Music Is Good For Babies

As I am writing this blog, my baby Zoe is fast asleep while listening to my classical music collection. I always believed that music has a good influence on babies and has a powerful effect on their emotions and intellect. I have researched before that music can affect the way a person thinks and it's possible that babies grow up to be musically-inclined. I've read, too, that when a child is exposed to music earlier, it can help improve their reasoning thus they are good in solving a puzzle. I find it quite true because this is what I've experienced with my eldest daughter, Chloe, who is now 7 years old and is very musically-inclined and not to brag, but quite an achiever at school.

But of course, I don't rely in music only. Encouragement and follow-up matters. We have to motivate our kids so that they will continue in excelling where they're good at. Once we know that they are good in that certain aspect, we don't stop but continue to check on them, praise them and guide them if needed. Music may influenced them but if it's combined with our love, care and understanding, then our kids will have a balance or stable emotions, reasoning and inter-relationship skills.

I am sharing this hoping that other parents or parents-to-be will get something out from my experience. Even when I was pregnant with Chloe and Zoe, I listened to music because I believe babies can hear it while they were still in my tummy. Sometimes, I placed a headphone in my tummy for them to really hear the music that I wanted them to listen.

Just make sure that you don't let your babies listen to noisy or loud music because it might damage their hearing. You can also sing lullabies to the babies because it can somehow soothe them. I also let my kids listen to Psalty's Praise and Worship songs. It's really great for them and they will learn a lot of good things out from that collection since it's a Christian music. I've noticed that Zoe stopped being cranky if 'Amen, Praise the Lord' is being played. Perhaps it's her favorite song =)

Skin Care

Our skin is the first line of defense in our body. Microorganisms can easily penetrate if we don't take good care of our skin so, it needs to be protected. Other than taking vitamins, it's good to put on some lotion or oil to keep our skin soft and smooth.

After I wash my body at night, I put on some body oil to keep my skin healthy and not rough to touch, plus it gives me a relaxing feeling after doing so. My 7 year old daughter told me she wants her skin to glow that she's the one who is always using my Beautiful body oil for she also likes the scent. Since it's almost empty, I might try to purchase Angel body oil as recommended by my friend. I can even purchase it online, 1/2 dram vials for $2 only. With this price, I am thinking to get for more!

Cranky Zoe

Zoe was quite cranky yesterday. After I fed her milk, she was still crying. I tried giving her more but her tongue pushed it out. I thought she might be a colic baby but she had burped and even released some air *><* I decided to rock her coz she was a little bit sleepy but she was restless. I kept changing to different positions until I, myself, got tired. I decided to put her on her crib, but her cries became louder. I transferred her to our bed, still she cried. I let her be... at the same time, I tried talking to her... And she listened and looked at me. Then, she smiled...

It was like magic, because her smile released all my stress. I got energized again. I felt for my baby as she was so helpless for I don't know what she wanted me to do with her. She was responding to me, as if she understood what I was trying to say. She do like this for several weeks already, talking something to me and I answered as if we were conversing. After that, my most awaited part finally came - she fell asleep!

I guess she was just feeling cranky before going to sleep. Babies (or even bigger kids!) are like that so we, parents, should be more understanding and patient about it. I am just thankful that she's fine and healthy and nothing serious has been noted.

Traveling By Car

Whenever we go on travel, my family would always prefer riding it out in our own car. Especially if the kids go with us, we find it a lot safer and more comfortable at the same time as we can travel at our own speed and can stop whenever we like. However, we would have to make sure that the vehicle is in top condition before each trip. One thing to look out for is the check engine light since this would indicate if there's a need for auto repair. Having all these thorough checkups will ensure a smooth and worry free travel.

Now that the family is growing and since both my husband and me can drive, we are seriously considering buying another car. This, so that my husband can use one when he goes to work while I can use the other for driving my daughter to school. If our budget will allow it, I would really prefer a Toyota Camry as it is quite spacious, has a sturdy body, and runs smoothly being a sedan. Well, maybe coz' our existing car is also a Toyota, which, I'm glad to say, is still in mint condition after years of service.

Where are my Reader's Digest Copies?

I am an avid reader of Reader's Digest. I've been a subscriber of this book-magazine since 2007. However, our local distributor in the City is always late in delivering my copy and worst, these past 2 months I didn't receive any at all! They told me that my name was on their master list but where was my copy? They wanted me to take somebody else's copy as a replacement (as they usually practiced) but I was opposed to it. That's not mine! Prior to this hullabaloo, me and my mom (who's also a subscriber) get our copies from their office to make sure we really have it on time. We don't trust them that much even if they have a crew who delivers our subscription, it would take an eternity for our mags to arrive.

