive skins. They get skin rashes when there are sudden changes in the weather. My eldest son’s skin is no longer as sensitive as when he was still a baby or a toddler. What a relief! But his skin is still sensitive than most people. He is also susceptible to allergies. My youngest, who is still a toddler, develops skin rashes when he perspires a lot.

Thus, I’m glad that I found this talc-free powder. And because it’s talc-free, I am worry-free! It does not have a strong smell that can irritate our sensitive noses, too. On top of all these, it’s also affordable! Perfect! It’s a product that’s crafted with care for the most delicate skin, for the most meticulous moms!

BLOG GIVEAWAY

This great news is not only for me because I’m giving away three (3) Belo Baby talc-free powder gift packs! It’s so easy to win. Click here for the mechanics.

I will announce the winners on May 30, 2017.

Belo Baby Talc-free Powder is now available in leading supermarkets and department stores nationwide. It comes in a very cute packaging that includes a soft puff. You can also buy it here and enjoy FREE delivery until May 31 with a minimum purchase.

For more information about this product and the line of products from Belo Baby, check out:

belobaby.ph

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Twitter: @belobabylove

Instagram: @belobabylove

Tips on How to Prepare a Child to Be an Older Sibling

He was used to being an only child. For three years, he had my undivided attention. We had a lot of time bonding with each other through play, conversations, books, storytelling, crafts, music time, dates, etc. He certainly was the apple of my eye. 

Then, I learned that I'm pregnant again. 

I did my best to still bond with him a lot and assure him that I still love him just the same. I searched big brother books that I can read to him. I was grateful I found one. 

I talked to him about his baby brother in my womb. I let him play music and sing songs to him. 

I brought him with me in my monthly visits to my ob-gynaecologist. We let him join us in some of the ultrasound sessions. 

He seemed excited and adjusting well to his role of becoming a big brother.

Then, it was time for me to give birth to my second child. My eldest son stayed at my parents' house. He slept with my parents when I went to the hospital. It was a difficult time for him. He was not used to sleeping without me by his side. He cried a lot during the nights that I was in the hospital going through labor and recuperating from childbirth.

But he was happy when he saw me again and his baby brother when he visited us in the hospital.

Two weeks after I gave birth, he acted differently. My usually active and talkative little boy didn't have the energy to play. He didn't want to eat or drink. He was not talking. He just kept sleeping and lying in bed. I knew something was wrong. I thought that he was sick but he didn't have any fever or was not showing signs that he was in pain.

A few days later, he was so weak. My husband decided to bring him to the hospital already.

His pediatrician had him confined. He was put on IV. He still didn't talk or eat or drink. He was still quiet and looked sad. He lost a lot of weight.

The doctors could not find any reason for his loss of appetite or "sickness" other than probably his difficulty in adjusting to our new normal in the family. He now has a baby brother. He's no longer an only child. His mommy is busy caring for another child. His mommy is breastfeeding another baby. 

He was not suffering from physical pain but he was going through an emotional pain... something that he could not articulate. Something he was not prepared to process or express.

He must have been depressed at that time. 

My poor little boy... I thought he was ready for this change but he was not.

It was a painful time for me as a mother. I was not even able to visit him in the hospital because I needed to stay with his baby brother. It was only my husband and my mom who stayed with him in the hospital. I stayed home to recuperate and take care of the new baby.

I did my best to give him extra attention. I tried to be extra understanding and patient with him. I tried to do the same things we used to do so he would feel that my love hasn't changed.

Eventually, he started eating again. He started talking and playing again. He was the loving and helpful big brother again to his younger sibling.

He would sing songs to him. He would read his books to him. He talks to him and shares some of his toys with him. He helps take care of him by rushing to get new diapers or getting some of the things of the baby and bringing them to me.  

I'm so thankful that my eldest child eventually recovered from that emotional turmoil. 

Almost three years later, I got pregnant again. My eldest son will become a big brother for the second time. My second child will no longer be the baby. He will now be a big brother.


I didn't want any or both of them to go through depression again or to get sick after I give birth. 

