i realized i shouldn't have posted on FB about the ER trip, kasi andaming nag-aalala. andami rin napapost asking how he is. thanks for the concern friends. he's doing better now, i think. didn't mean to make anybody worry. =)
how it started
last week, may parang pimple sa right butt cheek si pistoy. we thought it was no big deal, dahil nagkaron na rin sya ng ganon dati, pumutok lang mag-isa. but after a few days, medyo namumula yung area.
by friday, mama said super-iyak si pistoy nung inupo nila sa carseat papuntang park. tapos ayaw sumakay sa swing, eh fave nya don eh. yun pala, biglaang namaga yung butt nya. namumula at medyo matigas yung area. pag naglalaro sa lapag si pistoy, he sits funny. tinatagilid nya yung upo nya para di nya maupuan yung bukol. that night, iyak nang iyak si pistoy at may fever na, so we gave him some baby tylenol for the pain.
saturday morning (8:30am), we went to his pedia. buti na lang maaga kami pumunta kasi just overnight, namaga yung butt nya, parang pigsa na ang itsura. =( it was red, swollen, very hard, at lumaki yung inflamed area. as soon as nakita ng pedia niya, binigyan kami ng note and pinapunta na kami sa ER ng All Children's Hospital sa downtown. wala daw kasing surgery area dun sa clinic, kaya mas ok na sa hospital talaga gawin. punta kami don, kami rin ang una.
the ER experience
pistoy was generally ok when we reached the ER (9am-ish), so hintay lang kami a bit after i filled up a short form. kami lang ni je ang pumasok sa ER, si mama't papa naghintay lang sa lobby ng hospital.
then they did some standard tests. weight, temperature, blood pressure. pistoy was very curious pa nga, patingin-tingin lang habang kinukuha yung stats nya. then they led us to an examination room. hindi na pinahubad yung top ni pistoy, pina-alis na lang yung diaper. tapos naka-hospital gown sya. i must admit, i was tempted to take pics kasi pistoy looked so cute in his Bugs Bunny hospital gown. =)
a couple of nurses looked at him first, and interviewed us about his health history, allergies, family records, etc. jecobie was crying na kasi antok na sya, at siguro the baby tylenol was wearing off na rin. after a few minutes, dumating na yung doc. kamukha sya ni john travolta. hehe!
the pedia wanted to make sure kung anong meron sa bukol, pwedeng pus daw yon, or inflamed tissue. so pina-ultrasound pa si pistoy. eh pag natatamaan yung bukol nya, super sakit. kaya talagang iyak si pistoy. tipong nanginginig buong katawan nya sa iyak. =( talagang umagos ang luha ng little boy ko, nakakaawa. =( daddy je was carrying him when they did the ultrasound, and pistoy's fingernails were digging in sa pagkakahawak nya, sa sobrang sakit siguro. as soon as the technician saw the "sac", she said something like "oh my God, that's a big one." nakita din namin, malaki nga yung area. naawa ata yung technician kay pistoy, hinatid pa kami pabalik sa examination room from the ultrasound room.
we waited a little more, medyo nakakatulog na si pistoy. karga pa rin sya ni je (poor daddy, nag-alaxan that night dahil sa sakit ng likod sa pagbubuhat). finally the doc said pistoy probably has MRSA, and the skin infection needs to undergo a minor "surgery" to drain the pus and liquid na nag-accumulate. he recommended to sedate pistoy para daw di ma-trauma sa pain, at para mas mabilis ang procedure. at sa dami rin ng pus, mas ok daw na hiwain na para makuha lahat. the doc was reassuring us na pistoy will only be sedated if we give our consent, and that may ibang specialists who will look after his stats (like breathing), to make sure he's not having any reaction to the sedative. we made the decision to go on with it. that was 10am.
since pistoy had some milk earlier, the doc recommended we wait for an hour before they sedate him. at this point, umuwi muna kami ni mama to take care of stuff. i didn't even have my wallet with me. papa stayed sa hospital lobby in case may kailangan si je. mama and i went home, took a bath, grabbed breakfast for ourselves, je and papa.
side note: we were having pistoy and my birthday lunch that noon, and it was too late to cancel. we had the place reserved, and people will be coming at 11:30am, some may even be on their way. so before i headed back to the hospital, i dropped mama sa resto (sa kanto lang namin) to take care of stuff (food, guests). we decided to go on with the luncheon, with or without pistoy and me.
i wasn't there when they sedated pistoy at 11am. hubby je said within 2 minutes na tinurukan si jecobie, naging groggy na sya. then the staff prepared for the procedure. they did it sa examination room, may built-in facilities na rin sila for minor ops. pinalabas si je ng doc when they did the procedure. sabi ni je, in about 10 minutes, tapos na.
the swollen area measured 4cm x 6cm, and the pus area inside measured 2cm x 3cm. they made a 1cm cut dun sa bukol. they took some samples to culture it, to make sure that the infection is not resistant to the antibiotics they will prescribe. then they drained the rest, tapos pinasukan ng "packing" yung area, parang gauze na may gamot. para daw sipsipin yung pus kung may natira, at kung may mapupunta pa dun sa area.
when i got back to the room (11:20am-ish), they were cleaning up the bed and pistoy is still lying on his stomach, groggy, and crying feebly. i stroked his arms and legs, and talked to him that it was ok. he settled down a bit. he must be looking for more familiar voices, since he can't focus well. daddy je carried him, and he just laid his head on daddy's shoulder and slept. it was a good 30 minutes ata before medyo nahihimasmasan si pistoy. he tried to wake up, and ended up smacking his head on je's chest at one time dahil sa sobrang kalasingan pa. the nurse saw it and natawa ng konti. kami rin ni je natawa eh, kasi parang lasing humandusay si pistoy.
pistoy slept well. both je and i agreed that the worst is over.at this point, pinasunod ko na si papa sa room. si mama naman, tawag nang tawag kay papa, tinatanong si pistoy, at the same time giving updates na dumarating na yung mga tao sa resto, and that she's updating them of what happened.
