theo at 5 months

theo or "baby bilog", as i fondly call him nowadays, turned five months last march 4th. he's still the happy and bubbly baby that we all love but i have observed that he's becoming clingy lately. though not as clingy as his kuya iñigo was but theo is now  demanding for our attention and wants to be carried always. ugh! he reacts whenever i put him down in his crib and it takes a while for him to be pacified. but it doesn't take long and he demands to be carried again.

he also prefers me laying down beside him during his slumber time. worse, he wants me to put one of my arms around him when he's sleeping instead of him lying down on his tummy. hello backpains!

but i realized that theo is just telling us that he, too, has emotional needs which we need to fill. he now cries when we disappear from his sight without any warning, especially if that happens in the middle of our bonding activities. he likes to be carried always as he likes to see us moving inside the house. so the daddy now wears him (yeah, i admit, he's better than me when it comes to babywearing) and it's amusing to see theo quiet inside the sling; his eyes busy with whatever his daddy is doing. this tells us that the baby just wants to get involved in our daily ritual... amazing isn't it? :)

party boy theo attending the first birthday party of his cousin zandy in pixie forest, festival mall, alabang; with him in this picture is lola babes (jude's aunt).

development and milestones

- his weight gain for the past four weeks tapered as he only gained additional 600 grams. but i think theo who's 4 1/2 months during the time he was weighed is still very heavy at 7.8 kilos. he's still exclusively breastfed until now and when i say "exclusive" it means he takes no other milk or liquid, including water and vitamins. breastfeeding not only gives us a healthy baby but saves us thousands of pesos as well.

- he can see farther now, up to three meters i think. i realized this when jude was carrying him from the door of our bedroom while i was in the kitchen cooking lunch... our eyes met and he gave me a big smile and gestured that he wanted me to get him from his daddy. he also now pays attention to colorful objects, aside from those with red-black-white patterns. and most of all, theo loves to look at the mirror and is fascinated with his own image. :)

- one of the milestones he achieved lately is using of his hand to reach out. now he knows what else he can do with his hand aside from putting it inside his mouth. :) theo has entered the age of discoveries as i sometimes see him gazing at his fingers, toes or any object that he can grab within his reach with so much fascination, only to shove it inside his mouth, probably to also know how it tastes like. hehehe.

- he now turns and rolls faster than he did a month ago. he's also trying to do some push ups but with his heavy load, he could only lift his body an inch. hahaha.

..less than a month from now and theo can already eat solid foods. he is already showing interests to eat but i think he has to wait for many more months before he could get a share of his cake, a monthly treat for his month-birthday but it's he--the celebrator--who cannot eat. hehehe.

the report that made us parents very proud

i received a six-page report from iñigo's teacher last friday. it's a progress report, the first and the last for iñigo for the school year since he just joined in her class november of last year. i was anxious to see it because i really had no idea what's going on inside the classroom since the day i decided to stop lurking outside and immediately leave the school premises as soon as i dropped him off.

the first two pages of the report are in narrative form and it reads (excerpts only)...

"...academically you (the report is addressed to iñigo) excel in reading readiness and math readiness skills. you know the names of the letters of the alphabet as well as their letter sounds. what you do not know, you absorb very quickly during class discussions. you have mastered identifying numbers 1 to 12. we have already begun to learn how to tell time by the hour. it is remarkable you grasp our daily concepts so easily. that's amazing, iñigo! this skill will surely benefit you when you move on to a big school.

i have noticed you have opened your doors to making friends with your classmates. 

...i am amused with your quiet conversations with swiss, marco, and andy while waiting for your name to be called.

the last trimester, i have watched you grow more independent, more involved with school activities. it also seems as though as you have grown happier about coming to school. your enthusiasm in the classroom is quite contagious which help others become more enthusiastic too. i love the way you smile when you get excited about everything be it worksheets, art projects, or playground time. it is also great that you have eagerness to learn..."

iñigo strutting his stuff during their circle time

the remaining pages discussed what they--all the three teachers--have observed and haven't  observed on our son based on the checklist they have provided, so typically it's all about iñigo's strengths and weaknesses and if he has already achieved the milestones for a three-year old.

all in all, the report made jude and i very proud about our eldest son's achievements in school. everything that the head teacher wrote about iñigo were all positive. this prompted me to schedule a one-on-one consultation last monday with teacher celes, the head teacher, as i was thinking she may probably missed out or deliberately removed the not-so-good things to say about my son and since i still have plans of homeschooling iñigo i want to probe further on the areas which need improvement. and lo and behold... there's almost none! :D teacher celes and i only had a brief discussion as she had nothing else to say about iñigo but praises. she started by saying that we have a very smart boy and he picks up (the lessons and instructions) very fast. i thought my ears were clapping that time! hahaha. she was also surprised that iñigo didn't have a hard time adjusting in school despite the fact that he only comes to class 2 to 3 times a week. it even made me prouder upon hearing that teacher celes had nothing against iñigo's behavior in school as my son listens (i couldn't believe this! hehe) and he knows how to share--two of the typical concerns she has with the other kids.

