Lej's Fave Sippy Cup

Leji has always hated silicone nipples.  She gnawed on them incessantly and refused to be bottle fed in my presence.  She thinks pumped milk is gross especially when she sees it coming from a Hakaa (she really hates silicone). Thus, she learned how to drink water from a straw at four months and started drinking from Avent cups independently as soon as she learned how to sit.

But in her terrible twos, she developed a fondness for mixing things together and pouring stuff everywhere.  She would wipe her mess afterwards with a paper towel and try to prolong the activity as much as she can because it's so enjoyable for her.  She even thinks soaking up the couch is interesting to watch sometimes.  So we decided to back track a little bit and reintroduce sippy cups at home even if she has already mastered the art of using grownup cups and glasses with two hands.

Leji loves mango yoghurt shake

We have existing Dr. Brown's soft-spout toddler cups; but again she hates silicone.  She gnawed on them like there's no tomorrow before she turned one.  She also found a way not to make them spill proof; she removed the detachable handle in one and broke off the snap-on cap of the other.  Washing up soft spouts is also a chore; some of the milk residue remain in the crevices of the silicone spout even after exposing them to heat in the sterilizer.   I use a mini flosser brush because even an old toddler toothbrush can't clean it effectively.

We took Leji to Baby Company so she could choose a new sippy cup.  She opted for a Philips Avent hard spout (fuchsia with a penguin!) which claimed to be more durable than the soft spout.  However, it's not entirely true that it's spill proof and easy to clean.  Even with the silicone stopper inside, it still spills on the bed & it's quite easy for my toddler to accidentally open the cover while turning it around trying to figure which angle is most fun in milk sipping.  You also have to wash it immediately after use otherwise foul smelling milk residue will annoyingly remain in the spout.  It's tricky to scrape off even with toothpicks and hairpins.  We bought it at full price; a few weeks later it's not surprising to see the model 70% off at Unimart.   

My mom-in-law then gifted us with the Playtex Playtime Spout.  It has colorful 3D animals on the side which Leji happily identified.  She likes her flavored milk cold; its double wall insulation is pretty effective.  When we discovered it was easier to clean (my pinky could fit in the spout and effectively remove residue with soapy water), really spill proof (even when you throw it on the floor!), and harder to "accidentally" open during toddler experiments, she decided to buy it in other designs and colors which Leji could mix and match (one lid fits all!).  Leji says her Lola's really cool.  Thank you, Lola!

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Tandem Feeding Diaries: Month 2

My skin is terribly dry these days.  Thank God for the inventor of mild lotion. Blame it on my inability to drink adequate amounts water after tandem feeding especially during the holidays when we had to endure traffic (& I could only drink so much while in the car).  I should take Chiqui Brosas' advice to drink at least 4L a day more seriously. Tsktsk.

When you're dehydrated, there's this ugly sensation in the brain and back; and your knees and joints start to feel numb.  It's actually scary.  I couldn't move in bed.  I couldn't even eat properly. But I went on feeding my newborn.

My toddler? She wasn't too happy when mommy got sick and she wasn't allowed to latch to stimulate my boobs and try to increase my supply.  It was just too painful; I could feel my uterus scream. I hope her brain would omit the memory of mom being sick and grumpy ASAP.

Ang gabi tila araw...ikaw ang ligaya..ikaw lamang 

I started mix feeding my toddler (she drinks fresh cow's milk) as soon as she turned 1.  However, even when I got pregnant, she refused to give up latching in the car and at bedtime. Now that she has a baby brother, she gives way when she knows my breasts aren't full yet.  She could be a future lactation consultant! With one look, she knows if my supply is ok and she knows a couple of massage techniques to stimulate milk production and prevent mastitis.

I only had mastitis once when we had a fight one night when she wouldn't stop jumping on the bed & I refused to give her "her side"of my chest.  I failed to pump that side; it's hard to use the Hakaa on "her side" while feeding Leon because she claims it's gross to drink pumped milk and it's easier if I just allow her to latch directly. Ugh. Sometimes it's inconvenient that your daughter could express herself so well at such a young age.

Nowadays, she watches her brother latch on first to avoid making him gag with overflowing milk. He cries when Leji makes the flow too abrupt.  So she usually waits until the milk leaks unto my shirt with just Leon stimulating it. She's usually very patient except when she wants to latch for comfort in the car and transforms into a scary, anti-seatbelt wailing creature we call "Lejo."

Keeping yourself hydrated is more challenging when the babies latch directly as compared to pumping "off site".  When I'm away, it's easier to limit pumping time to just 15-20 minutes every 3-4hours.  It's easier to stick to the schedule and properly hydrate before and after when working elsewhere.

At home and in the car, feedings are more irregular.  Both of them wish to latch directly not only when they're hungry but also when they're sleepy, scared, tired, bored  (or all of the above during traffic).  There are times when latch time exceeds more than 20minutes. I get very sleepy during the day due to lack of sleep at night; I usually doze off when the baby breastfeeds in bed and I fail to drink afterwards.

So much so that I now stopped taking multivitamins altogether.  I feel like I get dehydrated easier when I drink them.  I drink malunggay tea with some tablea instead.

After Christmas (and after a bout with nasty LBM/ electrolyte imbalance/mild dehydration), my daughter & I acquired flu.  My supply went really low and I had to deal with a wailing toddler whom I had to convince that I love her still using other means (Eg. hugging, singing, eating her favorite food wtih her).  It was so hard to explain to her that she couldn't latch on me while I was feeding the baby because she might accidentally sneeze on him while facing each other.

She kept sneezing on him to annoy me.  She's at a stage where she does something more when you say "no".  The baby got sneezy too but only for a couple of days. Thank God for the baby aspirator; he was able to recover at once even without medication.

Oh believe me I was so tempted to switch to formula. It was as if my newborn baby sucked the life out of me and I'm not allowed to sleep because his sister is in dire need of love affirmation.  But I had to give him antibodies.  I want him to have less chances of acquiring allergies later on in life.  I want less chances of acquiring breast cancer too (we have it in the family).  So with the support of my hubby and mom-in-law,  I trudged on.

The New Year started with a topsy turvy house because I was sick & hubby didn't have any choice but to look after us and comfort my toddler that mommy can't play.  He was so tempted to hire a maid.  But I told him I want to enjoy Leon's first six months with just us.  My mom came over & cooked my fave meals to support my decision.

Pocari Sweat was my holiday lifesaver. If I can just have a water filter that instantly turns water into Pocari Sweat that would be so cool. & yeah, I gulp all the fresh milk my toddler wouldn't finish in her sippy cup. No judgment!

I hope the house will be in better order before Valentines/ Chinese New Year. harhar!  Happy 2018!!!

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