Our Little Energizer Bunny

Raine is turning into a very precocious toddler. Just recently, she was able to push a chair all the way to the front of the fridge all by herself. She then climbed the chair so she could reach the colorful magnets on the top half of the fridge! Good thing hubby and I saw her just in time.

Raine is such a bundle of energy, she’s our very own energizer bunny. She was up until 3 a.m. Saturday and Sunday night as well. Hubby and I were both so sleepy already but she was still wound up. I thought for sure she would sleep early Sunday because she slept so little the previous night and only napped for an hour in the afternoon, but there was just no stopping her.

Although the apartment has 2 rooms, the 3 of us sleep in the same room. We moved the other mattress to our room for Raine to have her own bed. To keep her from rolling off, we placed it against the corner wall. Her bed is flanked by our bigger bed and a long chest of drawers. Raine loves to go up and down both beds, hide under the covers until we “find” her and play with her stuffed toys. Unlike when she was a baby when I would rock and sing her to sleep, now she falls asleep on her own. The only problem is she’ll go to sleep only when she wants to, despite our bedtime rituals. Lately, I’ve noticed that she plays with her dolls more animatedly. She would get a couple at a time and pretend they were talking to each other then they would end their “conversation” by giving each other a kiss. It’s really hilarious watching her do this.

Sometimes despite her colorful toys and books, she prefers going thru all the cabinets and drawers she can open. I’m actually running out of kitchen storage space because the ones she can open are now empty. She used to take out all the pots and pans and pretend to cook her books or toys in them. Sometimes she would get the canned goods and other food items inside the lower cabinets and line them up on the sofa.

When she does something naughty or misbehaves (throw food on the floor, bang her sippy cup on the coffee table, chew on her books, etc.) I scold her and let her know that what she has done is not good. Sometimes she seems to understand and becomes quiet, but more often than not she would look at me with her big, round eyes and act like so sweet and innocent that I just have to stop and smile.

Everyday my little energizer bunny displays more independence and I see the baby rapidly turning into a little girl. It is only when she sleeps that the baby in her sometimes returns. She loves to sleep with her back against me or her Daddy’s. I know she’s tired and sleepy once she lies down, rolls around until her back touches my chest and snuggles up until she’s comfortable. Sometimes she takes my arm and wraps it around herself like a warm blanket. Within minutes she’s fast asleep.

I miss the baby that Raine was but watching her grow into a lovable tyke is something I look forward to everyday.

Raine Moments

Baby Raine, as her almost 3-yr. old cousin Annika calls her, is now 16 ½ months old. Not much of a baby anymore. She’s about 27 lbs now, quite chubby for a little girl her age, and showing more of a personality everyday. She has just recently learned how to give Mom and Dad a kiss, complete with a “mwah” sound. For awhile she would only kiss her stuffed toys. She also knows how to do the flying kiss, although, since I taught it to her to say goodbye to her rubber ducky after her bath, she would only do it in the bathroom. Her Dad taught her how to remove his socks and put it in the hamper. It’s really funny how she excitedly removes them when Rynor comes home from the office and she goes to our room to find the hamper to put them away. When she opens her books she starts pointing at the drawings and babbles away, as if she’s reading the words or making up her own story. To help her fall asleep I would often rock her stuffed toys to sleep, hoping she would want to do the same but she just picks up her toys one by one and hands them to me again and tells me to “meme” her dolls. Sometimes she does it herself, she takes 2 toys at a time and sways from side to side while she says “baby, baby” to them softly.

Her first word like most babies was “Mama” and then when she learned to say “baby” at about 11 months, she loved to say it about 100 times a day. When we got to Marshall Islands one of her first words was “dirty”. She seems to have a fascination with dust and dirt as she likes to pick up things on the floor and put them in her mouth! Gross, right? I’m always telling her not to do this because it’s dirty and that’s how she must have picked it up. Haha! She loves all kinds of music. Whether it’s pop, jazz, classical or hip-hop the minute she hears music from the TV or radio she would start dancing. She would move her body up, down, side to side. She would bob her head and raise her arms with a big smile on her face. It’s really a site to behold.

Raine also loves animals, especially dogs. Whether she’s watching Baby Einstein or Animal Planet, she would get excited whenever she would see animals on the screen. She would point at the TV and say “Oh, oh!”.

Sometimes when we are sitting together either on her bed or on the sofa she would stand up, go behind me and wrap her arms around my neck to give me a hug. She also likes to put her face very near mine and pucker her lips slightly, meaning she would like a kiss. Our little girl has so many adorable little antics and you can already see her personality emerging, but these are my absolute favorite Raine moments.

