It's Signing Time with Maia

My nephew, Gogol, spoke late. So my sister taught him how to sign. This helped them get through his toddler years. Baby signing was an activity that Gogol really enjoyed.

Since baby signing was really useful with her and Gogol, my sister encouraged me to do the same with Maia. When Maia was just 6 months, she would send me video files of baby signing that she downloaded from you tube.

I tried to teach Maia when she started showing signs of being sociable at around her 9th month but I admit, baby signing really takes a lot of patience and hardwork. We've taught her the signs for milk, water, book and sleep but we never took off after these. At the back of my mind though, I still really want to keep on teaching her more until she starts talking. After all, any form of communication other than screaming or wailing is always good for our household.

This morning while browsing through Baby Center, I stumbled into a baby signing article. They listed a couple of basic signs that I think we can still apply with Maia. So starting today, I vowed to introduce 2 signs per week. Until she shows some signs of mastery on them.

Here's the list that I found in Baby Center:

• 'food' -- put your finger tips to your lips

• 'all gone' -- move your hand, palm up, backwards and forwards

• 'scared' -- tap your chest again and again

• 'hot' -- put your hand out and withdraw it quickly

• 'where?' -- shrug your shoulders, with your palms held out

• 'rabbit' -- wrinkling up your nose or hold up two fingers

• 'car' -- steer an imaginary wheel

• 'book' -- holding hands flat with palms up

I'll add more signs to this list as I learn them. I do hope Maia and I will succeed in this attempt just as Gogol and her Nanay did. Wish us luck!

Maia Goes Trick or Treating for the First Time

TRICK OR TREATING GOODIES

Last year, when our village held the Halloween party I had just given birth and Tibs was still apprehensive to let us join the party. So we passed on that one. This year since Maia's a lot older, we are happy to finally be able to participate.

Midway thru the program however, she started sneezing non-stop. Fearing another trip to the hospital, we decided to cut the party mood short and bring her home. 

We were hoping that she could still join her friends at trick or treating after the party but the program finished late and she was already asleep when kids came knocking our doors to ask for treats. Oh well, better luck next year then. At least the costume was not wasted (had we waited for a few more days though, it would have been extra difficult to get her into it already).

TRYING OUT HER COSTUME

LITTLE FAIRY GOES TRICK OR TREATING WITH MOM AND DAD

Baby Signing with Maia

My nephew, Gogol, spoke late. So my sister taught him how to sign. This helped them get through his toddler years. Baby signing was an activity that Gogol really enjoyed.

Since baby signing was really useful with her and Gogol, my sister encouraged me to do the same with Maia. When Maia was just 6 months, she would send me video files of baby signing that she downloaded from you tube.

I tried to teach Maia when she started showing signs of being sociable at around her 9th month but I admit, baby signing really takes a lot of patience and hardwork. We've taught her the signs for milk, water, book and sleep but we never took off after these. At the back of my mind though, I still really want to keep on teaching her more until she starts talking. After all, any form of communication other than screaming or wailing is always good for our household.

This morning while browsing through Baby Center, I stumbled into a baby signing article. They listed a couple of basic signs that I think we can still apply with Maia. So starting today, I vowed to introduce 2 signs per week. Until she shows some signs of mastery on them.

Here's the list that I found in Baby Center:

• 'food' -- put your finger tips to your lips

• 'all gone' -- move your hand, palm up, backwards and forwards

• 'scared' -- tap your chest again and again

• 'hot' -- put your hand out and withdraw it quickly

• 'where?' -- shrug your shoulders, with your palms held out

• 'rabbit' -- wrinkling up your nose or hold up two fingers

• 'car' -- steer an imaginary wheel

• 'book' -- holding hands flat with palms up

I'll add more signs to this list as I learn them. I do hope Maia and I will succeed in this attempt just as Gogol and her Nanay did. Wish us luck!

Rakentur Puppetshow @ Maia Isobel Paras' First Birthday Party

Link

Sharing from Rakentur's multiply site. Glad they were able to capture part of the show on video.

Thanks again Rizchelle to you and your team!

Styes and other eye problems

Maia has this stye thing most probably. The corner of her left eye seemed reddish when she woke up this morning and it has now spread on the base of the whole eye.

I was a little bit panicky when I saw that the swelling was progressing/spreading but this article sort of calmed me. I hope it doesn't get worse tomorrow. Otherwise I might be forced to bring her to her nearest pedia again...which I'm really not keen on doing because we're planning to bring her back to Dra. Chen this weekend for her well-baby check up. Yay we're one year old!

She's been very cheery the whole day so I'm glad that swelling didn't bother her a bit. Meanwhile, we just continue with the hot compresses. We had a couple of walking practice this afternoon. I guess she's trying to impress Mommy.

Please pray for this little makulit but super charming and sweet baby of ours. She's just too curious of the world out there. We do not want another trip to the doctor to stop her from her daily adventures.

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update: as I've been seeing some traffic pointing to this specific topic, let me just list some helpful links here on Styes and some home remedies for it. I would suggest though to take your kid to the pedia once the swelling progresses because it might be some sort of infection that needs some professional medical attention. My kid's stye only lasted for 2 days and the swelling let up on the 3rd day

- What is a Stye?

- Home remedies

Maia's Birthday Supplier Ratings

1 - Exceeded Expectations
2 - Met Expectations
3 - Probably Won't Get Them Again
 
Venue: Avida Sta Cecilia Clubhouse
Rating: 2
Peso Value: P2,000
Inclusions: venue rental (homeowner rate)

this was the first thing on our list most probably. we didn't bother to look anywhere else because this was the place that maia is most familiar with so we won't have any issues with her getting scared at an unfamiliar place. and we were right, she never threw a tantrum all through out the party.

