mommy matters – Page 54

Personal Shopper

I’m another person who loves to shop but unfortunately, I wasn’t born in a multi-billionaire family. That is why, in every shopping time, I have to prioritize things that I need and I want. And then I realized how fun it could be to spend other people’s money and still shop. Well, not necessarily that you’re shopping for the things you want or need using their money but at least, you fulfill your shopping urge.

I have a mini business over at Multiply where we sell mostly diapers and gadgets. Our gadgets range from mobile phones, ipods, psp consoles, other game consoles, camera and some accessories. I’ve been in the business for more than a year now and I must say it’s fulfilling even if we don’t get lots of regular orders.

There were times though that I have clients who looks for stuff that we don’t really carry. Because I don’t want disappointing people, I do my best to understand their need and offer that I buy it for them when I have the luxury of time. This one I really enjoy.

The things that I bought for my clients range from simple stuff like shirts to techie stuff like external hard drive and the recent one, external DVD drive. Since doing this, I realized that personal shopping is easier when:

The client has a specific working budget.
The client has a clear vision of what he wants.
The client is clear on when he needs the item.

When I was canvassing for the DVD drive, I just kept on doing that because my client didn’t gave me all of the above. And so the procrastinator in me kept deferring it.

I was so glad when she finally gave me a deadline. I was forced to finish looking and gave her the price range of the products I saw. The next day, I went back to the mall and get what she said she wanted.

I’m glad that with every thing that I personally shop for a client, they always end up satisfied. If you want me to become your personal shopper, just let me know. My rate is definitely negotiable.

Self-weaned, finally?

Adj. 1. weaned – freed of dependence on something especially (for mammals) mother’s milk. Source: weaned

I’ve always wanted Ayex to have a self-directed weaning from breastfeeding. Yes, I’ve been feeding her with my own milk for 3 years now. And although my parents and in-laws are already telling me to train her to wean ( because she’s becoming hard-headed and impatient as they say), I did not because secretly, I don’t want our special bonding to be over.

But like other breastfeeding-working moms out there, I too get tired. Specially now that I am 4 months pregnant with our second child, my body goes through a lot of changes again, and sometimes, breastfeeding can be really tiresome.

One time, as I was getting diaper supplies, my friend/supplier told me a story how her eldest child just gave up feeding from the bottle. Her child is 4-5yo. She told the teacher to tell her kid that she should no longer drink her milk from the bottle because she’ll get tooth decay. Instead, she should start drinking her milk from the glass. From this, I got an idea of telling Ayex’s teacher about her still breastfeeding. Ayex stopped feeding from the bottle after she turned two and drinks her occasional milk from the glass when I’m at work. At night she feeds from me.

Hubby told me over chat yesterday that he was able to ask Teacher Jade to tell Ayex that she should stop getting milk from me. Instead, she can drink milk from the glass. After dinner, hubby asked Ayex what did Teacher Jade told her about drinking her milk. My little girl narrated to me what her teacher told her. We told her that if she asks for mommy’s milk, we’ll tell her teacher the next day that she still breastfeed to which responded with constant No.

I had my usual short tv-time and I waited for her to ask for milk. She did not. At bedtime, she said Mommy, dede. I reminded her what we’ll say to her teacher the next day and offered that I’ll just pat her back to put her to sleep. She agreed. After a few minutes, she’s already fast asleep. She woke up twice in the middle of the night to pee. After peeing, she goes to back to sleep without asking for milk.

Yes, I did not breastfeed her the whole day and the whole night yesterday until this morning. And although I don’t want to jinx this, I hope that she is really ready to finally wean. Not because I want our special bonding to be over but I really need a rest. I know I will be breastfeeding again once our little one comes out in June 2010. What a bitter-sweet reality of motherhood!

Letting out these LHC

Left-Hand Column or LHC are your feelings and your thoughts that you do not share to others. Say you have this discussion, somehow, you are not comfortable with the decision that your group arrived at but you are not telling anyone, instead, you are keeping your thoughts to yourself.

I have so many of these and I think some of them starts to bother me already. I don’t know how to say them and I’m afraid people might be offended or something so let me just write these LHC.

I used to think that I have graduated from the time when everything that people say about me matters. I thought I don’t care anymore if people say good and bad things about me as long as I don’t hear them. I’m comfortable with that. I thought I can be used to the idea that people I love and care could back-stab me and I won’t care at all. However, I think there were recent events when I felt unsure of these things. I felt that people were letting me down. Emo much? It just felt sad but I know, like previous times, I will move on and gain back the confidence I somehow lost.

I hate drivers who do not use the signal lights specially those driving private vehicles. On the other hand, I totally appreciate those public utility vehicle drivers who use the signal lights because most of them don’t.

I agree that all conversations are like bank transactions, you either withdraw from your account or make a deposit. It’s a matter of delivering your message. Oh and don’t think that by being passive, meaning you just shut up and say nothing at all, you’re making a deposit all the time. I know I am an assertive person. I have developed that. Why am I being passive these days. I cannot let people say those things to me all the time.

When I grow old, I will learn how to control money, not the control-freak way. I really pray I can. I should be very very very financially stable by then.

I totally think that life will never be unfair. It just sad that sometimes, it unfolds right in your face and you can’t do anything about it.