...and yes, she loves my son's eagerness and enthusiasm in the activities they are doing especially when they are off to the playground and iñigo will shout with one arm up "let's go now, classmates!" i can't believe she's talking about my son as he was really timid before especially when he's swarmed with bigger kids. iñigo has definitely came out from his shell and is a big boy now. though his teacher said that there's still a trace of that little boy in him as he's not confident sometimes of trying new things but with just a little encouragement from the teachers, he abides and iñigo is usually left euphoric with his new accomplishments like the first time he wrote his name and it was really a big deal for him as he told each of his classmates and teachers that he was able to write his own name--awesome! hahaha.

teacher celes also mentioned that he needs more concentration but she was quick to explain that it's probably because the tot is just overwhelmed with the many things he can do in school as he only comes a few days a week.

after ten minutes of discussion (i also brought up the fears iñigo has lately) teacher celes concluded the consultation by saying that iñigo is almost ready for big school.

and lastly, am sure it's not part of the progress report but teacher celes probably couldn't resist not to say that iñigo is very pogi... :) i almost laughed when she added that "i have a one-year old niece but she's still too young... probably when they are older..." nyek! hehehe.

their moving up day (sort of graduation day) is scheduled next week and i can't wait to see iñigo with his classmates doing a dance number. the whole family will surely be there to cheer for kuya iñigo. :)

 

 

 

 

chiquito, megabloks and inigo's pretend plays (a very late post)

i will fail as a mom if i don't post this... :)

***

having a three-year old in the house can be quite amusing. it's because i sometimes find myself in the company of anyone or anything that iñigo has wished to be. his imagination really runs wild these days and i let him give in and turn our small abode into a fantasyland.

in just a span of one hour iñigo can be an elephant, a train engine, a trailer truck, and a  fastfood crew. and how can i forget the time when he imagined himself as a refrigerator and he asked for his sweater as he was feeling cold... :D

iñigo pretending to be a rocket with the help of theo's bolster pillow

inigo as a sports commentator

now meet chiquito...

i can't recall where we got this toy... it's like an action figure which iñigo is now fond of playing with especially with his megabloks - a gift from his ninang leah for his 3rd birthday. it's jude who 'christened' it with the name chiquito since it's face shares a resemblance with the late comedy actor (circa 70's). :) since then inigo made it as part of his daily tasks to make sure chiquito is not neglected and also entertained.

chiquito spending some time in front of a TV

inigo always makes sure that chiquito has a space to sit on...

the OC mom in me sometimes gets annoyed with his mess everytime he does pretend plays; the bolster pillows snatched from his baby brother's crib, the dining chairs removed where they were and arranged as a train engine and coaches, the cups and bins scattered on the floor to be part of his castle... am always tempted to put them away and tidy up inigo's mess but it's probably the loving mom in me which reminds me that it's all part of childhood and those mess are what's making my son smart and happy. :)

kodak moment: iñigo and theo bonding together

i left the boys on the bed for a quick trip to the restroom and this is what i found when i came back to the room... something which made me grab my celfone for its camera...

...babaw but i think every parent will really be overjoyed upon seeing her kids bonding together and it made me wish that i can do magic and freeze time so i don't have to be concerned with sibling rivalry, jealousy, fight over the same toy... or girl? 'wag naman po... hehe.

the joys which parenthood can bring... :)

 

"wearing theo"

i don't know how i look like but i always attract a lot of attention whenever i use the sling for theo. does it look so primitive, or it is just really an uncommon sight for them--a mother using a stretch of cloth to carry her baby? i just wish that i don't give an impression that we can't afford a baby carrier or stroller. hehehe.

well, i find the baby sling more convenient to use in carrying my theo especially when we're out. it frees my hands and gives support to my back, making it easier for me to bring him around even when am doing other things. i always use it when there's no choice but to fetch iñigo from school with him in tow as jude is not home. you should see the faces of the people we meet along; most of them can't help but give a second-look and smile.

the crade hold, which i found so useful; theo was only a month old here and we're in iñigo's school to fetch him

oh by the way... it's jude who taught me how to use it. yep, no manuals no video... just hands-on tutorial from someone who is quite an expert in rings, carabiners, and the likes. according to him: parang sa rapelling lang yan... anovah??? hahaha.

... and it tickled me pink when some mommies remarked that they find it nice of seeing jude with the sling. :) the daddy loves to use it instead of the stroller when we're inside the mall.

jude doing the snuggle hold

i am happy that we do babywearing (the use of sling or wrap in carrying the baby) now. i am an avid fan of dr. sear's attachment parenting and i applied some of the tools that it advocates such as breastfeeding and co-sleeping for iñigo, but not babywearing. when we got pregnant with theo i promised that i will give it a try since am sure i will be multitasking... thanks to mareng lui for lending me her sling. i just hope that we can already buy our own so we can give it back to her soon. ;D

 

 

 

theo at 4 months

theo is one of the reasons why jude and i love our roles as parents nowadays. he never fails to cheer us up even if we are doing the most tedious chore or we're caught in one of those stressful moments. it's because he loves to put a smile on his face especially when he sees familiar faces like mine, his daddy's or kuya iñigo's. though he can also instantly shift to a bad mood when his big brother gets near him; it depends on how many times iñigo pestered him within that day. ;D

even jude's fondness on him grew as it's so easy for theo to smile and giggle, and laugh when we do something which he finds funny.

he also loves to play, even with his kuya iñigo, but he becomes fussy though when gets overstimulated. or the play gets rough by you-already-know-who... one more thing i like about him is he loves to take a bath unlike iñigo who, during his baby days, throws a fit and whose cry can be heard by neighbors because bath time for him was worse than getting a shot. oh my... i really can't help but compare them sometimes. i hope am not being a bad mom when i compare them.

