Dear Peanut

Dear Peanut,

As your father already told you in a previous post, I am a major control freak and a germaphobe that I put isopropyl alcohol on everything.

That’s probably the fault of your LolaMommy, who brought us up with the same fear of germs, actually more on the fear of the effect of germs on contact. I remember she would scold us if we don’t wipe restaurant utensils with tissue or douse them with hot water first before using them. And she still does this! That’s how paranoid we are.

I’ve read several articles online about how to prepare for a newborn’s arrival. Apart from the breathing techniques, packing the hospital bag, and prenatal classes, it’s also important to prepare one’s home for the arrival of a new baby. And just like what our very cool and very practical OB, Dr.JMF, told us, it’s best to invest in cleaning services for our home. And that’s what we did last weekend.

Following the air conditioner cleaning last Saturday, the team from ThermoDry EcoSteam Sanitizing Services (TDES) did a great job sanitizing and germ-proofing our home the following day.

The scheduled time was 8 o’clock in the morning. Quite early yes. The original schedule was actually on October 15 but we wanted the house cleaned and sanitized before the 10th for peace of mind. So I asked the owner, Judy, if we can have it on October 8 instead and the only slot available is at 8 o'clock in the morning. We grabbed it.

The TDES team arrived ahead of schedule last Sunday. When I asked them what time they arrived at the condo, they said they were already at the parking lot at 7:09 am. I was surprised and deeply humbled. I mean, they could have gone straight to the lobby and ask the receptionist to call us up so they could start but they let us sleep a little longer before going up. It’s the little things that make for excellent customer service, really.

They started cleaning before 8:00 am, after explaining to us the tasks on the job order. It took them less than 4 hours to thoroughly clean, sanitize, and germ-proof a 60-sqm condo unit with balcony.

We had all the curtains and mattresses eco-steam cleaned, including your crib, portabed (portable bed), and stroller. As a first-time, expecting mother, I am even more paranoid about chemicals in cleaning products. What’s good about TDES is that they use organic, food grade cleaning solutions so it’s safe for babies, even pets. I actually asked if they can spritz some on SC’s face, hahaha.

Eco-steaming your crib.

I haven’t really tried many cleaning services because SC and I do the cleaning ourselves, but we were impressed by the top-of-line cleaning equipment they use. But the best part is that they were able to clean, sanitize, and germ-proof the hard-to-reach places such as that part with the door hinges (the dust gets trapped and the dried dust gets musty sometimes) and the corner grout in the bathroom, all of which I can’t reach anymore because of my big belly. They inform you every time they use a new cleaning solution and a new equipment. They also offered a lot of tips for better cleaning.

Refreshing our bed for your arrival. <3

Sanitizing and getting our home in order is no easy task. We’ve been at it for a month now. In the past few years, SC and I have become some sort of semi-minimalist. We don’t like to hoard things. Heck, we don’t even have TV at home because we both think it kills productivity.

We don’t even have too much food in our fridge (that's why your grandparents also worry if we're eating homecooked meals at all, hahaha), just enough food for the week (and also because the grandparents give us a lot of free food). We also have this first-in, first-out protocol. Unlike your LolaMommy's fridge in our Pasig Home, you can see everything in our small fridge because we try to finish what we have before buying new stock. I don't know if that's minimalist living but that's one of the best practices we've adopted when we got married.

And I’ve always been a control freak but, and I don’t know how and when it started, SC is even more of a control freak now. He’s in charge of the floors and he would get all stressed out if the floors are not clean before we call it a day. PRAISE THE LORD! Finally! Hindi sya nagsimula na ganyan!

A clean, nice-smelling home is always a treat after a long day. Getting the TDES team to work on our new home is one of the best investments we’ve made so far in preparation for your arrival.

Anytime now, Peanut. We are ready for you. <3

P.S. So it really takes a village to raise (and prepare for the arrival of) a child.

Love,

Update (as of March 29, 2018): Changed my codename from Queen Bitch (QB) to Tiger Mom (TM).

Dear Peanut,

Do you remember Pesky, the fly that always hangs around the house?  Yeah, I know he’s dead but there’s another fly that also started hanging around our house. He’s also a bit clingy and always hangs out wherever we are but not as annoying as Pesky.

Initially, I thought Pesky came back from the dead but looking at this new fly, it’s a bit smaller and less clingy. Thus, we have named him Pesky Jr. (PJR).

