down and dirty

Go son! Get down and dirty!

I confess: I let my child crawl on public spaces. Everywhere except restrooms, hospitals and clinics.

I'm sure that the thought of a child crawling on public property would gross out some people, parent or not. But to me that's fine. I'm the type of mom who'd let her child explore as long as he wasn't in any imminent danger, such as being hit by a truck or being eaten by a bear or being electrocuted or drowning or being burned alive. Yes, there's the danger of getting sick but I don't think his risk is any higher than other kids. There are dirt, bacteria, germs and viruses everywhere. They're in the air we breathe.

Some say that exposing kids to a bit of germs strengthens their immune system. I'm not sure if that's accurate, but I'm happy to report that Ziv is in the pink. It could be the exposure to some dirt that's helping him stay healthy but I think Ziv's strong immune system is more likely because of all the outdoor exercise he's getting. I let him play at the park at least once a day for 30 minutes and I tell you, that guy could be crawling a distance equivalent of a kilometer to an adult.

I may be relaxed, but I'm not careless. When Ziv's out there, I follow him around to make sure that he doesn't put anything in his mouth. I also make sure that after he's done playing, I clean his hands with antibacterial wipes and then wash his hands as soon as we get home. It must be working because, we haven't had any incidents of diarrhea or any infection whatsoever. Thank God!

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This entry came about because of something that happened this morning. 

Two aunties aka old ladies at the park said "dirty" while pointing at Ziv who was happily exploring the world on all fours. I just smiled at them but deep inside I was irritated. To them that single word probably just meant the ground is dirty and I should not let my little child crawl on it. But to me, that seemed like a commentary on my parenting style. It might be a single-word sentence but it made me feel I was just told I'm a bad mother for letting my son crawl around the community park. 

I would understand if the comment came from my mother-in-law. She's supposed to question our parenting decisions. But strangers? I don't know why they'd feel entitled to give their opinions when it comes to the things we let our son do. They may know kids but they don't know OUR kid. 

I know there will be more of this in the future. I just need to toughen up and work on that fake smile.

staycation weekend

We checked in at the Amara Sanctuary Resort in Sentosa over the weekend. It was great to finally get away--even if it's just in Singapore--from all the busy-ness of home. I really loved getting the chance to relax and just be with my husband and son. I didn't have to worry about chores that needed to be done, which was wonderful.

Aside from eating and taking naps, we hung out at the pool. The water wasn't heated though. Since it wasn't severely hot that Saturday, it was quite uncomfortable to get in and stay in. 

Ziv wasn't thrilled at all! His lips turned bluish after a couple of minutes in the pool so we parked our butts on the deck. We were surprised that Ziv tried walking on his own without any prodding from us. 

 

It's amazing to see him bravely put one foot in front of the other and move. I know it takes a lot for him to do that and we're just so proud of him.

Ziv, lately

Ziv turned 14 months old yesterday! He's still not walking but he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

He can now follow simple instructions such as "Help mommy put this in the dryer." He loves to be involved in some (everything?) of the things I do so I let him. It's way easier to make use of his curiosity than to resist and put a damper on it.

Ziv loves the playground. He thoroughly enjoys going up and down the steps, crawling around and climbing the slide. It's quite difficult to keep up with him though so I prefer having ze hubby around when I let him play there.

Crawling on the park is another thing he loves to do. The surface there isn't smooth at all but he doesn't seem to mind. When the bumpiness gets too much for him to handle, he raises  his butt, straightens his knees and uses his feet and hands to go around.

One funny thing he does is hand me the stuff he discovers while crawling around, from a grain of rice to a piece of meat from yesterday's lunch, to fallen twigs and cracked tree barks. I don't know why he does it but I find it so amusing!

Ziv has also learned about the magical powers of the remote control. He knows that when he presses a button, he could make snowflakes appear on the TV, and he knows that when he points the remote on the AC, it will turn on. Amazing how much kids could learn simply by watching.

