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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Save on Grocery by Making Homemade Baby Food

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that “infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods, while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or more.” Some parents might be surprised to read this because some health care providers, including doctors, suggest that babies be introduced to solids as early as four months of age. This is the updated/latest directive not only from the World Health Organization but also from other trusted authorities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, UNICEF and Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council among others. You may click here and here to read articles that summarize the benefits of delaying the introduction of solids to babies to six months of age at least.

 

Many parents however think that making homemade baby food is a lot of fuss so they simply buy baby foods from groceries which are packed in jars or in boxes. But these baby foods are quite expensive, aside from the fact that most of them are available in blended variants and flavors, not really ideal as baby’s first food. It is recommended by doctors that babies try out one kind of food at a time when they are already six months old.

 

We chose the path less travelled by parents. We have decided to give our second child homemade food instead of store-bought baby foods when he started to eat solid food. Let me share some of our reasons for making this choice.

 

We have greater control of our baby’s diet. We are able to plan our baby’s diet and implement it without being dependent on what is in stock in the grocery.

We know exactly what goes into the baby food.

We can make sure that our baby’s food does not lose its nutrients because we are the ones who prepare or cook the food.

We are sure that what our baby is eating is natural and fresh. We didn’t like to use preservatives or other artificial flavors on our baby’s food. We didn’t even put salt until he was one year old because we wanted him to be familiar with the natural flavor and tastes of foods.

We are able to save grocery money because it’s more economical.

Unlike what most people think, it’s convenient. We cook in batches so each batch can last up to 3-5 days. We simply store the baby food in ice cube trays with cover and freeze it. Then, we reheat just enough for each serving or meal.

Now that our baby is older, the baby gets to eat the same foods that the whole family eats so we are able to save much on groceries.

 

Here's a handy helper in making your baby food.

 

How do you make homemade baby food?

 

Click here to continue reading this article.  This was published today at The Philippine Online Chronicles.

How to Include Vegetables in Your Kids' Diet Minus the Tears and Battle of the Wills

One of the challenges that most parents face is getting their kids to eat vegetables.  Most kids get to taste vegetables when they start eating solids as parents introduce them one vegetable at a time.  Some kids easily adapt to the taste and get accustomed to them; while other kids show their dislike from day 1.  But kids who learn to eat vegetables at an early age or who have been eating vegetables since they started solids can sometimes start snubbing these nutritious foods for reasons parents usually do not know.  That is the case with my eldest son.  We introduced different kinds of vegetables to him since he started eating solids and he continued to eat vegetables as he grew older.  Then, all of a sudden (when he was around 3 years old), he became a more picky eater and refused to eat some vegetables.  This led me to become more creative and resourceful to ensure that vegetables continue to be part of his diet.



Photo source here.

Let me share some tips or some ways by which we, parents, can include vegetables in our kids' diet without the power struggle or tears.  Hope these tips would help make your meal times something that you and your kids would look forward to.

1.  Mince or puree vegetables and mix them in sauces. - This is one strategy that I hear most moms do.  The taste of the vegetables get overpowered by the sauces thus kids no longer notice that there are vegetables in the dish.

2.  Air-dry vegetables, pulverize and add to regular dishes. - This is similar to number 1 except that here vegetables are air-dried.  This strategy is highly recommended for leafy vegetables like malunggay which are also easy to pulverize once dry.

3.  Pair or combine vegetables with the kid's favorite foods. - Try combining vegetables with some of your kid's favorite foods.  An example is cheese.  Most kids love cheese and many dishes that have cheese as one of the ingredients.  You can try cheese quesadillas or cheese fingers/sticks.  You may spread torn or chopped spinach leaves together with the grated cheese as you make the quesadilla or roll the leaves together with the cheese sticks.  Try adding spinach also to pasta. 

4.  Use products that are fortified with vegetable ingredients. - There are now products that add vegetables to them to make them more nutritious.  An example of this product is Del Monte's tomato sauce with MMK.  MMK stands for Mongo, Malunggay and Kalabasa.  I usually buy this product whenever I need to use tomato sauce.

