The Christenings

The preparations for Babam's Christenings made us busy. A lot of things need to be prepared. There were actually two Christening sessions, but done on the same day of July 5, 2008.

The Invites
My daughter designed the invites herself. She knows how to use Photoshop so it was just easy for her to do it.There were two sets of invites made for the two Christening sessions.

After my daughter designed the invites, she just stored the file in a USB flash drive and brought it to the Fuji Film developing center at BQ Mall. The invites were printed on photopaper.

I didn't want to send off the invites in a regular envelope so I took pains in looking for appropriate materials to make the invite packaging look cute. I chose a bright pink card paper to wrap each invite and tied each one with dainty pink ribbons. The name of the invitee was hand-written using a gold pen. Details were really considered.

The Dresses
Finding the appropriate dresses for my daughter and for Babam was so difficult. I wanted them to wear matching clothes in the motiff of white and pink. So, to solve the dilemma, we decided to have the dresses custom-made by a local designer EJ Relampagos, who made the beautiful dresses.

Babam's dress was made of white satin and lace embedded with clear beads and sequences. Am-am's dress was made in similar materials and the design was carefully considered that would make the dress elegant looking and easy enough for her to breastfeed Babam if she needs to feed her.

Catholic Christening

The first Christening was done at the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish at the City of Tagbilaran at 4PM. To help us guide Babam in God’s love and grace, the following were chosen as Godfathers: Jose Antonio Borres, Rejhie Austin Pimentel, Agustin Jereza, Daniel Po, Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy, Flor Aurel Trabajo, Angelo Carlo Lim, Tito Unajan, John Vincent Mercado, Ian Aldelmeon Uy, Erwin Mondragon, John Geesnell Yap II. Godmothers were: Twinkle Besas, Desiree Mae Roxas, Caron Anne Gonzales, Kirie Whitney Sanchez, Honey Lou Java, June Razel Anne Teh, Jennifer Leslie Lim, Karen Faith Witte, Kristine Rara, and Aleli Yap. Also in the picture is Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan N. Lim, who was one of the godfathers for the 2nd Christening session but he decided to come earlier.

The Christian Dedication & Reception

The second Christening was conducted at 6PM at the Jj's Seafood Village main reception hall. The ceremony was conducted by Pastors Rey Rodriguez and Adore Sabido. The godparents were: Mayor Dan N. Lim, Dr. Mutya Kismet T. Macuno, Dr. Golda T. Olaivar, Anne Montes, Bim Canuto, Cindy Tirol, Jucil Tirol, Maricel Tirol, Victor Tirol III, Janice Aurora Tirol, Tim Callahan, & Vellie Dietrich Hall.

Right after the Dedication Ceremony was the dinner reception. There were two buffet tables with one lechon each. Dinner was prepared for more than 150 persons. Immediate family members, relatives and friends of both Babam's mommy and daddy were there. It was a happy reunion for both clans and mutual friends. Picture shows Babam with her daddy and her grandma (daddy's side).

Next picture is of Babam with SuperLola(greatgrandma) Maly. SuperLola Maly is amazed to hold her first (and only so far) great grand daughter.








The Gifts

Babam received so many gifts during her Christening. Counted the day after, there were 43 gifts, but more gifts still came days after. Among the gifts was a Graco stroller given by Babam's aunt Inkee. My sister who came home from the US also gave Babam Carter's clothes, socks, head bands and an Avent electric bottle warmer.

My Girl's name

ATHALIA JEZKA KARIELLE

Yes, My Girl has three first names. Many would say her name is too long and she might hava a hard time writting her name when she goes to school. Well, we don't see any problem with that.

Her mommy got three first names too. I choose that names for her, a combination of my mother's, my husband's and my mother-in-law's names. Afterall, my daughter is the first granddaughter of the family.

Many also told me why I gave my daughter a very long name, that she might have a hard time writtting her name. I never get worried about that because I believed that my daughter would grow up to be a smart girl and she would not have any problem writing her long name. And I am sure, this will be the same with My Girl too.

How did we we get her name?
ATHALIA - a name taken from the Bible. She was a queen of Judah. Her life story is interesting though.

JEZKA - this is a combination of the names of My Girl's daddy and mommy.

KARIELLE - taken from My Girl's mommy's third first name. It means, little
Karla.

Her Nickname

My Girl's nickname - BABAM - was given to her by my sister (who is also My Girl's pediatrician). She composed that name - short for Baby Amam (nickname of My Girl's mommy)

Breastfeeding

According to Wikipedia, Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from a woman's breasts, not from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is possible for most mothers to nourish their infant (or infants in the case of twins and multiple births) by breastfeeding for the first six months, if not longer, without the supplement of infant formula milk or solid food.