after an hour, the doc checked on pistoy, and asked us to feed him some liquid. if he throws up, he needs to stay and recover. if he doesn't, we could go home. we gave pistoy his milk, and he happily took it. no throwing up after 1 ounce. he was still a bit groggy, he sways on the spot, but he's his usual self other than that. he was drinking his milk, eating his banana puffs. crawling on the bed. he was also calling out "ayt" (lola-mama ayet), naghahanap talaga ng familiar faces and voices. palipat-lipat nga sya ng karga sa aming 3 nila je at papa eh. as soon as he started cruising on the bed rail, and started bouncing to "dance to the beat", i know he's ready to go. that was almost 2pm.
post ER
the nurse took care of the paper work. we will be charged later after the insurance kicks in. our bill will come through the mail. in 10 minutes after the nurse discharged us, we were pulling out of the parking lot.
we headed straight to the resto for our birthday lunch. we were 2 hours late on our own party! =P jecobie was sleepy, it was his nap time na rin kasi, so je carried him lang. when we got there, all the guests have already eaten. after saying hello to everyone, nag-blow na ng cake, then nag-dessert na. di na kami nakakain ni je, nakihalubilo na lang kami sa guests, lahat din kasi nagtatanong kung anong nangyari at kung kamusta na si pistoy. after about an hour, nagsimula na mag-paalam ang mga tao. it all worked out well, kasi pistoy needs to rest din. dumaan lang din talaga kami para makita man lang nila si pistoy. and bukod sa local area na hiniwa sa kanya, he's fine naman. no fever, no pains (yet then, baka may effect pa yung binigay sa kanya sa hospital).
post ER care
so ngayon, may incision si pistoy sa butt, at may nakapasok na gauze. may konting part na nakalabas. bukas (tuesday), we're going back to the pedia for a follow-up. either papalitan yung gauze (juskolord, sana wala nang namuo ulet!), or tatanggalin na totally and let the incision heal.
as of yesterday, naka-upo na sya sa swing sa park, pero medyo nakatagilid. si pistoy na mismo nagtatagilid ng upo nya, para di nya maupuan yung incision. may dressing naman, pero masakit pa rin yon shempre.
but he's doing ok overall, other than pag pinapalitan namin yung dressing or nauupuan nya bigla. he's eating well, playing well. he laughs and still "performs" his tricks. he slept through the night last night, and wala namang fever.
it was heartbreaking to see your kid in state of pain. i know it was inevitable. it was hard for me to leave the room before jecobie was sedated, i wanted to be there for him. but i also know some part of me doesn't want to see him like that. in the end, we were still thankful that the pain was "localized" to that swollen part of his butt. can you imagine how much harder it would be if your kid is experiencing that kind of pain all over his body? if jecobie still had fever before the procedure, there's no way i am leaving his side.
parenthood is not for the faint of heart. we've been baptized by the ER fire.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
pistoy tricks
letting go
sa pinas unang tumayo si pistoy nang walang hawak. he would just stand there, balancing himself, then papalakpak at sasayaw ng konti. then uupo na. hehehe! it was such a milestone for us, kasi parang nawala yung takot ni pistoy eh. unfortunately, pagbalik dito sa US, parang takot ulet sya bumitaw. so i took out the toys he's playing with sa pinas, para bumalik yung association na it's ok to let go. surprisingly, and i don't know if it's just coincidence, pero recently tumatayo na ulet sya nang walang hawak. hehe! papa said he took 2 steps while "brushing" his hands on papa's arm. ayaw pa rin nang walang hawak, pero sabi ni papa, light na lang yung hawak sa kanya ni pistoy. parang reassurance lang siguro.
kakak
pistoy keeps chanting "kakak" a few days ago. one of my cousins, si dardrein, was nicknamed "kakak" for the exact same reason, she kept saying that when she was little. =P so i guess that makes pistoy "kakak jr."
pistoy picks up cues pretty fast. one time, mama taught him how to hold a projector pen toy, and now, he knows how to hold it correctly! he would even request na patayin nila mama yung ilaw sa kwarto nila pag nilalaro nya yun. hehe! pag naririnig nya yung word na "tenga", he holds his ears. pag naririnig nya yung "boy", he would do the "good boy" pose. pag humawak sya ng phone, he would hold it against his ears and "talk", as if trying to call someone. and, whenever he gets hold of ANY remote control, he points it to the tv, nakataas pa ang arms. hehehe!
marunong na rin magsipsip itong anak ko. pag pinapagalitan sya, sisibi at gagapang papunta sa kung sino ang nasa vicinity na hindi nagalit sa kanya. naghahanap ng kakampi. kay papa naman, mahilig syang magpakarga. kawawang lolo't lola, laging masakit na ang likod. hehehe!
hay pistoy. pwede bang wag ka munang lumaki! can i keep you little? =)
sa pinas unang tumayo si pistoy nang walang hawak. he would just stand there, balancing himself, then papalakpak at sasayaw ng konti. then uupo na. hehehe! it was such a milestone for us, kasi parang nawala yung takot ni pistoy eh. unfortunately, pagbalik dito sa US, parang takot ulet sya bumitaw. so i took out the toys he's playing with sa pinas, para bumalik yung association na it's ok to let go. surprisingly, and i don't know if it's just coincidence, pero recently tumatayo na ulet sya nang walang hawak. hehe! papa said he took 2 steps while "brushing" his hands on papa's arm. ayaw pa rin nang walang hawak, pero sabi ni papa, light na lang yung hawak sa kanya ni pistoy. parang reassurance lang siguro.
kakak
pistoy keeps chanting "kakak" a few days ago. one of my cousins, si dardrein, was nicknamed "kakak" for the exact same reason, she kept saying that when she was little. =P so i guess that makes pistoy "kakak jr."
pistoy picks up cues pretty fast. one time, mama taught him how to hold a projector pen toy, and now, he knows how to hold it correctly! he would even request na patayin nila mama yung ilaw sa kwarto nila pag nilalaro nya yun. hehe! pag naririnig nya yung word na "tenga", he holds his ears. pag naririnig nya yung "boy", he would do the "good boy" pose. pag humawak sya ng phone, he would hold it against his ears and "talk", as if trying to call someone. and, whenever he gets hold of ANY remote control, he points it to the tv, nakataas pa ang arms. hehehe!
marunong na rin magsipsip itong anak ko. pag pinapagalitan sya, sisibi at gagapang papunta sa kung sino ang nasa vicinity na hindi nagalit sa kanya. naghahanap ng kakampi. kay papa naman, mahilig syang magpakarga. kawawang lolo't lola, laging masakit na ang likod. hehehe!