Much to my dismay and frustration, I was finally fed up. I decided to send an email to Reader's Digest's customer service. I was fuming mad while I wrote my missive just to express my disappointed on Capitan Marketing or Numinous (name of the distributor) located near Pabayo Borja/Gomez or fronting Wadhu's. This company is really unreliable and everytime I go to their office, people working there were so slow, lousy and don't even render good customer services. I've heard that the owner has bad attitude, that's what their workers say. But then, the workers were lazy, too! I don't even care if I mentioned their company here and this is just a warning to others. So, off I wrote and sent my email after warning them of my next step. I told RD that I might be compelled to stop my subscription next year because I don't get my copy anyway, the mere fact that I paid in full for one year.

Customer service replied to me right away and asked for my contact numbers. A few minutes later, I received their call. I reiterated my story and they asked for an apology for the inconvenience that it cost me. They promised to send me a replacement of my two missing issues and it might arrive this week. They asked my permission if they could send it starting November via PO box in our local post office. I said that would be okay as long as I get my copy. The other end was thankful that I sounded calm already and again asked for another apology.

I don't know if they are partly at fault but by attending to my concern somehow mellowed me down. At least they have heard my woes and promised to replace my 2 missing copies, that's all that matters now. So, to any of you who experienced the same dilemma, better contact and report it to the main office rather than do nothing at all.

Comfy Beddings

Our new home has 3 bedrooms. But only the master bedroom is usually occupied since my kids are still very young that they sleep together with us. I always make sure to change the bed linens from time to time in order to make our bed a lot comfortable and very conducive for sleeping.

Speaking of which, I plan on buying some new sheets or perhaps a chenille bedspread because ours is quite old, not to mention a little bit worn. It may be time for a change, don't you think?

I'm thinking of adding a yellow comforter or a polka dot comforter to make our bedroom look more lively and less boring. My kids will surely love these, especially my 2-month old baby, since they would look so pleasing and colorful to the eye. Besides, these items can be purchased conveniently online.

Dark Saturday

We had a heavy rain last Saturday afternoon. I took my baby from her crib because of the heavy downpour of the rain and the sound of thunder puzzled her. Chloe was scared, too, that she kept on covering her ears with her both hands. Worst, we lost current. Lightning strike here and there. The current returned few minutes later and from our room, we went to the living room. My husband decided to prepare us bread with hotdog as our snacks. Just after we finished eating it, we heard something strange before our current got lost again. The rain did not stop yet but there was less lightning and the sound of the thunder was minimized. Much to our surprised, our neighbors have current while we don't! My husband checked our electrical wiring and found there was nothing wrong with the fuse. But when he checked our meter, it was burned! Glad there was no fire on it. We reported our situation to our local electric company and asked them for assistance. We were told that they would fix it as soon as the rain stop. That happened at around 5:30 pm. At 8 o'clock, we called again but got the same answer. We used our inverter to be able to use one electric fan and one light. However, the battery gave in so we borrowed our FIL's battery. We called the electric company again at 10 p.m. because the rain already subsided. They said they will resolve the problem by night but their crew was out to fix first the place where majority of the electrical lines where damaged. After that, they will come to our residence. That was their promise to us and assured me that they have a 24 hour service. We told them we will wait for them no matter what time. I was worried for my kids especially my 2-month-old baby. We decided to sleep at our living room so for easy access on the electric fan and the light and we can easily hear someone knocking outside our house. We put Zoe to her crib and amazingly, she was deep in her sleep. Although she woke up for her time to drink milk, after a few minutes she went back to her sleep. Chloe was complaining of the mosquito disturbing her, so, we set the fan high even though it was cold because of the rain. We decided to go to sleep but by 2pm, our borrowed battery was drained so we ended up having no light and no fan. I used our rechargeable fan for Chloe and use a candle for us to see. My baby woke up for her milk and I could hardly see. My husband decided to use the battery of his car. Gladly, our garage is just outside our living room so it was easy for him to connect the inverter. I called the electric company again and told him my woes. Told him I could hardly see and that my 2 month old baby was too cranky already (I exaggerated this part (",)). The man on the other line said that they will really fixed it. Minutes later, the crew arrived and the man I talked to called me again to check if his men arrived so that my problem is resolved. I thanked him.

The crew checked the problem and indeed our meter was damaged and we need to buy a meter based first and have the electrician install it because they could put on a new meter. In other words, we'll be spending no light until morning or even afternoon. We have no choice but to wait for the morning to arrive. My in laws were telling us to go to their place to spend the rest of the night but it was already in the wee hour of the morning. We decided to stay at home because my kids were deep in their sleep...