How can I assure them of my unchanging love? How can I prepare them for their upcoming sibling? 

I thought that I should tell them often that I love them just the same. But how do I remind myself or ensure that I tell them these words often when I have a lot to do and prepare for the coming of our new baby?

Since I had been writing poems almost all my life, I wrote a poem with this title: Mommy Loves You Just the Same.

I drew inspiration from my bonding times with my kids.

I read the poem often to them, daily at least.

I believe that the poem helped my older kids prepare for the coming of their baby brother. My second child did not get sick after I gave birth even though he and his eldest brother were also crying a lot while I was in the hospital during childbirth and on the nights that followed.

I'm so glad things were better this time around.

Then, a dream was planted in my heart. What if we make this poem into a children's book? Why not?

Before my youngest child turned one year old, I found an artist who was willing to collaborate with me in making this dream a reality. On May 19, 2016, Thursday, we will be launching my first children's book! A dream that was planted in my heart because of my experience as a mother. It's like I'm giving birth again. But this time to a book and not to a child. 

Click here to order a copy of Mommy Loves You Just the Same.

My excitement is shared by my two older children who were my inspirations in writing this children's book. They were the ones who first heard this story and who first benefitted from it. 

Are you a pregnant mom who is looking for resources that would help your older child prepare to be an older sibling? Or did you just give birth recently or a few months ago to a new baby and you need help in assuring your older child that your love for him/her remains the same? 

I recommend this book to you, not because I wrote it, but more because I know that it would be a good tool that you can use in your motherhood journey. One of my goals in writing this children's story is to help families adjust as their families grow. That's why I asked our illustrator to make coloring pages for the kids, too. I wanted to give the kids something that would further help them remember the lessons in the book. 


Before I end this post, let me share some tried and tested tips that could help prepare a child to be an older sibling.

1. Stop calling the child "baby". We used to call our second child "baby". But when we got confirmation from my ob-gynaecologist that I'm pregnant again, we started calling our second child by his first name. I also instructed our maids then to stop calling him a baby. Instead, we made him proud to be called a big brother or "Kuya".

2. Deliberately spend more quality time with the older child/children. This is one way to make deposits in your child's emotional bank account in preparation for the times when you will be away from him/her. During my previous pregnancies, I did my best to spend as much time as I possibly can to do arts and crafts with them and to have dates with them. Even when I was on bedrest and after giving birth, I would regularly read-aloud books to them. This poem/story was one of those that I read to them.

3. Give your child/children ideas on how they can bond with you while you are pregnant and with their baby brother while still in your womb and after you give birth. Aside from suggesting to my kids what they can do, I let them come up with their own ideas on how they can help me take care of their baby brother. You'll be amazed at how loving and helpful kids are!

4. Make their birthday before you give birth extra special. On their last birthday before becoming a big brother, I always go out of my way to make these celebrations memorable. I want these events to help make them feel important and special. You may read about my second child's birthday party here. If you don't want to throw a party, you can get some ideas here in my other blog post wherein we had a simple celebration for our eldest son.  

Hope these tips help you and your family! I also hope that you can join us in our virtual book launch on Thursday! We're giving away exciting prizes to those who will pre-order a copy of Mommy Loves You Just the Same. Click here to read more about these. 

Some of the prizes we're giving away during the launch.

How did you prepare your child/children to become older siblings? Feel free to share your own tried and tested tips by leaving a comment on this blog post so we can help more families.
   

Does Your Child Run To You?

He ran to me! 

My 8-month-old baby ran to me from the other end of his crib. He is just starting to walk. He can only make a few steps on his own before he would fall again. 

Last night, he ran to me with so much excitement and joy!

His joy was evident and contagious! His smile and excitement were contagious! I could see it in his eyes. I can see it in the way he smiled and moved forward with eagerness. I could see it in his outstretched arms.

Look how big my baby's smile is!
We can see his two lower teeth (his first two teeth) already!

He fell before reaching my hands at the opposite end of his crib but it's okay. His spirit was not dampened. He was simply happy to see me there... present to him... watching him... cheering him... encouraging him... lovingly gazing at him and celebrating his every step.

