Am I A "No" Mom?

Being a 5 year old boy, EJ is already starting to hone his bargaining and persuading skills. He is quite clear about what he wants, and is very good at expressing it (luckily he's not the type to always ask for toys, this is more on food and permission to do things).

And this is also when I started to realize that I am becoming a "no" mom.

I don't even know if there is such a term, but it's pretty self explanatory -- my default setting is "no", unless proven beneficial otherwise. My default dialogue is "don't do that", unless there is perfectly good reason to not to behave as expected. And I just realized these when EJ started telling me, "mommy why you don't let me do/eat <insert subject> all the time?"

I'm sorry baby. But first and foremost in my mind, I want what is best for you even if that's not what happens all the time. I do feel that I am too uptight sometimes, and I also have to remind myself that you are still a kid and will act as kids do -- maybe because sometimes you act like a grown up that I also forget you're not one.

It is hard for me to realize that my kid thinks I say "no" all the time. I feel like such a hindrance to his happiness (I wouldn't wanna do that THIS EARLY) and such a bad-mommy-cop on repeat. Then he starts churning our reasons that are ridiculously sensible that it renders me defenseless, plus he is perfecting the art of the puss-in-boots eyes -- which just comes naturally, me thinks. Add to that my stress and exhaustion from work, and you have an exasperated mother ready to throw in the towel just to stop the arguments.(read: Fine, I'll give you what you want because I'm too tired to argue.)

So yeah, I just say "Fine." And let him do/get what he wants. And more often than not, I suffer the consequences, like having to mop the floor after I let him play with water "a little bit" (duh, of course he's not gonna play just "a little bit".) I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm just saying I also get tired of always arguing with a smart 5 year old. Am I a bad mom?

So now comes the time when, as a mother, you have to think of how to balance being a disciplinarian and being a mommy while keeping your sanity intact. And no two answers are the same, because most of the time, you just have to wing it. I'm trying but not always succeeding, it's always either too much discipline or too much heart. Sigh.

I'm sorry for being an uptight mommy, EJ.

I'm not old. I just grew up.

Sometimes, we have to shake things up so it can fall into place.

I have felt my poignant transition from being a yuppie with a kid to being a mother the moment I left the country. Being an only child, that was, I think, the biggest decision I had to make in my life, and for all intents and purposes, the hardest one too.

Freedom to decide and act on my choices was what I was lacking then. I was caged in a situation wherein I was dependent on someone for every aspect of my life because my child was still young and I didn't have a nanny. I was struggling to come to terms with not being able to move on my own, plus the fact that I was a fumbling first-time mother.

But then we moved to a safe country where there are regulated childcare services, and where I could bring my child literally anywhere using public transport, without fearing for our safety. This was it, I had my freedom -- no, not from my child or my responsibilities, but freedom from the limitations that repeatedly pulled me down as I tried to get back up.

I started to grow up and my mindset has changed. Before, I would often dwell on the few wants that I had and how I "had to" deprive myself of them. Now, my wants took the trunk (not just the backseat, lol), and my family's needs took the wheel not because I "had to", but because I wanted to. I had the freedom to do what I had to for my family, I can act on the choices made for my family, and yes, I can do it on my own. Maybe that was what I needed in the first place.

I honestly do not know if some people were surprised that I can actually manage to survive living far away from my parents and having to take care of my own family, but hey, yeah, I can. :)

I'm currently in a balancing act of juggling motherhood, homemaking and career. One always ends up a bit compromised, yes the homemaking part usually lol, but we are surviving the best way we can.

I also realized that maybe it's okay to do some things for myself too, and not feel guilty about it. So I'm starting to put a little more Ivah in my life brimming with EJ & Jon. And I'm excited about it.

I only grew old by a couple of years. But I grew up 10 times. :)

Too Blessed to Be Stressed!!!

We have been blessed, challenged and blessed over the past couple of weeks. Everything happened so fast and major decisions had to be made immediately that all we can do is pray we made the right ones. And I feel that we did, despite what other people might say.

