when mami gets possessed with weird ideas...

A month ago, I met this pinay blogger from Kalokang Buhay ng Isang Pinay sa Ukay who lives in UK.  I read one of her blog entry about her son finally sleeping on her own room at age 2.  She was really nice to exchange emails with me and gave me tips.  Not that hubby and I are in a hurry for Little Spanish Pinay to sleep in her own room but it would be nice to know some tips on how to encourage her to sleeping alone.  I don't see it happening really soon though because we are still breastfeeding and we are leaning towards child-led weaning (rhyme not intended).  Co-sleeping is for now the best arrangement for all of us while we are still breastfeeding.

But then this did not stop me from re-arranging LSP's room.  I have converted her crib (the crib was convertible to a single bed, night table and study table) to a normal bed since we don't believe she'll be using the crib ever.  Inspired from my email exchanges with Kristeta, I just laid down a mattres on the floor so "big accidents" like falling off from a bed can be avoided.  See picture below.

Find anything wrong in the picture?  Yeah.... that's a bed standing on its sides instead of well, on its feet.  Reason?  As I've said, I just wanted to lay down her mattress on the floor so she can play around on it, get used to it and avoid falling from it the hard way.  The mattress is really small as it is her "crib" mattress.  I didn't want to buy bigger mattress for the bed just yet since I don't think she'll be sleeping on her bed anytime soon.  I also added some of those kids' mats to cushion the floor in case LSP falls off from the matress.  And since I don't have a space to temporarily store the crib converted to bed, hence the arrangement as shown, there goes the invention. Hubby had a good laugh when he saw this.  He must be thinking "This is what I get from marrying a Filipina... weird exotic ideas... as weird exotic as she is" LOL.

For now, this mattress only serves for her to practice her jumping skills... she loves to jump on top of it and step on and off of it.  In the meantime, hubby and I will continue enjoying our co-sleeping arrangments.  I love it when one day, hubby told me that he's loving the way LSP sleeps with us.  He feels much closer to her everytime and according to him, each night and morning waking up with LSP on the bed is one of the most beautiful moments with her that he will surely miss once LSP already sleeps in her own bed.

Can my husband get any sweeter? 

Night Terrors On Toddlers

I'm still kind of perplexed while writing this.  My Little Spanish Pinay started having fever last Thursday and it continued on and off until yesterday, Sunday.  I believe it was mainly because of her 4 canine teeth cutthing through as she wasn't having colds nor having any kind of infection - as I believe. In any case we were already planning to go to the pediatrician if after 4 days, her fever would continue.  The last time LSP had fever, we immediately went to haver her checked but the doctor told us to go back after 2 more days that the fever still goes on and off and reaching 39ºC.   According to the doctor, if the cause of the fever is infection or specific virus or bacteria, it doesn't normally manifest before 4 days.  So we'd have to wait.  And just like the last time, LSP was completely fever free on the 4th day so we attribute the fever to her teething.  On both occassions, LSP was having 4 teeth cutting through all at the same time.  She's normally a good teether - but when there are 4 teeth cutthing through all at the same time, it'd really take a toll on her.

Apart from having fever, she's irritable almost the whole day.  She's very sensitive and would require much much attention.  This time though, on 2 consecutive nights already, LSP would have a fierce episode of waking up hysterically.  There's no way to calm her down.  She'd wake up all of a sudden crying and screaming as if someone is trying to attack her.  She seems to be oblivious of our presence.  Touching her and taking her in my arms to calm her down would just make things worst.  She'd try to free herself from me, twisting and arching her back furiously.  She would also point on a specific area of the room as if she wants something from there but then when I try to put her near the area she's pointing to, she'd scream even more.

This would go on for about 10-15minutes.  And all the time, I am mixed with worry and fear and confusion and desperation on why is this happening and what to do and what is wrong with our little one.  When everything starts to calm down, she'd ask to be nursed and almost immediately, she'd fall asleep while I am left bewildred as to what has just happened. 

As usual, as soon as I am able to, with a glass of wine on one hand to calm myself down, I started googling about the situation... and I was brought to this sleep problem called night terrors.  Little Spanish Pinay might still be young to have this but the signs are all pointing to night terrors.  Plus, there had been changes in her sleep routine due to her fever and us spending the weekend over my inlaws' house.  She's been pretty agitated these days because of the fever and the teething and have been napping irregularly.  During her no-fever moments, she would also be out and about runing and playing around the house... and with fever on and off, her body and mind was just worn out.  All these can attribute to night terrors - according to a number of websites I've visited.

While there's really nothing much to worry about this as it will normally pass, it is highly distressing for hubby and I.  I wish I knew about this night terror thing before so I could have avoided making things worse by trying to carry our little one and trying to control her frantic movement in an attempt to calm her down. 

Now that she's completely fever free, I hope she won't have another episode of this night terrror.  Most of all, I do hope her fever won't come back for good!

