Two years of silence on this blog meant so many changes have taken place. Some were good, best things I should say, while some not so. Nevertheless, one thing remained all through those months, God is ever faithful and He remained the same - all glory belongs to Him!

My family has changed now. So much to say but let me start by posting us! :D We're four now! Meet me and my three boys - Daddy Chard, Kuya Psalmboy, and Baby Hymno. 

After All, It was He who created and started it all

This is one of the longest birthdays I've ever been accustomed to. Yep, you heard me right. Today is my birthday! Yay! :D I'm in nightshift so from 12AM of this July 17th, I'm already getting messages and greetings, wishing me the best and most happiest of this day.

But nah, day did not start as jolly. Maybe, just so maybe, I'm already desensitized from things I myself don't know (or ok, maybe I know). I wanted to hide, really not looking forward of getting those cheers from friends and officemates. Years back, I'd always want to drop hints that this month's mine and that I'd brighten up and anticipate as my day draws nearer. But this time, it's different. Earlier, I honestly felt this is just one of those regular days when I'd look forward to my end of shift and rest away in our bed.

Must be the aftershock of the Typhoon Glenda that set the gloomy setting . She was here yesterday. Should I celebrate? Should I keep myself busy with work and just go with the flow? Oh my, never thought feeling blank would still make me anxious like this.

Pulled out my headsets and thought on drowning myself to random music. Looked up Marie Hines. Scrolled down for that first sound. Nothing fancies me. Pulled out my Hillsong list. Then it dawned on me. I need to start it right. Start the day right. After all, I came to this world 32 years ago and it was bliss. I know God was and is still is with me starting from the day I was born. And I ought to understand and focus my life back to the one who created me in the first place.

In that moment, I felt great. I felt refreshed. It's astonishing and amazing to see and feel how God works in what we think are the most simplest of ways. Never need to hear any word,  no touch at all. It all grows and goes straight to the heart. What more can I ask for?

And for this day, it uplifts me for once to not think about how I feel but on how God has been SO good and SO great to me, to my family, and to future! He truly is a GREAT GOD!

How Great Is Our God (Hillsong)
How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
Happy Birthday my dear ME! You were made to do great things. And do those things for the glory of the one who created you. :)

~

The Tatay that I love

I WAS thinking of shutting down this blog for sometime now, but it's still here. I thought I could write and share my stories here but the laziness in me is way stronger than my passion to write. Even so, I'm glad to drop by this blog again to say hi.

This year started not so good for us. My beloved grandpa died. He sure is already old but I was still so distraught when the news came. I was at the office, mom called my husband, and he delivered the news to me. I cried frantically and we drove home as fast as we could. He's 85. No, it's not expected as he's still strong. If not for his smoking and drinking habits, he still could have lived over a 100 years. 

Thing is, I've had regrets before he passed away. Everyone knows Tatay favors me and Bernice, my cousin, over all his grandchildren. He loves us all alright, but he's particularly close to me and my youngest cousin. That makes Psalm also his favorite I suppose. Weeks before he came down with sickness, it was my boy's second birthday. Tatay is the type who is not fond of going out. My son's birthday is out of the city which is about an hour ride. I asked him to come but he said he's not feeling well. I said ok, but did not bother asking what I can do for him. We came back, he's still fine but looking back, I know he's already in pain. Looking back, I know he wanted to come and celebrate with us. Fast forward two weeks after, he was bedridden. Another week, he passed away.

I have bouts of what ifs every now and then. I may have heard my head say sometimes I was not the good granddaughter I was supposed to be. Heck when he's already sick, I didn't even stayed by his side for few hours like I used to. Like we used to chat hours about my grandmother's flaws but always at the end he'll say she's the only love of his life. And that he wouldn't trade getting to another plane ride just because his last ride was with my grandmom. I wouldn't forget the Lucky Me commercial with the Manzanos because that's when Tatay managed to carry Psalm because my 'lil boy's afraid of the Kiss impersonation of the commercial. And that for one moment when Psalm's not yet around, you'll never see him get up the stairs for he thinks he's not able to climb up and down anymore. Lo and behold, when Psalm was born, Tatay never missed going up the stairs every two hours, every day and he'll be content to see his little grandchild sleeping soundly in his crib.