hay pistoy. pwede bang wag ka munang lumaki! can i keep you little? =)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
pistoy in pinas
one of the MANY things we learned in this trip, is that jetlag is harder with a little one in tow. =P
hubby je and i tried to adjust to the pinas timezone as fast as we can, but it didn't really work. why? dahil pistoy is taking his own sweet time. =P i totally did not anticipate this little inconvenience. =P
tinatry naming gumising sa umaga at matulog sa gabi. pero si pistoy, tulog sa umaga, gising sa gabi. so what happens is gising kami ni je sa umaga, at gising din sa gabi! so i think, if you have the luxury of time, let jetlag run its own course. take a nap (don't sleep in like the little one does) when he's sleeping his "night sleep" sa umaga/hapon, just so you'll have some energy to stay awake at dawn when he's also awake.
another lesson, which might be applicable to pistoy lang, i dunno... is to let him sleep when he needs to, and don't wake him up if he doesn't have to. what this translates to is that gimiks become a little challenging to schedule. i'm lucky that most of my friends are also mothers/fathers now, so they know how it is. they were pretty flexible with time, and they understand if we have to call "pack up" once pistoy starts getting cranky because he's sleepy. also, if there's an event that coincides with his nap/bed time, an event that can't be rescheduled, we leave him with family at home. it seldom happened, as we try to work around the schedule, but we did this nung binyag ng anak ni jotster (a high school friend). dinala namin si pistoy sa church so our friends could meet him, but he went home with papa after the ceremonies. kami na lang ni hubby je ang tumuloy sa reception. it worked out well. pistoy was able to rest well (he was still sick that time), and we had time to really catch up with friends dahil we had time for ourselves. of course we missed him big time, lalo na when our friends rommel/tenten was attending to their son jecjec. we suddenly wished pistoy was there too. but in the end, it was a wise decision.
probably due to the extremely different weather, or maybe kasama na rin yung pollution factor, expect the little one to be sick. pistoy, who seldom gets sick, was sick the entire first 2 weeks of our stay there. sipon then naging ubo. sobrang handy ng snot sucker namin (babycomfynose). we never leave home without it. a lot of our friends and family also loved it, and requested for one. hehe! pagbalik ko tuloy dito sa US, i have to buy 8 of them! =P
another thing we learned is... no matter how careful we are with regards to sanitizing pistoy's stuff, he will eventually put something dirty in his mouth. hahaha! i think i've become a germophobe when i moved to the US. things that don't usually gross me out when i was living in pinas, now grosses me out! =P ang arte. hehe! the trip to pinas certainly reminded me of my roots, and to be at peace with germs. hehehe!
we borrowed my niece's stroller na parang stroller-convertible-to-bike thingy, and pistoy keeps reaching for the wheels! eh ginagamit yon sa kalsada, and shempre sa pinas, the streets are not really the cleanest. =P hubby je freaks out, and i freak out, and we bring out the sanitizing wipes or wash his hands with soap and water. but our relatives will just dust off pistoy's hands and that's it! =P but he lives still. then one time, my niece yana handed him a ball, and pistoy happily obliged to smack it to his mouth. in a few seconds, he managed to cover the entire ball with his saliva. =P then i later saw yana playing with the same set of balls on the street, and it rolled into the sidewalk canal with stagnant water. my cousin took the ball, ran it quickly through the faucet, and gave it back to my niece. and yet, pistoy and yana lives! in my "safeguard commercial" eyes, there are germs all over the wheels and the ball. but pistoy lived.
in fairness to my relatives, they treat pistoy with extra care when it comes to stuff. they are very protective of what pistoy eats. they choose the taho vendors ("wag ka dyan bumili, kay tatang na lang, mas malinis"), the lugaw vendors ("kay pareng toi ka bumili, sabihin mo para sa apo ni norbie"), etc. also, they stopped bringing in their slippers inside the house ("gumagapang dyan si pistoy, hubarin nyo tsinelas nyo! bawal sapatos!"), and our househelp cleans the floor twice a day instead of just once. =P
hmmm, ano pa ba. pistoy had a great time playing with my cousins and niece and nephew. pistoy is usually suplado with people he doesn't know, pero pagdating sa pinas, lahat sinasamahan! =) i think that almost 1 month in pinas did wonders to his social skills. "kinakausap" nya si jhairee (anak ni alpair), at nakikipaglaro sya with yana (anak ni dorein). fave nyang i-kiss si eibron, jaymie at dorein. at ang daldal nya ngayon! kung ano-anong syllables ang sinasabi nya. sa pinas, he usually chants "yana" and "chukoy". i think nakilala nya si yana kasi laging tinatawag si yana ng mga tao (sa sobrang kakulitan!), and "chukoy" is probably "it's ok". hehehe!
we tried to document a lot of things for pistoy's firsts, but a lot of firsts also came undocumented, like his first plane ride (it was pretty tough the first time, flying from FL to NY on an 8pm flight, his bed time), his first tricycle ride, first serving of taho, etc. but i don't regret not being able to capture them. just seeing pistoy enjoying is enough. after all, this won't be his last time to visit the native land. it would be nice to bring him back some time when he's a bit more aware of what's happening. then maybe he'd enjoy dirty ice cream more. =)
hubby je and i tried to adjust to the pinas timezone as fast as we can, but it didn't really work. why? dahil pistoy is taking his own sweet time. =P i totally did not anticipate this little inconvenience. =P
tinatry naming gumising sa umaga at matulog sa gabi. pero si pistoy, tulog sa umaga, gising sa gabi. so what happens is gising kami ni je sa umaga, at gising din sa gabi! so i think, if you have the luxury of time, let jetlag run its own course. take a nap (don't sleep in like the little one does) when he's sleeping his "night sleep" sa umaga/hapon, just so you'll have some energy to stay awake at dawn when he's also awake.