 

Things have improved in the food front. Ziv tries everything we offer him--from sweet and sinful ice cream and chocolate chip muffins to uber healthy blueberries, strawberries and dragon fruit. I'm very happy with the way he eats.

We also got him his own table and chair because I want him to be able to walk away when he's full and/or no longer interested to eat. It was difficult but I've learned to trust him when it comes to hunger and fullness. I believe he knows how much food he needs and that he knows when to stop eating. I don't want to override his body's cues just because I feel he hasn't eaten enough or because we have to stick to a schedule.

On the other hand, things aren't going as smoothly as I want to in the snooze department. Ziv's transitioning from two naps to one and it's been a rough couple of weeks. He sleeps really well in the morning but he refuses his afternoon nap with vigor so ends up being very tired in the afternoon. 

The boy even had disrupted sleep a couple of nights ago but I was relieved that he was able to sleep well last night. I guess putting him to bed early helped. He slept ultra early yesterday (6PM) and he woke up for his morning bottle around 5 today. To my surprise, he went back to sleep and got up for the day at the fabulous, sunny hour of 8!!! 

We don't get to sleep in very often in this household so me and ze hubby were so happy. I know that wishing it would happen everyday is shooting for the moon but I do hope the sleeping situation will get better soon!

It's amazing to see Ziv become his own person little by little each day. A child growing up is indeed the best show on earth, and we're extremely lucky to have been blessed with front row seats.

 

wonderfully ordinary

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Jen on Pinterest

It's past two and my boys are napping. I should be too but me time is too exciting to pass up. So instead of dozing off, I Facebook. I catch up on all my Google Reader subscriptions. I blog.

I love me time.

But I love spending time with my boys too. Earlier, we had lunch at the hawker center at the next block. Ze hubby and I had ayam penyet or crushed fried chicken. I shared mine with Ziv and he loved the rice! Ziv loved the rice so much that he grabbed the bowl and rubbed it on his face. That rice is cooked with margarine and chicken stock, I think. Who wouldn't love that?

I know I should set my son off to a healthy start but man, it's challenging! I prepare healthy congees for him but he doesn't seem to like it as much as he likes real food. But he does eat peas and carrots and corn. He loves fruits too.

After that hearty lunch we lingered at the void deck because it was too hot at the flat. I played peek-a-boo with Ziv, while his dada carried him. Peek-a-boo always makes Ziv laugh. And we love Ziv's laugh. It's always genuine.

There was a gentle breeze so I thought it would be nice to sit at the park for a while. Ziv played while ze hubby and I gossiped about neighbors. That's one of our favorite things to do. Gossip. Sometimes we go as far as making up stories about our neighbors. But we keep those stories to ourselves.

Later, we'll stop by the supermarket to get some stuff for Ziv. That kid already has a lot of stuff but every day he seems to need something new! While we're at it, maybe I'll stop by the library to drop off some books.

I live for days like this. So ordinary yet so fulfilling.

going with the flow

So I went back to the dentist last Saturday. He removed the stitches ever so gently that I felt no pain or discomfort at all. He said one of the wounds is recovering slowly so he put on some nasty tasting medication on it. I asked him whether my tongue will feel normal again. He said maybe in two to three weeks.

I really wasn't expecting any better answer than that. I've already scoured Google for articles about "tongue numb after wisdom tooth extraction." Yes, that's the exact string I used. I've read stuff so I'm preparing myself for the worst, which is to live with only 30 percent of my tongue able to taste and feel.

I already came to terms with my tongue constantly having that pins and needles feeling. I don't have much to complain about. Although I felt kinda sad thinking about all the delicious foods I won't be tasting the same way again, it's not like I've lost my leg or sight or hand or hearing. Losing one of those would be life-changing.

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My son. Oh my son is waking up way early again. Like 4:30am early. It's easier to accept when it's like the first time in a long time or maybe even the second time. But three days straight? That wake-up time is too painful.

