Welcome Home, Lulli

Remember this?! ↴

http://jeeanfoxy.blogspot.com/2010/03/seahorse-hunt.html

Well the hunt is over! Yesterday, Iaine got her own pink seahorse as a gift from a relative! She loves it. Now she and Lullo have a new friend to play with.

Iaine with "Lullo" (Playskool Gloworm)

Iaine with "Lulli" (Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse)

The best thing about these toys is that they're many things in one. Calmer, night light, music box, plushie. Iaine quiets down and drifts off to sleep easily with her soft fluffy musical friends.

Lulli ~ piano melodies + bubbles

~ 1 press = plays for 5 minutes

~ volume switch (high / low)

~ power switch

~ removable battery pack

~ spot wash recommended

Lullo - piano melodies

- 1 press = plays 1 song

- no volume switch

- no power switch

- removable battery pack

- spot wash recommended

They have a few differences but I highly recommend getting either of them for your little one! To me, they're some of the best toys ever invented.

Iskrambol and Books

Just a quick update. :)

Today is Sunday--Family Day for most of us. I was glad to get out of the house cos I hate being cooped up at home for days. So anyway I was out with my two loves, two sisters, and our extended family (Mom's side). Mom and Dad are out of the country right now so obviously Jai and I need to watch over the youngsters and play the parental roles. We went to church, enjoyed the afternoon just hanging at my grandparents' house and then went to the nearest mall before heading home cos we were all craving for some ice scramble.

This is what ice scramble, or simply iskrambol, looks like:

It's a combination of crushed ice, powdered milk, strawberry and chocolate syrup. Toppings: marshmallows, chocolate or candy sprinkles, rice crispies, and many others.

Yes, it tastes as yummy as it looks. :)

So anyway even though there were two bags hanging from my shoulders, my left arm carrying my super heavyweight baby, my left hand struggling to hold the iskrambol cup, right hand scooping spoonfuls and feeding my mouth, and my chin desperately trying to hover just above the cup so I don't drop pink sludge on my little one (who was so well-behaved by the way) I was still excited to buy new stuff tonight. Retail therapy is bliss no matter how full my hands are.

It didn't take long for my family to help me out with the stuff though cos they said I looked too mom-like and mom-like wasn't meant in a good way. The very moment I handed the baby over to hubs and the baby bag to my cousin, my rib cage expanded to full extent, arms regained feeling, and I could finally enjoy my iskrambol. Sigh of relief. Shopping, here I come.

My sister bought a soft water-filled teether for the little cuddler. I've always wanted to get her one (her Bright Starts teethers are too hard for her right now). Iaine also enjoyed a great deal of time trying out a Baby Company exersaucer, which tears up my heart in two all the more--I'm still lost in an exersaucer vs. high chair vs. walker dilemma.

At the end of the day I only purchased a few things, but books are such a great investment I feel like I bought treasures for a bargain. I got two Winnie the Pooh storybooks & one Little Genius alphabet book from the Department store for Iaine (great additions to her growing book collection) and then two books from National Bookstore for me and Jai--which by the way my sister forced me to buy and I'm glad she did.

I love family days. I love books. And we're gonna make sure Iaine grows up loving them too. :)

5 Months and Solids

Today is Wednesday but I have no plans of being wordless cos I got a lot of updates for y'all!

My sweet little ballerina has turned 5 months old yesterday. Yes, Miss Smartypants is just growing up too fast! I dressed her up in a ballerina outfit and my oh my how precious does she look?

Rockstar ballerina, work it girl.

Anyway, this photo below was taken a few days before that one up there and I just wanna share how beautiful she looks here...

Simply charming.

At this point, I'm pretty excited. There are a lot of things to look forward to now that Iaine is getting bigger--literally! She's not lying in her crib all the time waiting for someone to pick her up and give her a bottle anymore, she's super active and ready to explore the world. Aside from her mobility being stronger by the day, I'm so excited about weaning her from just formula to real food. Fruits, veggies, and grains, here we come!

So the other day I recharged my camera, searched for her Looney Tunes food starter set (because most of her things are Looney Tunes) and cleaned it out because the timing was perfect-- I was ready to start Iaine on sabaw (broth) a few days before she reached 5 months. It's absolutely against her doctor's orders (she said we should start on the 6th month) but I think there's nothing wrong with letting her take two sips max of something that isn't even considered a solid one bit. It's just like water but with a little taste. Sabaw.

Unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be. My MIL insisted we should give her oscha first (a piece of bread used in Catholic Mass) and because we didn't have any, we had to put the big solid leap on hold. I felt a little disappointed because I was that close to seeing my baby being introduced to something else other than milk, and it's actually a big deal because that's the start of the rest of her solid food life, but meehhhh, whatever. So be it.

But here's the good part. A few days ago I made a wishlist album in my Facebook account just for the heck of it, I mean I don't expect anybody to actually give Iaine that stuff. But after only a few days of posting this photo...

