My sweet and smart toddler

I feel the need to write these down, even randomly even without form, for my own benefit. So I can remember years from now.

My little one, now 2.5 years old, is really sweet & smart. I’m really one proud momma just like his grandparents & titas.

SWEETNESS

I was wiping him dry after bath time awhile ago. He smiled then said, “PD (his nickname) happy coz mommy’s not angry.” I was not angry at all. I was not even reprimanding him softly for anything. I think he was just really happy that I gave him so many smiles this day. Note to self: Smile more and more for your child. I do give him praises, but I don’t overdo it, but a warm smile from me seems to mean a lot more to him.

 Recently, he would make this “nagmamakaawa” face but not really to get pity or sympathy so he could run free and get his whims, but I guess, to really get empathy. He does this face every time he sees mommy or daddy feeling disappointed that he is not obeying deliberately. Even though we are not really saying anything, but a little heave of sigh or deadpan look from me, he knows we are a bit disappointed. Then he puts up this face, makes sure we see it, sometimes with miniscule tears if he feels hurt. The result is win win, actually. Parents smile, he asks it sometimes right after he showed us the face, he gets what he wants (e.g. more minutes to play or watch youtube before brushing, bath time, sleeping, etc.). And sometimes, he obeys us right away, especially when he knows we’ve given him extension already. Warms my heart really. 

Another sweet gesture of this boy is the need to get hugs. He is often hugged & kissed that sometimes he will wipe off his cheeks as if to erase the kiss when he feels he’s not up for it or he’s busy on something.

But sometimes, he will just ask for it, “Hug mommy.” “hugs daddy please.” Also, when I cannot breastfeed him (this boy still breastfeeds when he wants to sleep), 

he asks for hugs instead. Sometimes my back hurts coz of wrong sleep position, then gently, daddy will tell him, “sorry anak mommy’s back has ouchie.” He listens to this even when he’s so sleepy & maybe just wants to breastfeed again to pacify and get back to sleep, then he’ll say, “hug na lng, hug.” And when I hear that, it’s as if my back can just take all the pain at once, just to give this boy what he needs.

And many more sweetness of this boy.  Sometimes, he will caution mommy or daddy when he knows it’s not safe to do something like touching hot pans. “Be careful walk, mommy, be careful,” he once told me when we were walking at a hiking trail in Norway. I thought he was just mimicking what we told him be careful when you walk, watch your step. But I was touched when he looked at the stones and twigs at the uneven pathway, then he looked back to see how I was doing. Such a sweet lad really. 

SMART ONE

As proud mommy, I can go on & on raving about how he is able to read some words now (sometimes using phonics & sometimes sight words) how he is always at least a few months ahead of expected milestones from him, colors, numbers, alphabet, etc. But before he turned one, I stopped marking all the milestones and making a list, as I couldn’t keep up anymore. 

I think he is smart coz he is a visual person, he remembers visually the details. And he somehow, remembers also auditory details. We are amazed at how he sometimes can name that tune in a few notes, he knows what song is playing in just a few notes (beating daddy twice) & he can memorize the lyrics of even fast worship songs without anyone teaching him. Even our music minister noticed before that when he was still a baby, probably less than 8 months old, that he was bobbing his head exactly right to the beat of music blaring from a restaurant speaker. 

But anyhow, so much of this kind of IQ, smartness. There’s one incident that I’m most proud of, one that showed emotional intelligence. And I think it matters most if I want him to really succeed in life. This incident also happened in Norway. He was playing at the slides when twin girls came to play at an alligator climb play area. He was excited to interact & play with them. Then one girl, probably his age, shooed him away. At first, he was deadpan, ignored & just went back to his slide. But he tried again. At 2nd attempt, this protective girl or territorial toddler, shooed him again. Then he paused, stared for awhile, then he remembered what we taught him: when he feel like hitting other people out of anger, hit his own hand instead. And boy, he did that, and it was a loud clap with gritted teeth & very serious face. The territorial protective girl with a loud voice did say something again but now with a softer voice, more like murmur to me. At that point, I’m feeling all things for my li’l boy, and pitying him was the last. I found it a bit funny but mostly proud that he remembered & can control his own emotions. That was not the end of story. After clapping that loud probably to the surprise of the lil girl, he went back to his slide area. But then, after a few minutes passed, I decided to check on him coz I didn’t see him slide again at all. He was kinda hiding in a corner but with an upset, angry look. I thought he was upset at me coz I was egging him to stand up & not slouch on that dirty (not really dirty, i’m just OC) corner. Oh but then I realized & asked him in our vernacular so the mommy of the twins can’t understand me, “oh you are sad that they don’t want to play with you?” And immediately, his upset face did turn to a really sad, hurt one. At that point, I want to act silly like a child & approach that girl. But I got hold of myself, told him to go again, tell them sharing is good, if they don’t want, then fight them (haha, my hubby reprimanded me for this later on saying I should not teach him to be offensive if he is not being hurt physically). Then his face brightened, nodded, and got up immediately. But at this point, the girls were already leaving, so he got the big playground entirely to himself again. 