I actually come to around 5 and at that time he's already babbling and shouting and playing and banging on his crib. I ignore him, hoping he'd go back to sleep but he doesn't. He cries around 5:15-ish. That's his threshold. By then he'd be ready to be picked up.

Ziv slept beautifully while his grandparents were here. They were amazed by this baby's ability to sleep from 6:30pm to 6:30am, with only one waking for a feed. Even I was amazed by it. I should've known it was a phase. Now we're back to one night waking plus early waking. 

I'm currently reading this book called The Wonder Weeks. It proposes that there are specific weeks in a baby's first year of life when he's extra fussy and when all the difficult baby things you thought you got over with comes back. These weeks, according to the book, precede huge leaps and major changes in the baby's mental development.

Ziv is currently 49 turning 50 weeks old. But he was born three weeks shy of a completely full term baby so mentally, he might be 46 weeks old. Guess what? The book says week 46 is a wonder week! So maybe that explains why his sleep schedule is off kilter again. Aside from that, his appetite is quite weak. He couldn't finish a 5-ounce bottle when just last week, he downed them with vigor.

Are you familiar with Pokemon? Ze hubby and I always say when Ziv's behavior changes that he's about to evolve, like a Pokemon. See, when a Pokemon evolves, they become stronger and gain more moves. If Ziv were a Pokemon, maybe he's about to add walking to his moves. Or maybe he's cutting teeth. (He has five teeth now, by the way!)

A few months back this would've stressed me out but I've since learned to relinquish control. When it comes to raising a baby, you just have to go with the flow and let things be.

back to normal...almost

My in-laws flew back to the Philippines last Sunday and things at home are slowly going back to normal. With a soon-to-be-toddler though, what "normal" is, is ever changing.

Ziv has found delight in walking, albeit with a chair or walker to support him. He hasn't learned to do it on his own yet but I know he will pretty soon. He refuses to be confined to his playpen and prefers to roam around the house so he could explore every nook and cranny. 

Ziv loves to check out the TV and cable box and the shoe cabinet, and he always wants to crawl towards the kitchen. It's quite tiring to keep an eye on him and follow him around! Every time I feel stressed out though, I always think that I very much prefer him to be healthy and active than to be sick and lethargic.

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Source: meh.ro via Anna on Pinterest

I had an impacted wisdom tooth extracted last Saturday. I wouldn't have had it done but it was swollen and painful so I thought it would be better I just get it over with. 

Unfortunately, up to now my tongue and the area surrounding the operation site are still quite numb and tingly. I read in the Internet that tongue numbness could last for 6 months or forever! But I'm quite relieved to know that when you feel pins and needles on your tongue, the damage is almost always temporary and would probably heal in a couple of weeks. I hope the dentist would be able to shed some light on this when I see him on Saturday.

I was irritated by the whole tongue situation for a couple of days but now I'm trying to let it go. I'm just praying it would completely heal soon.

11 months!

Ziv has been making us happy for 11 months today!!! 

This morning at the park

At 11 months, Ziv:

- loves finger foods. He prefers to eat by himself than be spoon-fed. At lunch today, he ate elbow macaroni with creamed spinach then had sliced papaya for dessert. He finished everything I put on his tray!

- smiles like there's no tomorrow. A few months back, Ziv was so weary of strangers. Now he's so social and even smiles at people he doesn't know.  He loves to watch kids play too!

- is more active than ever. He NEVER stays put during diaper changes. No, scratch that. He doesn't stay put for anything! He sits, crawls, stands, sits, crawls, stands over and over and over. 

- has four teeth. Well, technically, he has 3.25 teeth. One of his upper central incisors hasn't fully come out yet.

- has mastered cruising.

- knows how to get what he wants. He raises his hands when he wants to be carried and twists his body when he wants to be carried a certain way.

- babbles and shouts. He says mamamama, ba, aba, aaaaaaaaaah. He also makes a lot of sounds with his mouth.

