A&D Finds: Neat Nanny

Does your yaya wear uniform or scrubs when you go out? I never really required Yaya Anne to wear a unifrom until I found out about Neat Nanny. One of the reasons why I haven't really require my yaya to wear uniform is I bought a cheap one and the material was so hot that yaya doesn't want to wear it or too expensive for my budget naman.

And that's why I like Neat Nanny because they have very affordable prices at a good quality and nice uniforms. And so easy to order!

They currently have 5 styles to choose from. I like them all and had a hard time choosing. Hehe!

Fran -  Made with a higher quality fabric, capture Fran Fine's fashion style with The Fran Suit. Comes in three color combination. Retails for Php495.

 Charlie -  The Charlie Suit takes inspiration from the 1980's comedy Charles-in-Charge. This suit can also be for the all-round nanny and housekeeper. This one retails for Php345, their most affordable suit.

 Poppins - Fell the music and magic of Mary Poppins in this suit. Retails for Php395.

 Doubtfire - Remember Robin Williams? Channel Mrs. Doubtfire in this suit! Retails for Php445.

Maria - sing your favorite Sound of Music songs in this Maria suit! Retails for Php395.

Just go to the department store to buy your nannies white shoes and they're good to go! We got our Neat Nanny Care Kit last week which includes a comb, two hair ties, a pair of foot socks and a pack of wipes to boot! Just what our nannies need!

And here's Yaya Anne modeling her Maria! Buti na lang kasya siya sa large hihi!

I forgot to take her photo last Sunday when she wore the Maria to a party! But I asked her if she liked it. She likes it and said it was very comfortable! A lot of people also asked me where I got the suit. So yay for Neat Nanny!

Jump start your Neat Nanny shopping at http://neatnanny.myshopify.com/!

Free shipping for orders over Php,1000!

For more information and get updates on Neat Nanny, like and follow them:

Facebook: Neat Nanny

Instagram: @neatnannyph

Lesson Learned on Hiring Yayas and the Importance of Medical Exam

Eto nanaman ako with my yaya woes.

I think I'm very trusting when it comes to yayas and helpers. Lesson learned! Hay nako..

I'm really blaming myself for what we're going through right now.

My last yaya left us about a week ago. She was with us for about 3 months. We got her June 7, 4 days before I gave birth. My mom kept telling me to have her checked and go thru a medical exam (chest x-ray, Hep A and Hep B tests) but it never happened because we got her ng biglaan, and I gave birth earlier than scheduled and we all became busy that I've forgotten it.

Weeks after that, the BOS heard her coughing. I heard it too. I asked her about it but she said it was an allergy LANG. So I didn't mind it. Trusting nga. Kainis.

Fast forward two weeks ago, Y had colds, then it developed into cough then fever. Hay I don't really like kids getting sick, then there's the medicine pa which is so hard to give them. Gera-levels. A week after that, yaya became sick naman. I asked about her cough again, she insisted it's just cough pa din. OK, hindi na ako naniniwala. Then she had fever, so I said I'll take you to the doctor and have you checked na din, x-ray and all.

On the way to the clinic, she kept on asking me saan kami pupunta, ano gagawin sa kanya. Hmm.. I felt she was uncomfortable. After having her checked, the next day, she asked if she can go home and recuperate. I said yes, siyempre ayokong mahawa si Y and R. A few days later, she was texting me that she's still sick, if we want we can hire a new yaya. Kung ano pang mga chenes when obviously she doesn't want to come back. This time I was really pissed na.

Then I got her results. BAM! Her chest x-ray BAD. Hep B Test BAD. Yes, pwede mo akong iumpog sa pader for not having her checked the very first day we got her. When we went back to Y's pedia for a follow-up check up, Y's lungs were clear, cough gone, sick free. Then we told her about our yaya and her condition. We had to have Y get a PPD Test (Tuberculin Skin Test) and chest x-ray. HASSLE! Positive or negative, we have to treat her for TB. LECHENG YAYA. Bad Employer -> ME :( I even texted the yaya if she doesn't really have TB, sabi niya wala, nagpacheck-up daw siya last year. Why would she tell the truth diba? Hay...

