Javi at 6 Months

Javi turned 6 months old last March and he's turning 7 on Thursday. I can't believe he's now half a year old! I want to slow down time to savor his being a baby. It's as if I blinked because the past 6 months flew by.

I feel guilty as I think we didn't celebrate some of his firsts like how we did it with Miya. Like when he first rolled over or when he first laughed heartily (when I chanced upon this post I made). I noted in IG the first time he rolled over. The first time he laughed heartily, I'm not really sure when because he was laughing as early as 2 months I think. He's a very happy baby, very easy to take care of. I thank God He gave me an easy second baby as he balances the personality of his feisty Ate. I don't have a hard time making him fall asleep or nursing him. I love my darling little boy so much!

He can now reach his toes while lying down.

At first he can't put his feet inside his mouth. So he cheats and puts his thumb (from the hand holding his foot) inside his mouth. I haven't seen him do that while he's lying flat on his back. But his dad claims he can do it already. I see him doing it when his sitting down on his rocker or his carseat.

He is our little drool machine or sometimes our little taho maker (he easily spits up his milk sometimes milk that already looks like taho hence the name). His first tooth erupted first week of April.

Now, his second tooth has already erupted.

We've also started him on solids. To date, he's only tried eating lugaw. But tonight, I'll buy him bananas for tomorrow. Here are photos of his first solid and first taste of water!

He gobbled up the lugaw like it's no one's business. Ngumunguya pa akala mo naman may ipin hehehe. He's now eating around 4 spoonfuls of lugaw, twice a day (of course, he's given small bites).

Here are more updates in bullets:

1. I'm still breastfeeding him. And I'm happy to report that his milk consumption hasn't gone down even though we started him on solids. But let's wait and see for a couple more weeks because at the moment he's eating (solid food) 2 times a day only.
2. He's at the stage that he prefers to be carried standing up and doesn't want to be left lying down for long periods of time.
3. He's a loud baby, we think like his Ate. Because he can blabber on for minutes and sometimes at the point of screaming hehehe.
4. He likes to watch people singing. That's his thing with his Ate. Miya sings and then he listens.
5. He knows how to kiss us although open mouthed hahaha
6. He makes pa-cute. He crunches his nose and squints his eyes while smiling. Oh I love his beautiful smile. I haven't caught that pa-cute smile of his on camera yet. 

Week 14: The 52 Project 2015

10 April 2015

So good to see that wonderful smile (with custard sugar care of the donut she was eating at that time) after an exceptionally traumatic and dramatic encounter with our yayas. Still too tired and exhausted to talk about that. But all's well and good by the time of writing this.

Our super pogi prince charming! Have I said it enough here that I'm so in love with this little boy?!?

Week 13: The 52 Project 2015

Both photos were taken on 4 April 2015 when we went to the province during the Holy Week break. The kids went "swimming" beside the poso hahaha! I love seeing my kids enjoying the things I did when I was little.

Miya's Big School

Deciding on a school for Miya was a stressful thing for me, for us. I lay awake very early in the morning thinking about this over and over again. We want to send her to the best possible school we can afford. It was really between schools 2 and 3. As you can see, I haven't mentioned school # 1 again but here I am writing about our decision on where to send Miya. First of all, we're transferring schools because we're moving houses. Hopefully by May, we'll be able to move to our new home. That's the main driver for this school hunt. Miya has already done 2 years in pre-school. Nursery and Junior Kinder in her current school but because of her young age (she's only 4 years and 3 months as of today), she needs to repeat Junior Kinder or Nursery 2 or Pre-Kinder (whatever the school calls it, as long as it's the level before Kinder and then Grade 1). This is with all the big schools we've looked into. I'm okay with this since I pretty much expected it as we were looking for schools for her since last year. School # 1 is waaay too far from where we will be living. It would have been a good school for her, I particularly looked into that school because of the values taught to the students. I've only received good feedback on this school when it comes to the children's attitude and values. The school is considered a small school, small community. But it would be a loong drive for Miya to get there. She needs to wake up super early if we get a school bus to pick her up. The fee for the school bus is a whopping P5,000 per month. So even if the tuition fee is relatively the same with other two schools, the school bus will hike up our expenses.

