1st Mall-ing

This is the second time in a row that we’re going out as a family. Just a little adventure for my son. This time the destination is the M-A-L-L. Yes, the mall! Matt’s 1st time. Although Cris and I decided to have our family pic taken in a studio at the mall, I have readied the camera, its memory sticks and batteries for this occasion.

After our side trip to the studio, we dined at a resto with Matt behaving like a gentleman (bless him). Looking at him- seated in a high chair- across the table makes me want to laugh. I am beaming with joy, just looking at my son, munching and playing with his crackers. Too bad I wasn’t able to get shots of him while in the resto.

With stomach calls already answered, we set off to check the kiddie corner where the rides and the carousel are. I believe Matt had a fabulous time. We bought plenty of tokens for the rides and only got a couple left before we decided to call it a day.



Gee, we had a fun time. I’ve never been so happy just going to a mall before. But this must have taken a toll on my son, as he dozed off to sleep before we could go home and right there in the middle of the throng of shoppers.

1st Party!

I and the men in my life are going out. Oh no, not to the children’s clinic. Matt, my son and Cris, my hubby will escort me to a party. Nothing grand, really. This is not the typical drink-dance-all-you-want party. Contrary to that, this is just some sort of a get-together in the office. Food, little booze for the men and maybe a karaoke session afterwards. Right there in the basketball court-cum-parking area in my office.

So small an event yet this will be memorable. First, because we rarely go out together as a family (reason: hubby is always away and Matt is just a year old). Second, this is Matt’s 1st time to attend a party. I am so excited for my son (maybe just as excited as he is!).

‘Round and ‘round the court, Matt walked, ran and bounced off. I am pretty sure my hubby got tired of following him, who seem to have all the energy even if it’s almost his bedtime. He must be so ecstatic that he would sometimes scream and shout at the kids who hover around him.

At 10PM, we decided to go home and hit the sack.

Only a kid can...

Matt has learned to pull off these acts the way only a child can. And I can only surmise my son's intention everytime he does these funny antics (that never fail to amuse us). To amuse himself, perhaps. Or maybe, amuse us as well.

But whatever the reason, we are entertained.

Small gesture, great joy.

I have been giving my son his share of biscuit after his morning nap ( reasons: to improve his pincer grasp, to give him a little freedom to feed himself and to practise his independence). It was one of those times. He was still holding the last piece I gave him when I scooped him off his playpen to watch the cats outside.

To my surprise, he motioned his hand forward to my mouth (hand-feeding position), biscuit in hand. He must have picked up the idea since I sometimes hand feed him. Got so overwhelmed with weird emotions that I almost choke when I instinctively took a tiny bite of the biscuit he offered. He hand fed me until there was none left of that piece of cracker.

At his age, I already tasted the returns of my hardwork. Care for care. Love for love. (And maybe, hand for hand). :-)

One!

At 1 year old, my son is a babbling baby. He can say “hey” and “deal.” He creates his own words like “per” meaning diaper; “ba” for butterfly, “gigi” for light and “pa” for Pooh Bear. Sometimes, he mutters “Papa” and “Mama”, all in one breath. Other times, it’s the unintelligible “baby talk” you hear from him.

When it comes to his eating habits, I don’t have much to complain. Because I can easily feed him with veggies. So far, he has tried squash – he loves it! And some green, leafy vegetables like camote tops, saluyot, pechay and cabbage ( I don’t give him much of the latter because I’ve read that it can cause gas). It makes me smile to think that he eats various veggies more than his Papa. And he loves soups, too. He can make out the yogurt cup and would ask for his share when he sees you holding it. He eats biscuits, drinks orange juice ( I personally make one from Davao oranges) and takes his vitamins without a whimper.

He is learning to walk. Yes he can walk alone now – but I simply choose not to leave him walking alone. After he has taken his breakfast, we would go out of the house to sun bathe and have our morning walk out in the sun. I made it a part of our morning rituals.

Matt is one happy baby. He loves to laugh that innocent chortle of his and joins in laughter when everybody laughs. He likes to play Peek-A-Boo. And I think he loves to mimic Tatay-- the way he laughs and talks. Even tries to copy some of his nuances.