Everytime I think of this, I can't help but cry. My grandpa stayed with us from the time I was born till he died. He's like a father who saw my life. He taught me how to love unconditionally. He will always be a hero to me.

I love you Tatay! You'll forever be missed.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 2013 was a great year for our family, so many things to be thankful for and it's overwhelming that when I count all, I seem to not notice I have been greatly blessed this past year! Promotions, health, absorption, work, victory group, 2013 has them all.

Welcome 2014! Glory to God! :)

Posting again

Hiyah! It's been awhile. I have not visited this site since I can remember. Seeing my last post it says, it's been almost 9 months, haha. Pretty evident that I've got no time to update any of my blogs, and almost forgot they've ever existed. The past 5 posts I think spoke of how much I wanted to write and write but I don't know, it seems I'm not really that writer type of person. Pretty weird though, I'm supposed to be a writer. After all, my background spoke much of editorials, articles, features, and the likes. Guess, I'm just simply one lazy person.

Anyways, I'd like to share though that my little one isn't that little anymore. Psalm's  a year and nine months old already. A fast walker and so talkative. His genes run with it, and no, he didn't get it from me (shhhh, don't tell the daddy I said this, haha).

I wish I can make up on all the misses I gathered for this blog. It's really been awhile. :)

Happy 31st Anniversary Pa and Ma!

Today is my parent's published wedding date. They are going 31 years strong! I say published because today is the recorded date on their Marriage Certificate. They claim that it's actually January 30. But correct date or not, I want to honor my parents with this -


Dear Papa and Mama,


Thank you for giving us our lives, for having our family. And just the same, thank you for giving us your lives - for wanting the best for us, for praying for our success, for keeping up with our worsts.

 

I could not thank you enough for the unconditional love you gave to us - Keek and I. It's cliche to mention this but heck it's all true -we will never be here if not for the sacrifices you've made. ANd making it through all those years of "without" I'm proud that both of you managed to stick through. There were times I made myself clear that ours is not a dream set-up, but let me tell you both - we know you pulled through for us and we are grateful for that. I pray it'll be over soon, this coming and going, it was so frustrating to see you both part ways when all I can see are two people really wanting to be with each other.  Thank you for working so hard just so we can have all opportunities come our way. Thank you for the prayers when we need them the most, for listening, for not letting go, for not rubbing in our shortcomings, and for crying with us. Much more, thank you for loving Psalm, eagerly giving him love and keeping him company when in the busiest of my hours I can't.

 

Above all, thank you for leading us to Christ! This is the best inheritance we have received from you and one that Psalm and my future kids will live with. God has blessed us with wonderful parents and we pray to become Godly parents too. We love you Mama and Papa. Happy Anniversary!

Psalm's First Birthday

I'm back! And so are my stories, my life, my baby Psalm (who happens to be not a baby anymore) and a whole lotta more!

I've got so much to share, pardon me if it'll take a number of posts to keep everything to date. After all, it was a busy 2012 and I can't relax enough to think about what 2013 has in store for everyone.

2013 started with us celebrating my 'lil boy's turning one. Party was on his actual birth date - 2nd of January. We've put in so much effort since we DIYed everything but all were happy on how the party turned out. Oh well all but not-so as much as the celebrant. You see, Psalm was sick the whole time of his party. :( He never smiled, would not want to touch anything, was extra clingy to my Aunt (his Mama Aleen) and would like to just sleep. Add a grungy stomach and lose bowel to that, you'll not want to really move and be social around. It's too bad that right after the party we went to the hospital to have him checked. He needed to be tested for any bacteria or whatsoever. Good thing by God's grace it was nothing serious. Let's get back to the party news. :)

The gists of the party

So we did a little carnival-themed celebration for our boy. It was one thing that we throw a big party with venue outdoors, full catering setup and bright balloons since it's his first birthday but that would mean having adults for guests. Psalm has only three little kids as cousins. On my mom's side, he is the second eldest grandchild. On Richard's side, Psalm is the youngest grandson, with just one cousin who's around 4 yrs old with all others in their teens. Psalm, being at my mom's place, has befriended a lots of the kids in the neighborhood. Everytime we go out for his morning walk, he'll be called by kids I haven't met. Richard, being so close to kids raised the idea to just celebrate my boy's birthday with the kids. While Psalm won't really remember how his first birthday went, these kids would surely remember how happy they were with the overflow of gifts, loot bags and food! And that's when we came up with the carnival idea.