another lesson, which might be applicable to pistoy lang, i dunno... is to let him sleep when he needs to, and don't wake him up if he doesn't have to. what this translates to is that gimiks become a little challenging to schedule. i'm lucky that most of my friends are also mothers/fathers now, so they know how it is. they were pretty flexible with time, and they understand if we have to call "pack up" once pistoy starts getting cranky because he's sleepy. also, if there's an event that coincides with his nap/bed time, an event that can't be rescheduled, we leave him with family at home. it seldom happened, as we try to work around the schedule, but we did this nung binyag ng anak ni jotster (a high school friend). dinala namin si pistoy sa church so our friends could meet him, but he went home with papa after the ceremonies. kami na lang ni hubby je ang tumuloy sa reception. it worked out well. pistoy was able to rest well (he was still sick that time), and we had time to really catch up with friends dahil we had time for ourselves. of course we missed him big time, lalo na when our friends rommel/tenten was attending to their son jecjec. we suddenly wished pistoy was there too. but in the end, it was a wise decision.
probably due to the extremely different weather, or maybe kasama na rin yung pollution factor, expect the little one to be sick. pistoy, who seldom gets sick, was sick the entire first 2 weeks of our stay there. sipon then naging ubo. sobrang handy ng snot sucker namin (babycomfynose). we never leave home without it. a lot of our friends and family also loved it, and requested for one. hehe! pagbalik ko tuloy dito sa US, i have to buy 8 of them! =P
another thing we learned is... no matter how careful we are with regards to sanitizing pistoy's stuff, he will eventually put something dirty in his mouth. hahaha! i think i've become a germophobe when i moved to the US. things that don't usually gross me out when i was living in pinas, now grosses me out! =P ang arte. hehe! the trip to pinas certainly reminded me of my roots, and to be at peace with germs. hehehe!
we borrowed my niece's stroller na parang stroller-convertible-to-bike thingy, and pistoy keeps reaching for the wheels! eh ginagamit yon sa kalsada, and shempre sa pinas, the streets are not really the cleanest. =P hubby je freaks out, and i freak out, and we bring out the sanitizing wipes or wash his hands with soap and water. but our relatives will just dust off pistoy's hands and that's it! =P but he lives still. then one time, my niece yana handed him a ball, and pistoy happily obliged to smack it to his mouth. in a few seconds, he managed to cover the entire ball with his saliva. =P then i later saw yana playing with the same set of balls on the street, and it rolled into the sidewalk canal with stagnant water. my cousin took the ball, ran it quickly through the faucet, and gave it back to my niece. and yet, pistoy and yana lives! in my "safeguard commercial" eyes, there are germs all over the wheels and the ball. but pistoy lived.
in fairness to my relatives, they treat pistoy with extra care when it comes to stuff. they are very protective of what pistoy eats. they choose the taho vendors ("wag ka dyan bumili, kay tatang na lang, mas malinis"), the lugaw vendors ("kay pareng toi ka bumili, sabihin mo para sa apo ni norbie"), etc. also, they stopped bringing in their slippers inside the house ("gumagapang dyan si pistoy, hubarin nyo tsinelas nyo! bawal sapatos!"), and our househelp cleans the floor twice a day instead of just once. =P
hmmm, ano pa ba. pistoy had a great time playing with my cousins and niece and nephew. pistoy is usually suplado with people he doesn't know, pero pagdating sa pinas, lahat sinasamahan! =) i think that almost 1 month in pinas did wonders to his social skills. "kinakausap" nya si jhairee (anak ni alpair), at nakikipaglaro sya with yana (anak ni dorein). fave nyang i-kiss si eibron, jaymie at dorein. at ang daldal nya ngayon! kung ano-anong syllables ang sinasabi nya. sa pinas, he usually chants "yana" and "chukoy". i think nakilala nya si yana kasi laging tinatawag si yana ng mga tao (sa sobrang kakulitan!), and "chukoy" is probably "it's ok". hehehe!
we tried to document a lot of things for pistoy's firsts, but a lot of firsts also came undocumented, like his first plane ride (it was pretty tough the first time, flying from FL to NY on an 8pm flight, his bed time), his first tricycle ride, first serving of taho, etc. but i don't regret not being able to capture them. just seeing pistoy enjoying is enough. after all, this won't be his last time to visit the native land. it would be nice to bring him back some time when he's a bit more aware of what's happening. then maybe he'd enjoy dirty ice cream more. =)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
pistoy's first plane trip
going into this trip, i was worried about the ear aches pag nagka-change ng air pressure sa cabin during take-off and landing. but it turns out, that was (sort of) the easiest to remedy pala. just make sure the child is eating or drinking para lunok nang lunok, and this will relieve the pressure.
Tampa to NY
ok yung take-off. pistoy was pretty hungry by then kaya kumain sya ng BreadSticks and had a bottle ng dede. since lunok sya nang lunok, hindi sya na-bother sa change ng air pressure sa tenga.
kaya lang, kain pa rin sya nang kain throughout the flight! the flight was just 2 hours. kaya nung pa-landing na, ayaw na kumain or dumede kasi busog na. kaya sumakit tenga nya, at ayon, super iyak. =( he was pulling on his ears kaya alam namin na yun ang nagba-bother sa kanya. eventually, napainom namin sya ng konting dede, kaya siguro nabawasan yung pressure sa tenga.
Lesson # 1
budget the feeding when you are expecting just a short flight. binigay namin yung dede ni pistoy a few moments after take-off (as in yung air-borne na yung plane). we should have stopped giving him snacks, and resort to distracting him with toys, para medyo gutom pa sya by landing. oh well, we learned.
NY to HongKong (the loooong flight)
ok ulet sa take-off. since mahaba pa yung flight, hinayaan lang namin syang mag-snack at dumede as much as he wants.
kaya lang, sa dami ng kinain, tumae sa plane. ayaw nya dun sa cr kaya mega-iyak sya habang pinapalitan namin! claustrophobic ata si pistoy. hehe! sa sobrang iyak, sumuka nung bumalik na kami sa upuan. buti na lang walang nasukahan na pasahero, ako lang. buong balikat at braso ko may suka, pati buhok ko. hehehe! may pamalit naman ako, tapos nag-ponytail na lang ako kasi amoy pa rin kahit halos maligo na ko sa lababo ng cr.
nakatulog naman si pistoy, pero karga ni je sa baby carrier for almost 6 hours. si daddy je nakatayo for almost 4 hours, kasi umiiyak si pistoy pag umuupo na si je. buti na nga lang may carrier.
nung gising sya, he was kind of restless sa seat. siguro kasi nasa regular seat lang kami (we didn't get the bassinet seats sa dami ng babies sa flight, and they booked in advance).
he wants to roam around, kaya inaakay namin sya sa paglalakad. fave tambayan namin yung malapit sa food station/gallery, at malapit sa restrooms. it helps that we were wearing tshirt, comfy jeans, and comfy shoes, kasi we did a lot of bending and walking with pistoy.
ok din si pistoy sa landing. around 3 hours before landing, medyo budgeted na yung pagkain nya. ok lang naman sya.
