Wanted: Nanny

It's official. Our nanny Mhagie will not come back anymore, no matter how her mom, who is my cousin, forces her. It didn't come as a surprise. After her AWOL starting June 3, I've kind of sensed that Mhagie would be too ashamed to face us. After all, the last serious talk we had made it clear that there won't be anymore irresponsibility from her side specifically not following her promise concerning going back to work after a visit to the province. Our agreement was we will send her to college but she must show us that she will be mature enough to keep her integrity when it comes to schedules. We pointed out that as we depend on her, we have to at least hear any word from her if it would be hard for her to get back at the date she promised. Besides, we want her to honor her word because we believe that more than education, sincerity makes a person more. If we can't expect her to be true with her words, there's no use dealing with her since right from the beginning we already know she will not fulfill her end.

Explaining the mystery
Paul and I were guessing that Mhagie was thinking that going to college could take her away from her family, especially her boyfriend. Her classes would run until weekends that could mean no vacation for her until the semester break. With that option, she chose instead not to enroll anymore. Oh well! All her stuff are still here, and if she has really planned on resigning, the way she had before, she would have at least taken home her belongings.

Well, everything ends. And even if this is not how I would want it, the Big Hand of Fate designed it as such and I can only accept my course. It's difficult for me to not get irritated with what happened, but I find myself also thankful that the end is here. I mean, I've ranted about how difficult it is to deal with a nanny like Mhagie, her being my relative and inexperienced when it comes to working as a nanny, so the whole chapter involving her ending, is a big reason for me to be thankful. It's an answered prayer, come to think of it. Plus, the moments I spend alone with Ate Lois - we call her ate in preparation for Baby 2's coming - are treasured moments that will not be possible with a nanny with us. We do house chores together, go outside for fresh air, eat out, are activities we wouldn't need to do with a nanny around.

Mumma it is
I've discovered that Lois is a shallow sleeper at daytime. Her naps are easily disturbed by simple house noises I make while tidying up as she sleeps. The cabinet door closes, she whimpers. The dustpan falls, she turns. The fork slides on the sink, she wakes up. But the one real cool thing about it is, she calls out for me all the time. "Mumma!" "Baby, I'm here." She only hears my voice so she continues to fuss, so I enter the room and taps her. "It's ok, go back to sleep." I haven't even finished my sentence yet and she's dozing off again. She just wants me by her side. Maybe she's afraid of the noises. It jars her peaceful mood, and my presence soothes her. So the house is kept untidy, but I get to watch my angel 1 sleep peacefully.

Halfway through
I'm almost 20 weeks pregnant. My OB said my weight gain is still not good, but I've noticed my appetite is back to normal. No more hyperactive sense of smell and taste.

I stock up on all the food I fancy to eat in the past just so I'd be more enthusiastic to nibble my day away. What I do, whenever I catch myself not full and unoccupied, I'd serve myself, and Lois slices of fruits, breads, chips and other friendly finger food. Sometimes, when I don't feel good about a certain food to serve Lois, like spicy chips, or crunchy chicharon, I give her the staple cereal. I lay my plate on the bar while the TV or laptop is on, while Lois has her plate on top of Daddy Paul's k-hon. So we're both hands-free as we eat and tinker around. Hopefully, we'll gain more weight this time.

Milk talk
We've also shifted her milk from Promil to Gain Plus, following the suggestion of Ma Dahls. Wyeth's been recalling their products due to rusty cans. Though we haven't come across any damaged Promil, we're not very happy with the milk. I find it hard to dissolve in water and there were times before when I'd notice specks of black dirt in the milk as I use it. We chose Gain because some parent friends said their kids gained weight after shifting to it, and since it was in the initial list of milk products her pedia okayed to give Lois, we were convinced. She got LBM when we shifted her to Nido 1+, as recommended by her Ninong, so there's really not much choice.

I accidentally got Anmum vanilla instead of the choco flavor I favor more. So we add Milo to make it tastier. Though it tastes fine, it's not the same. But I can't complain. I was the one who got it from the grocery shelf. I made sure it was not the newer and better Anmum Materna, which I find so bland, but I forgot to check if it was the choco flavor I want. So I just put less water to my cup so I can finish it quickly, and long for the day to see the can empty.