Amelie has so many toys now but her clear favorite is the inflatable bouncer. Thanks Joe! But its shrunk quite alot now with all the jumping and I’m worried that she might hurt herself if it gets any flatter. So the obvious solution is to re-inflate it but I’m still trying to figure out how – I’m not really keen on the idea of hand-pumping it up again…and again in the future. There is a tire inflator in our tool box but no-one here seems to know how to work it – it looks like the Milton S506 shown here. I have been told I need an air compressor to make it work? Is that right? If so, which air compressor? – there are so many to choose from and I’m not too keen on trying to figure that out….any ideas anyone?
WS #1 | Sydney Harbour Bridge
This is my first time to join the Weekend Snapshot Challenge. I very much want to learn to take better photos and be inspired by the guys who join in.
Over the weekend, the family went for yet another impromptu visit to the city. It was my first time to see the city packed with so many people! The weather was great that day and we went in and around The Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanical Garden. We went home so tired from walking that we called it a night at 9pm. He he.
My husband and I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge five years ago. It was a great feat for me especially for someone who is afraid of heights! I don’t think I can do that again though. He he.
More Like Dad
When I was pregnant with Amelie, I always prayed that she’d be healthy, with complete body parts and inheriting the good traits of her dad. I so admire how he has remained simple natured, timid and patient throughout the years — those traits I want our daughter to have.
I shared this with my mother-in-law and she asked, “You didn’t pray for her to be beautiful?” and I said, “Not exactly. But I did ask for her to be cute.”
It will take a few more years for me to confirm if she got the traits I prayed for. Although I’d like to think that she is an overall good kid now, it is still pretty early to tell. But what is very evident is Amelie looking very much like her dad.
As soon as my ObGyne placed Amelie on my chest after delivery, I whispered to R, “Kamukha mo sya.” Since that day until now, you’ll hear the exact same words from the people who see them together.
At Fifteen Months
My sunshine, now at 15 months is becoming more and more active, tirelessly running to and fro, climbing the stairs, pulling out all the stuff in her dedicated shelf and eats much to her heart’s content. I love it when she smiles so beautifully whenever she sees her dad coming home from work or even at me when I just came from my bath! Isn’t that cute? If she’s done something that she knows mommy’s not happy about, like touching things in “mommy’s shelf”, she’d run to you and try to appease you with a hug.
I am happy that she keeps a good appetite. She eats cereals for breakfast; thankfully she likes cow’s milk now. She enjoys her servings of whatever pinoy dish I cook and her favorites are — pork or beef sinigang, beef nilaga, chicken or beef afritada, Filipino spaghetti or chicken macaroni soup. With the appetite of my two charms, who would not be motivated to cook everyday? 🙂 Amelie will typically have lunch with me, a serving of rice (she graduated from rice porridge since 1) and viand then slices of oranges or rock melon will come after. We try to always have fruits on the table though it’s a challenge to stock up a lot. She will join me and R for dinner later in the day. She loves orange juice and Yakult (this helps her digestion). From 4 bottles of 8 ounces of formula per day, she now drinks just 3. Yey!
She loves books, enjoys her time alone playing with her toys, plastic containers and even CD cases! Whenever she’s bored though, she will call your attention by turning up the DVD player volume or she’ll come to you and pinch you. Yea, one habit I hope she’ll outgrow. She pinches me a lot when she’s trying to put herself to sleep. Even if I just clipped her nails, her fingers are just too precise not to miss the muscles and fat I have on my arms.
R plays a lot of “hide and seek” game with Amelie. I tell you, once you start playing this with her, she just won’t stop. You’ll be catching your breath and she’ll still be running and hiding and wanting for you to surprise her.
She says the words “ilk” for milk and this has helped avoid crying spells whenever she’s hungry. There’s no more guess work when she gets cranky. So she asks for “ilk” when hungry, pinches and whines when sleepy. Ha ha.
Amelie loves action songs. She first learned how to clap and stomp and raise both arms to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” before she turned 1. Her next favorite is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, far from her “close-open” antic when she was still a young baby, she would open and close her hands and motion her fingers to form a diamond and sing “kul” “kul” when she watches the video. Now she’s learning the “Eensy Weensy Spider”, she started to do movements on her fingers but have yet to learn the rest.
When she sees me and R dressed up, she’ll drop whatever she’s holding and run towards us. She knows we’re going somewhere and would want to go too – and fast! When you say “shoes” she’ll be so alert that it will be difficult for you to dress her up, she just wants to put her shoes on and go!
There are lot of little challenges to come – teach her to brush her teeth (she bites the brush before it gets in her mouth), potty training (which I dread!), better sleeping habits — she takes 2 naps daytime and sleeps through the night and with “better” I mean for Amelie to sleep on her own. She only does it now when she’s very tired.
Parenthood is REALLY tough work but the rewards are priceless! Happy 15-month birthday, darling Amelie!
Johnson’s Baby
Late August this year, my Ate C forwarded an email from her company’s brand manager requesting for leads on potential baby models for a new TV ad. In my excitement, I bothered less if our dinner wasn’t ready yet and that I was very tired that day coming from work. I immediately picked-up Amelie, gave her her evening bath, fixed her hair and diaper and grabbed my trusty Canon camera! Talk about priorities! Hee.
The photos in this layout are just two of what I sent to my sister. Kaya lang, when the brand manager inquired about Amelie and learned that she’s in Singapore, she told my sister that the shoot is scheduled in the 1st week of September and it therefore followed that she’s dropped off from the list. Sayang no.
But despite that, Amelie remains to be a JNJ baby.
Bathtime Fun
Amelie had always enjoyed bathing save for the first few weeks when she was still a newborn. But when she was in her 10th to 11th months, she started to dislike it. The mere sight of her tub just sent her shrieking and wailing. I had to improvise like using plastic containers and what not to entice her to stay put in her tub because bath toys didn’t do. If R was around, he would hold Amelie while I wash her up. Her struggles and wails often led to 5-minute baths and a wet mom and dad.
However, a few days after we reached Manila, she surprised me most when she all of a sudden changed her mindset over bathing. She stayed put until I finished the whole bathing ritual. Now, unless I take her out of the tub, she wouldn’t stop splish-splashing! A pleasant surprise indeed!
At Three Months
For our daughter’s first year, we celebrated the 20th of each month as it presented milestones/developments of her growth. I fancied buying this small cake with her favorite character design, Elmo.
Fifteen Things That Change When You Have a Baby
I was doing some reading today about babies and I came across this beautiful list of post-baby observations. I couldn’t agree more..
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms. 2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body … finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby’s pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
Leah
Leah and I met through another blogging pal turn real friend, Jay. The three of us, together with our spouses, shared a common liking for Singaporean favorites like beef kway teow and chilli crab. We would always go for spur-of-the-moment dinner or lunch outs to Geylang or Chinatown. We enjoyed watching movies, plays and concerts, too! Their company is sorely missed.
36 Years
When I think of how long my parents have stayed married, I wonder if my husband and I will reach the same milestone. It’s still a long way for us but I’d like to think and believe that we’ll reach if not surpass that length of time.