Between schools 2 and 3, I don't really have a preference that's why it was hard to make the decision. I've talked to our friends, even our architect/contract because her daughter studies at school 3, to come up with a decision. Joema and I had to really sit down and discuss each and every aspect of the two schools. We couldn't come up with a decision if we talked about it at home in passing while eating or on the drive to work. I forgot to mention that these three schools offer pre-kinder level for Miya. So these were the shortlisted ones. We initially didn't want Miya to go to another small pre-school and then transfer again next year to a big school. We wanted to spare her from transferring of schools every year for the next two years. We decided on this. But during one of the discussions with the hubby, he turned around on this decision  and told me we don't have to insist on these schools if there are other options, better schools who only offer Kinder entry level. I blew my top off and told him we both came up with the decision that we didn't want Miya to transfer schools for two consecutive years. So that's when I told him, we need to sit down and discuss this school decision.

I listed down our criteria in choosing the school. The list below is already in order of our top criteria:

1. budget
2. quality and standard of education
3. mission and vision of the school in connection with our family values
4. student reputation - how the outside world perceives the students from that school
5. accessibility
6. school environment
7. extra-curricular activities

Between the two schools, the tuition is almost the same so we went to the next criteria. Our basis for choosing was the status of both schools at PAASCU and the list of the top 200 student passers of ACET. Haha, I know right? School # 3 won.

For numbers 3 and 4 criteria, school # 2 has the reputation that girls from that school are more maarte. Joema is really adamant on sending Miya there because our little girl is already super kikay and sometimes bordering annoying sa kaartehan hahaha! Joema doesn't want Miya to grow up to be super arte. Even our friend who has a niece studying there told us that most girls from that school are really maarte hahaha. Okay, not that being maarte is a bad thing. Joema's just not comfortable with Miya being super arte. School # 3 won.

For accessibility, school # 3 won again. We can opt for Miya to ride with us going to work and we can drop her off at school. Then she can ride the school bus going home.

For school environment, we liked school # 2 more. The school grounds was very conducive to studying. The environment was very relaxed, very quiet. There were a lot of trees. Joema even compared it to UP campus. In the classrooms, the students were seated in a big table. 5 or 6 students share a big table. We even saw a class were the students were sitting on the floor during the discussion. I liked the laid-back feel of the school.

We thought both schools offer a good variety of extra-curricular activities.

I also listed down a couple of questions we need to consider like will we sustain bringing Miya to school (for accessibility), and what school will we choose for Javi (both schools for Miya are all-girls school)?

Aside from these, I also listed down three options we can choose from:

1. Choose between the two schools for Miya's pre-kinder then transfer her to another all-girls school
2. Choose between the two school and Miya will stay there from pre-K until high school
3. Choose another small school for Miya and then transfer her to another big school

In the end, Joema told me we choose between the two schools and see how Miya will adapt. If we don't like the school then we transfer Miya to a co-ed school where she can go together with Javi. From our criteria, we chose school # 3. If you remember, I mentioned that our deadline for paying the tuition was 31 March, I paid on 30 March hehe. I just didn't want us to decide on school # 3 only because we need to decide ASAP. I wanted us to make a decision based on what we want for Miya and not because we were pressured to decide because of the deadline.

Entrance Test at School # 2

Miya took the entrance test at School # 2 on 20 March. Her test was scheduled at 8am. We were there a few minutes after 7am. Unfortunately, the test did not start at exactly 8am. I don't know exactly why they started late. We were asked to go to the admin office and from there the girls (there were three of them) were ushered to the testing area. This time around we were able to say goodbye and good luck to Miya.

Bye, Miya!

We were advised beforehand that the entrance test and interview with the parents will be simultaneous so for this test, Joema was with us (plus it's hard for me and Miya to go here and then go back home via Uber). It must have been almost 10am before we were asked to go to the testing area. It was our turn for the interview. Good thing, we were the first parents to be interviewed. We were asked about Miya's personality, how she handles things, how we are as a family. My makulit daughter was bugging us to go to the swimming pool just at the exact moment that the teacher was asking us how she is if she doesn't get what she wants hahaha! Hay naku! Anyway, after the interview the teacher told us that the admin office will contact us if our daughter passed or not but she let it slip that Miya "did very well in the exam" (her exact words) but it was beyond her authority to let us know if Miya passed or not. After that we went around the pre-school area to look at the classrooms. 