Thanks to Pinterest and social media, this theme initially showed lots of potential for fun! And indeed, everyone raved how different it was compared to formal birthdays. All kids were able to play, all kids joined in the fun (oh not the infants though). :) Let me share some of the pictures -



Psalm's invitation

We have 10 Game Booths.

Super thanks to Psalm's yound uncles and aunts who eagerly manned the booths!

 

 

Duck fishing - one of the game booths

 



Psalm was sick so his cousin, Ahya Kashi, blew his candle for him.

Tic-Tac-Toe



We had after-party face paint outside. This is DIY still. :)



Did I say he's sick? He doesn't seem sick at all the next day!

 

Cutie Psalm! :D

 

Number #0 of my flashback posts

When you have a lot to say and posts seem so overwhelming, it's when you don't know where to start nor what to write about. That's what's been happening; hence, the lack of scribbles for about some time. Been fussing over what I'll post or should I say what not to post.

It's been like six months since I promised myself to document everything, albeit mussings like that from me are rarely true I actually thought back then I could keep up to it. But yeah, it was not a habit so this board was left behind. Not until I chance upon this blog and of course the beautiful blogger's a mom who documented everything there is about her super adorable child who happens to be one cutie little boy, who is a year older than my Psalm. I was in envy on how this mom managed to keep track of her stories in her blog. Not that I have none to keep as memories, but it's so uplifting to look back and see how her little boy phase thru babyhood to being toddler.

My Psalm is already a year old now. I have six months of keeping up to do. I know it's late but it's better than not update this blog at all.

So folks, next post will be number one of my flashback stories from six months ago.
Happy reading!

A post that was supposedly dated 4 months ago

Can't believe this post is sitting here for 4 months...and it's super late! Talk about being in hiatus -


It's been a long time since I laid my thoughts on writing something to post on this blog. I suppose it's a common blogging crime to "always" be in a hiatus, let alone make an account dormant. I should actually be in an overflow of news to share it's just that I can't seem to organize everything, from the new apartment we moved in to to Psalm's remarkable developments.
And to start, let me share the news that my lil  boy Psalm isn't so little anymore! He's already a bouncing (literally) little man, 2'4" tall at 8 months and he's already got two (or maybe three) front teeth! Yey! Last week was so hard for us when he was struck by fever for two days. Good thing, the toothache didn't sever him from his milk indulgence as he managed to fight the tooth tremors just so he won't starve. My boy would cry nonstop when he wants his milk and it looked like we starved him for weeks. He'll cry his lungs out until you press his bottle on to him and would behave as if nothing happened.


I'm back to work for the week, and though it's hard to be away I make it a point to just be busy and I'll not realize that it's time for me to come home to Psalm again. :)

He must be fair...uhmmm, not!

This is Daddy Chard and Baby Psalm. Lil boy loves to be attached to his dad with this orange-y carrier we bought at Rob Pioneer.

I remember a funny story when we got this. When my son's like 3 months old, we went to the mall in the hopes of finding a rattle for Psalm. We've decided that we're going to wait for Papa -my dad to arrive from abroad before getting Psalm toys. Apparently, Khrys and I can't wait to get a hold of the toys at Duty free (especially the cars...correction cathy, it should be Psalm's toys, not YOUR toys). Anyways, we can't find a seemingly good enough rattle but found lots of carriers at sale. Psalm already has one black carrier but for some reason Chard wants another one that's colorful. Ok fine, so we did get one.

I would opt to get something red so I'm checking the red samples. Then the salesman said out of the blue, "Ma'am, maganda kulay yang red. Bagay po yan sa baby nyo. Mukha namang maputi baby nyo eh." Ma'am, the red color is nice. It would look good with your baby. Your baby must have fair skin. Chard and I looked at each other and would not know whether to laugh or squirm, which I think we did both at the same time.

That's Lols X10! You see, all, or almost all are expecting that my lil boy Psalm will come out white. After all, his dad is chinese and has fair skin. It's somewhat expected. But no, haha! Psalm may have gotten all his attributes from Chard but guess what, he got his skin color from us. Us being Ilocanos, you know we're not really fair.