Caterer: Majesto Catering
http://majestocatering.multiply.com
Rating: 2 - food; 2 - service
Peso Value: P190/adult and P145/kid, no service charge

Inclusions: pasta, beef, pork, chicken, fish, rice, 2 desserts and red iced tea (for the adults)
                 : pasta, mini-burger, hotdog, fried chicken and orange juice (for the kids)
                 : free choco fountain and free use of bubble machine

Party Supplier 1: Balloons/Other Party Supplies - Myrna's Balloons

Rating: 3

Party Supplier 2: Rakentur - Puppet Show/Hosting/Games

Rating: 1

Birthday Cake: Cupcakes by Majesto

http://cupcakesbymajesto.multiply.com
Peso Value: P2,500 (plus P200 delivery charge)
Dimensions: 9" cake on a column placed on top of a 16" cake
Rating: 2


Photographer: Jeff Lopez

http://shootandscrap.blogspot.com

Peso Value: P4,000
Inclusions: Service for 4 hours, DVD copies of all pics, 3x3 mini album
Rating: 2       

Other items:

Guestbook - National bookstore, Kodak + Mommy's labor of love

      I initially had a different plan.

Invitations and Thank you tags - design by a friend; printing by Netopia - Rating: 2 nice print quality, affordable price
adult souvenirs, kiddie lootbags and game prizes - c/o parents shopping spree in Divisoria Mall - P3,500 for 40 lootbags with various winnie the pooh items and 120 pieces of nice Pooh pocket-sized notebooks for the adults and 60 bags of assorted game prizes

A great journey

It's been one great journey.

This thing they call motherhood.

Today I celebrate a milestone ...along with my dearest treasure in this whole wide world - my dear little Maia.

It's been a year of ups and downs. I learned so much in just one year. I've became a totally different person in just one year.

And now a look forward to more learnings to come.

Motherhood is such a wonderful journey I am oftentimes rendered speechless and spellbounded.

Happiness. Pure bliss. I guess that's the best description I have for it at the moment.

Time to shake off the disbelief

She turns 1 in a couple of days.
And I still would often stare at her in disbelief.
Sometimes, I admit I would still pinch myself.
Just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
This might not be a role that I've dreamt of having
Nor a job that I've always planned to have
Or an event that I've OC'd down to its simplest details
But I want you to know that you will always be one of the best things (if not the best) that ever happened to me, baby.
YOU MADE ME A MOM and made me realize that LIFE is indeed worth living.
I love you, Maia.
Thank you for giving me back my life.

Will that day ever come?

Maia ran out of milk this morning.

Well, that was not intentional of course. It's just that she was supposed to graduate to toddler formula now and we're trying out 2 different brands. She liked the first one. She finished the sampler pack fast. But the second one, she obviously did not. The baby bottled suffered the blow as she threw it immediately after tasting the milk. Poor bottle.

Anyways, so I had to head off to the nearest Mercury drug store outlet to get her milk supply before I head off to work. To save myself a trip back home, she and yaya Inday had to come with me to the store. She had fun, we could tell.

After we've paid for our purchases I took them back to the jeepney terminal and send her and ate Inday home. She was cheery though. Probably because she really enjoys jeepney rides and the sights outside of the house.

I was a different story though. I almost cried while saying bye-bye. I was standing there waiting for the jeepney to leave...still waving my hand saying bye-bye baby. My heart's being torn into pieces. This was not the first time...but it felt like it was.

I wonder if I'll ever get past days and moments like this. Or if the day that I'll never have to say bye-bye to her on a weekday will ever come. I am fervently praying for the latter.

As I head to the direction of my office, I kept saying in my head "Just one more year, baby."

I hope God gives me the wisdom to make the right decision when that time comes.

For now, I have the mortgage to think of. And a lot of other projects lined up for next year. Just one year.

Right now though. That seems like eternity.

Tips in giving relief to disaster victims from INQUIRER.net

Link

Prayers will see us through

Prayers do not only give us hope, it gives us strength in times of dire need. I can personally attest to that. So as another typhoon (a super typhoon even) approaches this badly beaten country of ours over the weekend, let's all keep praying for everybody's safety.

I am sharing this prayer that was passed on to me via SMS. Please share to encourage people to pray.

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Dear Lord, we fervently pray for your intercession so that our nation will be spared from another threatening typhoon.

Our suffering people have not yet recovered from Ondoy's wrath.

Please prevent Pepeng from hitting any of our islands. Save us from further calamities by embracing our country with your protective grace and merciful blessings. AMEN.

October

October is supposed to be a good month for me.

This month I will celebrate the most important milestones of my lifetime. Me being a wife and me being a mom. The former is marked at 2 and the latter at 1.

Watching the news on TV is just so heartbreaking I lost all the excitement of preparing for Maia's first bday. I just feel like it's so inappropriate for us to be celebrating when a lot of our brothers and sisters are suffering.

I am torn. But I also feel that Maia deserves this. And that I need to make the effort of making it special. Haaay. Dear Lord, I need your help on this. Please give me the strength to finish everything in 2 weeks.

And by the way, October is breast cancer awareness month too. This was really supposed to be a good month for me. Please. Please Dear God...pagbigyan mo na ako. Damay na din mga kababayan ko if ever.