One of the classrooms in Miya's level

Kitchenette at the play area

When we asked Miya what was asked in her test she said she doesn't remember and then she repeated what she told us about the test at School # 3 hahaha! 

Week 12: The 52 Project 2015

I was not able to submit these photos on the site but I'm uploading these here. The reason for the non-submission was I though I didn't have a photo of Miya for this week. It turned out she took a number of selfies on my phone! Hahahaha!

28 March 2015

27 March 2015

Miya: She was using my phone to watch Youtube, I didn't know she was taking selfies hahaha!  I only saw this photo this morning.

Javi: The little boy can now sit up from his rocker. Although he hasn't sat up on his own from lying down on any other flat surface.

The 52 Project 2015

I should have started joining the 52 project this year as early as the first week but I got too lazy. It's only now that I realize that I should do this not only for the kids but for me as well. To see my kids grow in each week. I joined last year but unfortunately didn't last through the year. So here's hoping that I will succeed for the whole year in 2015. This post is to catch up on weeks 1 through 11.

Week 1

11 January 2015

10 January 2015

Week 2

Taken 17 January 2015

Taken 12 January 2015

Week 3

Taken 22 January 2015

Week 4

Taken 26 January 2015

Taken 30 January 2015

Week 5

Taken 2 February 2015

Taken 7 February 2015

Week 6

14 February 2015

Taken 12 February 2015

Week 7 (FEb 16 - 22)

22 February 2015

22 February 2015

Week 8

25 February 2015

Week 9

7 March 2015

7 March 2015

Week 10

12 March 2015

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Week 11

20 March 2015

Entrance Test at School # 3

We're down with the entrance tests for two out of the three schools we've submitted our applications to. The first scheduled entrance test was at the third school. It was last 17 March at 1:30pm. Since it was a Tuesday and our car was coding, I told Joema I'll bring Miya to school and we'll ride Uber. Plus when they scheduled us for the test and I asked if it's the same day of the interview, they said that the interviewer might not be available on the same date so we decided Joema doesn't need to be there for the test. I left the office at around 11am and arrived home at 11:45 to pick-up Miya. We arrived at the school a few minutes after 12noon. Miya still had school last week but fortunately they were just doing rehearsals for their graduation and on that day the rehearsal was scheduled in the morning. So after school, she still had enough time to have lunch at home before I picked her up. On the way to the third school I told her that a teacher will get her and take her somewhere where the assessment will take place. I called it assessment because that's what they call it in school. I also quizzed her on spelling her name. She doesn't remember the spelling of her second name so I told her if she's asked to write her name, she only has to write her first name, middle initial and surname, no need to write her full name hehe. Since we were early and had time to kill, Miya played at the play area first.

Can you see her?

We went inside the office after a few minutes and looked at the yearbooks instead. Two little girls came in and borrowed the yearbook we were looking at.

Miya: Mommy, if I go to school here is that what I'll wear?
Me: Yes, anak. Do you like it?
Miya: Yes.

Whew! I thought she wouldn't like the uniform because her favorite color is pink and the uniform is not color pink.

She found crayons inside the office so I let her draw to while away the time. By around 1pm, two more little girls arrived for the exam. One little girl was only three years old but she was bigger than Miya. Her mom would ask her to count things, and identify the princesses' posters inside the office. A few minutes after 1pm I got hungry so I ate the packed sandwich I had. While eating the examiner started calling out the kids scheduled for the test. So when she called her name, I instantly gave Miya her bag and handed her to the lady. We didn't have time to say goodbye to each other, I didn't even tell her good luck or I love you. At the same time, hindi na rin nya ko nilingon when the lady took her. Haaay..she's a big girl na talaga.

I was reading a Smart Parenting magazine while waiting for her. I don't think I even finished one article when she came out of the room with a teacher right behind her. So I asked, "O, why? What happened?" thinking that she wants me to go inside the room. And then the teacher said, "Interview na po tayo." Napasabi pa ko ng," Ay, ako na?" Ahahaha!

