Once a week, we go to the laundromat for the big loads: bed sheets, towels, rugs, and for some junk food from the nearby convenient store. Daniel goes with us all the time. He’s fascinated by swirling machines that he taps on them one by one as if to say, hurry up!
Doing laundry is a family affair for us: we not only get to spend time with each other, we also get fresh and clean laundry in an hour or so.
It was totally my fault: I was remiss in putting my iPhone on the bedside table just below the lampshade. Daniel woke up one morning and decided it was fun to pour his milk on every visible hole of the phone. (He also tinkered with my 17″ Macbook Pro and successfully pulled out the Right key—now I cannot figure out how to put it back!) Imagine my horror when I saw my phone swimming in white liquid, totally drenched, and not working! On the other hand, my son was grinning beside me, as if to say, you like it Mom?
That’s not funny, Daniel.
So I was away from the mobile universe for more than a week. Fortunately, I only had 11 contacts in my phone book so I didn’t really miss anything major. (I was just building my contact list and reconnecting with friends.) Besides, they all have my e-mail. [Read more...]
So, after almost two months of living in the Bay Area, I can safely say that Daniel has already grown accustomed to his new environment. The adjustment was so quick that he didn’t even break a sweat over the sudden change of weather patterns and new faces that bourgeon in front of him. He’s more attached to me now: he clings into my pants or any fabric that he can clutch his tiny fingers into, whenever I attempt to slip on my heels or put on my rubber shoes. He knows when I’m going somewhere, maybe by the way I blithely toss my damp hair, or how I wear my purse in a certain way. And no amount of cajoling can soften his strong grasp. Most times, he rushes to hide between my legs or pretend to morph with them, whichever makes him more invisible. While that is the best thing since sliced bread, sometimes I feel guilty that I have to go somewhere without him. On the other hand, I delight in the fact that I am needed by my son. I admit I’ve never felt so needed like that before.
Daniel doesn’t miss his Yaya and while I am still trying to figure out whether “not missing” is a good thing or not, I also doubt if he even realizes losing his nanny in the first place. It seems that life goes on for Daniel and his days go by nary a word spoken about his trusty nanny. I guess I wouldn’t want my son to start crying profusely in the middle of the night and demanding to fly his Yaya to the Bay Area. So in this case, it makes sense to say that “not missing” is a good thing.
When we left Iloilo (God, the mere mention of the place makes me want to catch the next flight out of San Francisco) more than a month ago, Daniel brought with him basic words that he picked-up from his Yaya, the people around him (mostly our relatives), and from his deep personal attachment to food or anything that looks edible. One of the first words that he masterfully enunciates in different accents is apple. I didn’t know that apple, if repeated a thousand times over in one day at the rate of five repetitions per second, can be pleasing to ears especially if it is formed out of the lips of my dear son. [Read more...]
This was taken a couple of months ago when Daniel was still learning how to walk. The next thing I knew, he was on the phone and pretending to talk to someone.
How observant!
Daniel will be 18-month-old soon and has grown into a smart and happy toddler and a happy walker. He has long abandoned his crib and now seldom uses his stroller to go places. He prefers walking and has expanded his playground to the lawn where he can enjoy the colorful flowers and lush greenery.
He also loves dancing, which makes him popular among relatives, neighbors, and even among my mother’s co-workers. He loves his Brainy Baby videos, which are extremely effective to soothe his tantrums.
Although Daniel likes watching his videos, he prefers being read to and likes to look and point at illustrations. He can identify photos of the following: banana, apple, Coke, bird, car, duck, chicken, ball, flower, tree, baby, mommy, and daddy. He also attentively listens to his favorite children stories.
Daniel started talking last month and has expanded his vocabulary by early June. He now uses words and actions to effectively communicate what he needs and wants. While some kids have mama or papa as their first words, Daniel first uttered the words banana (his favorite) and Coke.
I love being a mom and I’m happy to see my son’s progress every day. I can’t wait for him to have full mobility so he can just tag along with us wherever we go.