Lesson # 2
bring change of clothes sa plane. i brought 2 tshirts, 1 pants, pati bra. may dala rin akong pang-ponytail, face towel, perfume, and lots and lots of baby wipes. pag kumakain kasi si pistoy, medyo messy, so baby wipes ang katapat nya. kids will be messy, and that's fine. punasan at palitan na lang ng damit pag malapit nang mag-landing. =P
Lesson # 3
most likely you'll have a big diaper bag to hold EVERYTHING your baby will need. but make sure it will fit under the seat in front of you. if it won't, bring a smaller bag with the basic needs. based on experience namin, that bag should have:
- pamalit na damit (1 short sleeves, 1 long sleeves, 1 pants)
- face towel or burp cloth
- blanket (if your baby hates wearing socks, like our pistoy)
- diapers
- wipes
- disposable changing pad (if you're oc-oc like us, hehe!)
- poopie bag (if your baby's poop stinks like our pistoy's, haha!)
- 1-2 small toys
- 1-2 small books
- 2-3 bottles of dede
- 1-2 types of meals and snacks (it helps to put it in ziploc bags para hindi bulky yung containers)
- any medicines (if needed)
meron pa rin kaming bigger diaper bag with more stuff, but it was too big to fit sa ilalim ng seat, kaya we had to stow it sa overhead compartment. it's kind of a hassle na tatayo everytime may kailangan,kaya we transfered those basic stuff sa smaller bag and yun ang nasa ibaba lang.
Lesson # 4
if you plan on giving your baby some medicine to help them calm down or sleep, make sure you test them days before the flight.
technically, hindi papayag ang pedia na bigyan ng something ang baby kung wala naman talagang sakit, but only to calm them down. like benadryl. but for those whose pedia will allow it, do a test run days in advance, to make sure na walang allergy to that medicine yung baby. and also to make sure you know the effects of the medication. sa ibang bata daw kasi, nagiging hyper sa benadryl, instead na makatulog. =P
we didn't give anything to pistoy, first dahil most of my relatives in NY advised against it. and secondly dahil we didn't get to test it days prior to the flight. mahirap na kung may allergic reaction si pistoy, saan naman kami hahanap ng doctor sa eroplano. =P
HongKong to Manila
take off is fine again. we budgeted his snacks, as we learned in our Tampa-NY flight. hehe! 1.5 hrs lang kasi yung trip this time.
umiyak lang sya nung pa-landing na sa Manila, kasi super antok na. sumuka ulet sa sobrang iyak. nung pagka-landing, tumayo na si je at tumatahimik naman si pistoy. pinagalitan sya ng stewardess, pinapaupo sya. nakipag-away si je! =P sabi nung flight attendant umupo daw, kasi gagayahin daw ng iba, tatayo na to get their luggages, kaya sabi ni je "i'm not getting my luggages. if anybody stands up, i will make sure they will sit down again."
ayaw pumayag nung babae kaya sabi ni je something like "he threw up 3 times already. if i hurt myself, i won't sue you, i know you're just doing your job. i just don't want him to throw up again."
so finally, pinabayaan na sya nung babae, sabi lang "just be careful". eh si je civil naman, sabi nya "i will, thank you." tapos tumayo na sya karga si pistoy. hehe!
nung paglabas namin, hinihintay namin yung stroller sa gate, andaming ngumingiti sa amin na pasahero, lalo na yung mga may dala rin na baby. ngayon lang siguro sila nakakita ng pasahero na nakipag-away sa flight attendant at nanalo. =P
sobrang kaawa kasi si pistoy nung umiiyak na sa antok. lahat tinry na namin, talagang naiinis na sya. within 5 minutes paglabas ng plane, tulog na. kids can't help it. kung hindi sanay ang baby na matulog nang karga, it will really be a challenge sa parents.
Manila to HongKong, Hongkong to NY, NY to Tampa
everything's a breeze! i feel like we're veterans in flying. the main difference, we got the bassinet seat this time. pistoy was less restless dahil pag nabugnot sya, tatayo/uupo/maglalaro lang sya sa lapag sa tapat ng seat ko. pag antok, humihiga sya sa bassinet. that's pretty much it. pag antok, medyo ma-whiny pa rin, pero pumayag syang sa bassinet matulog. i just wished we brought an overall onesies (yung may cover pati paa), kasi sinisipa ni pistoy yung socks nya, tapos ayaw nya ng blanket. eh ang lamig dun sa may bassinet seat.
Lesson # 5
if you could secure a front row seat, do it! where our seats are located made more difference, that if we booked a separate seat for pistoy, i think. kasi nung wala kaming bassinet, tumatayo si papa para si pistoy ang mag-occupy ng seat nya, pero ganon din. but with the bassinet, it's just soooo much easier.
Lesson of all Lessons:
the most important lesson of all: keep your cool. good sense of humor goes a loooong way! babies can feel their parent's anxiety. pag nagpanic na ang mommy or daddy, the baby will feel it and the cycle continues. pag umiyak ang bata, it's normal. if anybody gives you The Look, just smile back.
i'm trying to think of anything else we've learned from the actual plane trips. i think that's pretty much it. =)
next on the agenda, things learned at the place of destination. =P
Tampa to NY
ok yung take-off. pistoy was pretty hungry by then kaya kumain sya ng BreadSticks and had a bottle ng dede. since lunok sya nang lunok, hindi sya na-bother sa change ng air pressure sa tenga.
kaya lang, kain pa rin sya nang kain throughout the flight! the flight was just 2 hours. kaya nung pa-landing na, ayaw na kumain or dumede kasi busog na. kaya sumakit tenga nya, at ayon, super iyak. =( he was pulling on his ears kaya alam namin na yun ang nagba-bother sa kanya. eventually, napainom namin sya ng konting dede, kaya siguro nabawasan yung pressure sa tenga.