I was blessed with a new job. However, this came with a challenge of searching for a new childcare for EJ, one which is nearer to my new office. I have exerted my best effort at sprinting through MRT stations, bus stops and walkways just to attempt to pick EJ up on or before their latest pickup time, but alas, it is impossible. Travelling a distance similar to Manila-Las Pinas in 30 minutes is not doable during rush hour, even in a cab. So then the frantic Internet search and phone inquiries for childcare services near my office area began, including a reprimand by EJ's childcare principal. She told me that if I would always be late for 30minutes, they cannot accommodate that on a daily basis, so it's either look for somebody to pick EJ up OR transfer him to another childcare, for our welfare. I understood their point. They didn't care if we could pay their late penalty because it wasn't about the money (even if it is SGD1 per minute late charge and that's P34 per minute, yes.). They cared about the families of the teachers who would be forced to stay late because of EJ, and more importantly, they cared about EJ who would always have to endure being left alone and picked up last, which has a negative impact on the child. And yes, despite running for dear life, I was late for 38 minutes and had to pay SGD38 or P1,292 that night as penalty. (Is there anybody who ain't filthy rich willing to pay for that every day? Hands up please.... No one? Thought so.)

It was next to impossible to book a childcare slot near business districts for obvious reasons -- because a lot of parents have done so already. Not only were the slots scarce, but their prices where sky high and I had to look for one which was along the route of our morning shuttle/premium bus. My anxiety was as high as the tuition fees and my hope was as low as our account balance. But lo and behold. A not so sky-high priced childcare, walkable along our morning bus route had 1 slot remaining for Nursery 2 level.

Apparently, impossible was NOTHING with God.

With EJ's August slot in the new childcare secured, it was back to the original problem -- who would pick EJ up for the remainder of July? Saturday afternoon, we made a plan. Saturday night, it was SOS to our folks in the Philippines. Monday afternoon, my superMom flew to Singapore, leaving her job, appointments, trainings, meetings behind. Mom and Dad decided that she would stay here for the remainder of July to take care of EJ. What did I just say? Impossible was NOTHING with God. And supportive parents.

Tears of joy, relief, thanksgiving, happiness, gratitude, blessedness.... Getting sick because of all the literal running around to pick EJ up while my body was still adjusting to new routines of waking up early and travelling a lot and worrying about everything else.... Feeling guilty knowing how much Mom was/is giving up just to be here for us (trust me, I KNOW!!!). Feeling even more guilty leaving Dad alone behind ( especially amidst the damn typhoons!!!). Bracing myself for a new slew of adjustments when Mom goes back to the Philippines. Name it, I'm feeling it right now. Oh, and I had my IELTS exams in the midst of coughing fits and stress. WOOT!!

Lord God, You have proven countless times that You are always On TIME and that everything has a reason. My only wish is that the people around us would have an open mind to understand what we are going through, without judging us based on the little that they (think they) know. May You also open their hearts so they may appreciate the struggles and effort that we put into our lives.

I'm still reeling from everything that's happening. Still haven't fully recovered physically. Preparing myself mentally. But still boils down to one thing:

I am too BLESSED to be STRESSED!

Still grateful,

Throwback Thursday: December 2013 Entries

Oh, these are SG experiences na.

Obsessed with the MRT.

Paki-explain. Labyu.

Ninang Nikka's Christmas conversation with EJ. May point cya, aminin mo! :D

EPIC Happy New Year bedtime conversation!

Throwback Thursday: November - December 2012

I still end up laughing while remembering how I this went down :D

 Oh yes, his woe-is-me look. Who could resist?

This also brings back the giggles in me. How I wish I had a video of this!

Wedding Rehearsal of Flowergirl Giahpot and her escort EJ.

Whatta face, EJ! Hahahahaha!

Love love love this shot of Kehz and EJ!

Follows instructions. Can't complain.

Thanks JW Weddings for the Anniv gift of EJ's tagged picture teehee! From Aaron and Jezi's wedding!

There's a new farmer in town....?