And the end of the story, no - we didn't get the red one. But more so, a colorful Orange we took home. Lolz! Must be bagay (fit) because mukhang maputi nman si baby (it looks like baby has fair skin). :D

On Worship

I know I miss going to VCF Pio. Since giving birth, we stay at QC every weekend so we go to another church (same umbrella though) during Sundays. Good thing, there's Worship Night every First Thursdays (monthly) which we make attending compulsory. The service isn't the same as that regular Sunday worship that has you anticipating life changing series and sermons. Just as the name suggests, it's simply a night of worship and praise  to God.

But last night was extraordinary. It was an outpour of spirit, bliss and impact. It's a different experience when you not only know but FEEL it's really all about God and NEVER about us. There's nothing we can do that can place us in a position worthy enough of God's love, yet He chose to love us just as who we are. This week has been a struggle for me, made me restless and anxious of small, petty things. Honestly, during the start of worship last night my mind's been wandering off and about. We're supposed to go home after work and just promised to go back for church. But with people like us (yeah, that includes me and you), promises are meant to be broken. Our patience ultimately is that short. The service is at 7pm and our work hours end at 4pm. We're aching to go home. God knows we want to do this for Him but He knew better that we will never go back to Pio due to rain. A good excuse at that actually but instead of us having to use that alibi, it was the same rain that stopped us from leaving (it's raining real hard at the time we went out the mall doors). :)   Again, It's never about what we do, it's all about God.

Worship has never been so uplifting! It's directly us and God and no one in between. It was a relief to hear that in all things He is in control. We just need to back off and let go of the struggle that we're keeping up with God all this time. Come to think of it, why fight Him when we know we'll never win? Though situations are hard and oftentimes disappoint us, there is hope and breakthrough in God. We just need to be faithful where we are cause our God is faithful and has definite plans for each one of us. We may feel that the journey's been long and dragging but know that, we simply just need to let go and Let God. It's actually us who impede and slow down the walk.  We just need to repent, stop complaining, and see His grace that's overflowing. When we submit, when we surrender we'll see that the Lord's plan has been there, is not only good but the BEST all along.

Psalm at 5 months + Baby Rocker

Psalm turned 5 months last Saturday. I know babies grow fast but I nver thought it'll be this fast. Five months ago, he was this teeny tiny bird so fragile yet so strong. Now, he has this aura of a cute lil boy always eager to amaze us with his tricks and simple charms.

And since he turned a month older now, we gave him a rocker. Originally he wants a baby bouncer. I'll post the story behind that next.

Back to the rocker, we were so excited to have Psalm try it expecting that the thing will make Psalm swoon. But no, that did not happen the first time. What's up with bouncers? Is it really that comfy compared to rocking chairs? Well Psalm cried buckets for when he was placed to the chair the first backward rocking motion surprised our poor baby and gave him that effect of lula (dizziness). :( So much so for our first attempt.

Good thing there's one big snail on the rocker that screams Y-E-L-L-O-W. You see Psalm likes this color. You know the Yellow Cab motorcycle? He smiles at these rides whenever he sees one. And for sure when you ask him to pick, he'll grab his yellow pillow over a colorful ball. I had him touch the snail and I waited. I waited for Psalm to show his smile. When he did I knew that's the cue he's willing to give the rocker a second chance. And that was the start of Psalm's relationship with his rocker. :D

But that doesn't stop there. Papa brought these soft pillows from abroad and Tita Keek placed Psalm on it. Boy he was giggling and so ecstatic that he would grab the pillow on the sides while his Tita Keek is swaying him.

Psalm on the left drinking milk and playing with his rocker. Psalm on the right giggling on his mini mattress.

Next thing, I and Keek put Psalm with his pillow on the rocker. It was a perfect combination. And our little boy couldn't get enough of his tiny den that till now back at home they say Psalm loves his rocker and would sleep on it every day. 

Psalm with his rocker+pillow combination.

The best for you always baby Psalm. Daddy and Mommy loves you a bunch!

Rocker was bought online at Shopfortots. I got Psalm's crib from this vendor too. All brand new, unopened and a decent price that makes your money well spent. :)

Psalm's milestones-still at 4months cap [Part 2]

Back from my blog hiatus (two days leave, hehe)

Psalm rolled over by himself last Friday! Yey! It was great seeing this milestone by ourselves compared to mom telling the story that Psalm did this, did that. I was so close to tears seeing Psalm turned from his back without any help. When he was still weeks old (like 2 weeks), Psalm can already lift his head without any helpwhile lying on his stomach. He has this "ultra" strong bones that his doctor said he's one strong athlete in the making.

