From First Four Steps to Many Steps

At 10 months and 2weeks old, Evie had finally able to stand up by herself (without holding on to something) and walk as much as she could. I can still remember her first four steps where she struggled on working with her balance to tread more steps. From then on, she practiced her skills everyday. Her patience and determination paid off. She is such a determined girl, I can say. Whenever she discovers something physical that she can do, she works hard to become skilled on it. Now that she can already walk several steps, I barely see her crawl. Unlike when she was still practicing to walk, she usually ended up crawling when she's in a hurry—maybe chasing the cats or me and her Dada. I am so proud of my girl. The next big stage to look forward to is her learning to run—now, that's more fun!

Then and Now on Her Bumbo Seat

Evie got the chance to sit on her bumbo seat again. She first used the bumbo seat when she was 2+ months. After a month, she no longer feel comfortable sitting in. She'd stretch her legs and arms, and arched her back; signs that she wanted out. She may have not used the bumbo seat that long, but the short span of usage produced a good result. Her sitting up (on her own) developed -- as she enjoyed looking around the house, comfortably relaxing, with her full weight and back being supported with this funny-looking seat.

Well, I thought she'd no longer fit it on the bumbo seat because she's already big. But I was wrong. As she crawled to her room and found the bumbo on the floor, I decided to put her in and quite surprised that her body size is still compatible in it.

I wonder if she remembered herself lounging on the bumbo seat 5 months ago. I doubt. The look on her face was kinda unsure as she was on it. But I saw a delight in her eyes and smile. Perhaps because she thought it's a "new thing" of which she likes -- a LOT.

She Loves Mama's Language!

I rarely talk to my daughter in my mother tongue which is Bisaya (Visayan or Cebuano dialect). I want her to learn my dialect and national language, Tagalog. I want that when she goes home to the Philippines, she will be able to converse well with her fellow Filipinos. I'm sure, they will be amazed and proud that she can talk Bisaya or Tagalog.

I do not have any idea what's the best age for her to learn a different language. All I know is that the earlier, the better. Well, I have asked myself why I do not talk to her in Bisaya as much? I think maybe because the English language dominates our household and it's what I'm so used to speaking now, and everyday. 

I'm working on with this challenge. This video of her with me talking on the background somehow motivated me to talk to her more in Bisaya. I was washing the dishes while she watched me. I remember that she was so clingy that afternoon and just wanted to be wherever I went. I knew she wouldn't understand what I was talking about, but she responded well (ha ha). I love this video of her because she's being so talkative and responsive. My apologies to those who don't understand the language. To give you an idea, I was making up stories of her adventures being lost in the forest and other things that came to mind :).

Crawling Debut: The Exploration Has Just Begun!

My baby is officially crawling at 6 months and 3 weeks old! After days of figuring out how she can move her knees and arms with coordination, her hard work was finally paid off yesterday. Things immediately started to get crazy. She's all over the place. She grabbed computer cords that are hanging from the table, and even knocked off the router. Well, the cords are her favorite things to grab (for now). But, she actually grabbed anything within her reach. She knocked off a pile of her Dada's video games, pulled down a ream of bond paper, and got herself stuck under the swivel chair. The latter was a bit difficult for me. Getting her head out from a compressed area was challenging. I needed to keep my calm and make sure that I was pulling her out with extra caution. Thankfully, I got her out successfully.

We moved our couch back to where it was positioned before. That way, she cannot access the kitchen too easily. The carpet needs to be vacuumed more often (I only vacuum once a week) to get rid of cat hair and other junks that might end up in her mouth or would cause her more skin rashes.

This is just the beginning of the "chasing game." Many times today, I had to pick her up from getting too close to things or areas where she is not supposed to. Constant monitoring is fundamental. I may be keeping an eye on her activities, but, I allow her do and touch things which I deem are harmless. I let her touched the cat's toys which she found on the floor, but made sure that it didn't get to her mouth.

I may already be over 30, but when it comes to this motherhood pilgrimage, I am, but a starter. Now that my daughter's exploration of the world around her just kicked off, we will learn new things together. What's gratifying about this journey is that, I am not alone. I've got my husband together with the support and love of friends and family.

Each new development my Evie attains is quite exciting. May my Father in heaven continue to bless me with His wisdom in able for me to take good care of this beautiful creation the way He wants me to.

 (Crawling under the computer table)

--> She says, "Mama, look what I got?"