He was happy, confident and brave enough to run even though he is still struggling with this new skill simply because I was there. My presence spurred him to do something that is beyond his current skill set. I am pleased that this was the effect of my presence to my son.

I am blessed to have these moments with my baby. Actually, I had been so blessed to have these kind of moments with all of my children.

I had been home since I got pregnant with my first child. Thus, I was there to witness and celebrate almost every single day and moment in their young lives.

Then, it dawned on me that my children will not always run to me. So, it's good to seize each and every opportunity to embrace them every time these opportunities come.

I realized that as our children grow older, they will run to us less often. I have seen this in my eldest child who is now 6 six years old. He still runs to me a lot but now that he's older, he runs to many other things as well and to other people. He runs to his toys and his books. He runs to his playmates. He runs to things that make him curious and that excite him or make him happy.

But he still runs to me many times each day. He runs to me to show me the products of his wild imagination. He runs to me to show me something he built using his building blocks or wooden blocks like the very detailed car park building, house or robot he designed. He runs to me to show me his drawings or art works. He runs to me to share something new he has discovered or learned. He runs to me to show the worksheets he has answered. He runs to me to share his accomplishments like the "books" he finished writing and illustrating. He runs to me to share his stories, his plans and his dreams. He runs to me when he is excited, happy, hurt or afraid. He runs to me for help. He runs to me when he has questions.

The same is true with my younger child who is 3 years old. He runs to me to do most of what his big brother does and so much more. He runs to me when he wants to listen to a story or read a book. He runs to me when he wants a kiss and a hug. He runs to me when he wants to be defended or protected. He runs to me when he wants to learn or know something. He runs to me when he wants someone who will listen to him. He runs to me when he wants to sing and dance. He runs to me when he wants his picture taken. 

My children run to me because of many reasons. When they were still babies like my third baby now, they run to me for milk most of the time. They run to me for assistance in doing many things. But as they grow older, they run to me less because they had been learning to do things on their own and to discover new things on their own. But I love that they still run to me to share their new learnings and discoveries afterwards.

I think that running to me has become their default because I have done three things consistently over the years that made them behave this way. And if you want your children to run to you as well, I suggest that you also do these three.

3 Things To Do So Your Children Will Run To You

1. Make running to you an option. Your children wouldn't consider this an option unless you make it known to them that this is something they can do. Let them know that they can run to you through your words and through your actions. Call them or tell them that you are there and that they can approach you. If your children are not used to running to you, encourage them. Don't force them. But keep inviting them. 

2. Be consistently present to your children. You need to be present to your children most of the time especially when they need you the most. That would powerfully convey to them that they can run to you when they want to or need to. Your presence is the most poignant proof that they really can run to you. Your presence will give credibility to your words that they can come to you. When you are not consistently present, they may think that you will not be there next time they want or need to run to you.

3. Make them want to run to you. There are many ways to make your children want to run to you. But these are all rooted in how you make them feel when they run to you. I do not claim that I do all these perfectly all the time. But I do strive to make my children feel this way as often as I can. 

Here are some ways:

• Make them feel welcomed. We parents are always busy and it can be very           challenging for us to make them feel welcomed all the time. I have learned that when we are busy, it's alright to be honest with them by letting them know what we are currently doing and why we are doing the task at hand. But it's also crucial that we still make them feel welcomed most of the time and when they are still little so that when they are older, they know that they are welcomed. Mom/dad is just busy at the moment. When you have deposited much in your child's emotional bank account and made your child feel welcomed early on in his/her young life, your child can accept more easily the times when you will tell him/her that you are currently busy doing something and that you will spend more time with him/her later when your current task is done.

• Make them feel loved. You can make them feel loved with your words. The way you speak to them also communicates your love. Make your actions or gestures communicate love as well, including your facial expressions when they turn and run to you. Children notice a lot of things. You'll be amazed to discover what they usually notice if you take time to ask them and listen to their answers. So do your best that your words, tone of voice, facial expression, gestures and actions all communicate love. 