My mother breastfed me until I was three years old. I also breastfed my own children - the three of them. I also encouraged my daughter to breastfeed her daughter.

When I had my girl, I never had second thoughts on deciding to breastfeed her. Afterall, breastfeeding is the best for my baby. I am lucky to have a mother who guided and inspired me how to properly breastfeed my baby. I also have an aunt, who is a doctor and advocate of breastfeeding. She also taught me how to breatfeed my baby and how to keep myself healthy to be able to keep on breastfeeding my baby for the longest time as possible.

I am very happy that my daughter is breastfeeding her daughter (my granddaughter). And she can produce a good supply of breastmilk, more than what my granddaughter could feed on.

My Girl is now almost three months old. Even if now that her mommy goes out often to attend her review classes, My Girl doesn't miss any breastmilk she needs. Thanks to the breastfeeding techniques we learned from my mom, my auntie, my sister (who is a pediatrician).

How?

My daughter 'saves' her breastmilk and store them in a plastic container and store them in the freezer. She expresses the extra breastmilk (using a breast pump) after breastfeeding My Girl. As of now, we have frozen breastmilk stored, enought to feed My Girl for one week!

When my daughter is not around, a container or two of frozen breastmilk are taken out of the freezer and thawed. When the frozen breastmilk has been thawed, the breastmilk is transferred to My Girl's Avent feeding bottle, and kept in the refrigerator until its needed.

Once My Girl gets hungry, it only take a few minutes to heat-up the breastmilk. The Avent bottle is placed in the Avent bottle warmer for a few minutes and the breastmilk is now ready for My Girl to consume.

Preparation

Not every mother could have the capability to breastfeed. For a mother to have this capability, she has to prepare herself mentally and physically. Mentally, to think positive always that she can do it and she will have much breastmilk, more than enough that her baby would need. And preparing herself physically by eating the right foods and keeping herself healthy.
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Helpful websites about breastfeeding : www.breastfeeding.com

Pink Balloons

Even when Babam was still inside her mummy's tummy, we already knew that she is a girl. Thanks to the wonders of ultra sound technology. Talking about ultra sound, we had it done four times during the entire pregnancy period of my daughter because we were so excited about Babam that we want to 'peep' inside as to who she is doing.

Without my daughter's knowledge, I ordered pink 'flying balloons' printed with "Welcome Babam! We Love You!". I had the balloons delivered to my daughter's hospital room and she was delighted to see them. The balloons brightened her room. Even the hospital staff were delighted to see a lot of balloons inside a patient's room.

I am thankful to the Ramiro Community Hospital for allowing us to bring in the flying balloons.

The Birth Labor Pains

June 2, 2008 in the morning, my full-term pregnant daughter Am-am, went out to do her walking exercise with my husband Arthur. When they came home, I noticed a stain on my daughter's clothes and I told her that I think she is starting to have her labor. When she checked herself in the comfortroom, indeed, she is already having slight discharges. Yepey! our baby is coming out anytime soon!

At around eleven thirty in the morning, my daughter went to see her OB and she was informed that she will have her full labor anytime sooner or later. After the doctor's visit, we lunched-out together and went home.

When I came back from work at around 6 o'clock that evening, my daughter informed me that she is starting to feel labor pains. After dinner, we went to the Ramiro Community Hospital to check in. We already reserved a room earlier.

My daughter went in to the labor room and the resident doctor conducted an IE on her and its only "2 cm" yet. Hours later, Am-am continued to feel the labor pains, with its interval getting closer. She continued feeling this way until 5 o'clock in the morning of June 3, 2008. The resident doctor did an IE on her again, but the opening did not improve much, which was only 3 cm. My mother-in-law, my sister and me, took turns in keeping watch of Am-am in the pre-labor room. I took over watching her starting at 2:30 in the morning.

At 5:30 that morning, her OB decided to do the Ceasarian Section on her instead. Am-am has been in labor for twelve hours already and it will not be good for her and Babam (the baby) anymore if the labor will be prolonged. Am-am was then being prepared for the operation a few minutes later.

I was all the time with Am-am during the last 3 hours of her labor and I was also fortunate to be allowed by her OB to go inside the operating room to witness the actual arrival of my girl - Babam.

The OR nurse let me wear those green scrubs and let me in the theater. I wasn't scared. I was excited. My sister, as Babam's pediatrician was also inside. We we're equally excited for the coming out of Babam.