5.  Juice them or integrate them to fruit juices. - One example of a vegetable juice we like making is the camote tops juice.  We add some calamansi and sweetener after extracting the juice by boiling.  You may read the recipe and read more about its benefits here.  We also drink the award-winning Vitaplus juice/natural health drink whose ingredients are 5 nutritious and medicinal vegetables/herbs namely: malunggay, saluyot, uray, dahon ng sili and talbos ng camote or camote tops.  The great thing about Vitaplus juice is that it comes in 3 fruit flavors (dalandan, melon and guyabano) thus kids like drinking it without detecting the inherent taste of the vegetables.  My eldest likes to drink this with me and his Dad.  It is best for babies 6 months and older, growing active children and the elderly although regular adults can also benefit much from regularly drinking the juice because, through its nutritious ingredients, it helps boost the body's immune system.  I highly recommend this product to parents with children who are picky eaters and who do not like eating vegetables.  This is a much better alternative to powdered juices in the market which has high sugar content and artificial flavors and ingredients.  It has been awarded the Outstanding Herbal Juice Drink Brand from 2006 to 2009, the Consumers Quality Award in 2007, Consumers Quality Award in 2008 and the Consumers Choice Award in 2009 among others. 




Photo source here.

  

Let me share some of the benefits of the individual ingredients of this juice. (Source: Vitaplus brochure) 

Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) - Scientific research has proven that these leaves can rebuild weak bodies, enrich anemic blood and nourish breastfed babies.  Ounce per ounce, it contains 7 times the Vitamin C in oranges, 4 times the Vitamin A in carrots, 4 times the Calcium in milk, 2 times the Protein in milk, 3 times the Iron in spinach and 3 times the Potassium in bananas.  It can help prevent 300 kinds of diseases/illnesses.  It helps prevent malnutrition and fight anemia.  It is a diuretic (increases the discharge of urine) and lactagogue (increases mother's supply of breast milk) as well.

Saluyot (Corchorus Olitorius) - This is reported to be a potent demulcent, diuretic, lactagogue, purgative and tonic.  It may also be a remedy for aches and pains, dysentery, enteritis, fever and pectoral pains.  It is rich in vitamins, carotinoids, calcium, potassium and dietary fibers.

Uray (Amaranthus Spinosus) - It is a good expectorant and an effective astringent, especially in stopping liquid bowels.  Locally, it has been reported that a decoction (flavor extract obtained from boiling in water) of the root relieves one's breathing from acute bronchitis.  

Dahon ng Sili (Capsicum Frutescens) - These leaves are excellent sources of calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin A and B.  It is an important gastrointestinal oxidant and also serves as a stimulant, digestive, lactogogue, antispasmodic (prevents, relieves or lowers the incidence of muscle spasm) and anti-pyretic (reduces or relieves fever).

Talbos ng Kamote (Ipomoea Batatas) - This is the only plant that is very rich in iodine, high in calories and vitamin A.  It lowers blood sugar and cholesterol and is a remedy for constipation and stomach distress.

For only Php40.00 (cost per sachet) each day, parents can include these 5 vegetables/ herbs in their kids' diets minus the tears and battle of the wills. The juice is sold at Php800 per box of 20 sachets or booster packs with 3 boxes each at Php2,400. You can also buy 10 boxes and get 2 boxes free by buying the power pack. Purchasing the power pack entitles you to 25% discount on succeeding purchases or repeat orders.

You may get in touch with me through email (teresa@handsonparentwhileearning.com)  or 09178345846 if you are interested to find out more about the nutritional value and medicinal qualities of these power herbs found in Vitaplus juice/health drink.  You may also order Vitaplus products through me since I am a distributor.

Moving On to our Next Lessons

Our Summer Sing and Learn Toddler Playgroup was finally finished last week. It was my two year old son’s first experience of “school” – complete with classmates, certificates and awards. It was a fun experience for both of us. We both gained new friends. He gained new friends and playmates. I found new friends through the parents and guardians of the toddlers who registered in our playgroup. I was happy to share ideas and activities with the parents, guardians and nannies of the toddlers which proved to be helpful in teaching my own son basic concepts. Whatever profit we earned from our summer business was just bonus.