Throwback Thursday: December 2011

Okay, parang sayang nmn to post one screencap per entry noh? Sige, I'll post several per entry.


Here are some December 2011 entries:

Um this one below, I swear, I just took his picture and quickly grabbed him na. Hehehe!

For those of you who don't remember, this was the time when "Budoy" was showing in Primetime Bida in Abs-Cbn. Only, I don't know who Baday is. *gasps*

 He seriously thought he was hidden. Yes, he did. He even had his eyes closed and I think he was covering his ears too, and was surprised that I knew where he was.

Now I know why the master bath's doorknob eventually gave way.

Throwback Thursday Part 2!

Entry from November 22, 2011:

He was soo small and soo taba and looked like me! Now kasi Wowa said he's looking more and more like his Papa. Huhuhuhu..... :D

Throwack Thursday

WHOAAAA!!! Hello Unica Mudra blog after more than a year!! I'm sorry for the unnecessarily long hiatus. I have definitely not taken a break from Motherhood, in fact, I became even more immersed in it, but as with the disadvantage of Facebook I have been posting there instead of here. So I've been working at this for a little while and I want to repost the funny stuff that makes my #naughtiePatootie live up to his moniker.
It's gonna be a prolonged Throwback Thursday for a time, okay? Gonna start off with one right now, entry from November 15, 2011:

Oh wow. I almost couldn't remember when his vocabularies were only limited to 2 syllables. Coz now, it is limited to 2....paragraphs....per minute. #angDaldal!

Open Letter to my Son

Dear EJ,

Maybe you're too young and wouldn't understand, but I'm hoping the people around us would. 

I'm sorry if mommy has been cranky lately. It's because mommy has been sick. 

Remember those five nights mommy wasn't with you? It's because mommy was in the hospital. And afterwards mommy won't play with you that much? It's because mommy was still weak. 

Mommy wanted to make up for it and has been staying up until morning for you because you don't want to sleep yet. But because of this, mommy got sick again. 

This time, it's contagious. 

Because you don't have a yaya, and wowa's out of town, mommy has no choice but to be around you even if the doctor told mommy to stay away from you because you might get sick.

It's hard to do chores while nursing a fever, but it's harder to deal with the fact -- and the guilt -- that in every cough, sneeze, even every breath mommy makes around you, mommy is making you susceptible to sickness. 

I'm sorry for being cranky, stern -- it's just hard to stretch mommy's patience when she's not feeling well.

I'm sorry for being distant -- it's not that mommy loves you any less, mommy just doesn't want you getting sick too. 

I'm sorry for being sick -- this is the last thing mommy wants to be. 

And thank you. For always making mommy smile with your antics no matter how sick mommy feels. 

But even if mommy's going through a tough time right now, one thing's for sure -- mommy would ratherget sick as long as it's not YOU.

Mommy loves you so much. 

Terrible Twos. Terrible Woes.

Motherhood is a damn tricky thing. And it officially starts at two. The kid is in the stage where he wants to explore everything without regard for consequences -- falls, bumps, slips, electricution and the like. It seems he is too young to understand the reasons for NOT doing something but is matured enough to be stubborn when he WANTS to do something.

It doesn't help that some people who may not even be related to you have this annoying habit of comparing.
"Ay, 2yrs old na bakit hndi pa nakaka-< insert whatever theirs can do that ours can't >".
Thereby making the mother (me) feel more inferior than I already do. Comparison among peers is normal and even welcome ONLY WHEN done not to undermine the capability of the toddler or his mother/guardian but simply as an information source. Unfortunately, the effects of comments illustrated above are adverse, affecting the mother primarily by adding to her already growing self-doubt by making her think, "oh no my kid is not developing normally. I'm not a good mom."

The act of disciplining toddlers is tricky as well. Modern concepts are against the use of slapping (it sounds so ominuous I admit) as a form of discipline. But now I understand the need for some to do that. Not in the face or upper torso, just small slaps of reprimand on the butt or arm or thigh. It has to be used sometimes when the kid doesn't listen however calm or angry your reprimands are. EJ is a perfect example. He has this type of tantrum where he doesn't just throw temper fits but he also absolutely refuses to listen to you. Or when he does look at you as you're scolding him, he laughs like you're playing with him and proceeds to do what he's not supposed to do. So as not to condone this action I gotta do something. But I end up as the antagonist. Surprise surprise.

