Things I Appreciate

 After One Year..

There have been a lot of changes since the baby was born. Our family's daily routines have turned upside down. We moved from one state to a different time zone state. I stopped working. My wife started working to put bread on the table for the family. Our conversation topics changed. Our focus shifted to the baby more. Furniture arrangement changed. 

Biggest change I experienced is my emotions. I started to appreciate the things that seemed unrelated to me for my entire life. I've never imagined walking into the baby's room in the morning would be such a happy moment. I put on the biggest smile on my face, even without any effort, with genuine joy. The joy comes from seeing our youngest family member. This has been going on for over a year now and I enjoy every morning that I get to do it. 

Scary Obstacle

Danger is everywhere and it can visit your family at any time it desires. I keep my eyes on the baby for the most of the day except when she goes to sleep. We leave her in the crib in her room. We thought it is one of the safest places on earth for her. 

Then it happens. She woke up after a nap. She rolls, sits, and stands. We didn't realize she tries to climb things too. She tried to climb the crib's rail. Fell. Fortunately, we had carpet and a cushy mat on the floor. She didn't get hurt. We ran in because she started to cry. I had to watch the baby cam's history. It was excruciating to even watch what happened. 

Another incident happened last night. Our baby has a lot of heat. She gets hot very quick. So, we installed a cooling mat in the crib on the mattress. We secured it fast to the mattress, so it wouldn't come off on any side. But it did. For whatever the reason, one corner's rubber band came up. Our baby's arm got through the loop and the cooling mat ended up wrapping her face. She immediately started crying, so we were able to rescue quickly. If it was in the middle of the night, oh man God forbid, I don't even want to think about it. 

I took every accessories off of the crib and got rid of them. I slept beside the crib all night. I had to wake up almost every hour to check if she was breathing okay. The morning came. I was awaken by our baby's voice. She was reaching her tiny hand out of the crib rail and trying to touch my face. What a relief to see her okay!

Emotions

I don't think I've ever cared for someone this much in my life. There are expectations for other people around my age to take care of themselves on their own. For my daughter, there could be none. She barely knows about this world yet. Now I feel like I understand those novels or movies about fatherly love. Until now, I thought I understood, but it was only an imagination.

Emotions play a big part in any relationships between two or more human beings. I like the fact that I can recognize these emotions and they come. I am also relieved that I can enjoy these emotions. I'm very happy that I can share these emotions with my own family, people closest to me. 

World Outside of Home

 It's Still There, The World Before Kids

I've been blessed enough to be a stay-at-home parent for our daughter. Along with relocating to a new city, I started to stay home to take care of my child and let my wife work. Fortunately, she's working remotely at home too. We are having a blast watching our child grow.

It's been over 6 months since I've dedicated my career to this role. There have been many ups and downs. Since our daughter started to crawl and stand, I didn't have much time. It got tough to even write blog posts anymore. More cleaning, getting dangers out of the way, and constantly keeping my eyes on her to stop things on the floor to go into her mouth. 

I barely had time for myself. Weekends were for the family time instead of "me time." My wife deserves breaks and rests since she works hard for 5 weekdays. I was aware of the fact that I lacked the "me time," but I thought I was okay.

One Day Out 

My friend texted and asked if I wanted to chill. "Oh, that's new," I said to myself and my wife. My wife suggested to take a break and go have fun. So, I did. I went out with my friend for one beer. Yes, just one. 

It was enough to make me realize how isolated I've been. Here are some things I realized.

My Spot in the Crowd

I used to love the crowd. During college, we always had a small party at my place every Friday night. No invitations were needed. It was always at least 6 - 8 people gathering. I was the one who "recruited" them always. I always had a spot in the crowd. I was the one who didn't let the conversation come to an end. 

 COVID-19 and moving to new places also prevented me from meeting people. Having a baby sealed the deal even tighter. I haven't been in a crowd for a while now. Hanging out with my old college friend reminded me of who I was before all my life happened.

Conversation Takes Practice

No matter how eloquent you were, if you don't practice speaking to an adult, you lose it.  Only other adult I got to talk to was my wife. About 80% of the topic is our child. The other 20% is about the people or things related to our child. 