Lesson # 1
budget the feeding when you are expecting just a short flight. binigay namin yung dede ni pistoy a few moments after take-off (as in yung air-borne na yung plane). we should have stopped giving him snacks, and resort to distracting him with toys, para medyo gutom pa sya by landing. oh well, we learned.
NY to HongKong (the loooong flight)
ok ulet sa take-off. since mahaba pa yung flight, hinayaan lang namin syang mag-snack at dumede as much as he wants.
kaya lang, sa dami ng kinain, tumae sa plane. ayaw nya dun sa cr kaya mega-iyak sya habang pinapalitan namin! claustrophobic ata si pistoy. hehe! sa sobrang iyak, sumuka nung bumalik na kami sa upuan. buti na lang walang nasukahan na pasahero, ako lang. buong balikat at braso ko may suka, pati buhok ko. hehehe! may pamalit naman ako, tapos nag-ponytail na lang ako kasi amoy pa rin kahit halos maligo na ko sa lababo ng cr.
nakatulog naman si pistoy, pero karga ni je sa baby carrier for almost 6 hours. si daddy je nakatayo for almost 4 hours, kasi umiiyak si pistoy pag umuupo na si je. buti na nga lang may carrier.
nung gising sya, he was kind of restless sa seat. siguro kasi nasa regular seat lang kami (we didn't get the bassinet seats sa dami ng babies sa flight, and they booked in advance).
he wants to roam around, kaya inaakay namin sya sa paglalakad. fave tambayan namin yung malapit sa food station/gallery, at malapit sa restrooms. it helps that we were wearing tshirt, comfy jeans, and comfy shoes, kasi we did a lot of bending and walking with pistoy.
ok din si pistoy sa landing. around 3 hours before landing, medyo budgeted na yung pagkain nya. ok lang naman sya.
Lesson # 2
bring change of clothes sa plane. i brought 2 tshirts, 1 pants, pati bra. may dala rin akong pang-ponytail, face towel, perfume, and lots and lots of baby wipes. pag kumakain kasi si pistoy, medyo messy, so baby wipes ang katapat nya. kids will be messy, and that's fine. punasan at palitan na lang ng damit pag malapit nang mag-landing. =P
Lesson # 3
most likely you'll have a big diaper bag to hold EVERYTHING your baby will need. but make sure it will fit under the seat in front of you. if it won't, bring a smaller bag with the basic needs. based on experience namin, that bag should have:
- pamalit na damit (1 short sleeves, 1 long sleeves, 1 pants)
- face towel or burp cloth
- blanket (if your baby hates wearing socks, like our pistoy)
- diapers
- wipes
- disposable changing pad (if you're oc-oc like us, hehe!)
- poopie bag (if your baby's poop stinks like our pistoy's, haha!)
- 1-2 small toys
- 1-2 small books
- 2-3 bottles of dede
- 1-2 types of meals and snacks (it helps to put it in ziploc bags para hindi bulky yung containers)
- any medicines (if needed)
meron pa rin kaming bigger diaper bag with more stuff, but it was too big to fit sa ilalim ng seat, kaya we had to stow it sa overhead compartment. it's kind of a hassle na tatayo everytime may kailangan,kaya we transfered those basic stuff sa smaller bag and yun ang nasa ibaba lang.
Lesson # 4
if you plan on giving your baby some medicine to help them calm down or sleep, make sure you test them days before the flight.
technically, hindi papayag ang pedia na bigyan ng something ang baby kung wala naman talagang sakit, but only to calm them down. like benadryl. but for those whose pedia will allow it, do a test run days in advance, to make sure na walang allergy to that medicine yung baby. and also to make sure you know the effects of the medication. sa ibang bata daw kasi, nagiging hyper sa benadryl, instead na makatulog. =P
we didn't give anything to pistoy, first dahil most of my relatives in NY advised against it. and secondly dahil we didn't get to test it days prior to the flight. mahirap na kung may allergic reaction si pistoy, saan naman kami hahanap ng doctor sa eroplano. =P
HongKong to Manila
take off is fine again. we budgeted his snacks, as we learned in our Tampa-NY flight. hehe! 1.5 hrs lang kasi yung trip this time.
umiyak lang sya nung pa-landing na sa Manila, kasi super antok na. sumuka ulet sa sobrang iyak. nung pagka-landing, tumayo na si je at tumatahimik naman si pistoy. pinagalitan sya ng stewardess, pinapaupo sya. nakipag-away si je! =P sabi nung flight attendant umupo daw, kasi gagayahin daw ng iba, tatayo na to get their luggages, kaya sabi ni je "i'm not getting my luggages. if anybody stands up, i will make sure they will sit down again."
ayaw pumayag nung babae kaya sabi ni je something like "he threw up 3 times already. if i hurt myself, i won't sue you, i know you're just doing your job. i just don't want him to throw up again."
so finally, pinabayaan na sya nung babae, sabi lang "just be careful". eh si je civil naman, sabi nya "i will, thank you." tapos tumayo na sya karga si pistoy. hehe!
nung paglabas namin, hinihintay namin yung stroller sa gate, andaming ngumingiti sa amin na pasahero, lalo na yung mga may dala rin na baby. ngayon lang siguro sila nakakita ng pasahero na nakipag-away sa flight attendant at nanalo. =P
sobrang kaawa kasi si pistoy nung umiiyak na sa antok. lahat tinry na namin, talagang naiinis na sya. within 5 minutes paglabas ng plane, tulog na. kids can't help it. kung hindi sanay ang baby na matulog nang karga, it will really be a challenge sa parents.
Manila to HongKong, Hongkong to NY, NY to Tampa
everything's a breeze! i feel like we're veterans in flying. the main difference, we got the bassinet seat this time. pistoy was less restless dahil pag nabugnot sya, tatayo/uupo/maglalaro lang sya sa lapag sa tapat ng seat ko. pag antok, humihiga sya sa bassinet. that's pretty much it. pag antok, medyo ma-whiny pa rin, pero pumayag syang sa bassinet matulog. i just wished we brought an overall onesies (yung may cover pati paa), kasi sinisipa ni pistoy yung socks nya, tapos ayaw nya ng blanket. eh ang lamig dun sa may bassinet seat.
Lesson # 5
if you could secure a front row seat, do it! where our seats are located made more difference, that if we booked a separate seat for pistoy, i think. kasi nung wala kaming bassinet, tumatayo si papa para si pistoy ang mag-occupy ng seat nya, pero ganon din. but with the bassinet, it's just soooo much easier.