When I reprimand him, simply block off his rough play in the middle of the night and he ends up hurting me, I'm still at fault because I "let" myself get hurt. In the same instance I tried to suppress him so he'd tame down and I won't get hurt (he cried of course), I'm still wrong because I was antagonizing him further. Great. Seems like whatever I do is not appropriate (a.k.a. wrong). It does wonders for my confidence as a mother.

But motherhood is not all about sleepless nights, low EQ, low confidence and always being wrong. I have countless priceless moments with my son -- his smile, his kisses, his laugh, his dance, his songs, his gregariousness, his intelligence. All these I'm cherishing and relishing despite the low moments scattered in between. It just so happened that I'm writing this in the midst of one of my low moments. But I can honestly say I love being a mom. I chose it over my career, and I still do.

I just... I just hope that despite how inferior I feel, despite how many (many many) times I fall short of others' expectations as a mother... I just hope EJ would eventually be proud to call me his mom when he grows up.

A Momma's Life (Sneak Peek)

Here's an excerpt of what a yaya-less mom goes through in an ordinary day: Please take note that this happened in 20mins or less. Oo, ganun kabilis. And that EJ has a comment on everything. Yes, he does.

I was feeding EJ his lunch. For some reason, ngsuka cya. Sbi nya after all the mess that he made, "BAP!" (Burp!) kasi for him, anything that happens to his mouth, whether a real burp or sneeze or cough or in this case, vomit is classified as "Burp".
So after ko linisin ung kalat, nag iipon ako ng water pra paliguan na cya. This time sabi nya, "Mama??? BAT!" (Bath!) sabay kinakalabog ung pinto ng cr. Hndi siya masyadong adik maligo eh. So sabi ko wait lng kc ngprepare pa c Mama. While waiting, naglalaro muna cya and knuha nya ung toy football nya. Nilalapit nya dun sa pic nung animal na may chickenwire fence tpos sumisigaw "DOE!!!!" (Goal!!) tpos tinataas kamay nya. Na-associate nya kasi ung pic nung chickenwire fence na kamukha nung goal sa football. Tama nga naman, diba?
At pgktpos nya ibato ung ball, takbo naman cya sa TV at turo cya kay Mickey Mouse sigaw cya "MA!!!" (Mouse!!) kasi un na ung next na palabas.
Take note na sabay sabay ngyari ung pgllinis ko sa mess nya and sa knya while ngpprep ng panligo nya while hnahabol cya kc tumatakbo around the room at babalik sa cr to check on the water quickly while preventing him from following me sa cr kc hndi pa ready while picking up his discarded toys as he runs around.
That's my life. Nkakataranta na nkkahingal na nkkatuwa at nkkamangha. Nakaka-ubos pasencya pero isang kiss at nkasmile na "Mama????" lang eh lumalambot na puso ko.
Priceless mommy moments, ika-nga.

Merriam - Webster Dictionary - EJ Edition

Merriam-Webster Dictionary - EJ Edition:

BA! (Bad! Pag nauntog cya)
BA! (Bag. Ni wowa)
BA! (Big)
BA! (Baha. Pag baha ung napapanuod sa news)
BA! (Bert. Ernie and Bert)
Baba! (Spongebob)
Baba! (Baba/down)
Babayiii/Bayiii! (Byebye)
Baboow! (Bubbles)
Ba-u! (Baho!)
BO! (Ball)

Dada (Daddy)

TA! (Star)
Tata (Tita)
TAW! (Cow)

Ma-yi! (Monkey)
Mama (Mama/Mommy)
Mamam (milk/water)

Nana?! (Nana Dance)
Nayn! (night)
Nayn-nayn! (goodnight/night-night)

Pap-ah (Papa)


