9M

happy 9th month, baby! wow, this only means one thing, mommy's going back to work soon! it will be the hardest because i will surely miss being with you and kuya! but mommy has to, so we have even more shopping money to spend lol

you now prefer to eat our food despite mommy trying her best to prepare/cook the yummiest (in her own opinion!) baby food she can offer you. you always want to have what kuya has - food, toy, attention. i can see that you're slowly learning how to "claim" things. this early, we try to teach, both of you, the concept of sharing. but i know when you're a bit older, you'll fully understand.

we love your fake cry. the way you pout and point your lips, so hard to resist! but know that that wont work for much longer! lol

i say this over and over, you're really a very easy baby to take care of. just recently, you had your very first fever. we reckon you're teething but we're not so sure. anyways, you took your meds with much gusto, even protesting for more! so unlike kuya!

you love imitating us. we were surprised when one time, you saw someone use the phone (for the first time) and soon after, you were putting your hand on your ear and saying something close to a hello! and you'll do that everytime you see someone talking on the phone. and you'll use whatever thing you'll pick up on the floor as a handset. how clever!

cant say if im excited to see you learning more things. that only means one thing, the baby is quickly turning into a toddler and i'll miss "baby-ing" you! because like kuya, you will learn to refuse kisses and cuddles and will want to be left on your own to do your thing. but no matter what, i will never tire of kissing and cuddling you both!

love love you!!!

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visit:

8M

wowa baked you a custard cake!

at your last weigh-in (20 oct), you already weighed 9.2kg (when kuya weighed that much he was already 1y/o!)! your appetite is as big as ever. and we reckon, soon, you'll be bigger than your older brother! you can now drink from the bottle, juice and water mainly. you still dont want to drink milk from it though but soon, you'll have to as mommy's going back to work. you surprised us by drinking from the straw too!

you are very playful. you can now sway/march/dance to tunes that you like (theme fr masterchef australia is your favorite! lol). most of the time, kuya plays rough and takes toys from you. but we're trying our best to teach him (and you as well) how to share. you love following kuya around despite that and i really love it when i see the two of you play and laugh together. i hope you'll grow up really close and be each other's best friend. you are a babbler and we feel that you'll be more talkative than kuya. you dont cry as much as you used to with strangers but daddy still calls you a mommy's boy because you always look for me. i dont mind though! you and kuya are both my life! and daddy too =D

we love you!

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visit:

How To Watch The TV

let's count the ways: (long but cute post. ok, im biased! =D)

deadma while squishing kuya (na mukhang nabibigatan)

looking constipated

in between kuya's legs

with a headband, looking like a girl, munching on a bear

upside down

devouring a toy

looking like a certified bum

on a bumbo

with friends while thumb sucking

on the tummy

while playing with the shape sorter

while munching a banana

sideways in the playnest

while eating a biscuit looking very much like "fred" flinstone's kid =D

gnawing a spoon

in the playnest looking like a bum (again!), snacking on a teether

leaning on the playnest, almost kneeling down and munching on something

standing, leaning on the sofa, half turned, munching on a wooden hammer

in the crib while cruising

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visit:

7M

happy 7th month, baby! your sweet sweet smile always brightens up our day. you babble a lot and you are very good at imitating the sounds that we make. you have the stranger anxiety but we hope that you'll get over it quickly. you are very clingy to mommy, always crawling to where i am. you even know where to find me when im not in the lounge with you! i hope you'll always feel secure in knowing that mommy will never ever be far from you. i always have "the mommy's eye" on you and kuya, despite being busy with other things.

you now know how to throw tantrums when you dont get your way! remember, those tears wont get you anywhere! lol. still, you're very easy to appease and distract. your first tooth just erupted and we were surprised, though really thankful, that besides the love of gnawing things, you didnt show any other signs. sorry we had to blow your candles a few days late but rest assured that we didnt forget your day. we greeted you and showered you with lots of cuddles and kisses. but we do it everyday so you might not have noticed =D. we've just been very busy as of late. we love you so so much! cant wait to celebrate your 1st birthday, and it's coming up really quick!!

edit: at 7M6D, you weighed exactly 9kg! kuya was 1Y1M old when he weighed that much lol

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visit:

Kian Crawling

finally, kian crawled at a faster pace lol. he actually prefers the rubber mat than the bare carpet. cant blame him, i hate the carpets too!

