A Cute Realization

Pappie usually complains that Yakee, while sleeping, seeks him out that he gets crammed to the wall with no breathing space. Then yesterday, I was complaining of the same during our afternoon nap and very early this morning when I finally came to bed.

Pappie made the connection though. Yakee seeks in his sleep the parent he missed during the day. I was gone for a while for lunch so he sought me during the afternoon nap. And I was working in the computer all night so he sought me, when he sensed my presence in bed, when I went to bed at past 3 AM.

Now, since Pappie is gone 5 days a week, Yakee seeks him 5 nights a week. Of course, this sometimes disrupts Pappie's sleep as well but I guess this is nature's way of making sure each child gets to bond with its parents. Both parents. :)

New Year, New Prospects

It's been a promising new year so far for us. I am getting more income opportunities, hubby has been supportive of the schedule changes, even Yakee is generally adjusting alright.

We're looking to buy our own home too. After four years of living a comfortable life at the grace of our parents, we believe it's time we 'spread our wings' some more. I know it will be hard and yet another adjustment, but I really hope this time, we'll make it happen.

I have not made advances in the weaning and potty-training department. I still see no sign in my son that he's ready to be potty trained (because he still pees everywhere, given a chance) and the changes I've had to make to accommodate 'work' is making me guilty about weaning him. Hubs teases me that myabe am the one who's not ready for it :) But it's not like Yakee nurses a lot anyway. He can even last a day without doing so. He generally only nurses before fully waking up in the morning and when am tucking him in for his afternoon nap.

Pappie and I are thankful that despite the terrible two's (more like Yakee's demands for attention and independent streak), Yakee is growing up a happy boy.

Pappie and I are also watching the Valentine Farewell Concert of the APO Hiking Society, something to really look forward to. And come March, we'd have been flirting with each other and driving each other crazy for ten years now. How fast time flies when you're having fun... or losing sleep. Hehe.

Now, where to travel to this year?

Reading Differently

We were given this big Sesame Street ABC book which we've taken to reading to our son before bedtime.

I will go through the alphabet with him, saying the letter, sounding the letter, and fingerspelling the letter. Then we'd go through each letter and the pictures for each letter. Sometimes i'd make stories, say connections, ask him to point out something to me, and sign the picture to build his signing vocabulary. I also keep fingerspelling. If there's an animal, I ask how it sounds like.

Pappie, on the other hand, asks questions. He goes, "What animals do you see?" or "What do we use to open the door that begins with the letter K?" or "What do we love eating when it's hot, we put it on a cone and lick it like this."

I couldn't help but smile last night watching them read together because I was really happy for my son. He's being loved differently and taught differently. We are not even trying to really teach him letters and numbers yet, rather, we're just letting him learn them on his own terms. But he is learning them. Some better than others. And all we see is a thriving boy with a thriving mind.

It really is a privilege seeing someone unfold.

Holidays 2009 in Pictures

Yakee happy with his "Match a Color" learning set


happy with his black and white board w/ magnetic alphabet


by the Christmas tree at Momsy's with Iya


making a mess with cousins


with glowstick glasses


watching fireworks with Pappie and Momsy


lighting fireworks with Tito Rocky


fighting with Ice at the cemetery


with a Ms. Gay Universe contestant (i think she won!)

Ring and Flower Bearer

Our Yakee is our ring and flower bearer. Ring bearer because his name is Rubeus (ruby) which was the main stone of my engagement ring. Plus, he is living proof of our commitment to each other, and unconditional love.

Flower bearer because he carried these flowers for Pappie to give to me. And if truth be told, I think he thought they were for him and wanted to just show them to me. Hehe.



Just a few pounds more and am almost as heavy as when I was about to give birth to Yakee. Yes, I am fat now. But look at me, I am happy! Picture taken several minutes after midnight.



Told hubs he need not give me Valentines anymore but that he should cook something up for March, when we celebrate the 10th year of our kalandian.

Momsy's Convert

Momsy (MIL) is the one who really drinks Real Life Green Tea but soon, her kids started picking up the habit. She prefers lychee while her youngest prefers apple. Anyway, since all her married kids spent the holidays with them, everybody just started drinking the stuff too.

This is my brother-in-law cooling himself with the tea while lighting up all the firecrackers he bought last New Year's Eve.


Check out our niece's expression as her Dad kisses her Mom at the stroke of midnight. Earlier, we were teasing her that she cannot allow any other boy to kiss her till she's 25 years old... and she said, why was her Dad kissing her Mom all the time?

Someday, I can probably tell the niece that tea helps to keep your breath smelling fresh, and is good for kissing. But since she's only turning five, I just told her that the only boy allowed to kiss her is my son. Hehe.

I should have taken a picture of all the Real Leaf Green Tea we consumed last Christmas! Then again, we feasted on really sinful food!

Happy Anniversary to Us

Our marriage is far from perfect. But we remain perfect for each other.

*~*

Hubs surprised me with a bouquet of flowers last night at the stroke of midnight. It was a replica of my wedding bouquet. He had Yakee carry it for him while he was playing "Baby, I Love Your Way" in his phone. Hubs stole from our visit to my SIL's yesterday to buy the flowers and he had his sister arrange the bouquet for him.

I couldn't stop smiling at all.