Seeing a cat or dog makes him kick with joy, the birds keep him still (observing it). And the light- from a flashlight, fluorescent or lampshades keeps him happy.

And Matt is a water baby. He giggles when we bathe him. Just the sound of the water running from the faucet or bubbling from the water dispenser gets him excited. And is even more delighted when he sees the dripping rain.

His killer smile --with his six little teeth (4 teeth on his upper gum and 2 on the lower gum) -- brightens my day. Keeps me alive, amazed and beaming with love and pure joy.

Matt's 1st Birthday

The party we threw for Matt’s 1st birthday was a success. Nothing so grand but a good one, nonetheless. Seeing the kids and my son happy, makes a whole lot of difference. The venue -

The VIP Hotel, Mezzanine B - was well-decorated by the hotel staff (thanks to my father who made some calls to good old friends in the hotel). There were also buntings and streamer from the party coordinator. Balloons were scattered all around the room, adding color and contrast. The Winnie-The-Pooh motif cake was lovely (and tastes good too).

I believe the games were exciting to the 15 or so kids who attended the kiddie party. Matt's Pa came all the way from Cebu just for the occasion (left for Cebu again after the party's wrapped up). Some relatives and friends came. And Winnie the Pooh surprised the kids, much to most kids’ delight (some, to their horror!).

And my dear son, Matt, looked dapper in a white polo and denim shorts. Despite the incident with the “unknowingly” very hot Phillips lamp (which he touched) early on, my son was a picture of happiness. (Although the pictures Tita captured showed a not-so-happy baby, they don't make the whole story; too bad she wasn’t able to take some good shots when Matt's really enjoying himself).

Seems like yesterday

My son will be turning 1 tomorrow. Whew, way to go. Indeed time flies fast. And how fast he grows. From a mere 5 pounder to an 18-lb baby!

Thanks be to GOD..for Matt..for everything!

Photo Op for my bday invitation

"Where is that light coming from?"

















"Ahh..there.."















"Uhm ,the light is gone now.."
















"But wait..."






















"Must be the cam."

Precious Moments 2

Just adorable!

Precious Moments

Matt and Papa are having a grand time..

Smartee

Matt has mastered the art of reading..or the semblance of it.

Some more...

"Look Ma, told ya that i can fit into this."
















Yummy!
















Swimming on my bed..
















Supermaaaaannn!!!!
















"Watch me.."

More pics

Cousins!

Reminiscing

Found some not-too-old pics of my baby taken few months back..It's so funny because I can't help but feel mushy and melodramatic especially since he'll be turning one in few days time. Oh boy, he's growing too fast. GOD bless him.

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Will post some later...

Relatives

Taken at home. With some relatives. Fr L to R: Daddy Arnold (Cuz G's hubby), Tita Ruby (also my Ninang), Ate Genevieve (cousin), Kuya Andrei (cousin) and Mommy Benitz (Tita Ruby's Ma).

Cutest baby @ 11 months!

Still so groggy but I can't resist taking a pic during the wee hours in the morning while Matt sleeps on..

He even gave me this lovely smile to capture with my phone.

With Mama

Matt is 11 months old today. This was taken before we visited the pedia for his monthly check up.

Another pearl

Felt my son’s upper gum. And there’s a new pearl. Upper right incisor.

Sunday again

Been to church with Matt. Matt is adjusting quite well with this activity. I’ve seen him getting relaxed and playful in the church today. And he hasn’t slept. Big differences from last Sunday.

Complete

Matt woke up a little over 5AM. With him already doing the somersaults beside me, I had no choice but to drag myself off to sleep. And thanks to him, I saw my phone and that my husband has called me 3x already and has sent me a msg to have our gate opened as he is outside.

It’s the 3rd weekend of the month – my husband’s sked to come home. T’was barely 6AM but the men in my life are already up and playing.

PM: We brought Matt to his dr to have his immunization. Visited Cris’ family after that.

Another Sunday

We heard mass with Matt this morning. ‘Tis an activity that I encourage, to make my son get used to people, and to get him get in terms with his “stranger anxiety” attacks.

By the way, another pearl is coming out. Lower left incisor.