Time's up already?

Don't you ever wish there were more than 24 hours in a day? Or that maybe you could be at 2 or even 3 places at once? Or how about if you could freeze time for a few hours while you're working on something so that you have more time to do other things?

I thought being a stay-at-home-mom would allow me a little more time to do the things that I couldn't do when I worked full time with, but I was seriously wrong. Just getting all the housework done and taking care of Raine takes up a lot of time so that "me-time" almost always takes a backseat.

I try to reserve Raine's afternoon nap for my internet time when I can answer emails, blog, surf the net and do some reading. But more often than not I make use of this quiet time to catch up on my chores. Actually, more like rush thru them. Raine is like my little shadow. She follows me around the house constantly. When I sweep the floor, she would walk behind me really closely and stare in awe at the broom. For some reason, she seems to be amazed by dirt and dust. She has a habit of touching it all the time, much to my dismay. As a result, I try not to clean when she's awake because we end up with more mess than when we started. I can't get any ironing done either for fear that she might yank on the iron's cord or something.

Hubby got pretty sick last Wednesday with fever and diarrhea so I had to take care of his needs too. It was a bit of a challenge to be both nurse and nanny especially when both hubby and Raine called for me at the same time. Thank goodness hubby got well after a full day of rest (Am I good nurse or what? Hehe).

We've been here in Marshall Islands for 2 months now and I still have so many things to learn as a new SAHM. I think the most important of all is time management.

Learning to cook well, keeping the house clean, teaching my growing toddler more than just the ABCs, these are just some of the many things on my plate. Let's not forget quality time with my hubby. And time for me too. Balancing everything is one big juggling act I have yet to master.

Kudos to the stay-at-home moms out there who seem to do it all effortlessly. Someday I hope I can be just as organized and put-together.

Eyes Wide Shut

Ever since I found out I was pregnant I knew there were certain things I’d have to give up to make way for having a new person in my life. One of those things was getting in 8-hour snooze fests. I’ve always been used to sleeping late, like past midnight, on a daily basis. But the moment Raine came even that went out the window.

I knew that I wanted to breastfeed Raine for at least 6 months. That meant getting up at odd hours of the night to get her from the crib and nurse her. I was like a zombie for the first month of her life. Raine cried for milk almost every hour on the hour. I hardly got any sleep then. As the months passed though and my milk supply increased, the 1 hour turned to 2 and then 3 and then 4. At last, I could sleep for 4 hour stretches, right? But I had gone back to work and to keep her supply up, I would still get up every 2-3 hours to pump in between baby Raine’s feedings. It was so tempting to take the easy way out and just give her formula then but I wanted to stick to the 6 month period I’d originally set. If I hadn’t gotten sick and had to take a heavy dose of antibiotics Raine would probably have been breastfed longer.

Raine’s sleeping habits gradually changed. Soon she only woke up twice every night to ask for milk. Hubby and I would take turns getting milk for her. Although most of the time I was the one who got up, for some reason I’ve become a light sleeper since I gave birth and have been really sensitive to Raine’s cries. I even hear her turn over in her crib. Needless to say I haven’t had uninterrupted sleep since I gave birth.

My officemates and I went to Boracay for 3 days and 2 nights when Raine was 8 months old. I almost didn’t go because I felt guilty leaving my baby behind. But honestly, I was also looking forward to the 2 nights of undisturbed sleep. Unfortunately, my roommate got drunk and although she passed out at about 2am I couldn’t sleep soundly lest she wake up in the middle of the night to throw up or something. Our second night in Boracay, we stayed up until 4am but although this time my roommate didn’t get drunk I still couldn’t sleep well because I missed Raine. It was my first time to be away from her ever and it was an unsettling feeling.

Today, Raine is 15 months old and she usually only cries for milk once at night. I still get up to give her some. It might be quite awhile until I’m able to sleep for 8 hours straight again, but watching my baby sleep peacefully with a smile on her rosy cheeks gives me enough energy to last me thru the night.

Welcome to the Islands

Finally, I have my own blog! I'm really excited to be writing again. I recently resigned from my job in Manila so that Raine & I can join Rynor in Marshall Islands where he was offered a position as a (Quality Control) QC Manager. It's been one crazy, topsy-turvy, rollercoaster ride since we stepped into these shores a little over a month ago. From the concrete jungle of Makati City to the quaint paradise of the islands, it's been totally different. I hope that thru this blog I'll be able to share our family's new life together in the Pacific.