My point is, I’m proud that my 2-year-old boy can process feelings, manage his own emotions, sort out the situation, this early. I’m a bit worried that he may end up too forgiving in a harsh world that’s becoming harsher every year, that he may end up being bullied in the years to come. My hubby has this to say: “Don’t worry, defensive rin sya.” Oh yeah, how can I forget, when some kids in the church keep on following his every step, playing but as if to taunt him, or some bigger older kid at the mall who has the tendency to pick on slim cutey like him, he will not back down. He won’t take a few steps back, not one, or look away. He will stare, waiting; and if the kid is obnoxious to taunt again, he will just push, push with the strength of the Solomon (now that’s an overstatement from a protective momma hihi). 

That’s it for now. 

But this entry will surely put a smile on my face when I read it back years from now. For now, my little one truly warms my heart. 

Thank You Lord for people who prayed for us to have a child. We didn’t ask you, but they did, and you heard them. Little did I know, a child can fill my heart with joy and so much love.

I didn’t know I had this huge space in my heart to love a little soul. 

the new misis

Hi there!

Wow again, I'm guilty of not updating my one and only blog, this blog. :)
But I feel the need, just awhile ago, to update coz I had tons of things on my mind, which I would want to write in a journal, which I used to do eons of years ago, which...
Which...makes me pause again now, because, the little tot is calling me again, and again, and again!

Oh yes, hubby and I now have this little tot. He's now 2 years old. I found out about this little bundle of miracle when I was already 4 months preggy in 2015 then. We were at first so worried about my health condition, but surprisingly, miraculously, amazingly, there was no hurdle at all for me and the baby. Thank God for all His goodness to us. I should have blogged about this but so many things were going on in our lives that time, so maybe I'll post about it some time, just so I can remember everything when I look back.

From 2015 up to now, what happened? Lots. But the major things were my pregnancy, my two parents both having cancer, our little convenience store in the province is growing, our move into a new bigger condo in Manila, our slowdown in taking responsibilities in the church after we learned about the baby, the amazing way that God continues to heal both my parents, like how my papa had metastasized cancer that needs chemo and then later numbers showed his cancer levels turned to zero even though he did nothing aside from oral meds, how both my parents were always given a sentence by the doctors, how they are surviving past those months and years. Also, my little sister got married to a man whom I feel is right for her, our bunso little bro is getting married this year!

So anyway, probably my blog in the upcoming weeks, months ( hopefully not years) will be about this little tot, my being a mom more than being a wife, and my usual random thoughts on anything. For now, here are some videos about my tot. I was encouraged to do a video of him, not just becoz I was a proud mom, there's always a need to update the grandparents and the titas, and because of this specific video, hehe. https://youtu.be/r3LemRthsz4  Hope you subscribe, hehe.

Oh well, I just realized the things I had wanted to blog about awhile ago deserve some time and separate space. I haven't even mentioned them here in this entry. So I'll park them for now. And I will just do one thing that I know is much better than blog. Lift my eyes & hands to the best friend, the best family I have up there. He's listening, always. I'm more careful with my words with Him, but it's always comforting to know He is there and He is here. Thank You Abba for being You.

                                   By the way, that's me, after I said yes to being a ninang to a wedding last year. Waha, I feel older, hopefully, wiser, hehe, and prettier, hahaha. Anyway, that's just a special case. Hubby and I used to had lots of invites to being ninang and ninong to weddings but always turned them down, cause duh, we're still feeling young and all. Hahaha. So no more!

Why are we making the world smaller or bigger?