- sleeps through the night and sometimes he does not. But I don't mind. I'm just glad that he knows how to sleep on his own. I just put him in his crib and he knows what he's supposed to do.

Ziv's growth and development has been fascinating to watch. If there's one thing I learned in the past 11 months, it's that when it comes to babies, nothing is permanent. Everything is just a phase. I think that fleeting quality makes every moment even more special. It's also that impermanence that makes me want to be here every minute.

Grow up, son. But not too fast!

the annual family photo

One of the traditions I grew up with is the annual family photo. Each year, usually when Christmas was near, we would have our photo taken so we could send it out to friends and relatives overseas. We usually just set up the timer on a camera or ask someone to take the photo for us at home. There was one time though when we went to an actual Kodak studio to have our photo taken. I have that picture with me here.

The Kodak family photo

The annual family photo tradition is something I'd like to continue now that I have my own family. I wanted to have ours professionally done this year since it's Ziv's first Christmas, but I just found the packages here too expensive. Besides, there were a lot of things we had to consider such as Ziv's nap time, his anxiety towards strangers, the weather, the location, the attire--too stressful!

So I just took out my trusty tripod, mounted my EOS and whipped out my shutter remote control. We couldn't be bothered with the logistics of shooting somewhere that required a commute so we had the photo shoot at our estate's park. Same place where we shot Ziv's Halloween photos.

It was the last weekend of November and it rained the previous night. The sky was gray but I was thankful it didn't rain. I tried to get plenty of shots before Ziv (and ze hubby) got cranky.

The Mateo Family, 2011

Luckily, I managed to get a couple of shots good enough for our holiday cards, and that I even got a few shots of Ziv smiling. It was almost his nap time when we packed up.

I'm happy with the way our photos turned out, and they didn't cost a cent.

tossing the routine

We woke up at 7:30 this morning, which in this household is already considered late, putting Ziv's schedule off-kilter. He wasn't tired enough to take a morning nap at 9 so I decided to take a walk with him around the block instead. 

I wasn't completely in it at the beginning though. Even if we were already outside the flat, my motherly conscience was bombarding me with thoughts like "Ziv should be sleeping," "Ziv needs his nap," "oh he's gonna be in a bad mood later, you're so gonna pay for this."

Then I noticed, it was a good day to take a walk. The sky was a clear blue, the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze which reminded me that Christmas is almost here. So as we stepped onto the sidewalk, I let go and left the guilty mother behind.

Along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4

Our walk made me remember those days when Ziv was a three/four-month-old who didn't want to nap. That time, strapping him onto his stroller and taking him on long walks was the only surefire way to put him to sleep. He was such a small baby then, and I was a stressed out newbie mom. At that time, it felt that Ziv's short or zero napping thing would never end and my body would never stop aching for naps. But he learned to sleep somehow and I learned to stay awake on five to six hours of sleep.

Life is much, much better now.

Well, it wasn't really bad in the first place. It was just, uhm, new.

After our stroll, we sat at a park bench. I watched the palm trees dance with the wind while Ziv busied himself with shadows, holes on the bench and stroller straps. It was so nice to relax and not be concerned about putting the baby to bed or doing any chore. 

Ziv exploring the park bench

I guess sometimes doing something out of the ordinary can be a good thing.


Postscript:
Ziv unexpectedly stayed happy the whole morning. He only asked (via whining) to be put to bed at 12:30. He slept from 12:45 to 2pm, which was good enough.

diptych #12: Ziv's first Christmas ornament

It's Ziv's first Christmas and I don't only want to make lots of memories but I want to keep them for him as well. He's only nine months old and I'm sure he wouldn't even remember what we did. I'm planning to take plenty of photos so when he's older, he'll be able to look at them while I tell him the story of his first Christmas.

But aside from that, I wanted to have something to commemorate this milestone by. I scoured Etsy, Amazon and Ebay and found lots of really nice first Christmas ornaments but they were quite pricey and had to be shipped from the US. So I turned to Pinterest hoping I would find something I could do myself.