Yesterday, we went to get the PPD test and x-ray. A big big SIGH! If you think giving medicine is hard, what I went through yesterday was harder! It's not easy to hold down a very strong toddler while I was on the verge of crying too because ako ang naaawa but I had to be strong for her. In the end, we had the PPD test. The x-ray was a failed attempt. Any laboratory or hospital that has kid-friendly x-ray department?

Lesson learned the hard way. So moms, please learn from my mistake. Have your helpers, yayas checked before hiring them. It really makes a big difference and will make your life easier!

And one more thing I've learned from all the yayas I got, pag bad trip ka na sa kanya, yun tipong makita mo lang mukha niya sira na araw mo, wag mo ng patagalin, paalisin mo na agad!

Yaya Woes To The Nth Power

Yes, once again I'm having yaya woes. It's been a week since our yaya decided not to come back after going home because she was sick. I actually want to kill her! Well, exagerating na yon.

Part of me is so mad at her because she left us hanging! I went to the doctor with her to have her checked and also get her examined only to find out bad bad results and she left us. Hay... Ma-karma na lang sana siya.

So now, we're looking for another yaya. I'm so grateful that the BOS can work from home right now, he looks after R while Y stays at her great grandma during the day. I'm really lucky that Y and R have a loving great grandma and papa!

With no yaya again, the BOS and I are always tired at the end of the day. I still have chores to do, blog posts to draft, and a household to manage. Hay I really need to learn time management! I already adjusted my alarm earlier but wala.. Still no enough time!

Will the next yaya be THE ONE?

Enjoying My Babies!

I know I haven't been updating my blog. Too lazy! And I'm enjoying my time with the babies! R will turn 1 month next week! He's a milk monster, I tell ya. He's getting bigger and heavier by the week.


Y is still adjusting. Though at times she would ask to carry or hug and kiss her shoti, sometimes she would say "ayaw shoti" when I nurse him or give my attention to R first. She would ask nurse too but when I offer her to nurse, ayaw naman niya.


We are all adjusting. Adjusting well. Sleep is a luxury right now. I try to nap when the baby sleeps but I also want to catch up on tv shows I've missed so I end up not napping and then I sleep deprived! LOL


The yaya I hired is here for a month now. So far so good! We still need some adjustments too but she's a good yaya. She and Y are getting along well. But I still need another one. Hay.. It never ends!


Sorry for the lack of updates, hope I can get back to blogging soon! :)

New Yaya, Hopefully No New Woes

We've been yayaless for more than a month. Good thing that I had an extra helper at that time who helped took care of Y. Thank You, Belen! As much as I wanted to pirate her to be Y's yaya, I can't. She's amma's helper.


Last Monday, my mom told me to call achi because there was a yaya being referred by another friend. So I called the yaya to interview her. Couldn't offer her the same as her last salary but offered her a fair told her to think about it and text me if she wants to be my yaya. I was crossing my fingers on this one because she sounds experienced and mabait. 


Two days later, she texted me saying she's accepting my offer and when can we fetch her. She was living with her niece in Taguig and doesn't really know how to go to our area and asked if we can fetch her in Market Market!


Yesterday, I took a leave from work and went to fetch the yaya. While on our way back home, the BOS got to interview and asked her questions too. He's also crossing his fingers on this one.


Y is still warming up to her. And the yaya is really "tutok" on Y unlike the previous yaya who just let Y ran around the house and just shout or call to Y when she can't find Y. This yaya plays with her talaga. I let her feed Y too and give Y a bath while I teach her and watch her. So far, so good. Pero first day, well second day pa lang. Let's see!


And while on our way back yesterday, we stopped by Becky's Kitchen and buy these! Haha!

Yayaless

So yesterday morning, the yaya announced that she will leave and go back home. I was surprised, but then, not really.

I already have plans for firing her next month, after she paid her loan. I was looking for her replacement already. Then something happened the other day which I think made her decide to leave yesterday.

