At Army Navy

We visited our new house yesterday because we had some works done before we finally transfer next week. I was hesitant to bring Rocco because he was sleeping, but what the heck, I want my son with me on a weekend, so I scooped him out of bed even while he was sleeping, and off we went to visit our new house.

We finished around 2PM and we didn't eat lunch yet. We were thinking of going to the mall, then I remembered Army Navy. We were supposed to eat here a few weeks back with the Crisostomo Family, but it didn't push through that time. Since Sieg was as hungry as I am, we decided to eat there and overload on carbs :)

I ordered steak burrito, while Sieg ordered the huge burger. We tasted their freedom fries and libertea, and oh well, lasang french fries at iced tea pa rin :)

It was a really fun family bonding, just the three of us. As much as possible, we don't bring yayas along, unless we're out to treat them. Rocco was with me all the time. He remained behave in his high chair, and ate some biscuits while Mommy & Daddy were loading up.

Haaaay, how I love weekends!

A Wedding at Amara

Last Saturday, we witnessed the wedding of the remaining single guy among Sieg's close circle of friends. All of them are married now, and priorities have changed so it gets harder to see each other outside of work. It was a welcome retreat for us to have a mini-reunion, along with our little ones in tow.

 I was excited to check Amara because I haven't been there. It's an exclusive subdivision developed by Ayala Premier. The place is beautiful because it is naturally cinematic. Because it is overlooking the waters, the air is so fresh and breathtaking. We heard from the grapevines that the minimum cost of a lot is 20K/sqm, and the house cost must not be lower than 3M. Haaay, when will I ever win the Lotto! :)

We brought Rocco along who was his usual active self. Thank God he got tired and slept for a while. The stroller raincover was put into good use because it rained a bit.

 Sieg's friends are also daddies now. Rocco was crying in the right side picture because he wanted me to carry him. Super mama's boy :)

 The newlyweds, Joms & Sweet Dumaquita. They had their reception at the Amara clubhouse. The food was catered by Cafe Laguna. Super yummy, though I wasn't able to enjoy it that much because I was busy attending to Rocco. Dakilang ina lang ang peg ko :)

We headed home around 8PM because the little boy was getting cranky already. I didn't see the lighthouse which is the highlight of the place. Next time :)

My active boy!

I'm enjoying Rocco more and more! Everyday, he never fails to surprise us with his new milestones. Kids these days are growing up too fast, and if we're not paying enough attention, then we would definitely miss out on a lot of good stuff.

I'm happy I was able to capture one fave milestone of Rocco. You see, he is in the active stage already so it's hard to hold the camera and take pictures of him, while making sure he doesn't knock his head in a split second that he isn't attended to.

Last Saturday, Yaya Alen told us that Rocco can already stand well on his crib. He's been doing this pattern for a while now, climbing on everything he can climb on. I guess his motor skills are becoming more and more coordinated. At first, he could stand tall when pulled up, then he could walk when guided by the hand, and naturally, the next thing for him is to practice his newly learned skills. He did try it again last Sunday and I freaked out because he is almost at waist level of the crib edge and can really fall over. I immediately asked Sieg to lower down the crib.

It's just amazing seeing a child grow. Maybe next, he would walk on his own. It's even amazing because when we put him in his walker, he can maneuver it on his own already. Actually, we're not even actively practicing Rocco to learn how to walk. We realized, it's a developmental milestone, and it will happen at his own pace, when he is ready. Sabi nga ni Sieg, huwag daw namin madaliin na makalakad si Rocco. It got me thinking too. Oo nga, maybe when he walks on his own, I wouldn't be able to hug, kiss and smell him as much as I do now.

Rocco the reader

Of course Rocco can't read yet, but he really takes interest everytime I read to him. I wasn't patient in reading to him while I was still pregnant. Even when he was born, I would only read occasionally because he wouldn't respond. But now that he's 8 months old and very interactive, reading has become more fun!

I read to him at night before we sleep. This caps our night time bonding. Everytime I bring out the books, he would always drop his toys and crawl straight toward the books. When I recite the words, he would look at me and really focus on what I'm saying. Then when I point to the pictures in the books, he would also take a look.

I hope Rocco develops real fondness for books. I will buy him more and more for as long as he reads them!

Why do babies mouth everything?

According to this website:

At birth sensations in the mouth are more highly developed than in any other part of the body. The mouth is truly the baby's "window to the world." After birth, babies continue to put their own hands in the mouth, and suck or mouth the fingers of a parent, the edge of a blanket, clothing, pacifiers, and other objects that come in contact with the mouth. 

By 6 months, the child is now able to hold onto toys without dropping them, and to move them around in the mouth to explore all surfaces. The jaw makes more skillful adjustments in opening and closing, the tongue moves with greater freedom in the mouth, and the lips come forward like a pair of small hands to feel the surface of anything entering the mouth. With this new discriminative mouthing, the child uses the mouth to extract all types of sensory information from whatever enters. By exploring the toy with the tongue, lips, and jaw the child finds out about size, shape, surface texture, taste, and weight. 

Sensations from the gums draw the child's awareness to the mouth during teething. This increases the desire to put things in the mouth. Children discover sensations that increase comfort, and increase their biting, chewing, and oral exploration of toys. 

Oh diba, ang haba ng explanation. In short, babies put everything in their mouth, and that is not something that mommies should be pissed about (ang germs!!!) because mouthing is a critical part of oral development. Before Rocco moved on to mouthing his toys, he was a thumbsucker. Thankfully, it was cured, and he doesn't like pacifiers, so we use his toys as his teethers. I try so hard to be patient when Rocco picks on everything he can hold, and put it automatically to his mouth. We're just taking precaution in not putting small objects within his reach to avoid choking.


Looks like this mouthing stage won't be finished anytime soon. Buti nalang rubberband ang aking patience, kayang istretch! :)