February 14 Photos

We don't usually celebrate Valentine's Day but since the girls' classes were canceled that day (School President's birthday) we decided to have lunch with Daddy at Aroma Cafe.

It was also Cerise's 5th month so I took some pictures of the little one. She still wasn't feeling too well hence she didn't smile that much. I'm just glad that she's better now. She actually gained 100 grams in 4 days despite her colds and cough discomfort. I expect her to be gaining a lot more by next month. :-)

Home from School

Raya didn't go to school today. Yesterday afternoon she had a 39.5 fever when she got home from school. Poor baby! She was feeling so bad that she fell asleep in the couch while waiting for her warm bath.

Cerise is just recovering from her bout of colds and cough, now it's Raya's turn. I hope the others won't be following suit.

Raya's feeling better now. Just watching TV and playing quietly with her toys. She still had slight fever as of this morning but I hope it'll be gone soon. So difficult to have sick kids. :-(

Coleslaw Salad

Description:
I had some leftover chili con carne from 2 weeks back and wanted to make chili dogs for dinner tonight. I thought of making some coleslaw salad to go with the chili dogs. :-) Hmmmm... Perfect! There's some more left for barbeque ribs tonight. :-)

Ingredients:
1 head cabbage, sliced thinly
1 carrot, sliced thinly
mayonnaise
2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
fresh milk, approx 3-4 Tbsp

Directions:
1. Boil water with a little salt. When on rolling boil, add cabbage and carrots. Cook for 1-2 minutes only. Drain.
2. Make the dressing: put mayonnaise in bowl, add apple cider vinegar and whisk til creamy.
3. Add sugar. Spoon fresh milk one at a time while mixing constantly.
4. Fold cabbage and carrots into dressing. Mix well.
5. Serve chilled.

Beef Sukiyaki

Description:
Yesterday was Cerise's 5th month anniversary. I was tired of the usual spaghetti and pancit meals we'd have every month so I decided to try something new --- Sukiyaki! Turned out pretty impressive for a first timer. The girls ate up their portions til they were full. Will definitely do this again with some improvements. :-)

Ingredients:
1 big white onion sliced thinly
500 grams sukiyaki cut beef
200 grams sotanghon noodles, soaked in water til soft
beef boullion or beef broth
soy sauce, about half cup
mirin or sukiyaki sauce (I found in SM grocery), about 1/2 cup
brown sugar, approx 1/4 cup
1 carrot, flowered :-)
dried shiitake mushroom, soaked til soft then sliced
1 bokchoy sliced
tofu cut into 1" cubes
1 egg

Directions:
1. Stir fry onions and beef in a deep saucepan.
2. When cooked, add broth or water and bullion, soy sauce, mirin or sukiyako sauce and sugar. Let boil.
3. Add carrots and mushrooms. Simmer til carrots are cooked.
4. Add cabbage, tofu and sotanghon. Do not mix ingredients together.
5. Simmer for a minute then remove from heat.
6. Serve by portioning meat, noodles, vegetables and tofu in a bowl. Crack raw egg and mix. May serve with rice.

Bottlefeeding with Love

For those who really know me, I am a staunch breastfeeding advocate. Ever since I gave birth to Nadine, my firstborn, and failed to breastfeed her for more than 2 months because of lack of support, I've been encouraging and helping others breastfeed their babies and continue doing so for as long as they want. Together with other mothers and friends, I co-founded LATCH (Lactation, Attachement, Training, Counseling and Help), a non-profit, hospital-based organization that offers mother-to-mother support and services to new parents. I am a breastfeeding peer counselor trained in lactation education, early intervention and mother support. I have encouraged and supported numerous friends and acquaintances and even my two sisters in successfully breastfeeding their children.

So many are surprised to see me giving Cerise, my 4 month old, a bottle of formula. At two and a half months, when she was still failing to thrive, I gave in to the doctor's suggestion to supplement my breastmilk with formula. I knew that if I gave in, there would be a big possibility that I might eventually stop breastfeeding. But I did it. When you see your child so frail and fragile, and not gaining weight despite your efforts, your become desperate. And I was just that. Desperate. Desperate that she would gain, that she would be bigger, that she would be a healthy and normal baby.

The only way I could quantify Cerise's milk intake was to give her milk in a bottle. Yes, I could pump and I did try. But pumping 24 ounces a day (which was the normal milk intake of an infant her age) would require a lot of time from me. And as it is, I had my time divided among her, her 3 other sisters, my husband an my household. I needed to prioritize. I did try pumping. And I did try breastfeeding for as long as I could. But eventually my breastmilk waned (breastfeeding is demand and supply) and she now relies on formula for her milk intake.

Do I feel bad about it? Yes and no. Yes, because I know that breastmilk is still the best and I want nothing but the best for her and for my other girls. No, because I know that I have done what I could and I have to accept the fact that sometimes, things cannot go the way we want it to. I've come to realize that giving her formula in a bottle does not mean I love her less.

I don't just give the bottle just so she can take in the milk. I always do it with Cerise in my arms just like breastfeeding, even if it is late in the night or early in the morning. And almost always, I hold her hand and look at her face. I make it a point to make feeding a communication, a bonding session. And when she falls asleep while feeding, it is my face that she sees last.

I want her to feel that I am still the one nourishing her and that the bottle is just the vessel of the milk. :-)

2011 Rosevale Family Day

We had our yearly Rosevale Family Day last Sunday and as expected we all had so much fun! This time, we were part of the Orange Team. And of course, I had to dye a shirt for Cerise to wear orange too. :-)