Wai! (Wire)
Wawa! (Lola)
Wawa! (kawawa)
Wowo! (Lolo)

WOW!! (Wow)

With special participation of the all time favorite:
BAP! (Pag nag burp)
BAP! (Pag nag cough)
BAP! (Pag nag sneeze)
BAP! (Pag nagsuka. Yes, kahit sa pagsuka)

Use in a sentence:

Wowo: What's that? *points to star on top of christmas tree*
EJ: TA!! (star)
Wowo: Very good. Kakabitan ni wowo ng lights yung christmas tree para maganda no?
EJ: Wow!

***
EJ: Mamaaa!?!?!? Mamam!! *points at Lactum can*
*Mommy rushes to prepare milk for the little boss*

***
Wowo: EJ, wag mo galawin ung wire. (Ng CD player)
EJ: Wai! (wire) *gagalawin pa rin ung wire*
Wowo: EJ!! Sabi nang wag mong galawin ung wire!
EJ: WAI!!!! (WIRE!!!)
>_<

My cute, charming, naughty, mischievous son.

Whenever I See Your Smiling Face =)

Despite the barrage of emotions that my son brings out from me in a day, everything becomes okay whenever I see his cute, charming, doe-eyed smiling face. Yeah I'm a sucker for his smiles and cute laughs and his baby words! So sue me, I'm his mom. :D

At his stage right now, having to watch over him alone for the most part of the day is exhausting. He's in a running-crawling-climbing-jumping stage, and in a grabbing-touching-eating-licking-biting-throwing-everything mode. Even my parents concede -- I was NEVER this exhausting to take care of when I was a baby.So then I guess it's not a surprise when I get cranky and start screaming for a break at the end of the day -- and by "end of the day" I mean 6pm, like end of a working day. I need to relax and unscramble my mind from the heart-attack moments that always happens, from the screaming-consoling-bribing matches I go through, from the mini triathlon moments I join in (Running after him, pushing him around on his Bike or horse, Swimming in my own sweat). I crave for unwinding dinners and coffee times with friends. But since I can hardly do that, I settle for mini-me times with my iPod during dinnertime and while doing chores.

But then again, when I see his smiling face, my mind goes temporarily blank. I just bask in his sunshiny little face and let it warm my heart for a few seconds. Then it's back to reality of being tired and busy. But what matters is that I know that the reason for this lifestyle change, the reason for the physical and mental exhaustion that I'm experiencing right now is ULTIMATELY my reason for smiling, my reason for being able to go through with all these, my reason for being happy, my reason for being a better and a more complete person.

I will NEVER get tired of looking at your face, smothering you with kisses, hugging you despite the squirming matches that go with it. I will never get tired of loving you, Ev Joaquin.

Close Encounters of the Little Girl Kind

While I was at the boarding area of Singapore's Changi Airport on my way back to Manila, I was fondly observing this little girl (maybe around 4 years old or so) waiting in line a few people ahead of me. She was with her family and she was obviously bored. To pass the time, she was examining her grandma's big bag, which had drawings of 3 fish in increasing sizes.

Pointing to the first fish, she said, "Big."
Her mom, noticing her, urged her to go on with the next fish.
So then pointing to the next bigger fish, the little girl said, "Mas big!"
Before her mom could react, the girl hurriedly pointed to the biggest fist and said, "Pinaka big!!!" with a smug look on her face.

Epilogue: After laughing good-naturedly, her mom corrected her and told her, "No, it's supposed to be 'bigger'. Cge nga, say 'bigger'?"
Little girl: "Mas big!"

Sabi ko nga eh. Hehehe!

------------------------------

As we went through the boarding pass check, I again noticed another little girl talking to her mom.

Little girl: "Mommy, miss ko na si Yaya."
Mother: "Ako nga din anak eh, miss ko na yaya mo. Haaay."

>_< Kunsumido ata si Mother hahaha! :)))

Moments like these are indeed priceless.

Separation Anxiety. Mine, btw.