This past summer was truly memorable for us; not only because of the summer business we had, but also because it was during this summer that our son was diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician to be a potentially gifted child with the intelligence of a four and a half to five year old child. With the expert’s assessment, we discovered his capacity and potential as well as the areas where we need to work on. Based on the assessment, his writing skill was just right for his age but his intelligence is so far advanced. So, we need to help him develop his fine motor or writing skills so that we can engage in more activities that are intellectually stimulating to him. Since he has been playing with shape sorting toys, building blocks, doodling pen and big crayons since he was around a year old, my husband and I started our search for new toys for our little genius. We looked for new puzzles he can work on because he has already mastered his three-letter-word puzzles and his 12-piece body parts puzzle. Unfortunately, we did not find interesting and age appropriate puzzles for him last weekend. However, we found a washable coloring book with colored markers and some activity books to help our son learn and practice his fine motor skills. We are still looking for moldable clay with matching molds and other toys that he can manipulate.


We have already started using his washable coloring book and he liked it. It was like magic when we put the colored pages under the faucet with running water. The colors get washed off easily. The not so good thing about the product though is that the colored markers that got to my son’s hands were not easily removed even with soap and water. We had to use some alcohol to ensure that there are no traces of color left from the markers. The other books we got him have practice exercises on connecting dots from one number or letter to the next which I think would be interesting for him right now because he likes to count and he likes to sing the alphabet and the phonics. I just hope that he would have enough patience to connect those dots up to the last letter or number. Apparently, he shows very short attention span. This was one of the reasons why I have decided to introduce more art activities to him in the past months and why my husband and I encourage him to play with puzzles. So far, they have been working well and teaching him to finish what he has started. I certainly hope these new set of activity books would do the same.


At two and a half years of age, Yanthy has already mastered the alphabet, colors, shapes, days of the week, months of the year, row counting up to 30 and counting by 10s. He already knows the phonics and opposites. He can already read and spell a number of words, as to how many they are I already lost count because of the speed by which he learns new words. He still has a lot to learn but I’m blessed because he learns fast especially when we use music to teach him. He has a very good memory and music enhances his good memory even more. He loves to read books and he loves to hear us read his books to him even repeatedly. He never seems to get tired of hearing the same stories everyday. Because of this, he has memorized some of his books. He likes story-telling a lot. In fact, he has learned to weave his own stories. We sometimes encourage him to think of the next thing that will happen to the story we are telling him. And he’s doing really well. Sometimes, he just starts telling me stories which he himself imagined.


At his age, he has been showing very good self-esteem and growing independence. He can already wear his clothes, socks and shoes on his own. He’s already potty-trained. He can eat and drink on his own (of course, it’s still messy). He knows how to wash his hands but we still supervise him because he likes to play with the water. Sometimes, he takes the initiative to clean up his own mess. And if in a good mood, he is quick to follow instructions when asked to help out. He knows how to say “thank you” and “please.” But he still needs to be reminded sometimes to say “sorry” when he has done something wrong. Nevertheless, the more important lessons we want him to learn at this stage are patience, obedience and discipline. We want him to learn to identify his emotions and handle them positively without throwing tantrums or his toys to our maid when he doesn’t get what he wants. We want him to learn how to behave during the Holy Mass and to wait for the right time to sing instead of singing whenever he wants to.


I pray that God would continue to grant me and my husband the grace to be patient in teaching and molding our son for our parenting journey has just begun.

Three-Letter-Word Picture Puzzles: A Product Review

My husband and I decided a few weeks ago to look for puzzles for our two-year old son, Yanthy. We wanted to give him these kinds of toys to help increase his attention span and to increase his patience in finishing certain activities. We found what we wanted at National Bookstore.

We found several kinds of puzzles but what we liked the most was the Spelling Fun 3-Letter-Word Picture Puzzles by Joytoy. It was less than a hundred pesos, very cheap compared to the benefit that our son would gain in playing with it.


We liked this puzzle because Yanthy is at a stage when he can already read and spell a number of words. He started reading at age two and he has experienced a growth spurt since then because by this time (5 months after), I could no longer keep track of the words he has learned to read and spell. He’s just learning very fast and I could not keep up in recording or documenting the words that he learned to read and to spell daily.


We started giving him one word at a time which consists of 3 puzzle pieces. Then, when he learned what to do (which took only a few seconds of instruction and demonstration), we added one more word until there are four to five words with puzzle pieces mixed up on his table. He learned how to play with it right away and in a matter of minutes was asking for more words to be given to him. It was amazing to watch him build the puzzles quite fast considering that he was playing with it for the first time.