This was the third yaya of Y. She was the replacement of her daughter-in-law who got pregnant so I had to let her go. She was ok at first, but eventually her work started to be just so-so. I don't know if it's because of her age, or she's just lazy, she doesn't really want to work anymore... Then she borrowed money for her daughter's tuition which I lent her, then borrowed more for family emergency. At first, I understood her situation which is why I lend her money. But then she started to get lazy... and neglecting her work then Y started getting into (minor) bump accidents which I think is normal for a very active and makulit toddler but it was getting too often... And every time something happens, all she says is "Sorry, hindi na mauulit next time"

Right when I hired this yaya, my mom told me to install a nanny cam so I can monitor the yaya and Y while I'm at the office or while we're not at home. Good thing we did! The other day, on our way home from the office, the BOS told me that my SIL told him Y got into another bumping accident. Nahulog daw sa sofa. Mother's instinct, I felt that this is something serious, something major. The BOS said not to say anything when we get home and see if the yaya would tell us what happened, the truth. When we got home, after a few minutes, the yaya told us that Y fell from the sofa, she told us what happened. I didn't believe her, if she was just sitting beside Y, how can she fall if she was really looking.

This is how our conversation went:
Y: Naglilikot kasi siya. Tumatayo sa sofa. Tapus biglang nahulog, hindi ko na inabot.

Me: Magkatabi na nga kayo, hindi mo pa nahabol?

Y: Hawak ko kasi yun pagkain nya. Pinapakain ko.

Me: Bakit hindi mo binaba o hinagis yun pagkain para masalo mo si Y? Nagtetext ka ba non?

Y: Hinde, pinapakain ko lang.

Me: Malakas ba pagka-untog? Umiyak si Y?

Y: Namula, umiyak. Nilagyan ko ng ice kanina.

What I forgot to ask her was, were they watching TV when that happened. I was really doubting what she said and malakas kutob ko that it was more than that. So when everybody was asleep, the BOS and I reviewed the nanny cam. And yun nga, her eyes was glued to the TV. Y was standing up and being makulit, but she can sit her down naman, and she didn't! Then ayun nga.. nahulog and Y hit her head at the corner of on our sofas. Good thing there was no bruise or bumps and it didn't hurt her eye. It hurts so much for me see what happened. I cried. And makes me want to quit my work already and stay at home to take care of Y.

After watching, the BOS told me to wake the yaya. Ayan na. The BOS never talks or reprimand any of our helpers or yaya. I'm always the one who do it. But this time, na-highblood ng bonggang bongga si BOS. I woke the yaya up and told her to come out. I was stopping myself from crying but I can't so I went inside our room and left the two of them in our sala. The BOS let the yaya watch the nanny cam, and asked her what really happened. Makakapag-sinungaling pa ba siya? Nag speech ang BOS. The yaya said sorry. And this is what the BOS said "Walang kwenta ang sorry, bata yang inaalagaan mo. Pinagkatiwala sayo yun bata para alagaan mo."
Which is true naman. I think the yaya cried after. I didn't really care. Then the next morning she announced that she'll be leaving na and that she can't take care of Y anymore. Hello?! Kung hindi mo kayang alagaan, you should have told me way before so I could find a replacement! Kung kelan nagsalita ang asawa ko, tsaka ka magsasabi na hindi mo na kaya? I didn't really care anymore. Edi umalis ka. She talked to Y din, she was crying while talking to Y. I was getting annoyed with her na. She packed her things, I checked them of course. When she was at the door, Y started crying. I picked her up at binulungan ko "Wag mong iyakan si Y, hindi yun worth it!" Then she stopped crying. Good thing she's not attached to the yaya.

Why is it so hard to find a good yaya nowadays? No joke! It's hard to find someone you can trust. Mahirap pag may cellphone sila, may FB or may boyfriend sila. HAY! Now I'm yaya-less and looking for one. Good thing I have extra help but only til next month... As much as I want to do everything, giving her a bath, feeding her, and all that.. I really can't anymore. I'm big as an elephant! I need a new yaya ASAP!

Home Remedies for Prickly Heat Rash (Bungang Araw)

Speaking of heat, Y has bungang araw on her neck and at the back of her neck. It's itchy because she scratches it every time. I don't want to put powder because it may be harmful to her. I don't want to put medicine or any ointments or creams. I want a natural remedy. I tried putting Indigo Baby's Jar of Hope but it's not going away. With the super hot weather, it's not really helping!

