Full Circle

I am trying to make a conscious effort of not starting this blog post (and every blog post this year) with “so much has changed in my life lately since Riley was born” but it has! Things just went into full circle this year and it’s as if motherhood is here to make me realize and appreciate every single effort my parents have done for me! 🙂

To boot, my mom is the person who ultimately upholds cleanliness in our house. She’s very particular about the washing of hands, which bags are placed on the floor (and must remain there), what part of the tissue at a restaurant touched the table and may therefore yet indirectly touched the wet cloth used to wipe the table…which may not be clean and should therefore be turned inside out before using. *Do you still follow? Hehe.*

Growing up, I understood that these measures were necessary but I always wondered why there was so much emphasis on this? However, now that I have Riley, I’ve been finding myself washing my hands several times in a day and also wondering when I can put on lotion because I don’t want my lotion to touch Riley’s skin when I attend to him the wee hours of the morning just in case he decides to put his fingers in his mouth).

Ever since Riley has started teething, he has been constantly wanting to get objects within his reach & putting them in his mouth! :O Now, my mom really finds it amusing that I’m doing exactly the same thing she did. She even says I’m OA about it. I’m pretty sure she’s having a grand time having the last laugh. (OMG. Pun unintended. Grandparents = Grand time. Lolz.)
*Also blaming having millennial friends for constantly ending my sentences in lolz & Yasss. Hahaha.*

 So it’s true: You’ll never really fully understand everything that your parents have done while raising you until you become one!!! *Please permit my overuse of exclamation points and allow me to state this point again. Hahaha.*

I feel that just like putting hours and hours of practicing how to draw & paint, parenting is also an investment. Whatever it is that you do won’t have instant results but it can reap rewards & a sense of fulfillment in the long run.

Every time I show Riley my design books, he may not fully understand everything but I’m helping him develop his brain & cultivate his love for visuals (also keeping in mind that he may end up pursuing passions other than mine in the future).  <3  Every time I clean my hands or his toys with wipes, I’m saving myself & Riley from the worry of having to deal with LBM and other diseases that can be avoided.

Even when choosing the brand of wipes, I’m picking the one that’s paraben, chlorine & alcohol free such as Sanicare Baby wipes. Our pediatrician has warned us about the use of wipes loaded with alcohol early on as it tends to dry baby’s skin–the culprit for the existence of rashes. :O
I’ve also been actively searching for paraben-free shampoo & soap for myself long before I got pregnant because I have sensitive skin. I’m just glad & relieved that the Food & Drugs Authority has made it a point to allow only baby wipes that are paraben-free in the market as they have been proven to be hazardous to babies’ health.

On the other hand, with Riley as a constant visitor to my workspace, I have to make sure that no drop of paint or trace of pencil shavings gets to his hands or mouth.

I have to double up in my efforts, in cleaning my workspace. My friend Cym said that parenting changes you for the better and I guess it does. It gives you an opportunity to catch up on the habits that you’ll have to change and the aspects that you used to ignore. Hahaha.  For this, there’s Sanicare wipes that’s lightly scented with Eucalyptus to take care of my desk & art materials. It also has Aloe Vera & Vitamin E so it’s gentle on my skin. 🙂

Sanicare wipes are available in supermarkets & convenience stores (but not yet in Watson’s or Mercury drug store).   🙂
This is a sponsored post.