I was all over the places trying to hold a proper conversation with my buddy. I jumped to conclusions before the premises were defined. I brought up about a million topics when he got through 3. 

Towards the end of the day, I was finally able to listen to what he said and ANSWER with proper vocabulary and grammar. 

Moon through the Moonroof is Amazing

One beer, couple of hours of talking, I was sober enough to drive. As I was driving back, I blasted music on the car stereo and opened the moonroof to enjoy the night breeze. I looked up to the cloudy moon light. Yes. I used to enjoy these little things. I felt like I was 16 again in the old Honda CR-V that became my first ride. 

It allowed for few minutes of reminiscing. All other things I used to enjoy are still out there. Will I enjoy them as much? I definitely am on the other angle of seeing things than then. But, there are many things I still enjoy the same. Having a child didn't make me a new person. It upgraded me in bits, not entirely. 

Conclusion

Staying home with a baby is a blessing. I get to witness all the firsts with my own eyes. There are indescribable feelings in bonding with our child. I sincerely enjoy it. If I had to try to enjoy, I wouldn't have been able to do it. 

There are things that I missed out on during this time. I don't regret missing out, but it just felt weird I forgot about some of those things.  Being caught up in anything, even taking care of your baby instead of you, is dangerous. If you lose track of who you are, you aren't really setting a good example for your child. 

Keep in mind, healthy you is the best parent for your child. Take a break. Have some me-time. 

[ATL Restaurant Review] Postino in Buckhead

Not Just Another Restaurant Reviewing Blog

One major change after we got a baby is where we eat. Up until now, we always had to carry our baby in the stroller, because she couldn't sit in the high chair by herself. We turned to delivery or pick-up to enjoy a bit of cold food served in plastic. 

We'd always have to pick spacious restaurants at less busy times. It narrowed our choices down a lot, especially in Los Angeles where all the popular restaurants are always packed with people. 

Now that we are in Atlanta, we are on our new expedition for good restaurants. I'll attempt to write reviews on some that we find worthy of a visit for young couples with a little one. 

Postino - Buckhead

The starter is Postino in Buckhead. 

We visited on a Sunday afternoon for a brunch. I passed by it a few times around the neighborhood. It looked like a nice little brunch spot, so we gave it a try. 

Parking and Exterior

There was plenty of parking in the plaza. The picture only shows some spots in the front of the restaurant, but there are a bunch more in the back. It had a ramp for strollers and wheelchairs that led to the outdoor seating area. 

One wall had vibrant wall art. Definitely eye-catching. 

Interior and Space

The inside was cozy but spacious. It's geared towards a wine cafe with a good vibe. The decoration was of the 90s blockbuster movie posters.  

Not all tables could accommodate a stroller, but definitely, the outdoor tables had more space.  It wasn't busy at all by the time we got there. We decided to sit outdoors to enjoy the warm weather. 

Menu

Link to their menu: Click Here

They have a great variety of wine selections and food that deserves a glass of wine. Even if you are not drinking, the food is still great. 

We ordered 3 menus:

- Appetizer: Smoked Salmon

- Panini: Italian Beef Dip

- Select Two: Prosquitto & Brie Panini and Brussels Sprouts Salad

All ingredients were very fresh. You could taste each unique flavor and also amazing balance with all the dishes. It was very tempting to order a glass of wine (the happy hour menu is available too!). 

Quality of Service

We had a couple of servers switching. They said they don't have the designated table system. All the servers were very polite and friendly.  The food came out at a good pace and they were warm! Not on a plastic plate either!

Overall Experience

My wife and I, plus our daughter in a stroller, had a great experience at the restaurant. We would've enjoyed the night out with bottles of wine before the baby, but Sunday brunch did just fine. Spacious enough for a stroller, but we saw some other families with high chairs indoors as well. The people were delightful.

They didn't have a kids menu, so if your child is a bit older, you might want to take note of that. Paninis will do just fine. 

I would revisit the place to try out other things on the menu. 