Clockwise from left: Psalm's first roll over (by himself) and yes, he was agitated that he can't roll back;
next pictures are of him (only weeks old) lying on his stomach

Apparently, we recorded some of Psalm's firsts this weekend.

HIs first "real" solid food. Bananas with Milk. I don't think he liked it, but Psalm, being the good boy (and matakaw) that he is, he finished his bananas (except that he can't feign his disgust over the taste).

Mommy, what's this experiment again?

And know what?? Psalm can hold standing now (yipee)! He's nearly (only) 5months and doesn't want to sit still. He wants to stand everytime we make him sit.

Psalm with Mama and his Daddy.

Hayys, kakatuwa ka Psalm. You're growing so fast anak!

:

His Kornets Description

While at the grocery...

Hubby:  San na yung Cheese Curls ko?

Me: Nsa bag ko. Teka, bili ako junk food, (kuha ng Kornets)

Hubby: Paborito mo yan, ayoko nyan eh lasang luma.

Hehehe, adik lng...

Early Separation Anxiety

I cried last Tuesday. While Chard and I were on our way home riding our motorbike, I shared my thoughts and suddenly found myself crying. It's about petty things which are quite embarassing actually. Psalm is only an incoming 5-month old cutie but here I am being frantic of what will happen 20 years from now. I grieve (OA term, hehe) that my baby will one day find his way to leave me and Richard alone for an independent life, or worst (OA again) for a wife.

I know I sound ridiculous. While I read blogs of moms relating how they'll miss their kids when they go back to work after maternity leave, or start preschool, or go to college even, I am jumping super fast forward to who knows how many decades from now worrying about separation.

I have a plan-- Start a good and marketable business. Have your child run it for you (or put it under his name and make him the future owner) and he'll be stucked with you for the rest of your lives.

Good idea, right? Lolz. We'll be starting a business for sure but we won't use that as a bait for Psalm to stay with us. It sure will be a bonus if he will but we pray Psalm will pursue and accomplish what God has in store for him. That's the priority that will never change.

One of my reasons why we choose to stay in this crazy part of the Metro (Mandaluyong) is that I want to be near Psalm (and /or my future other kids) when they start working. Haha, it's that far thinking I had become when I became a mom. I know now that it's hard for parents to be on one side of the city with their child renting another place near work. Our setup is the reverse-Psalm is the one staying at my parent's place while we-the parents are the ones renting. Talk about my sister who is also out of the place now due to work. Back then when I was just "the daughter" and still single, I lavish the idea of being independent, carefree and doing things on my own. But I never got that chance to be away from my mom (dad is out of the country so the parent then with me is Mama). My sister is more adventurous than me, a go-getter, she'd say from us two she's the rebel (a good rebel at that) that's why when she had the chance to go she did go. And I'm proud of her for taking that step forward!

I told Richard my parents did not see this coming. Well, I do now know I'll face this scene too and it's because of my parents. I know mom cried the day I got married. You see the day before my wedding was the day my parents found out Chard and I are living out ASAP. ASAP means it's that same day Richard moved in to a new place we planned on staying. They know we're not going to live with them but we didn't tell them when, not our intention though to make them feel bad but it just happened. We were so keen on the "leaving and cleaving" element of marriage but I forgot I need to let them know the timeline so we'll not hurt them deep. It was so fast and caught even us by surprise. I know it's bad. You should ask Chard how I cried myself so hard that wedding night (with matching nginig pa habang nagsasalita). We didn't have a romantic night on our first 'coz I just cried buckets of tears, haha. (lolz, it's really embarassing but we just laugh it out now everytime we remember that night).

I don't think now that these are petty. Motherhood sure does change a person's thinking. I don't know but it'll sure hurt as much when that time comes no matter what preparations I do. (I wan't to cry again, hihi)

20+ years to go. I still have lots of years to be with my baby. While Psalm is busy growing up I should apparently select to first miss the petty separations we're gonna walk by. Like sleepless nights or potty training. I'll even pray hard as early as now for the future wife to be the best for my little boy.

hayys...naman still so forward...:)

efficient daw...

*Translated from Tagalog

Before going for the weekend off--

Me: I'll take out the trash.... I'll turn off the lights... (checked that bathroom's close, locked all windows)

Hubby: The outlets..