I seem to be going through separation anxiety. I know I'm uber uber lucky to have my parents taking care of my son while I'm away, but there's a certain sadness and whatever feeling knowing I won't see the cutie pie for a week. This is the longest time I'm gonna be away from him -- before was just 2 days max. It really is different when you've been attached (literally and figuratively) to someone for a long time -- he started out as a jumbling thing in my tummy and hasn't been away from me for a long period of time ever since. Sigh.

So I can hardly imagine what other moms feel, when they actually have to leave their babies / children for a long period of time because they have to earn a living abroad. It must hurt deeply, but they have to do it for their children's sake too. Kudos to you, OFW moms (and dads too. And that includes my husband.)

EJ honey, mommy's gonna be away for a while. Don't make wowo and wowa's life loco too much, okay? Remember mommy loves you. Will bring you mucho mucho gifts when I get back. Mwaaahhh.

The Face That Launched A Thousand.....Fans?

The second I saw this face up-close, I grabbed my phone, switched the camera on (thank goodness it didn't lag this time) and clicked. I knew I captured a priceless moment. My baby was having one of his usual tantrums that involved "nothing and everything". Nothing was taken away from him but he wants everything he points to in return. Or something to that effect. He usually cries if I pull him away from his center of attention (e.g. live outlet/plug, so can you blame me?) and pouts and cries. Then give him something he likes and the pout instantly turns into a grin despite tears in his eyes. Tsktsk. A certified Drama King. I can't help but shake my head in amusement.

I often wonder, why and how does he do that? He makes this "gimme-what-I-want" look (see picture above) and when you give in and hand the world over to him it turns into a smug smile in an instant. Where did he learn that? *amused* Seriously, I never taught him that. And I don't throw tantrums at home for me to conclude that he saw me do it. Is it in the genes? Is it inborn? Is it a default setting? Isn't there any way to run Setup and alter the default settings before he boots up?

I know, I know, it's cute. It really is. However, I know there will come a point in time when I have to correct that notion that he can get what he wants with a certain look. It doesn't and shouldn't work that way. I only hope I don't teach him too early (like do I teach him now?) or too late (that he stubbornly refuses to stop doing it). Oh well, that's first-time mommyhood for ya. Always a trial and error. And since hubby is abroad, I have to stand in as Mommy and Papa. So, do I become the good cop or that bad cop? Martial Law or not?

I hope I don't end up with multiple personalities coz of this. LOL.


(oh, and thank you so much to all who appreciated, liked, replied, reposted this picture)

Where are you Scottie? Beam me up, darnit!

I was awakened by an early (okay, by early I mean, uh, seven-thirty-ish) morning phone call from my mom saying that EJ has been sick all night with fever. I was staying in Makati for the weekend and although I was aware he had fever the previous evening, I was hoping his paracetamol would kick in by the time he sleeps. Turns out, his fever went back up every after a couple of hours or so. Mom told me to come home earlier than my planned time.

She was calm though concerned.
I was spaced out in a deer-in-headlights moment once again.

My cousin and forever roomie Nikka witnessed the succeeding spaced-out-buzzing-like-a-bee-dunno-what-to-do-first moments I went through. I was debating with myself whether to rush EJ to the ER or not. I made frantic text messages. I fixed my stuff, prepared breakfast, fixed my stuff, ate breakfast, called my mom, took a shower, fixed my stuff (yeah I never seem to finish any of those fixings) and was finally fairly sure I packed everything before leaving for home. And in between those moments, I was wishing I could teleport right home and see how EJ's doing. That or scream for Scottie to effin' BEAM ME UP, pronto!!! 


When I got home, my heart bled when I saw my baby sleeping, wrapped in a blankie...

:'( I felt like crying. He's not usually this wrapped in a blankie because he sweats a lot even in an airconditioned room. So for me to see him like this -- it hit me that he's really sick. He's really not well. He woke up a little because we had to give him meds against his will -- and I couldn't bear to see him cry. Sheesh. What a puddle of jell-o am I as a mom. Sigh.