• Make them feel important. Children feel important when their parents make time for them and the things that matter to them. If your kids are still small, their play time matters to them. Their stories matter to them no matter how trivial these stories are or even when they do not make sense to you. Your presence and willingness to make time to listen to them and to their concerns make them feel important. Your willingness to help them when they need assistance on something or when they have questions communicate to them that they are important enough to be heard.

• Make them feel happy. The wonderful thing about children is that it is easy to make them happy. The simplest things make them smile, laugh and bring them joy. A lot of times, if we just allow ourselves to spend more time with them, we will also catch their joy and find humor in ordinary things or situations. When we regularly make time to pause and make them happy, we teach them to associate happiness with our presence or company. That makes them want to run to us more and often.

• Make them feel safe. One way to make them feel safe to run to you is by being open to them and their feelings. Let them get used to expressing themselves to you whether they are experiencing positive or negative emotions. When they know and have experienced this with you over time, then they will automatically run to you because they know that it's okay to be honest with you. They are safe to be themselves when they are around you. They will feel comfortable with you. Your presence will be a source of comfort in times of trouble and distress. 

Our children will eventually grow up and need us less but if they experience having you as someone they can always run to for anything, they will remember you not only with fondness and gratitude but they will continue to run to you even when they are already adults and parents themselves.

Does your child run to you? What moves your child to run to you?

Do you want to be remembered by your child as the kind of parent he/she can always run to? 

I believe that most parents want to be present to their children but are struggling to do this because of financial concerns. If you are serious in becoming a parent whom your children will always want to run both in good times and in bad, I invite you to take a look at my coaching program called iHOPE with Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag. It's a 3-Step Success System that can help parents like you to become present to your children while at the same time earning money for your family. You can read more about this here.

Will You Choose to Give Joy to Your Child?

It's touching how your presence is your baby's main source of joy.

I just stepped out of our bedroom to get my devotional from the altar. I put my baby in his crib before doing so. He cried as soon as he saw me step out of the room even though I told him that I will be back right away. 

As soon as I went back inside and picked him up, he smiled instantly. Then, as I carried and walked with him to my home office, he kept on laughing and giggling as if saying that he was delighted to be carried by me.

Your baby will only be small and needy for around 2 years. After that, your baby will become less dependent on you and would desire (and sometimes insist) to try new things on his own. Your baby will need you less. But while you are your baby's main source of joy, would you choose to give him joy? Would you choose to fill your baby's love tank by being present to him?

I thank God for the grace He has given me to choose to bring joy to my babies' hearts. I thank Him that He has helped me make the decision to prioritize my babies over my career and money. I thank Him for the precious smiles and laughter I have witnessed all because I was present to them while they were still babies. No amount of money or achievement can compare to the priceless experience of being there for my children when I meant the world to them.

If you are a parent or a mom like me and your baby/child's cry tugs at your heart too whenever you need to leave for work, I invite you to the Hands-On Parents while Earning (H.O.P.E.) Summit on August 8, a whole day workshop that can change the course of your family's life. In this workshop, parents will learn hands-on parenting and working smart in the new millennium and how they can marry hands-on parenting with earning for the family.



Being able to work with a lot of flexibility has been one of the biggest blessings I have received in life. I was able to witness all my children’s milestones, personally take care of them and breastfeed them because I am home almost all the time. I am able to shape my children’s character and educate them while pursuing my passions and earning through these passions. I want to share what I have learned through the years to my fellow parents so that they too can spend ample time with their children while contributing to the family income. This is my way of helping families grow and remain intact.


Below are my objectives in organizing this workshop for parents:

• to enable parents to discover their big why in aspiring to be Hands-On Parents while Earning (HOPE).
• to enable parents to come up with a clear and compelling vision for their children and for themselves as parents and as earning individuals.
• to help parents to come up with a list of new habits that they can easily and consistently implement after the workshop so they can be more involved in their children’s lives.
• to help parents discover ways to work smarter so they can free up more time in their schedules to bond with their children.
• to inspire moms and dads to be hands-on even while earning for their families and to learn tips and strategies on how to be successful in their careers/businesses through the stories of the featured moms and dads (guests) in the iHOPE Summit.
• to introduce different earning options for parents while being actively involved in their children’s lives.
• to give parents an opportunity to meet and interact with other parents who also want to become H.O.P.E. (Hands-On Parents while Earning).