Lesson of all Lessons:
the most important lesson of all: keep your cool. good sense of humor goes a loooong way! babies can feel their parent's anxiety. pag nagpanic na ang mommy or daddy, the baby will feel it and the cycle continues. pag umiyak ang bata, it's normal. if anybody gives you The Look, just smile back.
i'm trying to think of anything else we've learned from the actual plane trips. i think that's pretty much it. =)
next on the agenda, things learned at the place of destination. =P
Friday, December 2, 2011
traveling tips
while i was stressing out how to bring a travel humidifier on the plane, i came across this article.
http://www.trekaroo.com/traveltips/tip/baby-travel-intro-to-flying
i started reading and found myself nodding in agreement and mentally taking notes of the author's tips.
i keep clicking the related articles, and i can't stop reading. i NEED to know how to survive traveling halfway across the globe without losing my sanity, without fighting with hubby je, without having a meltdown (either mommy's or pistoy's).
of course every baby is different, so we are sort of modifying some of the tips. like regarding the pack and play yard. we know that pistoy will adapt just fine, but we also know our son loves things that are familiar, and his temperament is just that. when he doesn't see something familiar, he freaks out. so against the author's advise to leave the yard, we are bringing it with us. pistoy is allowed 1 checked-in luggage, and i think he earned it to himself to have his own bed for his own comfort once we're in pinas.
i still haven't found a way to bring a portable humidifier. there are lots of small, travel/portable humidifiers, but they need a power outlet to function. if all else fails, at least i've added the saline spray on my to-bring list. but i am still hoping i can find a way to bring that humidifier on board. maybe a battery pack that has an outlet?
bakit wala pang nakakaimbento ng travel humidifier na battery operated?!
on a separate note, i bought a backpack diaper bag online. i got a Hats Off from work, worth $250, for all the work and drama in my latest project. pikit-mata kong binili yung travel backpack, the reviews were awesome,a nd it's the perfect backpack for oc-oc parents like me and je. lots of zippers, compartments, etc. i'm not very happy with most diaper bags in the market, where they have a huge open-space in the bag, and when you throw little things in there, they get lost at the bottom. i don't imagine we'll be using this backpack a lot, but for this trip alone, i think it's gonna be worth it. =)
ok, i better get back to work. i've been here for 2 hours now, and all i've done is check my email. =P
jollibee, here we come! =)
http://www.trekaroo.com/traveltips/tip/baby-travel-intro-to-flying
i started reading and found myself nodding in agreement and mentally taking notes of the author's tips.
i keep clicking the related articles, and i can't stop reading. i NEED to know how to survive traveling halfway across the globe without losing my sanity, without fighting with hubby je, without having a meltdown (either mommy's or pistoy's).
of course every baby is different, so we are sort of modifying some of the tips. like regarding the pack and play yard. we know that pistoy will adapt just fine, but we also know our son loves things that are familiar, and his temperament is just that. when he doesn't see something familiar, he freaks out. so against the author's advise to leave the yard, we are bringing it with us. pistoy is allowed 1 checked-in luggage, and i think he earned it to himself to have his own bed for his own comfort once we're in pinas.
i still haven't found a way to bring a portable humidifier. there are lots of small, travel/portable humidifiers, but they need a power outlet to function. if all else fails, at least i've added the saline spray on my to-bring list. but i am still hoping i can find a way to bring that humidifier on board. maybe a battery pack that has an outlet?
bakit wala pang nakakaimbento ng travel humidifier na battery operated?!
on a separate note, i bought a backpack diaper bag online. i got a Hats Off from work, worth $250, for all the work and drama in my latest project. pikit-mata kong binili yung travel backpack, the reviews were awesome,a nd it's the perfect backpack for oc-oc parents like me and je. lots of zippers, compartments, etc. i'm not very happy with most diaper bags in the market, where they have a huge open-space in the bag, and when you throw little things in there, they get lost at the bottom. i don't imagine we'll be using this backpack a lot, but for this trip alone, i think it's gonna be worth it. =)
ok, i better get back to work. i've been here for 2 hours now, and all i've done is check my email. =P
jollibee, here we come! =)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
first trip preps (and anxieties)
nagsisimula na kami mag-impake nila papa, para malaman namin kung may mga kailangan pa kaming bilhin for our trip to pinas. so far, halos tapos na ang pasalubong-shopping. we got 3 luggages packed and ready to go. wala nang bukasan yon, natimbang na namin nang sakto. hehe!
so far, napapanaginipan ko na yung trip namin with pistoy. i dreamt na naiwan daw namin yung formula ni pistoy. kaloka! *lol* now i'm laughing because that's a dream. but if it happens in real life, that would be a nightmare!
i have to make a checklist of things to pack for pistoy. it is kind of complicated (at least in my head) because we are staying in NY for 2 days.
so far, i have this list for our hand-carried luggage. lahat ng nasa hand-carried, yun yung gagamitin namin sa NY, at sa trip to pinas:
- 2 jackets (1 light, 1 for winter weather aka snow)
- 3 pants (1 light, 2 for winter weather)
- pajamas (2 overall, 2 long-sleeves)
- 5 long-sleeves onesies
- 5 short-sleeve onesies
- 3 thick socks
- 1 skull cap
- 3 blankets
- 8 bibs (Lord, sana hindi nagngingipin si pistoy around the time ng trip namin!)
- 24 size4 diapers (size 5 na kaya sya in a few weeks? di pa naman siguro)
- 1 can formula
- formula dispenser
- 10 bottles (use the no-spill nipples)
- spare no-spill nipples
- 1 gallon distilled water (gawd, i have to call the airline what their policy is about this)
- bottle cleaner brush (and soap)?
- 3 types of snacks (his fave cheddar puffs, cinnamon apple puffs, and a new flavor ?)
or maybe i should bring some apple sauce na rin, dunno kung meron nung sugarfree version sa plane.
- toys (sophie, wag kang maiiwan please!)
- books (pat the bunny and good night moon, and a new one probably)
- movie player + charger (this is particularly making me want to buy an iPad or something similar)
- teether (1 ring, 1 old pacifier)
- pillow
- neck pillow
- 1 towel (pang-ligo sa NY?)