So I searched for home remedies, and these are a few things I read from this site and would try at home.

• Oatmeal baths once or twice a day (Homemade Oatmeal Bath - How To) - already made my "oatmeal powder".
• Keep the skin clean and avoid use of harsh soap (We use Aveeno Baby which has natural oat formula.)
• Gently wash skin with washcloth and lukewarm water and pat on mixture of one part alcohol and three parts water
• Make a mixture of one teaspoon baking soda per cup of cool water. Damp washcloth in this mixture and pat on for five to ten minutes. Do this four to five times a day.
• Wear lightweight and loose clothing. Allow skin to breathe.
• Avoid sweating by staying in a cool place. Air-conditioned room if you must.

I already told the yaya to open the AC for Y's afternoon nap. Give her an oatmeal bath in the afternoon (will try this pa lang.) Hope Y's rashes will get better the next few days.

Yaya Series: Episode 3

My Yaya 2 left this morning. I'm sad because I like her. But ganun talaga.. She has to take care of her son, who's been waiting for her since last month in the province. I already offered her a raise in her salary just to not let her go but she said she's decided already. I just told her that if she ever wants to come back, my offer is still good.


Yaya 3 arrived last night, she's the MIL of Yaya 2. She's 44, looks fine, but mukhang mabigat ang kamay. I hope she'll be good at taking care of Y. Hay.. here we go again!

A Busy Weekend! Part 1

Last weekend was a busy weekend for us. Y's cousin G came over from the province to stay with us for a night. But before they came, I took Y with me to the La Leche League meeting at Mothercare in GB5. Topic was Nutrition and Solid Foods. The meeting was short or because we were late haha! I felt guilty though when the topic was about coffee. I sometimes sneak a cup of coffee, not decaf ha. When Y wakes up earlier than her usual 6:30AM, I need to have coffee to start my day, if not, I'll be sleepy the whole day in the office! I don't want to snack all the time to keep me awake, so I drink a cup of coffee. Sometimes I drink milk tea. Bad mommy.. :( Anyways, the meeting was informative. I wanted to ask but forgot, about babies drinking water when they reach six months and eating solids. Y is rejecting water, every time we try to make her drink water (from bottle), it's like she knows it's not milk, so she rejects it. Minsan sapilitan pa! She drinks a drop or two siguro. So I bought a sippy cup yesterday, baka she'll drink from it. We shall see!

Y that morning in her little corner!

Back to the topic... I brought my yaya with me because BOS has work on Saturdays. It was kind of hot inside Mothercare last Saturday, may be the AC is not yet on, I don't know. Y is pawisin! Her head gets pawis pag nainitan so I have to ask her yaya to take her sa mas malamig na area. Then I would hear her laugh (while still at the meeting), one SA was playing with her, she keeps on laughing. Na-excite ata! First time mag-mall! Her yaya said she keeps on smiling and laughing at everything she sees. Haha! The meeting ended around 12:30, I was hungry so we ate at the nearest resto I saw which was Toastbox. It was my second time to eat there. I ordered the Nasi Goreng and Hainanese Chicken with Dried Noodles. The yaya and I shared. Sosyal ang yaya! I had milk tea, pasaway talaga ako! Hehe.. I was teasing my yaya if she wants to have her picture taken, you know remembrance, hehe.. it's her last week this week (huhu...) and it was her first time in GB. I took her picture and promise to have it printed and give it to her. Must do that tomorrow!

After eating, we passed by Dexterton because Grohe is on sale and we still don't have a shower on our bathroom. Checked the model and design, took note, called BOS and we left. Y was fast asleep na. We were supposed to go the gardens outside to have my yaya's photo-op pa but Y was sleeping already so we went home na.

Y woke up just before we arrived home. At home, we were all excited the little man, G! He's one and a half month only. But when we put Y and G side by side, parang magkasing-laki lang sila! LOL! He's mixed feeding and drinks about 4oz every three hours. Y, talo ka talaga ng pinsan mo! 