I will be the main speaker and facilitator of the workshop. The other speakers in the summit include Martine de Luna, Jomar Hilario and Ginger Arboleda. Martine is a work-at-home advocate, award winning blogger and blog coach. Jomar is the Philippines’ Internet Marketing Guru who teaches individuals how to be virtual professionals and online business owners. Ginger is a serial entrepreneur, business coach and blogger.


Guest panelists who are successful Hands-On Parents while Earning themselves will be part of the summit also. These include Denise Bernardo of Indigobaby, Angeli Del Rosario of The Beadlady, Katrina Ambion of Mommyfide PH, Chef Jonathan Chua of Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts  and Jay and Cherry Castillo of Foreclosure Philippines.

The workshop is valued at P3,500 per head at least; but I want to help as many families as I can, so I found a way to make the workshop more affordable to parents. Thus, attendees get a 43% discounted rate even as they pay the regular rate of P2,000 per head. Couples are encouraged to attend together through the couple rate of P3,000 only. Moreover, we will raffle off prizes to couples who will be present during the workshop. Click here to read more details about the summit and to register to this life-changing event.

The H.O.P.E. Summit is co-presented by Full Life Cube Publishing and Events Services, Sun Life Financial and PLDT Home Telpad. Participants of the summit will get a chance to win exciting prizes during the raffle from its sponsors which include Indigobaby, The Beadlady, Mommyfide PH, Bert Lozada Swim School, Gymboree Play and Music Philippines and Halo Philippines. One of the prizes to be raffled off is a free annual membership to Gymboree Play and Music Philippines worth P2,000! Winning this will not only translate into savings but many precious bonding moments for the lucky parent and child. Participants will also receive freebies like P500 gift certificates from Lozada Swim School, copies of Mustard magazine for kids and so much more.   

We will also have a kids' room for parents who want to bring their kids with them. We will raffle off storybooks for the kids who will use our kids' room too.


For updates about the H.O.P.E. Summit, please like and visit https://www.facebook.com/events/419373114931304/.

My Birthing Story with Georg Daniel

We celebrated our baby Georg Daniel's third month yesterday at my parents' house. How fast time flies! Why do babies grow so quickly?

Baby Georg Daniel after his bath yesterday.

It has been three months since I gave birth to him and yet I have not found the time yet to document his birth story through a blog post. I was so caught up in the breastfeeding sessions, diaper changes, bathing, soothing and many other duties which also include caring for his two older brothers and homeschooling them. I sometimes wonder why we need to sleep! There is so much to do even when you're a stay-at-home mom! hahaha

Our Baby Georg Daniel all set to celebrate his 3rd month.
He's wearing the outfit given by my mom.

I wanted to make that blog post as beautiful as possible... Thus, this perfectionistic tendency contributed to the delay. Today, I've decided to let go of that desire. I choose to simply dive into writing this post and do my best to make it as beautiful and memorable as I can.

My due date based on most of my ultrasound results predicted that I would give birth on December 4, 2014. My doctor said that since he is my third baby, I can give birth a week or two earlier than my expected due date.

I hoped and prayed that I would give birth as close to my due date as possible because my second child's birthday falls on November 19. I wanted to make his birthday celebration extra special because he will be a big brother soon. Thank God! I was still able to organize a nice and fun, intimate birthday party for my second child before I gave birth! :) (You may read about it here.)

Aside from that, I also had projects that I wanted to finish. One of them is our maid manual that I wanted to update, my 4-week cycle menu plan and grocery list. I wanted to finish these projects before I give birth so that even during while I'm on maternity leave, my husband and maids can use these as guides or references if I cannot take on these tasks because I'm recuperating from childbirth.

Thankfully again, God answered these prayers of mine and I finished all these before I gave birth to my third child.

I still remember that day when after eating lunch, I went to the comfort room to pee. Then, I saw that I already have a bloody discharge. I thought that this could already be my mucous plug.