Restaurant Info

Hours: 

 Mon - Thur: 11 AM - 11 PM

 Friday:         11 AM - 12 AM

 Saturday:     10 AM - 12 AM

 Sunday:       10 AM - 10 PM

Brunch Hours

 Sat-Sun: 10 AM - 2 PM

Address (Click below for Google Map)

3655 Roswell Rd NE Atlanta, Georgia 30342

Taking Care of Baby as a Job

Rewarding and Depressing

Full-time staying-at-home parent is a tough job. It's rewarding for the most part, but it comes with lots of depressing moments. 

As I've been a stay-at-home parent for the last couple of months, I'll share my experiences. I hope this helps you to figure out why you or your partner is going through such a hardship.   

Rewards

• Bonding Time: You get to spend a great amount of time bonding with your child. The bond created from early childhood sets up for the remaining times. Every time I put my daughter in my arms, I think what a sad life it would have been if I didn't get to do it every day. 
• Witnessing Milestones: Of course, the world has better cameras to record everything, but it's never the same to see it and feel it right there and then. I witnessed my child getting up holding the crib rail by herself. It was truly an amazing experience to see her take the first step forward. 
• Creating Memories: I doubt every now and then, "How much of this will she remember?" Many research say babies remember a lot more than what we'd imagine. I still have some childhood memories or memories of memories that made me happy even when I was in my teens.  I try to give my daughter new kinds of excitement every day hoping it'd create a good memory. 

Depressing Moments

• Isolation: My wife works at home remotely. Even with her around, she is focused on her job mainly, as she should be. A lot of times, I feel isolated and lonely because our baby is too young to engage in social activities. My only outlet is through social media, but I can't be looking at the smartphone around the baby. I go almost all day without having interactions with people. It gets lonely.
• Loss of Identity: I used to work. I used to work with a lot of people. I used to interact with hundreds of people on a daily basis. It was part of who I was. Staying home makes me feel like I've lost my identity and ability to do anything else. I kind of lose sight of my purpose, because it doesn't seem like I'm bearing any fruit. I know that in the long run, it's significant, but not having any constant feedback, I lose track of where I am in my life. 
• Loss of Control: Babies cry. They cry to communicate. Our daughter started to whine a lot more because she now has demands. It's hard to understand, though, what she wants. It makes you feel like you lose control. You don't have a clue what you need to do. 
• Getting Held Up: I used to plan an agenda every day. I might not write them down, but it always revolve around my head. Caring for a baby takes away a lot of time from doing things I thought I'd get done. The list of to-do's calling my brain's attention really stresses me out.

How to Navigate

Navigating the highs and lows of stay-at-home parenting with a baby under one year old requires resilience, support, and self-care. Resilience is difficult to practice and get better. Support from the family needs to be asked. It might not come naturally for all people. 

Self-care is where the most effort could shine the light. First and foremost is to realize that you, the stay-at-home parent, are struggling. Depression slips in unnotified. Set a time, in the morning, lunch, or before going to bed to check your status. See if you can think of anything to be thankful for or something happy. If not, you need to let your family know. Take a break. 

I take my daughter out for walks as much as the weather permits. It helps my daughter to develop, but it also gives me a chance to get some fresh air and clean out my system. Seeing the blue sky and floating clouds makes your day brighter, no matter how old you are. Try!

Remember, only happy parents can raise a happy child.

Infant Safety Helmet Review

 Baby Safety Gear Must

Around the sixth month, most babies start to crawl. It's when all the parents need to baby-proof the house. Covering all the sharp edges and corners of furniture, blocking the unused electric outlets, and locking the draws. 

When our daughter started to crawl, she learned fast. And she crawled very fast too. Sometimes, she couldn't control the weight of her head and fell forward or backward. So, we figured a safety helmet is a must. 

First Attempt: Head Cushion

Head Cushion

We first tried this type of head cushion. Our initial thought was that if she falls forward, she can use her arms and hands to protect the head. We were wrong about it. When she fell in any direction, our baby didn't have any way to protect herself. 

This type of protection wasn't too helpful when she fell forward or sideways. We had to return the product.

Full Head Protection Helmet

Amazon Link: Infant Safety Helmet

This is the one I found on Amazon. We are very satisfied with the product. 