It wasn't actually an interview but more of the teacher orienting me on how the school is. She first asked me if we're already decided to enroll Miya at that school or we're still looking around. So I told her that we're applying to different schools and haven't decided where to enroll Miya. She mentioned that Miya told her about her current school and about Javi. It didn't occur to me at that time that she also interviewed Miya. It was only later that evening when I was trying to process our conversation that I realized she interviewed Miya because Miya told her things. I thought initially that Miya told her those things while taking the test but then again when I asked her when the result of the test will be released she said that she was not the one in charge of the test, she was just asked to do the interview. So Miya wouldn't have told her those things during the test but during a one-on-one interview. By the way, the test was done one-on-one too. So anyways, at the end of the interview she gave me a pink slip of paper and told me that the reservation fee is P5,000 in case we decide to put Miya to that school. I asked again when the test result will be released and she told me I could just ask outside. So when we got outside, I asked the receptionist regarding the result. She said she doesn't know and we'll ask the examiner (the first lady who took Miya inside the room). And when she went out to pick another student, I asked her "Kelan po lalabas yung result for the test?". She looked at Miya and said, "Ay, yan? Naku perfect yan, diretso na kayo sa registrar." Woah! Miya got a perfect score in her entrance exam! Amazing! I was so happy and proud of her and I told her so. After leaving the office, we went to the classrooms and looked around. I liked the lay out of the classrooms. It had three big tables with 4 to 5 chairs each table and then a bigger part of the classroom is open space. They also have a big TV inside. Miya was allowed by the teacher to go inside the classroom. Anyway, I saw from the classroom's door that they were offering a summer enrichment program so we had to go back inside the office to inquire. After all that we went to the registra's office. I was expecting that they'll give me a deadline to pay the reservation fee. Unfortunately, the deadline the lady gave me was the deadline for enrollment which was on the 31st of March. So we only have a few days left to decide. One of schools we applied for has scheduled us for test and interview on 13 April! I don't know what we'll do. As of writing, we still haven't decided yet. I took already took note of possible school bus for her.

While waiting for our Uber ride, we called Joema to tell him the good news. He was very happy. He asked Miya what were the items in the test but Miya didn't want to answer hahaha. When the car picked us up, I asked her again. She said that the teacher asked her to use a specific color and she got the right one from her box and so on. She also said she was asked about the sounds of the letters. I asked if she added and subtracted numbers, she said yes. I asked if she identified shapes, she said no.

When we got home Miya only had a few hours to rest and then she was off again to a classmate's birthday party. It was a very hectic day for my little girl.

Cinderella

Yesterday, we brought Miya to the cinema to watch Cinderella. This was a milestone for her as it was her first time to watch a full length movie at the cinema. We're afraid to bring her to the cinema because she always has 1,001 questions while watching at home hehehe. But we promised her she could watch Cinderella the first time it's trailer was shown on Disney Channel so yesterday we trooped to Shangri-la Mall to watch the movie.

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We don't usually allow her to eat junk foods but since this was a special occasion we let her eat chips! 

The added bonus was the Frozen Fever short movie before the actual movie started. Miya was so happy! Although she still had a lot of questions. The first one incidentally tugged at my heart, "Ganon din ako paglaki ko mamamatay ka din?" when Cinderella's mom died. Ugh! I was teary eyed but at the same time I can't explain it to her while we were inside the cinema as other watchers might be disturbed. While on our way home, she asked me why Cinderella's mom died because she associated the parents dying as a consequence if the kid is bad. Truth is I couldn't answer her directly. She asked me again this morning about Cinderella's mom's death but I again I couldn't answer. I think I just have to have a one-on-one talk with her soon about this. Sorry to be so morbid but in the end, the movie was great! I loved it! Hubby loved it, too, because he commented "Buti na lang hindi nila iniba yung kwento" comparing it to Maleficent. I love how magical Cinderella's appearance at the castle was...from her first appearance up to her first dance with the Prince! The actress playing Cinderella - her beauty grows on you. When I see her on TV, I wasn't really a fan of her beauty. But after watching the movie, she was perfect as Cinderella! I didn't realize how cruel her life was with her stepmother and stepsisters and how kind she was with them. Oo nga naman kung ako yun iniwan ko na silang lahat. I hope I can also impart to my own daughter some wise words like her mother did - always have courage and be kind!

Miya's School and Javi's Cough

I know I'm supposed to follow a schedule for my blogging but well this post is entirely out of the schedule. If I don't blog about this now, this will be irrelevant in a few weeks. Considering that I still consider this blog as a documentation of my and my family's life I need to make a quick blog update on what's been happening.