I promptly informed my doctor and she said that I should go to the hospital right away. I informed my husband too. He was in the office then.

Good thing, it was my husband's lunch break so I was able to talk to him. There are days when he is in a meeting most of the day so it's hard to contact him when this is the case. I thank God that on the day that my mucous plug was removed, I was able to contact him easily.

I took a bath right away. Asked my maids to help me get my things ready (which I already put in a big bag) while waiting for my husband to arrive from his office.

The traffic then from our place to the hospital where I was supposed to give birth was moderate. To state it plainly, it's not as fast I we hoped it would be. Thankfully again, my contractions were not yet as strong to make me panic or give birth in our vehicle. We still made it to the hospital.

In my hospital room, walking around
and doing squats.

In the hospital, we were given a choice by the residents who checked on me to go back home or to get a room already. My cervix was not yet dilated big enough. If I remember it correctly, I think it was only at 3 cm. We waited for my doctor to arrive for her clinic schedule that afternoon. My husband and I watched episodes of The Flash while waiting. I also felt that the contractions were getting stronger as we waited outside my doctor's clinic.

My doctor did an internal examination (IE) of my cervix when she arrived. She advised that we just get a room already since our house is far from the hospital. When she did an IE on me, my cervix was already between 5-6 cm dilated.  

Like in my past experiences, I made a birth plan which was signed by my doctor. We simply implemented it when we checked in.

My goal was to give birth without any medication and as little intervention as possible. I did not have an IV. I was allowed to eat until I was not yet in active labor. I was free to move around my room and do whatever exercises and positions I felt were comfortable for me and were helping me.

I kept walking and squatting repeatedly, knowing that these movements would help make labor progress faster. I was determined to apply what I learned the birth class that my husband and I attended years ago in preparation for the delivery of our first child.

I also rested when I felt tired. I either sat or lied down in bed and continued with our The Flash marathon.

When night came, I tried to sleep as much as I could.

In between, a resident doctor would do an IE to check the progress of my cervix' dilation. I really didn't like this procedure. I found it painful. I tried to delay the IE as much as I could, unless my doctor tells me it's necessary.

I was able to have some sleep that night and eat breakfast a bit of lunch that day. My doctor came to have her rounds I think after lunch. When she checked my cervix, she said that the dilation progressed again and it was time for me to go to the Lamaze Room of the hospital. I gave birth to my second child in the Lamaze Room also the last time.

That's me while in labor at the Lamaze Room
(in between contractions that's why I was still smiling).

I liked it there because I was the only pregnant woman giving birth there unlike in a usual labor room. I did not like my first birthing experience wherein I could hear the other pregnant women crying or cursing because of the pain they were experiencing. Their sounds distract me from carrying out my own birth plan. I also believe that fear is contagious. So, when I learned from my doctor that the hospital already has a Lamaze Room, I told her that I want to give birth there.

My doctor estimated that I would give birth to my third baby around 5-6 pm that day. The contractions were already stronger and more frequent. They were still tolerable though. There were also times when the contractions slowed down or were less frequent. Since I was already strapped to a baby monitor, my doctor told me to stimulate my nipple whenever the contractions subside or stop so that my labor would not be prolonged. I did what she advised.

I'm really glad that I learned techniques on how to deal with the contractions especially during active labor. Learning these techniques did not take away the pain but they helped me give birth again without any medication. I kept in mind, with the help of my husband (who is my birth coach as well), that the contractions are my friends and that the stronger and more frequent they come, the better. These will speed up my labor. These will help my baby come out faster and easier.

I do not remember my water bag breaking. I just remembered that the pain from the contractions were so painful already I was having a hard time focusing on what I needed to do. When my doctor came around 5 PM, I was already about to give birth. She hurried her team to prepare my bed and the rest of the equipment and things that they need. Everything happened so fast. Before I knew it, I could already feel the baby crowning and I was already asking my husband and my doctor if it's time to push.

I remember being asked to push thrice. I was already feeling weak. I only had water being wiped on my lips since my last meal. I'm still thankful to God though that I had the energy and strength to still bring out my baby naturally.