Thank goodness his fever didn't return by afternoon. He still has low-grade fever, though, and still eats and drinks irregularly. The upside to this is that he's the type of baby who, after feeling a bit better coz of the meds, starts walking and playing again. He's not the type to just mope around the bed even if his fever has gone down. In fact, it's 1:08am now and he's still walking around the room, playing and kicking his toys. I'm torn between feeling glad because he can still act normal (although more subdued) or feel bad because this smells like an all-nighter and we have to get up early tomorrow for his pedia visit.

Either way, I fervently pray that he'd be okay, that his high fever wouldn't come back.
And I would like to thank wowo and wowa for taking care of him to the highest level.

Get well soon, baby. Love you!

Ganun pala ang Mother's Love

"Itong c ej sobrang kulet, pasaway, pilyo. Pinapalo ko n kamay nya kc gsto pglaruan un plug pro uulit ulitin p rn, ggwa p ng paraan. Pinapgalitan ko n cya. Pro pg tinitigan n nya ako n prang inosente, bilog na bilog ung mata tpos ang sweet ng smile, nwwla n ung inis ko. Kinikiss at hug ko n cya. Gnun pla tlga no? Mother's love. Gnun pla un. :)"

Text ko sa isang kaibigan ko matapos ko ulanin ng halik ang makulit kong anak na pasaway. Pinost ko din sa FB pra sa lahat.

Minsan naiisip ko nung nagbigay ng kakulitan at kapilyohan c Lord, nasa front row c EJ "with arms wide open", kaya saganang sagana cya sa mga un. Nakakatuwa makita kung paano cya mag-react sa mga nangyayari sa paligid nya, nakakatuwa makita na nag-eexperimento cya, nakakatuwa makita na nakakapag-communicate na cya paunti-unti. Alam na nya kung anong gusto nya, kung milk o water o lumabas o mag play ng ball o magtampisaw sa tubig. Hindi ko alam kung may lahi ba cyang sirena o nasobrahan din ng pagka-mana sakin, dahil hayok na hayok cya sa paglalaro sa tubig.

Nakakatuwa makita lumaki ang anak mo. Lalo na kung maiisip mo na galing cya sayo. Kaya pla hindi tayo kayang tiisin ng mga nanay natin. Kahit anong gawin natin mapapatawad pa rin nya tayo, at minsan pa nga gagawa pa cya ng paraan pra kampihan tayo. Ngyon alam ko na kung bakit. :)

(Almost) Walking Drama King

EJ is now in the walking stage (though he usually clings on us for support) where he touches, swipes, eats, smells anything within his reach. This warrants constant supervision and close monitoring, lest he eat a piece of paper or a pair of slippers, God forbid. This means we have to follow him around the room, steer him away from the plugs and outlets, snatch away dirty things he collected along the way, and watch him do everything all over again.

But what amuses us now is his Drama King moments. He has since perfected his "woe-is-me" pouty look to the point of scrunching his face and sniffing with a little tears in his eyes, just so he gets what he wants. And when he does -- total transformation in a snap. All traces of "woe-is-me" is gone, a mischievous, triumphant smile replaces the pout, with drool on the side. And he got all of us hook, line and sinker.

Tsktsk. He's the King, all right.

Bust It Baby...

Nope this ain't the song by Plies (altho I love that song, the Pt. 2). This is about my baby, EJ, busting his lip tonight. Sigh.

He was in the middle of his usual mini-tantrum when he accidentally hit his lower lip on the (wooden) edge of the bed. Then he shrieked and cried and threw up (triggered by his banshee-cries) and there was blood oozing from the left part of his lower lip. I was in a deer-in-headlights moment again. My mind went momentarily blank and all I could do was stare at my baby and his bloody lip. Then my senses kicked in and I knew I had to get his washcloth and wipe him up (wowo was holding him anyway) and the works. Well, good thing that by the time I finished heating water and preparing his change of clothes, he stopped crying and was already reading a book. Whew.

I know this is part of the toddler years. But unlike the song, I'm not looking forward to the Pt. 2 of this. =)