Ten!

In exactly 8 hours and 25 minutes, the little boy will be 10 months old! Wooh-hooh!!!

Mommy and Daddy love you, Yohann!

Whaddayaknow, he's turning 10 months with so much flair - he got his two front (lower) teeth coming out, already learned to walk his first few baby steps, and already blurted out his first official word - "Dad-deeh!!!"

He's got me all excited and worried at the same time. He's just growing up too fast. Before I know it, Yohann will be waving good-bye for his first day of school in no time. Nooooooooo!

Dear little boy, please, please, PLEASE don't grow up too fast.

my climbing crawling critter

Yohann surprised me again today with a new trick.

We were playing on the mattress in the living room floor when he saw this toy which I placed on the couch on one side of the mattress. He wanted to reach for it, so I stood him up on his feet and placed him against the couch. But when he was already there, he decided he didn't want that toy, but a pack of Giggles wipes which Daddy left. So I took it away from him and placed it on the far end of the couch, knowing he would only put it on his mouth again. Now, Yohann is one determined little boy. If he wants it, he'll find a way to get it.

So he looked at the pack of wipes which I put away, reached for it, realized his arms were too short for it. Imagine my surprise when he pulled one leg up and climbed onto the couch. I thought he was getting a wee bit too ambitious there (lol) and was pleasantly surprised when he actually did it, the little critter just climbed up the couch! His weeks of climbing over me in bed every morning paid off, haha.

To be sure that he really could do it, I set up the digicam on a stool and made him do it again. He did so with little effort and I caught it on video. But instead of uploading the vid, here are some screen shots of the little boy's latest trick ;)

saw the pack of Giggles

must.get.Giggles!

Giggles here I come!

crawling fast

Yay! You did it! Mommy's proud!

I guess this means I should be preparing myself for more exciting action around the house ;)

Otso-otso

Yohann turned 8 months yesterday, yay!!!

Tignan niyo naman kung gano sha kasaya:

TAGUMPAY!!!

Hehe. He's really a happy baby and it's not hard to make him laugh and smile. Yun lang, kahit sinasaway ko na sha at pinagsasabihan, he'd just laugh or smile at me! Anubeh! :p

This will be his first Christmas and I already got him his Christmas outfit, hihi. And to complete his outfit, we got him this head band.

I'm a reindeer!

A few more months and the little munchkin will already be a year old... hay, di na sha baby! Ngayon pa lang his cousins are already saying he looks and acts like a toddler already. Which kinda makes me sad coz I'd love for him to be a baby for a long time pa sana, but of course that's not possible. He will always keep growing no matter how I want him to be a baby forever. :p

Picky eater...Not!

Yohann's been eating solids since the second half of his fifth month. His pedia gave the go signal to start solids when he turned 5 months, but I was hesitant since I knew that according to the World Health  Organization, 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding is the optimal way of feeding infants. But every mealtime and I would be carrying Yohann with me, he would already pull my plate or make chewing motions whenever he sees or even smells food. I figured that he was already into his 6th month anyway and was already very active and energetic, the solids would probably do him good.

he likes to eat with his ceramic spoon :p

I first gave him mashed potato. I cooked it myself and added breast milk to make it easier for him to chew. My pedia's advice was to give him a couple of teaspoons per feeding, but Yohann always found it bitin. So I think I fed him a couple of tablespoons on his first try :p He ate potatoes for 3 days, and after that I fed him squash (kalabasa). He liked it too! This is currently his all-time favorite food, as he would eat and eat without showing signs of being full. I just have to give up and stop feeding him or we stop when he's eaten an entire serving already. Since then, he's eaten bananas, mangoes, oranges, applesauce (which I made), sweet potatoes, sayote, carrots, cantaloupe, okra, eggplant,  fish, some pork, arroz caldo and chicken liver. Yes, chicken liver! And he also loves my sinigang. Hehe. I've also given him Cerelac on days when I had no time to cook his food, or when I ran out of veggies or fruits for him. But mostly, I feed him home-cooked baby food.

When I fed him chicken liver, it was funny how he wanted to throw up after tasting it. I was watching him closely, knowing how babies generally dislike its taste. When he looked like he might throw up, I offered him water at once. He drank, and when I offered him some more chicken liver, he still opened his mouth to eat. He was able to finish at least two tablespoons of chicken liver even if he obviously didn't like it :p The last time we ate chopsuey, he already likes chicken liver and no longer gags on it. Good boy! Most of the time too, whenever we are eating, he would be in his walker and running around, passing by my side and demanding to be fed again. I would give him some rice and bits of whatever it is we're eating as long as I know it doesn't have anything that might upset his wee tummy. I've let him taste lechon paksiw, spaghetti, adobo. He mostly likes rice, as it gives him something to chew on. He's tasted spices like pepper and he doesn't seem a bit turned off by it.