At first I thought about doing a clay ornament but realized that would be messy and time-consuming. Plus I'd have to buy paint to make it more festive. I searched some more and found, this, this and this. I figured that making a time capsule ornament would be easiest to do. I just had to look for a glass ball I can fill.

So last weekend, we dropped by Spotlight at Plaza Singapura. That store has everything--bed covers, curtains, bathroom accessories, textiles, decorative items, toys and craft materials. We walked around and didn't stop until we found fill-able glass ornaments. It wasn't easy and I almost gave up because Ziv was fussing already. Luckily, I found them at the aisle closest to the other exit. It was a pack of six 60mm glass baubles with removable tops and was priced $6. 

After that, I picked up a spool of red ribbon which cost $1.49. When I was at the cashier, I was expecting to pay around $7 but the amount that showed up at the register was only $4.49! Turned out all Christmas ornaments were half price. That made me really happy.

Today, I filled up one of the baubles and here's the finished ornament:

I put Ziv's Halloween photo inside since we don't have a Christmas photo yet. Once we have that then I'll change or maybe add it in. I also put Ziv's foot and hand prints plus a couple of notes saying it's Ziv's first Christmas and that he will be spending it at Lolo Eddie and Lola Lagring's home in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. When we've had the actual celebration, I'd add more notes so when Ziv's grown up, he can read all about his first Christmas, plus see how tiny his foot and hand were!

a promise

I will love all of you son. 

The light.

 The dark.

The gray.

Ziv is nine months old!

Time flies!

I think I say that every month.

But time does fly! From a sleepy newborn, Ziv is now a nine-month-old infant who has got mad skills. He has amazing control of his hands and fingers now. I think even he is amazed. Sometimes I catch him just looking at one of his hands and lifting it up as if he's reaching for something. 

Aside from unbelievable manual dexterity, Ziv can also stand up with support now. Ever since he learned how to do that, he's been practicing every chance he gets. We usually hang out at his play zone so he gets lots of opportunity to practice. But with learning to stand up comes countless falls. He hates falling on his butt but he hates falling on his back even more. I think the impact scares him more than it hurts him. 

The increased activity makes me nervous sometimes because there are more chances of his hitting his head somewhere. But we've been lucky so far, thank God. No bumps yet. I think the worst injury we experienced was when his lip hit the armchair and it bled. I was so scared! Luckily, it stopped on its own and his two front teeth were intact.

It's awesome to watch Ziv grow. Ze hubby and I are really privileged to have been given front row seats in this most amazing show: the development of a human being.

Milestones are great but so are the everyday, ordinary things. Just watching him be this little person makes me happy.

what does a mouse and a toenail have in common?

Guess who did this?

I sometimes carry Ziv on my lap while I use my computer and I just let him tinker with whatever on my desk he's able to get his tiny hands on. Last week that "wahtever" was my laptop keyboard. The li'l boy managed to pull out the space bar, as shown in the above photo. Luckily, nothing was broken and I was able to put it back on. It's still a functioning key, thank God! 

Today my left foot's big toe and my mouse became the latest in the list of the little destroyer explorer's casualties.

Since I didn't want him near my laptop anymore, I offered my Logitech keyboard as an alternative plaything. It kept him entertained and I was able to surf on the net for a few minutes, but after a while, BAM! The keyboard fell on my big toe's nail! I did a fake cry (but the pain was real) and whined "aray ko" over and over. Ziv became still and quiet for a few seconds before wreaking havoc again resuming to his exploration. 

He turned his attention to my mouse. If I were a baby, I would probably be attracted to the mouse. It has a red light on the bottom after all! Once he got hold of it, Ziv mouthed and sucked the USB end of it. I thought the thing was fine but as I was using it just now though, the pointer on the screen wouldn't respond. I tried on another mouse and it worked perfectly so I guess the other mouse has been damaged. 