After oh so long

Morning: Home. Bumming around.
Afternoon: I was able to relieve my father from baby-sitting Matt. At last. Sleeping quietly. I miss watching him sleep. I missed holding him and talking to him. He smells oh so sweet like milk with honey... I miss being this near to my son. I could stay here forever, just watching him sleep.

Precious Pearl

One of his pearly whites is already visible! Everybody’s so excited. Tatay discovered it first, (he said Matt was touching his teeth and so he carefully rubbed Matt’s lower gum—and found out there’s this little almost-invisible-thing coming out).

Location: lower right portion, incisors.

Progress 2

At 8-month old, Matt has mastered the art of closing and opening our cabinet doors. Although this applies only to (door) handles which he can reach and grasp. One time, I left him on the rubber-matted floor to play. He started crawling towards his cabinet; reached for the lowest door; opened it and peeped inside.

He is discovering new things.

He is fascinated with the curtains; and one particular curtain clip. I first detected his fascination with the curtains and everything that moves when the electric fan is turned on, when he was still about 6months old. He could barely stand then, even when supported so he'd just look on. These days, he'd always try to reach for the clip, by tiptoeing or climbing his baby seat.

Our hide-and-seek play started from his curtain fascination. Because we always stay near the curtain, I would try to hide behind the curtain and he'd try to look for me; or the other way around (him hiding behind the curtain with me petending to look for him). This never fails to put a big smile on his face, especially when we'd end up "finding" each other.

Matt can momentarily stand without support. After a few sec, and maybe already feeling the weight, he'd heavily slump his butt.

I have observed that Matt is apprehensive of the rain. I don't know why. Even when he hears the word "rain," he'd keep still as if trying to listen if it really is raining. The pitter-patter on the roof when it rains hard, keeps him awake. I know it's not the water, because he especially loves it when we bathe him and let him play with the water for awhile. But I will work on it, maybe try to associate rain with good things so he won't get anxious whenever it rains.

I remember when I was 8 or 7 yrs old, there were instances that I wake up , only to find that I'm alone. This makes me cry because I remember feeling so scared. The same thing happens to Matt everytime he wakes up and sees that no one is around. That's why I make it a point not to leave him when he's asleep, because I remember "that feeling" of waking up alone as a child.

And for the past few weeks, he's been sleeping through the night like a baby. His REM and deep sleeps are more in tuned. His now occasional "stirrings" just signal his hunger; and after feeding, he'd quietly sleep on. Thanks God, this has given me enough time to rest at night.

And he makes funny faces. 2 funny expressions. He must have been mimicking the way my father's face crinkles everytime he laughs. That may be the one. The other, I still have to discover the root.

Not another Saturday

AM: Much to my delight, I heard my son say "mama" today. After babbling "papa" non-stop yesterday, I wondered when he'll blurt "mama." It was so pleasing to the ears.

PM: Cris & I brought Matt to his pedia. I think, Matt enjoyed the ride to the dr. He keeps on looking outside the window. Although I have expected Matt to cry when given the vaccine, I was not ready to see him cry so loud, so much. He started to wail when the dr examined him, to measure his head circumference and his height. It tore my heart to see Matt cry as if the tears won't stop.

We later on visited Cris' family in Nazareth after our trip to Matt's pedia. Matt had the "stranger anxiety" attack. Upon seeing the unfamiliar faces of Cris' mother, sister and aunts, he started crying again. He calmed down when I hugged and comforted him. After awhile, he got used to Cris' family. One of Cris' aunts was even able to hold and carry him.

On our way home, he keeps on peering outside the window. Again. Tired. But happy and looking every bit of it.

Progress

My son turned eight-month old today.

Much to my delight, I heard him babble "papa" and his version of "tatay." Tatay is my father.

If we take presence into consideration, I wonder why it's not "mama."

But, I am mighty proud of him.

I feel tired fixing these mess...

Pa, I am already tired fixing Mama's mess...heheheh.

Huh!!!!

Mama caught me hiding something under the bedsheet.....joke only...heheheh....Nah, I was only trying to sit just like older men do..

Hello, I know how to walk......

Hi Pa, I know how to walk na...Wanna walk with me..