A package came today and voila-- A Boon Squirt spoon! I was so amazed, I felt like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning. We were totally susprised and I'm so happy to know that someone who lives so far away from us would be so kindhearted and willing to grant one of my wishes for my little one. She's a good friend of ours and one of Iaine's godmothers (Michelle Lualhati) and she sent Iaine these very nice gifts. I mean it's just a spoon, but there are no words to describe how thankful we are! I can't WAIT to use it. The jittering toy is absolutely cute too!

Now we're REALLY ready for solids!

Lullo

If you've been reading my blog for quite a while you may already know that I wanna get Iaine a Soothe and Glow Seahorse. Well I never got her that but it's totally fine because when we came home today we found a Playskool Glo-worm waiting for my little Iaineylove!

Jai suggested that we call him Lullo. Totally genius.

Iaine just loves her new plaything. Now that she's capable of doing more stuff, Lullo was the ultimate excuse to go on a grasping/chewing/licking/biting spree. The moment she got her hands on it she just started chomping down on his ear. She made this face though-- guess it's that nasty microfiber taste LOL.

Lullo may not taste very good but surprisingly Iaine has no problem licking his face. I can't recall how many times I've wiped both their faces tonight. My little Smartie would start licking and get some spit on her cheeks as well. It's icky but pretty hilarious.

But really, Lullo is actually a good toy! Piano melodies + soft glow + adorable design + lightweight = Mommy approved! I understand why Iaine loves him and I think he's gonna stick around for a while. I just don't think he's gonna put Iaine to sleep at all. Nothing else and nobody else (and I mean NOBODY ELSE) not even me, can put Iaine to sleep like her father can. She's just a poppa's girl. She really loves her a lot. Unlike how babies outgrow their toys, I think this girl will never outgrow the love that she has for her father. :)

Happy, Healthy, and Beautiful

What is a pregnant woman's greatest fear? I believe it's giving birth to an unhealthy baby. I'm sure you have heard pregnant women say they don't care if the baby is a boy or girl as long as he or she will be healthy in mind and body, and it's true. I, too, have experienced these nagging thoughts. They racked my brain all throughout my pregnancy. So to help with these fears, I had regular monthly check-ups and had 2d and 3d ultrasound scans in each even though I knew visual scans can't really give any assurance that the baby's a hundred percent healthy. It still comes down to the moment you pop that baby out of you (or in my case, taken from my uterus).

I was so relieved the moment I regained consciousness in the recovery room and the nurse announced the good news--Iaine is a "well baby".

Now Iaine is almost 5 months old, at the stage where she puts in her mouth anything she gets her hands on. She likes to roll over a lot and just stay on her tummy with her hands supporting her upper body, lifts her head like a pro and looks around. She likes side-sleeping and tummy-sleeping. She likes to squeal, babble, blow raspberries and laugh! She's attentive, recognizes familiar faces, and knows how to engage in a conversation. She finally learned how to rake toys towards her and bang them together. She reaches for things, puts feet up on raised surfaces like a boss, tries to pull herself up by holding onto the rails of her crib, attempts to sit up when lying down by lifting her head and touching her chest with her chin. But I guess I'm most proud about her being an expert in walking and sitting with little help. There's a lot more developmental milestones I can share with you but actually they only mean one thing:

Iaine is a happy, healthy, and beautiful baby girl.. and all my fears were proven wrong. She's our very own Miss Universe... and I'm one darn lucky mom. :)

My First Wordless Wednesday

Dads' Day

I've always believed in love but just like anyone else, my idea of love has always been ever changing. As a little girl I thought that the little crushes I had were love. When gradeschool came around it transformed into the concept of me liking a boy and him liking me back. Around that time there were a few schoolmates who caught my eye and there's this childish thinking that young love like that can actually be serious. I had a fair share of experiencing "puppy love" but that's all it was--immature infatuation, no commitments, no pressure, merely face value.

As I grew up into a young lady things changed a lot. I eventually thought about the possibility of being a married woman someday. I later understood that a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship shouldn't be a temporary thing but instead a drizzle before a rainbow or a seed that grows into a tree. A romantic relationship is the previous stepping stone to marriage if a couple chooses to be wed.

I wondered a lot about who I could end up marrying. Each romantic relationship I had opened up the possibility of "forever after" but there was just no spark to assure me that they were "THE ONE." Deep inside I knew I wasn't meant to be with them. So I started to ask myself, what kind of LOVE am I looking for, anyway?

I knew I wasn't looking for a father figure or someone like my dad. Some girls have that standard but I don't really believe in that. My father is a good man--a GREAT man--but I know Mommy has always loved Daddy for who he is and not because Daddy is a lot like my grandfather (hardworking and good-looking top the list).

Everybody knows my dad has always been the strict kind, but actually, the memories that stand out among others are the happy ones from my childhood. He used to play with me and my sister a lot. He would hang blankets around the living room for us to play house. Sometimes, sis and I would also go piggyback on him and no matter how silly it might have looked, he had no trouble being on all fours crawling around like a donkey in the living room. All for the happiness of his little girls.