Friends with kids tell me that loose and/or missing keyboard keys are just the tip of the child-induced-appliance-breakdowns-and-pain iceberg. They could be right!

my boy has opinions!

"Don't spoon-feed me mom!"

At lunchtime, I was trying to feed Ziv beef stew + brown rice but the boy wouldn't have any of it. Just yesterday, he ate two servings of the dish so I assumed today wouldn't be any different. I offered one spoonful after another but he either kept his mouth shut or looked toward another direction, usually opposite of where the spoon is. That's on top of whining and fussing, which I think are his eight-month-old-ly way of answering back.

I got so frustrated I got Ziv out of his high chair and put him in his playpen. We both needed a break. (Actually, I needed a nap!)

After a while, I decided to try to feed Ziv again so I put him back in his high chair. I attempted to feed him the beef stew, but he kept his ground. I finally conceded (Ziv 1, mommy 0!) and just served him his favorite puffs. Ziv devoured every piece and morsel of the thing! I guess he was interested in eating, just not with what I wanted him to eat and perhaps how I wanted to feed him.

Batang 'to may opinyon na ah! Aba aba!

Of course as a parent, I'd always think I know what's best for my son and would always give him orders directions, suggestions and recommendations (may difference ba? Hehe). But actually, I'd love for Ziv to have his own opinions and for him to feel secure enough to express them. It's just that now that he's so little and could barely stand up, I often feel I have to and can just shove everything down his throat, not just in terms of food, but in terms of toys and activities.

I got frustrated because I wanted to be in control, or more correctly, to control him. I overlooked the fact that Ziv is a person, even if he's small and doesn't even speak my language yet. He knows what he wants. He knows what he needs to do and when he needs to do them so I should learn to trust him. I'm here to guide Ziv, not program him like a robot.

Each day I'm learning that parenting is very much a balancing act -- a tricky one at that. If we're too overbearing, Ziv might grow up to be an insecure adult whose self-worth depends on the approval of others. On the other hand, too much leniency and Ziv might end up being a spoiled brat who feels entitled to everything.

No wonder there are a lot of messed up kids (and adults) out there. This isn't easy. But I'm glad that for now I only have a messy self feeder to look after.

catch-up

I've neglected this blog for a while because real life has been keeping me lazy busy.

For starters, Ziv cut his two lower front teeth a few days ago. I was stressed out by his crankiness I didn't find myself to be in the mood to write anything. I'm so glad the teething drama is over now and he's back to being chirpy. I hope (crossing fingers!!!) the next time a tooth comes in he won't be as affected by it as the first time. 

My two-teethed boy is happy again!

I've also been trying to organize around here. I already managed to get rid of our old things and sent them to the Philippines via LBC. My sis will try to make some money off selling my old clothes, shoes and bags. I also sent back Ziv's too-small clothes and an unused rocker so we could give them to our laundry lady's grandchild. Indeed, another man's trash (not that our old stuff is in a garbage-y condition) is another's treasure!

I was able to tackle the common room too. Threw some stuff, kept a lot. Now the bed is actually a bed, not Smokey Mountain, and the floor has reemerged!

The common room, before and after

There are still a couple of things I need to figure out, like where to keep our seldom-used-but-still-needed things. Buying new cabinets for storage is out of the question so I've got to be creative, but the stuff at Organize.com are making me drooooool!

Oh, I also set up the Christmas tree over the weekend. Ziv was so happy when he first saw it. We turned out the lights and that kept him occupied for a good half hour. He just sat on his high chair and soaked all the details in.

Our humble Christmas tree at our former dining area

We hung the parol too. It worked but after a few seconds, its plug blew up! It set off the fuse so we didn't have electricity for a minute or two. That parol is three years old and made our three Christmases in the old apartment more colorful. It certainly didn't die in vain.

Now I shall leave with a video called Moments, which was produced by Everynone. I love how they captured the tiny moments we usually don't pay attention to. These microseconds actually add up and make up one big life. If we are completely present, we'll realize how beautiful those moments and our life really is.