Mommy: Yes, they're out. I'll get your helmet and put it near my bag so we won't forget it.... see I'm getting efficient!

Hubby: Yeah, I can see that..and I'm so happy! From our house to the house at QC, for Baby Psalm...you now always pick up what needs to be done and...

(Tootoot, tootoot...message tone from hubby's cellphone...)

Me: Must be something important

Hubby: Yeah, could be someone texting to inform a leave, can you check?

Me: Ahmmm....the cellphone? (thinking Where's your cellphone?) Hmmm, can't find it...

HUbby: Where did you put it?

Me: Ahmmmm... (still thinking I don't know)

Hubby: Efficient huh...


Oh well, still a work in progress... can't blame it anymore on post pregnancy blues. Turned out the phone is in my bag. Hubby said I need to put my small stuffs on the same place always so even if I forget I know where to look for it... and like I said I'm working on it.

Papa's arrival

Yay! Papa has arrived! We picked him up at the airport yesterday last Wednesday. It just dawned on me now that he's staying here for good...no coming back anymore to this other country. Can we count this as his second home as he stayed there three decades?



Here's our cowboy speaking googoo gaagaa. See, he likes his hat!

Anyways, I made sure I captured Psalm and Papa's first meet up. Me baby boy sure knows how to impress his lolo. He's blurting his lungs out when Papa first took his eyes on him - more like having a monologue. :)

G6PD: Newborn Screening

A baby undergoes Newborn Screening (NBS) within three days of his birth. NBS will be able to tell if a baby was born with any metabolic disorders that will affect his body's normal processes and functions. Psalm was tested on his 3rd day. He was pricked at the heel with three drops of his blood taken for testing.

the doctor/pedia said we can't take pictures while the test is being
administered but mom managed to snatched two pictures

And then the results, while we actually forgot about it already, we received a mail stating Psalm being positive in one of the disorders NBS is looking for. Yes, he's G6PD deficient.

• Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency  is a condition where the body lacks the enzyme called G6PD. The deficiency may cause hemolytic anemia, when the body is exposed to oxidative substances found in certain drugs, foods and chemicals. For more info, check:  What is G6PD Deficiency? and http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/g6pd.html.

• G6PD Deficiency is in fact the most common genetic enzyme deficiency affecting an estimated 600 million people world wide. While this is the mildest disorder that is covered in NBS, it is the most common: One out of 55 babies may be affected.

It's that common but I still wish this list did not include Psalm. How common can that be? Out of the 55 babies, he’s the sole 1 who has it.  While it's a relief to know that G6PD isn't bad as I initially thought it was and that Psalm’s doctor said it was not something to be that concerned about I'd think still what of all the things I did while being pregnant gave you G6PD. I thought it was something I ate or any lack on my part that put Psalm in this state.

And yes we went to reconfirm the results. It was disheartening to see how your baby's little feet would be pricked for another nobody knows how much ounce of blood to verify if he indeed has the deficiency. I'm sorry son, I didn't look when they took you in. But I heard your cry and boy you're really angry that time. We prayed so hard for the results to turn negative but no, my baby still has it. 

One day I didn't know that G6PD exists, the next day I became a dictionary about it. I was scared and angry at myself thinking that..

      ...it is an inherited disorder and cannot be contracted in any other way.

You see, G6PD is X-linked. Meaning he got it from me, him being male and so his female parent is the one who passed it on to him and that’s me. But I was corrected that  it’s not because I did something while he’s at my womb. It’s possible I have it but that I’m immune with the triggers, or I may just be a carrier with the deficiency dormant inside me. With this, I would want myself be tested as well for curiosity’s sake so I can weigh if I’m indeed affected too especially that the G6PD unsafe list they have has a bunch of what we eat most. I'd like to be assessed myself so I can weigh how much of an issue this deficiency is.

I researched so well and dug deep in the hope of finding what can cure this condition. But no…

• There is no known cure nor do you grow out of it. It is a life long condition. The only thing you can do is avoid substances which cause oxidative stress and that use G6PD. Carbohydrates require G6PD for the body to change them into energy for example. Legumes (especially the Fava Bean) contain the proteins vicine, convicine and isouramil which cause hemolysis.
• Symptoms include hemolytic anemia caused by ingestion or exposure to certain triggers. Anemia in turn causes jaundice, pale skin or finger nails, lethargy, exhaustion, shortness of breath and fever, among others. These symptoms usually go away on their own when exposure to the trigger is removed.