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visit:

6M

a couple of days ago, kian celebrated his 6th month birthday. i cant believe that in another 6 months, you'll turn one already! you are still the easiest baby in terms of feeding, sleeping and being entertained. but you are now becoming a person of your own. you now voice out your dislike (by crying and kicking hard) and love (by chuckling and reaching out) for certain things. but even if you cry, you are very easy to pacify.

before wowa (lola/grandmother) left us for her much needed break, i was really scared of being left by myself to look after 2 young kids. but because kuya is old enough to appreciate the tv and has explored pretty much everything in the lounge that nothing intrigues him already, i can just leave him in there while i do my chores.

with bunso, as long as he's fed and had his nap (which is very regular), i can leave him in his crib or on the floor with his toys. at 6 months, he still doesnt crawl but he can go places by rolling and rotating (super expert na!). if he's grumpy, i put him in his bouncer and make sure he sees me while i do my thing in the kitchen. and he'll be content

being left alone with 2 young kids isnt that hard at all! im so lucky having the kids i have! (this should be a separate entry but what the heck....)

i digress from my main point.....

kian, i love it when you wake up and smile at me, first thing. i love it when you reach out for me, like making sure im there. you'll touch my face, my arm, or hand and sleep soundly knowing im beside you. dont worry baby, i'll never leave your side (and kuya's and daddy's).... i love it that you want mommy more than daddy, but you have to learn to play with daddy more. he works hard for us, you know hahaha.

happy 6th month bday baby!

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visit:

Kian Driving

it was super hot today. finally, felt like summer! no matter how much i enjoy the warmth (bihira maging ganito dito sa england kya ninanamnam ang mga ganitong araw!), the kids were feeling the heat, especially kian who is already stripped to his sando and nappy.

trying to find ways to entertain him (cayden, no problem - just play cars and he's good =D), i decided to sit him in their little tikes cozy coupe car. he's 5months and 24days old and i didnt think he'll be able to sit in it by himself. but he did! and he enjoyed it immensely! he was also honking (well, more like banging) the horn after a while. he looked like a pro! =D

the kuya gamely pushed the car around, although towards the end, he wanted to get into the car as well but they wouldnt fit! trying to teach cayden (and kian later) the concept of sharing. fingers crossed!

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visit:

Roll Over, Kian 2

finally caught it on video!

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visit:

Roll Over, Kian

i said to myself, "it would really be nice if kian will finally be able to roll over on my birthday". and he did!

kian can turn to his side for a while now but didnt really show any sign of even attempting to roll over until a few days ago. we'd find him doing this:

and then the morning of my birthday, i left him on the floor to do something in the kitchen. and when i came back, he was already on his tummy!!! it was an amazing feeling, seeing your child achieve another milestone in his young life =D. i shouted and it startled him so he turned over his back quickly.

i was trying to record this fete but he wouldnt let me! this is the closest to rolling over that i can record. i had to stop myself from helping him finish the deed! i didnt ok, coz that would be cheating! lol

well done, baby!! it was the best birthday gift ever! oh no, that means we can't leave you just anywhere anymore!

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visit:

5M

9 july 2011

it was a pretty big day for kian. aside from celebrating his 5th month birthday, he also had his first taste of solid food. yey! he watches us longingly when we eat and sometimes, he would reach over and grab our plate (well, he grabs mostly anything... =D) - we knew he's ready. his kuya started at 5months too!

tantan planned to feed him that morning. only, there wasnt any breastmilk available to prepare kian's food, which is baby rice by the way =D. i was still upstairs, in bed, having my well-deserved lie-in (it's a saturday!!). besides, he was planning to feed kian without me???!!! good thing i am THE milk source!

kian's reaction? he loved it! it didnt seem like it was his first time. he was like a pro already! only thing was, the kuya got kinda jealous with the attention kian was getting. and he thought that kian's getting a treat and him, not. but when we offered kian's food, he didnt like it lol!

That's just breastmilk

d ba, me dila pa! lol =D

happy baby!

anyways, the way this little kiddo eats, better brace ourselves for really nasty smelling poops! =D

happy 5th month birthday, darling!

Passport Pic

finally, tantan was able to process kian's passport pic. we'll just have it printed and we'll be able to apply for kian's passport already! it has actually taken him over 2 weeks to do this assignment (ok, work got in the way =D).

we deliberately made kian wear the same shirt his kuya wore for his own passport pic. we just thought the idea's cute! and arent they just!?

cayden was 6m/o and kian's 4 m/o

Our Weekdays

my mom is on holiday since last week. she wont be back till the 2nd week of september. so i am now fully in charge of the household. i dont mind doing all the work except for one chore - cooking! yes, i dread that most of all! leave me with a toddler and a baby - easy peasy! cooking - i'll go crazy! seriously, i hate cooking and i envy those that have passion for it. i think about those (would be) missed bonding sessions with the kids over cooking and baking - not =D (we can bond in lots of other ways!)!