The puzzle has become one his favorite toys in the following days and weeks and before I knew it, Yanthy has learned to read and spell more words through his 3-letter-word picture puzzle. Then I realized that this puzzle is somehow similar to his favorite show Word World where the characters are made of letters and they form pictures of the animal or object. No wonder, Yanthy liked it right away.


Not only has this toy improved our son’s reading and spelling ability, it has also increased his attention span. He can now sit long enough to form seven to eight words before thinking of going around the room or going down from his high chair. I’m so glad we found this puzzle! Yanthy has almost mastered all the 16 three-letter words and we are excited to get him the four-letter-word picture puzzle next.


I highly recommend this toy puzzle to parents who want to increase their kid’s attention span and who want to teach their kids how to read and spell without the pressure. With this toy, kids learn while having fun.

Tooth Brushing Made Easy and Fun

Do you struggle with your baby or toddler in brushing his/her teeth? Do you sometimes feel like you’re having a tug of war with your child while holding his/her toothbrush? I’ve been through that experience also. I have introduced the toothbrush to my son even as a baby as soon as his two front teeth began to erupt from his gums. He first used a gum massager before moving to the next recommended toothbrush/massager and finally to the regular toothbrush for his age.

He liked massaging and brushing his teeth on his own. My concern then was that he doesn’t know yet how to clean or brush his teeth properly so I would ask him to let me guide his hand so I can teach him or to let me brush his teeth for him. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t hand me his toothbrush nor let me hold his hand and guide it. He insists on doing it himself. So, it’s like we were having a battle with the toothbrush before. I would ask our maid or my husband to hold my son’s hands and face so I can brush his teeth properly and ensure that they are clean. It was stressful and not fun at all for everybody. My son kept crying because he hates being restrained and he likes to brush his teeth on his own. This kept going until I read an advice from a moms forum. A mom shared how she has made brushing fun for both her child and her and how she was able to ensure that her baby’s teeth are clean. I tried her advice and it worked!

This is what we do now. I brush my teeth with my son. I first hand him his toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste. Next, I show him how to brush the teeth properly by brushing my teeth in front of him. Then, I give him my toothbrush so he can “brush” my teeth. When I do this now, he automatically and eagerly gives me his toothbrush so I can brush his teeth. We no longer play tug of war with his toothbrush. I brush his teeth until they’re clean; then, hand his toothbrush back to him so he can continue brushing. Yanthy, on the other hand, enjoys brushing my teeth. Sometimes though my toothbrush goes to my cheek or chin since he has not mastered his hand movements. But it’s okay. I just need to be more alert so that I can adjust my face and move to prevent my toothbrush from getting into my nose or eye. What’s important is that I’m able to clean his teeth without the fuss. No more battle of the toothbrush!

I’m so grateful I joined that forum because I got valuable advice on how to make brush time fun and stress-free for everyone at home. No more tears for Yanthy and no more frustration for me. And no more dirty teeth. I’m also happy that my son’s pediatrician recommended a toothpaste (SansFlou) that’s safe to use for kids his age. It contains no fluoride which makes it very safe to use by babies and children who do not know how to spit out the toothpaste yet. Too much fluoride can harm the development of permanent teeth, cause tooth discoloration, brittle bones and for some, over prolonged use, bone cancer. It also has nice flavours like orange and strawberry. It’s recommended for use of babies and children under 6 years of age.

Tooth brushing has now become one of our fun and bonding activities. Yanthy is happy because he has a chance to brush his teeth on his own and brush my teeth as well. I’m also very happy that Yanthy’s teeth are protected from cavities by regular brushing and he enjoys the activity now. So, if you are still having a difficulty brushing your baby or toddler’s teeth, I suggest that you try what we do. Your child might also like it this way.

Handy Helper for My Baby’s Laundry

I have just finished doing the laundry. We still do not have a maid so I had to do my son’s laundry. We send the rest of our laundry to the laundry shop except for his clothes and bed linen because we use a mild laundry detergent safe for babies for them. We’ve been using Cycles since he was born and we’re very satisfied especially since my baby’s skin is extra sensitive just like his Dad’s. It’s hypoallergenic and phosphate free. It does not contain harsh chemicals like fabric softeners, optical brighteners, bleach, dyes or enzymes which can be harmful to my baby’s sensitive skin. That’s why it’s recommended by pediatricians. But being safe on my baby’s skin is not the only reason that I like this laundry detergent a lot.