I remember how he always had Juicy Fruit and Double Mint ready in his pocket. I found it odd that he used a piece of paper to do a toothpick's job but nevertheless I was impressed by this innovation. I'm just not sure if he's still doing this though.

He's always been fond of reminding us how to take care of our skin, getting up early, making ourselves presentable before breakfast, how to dress appropriately, attending church every Sunday of the year, etc. He's a very organized man. But I guess, among all things, he was especially good at teaching us important moral values including how to be obedient daughters. Mommy and himself were a tag team. They could go on for hours (LOL) but I have to admit, I wasn't actually 100% obedient. But he still loved me no matter what, and I think that's the most incredible thing about Daddy. He's a good provider, a loyal husband, a very loving and forgiving father.

There's this thing about Daddy by the way... He never wanted me to have a boyfriend while I was still in school, but being the former self-proclaimed black sheep that I was, I did.

One day, a mysterious film buff came into my life. He kept sending me online messages, relentlessly trying to start a conversation, and while I was still in another relationship, I entertained this man without even knowing I'll end up marrying him the next year.

The more I tried to avoid him, the deeper I fell for him. And I fell hard.

I found myself in love, a new and different kind of love which gave me the courage to fight witches, dragons, and venom fanged hydras for him. He gave me superpowers and made me believe that we would have a great life together.

I've always believed.

This man is now the father of my 4 month 2 week old baby girl who we named Iaine Sivela Feona, and she looks more like him that she does me. Iaine falls asleep faster in his arms, doesn't need 2 seconds to flash a smile once she sees him, and she's got his hair, his nose and lips, his height, his fingers and toes. She is his mini-me, and he couldn't be more proud to be the father of our first-born baby.

This man, who has a disco ball at the center of his black and white striped bedroom has a collection of hundreds of DVDs and books, doesn't eat vegetables, and doesn't comb his hair. (Why? Because he doesn't have to. His hair is beautiful as it is and I love combing it with my fingers.) He has a scar on his hand which he got from an unusual computer-related circumstance, a scar on his belly from an appendectomy, a white patch on his neck which just came out of nowhere, and a wish to have his very own straight jacket. These are just some stuff that I know and love about him. I have yet to discover a lot more things that define him but who's in a rush? Because just like how mommy loved daddy, I should love him for who he is and not look for something that's not there to begin with. The human perception of love may be ever changing, but the love that I'm giving my husband will never falter.

Jai isn't as organized as my dad, they work in different fields, they get along well but rarely see each other and talk even less... But even though they have a number of differences, I love them both and I'm sure they have at least one thing in common...

They're both GREAT FATHERS!

I can't expound more on that because their GREATNESS doesn't need an explanation. To me, they just deserve to be loved and respected, just like how they are with other people. If it weren't for them I wouldn't find out what true love is, so I'm giving back the unconditional love that they have for me.

To the greatest men in my life,

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY, DADDY & POPPA!

Also to Lolo Victor & Lolo Benito (+)

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Playtime

As a first time mom I'm on the lookout for milestones all the time. Can't help it. One, because I'm excited. Two, because I know Iaine is a smart girl and I've proven for many times already that milestones are pretty much a piece of cake for that kid. And three, I think it's only natural for moms to look for signs that assure them their baby is healthy and normal. Nothing bad about that.

Iaine has accomplished quite a number of milestones already (I prefer not to enumerate them because there's dignity in silence LOL) and the most recent thing she's done is rolling over repeatedly and staying on her tummy for long periods of time. Then I realized.. pretty soon she's gonna be crawling all over the place, pulling up on her own, and sitting on her own. But it's never gonna happen inside a wooden crib. Nuh-uh.

Okay, two totally random pictures.

Eat your heart our, Blair Waldorf!

So I realized it's about time to add something new to our daily routine--playtime. Psssh. I mean REAL playtime. I mean we play with each other a lot (parent-child interaction is very important for babies' growth and development) but now there's a certain time of day that I'm going to just sit down and play with her. It's not just gonna be random moments holding her and making baby-talk conversations anymore. This morning I assembled a 3x3 rubber puzzle mat (which by the way my Mom bought for Iaine so thanks Mom), placed the jungle gym on top of that, threw in pillows, stuffed toys and rattes and voila, a baby's playtime paradise!

So far so good. First day in her playtime spot went great. She loved it. She had a great deal of time rolling over and staying on her tummy for however long she wanted, and she was very pleased to just stare and talk to the toys scattered around her (baby girl hasn't discovered how to rake them towards her yet). Ah, I've never been more excited to buy her more stuff!

I'm looking forward to this time of day everyday. No chores, no TV, no internet, just me and my little diva, having quality time together. Good ol' mother-daughter bonding.

Houston, we have a smiler! :)

I'm pretty sure we have a happy week ahead of us and we wish the same for you!