Big Baby Moves to the Big Tub

The first two attempts of giving her baby bath in the bathroom tub were unsuccessful. Just looking and listening to the sound of the gushing water from the faucet made her freaked out and crying. Last Sunday, her Dada tried again. This time she stayed, but was still a little bit uncertain of the new, and much bigger bathing place. Rubber ducky toys and a piece of block somehow entertained her for few minutes.

She's getting too big for her old, baby bathtub. There's no way we can give her a good wash. I decided that beginning today she will have her bath in the big tub. I thought of a strategy that might help her feel calm while in the tub. The game plan? Mama joined her in the tub! Of course I had to take off my pajamas and wear my shorts.

The tub was empty when we got in. I gave her the duckies and the boat that comes with blocks. She was delighted. Did our oatmeal ritual and later turned on the faucet. While doing this, I held her facing the dripping device. She was just staring. I placed my hand under the running water as if I was playing with it and ushered her hand to play with it too. No freaking out. No screaming. No crying. No sign of disliking or scary reaction of the "new thing." 

Filled up the tub just enough for her and me to play. Duckies and boat were floating. I splashed the water with my hands and taught her how to do it with hers. She liked me splashing the water. Maybe the sound of it caught her interest.

For the next bath I thought of going in the tub with her still. The third time, I'll try of having her alone. We'll see how this strategy works. But so far, it's improving.

"I'm Stuck!" She Screams

When your baby begins rolling over and slowly crawling like a worm, watch out, she'll get her legs or arms stuck in any place where a part of her body could fit in. That's what happened with Evie now. Getting both of her legs trapped under the couch is already a typical picture we get to see everyday. Her moving around from one place to another just by rolling over or pushing her body forward utilizing her knees and arms (almost crawling) is something that charges me to check her from time to time. Unlike before where she can only roll on her tummy and can barely move around, I didn't have worry of where she must have transported herself. Well, this is just the beginning of the "chasing game" for a girl who will soon starts to do a combat crawl. If she can talk now, she must be telling me "Keep your eyes wide open Mama!"

Mama: Eve's First Word

Oh, that first word every parent awaits!

Evie surprised her Dada and me yesterday morning while she was on her Exersaucer playing and was making endless noise..."Mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," she babbled!!! Our first reaction was looked at each other, then laughed! What a very joyful moment, specially for me (he he). She called my name! It may just be a random sound that she thoughtlessly uttered, but, a moment that swelled my heart to pure bliss.

Before then, my husband and I wondered which name Evie will say first: Dada or Mama? Obviously, I won! :) (kidding, it's not a contest). Today, we heard her said one syllable which is "ma." I have been encouraging her to say "Mama." Let's see how this development progresses. I keep this memorable event as a mother, written in my heart forever.

Teething?

Evie slept with us on bed last night. She had been waking few times after she settled for night sleep at 9. Her Dada decided to keep her with us because it might help her get a good sleep. But still, she fussed a little bit. The patting and with her knowledge that she's beside us kept her get a better sleep.

It's almost been a week now that she showed teething symptoms...well, aside from drooling which started when she was only 2 months old. The drooling seems endless. As far as the symptoms go, she has:

• low grade fever - Just holding her gave us a clue that her temperature is not normal. It goes on and off.

• eating problem - Her appetite waned. Normally, she eats 5oz each feeding. It went down to 4oz. But, there are times of the day where she ate 5oz (which made us rejoice!). I also noticed that when she's sucking the nipple, it looks like she covers her lower gum with her tongue. A lot of times she pushed away the bottle after few sips, and then, grabbed the bottle back to her mouth, acting so hungry. Sometimes, she'd only put the upper part of the nipple in her mouth while sucking.
  
  
• clingy and irritability moments - Most of the time she wants to be held and would insist it. She would cry if we don't immediately pick her up at the first signs that she wants attention.
  
  
• pleasure with chilled teethers - At times when she cried, we gave her a frozen teether. Amazingly, the bawling stopped once she chewed the chilled rubber. Her actions and the enjoyment she felt with something "cold" in her mouth is very evident on her face. She looked relieved and happy.
  
  
• perpetual chewing/biting - Anything that she grabs goes to her mouth. She's manifesting an interest and insistence of wanting to chew on something she has on her hand. She even wanted to chew on her Dada's cheeks and nose. Our fingers most of all are not exempted. So, keeping the hands clean is very necessary with a teething baby.
  
  
• ear rubbing - She has been rubbing her ears more frequently than normal. Many times she'd end up pulling the neckline of her onesie.
  
  
• crying while asleep - As I wrote this blog, she's asleep and few times cried while eyes are closed. This has been the scenario for few nights now. By the sound of her cry, I can tell that she's in pain. As her eyes were shut, she continued making low sounding cries and sobbing occasionally.