It protects the head all around and is size-adjustable with velcro on the back. 

It also has a strap around the chin to keep it in place. 

Our daughter eventually learned to hold her head up even when falling to avoid her head crashing into things. Still, she sometimes stumbles on stuff and falls on her face or head first. 

She doesn't like to have things fixed on her head, but we always put on the helmet when we leave her to play by herself in the playpen. Those few times we left her without the helmet, she hit her head on the floor hard. So, we make sure to keep it on her.

Baby Safety Helmet Is a Must

The brain is one of the most crucial parts of the body. It is also very weak, especially during the developing stages of early childhood. It must be protected at all times. Babies don't have the neck muscles to control their heads when they first start to crawl. The helmet can be a great protection aid if your baby is active and likes to travel on her own. 

You do need to keep in mind that you can't fasten the helmet too tight on the baby's head. It is harmful to the developing brain. Read the manual carefully and follow the cautions.

Keep your baby's head from any damage!

Harmful Toys for Your Children

 Why Flashing Toys Are Harmful

In the last blog post How to Pick the Best Toys for Your Child, I stated to avoid toys with too many LED flashing functions. In this blog post, let's explore further the reasons why they might be harmful to your children.

Flashing Toys

Flashing toys, with their bright lights and captivating sounds, may seem like a fun choice for engaging young children. However, research and child development experts caution against their use, especially for infants under 12 months old. Here's why flashing toys can be harmful:

1. Overstimulation: Flashing lights and loud noises from electronic toys can overwhelm a baby's developing sensory system. This overstimulation may lead to stress, agitation, and difficulty in focusing.
2. Interference with Development: Instead of fostering natural curiosity and exploration, flashing toys provide excessive stimulation that can interfere with a child's ability to engage in imaginative play and develop essential cognitive skills.
3. Limited Creativity: Flashing toys often dictate play patterns and offer limited opportunities for open-ended, creative play. This can hinder a child's imagination and problem-solving skills. 
4. Attention Span: Continuous exposure to flashy stimuli may contribute to shorter attention spans and decreased ability to focus on tasks, which are crucial skills for learning and development.
5. Language Development: Research suggests that electronic toys with flashing lights and sounds may not support language development as effectively as traditional toys and interactions with caregivers.

Given these concerns, it's best to opt for simpler, more traditional toys that encourage hands-on exploration, sensory development, and imaginative play. These also apply to Media exposure and Cell phone usage by babies. By providing babies with toys that align with their developmental needs, we can foster healthy growth and learning experiences.  Keep it as natural as possible!

How to Pick the Best Toys for Your Child

 Things to Look Out for in Toys

Have I mentioned that the Toy Story series is my favorite movie of all time? I've had a lot of toys when I was a kid. Good fond memories of each one of them. I don't remember much about choosing them on the shelves of Toys R Us. I do remember I played the heck out of those plastics. 

Toys play a crucial role in the development of infants under 12 months old, but selecting the right ones is paramount. Here's a guide to address concerns about toys for this age group:

1. Safety First: Opt for toys that are free from small parts, sharp edges, and toxins. After 6 months, everything they grab goes into their mouth. Keep the play area clean and safe!
2. Stimulation and Sensory Development: Look for toys that stimulate multiple senses, such as colorful rattles, textured balls, and soft plush toys. Try to stay away from the ones with too many LED lights or loud noises. 
3. Motor Skills: Toys like activity mats, play gyms, and stacking rings encourage motor skill development and hand-eye coordination. 
4. Exploration: Provide toys that promote exploration, such as teething rings, crinkle toys, and toys with mirrors. Give your child a space to put their imagination into the plays. A doll without a face forces your child to imagine the facial expressions.
5. Quality Over Quantity: Limit the number of toys to avoid overwhelming the baby and focus on quality toys that offer various developmental benefits. Kids find creative ways to play with toys even if you don't guide them! 
6. Supervision: Always supervise playtime to ensure the baby's safety and intervene if necessary. 

Remember, every child is unique, so observe their interests and reactions to determine which toys best suit their needs. By prioritizing safety and development, you can provide a nurturing environment for your little one's early exploration and learning journey. Keep the curiosity going!