I would often tease his dad that the day Yohann eats ampalaya is the day he also begins to eat veggies. Daddy's a picky eater and the little boy has to learn by example that all veggies are good for the body and are to be eaten. When that day comes, I'll be the happiest mommy (and wife!) on earth. :D

my new best friend

...is none other than Yohann's walker! :p

my new best friend :p

The first time he tried it when we were buying him one, he could only move backwards. But when we got home and sat him on his own walker, he immediately took to it like a duck to pond :p

lovin' his new ride :)

He walks from the living area to the dining area, banging on chairs, the fridge and everything else in between. When he gets too excited he first hops on both feet and then makes a run for whatever it is he's coming for. He loves the new sense of freedom his walker has given him. And I love that it's given me back my hands! Haha!

Yohann's play area

Before the walker happened, I always had my hands full with the little boy. I could not go the bathroom, or do chores unless he was sleeping soundly. I could not even cook even when he's sleeping soundly as the noise I make while preparing food would awaken him. My hands were literally tied to him. When I'm not carrying him, we would be playing in his play area (a mattress we set up on the living room floor where he could crawl, play and nap) and I still could not leave him even for a second. He crawls so fast he'd be banging his head on the floor or mouthing any object he gets his hands on when I'm not looking.

exploring every corner of the house

waiting for the pussy cat to come

That was life before the walker; now, life is simpler and easier. I can prepare meals while he runs around the room. I can go to the bathroom anytime I need to. He can watch his pussycat friend from the open screen door without me having to carry him. I can even do the laundry while he watches. We are both enjoying the freedom of mobility while still enjoying each other's company.

Thank God for whoever invented the walker! :D

Half a year

Can't believe that in a day short of 6 months from now, the little boy will be a year old already! How time flies when you're having fun! Thank you, Lord for a happy, healthy, bubbly baby! May his coming months and years be even more blessed. :)

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
 You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

- Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

5 months and counting

Just some updates lest the cobwebs start appearing on my blog :p

The little boy turned 5 months a couple of days ago! Yay! What do you know, he's getting to be quite a handful, not yet crawling but already able to propel himself around when on his tummy by kicking like crazy! I wake up most mornings to find him at waist level, and if I get to be such a heavy sleeper I'm afraid one day I'll just find him on our bedroom floor. To avoid this from happening I just put a pillow beneath him and rest my leg on it, so I'll feel it whenever he's pushed the pillow away.

love this boy with the crazy hair!

Since he's already grown longer, he's lost a bit of his massiveness (lol) and is even more active than he was previously. He likes to jump a lot, often tries to squirm out of our grip wanting to go down on the floor. I'm already contemplating on getting him a walker since he has sooooo much energy, maybe the walking will help him calm down a bit :p But that's still pending, anyway he'll be 6 months soon and maybe that would be the perfect time to let him try walking.

doing his jumping jacks :p

Soon I'll be giving him his first taste of food, and I'm already thinking of what to prepare for him. I'd like to feed him baby food that I'll make myself, and my ultimate dream is to see him enjoying his ampalaya meal :D That will come in a few more weeks, so for the meantime I'll be searching and researching on how and what to feed the little boy. Wish me luck on this. :)

100 and 22 days

*Forgot to post it last night :p
- - - - - -

Today you are 100 and 22 days old, bebe Yo!

your cookie cake

Mommy's so proud of how you've grown. I'm amazed at how fast you're learning. Everyday, I look forward to seeing your new antics. Everyday, new aspects of your personality unfold, and I'm loving every bit of you.

May your curiosity never cease, your giggles keep on coming, and your smiles be ever so sweet.

big boy!

Happy fourth month, Yohann! Daddy and I love you very much. And Jesus loves you even more.

  

Hoorayyyy!!!

Tonight's another milestone for the little boy. He's been turning to his side for several weeks now, and I've been dutifully turning him on his tummy for exercise. This evening I set Yohann down on the mat to play. Not long after, he turned to his side and was staring at his pillow. A little later and he was trying to roll onto his tummy. I immediately got the digicam and documented it.

see my tiny ninja?

kicking like crazy!

I can do this!

I can, I can, I can!!!

Almost there!

Yahoo!!!

His first attempt was almost but not quite successful. He was already on his tummy, had already pulled his arm from under him when poof! He bounced right back on his back! Hahaha. Second attempt was a bit better. He was able to prop himself on his tummy for maybe two seconds. After that he rolled to his back again. But he did it! Yay!

After his rolling exercise, he cried for milk and immediately fell asleep. Poor kid was tired from all the kicking and turning he did :p