- 6 face towels
- mittens
- scarf
- travel size aquaphor baby wash
- travel size aquaphor ointment
- hydrocortizone ointment
- travel size lotion
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- saline spray
- snot sucker
- manzanilla
- tylenol
- mylicon
- eucalyptus
- hand sanitizer
- spoon
- meal bib
- play yard crib
- baby bjorn carrier
- umbrella stroller
- thermos bottle
- thermal bag
gawd, andami pala! i wonder kung alin lang dito ang dadalhin namin kung wala kaming stopover sa NY? *sigh*
but still, i'm excited sa trip namin! sana talaga hindi naman sumakit ang tenga ni pistoy sa plane. nakaka-awa pag hindi narelieve yung pressure sa tenga nya. =(
so far, napapanaginipan ko na yung trip namin with pistoy. i dreamt na naiwan daw namin yung formula ni pistoy. kaloka! *lol* now i'm laughing because that's a dream. but if it happens in real life, that would be a nightmare!
i have to make a checklist of things to pack for pistoy. it is kind of complicated (at least in my head) because we are staying in NY for 2 days.
so far, i have this list for our hand-carried luggage. lahat ng nasa hand-carried, yun yung gagamitin namin sa NY, at sa trip to pinas:
- 2 jackets (1 light, 1 for winter weather aka snow)
- 3 pants (1 light, 2 for winter weather)
- pajamas (2 overall, 2 long-sleeves)
- 5 long-sleeves onesies
- 5 short-sleeve onesies
- 3 thick socks
- 1 skull cap
- 3 blankets
- 8 bibs (Lord, sana hindi nagngingipin si pistoy around the time ng trip namin!)
- 24 size4 diapers (size 5 na kaya sya in a few weeks? di pa naman siguro)
- 1 can formula
- formula dispenser
- 10 bottles (use the no-spill nipples)
- spare no-spill nipples
- 1 gallon distilled water (gawd, i have to call the airline what their policy is about this)
- bottle cleaner brush (and soap)?
- 3 types of snacks (his fave cheddar puffs, cinnamon apple puffs, and a new flavor ?)
or maybe i should bring some apple sauce na rin, dunno kung meron nung sugarfree version sa plane.
- toys (sophie, wag kang maiiwan please!)
- books (pat the bunny and good night moon, and a new one probably)
- movie player + charger (this is particularly making me want to buy an iPad or something similar)
- teether (1 ring, 1 old pacifier)
- pillow
- neck pillow
- 1 towel (pang-ligo sa NY?)
- 6 face towels
- mittens
- scarf
- travel size aquaphor baby wash
- travel size aquaphor ointment
- hydrocortizone ointment
- travel size lotion
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- saline spray
- snot sucker
- manzanilla
- tylenol
- mylicon
- eucalyptus
- hand sanitizer
- spoon
- meal bib
- play yard crib
- baby bjorn carrier
- umbrella stroller
- thermos bottle
- thermal bag
gawd, andami pala! i wonder kung alin lang dito ang dadalhin namin kung wala kaming stopover sa NY? *sigh*
but still, i'm excited sa trip namin! sana talaga hindi naman sumakit ang tenga ni pistoy sa plane. nakaka-awa pag hindi narelieve yung pressure sa tenga nya. =(
Friday, November 11, 2011
pistoy and the 7 dwarves
or 7 "teethS". =)
yes, may tumutubo na namang ngipin si pistoy. so far meron syang 4 sa itaas, and 2.5 sa ibaba. 0.5 pa lang kasi di pa lumalabas talaga eh.
i'm starting to believe na talagang nilalagnat ang mga bata pag nagngingipin. yung lagnat ni pistoy for a few days, those days were just 1-2 days before namin naramdaman yung ngipin nyang nagbe-break out sa gums.
ngayon medyo fussy na naman sya, at soooobrang laway! i think baka lalabas na rin yung partner ni 0.5 anytime soon.
on a different note, nakakaloko itong si pistoy! pag inaalis na yung buckle ng car seat nya, umiikot at tumatayo na! one time nauntog na sya sa kisame ng van, sa sobrang harot! that reminds me, kailangan na naming palitan yung car seat nya. lampas na sya sa limit ng height (29 inches limit) at sobrang lapit na sa limit ng weight (22 lbs max). i'm thinking of switching him to a forward-facing car seat na. kaya lang pag antok sya, di sya makakatulog kasi naka-upo na talaga yon. i think we might need a convertible muna.
11 months na si pistoy! ang bilis ng panahon! =) 1 month na lang, toddler na sya!
and that reminds me kailangan ko nang magplan for his 1st bday celeb dito sa US. sa pinas kasi si mama na halos ang bahala. dito ako lang. tapos yung sa NY, kakain lang sa labas ang angkan namin, since we won't have time to prepare dahil 1 day lang kami don.=)
so excited for the trip to pinas! =)
yes, may tumutubo na namang ngipin si pistoy. so far meron syang 4 sa itaas, and 2.5 sa ibaba. 0.5 pa lang kasi di pa lumalabas talaga eh.
i'm starting to believe na talagang nilalagnat ang mga bata pag nagngingipin. yung lagnat ni pistoy for a few days, those days were just 1-2 days before namin naramdaman yung ngipin nyang nagbe-break out sa gums.
ngayon medyo fussy na naman sya, at soooobrang laway! i think baka lalabas na rin yung partner ni 0.5 anytime soon.
on a different note, nakakaloko itong si pistoy! pag inaalis na yung buckle ng car seat nya, umiikot at tumatayo na! one time nauntog na sya sa kisame ng van, sa sobrang harot! that reminds me, kailangan na naming palitan yung car seat nya. lampas na sya sa limit ng height (29 inches limit) at sobrang lapit na sa limit ng weight (22 lbs max). i'm thinking of switching him to a forward-facing car seat na. kaya lang pag antok sya, di sya makakatulog kasi naka-upo na talaga yon. i think we might need a convertible muna.
11 months na si pistoy! ang bilis ng panahon! =) 1 month na lang, toddler na sya!
and that reminds me kailangan ko nang magplan for his 1st bday celeb dito sa US. sa pinas kasi si mama na halos ang bahala. dito ako lang. tapos yung sa NY, kakain lang sa labas ang angkan namin, since we won't have time to prepare dahil 1 day lang kami don.=)
so excited for the trip to pinas! =)
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