Here are my others reasons:

1. It’s budget-friendly. - A 1 kg box costs only Php264.00 and it lasts for at least a month. You only use ¾ to 1 scoop for a light load; 1 ½ to 1 ¾ scoops for a medium load and 2 to 2 ½ scoops for a heavy load. The dirt and stains are easily removed once clothes are soaked on the detergent solution which makes it easy to use if you decide to hand wash your baby’s clothes. Lately, I’ve been using the washing machine to wash my baby’s clothes because my hands get damaged easily even with mild laundry detergents which brings me to reason number two.

2. You can use it both to hand wash clothes or wash them in the washing machine. – This is very important to me now that I don’t have a maid. I need to do a lot of multitasking. I usually wash my son’s clothes while he’s sleeping. But on rare occasions like this afternoon wherein he woke up earlier than usual, it helps that we have a washing machine that enable me to wash his clothes and play with him at the same time. In between, washing, rinsing and drying cycles, I get to play and dance with my little boy.

3. It’s very effective. – As I’ve said earlier, it cleans dirt very effectively. You just have to soak stained clothes for 30 minutes before washing. But if your baby’s clothes get stained while you’re out of the house, Cycles has another product that works really wonders on our baby’s clothes – Cycles Stain Pretreater Pen. I use this usually on his bibs. Just remove the stained piece of clothing from your baby and use the pen to soak the stain while outside the house. Then, use another Cycles product – Stain Soaker – or the regular Cycles mild detergent to soak and wash the stained clothing at home. I only use the Cycles Stain Soaker for very stubborn stains on my baby’s clothes.

Pediatricians recommend its use from baby’s birth until your baby turns 3 years old. Yanthy has just turned 2 years old so we have one more year before we stop using this product but I don’t really mind. This line of products is so great that I recommend it to other moms like me. They’ve helped me deal with the dirty stuff without sacrificing my baby’s sensitive skin. Try it!

Yanthy’s Ordeal was My Ordeal Also

It started on a Monday evening. Yanthy had slight fever so I gave him biogesic for children. I thought that it’s just due to his colds. His pediatrician prescribed a new medicine (Alnix) because his colds had been there for a number of days now even though he has been taking Nasatapp. I made a to-do alarm in my cellphone that we’re going to buy Alnix later. Then, off we went to attend a Christmas party. But as the party progressed, his fever progressed as well. We left the party after dinner and a few games, bought medicines again and headed for home. He was burning hot with fever by the time we reached our condo. My husband checked his temperature and found out it was almost 40 degrees Celsius. We gave him a sponge bath until his temperature went down a bit. We continued to monitor his temperature and gave him paracetamol Biogesic every four hours. We brought him to the pediatrician the following day since his high fever was recurring. It’s the first time he had a fever that high. The pediatrician said he has tonsillitis so she prescribed an antibiotic (Himox). It was his first time to take antibiotics.

We thought that after being given an antibiotic Yanthy would be fine. But we were wrong. Two days after he took his antibiotic, he started to have diarrhea. We informed his doctor again and we were prescribed erceflora and glucolite to prevent dehydration. His diarrhea persisted, though and to make matters worse, he started to have diaper rash. It was very painful for him every time we would clean his bottom because it was all red. There were times when I would cry with him as I clean his bottom and change his diapers. I would silently pray for his healing and that God would give me the pain instead and spare my child from further suffering. The diaper cream we used after every diaper change helped to remove the diaper rash but it kept coming back due to persistent diarrhea. Yanthy started to lose weight. Sometimes he would poop as many as 8-9 times a day. It was very scary. It was a good thing that he continued to eat and breastfeed from me. After around 4 days of continuous fever and diarrhea, his pediatrician instructed that Yanthy undergoes CBC and fecalysis (stool exam). We were very grateful when we got the CBC result and found out that it was not dengue. He had amoeba however. So another antibiotic (Flagyl) was prescribed to combat the amoeba. His two antibiotics overlapped – one for tonsillitis and one for amoebiasis. His fever gradually left him after a few more days but he still had diarrhea. His new pediatrician said that it’s normal for the treatment of amoebiasis. She said that Yanthy needs to take antibiotics for 10 days and before the 10-day period is over, he needs to undergo another fecalysis to check if the amoeba is gone. If it’s still there, he would have to continue taking his antibiotic for four more days for a total of 14 days.