Watch. I hope it will inspire you to appreciate every moment.

Moments from Everynone on Vimeo.

teething's a b*tch

Remember when I said that Ziv isn't irritable at all?  Turned out I said it prematurely because Ziv is definitely cranky!!! He's been whining a lot lately and it's getting to me, specifically my ears. The little boy also isn't in the mood to eat anything except his puffs. 

Earlier today he ran out of clean teethers so I resorted to pacifiers. Fortunately, he seemed to really like it. I also massaged his gums with a cold washcloth and I think it comforted him.

I hope we get over this soon!

today

Two years ago, mommy passed away. 

I've accepted her death and have moved on with my life. It has gotten easier, living without her here physically. And recalling and recounting her last few days do not sting as bad as it used to.

Mommy and me at Vigan, our last family vacation with her, April 2009

Still, there are days when I forget that she's not here anymore; when I get lost in memories, too lost sometimes that I think of calling and texting her, and suddenly, I get jolted by the reality that she's gone. 

There are even more days when I miss her; when I wish she were well and alive.

And here.

I wonder how three years would feel like.

*****

Eight months ago, I gave birth to our son.

Ziv has been a constant source of pride and joy. I've never felt this kind of love for anyone in my entire life. 

Even if he makes me not sleep through the night, even if he wakes up just before I'm about to take a nap, even if he cries in public, even if he's cranky because his teeth are coming in, even if my breasts get sore from pumping--I'd choose to have him again if I were to go back in time.

Happy 8th month Ziv. I hope you're liking it here.

the teeth are coming!

This would be one of Ziv's last toothless grins. Today I noticed that his two lower front teeth are cutting through his gums. No wonder he woke up crying a few nights ago. Must've been due to sore gums. Luckily, Ziv isn't irritable at all. Well, at least, not more than usual. And he doesn't have fever. Just plenty of drool. He's also extra gigil with the teethers and everything he could get his mouth on.

Oh, and he has started feeding himself Gerber Graduates Puffs. He's really growing up!

Ziv, lately

Ziv is slowly becoming upright. From his tummy, he goes on all fours then tries to do this:

Photo taken using ActionSnap app

Sometimes he holds on to something, sometimes he doesn't. And sometimes he stretches his legs and ends up in a sitting position. He's still a bit wobbly but he's getting stronger everyday. I know it's only a matter of time before his muscles are strong enough to keep him stable.

Our little boy will be turning eight months on Monday. Time unbelievable passes quickly when you're raising a child. Probably because you count the hours by diaper changes, feedings, playtime, bath time and sleep. There are moments when I still can't believe our once 1.9kg baby is now 7.3kg! He is more aware of his surroundings, is super active and is noisier than ever.

Just this morning I woke up to the sound of Ziv saying "mama." I know he was just probably babbling but still. It's way nicer to wake up to that than a howl.

Ziv's first Halloween

Ziv's first Halloween consisted mainly of a photo shoot with him wearing a monkey costume. That's it. 

Ze hubby and I didn't grow up celebrating Halloween. We knew of the holiday but when we were young, we didn't wear costumes or go trick or treating. When we were older, we never went to Halloween parties neither.

There are a couple of trick or treating events here in Singapore but I thought Ziv was too young. He doesn't even have teeth yet! Maybe when he's a toddler we'll take him to one of those so he can have fun wearing a costume of his choice and get lots of sweets (not that he'll be allowed to eat them). Maybe we'll start that tradition. 

In the meantime, photos would have to do. 

I'm glad he was such a breeze to shoot despite the heat that day. The costume, although sleeveless, was quite hot because it was made of faux fur and not designed for tropical weather. Ze hubby got it from the US on his last trip. It was on sale at eBay. We didn't want to spend a fortune on something Ziv will only wear once. 

Oh, by the way, that plush pepper-looking banana was part of his dada's costume once. Just can't remember if it was for Halloween or Christmas though.