Merry Christmas!

It was a fun for Christmas for Laila and all of us.

We went home to Lolo and Lola in Nasugbu. Kuya was home for the holidays too. So it was like a reunion. All the kids were there.

We went to the beach, heard mass, basically bummed around the whole two days we were there. Daddy Cat and I bummed around. Laila Cat was all abuzz playing with Kuya Utoy and Kuya Austin the whole day she was beat at night.

The two tyanaks and Ate Anne returned home with us so Laila's roughhousing with the other critters is on extended play.

+++

Laila's a bit indifferent toward Santa Claus. She knows him as the old man with the long white beard and that he gives kids presents for Christmas, but she's not really too excited over him.

I'd been worrying about this because I'm worried she'd grow up indifferent toward Christmas traditions.

But when we attended Christmas Day mass, I realized she doesn't connect Christmas with Santa too much because she identifies Christmas as Jesus' birthday. (I ought to be learning something here, I know.)

On the way to Church, she asked me if there will be cake since it's Jesus' birthday. But she says that the man--the priest--will have to blow the candles since Jesus is a statue. She was amused at how many kids attended Jesus' birthday and the balloons outside church.

Her idea of Christmas is a bit different. But I wouldn't mind if she grows up with it. The lack of fascination over Santa Claus isn't so bad.

Losing hair

Laila woke up in the middle of the night and refused to go back to sleep.



She had all these excuses to stay awake. Dede. Weewee. Poopoo. Water. Dede. Weewee. I was trying to be really patient but I my head was spinning and I wanted to go back to sleep.



Then she let out a pained wail that jolted me up.



'Natanggal hair ko!' she cried in between sobs.



Half asleep, I thought i heard her say she said she pulled out a nail. I know how painful that would be. So I asked her again what happened.



Still sobbing inconsolably, she repeated: 'Natanggal hair ko.' This time she pointed to the top of her head.



She must've pulled out a strand of hair while she was fiddling with whatever it was she was fiddling with.



Fully awake now, I was keeping myself from laughing out loud. I didn't want her to think I was laughing at her. But she was so darn funny. It must have been her first time to experience a strand of hair being pulled out from the root and it scared her.



Laila eventually settled down, snuggled close to me.



I was sentimental at 3am because she came to me when she was scared. And I was there for her.



I'd like to be there for her every time she gets scared. That would be easier to accomplish if she gets scared only every 3am.

Being healthy

Laila's shed a few pounds. I just know it.

She's plump as ever. And nobody agrees with me that she's lost weight. But I just know it.

Laila's not as heavy as she was before her bout with toncilitis.

It could be because we stopped giving her Pediasure as a milk supplement. Pediasure's rich in protein and it's a good meal replacement. We--mostly I--were worried that she'd become obese. And I was worried that she'd get heart problems one day.

And so we stopped giving her Pediasure. She's still taking Promil 3 and it's good milk as well. But I guess her protein intake got cut significantly as well.

It's not good obsessing about her weight. She's such a healthy eater I shouldn't worry this much.

But I do.

Being overweight when I was young, I know it would be a rough ride is she grows up overweight. I should stop obsessing about her weight. I don't want her to get the vibe and start on it herself. Keeping my weight has become a lifelong preoccupation for me. I don't want her to go down the same path.

She's quite conscious of how she looks now. No thanks to everyone else who keeps exclaiming how big she's gotten. Not to mention being teased about her deliciously protruding belly.

Adults can be mean and insensitive. I try to block off those nsensitive comments. But I can't protect her as much from my own obsessions.

She's eating healthy--passing up a slice of chocolate cake to nibble on greens from sinigang--and that should be that.

+++

Research data show that 1 percent of young children are overweight. During our last trip to the pedia, Laila was as big--in height and weight--as a big four year old. Her pedia isn't worried about it but she recommended that we don't let Laila get any bigger.

Why? Because obese children ten to have higher blood pressure and higher cholesterol levels that chldren with normal weight. There's also a higher risk of developing heart problems and diabetes.

Laila comes from a family where we have everything in terms of health problems. Heart disease. Diabetes. Asthma. High blood pressure. Athritis. Kidney failure.

That's the other reason why I'm worried about her becoming overweight.

Christmassy

The tree is out. The presents--most of it--are wrapped and laid alongside (we have a 3-foot tree, go figure) it. So is the Belen.

Yes, Christmas has already arrived in our home.

There are some stockings that need to be hung and some more presents to buy, but basically we've accomplished our holidays duties early and relatively stress-free this year. Hooray for good planning.

Laila's quite excited about her gifts. She knows she's got some in the big pile of presents by the tree but she's done a good job of not minding them too much. It helps that she got Princess Rosella early. Daddy Cat's mentioned that he might get her a car for the dolls, but I dunno if he really will. She'd love a car, though.

I've also begun reading 'The Night Before Christmas' to her during bedtime. She loved Santa's story when I read it to her last year. She must've liked the rhymes. This year she's so full of questions--like 'where's the mouse?' or 'why's santa's hands on his lap?' or 'alis na sila?' or 'san sila punta?' or 'meron pa gifts o'--that it takes me twice as long to finish the book.

Oh well, what's good is that she's really involved in the story.

This weekend we hope to visit Daddy's sick cousin in Novaliches. It's always good to share the holiday cheer.