It's my first time to almost cry over a sad international news. I feel some strings are pulled in my heart as I read the tragic death of Abdullah Kurdi's family.

 This man lost his wife and young kids; one by one, they died, he tried to save each one from drowning in the waves. The father paid a sizeable amount just to hop on to an inflatable dinghy. They were fleeing from their war-torn country to migrate to a safer European country. The father just wanted a better life for his family but it ended in a tragic death. They used to move from one neighboring area to another, hoping to find peace and safety, only to find themselves embroiled in another war, even poverty. They tried to migrate to Canada (if their papers were legally processed) but was rejected and the father felt fleeing through illegal means and the seas was their hope. Read the news to know more about their plight.

This news awakens the international community. The world notices the strict regulations imposed by EU, hitting on Dublin and economically-challenged Greece, more lenient Canada and Germany. The international issues are large and intertwining. Some blame the wars, some blame the international regulations.

I have a faint idea on regulations for asylum seekers, international communities' agreement for refugees, territorial borders, and the likes. The issue is for the debate of the political geniuses. I'm not one of them. But I just want to let this out. I'm saddened that the world, though geographically big, gets smaller, when we rather think and act smart, than feel it's just right to reach out to those in need. On the other hand, sometimes, we let the world looks bigger when it's actually small compared to universe. The earth is home for all races, the only home for mankind, at least for now. But because of international borders and issues, some think the world is big and say, please don't go to us, there are other places, besides we have bigger problems than yours.  Why are we making the world smaller or bigger according to our own convenience? This world has pieces of land, each rightfully owned by nations, but no one owns the world. Let's share this world please. The Creator designated humans to earth and it's the only place for all of us. Will it be too stupid, too difficult, too generous, if we try to share it and live peacably in it? 

Sigh. Right now, let me get some Michael Jackson tunes for comfort.   Now that I've let this out, back to my laundry and itinerary for today. Back to the world where every one does its own business and struggles to look on others. Hello world.  

Abdullah Kurdi and two kids. Photo lifted from BBC news.

The boy, Alan Kurdi, was swept ashore after drowning. Credits to Reuters for photo.

Throwback at my back problem

I have a love-hate relationship with my spine.

Today, I kinda hate my scoliosis. It woke me up with a burning sensation. It also woke up hubby too, even though I was just quietly massaging it.  The past few days, this curved bone has been trying to get my attention. 

Perhaps, SexyB (that's SexyBones or SexyBod, the pet name of my scoliosis) feels jealous.  For years, I've ignored SexyB. When SexyB made hubby feel that I should resign from the job that I love about 5 years ago, I decided to ignore it.  Back then, regular trips to best chiropractor in town plus checkups, were helping me sleep soundly, breathe better. 

Months passed, SexyB didn't bother lungs anymore. That's when I began to love SexyB. Even though docs advised I should get SexyB under the knife, I embraced SexyB. (It just didn't make sense to me anymore: Surgery to help me breathe normally when I feel so alive, breathing. Docs proposed a treatment to a century-old problem, but even today, science and doctors still don't know the primary cause of idiopathic scoliosis!). So I saved SexyB from titanium, nuts and bolts.

Then I introduced SexyB to God. They became friends. And SexyB was so quiet and cooperative with me, not until the past few days.  SexyB has been getting my attention with its jolting sensation in the morning. Hubby was driving when I exclaimed, "I hate my (SexyB) !" We were laughing actually because I felt I could have been that billboard model along Edsa had SexyB not interefered in my height (lost 2-3 inches from my teen height). 

So anyway, SexyB, here's my message for you:

Please don't be a brat. Don't act up anymore.

I know you're there. 

In fact, I'm thankful for you. 

Why?

I get tons of massage with love from hubby. 

You made me see things beyond career. 

You even reintroduced me to God (yes, you).

You know, you can keep me company until rapture. 

That's when you'll be straight and perfect. 

Just droppin' by...

I have tons of receipts lying on my bed right now. I feel overwhelmed I feel like a ball of receipts is going to wreck me. Now, that's just a wrecking-ball exaggeration. I need to go through each of them for our store inventory. And I just need to breathe... So here am I, posting. :)

To you who are reading this, hope you're not as overwhelmed as I am right now, but hope you're happy as I am. :)   Just smile, then back to work. 

See you all around! Will be bouncing back to do more posts soon, hopefully!