One way to Marshall Islands
As soon as my Dad & I said our goodbyes at the door to the immigration at NAIA, I realized I would be on my own with Raine for the next 12 hours. Absolutely no problem, I’d been alone with her before, but this was to be her first international flight. Her first time on the plane was on a trip to Bacolod, she cried loudly as we landed then, probably from the air pressure on her ears. We had brought milk for her to drink to keep her ears from hurting but she finished it all as we took off. Since the flight was only about an hour, she was still full by the time we landed. This time I tried to prolong her milk-drinking as long as I could. But when we got to the airport she got thirsty for milk.

We stood in line at the immigration for almost an hour. Thank goodness we had a stroller or else my arms would’ve gotten numb from carrying 23-lb. Raine. The immigration officer looked stern. He asked me where my departure slips were. Shoot! I forgot to fill them up at the entrance. I thought I‘d have to line up all over again. Good thing the immigration guy saw me as I went to the back of the line again, this time w/ the filled-up slips. He called me to the front, got the slips and let me go.

I hurriedly went to the bathroom to change Raine’s diapers. I was hoping to be able to get a bite to eat because I just had a very quick dinner. But as I was looking at the food choices, I heard the PA system announce that Continental passengers should head to the Gate as soon as passing thru immigration, so off we went. Our gate was at the ground floor & just my luck there was no elevator or escalator. An airport employee was nice enough to carry the stroller for me as I carried Raine down the flight of stairs.

As we were about to board the plane I checked in the stroller at the plane’s door. The flight attendant couldn’t fold the stroller properly so I had to hand over Raine to another airport guy as I did it myself. Of course Raine cried as she was held by a stranger. We had an aisle seat & luckily the 2 other seats beside us were vacant so Raine could lie down & stretch out beside me. She also drank milk as we took off. She dozed thru the 4 hour flight to Guam & as we were landing suddenly cried. Yikes! She didn’t want any milk so I just held her until she calmed down.

Guam has a very nice airport. Big & modern, not as sleek as the Centennial airport but impressive just the same. As we passed through the long halls & rode the walkalator I could see some high-rise buildings on the horizon. It was 3am Manila time & about 5am Guam time.

At this point Raine had finished up the 4 bottles of milk I’d earlier prepared & I was in a bind. I decided to buy her fresh milk which she could drink on the plane to Marshall Islands. Thankfully, she drank the milk from Seattle’s Best w/o any qualms.

Just like the plane ride to Guam, she slept thru most of the 3-hour flight to Marshall Islands, the 2 other seats beside us were also vacant. This time though she only cried a little as we landed.

Remember Daddy
When we got to Majuro, Marshall Islands it was sunny but very windy. As I looked out our plane’s window all I could see was the ocean, it was as if we were going to land on the water. Their little airport, similar to the airports in small provinces like Aklan & Bacolod was right near the water.

The airport personnel gave me Raine’s stroller & as I wheeled her in to the airport I saw Rynor waving at us from the wire fence.

We took a few minutes in line at the immigration & that’s when Raine started to really cry loudly, almost screaming. Rynor, who was friends w/ the airport chief, requested if he could get Raine while I waited for my turn at the immigration. But as she was wheeled out, Raine cried even harder. She didn’t seem to remember her Daddy.

She only calmed down when Rynor’s officemate, Tintin, who had accompanied him to pick us up, carried her.

Life in Majuro
It’s about a 15 minute ride from the airport to our apartment. It would probably not take so long though, if not for the 25-mile “speed” limit. As expected, Majuro is quite provincial. It reminds me of the roads going to less developed areas of Batangas, Cavite and such. The locals, called Marshallese, are dressed casually. Women wear muumuus, floral housedresses or dusters, almost everyone wears flipflops. You can tell if someone is a foreigner because they are dressed much better than the Marshallese. Although at the Christmas Eve mass I saw some local women wearing sequined & beaded muumuus.

The Marshallese are on the hefty side, especially the women. They look similar to the native Hawaiians, Chamorros & people in the Pacific Islands. They’re polite but not very smiley people like Filipinos. At first meeting they almost seem aloof or masungit. But almost everyone smiles at the sight of our baby Raine.

There are a lot of foreigners here, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Americans, Australians, Kiwis (New Zealanders) and Pacific Islanders from Kiribati, Pohnapei, Nauru and Micronesia.