You're drinking 1 to 2oz per hour, sometimes sapilitan pa. Tsk tsk. G is super gwapo! Bias Di-e ako! He looks Tisoy, not at all Chinese looking. Nagmana sa dad, not sa Mom. Sorry Shobe hehe..

Look naman! They are almost the same size and they are 6 months apart! Haha!

"Hi G, I'm your cousin, Y!"

Of course, picture picture kami! We won't be able to see G again until next month or I don't know when. I couldn't resist him.. grrr! I love babies! Makes me want to get pregnant again and have a boy but, I don't want too yet. I want to enjoy Y first! I'm happy just being an aunt to such an adorable baby boy!!!

That weekend made me realize how different our (sister and I) parenting style are. She's does the cry it out method, while me, I can't stand hearing Y crying! I have to carry her, I like carrying Y and hugging her, I want her with me all the time! I think I'm leaning to attachment parenting. Maybe because she's a SAHM while I'm a working mom. She's still breastfeeding, though she feeds G with formula. I wish I can do more in encouraging her but I think she got traumatized to what happened to her nipple during the early breastfeeding days. She just pumps and feed. Still, I'm happy she hasn't given up breastfeeding at all!

Goodnight, G!

We had fun that weekend. My achi also slept over so it was a slumber party! Haha! We ordered pizza! Too bad my mom was in the province. I'm sure there will be next sleepover like this!

G and Y :)

Come Sunday, we were all sad that G has to leave and go back to the province. But that's ok! We'll see you again little gwapito! :)

Read Part 2 here!

1st day of March!

It's already March! Time flies really fast! A lot of things are happening this month. Milestones, adventures, and a little mishap.


Y is going to start to eat solids this month. This month will mark my 6th month on exclusively breastfeeding Y. A blog carnival. The little mishap that I hope would be settled soon. A new yaya. And I think there will be whole lot more!


A new chapter for Y, me, and the B.O.S.!


Can't wait!

Still on Yaya Woes!

My yaya came back yesterday BUT she told me later last night that she'll go home next month and won't come back na. Waaaahhhhh! I think I jinxed my yaya by my last blog post! :( I like her pa naman! Oh well.. She said it's because of her son. (Sabi ko na nga ba!) I know I shouldn't be surprised because I am already expecting something like this but not so soon! Adjusted na ako sa kanya, now I have to find her replacement then teach everything (to the new yaya) all over again. 


It's still a month away.. I hope she'll change her mind. :(


It's a vicious cycle! Ugh!

Yaya Woes (Sort-Of) and Mommy Duties

This is supposed to be posted in Friday (2/18/2011):


My new yaya (1 month) is going home to the province tonight because her son is sick. Ito na nga ang sinasabi ko. She got her salary in advance and I told her not to spend it all while she's in the province baka wala na siyang pamasahe pabalik! She is coming back on Sunday. Well, I hope she does! Crossed fingers!!! She's good with Y. She more matiyaga feeding Y during the day, she plays with her, she reads to her. My only fear is that Y will get attached to her yaya than me.

Since the yaya is going to the province tonight, I came to work early so I can leave early so she can leave early also. I'm on "full" mommy duties tomorrow until Sunday! More bonding time for me and Y. Yay! It's been a while since I took "full" mommy duties with Y, with the moving, work, and whatnots. I was hands on with Y on her first two months, then I wento back to work. Mommy needs to work. "Full" meaning super hands on with Y. I'm excited!


2/19/2011
Update: So far so good! :) I wish I can spend time with her like this everyday! She's still napping. Get to sneak a post!

Yaya Chronicles

I just laid off my first yaya the other day. I caught her off card and she was shocked when I told her it's her last day yesterday. I never really like that yaya, she's not clean with Y, and the quality of her work is not the best. She claims she's experienced but I don't think so. Her salary? Just thinking about all those things about the yaya is stressing me out!


The new yaya is here. Her name is the same as one of the The Cullens (of The Twilight) LOL! She has a husband and a son in the province. She's younger than me by 2 years. So far she's fine, I also hope that she'll stay for a long time. Please sana kasi mahirap magturo ng paulit-ulit.