anyways, i wake up around 7:30am (or 8 depending on what i'll cook). i cook breakfast, prepare tantan's baon for work and i cook our food for lunch, which will last till dinner. good thing the boys are not picky eaters! i have to have everything ready by 8:30 because tantan has to prepare for work. he has to be out of the house by 9 coz his call time at work is at 9:30am. convenient, huh? he can look after the boys while i do my chores. cayden wakes up at around 7:30am. kian wakes up whenever his kuya wakes him up =D. or if he sensed im not around anymore (which ever comes first! =D).

tantan will feed cayden his breakfast while i bathe kian. then i bathe cayden while kian happily plays by himself. we're usually done by around 9:30am. we watch tv, play with lego, colour cayden's colouring books, attempt to teach cayden his numbers, letters, colours (which he tries to dodge!), feed kian. lunch is served at 12. i put the kids down for a nap at 12:30pm. most of the time (so far), cayden falls asleep quickly. so by around 1-1:30, it's ME time (i surf the net, eat my lunch - i have breakfast so i dont feel hungry yet when i feed cayden - watch tv, wash the dishes). kian will sleep no matter what =D! i just feel annoyed at myself that i couldnt fall asleep when the kids are! but i think the fact that i sleep early at night leaves me with more energy to last the day.

cayden wakes up around 3pm and if lucky, around 4. we play some more, watch tv, video chat with daddy if he's not too busy (mostly one way. cayden just wants to see his dad. tantan carries on with work =D). feed kian. tantan comes home around 6:45. we have dinner. i wash the dishes then take a shower. the kids are put down to sleep at around 9pm. most of the time, i sleep as soon as kian's asleep. but sometimes, i stay up longer to surf the net (just like tonight =D). but i make sure i sleep not later than 12midnight.

so there. nothing toxic. the days are coming along smoothly and relatively relaxed. well, except for when i think of what to cook next! =D

Mommy's Little Snail

Kian will turn 5 months old in as many days. he still cant roll over, though he can turn to his sides (hopefully, it's just a matter of days =D). he doesnt really like tummy time much (tamad mode? lol). but we like to encourage him so he'll have the confidence to at least try without crying as soon as. and tonight, i was able to make him crawl a few inches! happy mommy mode =D

One Fine Day

last sunday, the sun finally came out. that's after weeks of really shitty weather. you would think you're in manila during rainy season instead. anyways, the day started foggy but come lunch time, the sun made an appearance. so off we went.

original plan was just to go to a Pick Your Own Farm in the New Forest for strawberry picking then go home right away. but on our way to the farm, cayden suddenly said "mommy, daddy, beach". tantan and i exchanged looks, both of us thinking, where did he get that idea from! but really, we should stop being amazed - we know where he gets those ideas from lol! tantan suggested dropping the strawberry picking and go straight to the beach instead. i said we can do both. might as well take advantage of the perfect weather, right?

we arrived at the farm at about 2pm. of course, the kids were protected with spf 50 sunblock! cayden started running around, really excited with this new environment. he immediately started picking out strawberries, which by the way, he's already seen being done on tv! as he picked them out, he was eating them, which he shouldnt have bec the strawberries are paid by the pound lol! i think we should have paid doubled by the amount we've "tasted". sorry, we're bad like that! it was very tempting - they grow really yummy strawberries!

stuffing himself full with yummy strawberries!

anyways, i love the farm! the lone structure looks like a sari sari store. the farm has got a very homey feel to it (might just be me!). most importantly, the strawberries are very red, juicy and sweet! not to mention, very affordable! got to go back soon =D

after that, we headed to christchurch quay. we dropped the "beach" for the quay because we remembered that the quay has a playground in it, which we're sure cayden will enjoy more. plus the view is much much nicer. that quay is actually one of our favorite hangouts, been there countless of times before. on the way, cayden was saying, "hey, beach" over and over which actually sounded like "hey, bitch". it was so funny!

we were hoping the brass band's still there but we got there a little too late. as we were parking, they were leaving. but we werent that disappointed because there was a fair and a rock band was playing contemporary tunes. love!!

cayden didnt play in the playground as we hoped. but it's because he was already enjoying the swans, the pigeons, the yachts, the trees. i really love going there! even kian had fun. he was babbling and chuckling and really engaging.

this type of family bonding really tramps out all the gadgets money can buy! we want our kids to enjoy family time and nature and enjoy the childhood my generation enjoyed. so please, mr. sun, come out more often, wont you?