 

 

he turned four months last february 4th and again we celebrated it with a traditional round cake.

 

 

 

 

development and milestones

- i said a month ago that theo could already be weighing 7 kilos at 3 1/2 months. it was only a guess because we're yet to see his pediatrician the following weekend for his monthly baby wellness check-up... and indeed, our little theo weighed 7 kilos, but a little more than that as his exact weight was 7.4 kilos and he was only 14 weeks! now i know why my shoulders are aching whenever i carry him for more than 10 minutes. i have already kept away the clothes he first wore as most of them are already small for him. his diaper size is now at medium but i think it won't be long and we need to buy the next size.

he's scheduled again for his wellness check-up this coming saturday and let's see what the weighing scale will say... i just hope he isn't overweight yet. :S

who couldn't resist not to pinch those cheeks and limbs? not me! hahaha.

- he squirms, scoots, pedals his feet upwards, raises his head and move it from side to side... these were the skills of theo right after he turned 3 months.

theo learned to raise his head at 12 weeks (3 months)

now, theo can already rotate his head with ease. this made him prefer the upward position when he's being carried as he loves to gaze at the objects and people around the house, especially those that make noises like his kuya iñigo. :)

theo can also roll over his body. we can't put him now on our bed unguarded; otherwise, he has to be transfered inside the crib. i also realized that we purchased a small cot as he cannot rotate his body now without his feet getting stuck by the fences/railings and his bolster pillows.

- he babbles and squeals a lot especially when he needs something like when he's sleepy and he wants to be put to sleep (though he can soothe himself sometimes and sleep on his own) or when his kuya iñigo is playing with him and he needs me to remove his big brother from his side... hehe... but it's true. he speaks his own language and sometimes with more audible voice... that can sometimes be considered as noise. :D

noisy theo can also now make eye contact

- i really think theo is already on teething stage. he now loves to put everything in his mouth. he also tends to gnaw whatever his mouth catches like the sleeve of my shirt, his bolster pillow; and to my dismay one time, i saw him gnawing one of the railings of his crib! it's the paint of the crib that am worried about... am scared of the toxic lead, you know.

manila ocean park: iñigo's first field trip

a trip to manila ocean park was really in our plans after christmas but we canceled it for some reasons. a week later, iñigo's teacher told us thru a letter that they will have a field trip in ocean park on january 27th--great!

i admit i was more excited than the kiddo as i knew he'd love the place. jude was also excited for him and he actually wanted us to go there as a family but unfortunately there's a training for him, which was also scheduled on the date of the field trip. but this also gave me a major dilemma as no one will be left in the house with theo. i was about to ask the assistance of my cousin who's off from school that day but the daddy decided last-minute to stay home.

since the daddy can't drive us iñigo and i just took a cab going to the theme park. there's a transportation provided by the school for those who will not be bringing their cars but i opted not to avail this as the fee is twice the amount than if we're going to pay for a taxi ride rount-trip. call time was 10:00 a.m. but we reached the gate at 10:15 a.m. i was glad to see that our group was still waiting outside the building. :D

iñigo joining the choo-choo train

the train started to dissamble as soon as we got inside the park. the kids together with their guardians made their own itineraries and it was pretty obvious that we just have to help ourselves throughout the tour. i was quite disappointed because one of the reasons why i decided to let iñigo join the field trip is because i wanted him to share his observations with his classmates or peers. it definitely didn't happen but i was still glad that i was there with him. more than half of his classmates went to ocean park only with their nannies and honestly speaking, i can't help but feel bad for these kids.

a rare chance to pose together with a classmate (it's gota)

we moved from one room to another until we reached the big aquariums like those labeled with laot and karagatan. the sights were nice indeed but we can't fully appreciate them because there were also a lot of other guests, mostly students, who flocked in front of the glass panels or sitting on the ledges. iñigo and i had to be content in looking at the sea creatures from a distance. it was during this moment that i thanked my decision of not going there last december as for sure the crowd was bigger (and rowdier) and we'll be forced to leave early for theo's sake.

nonetheless, iñigo still had an enriching experience inside the ocean park. he immediately looked for his book of sea animals as soon we got home and he pointed to his daddy what he saw like the stingray and the shark. he's also now fond of the plastic miniatures of sea animals which he received as a christmas gift from one of his classmatest. the trip was worthy after all! :D