At around 6:30 am, an electrician came and offered to render his services but we need a few bucks to spend for the new meter base. We were restless and it was Sunday and we want to have current! So, the man started working on our problem at around 8:30 am. This time, me and my daughters went to my in-laws' place. I made sure they took a bath so that I would have less to bring. My husband stayed at home. He didn't have a good sleep but he wanted so badly to fix everything before another night comes. The electric company put a new meter on the meter based past 3 o'clock and voila! We finally had a light and I was so eager to go home!

We were just too glad that nothing bad happened to us, to our family and also on our gadgets here at home. My mother's and brother's PC were destroyed, others have different problems on their wirings but overall, glad that nothing serious happened to us. So last night, instead of surfing the net or whatever, all of us ended up sleeping very early. Glad the the baby slept longer last night, too! Such a good girl :D

Zoe's 2nd Month

Ate Chloe and Baby Zoe

My baby Zoe Ysabella turned 2 months old last Sunday, September 12, 2010. Well, she's getting bigger and a bit heavier now. She can see us from afar, and slowly turns her head to look for us. She's very attentive when we talk to her and she usually responds, as if she understands what we are talking about (she sounds like a cat purring, hehe). She still wakes up at dawn but so far, she sleeps a little bit longer now compared before. Her pediatrician said that about 3months, she will sleep at night for a long time and I can hardly wait for that to come!

On her second month, we just did the same thing as before - picture taking :D My MIL bought a cake because Chloe called her to buy it for her baby sister :-) See pics & video below:

Morning of September 12, 2010

short video of Zoe

My Blog is Now a Domain

Hello blogger friends out there. Please be informed that my blog is now a domain. The url is changed from cookieorteza.blogspot.com to cookiescorner.com. Kindly change it in your bloglist, too. I've been pondering about buying a domain for many months but it's only now that I have finally bought the idea. I hope I'll be off to a good start as I venture into another world of blogging or whatevah, hehehe..

Rock Toon Fest

Chloe wanted to join Toon Fest Modeling contest held last September 4. To join, she has to buy Toon Fest apparel worth P500 single receipt. I didn't buy her an outfit because I was hesitant to have her join. My daughter is more of a singer than a dancer/model, you know, hehe. But she was interested so she told my MIL, her grandma, and bought her an outfit the following day. I didn't go with them so it was my MIL who chose clothes for Chloe to wear including her shoes. Chloe's actually not after winning the contest. I didn't even tell her that only 20 kids will be chosen and be given a prize so that she will just have fun on stage, but all the participants has a chance to show off their modeling skills - and that's what Chloe only wanted, to be on the stage!

Waiting for her turn (rockstar sign); with her friend, Alexa, on the stage

Chloe was not chosen among the top 20 kids but she was happy with her modeling experience. There were plenty of kids (100 of them actually) and most of them were really cute. What we overlook was the theme. We didn't know that kids should look like a rockstar and what Chloe wore was kind of formal, hehe. My sister in law and I watched the presentation and we were glad it was over because we were so tired. Top 20 kids were told to stay for another round of modeling on the stage. We were there at 11am and left at around 5pm, so, I was kind of glad that we would go home coz I need to check on baby Zoe, too. What was important was that Chloe had a great time and learn something from that experience, I guess :D

Question and Answer Portion


Modeling on the stage, hehe :p

Be On Guard

I have no house help again this time. I think she ran off with her boyfriend. She went home last Saturday and promised to be back by Monday but she never returned. She never even bothered to call just to inform if she's coming back or not the way she used to do before. Ever since she had a cellphone, she was beginning to be a pain in the ass but I tolerated her. She was good to me for the first 2 months and on the 3rd month, she became lazy and spent most of her time talking over her phone. Even have the guts to lie to me that she was only talking to her cousin. She never wakes up early and I became her alarm clock, knocking her door to wake her up. When it was her schedule to do some chores, she did it in the afternoon so that she can spend a lot of time talking to her boyfriend at her cellphone while I was busy taking care of the baby. Okay, fine, she went home and never returned. I just hope she told me the truth for I was never strict on her.

So many times my house help went home but most of them informed me ahead if they won't come back. I'm used to have no maid anyway, it's just that this time, I have a baby to take care of and worry about Chloe's safety at school. I'm just too glad that Chloe's quite big now but she's still 7 years old, and I can't help to imagine that somebody might harm her. My helper usually go to school at lunch to watch over Chloe while waiting for my hubby to fetch them. Now, I've to trust the school and their guard not to let Chloe go out of the campus if her dad won't pick her up yet. Still I'm afraid... that's why I kept telling my daughter never go with strangers.. and now that my helper is not coming back, I told her never go with the helper if ever Chloe's sees her there. And I will just pray that no harm will come on her way and that she will be safe when I cannot be with her. I how I wish I could still drive and fetch her to school the way I used to but I can't this time because I've a 2 month old baby that needs my care at home. I'll just pray for Chloe's safety and I hope to resolve everything by this week...