We had a hard time getting stool samples from Yanthy. We were just lucky during the first time but the succeeding times were very difficult. We kept coming back to Asian Hospital’s laboratory even during the Christmas holidays. Luckily, we were able to get a sample on his 10th day of taking antibiotics. We noticed however that although his diarhea episodes were less frequent, he developed a cough. So we brought him to an EENT this time who prescribed another antibiotic (Augmentin).

When we got the result of his second fecalysis, we found out that there are still traces of amoeba so we continued his antibiotic against amoeba together with the antibiotic for his cough. This is the second time that his antibiotic overlapped.

Thank God, his cough and diarrhea stopped after a few more days of taking medicines. I thought that our ordeal was over so we chose to celebrate by pushing through with our family outing at Casa Santa. We were supposed to go there either before Christmas or right after Christmas but since Yanthy got sick, we postponed it. We were glad that it was still open until the New Year so we went there armed with our new digital camera and ready smiles.

Just a couple of days after we thought that Yanthy is all healed, Yanthy had fever again. We brought him again to the pediatrician who gave another medicine (Remidril) for colds. He got healed after 5 days of taking the medicine. But there’s another problem that surfaced. He now has crusting on his eyes. It started with his left eye until even his right eye developed excessive crusting. So we applied Erythromycin ointment on his eyes to combat the infection.

In just a span of four (4) weeks, Yanthy took four different kinds of antibiotics. That does not include the different cold/antihistamine medicines prescribed to combat his colds. My poor baby.

I thought that Yanthy’s sicknesses will all be gone by New Year’s time but I was wrong. Today, all I wish is that he’d be in the pink of health again and that his ordeal would soon be over because his ordeal is my ordeal as well. I pray that God would have mercy on my little boy and heal him completely.

Yanthy’s New Favorite Snack

Banana used to be Yanthy’s favorite snack. Around two weeks ago, after I introduced him to Party Animals biscuits, it has become his new favorite snack. It was supposed to be one of the game prizes in his birthday party last October 18. I thought that it was perfect for his jungle-themed party. I showed it to him and told him about my plan. However, he didn’t let go of the box anymore after he got hold of it. So, I opened it and allowed him to taste the biscuits.

The biscuits are animal-shaped with their names carved on the biscuits. It has different flavors – butter, coconut and seaweed. I bought the butter flavored biscuits. I dipped the biscuits in his milk before giving them to him. He liked them very much. Initially, he could only finish 5 biscuits. After a few days, he averaged 10 biscuits per sitting. He finished 2 boxes of the biscuits in the past 2 weeks.

Last week, his 5 month old cousin JR, tried tasting the biscuits. The other baby liked it also that’s why his parents bought him a couple of boxes from SM Hypermart before going back to Surigao. When his cousin was with us, Yanthy tried eating the biscuits by biting into them without first dipping them in milk. He liked them that way, too. He was able to eat around 5 pieces again.

I’m happy I chanced upon this product when I was looking for game prizes. Although I was not able to use it for its original purpose, I’m glad I found something that Yanthy eventually loved to eat for his snack.

Buy 1, Take 1 Baby Wipes

I got excited when I saw buy 1, take 1 baby wipes by Baby Company one time while we were doing our grocery. I thought it was a good buy considering that at a cheaper price, it gives more pulls; so I bought it immediately. I’ve tried many wipes in the past – Chubs, Giggles and Johnson’s to name a few. Baby Company was my latest find. It didn’t prove to be a better choice though. The sheets were very thin almost see through and they were also narrower. I used up the two cylinders very fast because I had to use more wipes.

So far, Johnson’s baby wipes are still the best. They are thicker and wider making it more efficient. With just a few pulls, you’re done with the baby clean up. The big pack I buy lasts for two weeks which makes it good for our budget. I saw another brand of baby wipe the other day in a magazine. I have yet to try it. This one is from Nivea. But until then, I’d stick to Johnson’s.

Since I’m already preparing for my son’s first birthday and I’m making the loot bags, I’ve decided to reuse/recycle the old containers of Baby Company baby wipes. I printed Madagascar characters on sticker paper and turned the old container into Yanthy’s coin bank. At least I have put it to good use still even though I was dissatisfied with its contents. That way, I am also able to teach Yanthy the concept of saving money and recycling.