If the night terror episode happens again, we'll be seeking her pedia's opinion about this.  In the meantime, I'll be watching her keenly.

Photo source

Go The F**k To Sleep

Many might have already heard about this new children's story book for adults as it is one of the most controversial these days. It's also one of the best selling in Amazon both in US and UK. It is currently the 4th top bestseller in Amazon US and the 39th best selling book in Amazon UK. The author - Adam Mansbach is an American author and professor of fiction. This birth of this controversial children's book for adults started when one night, as a frustrated and exhausted parent of a toddler that was waking up every 2 hour, Mansbach posted "Look out for my forthcoming children’s book, Go the — to Sleep" as his status in facebook. Many found this hilarious and enthusiastically supported the idea.


The book was even more popularized by the ebook version of it which was narrated by Samuel Jackson and hello! we all know Samuel Jackson is a brillian actor. I love his voice.

Controversial I say? The title says it all. There are tons of people who find this really hilarious and cathartic but this is matched by the number of people that thinks otherwise.

If you haven't heard of this book yet, here's the whole text/story that can be read from the book and then be the judge:

The cats nestle close to their kittens now.
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
You’re cozy and warm in your bed, my dear.
Please go the fuck to sleep.

The windows are dark in the town, child.
The whales huddle down in the deep.
I’ll read you one very last book if you swear
You’ll go the fuck to sleep.

The eagles who soar through the sky are at rest
And the creatures who crawl, run, and creep.
I know you’re not thirsty. That’s bullshit. Stop lying.
Lie the fuck down, my darling, and sleep.

The wind whispers soft through the grass, hon.
The field mice, they make not a peep.
It’s been thirty-eight minutes already.
Jesus Christ, what the fuck? Go to sleep.

All the kids from day care are in dreamland.
The froggie has made his last leap.
Hell no, you can’t go to the bathroom.
You know where you can go? The fuck to sleep.

The owls fly forth from the treetops.
Through the air, they soar and they sweep.
A hot crimson rage fills my heart, love.
For real, shut the fuck up and sleep.

The cubs and the lions are snoring,
Wrapped in a big snuggly heap.
How is it you can do all this other great shit
But you can’t lie the fuck down and sleep?

The seeds slumber beneath the earth now
And the crops that the farmers will reap.
No more questions. This interview’s over.
I’ve got two words for you, kid: fucking sleep.

The tiger reclines in the simmering jungle.
The sparrow has silenced her cheep.
Fuck your stuffed bear, I’m not getting you shit.
Close your eyes. Cut the crap. Sleep.

The flowers doze low in the meadows
And high on the mountains so steep.
My life is a failure, I’m a shitty-ass parent.
Stop fucking with me, please, and sleep.

The giant pangolins of Madagascar are snoozing.
As I lie here and openly weep.
Sure, fine, whatever, I’ll bring you some milk.
Who the fuck cares? You’re not gonna sleep.

This room is all I can remember.
The furniture crappy and cheap.
You win. You escape. You run down the hall.
As I nod the fuck off, and sleep.

Bleary and dazed I awaken
To find your eyes shut, so I keep
My fingers crossed tight as I tiptoe away
And pray that you’re fucking asleep.

We’re finally watching our movie.
Popcorn’s in the microwave. Beep.
Oh shit. Goddamn it. You’ve gotta be kidding.
Come on, go the fuck back to sleep.

Want to see the actual book with complete illustration? Here's a pdf copy - that is if it is still available. You know how these things in the internet sometimes are. If you want to hear Samuel Jackson's narration, here's a link (that's hopfeully still working).

Here's my personal take about the book:

I liked it and it's funny but it is not something I'd buy and I for one, am not a fan of vulgarity. Then another note is that I don't want to keep something at home that later on my little one would find and read and then I'd have to explain a lot why mami is keeping this kind of book when mami always says that foul words are bad and shouldn't said or told to anyone. It is funny for me in the sense that I can relate to the frustration and exhaustion of the parent trying to put to sleep a child that doesn't want to sleep and I know how it feels when sometimes you just want to growl like a mad lion in frustration. We all have these frustrations and we all sometimes would like to just let out a big, crisp-sounding F-word but in front of our children, they just remain as a silent voice ringing inside our heads and are just converted to deep sighs. And knowing that other parents also experience these kinds of frustrations, gives us some air to breathe, thinking that we're not alone. And then we just laugh about these frustrations.

I guess it can be a bit too much on the vulgarity especially on the part that says (I know you're not thirsty, that's bullshit, stop lying) but again, this book is not really children's story book. It is just for the adults. And since it's a form of comedy, it doesn't necessary mean that this is a real conversation between a parent and a child being put to sleep. I just hope that no parents would mistaken it as a real children's book and read it to them.. carried away by the very sweet illustrations of the book.

Side Note:  In all fairness to the book, the parent attended to the child everytime and never let the child cry it out :-D

So what do you think about that book? Funny? Fail? Brilliant? Too much? Would you buy one?