Let's start with my eldest. We're now in the process of applying to big schools for Miya. Yes schools with an s as in more than one school. We applied to three to be exact. We went and submitted to all three schools yesterday. We brought her along so that she can see all three school. And I was also hoping they'll shedule her for an assessment instantaneously. But all three schools gave us testing dates. 

Miya at the first school watching the kids practice for their Moving Up Day

Miya at the second school again watching the kids practice for the Moving Up Day

Wasn't able to take a photo of her on the third school because we didnt really see much there. She was even asking why she has no classmates in the third school hehe. Incidentally her first entrance test will be at that school. 

Meanwhile, our little boy has cough. We actually went to the pedia last Saturday for his vaccine and already mentioned about it to the pedia. But that time he coughs only in the morning when he wakes up. So the pedia said it might be because he was just clearing his passageways after waking up. 

Javi and Daddy last Saturday

But by Sunday, it progressed into a persistent cough. By Tuesday, yaya texted me that Javi vommitted while coughing. Hindi pa din ako nagworry dahil usual na nasusuka ni Javi yung excess milk na naiinom nya. Naisip ko napasobra sa pag-ubo kaya tendency nilabas yung nainom na gatas. Yesterday morning Javi woke up from coughing. This was around 5am. He couldn't stop coughing and he was getting irritated that I had to carry him na. See, we don't really wake up for me to carry him because he usually just stirs, I nurse him and he goes back to sleep. But not that morning. When I carried him and placed him on my shoulders (burping position) ayun nilabas ang milk. Joema woke up around this time because of Javi's non-stop coughing.  He wiped our floor and clean it. Since both of us had no work yesterday because we were bringing Miya to the schools I told him we could bring Javi to the pedia in the afternoon. I actually didn't want to give Javi cough medicine because he's not yet 6 months old. I wanted him to continue to drink pire breastmilk so even if the pedia prescribed Ambroxol for him we didn't buy it right away last night. I thought we could just increase hia milk intake and continue putting on Vapor Soove on his chest and back and even his feet and he'll be okay. Unfortunately, he woke up at 4am this morning with a couging fit. He again vommitted his milk when I carried him. He's so kawawa na that I already bought his medicine when I got to work. I'll administer the meds when I get home later. 

Yesterda. Javi was so sleepy but he couldn't sleep because he kept on coughing

Javi's 5th Month and On Letting Go

I know I mentioned here that I will blog about Javi's first pedia visit but it was Javi's 5th month birthday yesterday so let me blog about that instead.

He's now able to roll over to his right side, and continue on rolling over hehe. He can sit up with assistance. He can stand up with assistance. He giggles like there's no tomorrow. He can blabber on and compete with Miya while talking hehehe. Oh he is such a joy to have in our home! I'm not sure if I've written it here how I worry if I could love him as much as his Ate, but now I find myself having so much love for this little human being I never thought I could give him. Which brings me to a moment I had with him a few days after we took him home from the hospital. I was smothering him with kisses and just playing with him, then it hit me: one day he will marry and leave me. Then I cried. This I was thinking of only a few days after I gave birth to him. And then this weekend I read this article which I got from my FB feed. After the first 3 paragraphs I was crying!

My little brother was married this weekend. It was a beautiful ceremony, with touching words being spoken, promises made, smiles from ear to ear, and new lives beginning.

I kept thinking that even though my brother is 27, I could so easily remember him at 4. The little brother who spent his days fighting super heroes and watching Toy Story was now reading vows to a beautiful bride. The same little boy who used to hide under beds with me, eat grapes with while we watched cartoons, and walk to the bus with me. How does time go by so fast?

It made me think of my own little 4 year old.

I also have a younger brother, although he's not yet getting married I can completely relate to the mother who wrote this. She wrote what I feared all along. 

There’s a fear that I think a lot of mothers with boys have; that boys go off and leave their mothers while daughters stay close. 

And I'm hoping she is right when she said. 

Yet I know there’s a deep love that a son always keeps for his mother. A bond that will always remain, no matter what or where he goes.

Oh Javi, I love you so much, Anak! Let me cherish you while you are still young. Iba pala talaga ang anak na lalaki sa mga Mommy. I can't really pinpoint what it is. I love both my children but I think my love for them is different from the other.