I was relieved when I heard my baby cry and they said that the baby was already out. After that, everything seemed to unfold at a much faster rate. 

My very much awake and alert Baby Georg Daniel right after birth!

Thus, on November 28, 2014 at 6:47 pm, our baby Georg Daniel was born!

I'm glad that my doctor and her team still followed the First Embrace or "Unang Yakap" protocol which is also in my birth plan.

I remember seeing my baby and breastfeeding him right after giving birth to him. I remember my husband cutting his umbilical cord.

As agreed, my doctor used topical anesthesia while doing the repair in my perineum. My husband said that I quickly dozed off after this was administered.  

I rested in the Lamaze Room for a few hours before I was wheeled back to my room with my baby. My baby was roomed-in right away so I can breastfeed him on demand. We did the same thing with my second baby.

Baby Geordan at the hospital before our discharge.

My parents and two older kids went to visit us that afternoon. My brother drove for them.

My kids were very happy to see their baby brother. They even brought a book to read to him.

My second child reads to his baby brother. Sweet!

My parents were very happy to see their third grandchild.

First family picture with our newborn baby Georg Daniel and my parents.

They went home around evening. Actually, it was a challenge for the boys to go home and stay there while my husband and I were still in the hospital. They were crying at night and they kept calling us in the hospital. It broke my heart to hear them cry and to know that they missed us. But we had to endure that. Good thing that my mom was with them to comfort them at night.

We went home with our newborn baby on December 1. We were greeted by banner that our eldest son made for us. It was hang on our front/main door.

  

I praise and thank God for keeping me and my baby safe during my delivery. I praise and thank Him that He made all things fall into place... that He answered my prayers and delivered me from all my fears. 

Georg Daniel's Christening at Max's Restaurant (#NinongkosiMax)

Our third baby is now a Christian!

 

We named him Georg Daniel. Georg was inspired by his Daddy's name but with a slightly different spelling and Daniel was inspired by Daniel of the Old Testament. My prayer is that just like Daniel, he would have strong faith and commitment to God even in the face of threat or danger. I also pray that God would bless him and bestow His favors upon him just like what He did with Daniel.

 

 

I initially planned to have our baby baptized towards the end of January but the people in the Philippines got busy during the Papal Visit so we decided to delay it a bit. Moreover, I still felt tired and sleepy a lot of times due to irregular sleep patterns of our baby and me. Organizing and coordinating an event was not very attractive to me at this time. So, the timing is just right. Our baby has just turned 2 months old. It's such a joy to look at him now -- very healthy and filled up. My reward for breastfeeding him exclusively and taking care of him these past 2 months.

 

Since we had our second son's baptismal reception at Max's Restaurant three years ago and we had been reaping the benefits of their Ninong ko si Max promo, I've decided early on to have our newborn baby's baptismal reception at Max's Restaurant also. We just held it in another branch that is closer to our new home.

 

 

Here are the perks of having Max as your child's Ninong. ;) 

1. Christmas Gift - This is given every year until the 7th birthday of the child. So far, based on our experience, it was usually a whole fried chicken.
2. Birthday Gift - This is also given every year until the 7th birthday of the child. Our second child received a whole fried chicken also in the past years.
3. Free Max's Corner Bakery product for every store visit with a minimum purchase of P200.
4. 15% discount on the child's 1st and 7th birthday celebration at any Max's Restaurant nationwide.  

To claim all these, you need to present your child's Ninong ko si Max card.

There are two available themes for the baptismal package: Noah's Ark and Blessed Baby. I chose Blessed Baby this time because we already chose Noah's Ark three years ago for our second child.

I also believe that our baby is very blessed to have as one of his godparents our priest-friend, Fr. Jonathan "Jojo" Letada, SVD. He was also the one who baptized Geordan.

 

Georg Daniel wore the same Barong Tagalog baptismal attire
used by his two older brothers.

Georg Daniel wears a white crochet bonnet made by my mom. 