I also noticed there’s another fly that is hanging around the house. This one is like, fat, so I know it’s not Pesky Jr. But for reference, let’s call him Fatso. I think he’s PJR’s friend whom he invited to the house to hang out. They are alike the fly version of Bulk and Skull from the Power Rangers TV show.

I think Pesky Jr. is a teenager, you know why? Because we rarely see him around the house. It seems that he just comes home when he is tired, hungry, and out of money. Hey, it reminds me of myself.

I remember my teenage years and all the time that we have on our hands. I’m usually outside the house, going to my friend’s house, hanging out, playing video games, talking, and getting piss drunk. I have a friend whose house has a sari-sari store with all the booze and snacks that we can have. Therefore, his house became our headquarters, hehe. Though it had been ages since we went back there, I think our tab would already be a mile long or maybe we were banned because we did not pay the bill most of the time.

I’d also go out with my band friends and attend their gigs, go to their friends, meet new people, explore new places, and just having a blast.  These days, I don’t really get to go out much often. Well, I go out for work mainly and chores, but that’s about it. I’m also a bit lazy to go out now because I’m usually tired from the daily grind.

But you know what, that’s fine. I guess that’s what growing old is about. I guess you’ll also know what I’m talking about in due time. For now, you just hang out in your mother’s belly.

Regards,

Dear Peanut,

Okay, so we have been staying in our condo for quite some time.  Yeah, it’s nice, 3 pools, basketball court, and resort-like vibe. We live on the high-rise floor and our unit has a balcony where you can see the cityscape.

Amidst the all the great stuff that we have in our living quarters, we have had a bit of a problem. You see, there was this one annoying house fly that kept hanging around the house. I think it was about a week or two and it seemed that he never leaves as if he was paying rent. We have tried to get rid of him but after unsuccessful attempts, we have decided that we will take him in. We have named him Pesky The Fly.

Pesky flies around us most of the time and lands on our arms, legs, or whatever body part. We swat him away then he leaves only to come back and annoy us some more. One time, he landed on my face and I slapped myself trying to get rid of him. Your mother laughed and she said that it also happened to her. Stupid fly.



One evening, when we were about to sleep, I saw Pesky lounging around the bedroom. I got my trusty slipper and swatted him with lightning fast speed. Finally, Pesky fell. I saw his lifeless body at the back of the nightstand and decided to leave it there. I thought your mother would be glad that Pesky is gone but for some reason, she wasn’t very happy about me leaving Pesky’s body to decompose inside the house.

It’s actually not a bit deal but knowing your mother, she makes a big deal about small things, like a house fly.  Then she went on ranting about cleanliness and other unrelated stuff that her woman brain tells her to say. I can’t believe it she is seriously upset about a fucking house fly.

Then it dawned me, Pesky, with his dying breath has cursed me, made my wife upset just to troll me one last time. Damn you, Pesky, well played.

Wherever you are, I hope you have all the trash that you can eat, shit and hangout with all your house fly friends. I hope when you look down from fly heaven, you can see me from my balcony raising my middle finger to you. I’ll never forget you, Pesky, mostly because you owe me 3 weeks of rent, you freeloading shit bag.

Regards,

Dear Peanut,

Today is the 12th of June. It is our country's Independence day! Yey! Your Mother and I played our national anthem to commemorate it. I thought we should have visited Narra (Filipino restaurant in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) for some good ol' Filipino food.

Though that's fine, you know why? Because we're going back home to the Philippines! Yes, the place where infrastructure is dated, the government is crappy, and traffic is horrendous.

I have lived in Malaysia in for almost 3 years. It is a nice country, kind of similar to ours but uhhmmm, better. Okay, a whhhhooolllee lllloooott beeetteerrr. Low taxes, good infrastructure, a better quality of life but I know deep down, it's not home.

I would like to think it's fate that I also got a new job back home at the same time you will be coming. I know it will be hard to leave all the comforts and advantages of living abroad but it would be best if you know where you come from and be with your people.

Despite all the cynical descriptions of our home I posted above, I know that our country has great food, world-class beaches, and people who always smile and laugh even in the face of adversity. Beer is cheap, too. :D

I really don't know what to expect in our country when we get back but there's only one way to find out. :D

That's all for now.

Regards,