I remember, Psalm has jaundice when he was still a newborn and it stayed till he’s three weeks I think. Sunshine was his bestfriend then.

Any benefits whatsoever? One benefit of having G6PD deficiency is that it confers a resistance to malaria.

His wonderful Pedia doc said it's no big issue as only a handful of items are a no no while some can be tolerated to some little extent.

But oh no, the list include foods that RIchard and I consider staple on our daily consumption...talk about tofu (me favorite, huhu), taho, soybeans, beans, and anything with soya. Richard drinks Soya like water! Good thing yakult is not include, phew!

But anyhow, thank God for the internet as I found out Psalm can still live a normal life despite of G6PD. Just like his Daddy who gets rashes from eating shrimps or from swimming on pools with chlorine, we may just treat this as some kind of an allergy perhaps. As early as now, I need to plan changing our diet as we need to limit our “our staple foods” intake with our baby ready to eat solid foods anytime around. Need not worry coz it looks like we won’t have problems introducing fruits and solids to Psalm.



Clockwise from left: Psalm tasting Mango (he didn't eat any, just tasted the fruit juice);
Psalm eating carrots from his dropper; and Psalm with his cookie.

References:
http://www.babycenter.com.ph/baby/newborn/newbornscreening/
http://www.g6pd.org/en/Home.aspx
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/g6pd.html

Our Cowboy Psalm with his teether war

I posted about Psalm having his early teething symptoms. My sister Keek, Psalm's Ai (First Tita in Chinese), stayed at QC last night. She posted a photo grid of Psalm battling with his teether at Instagram. Keek said he really likes to munch on it much so that he sometimes gets himself choked. Really, my boy is so engrossed with food that it seems he's in a hurry to finish anything he gets his mouth on. Here's the picture...

With Psalm are his wonderful lolas - Mama Cheng and Mama Aline. :)

I forgot to note that we also bought Psalm a cowboy hat yesterday. It's a surprise that Psalm didn't mind having this on his head. He's not a fan of anything being put on his head. It irritates him. But last Sunday was an exemption as he didn't attempt to remove this hat, hmmm...interesting. I supposed I'll now be on the lookout for fancy and cute hats for Psalmtot. Keek said I should look for small Fedora hats, anyone knows where I can find one?

Psalm's first cookie

Psalm's 4th month (02 May, 2012) came with a huge achievement. He ate his first cookie! Yey!

Here in the Philippines, we have this Marie biscuit that babies can munch on as early as their fourth month. I, if I was there, would not permit Psalm to eat (or even taste) this cookie as I think he'll develop his sweet tooth too early for him to like foods that are not as appetizing. I would wish for him to eat non-sweet foods first so he'll not become a picky eater in the end.
Oh well, that's just a wish for now. My mom gave Psalm his first bite/s of Marie as a gift when he turned four months. I told my sister Khrys how I would like Psalm to skip this Marie episode, she just said, "hmmm, just tell if you'll feel the same when you see how cute he is trying to finish a biscuit the fastest he can..."

And right she is.... who can resist and not give this cutie one biscuit or maybe two. :D

I am a self-confessed Marie addict! Mom said when I was little I, too, can finish lots of the then 2pc Marie biscuit (it's currently 6pc). Up till now, Mom still buys me a pack of it. There's a lot of Marie biscuits in the market but she buys the one made by Island Biscuit, which, according to hubby, is the original maker. It's the one that melts in your mouth with a distinct sweet taste. No wonder babies love it. And like mother, like son, it's no wonder Psalm loves it. Richard echoed too that we must be strict on giving Psalm certain foods but oh well, "Kakaawa eh, gusto niya ng Marie, bigyan mo na..." and so Psalm won, being the silent cookie monster he's becoming, munching not only one but six cookies at one time.

I ok'ed mom to give Psalm this treat but only for like once a week max. Richard and I immediately looked for other alternate treats to give Psalm. From forums and other mommy blogs, we were able to find baby food cheaper than Gerber and we're so happy he loves it. Can't give Psalm anything with Soy coz he has G6PD so Cerelac was exed out from my list. Will blog about my baby's first organic, jarred food next.