Two of his Ninongs didn't make it last Sunday. But we are still very happy to have them as our baby's godparents. One of them is a fellow author and speaker and the Director for our community's (Light of Jesus) Campus Ministry/Missions, JC Libiran. The other one is one of my former co-servants in my previous community for single professionals, Rommel Escoto. He also owns a Kumon Center so in case Geordan needs help in Math (that his Dad and I could not solve), he can ask the help of his Ninong Rommel. ;) Thankfully, his Ninong Ryan was present last Sunday. He's one of our good friends from LOJ since my husband and I were still single. Geordan can learn a lot from his Ninong Ryan about finances since he is a RFP and entrepreneur also.

With Georg Daniel's Ninongs and Ninangs

Geordan's Ninangs include Christine Bellen and Sha Nacino who are both authors. Christine is an award-winning children's book author and playwright. Sha is a prolific author whom my mentor Bo Sanchez calls as an Ebook Queen. ;) She's also a speaker who advocates that people make their passions their professions. This is something that I also advocate. I hope that Geordan would be inspired follow in my footsteps and his Ninang Sha's footsteps of making his passion his profession. His other Ninang is a friend of mine who is also a leader in the Focolare Movement. I admire and love her passion in sharing the Word of God to families. I hope that our son would be inspired by her life and devotion as well. Geordan's fourth Ninang is one of our friends in our parish. She is actually one of the catechists and lectors/commentators in our church. I'm confident that my husband and I can count on her help in passing on our Catholic faith to our son. I also pray that her life of service in the church would inspire our son. 
 

I find Max's Christening Package budget-friendly and very convenient. Aside from the use of their venue (for 2 hours), the restaurant will take care of the food and drinks, decors (balloons, centerpieces and tarpaulin banner), invitations, cake, sound system, souvenirs and guest book. They also give a gift to the baby which is a chicken stuffed toy and a blanket. Basically, the family will just go to the venue and everything will be taken care of by the restaurant staff.

Here are some pictures at the reception.

I would suggest, however, that you assign a family member, close friend or relative to check for you if the restaurant staff has provided all that was included in the package. I forgot to do this plus I was too busy during the reception that I didn't notice or didn't get to check if everything is in order. Based on our experience last Sunday, one main thing you need to check is if all the food in the menu that you chose has been served to your guests and that they were served on time. I learned from my mom that in their table, they were not served the appetizer. The viands didn't get served promptly also. Although, I gave verbal instructions to the staff assigned to us, I didn't have time to check per table. I just assumed that since I gave instructions already, the staff will carry them out. I suggest you ask someone else to do this for you since the mom and dad are usually busy with the baby or talking to guests. I also noticed that the gifts table was not covered with cloth just like in the brochure.

The shade of blue used for the balloons was also different from what I expected and from what was showed in the brochure. They used bright blue balloons instead of light blue balloons last Sunday. They also did not provide a pen for the guest book. My husband and I had to look for a pen at the last minute. These are minor glitches anyway aside from the food issue. They could be prevented if there's a specific person who will coordinate with the restaurant staff on the day of the event. Maybe, you can also call the restaurant and ask how many staff or waiters would be assigned in your event to make sure that your guests would be served promptly.

I just looked for a photographer who will cover the event. I looked for one who included the photo album (32-paged 8x6 inches) in the package. Fortunately, I found one who fits my allocated budget. For P6,000, two photographers took photos of our baby from preparation at home to the church and then the reception.

It's your big day, baby!

These were the same attire and shoes that his Kuya Mateo
wore three years ago.

The church provided plain white candles only.
So I bought these pale blue cup cake liners
that were both decorative and useful.

Then, we also bought a nice notebook (from National Bookstore) where we asked our guests to write blessings or prayers for our baby boy because guests can only write their names in the guest book.

We didn't have a program anymore. My husband simply welcomed our guests and led the prayer before meals. We passed around the guest book and notebook for the blessings and prayers. Then, before we went around from one table to the next for picture-taking, we shared some things about our baby to our guests like how we came to choose his name and some details about his birth. It was a relaxed, intimate party wherein we had time to share updates with our closest relatives and family friends.