There are no fast food chains here, no malls or big department stores. There are several supermarkets that also sell houseware, electronics & clothes much like Shopwise but smaller in size. The merchandize are all imported from the U.S. or China. Surprisingly, I’ve even seen Chippy, Boy Bawang & Mang Tomas sarsa in the supermarket. There are about 500 Filipinos here after all. In fairness, the stores’ cash registries are all computerized & they make use of flat LCD screens.

Our apartment is twice as big as our condo unit in Taguig. It’s a small apartment building of only about 10-12 units. It’s not much to look at from the outside but is pretty nice on the inside. We’re on the second floor; 2 bedrooms, 1 bath & a balcony porch w/ a view of the ocean. The bigger space is good for Raine as she has a lot of room to walk around & make a mess.

Suddenly SAHM (stay-at-home-mom)
Ever since I gave birth I’ve fantasized about what it would be like to be a stay-at-home-mom, a homemaker, a housewife & full time mommy. But in my fantasy I had at least one person to help around w/ the household chores. Goodness! I completely salute all women who don’t have any help whatsoever. It’s not as easy as it seems. Cooking, cleaning, everything in between, plus taking care of a very boisterous & inquisitive toddler who’s just learned the joys of walking is indeed a big juggling act. It’s a totally different ballgame compared to going to the office & staring at the computer all day.

Rynor leaves for work at about 7 a.m. from Mondays to Saturdays. I’ve never been a morning person so I’m quite thankful that my hubby doesn’t mind making his own breakfast. Besides, Raine sleeps between 11pm to 1a.m. most nights, so you can just imagine what time I go to sleep. After Rynor leaves, I prepare Raine’s breakfast and start cooking lunch. Rynor comes home for lunch everyday. When he leaves I wash the dishes and thaw the food I’ll be cooking for dinner. At this point Raine is walking all over the house, opening the cabinets & drawers she can reach, picking up what’s on the floor & putting them in her mouth! The only time she stays still is if I put in one of her Baby Einstein videos. I’m tempted to let her watch all day. During this time I try to clean the apartment as fast as I can while Raine is distracted. I have to keep the floor clean because Raine has this bad habit of removing her slippers & walking around barefoot or sometimes sitting on the floor. There are days when she just wants to make lambing & be held. She shows this by wobbling to the kitchen sink & squeezing herself between me & the sink. I’m lucky if she naps for 2-3 hours. Lately, she naps for 1-1.5 hours only & that’s when I prepare dinner. Several times, I have to stop what I’m doing & go to her. Because of this, there have been times that lunch or dinner is not quite ready by the time Rynor gets home. Raine has become very demanding & clingy lately. Always wants her mommy beside her. I call her my shadow.

Oh, did I tell you I’m a beginner in the kitchen? I brought along some cookbooks w/ me. I cannot cook very well, so every meal is a feat. I follow the recipe as best as I can, so far the food has been edible. Haha! I’ve had some hits, a few misses. I’m pretty bad at estimating. Once I cooked too much rice, another time too much pasta. It’s a work-in-progress for me. Most of my life we’ve had helpers that I’ve come to rely on. We were never spoiled as kids, I know how to do housework (except cook) but there are days when I wish I didn’t have to wash the dishes or take out the garbage or do the laundry.

Despite Marshall Islands’ provincial and laidback lifestyle, there are some perks that I’m thankful for. There’s the in-sink-erator garbage disposal system. I don’t have to remove small leftover food from the plates. I can just throw them in the sink & turn on the in-sink-erator which grinds the food & sends them to a garbage disposal system. There’s the heavy duty washer & dryer. The centralized air-conditioning is not so bad too.

Family time
Now that I’ve seen both sides of the coin: being a working mom & a stay-at-home mom I can see how tricky it can be to strike a balance as the latter; housework, quality time w/ Raine & my hubby & “me time”. Sure I spend all day w/ my baby daughter but for the past 2 weeks since we arrived in Marshall Islands I’m guilty of plunking her in front of the TV to watch baby videos so I can get things done around the house.

I guess it’s just a matter of scheduling my day & knowing which things to prioritize.

Despite the challenges of this drastic lifestyle change, I’m most thankful for the chance for us to be a whole family again. When Rynor first worked overseas in Diego Garcia for 1.5 years when we were going steady we made a deal never to be apart again, it would just be too hard & not healthy especially for a growing family like ours. We feel blessed to have this opportunity for Rynor to pursue his career & be allowed to bring in his family.

The next few months will definitely be an adventure as we make our mark in Marshall Islands, then by middle of the year, in the more-progressive Guam.

As a friend of mine put it, “the best is yet to come.”