I do not have a clue when her first tooth comes out. I wish it would be sooner so that she no longer has to go through the discomforts longer. On the other hand, this stage of her growth teaches me PATIENCE. Taking care of a teething baby is a little bit challenging. The thing that needs the most effort for my part is the feeding. As much as she shows disinterest with food, I need to make sure that she is eating enough. I have to think of ways on how to resolve the obstacles. So far, the initiatives work.

Rolling Over At 6 Weeks

Evie made me laugh so much this morning despite of how tired and sleepy I was. I put my daughter on her stomach for her "tummy time." As usual, she paddled and pushed her feet as if she's trying to crawl. She lifted her neck and head like a pro. The big surprise was, she moved her right shoulder and chest upward, lifted her right leg and rolled over...bam! She's on her back! My first reaction was crack a big laugh. I was so stunned of her doing such a brave move at this early stage. However, I doubted a little bit. I thought, maybe, it was just a coincidence. Maybe the little slope on the couch made her flipped over. So, I moved her farther from the slope and see if it was really her own effort doing that baby stunt or not. Well, I underestimated what my daughter can already do at 6 weeks. She did the same move and rolled over again. That made me burst into laughter again. I proudly told her daddy what she did. I thought I was the first one to discover her new trick. I was wrong. Her daddy told me that when he had Evie do her tummy time on our bed the other day, she did the same. Oh my, I can't believe this baby is developing so fast.

Most Painful Cry A Mother Hears

What is the most disheartening to a mother than seeing her child in pain?

Evie had her second newborn screening yesterday. When the laboratory technician asked who will hold the baby while the test is undergone, I immediately answered "daddy." I didn't have the strength to hold her knowing that a sharp (needle or blade? I don't know) object will be poked into her left heel to get blood samples.

The moment she felt the pain, she started wailing. It's the most heartbreaking sound I've ever heard in my life. It felt like my heart was being gripped. So, that is how a mother feels like when her child is going through a painful ordeal. Watching her struggling with the pain for few minutes was unbearable. With all her physical strength, she tried so hard to escape from her daddy's arms. Her yowling subsided as she buried her fist in her mouth. But everytime the lady squeezed her foot to get more blood, Evie expressed her total discomfort.

But you know one thing I discovered with my daughter? Even if she cried so much from that screening and sounded so helpless, she showed us how brave she is. How do I know? As her mother, I just felt it. I knew it from the sound of her cries. My daughter's endurance motivates me to be more strong for her, to be there for her at any cost.

The newborn screening was not my favorite part to deal with (so far). The shots would probably be the next least favorite agenda to handle in the successive months to come.

Music Spell

Today, we officially introduce music to Evie's nap time.

Two days ago my husband and I were watching a music video of Shirley Bassey's version of "Let's Get This Party Started" by Pink on Youtube. We noticed that the rhythmic sound appealed to our daughter's sense of hearing. We saw it through her eyes' movements and facial expression. She looked like she was paying attention to what she was hearing. And later, my husband put her in the crib and turned on the mobile. She was enchanted by it and her eyes were changing directions as the stuffed dinosaurs hanging on the mobile were rotating.

Finally, Daddy set up the stereo in Evie's room this morning and tuned the dial on an FM station that plays classical music that primarily include the masterpieces of Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. I heard that among the music genre, classical develops the ability of the brain to solve spatial problems than other types of music. We are giving it a shot! There's no harm in trying. It might work.

So far, she had a good sleep with the radio on. Hopefully, this new method will indeed help her give a soothing, quiet, better nap time.

Finally, Umbilical Cord Stump Fell Off

It was around 3AM when Evie started to fuss. Three in the morning has been her usual waking, changing, and feeding time. I jumped out of bed and attended to her needs. Brought the baby to her room to check her diaper. To my surprised, her umbilical cord stump fell off. I was a little bit panicky. I didn't know what to do. I was scared of cleaning her navel because I might hurt her. So, I hurriedly went back to our room and woke up my husband. At first, he didn't understand what I was talking about because he was half asleep when I bugged him. I had to repeat just what I said. We both went to Evie's room and he cleaned the baby's belly button with a Q-Tip soaked with an alcohol.

I was quite glad that 2 weeks after she was born, her umbilical cord is finally healed. Now, I no longer have to be so anxious of accidentally touching it. There was one morning where I cried because I saw a little bit of blood coming out from the cord. I was so worried about it until the nurse in her pediatrician's office told us that her cord didn't look like it was infected at all, and a few amount of blood is normal.

Daddy is so happy too because by then we can give his little princess a full bath :)