More Shots

Noah

Kaiden

Tomorrow, my 2 babies are going to get their shots. It's the flu season, and the doctor would most probably give Noah a flu shot. Certainly, not a fun day!

Noah's Struggle

My little Noah has been experiencing asthma attacks... again for the past few days til now. Due to change in season I guess. He hasn't really been sleeping well at night due to constant barking and wheezing. He has been taking Albuterol, 4x a day and Qvar 40, once a day to control his asthma. He also has a stuffy nose, and for that the doctor prescribed him Aller-Dur which does help with the congestion. Oh, my poor baby. Hope you outgrow your asthma and not suffer anymore like this. Just heartbreaking.

My Boys' Check-Up

Last week, Noah and Kaiden had their well-child check up- 18th and 2nd mo respectively. Both of them had 2 shots each, DTap and MMR for Noah, DTap and Hib plus an oral vaccine for Kaiden. I believe that's the Rotavirus. Oh, it was heart breaking. Before leaving home, 30 minutes prior to their check-up, I gave them Tylenol, as advised by our doctor to prepare them for the shots. :( Kaiden, who was sleeping, woke up and cried from the shots but he went back to sleep soon after they were given. Noah SCREAMED when he was poked. The nurse said that the MMR vaccine stings so I guess he felt that. My husband was the one who had to hold Noah that time. He felt horrible for both of the little boys like Mommy. I think he had more of a hard time dealing with it than I did. I just told him we just had to remind ourselves that it's for their own benefit. As for their stats, Noah falls on the 25th percentile for weight, and 75th percentile for height. Kaiden, on the other hand, falls on the 75th percentile for both weight and height.

By the way, as soon as we got home, Noah was back to his old rambunctious self- jumping, galloping, laughing hard with Daddy, as if nothing happened. :)

Noah Names Parts of the Face

"Eyes...ears..." Funny how Noah names the parts of the face with Kaiden, his younger brother as his model. I just have to watch his finger though because I'm afraid he might poke Kaiden's eyes. And curious that he is, he sometimes puts his finger into baby Kaiden's mouth, trying to explore what's inside, while poor Kaiden just stares at his older brother, not knowing what's going on. :)

Noah *winks and says "GOOGLE!"

Amazing how a baby's vocabulary increases each day. At almost 18 months, there's been a surge in vocabulary as far as Noah's language development is concerned. The range of words he speaks has been increasing rapidly. We can't help but smile, and sometimes laugh because of how funny he pronounces some words. Just few weeks ago, I spoke to him the word "GOOGLE once, and I was totally surprised that he was able to get it right away. Now, that's my baby! hehe :) We have also been teaching him some sign language (picking only the commonly used ones) since he was 8 months old to reduce frustration in communicating. So far, it has helped us to provide exactly what he needs at the shortest time with less frustration on both ends. He knows how to sign eat, more, drink, milk, sleep, diaper. He points to his diaper or shorts, gets a new one, and lies down whenever he needs it changed. Funny when he does this. :)

Here are some words he speaks:
1. O-ow Wad-ju-ju-ju? - O-oh What did u do? :)
2. baba- head butt (him and his daddy play "soft" head butt :))
3. gi da!- get down! ( he shouts those commands to the dogs especially to Sofie, our lab, coz she likes jumping and standing on the gate whenever we arrive at the door)
4. bats- balls ( i don't know why he pronounces it that way :))
5. diti- dirty
6. ten chu- thank you
7. clock
8. eyes
9. juice
10. dance
11. cheese
12. banana- nana
13. GOOGLE!
14. etc. etc... (words of his own that we still have to decipher :) )

Noah, Marky and the Bath Tub

Just lovin' the water!

These photos were taken last month when Kimberly, our daycare provider took care of Noah when I was recovering from the Caesarean operation with Kaiden. As usual, he was with his good buddy, Marky who's Kimberly's foster child. I love seeing them play and interact with each other. I'm glad that they enjoy each other's company this early age.

Noah and the Animals

Last Saturday, we went to Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead to let Noah see some farm animals for "real". He only sees them on videos whenever he watches Baby Einstein at home. As expected, he had fun especially with the goat which he got to touch the ear.

touchin' Billy's ear :)

giggly Noah on way home :)

bobcat sleepin

My Mom and Aunt's Vacation

Two weeks ago, my Mom and Aunt came over to see their little grandchildren, and also to help me take care of them. Oh, they did have a grand time! No doubt! Noah, born entertainer himself, impressed his "lolas" with his famous dancing moves. Newborn Kaiden, on the other hand, was so content that he never gave them a difficult time. Both my Mom and Aunt wish that they live near so they can see their "apos" anytime they want to. I guarantee Noah and Kaiden are going to be spoiled if that's the case. :)

Noah Dancing for his Lolas

Noah Hand Painting

During the week that I was in the hospital to give birth to Baby Kaiden, our dear son, Noah was in the daycare who obviously had fun hand painting with his buddy, Marky. It was messy though, but I really don't mind. Enhancing the creative side of him is far more important to me than the mess, or clutter he may make. I remember the story that Randy Pausch shared in his Last Lecture on Life's Lessons when he quested on Oprah. Randy Pausch is a great Computer Science professor who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When he was little, he liked painting the walls of his room with different things. His parents got dismayed at first but soon realized that it's important that he expressed himself through different means. They encouraged creativity in him and that's what I also wanted to do for our children.

Nana Joan's Family Reunion

Wonderful people! Great food! Lovely place! What more can you ask for in a party? :)Our good friend, Joan invited us to her huge family reunion last Saturday. Her relatives came all the way from different states such as Iowa, Nebraska, etc. We're so honored and grateful to be part of this celebration, and be addressed to as "family." We just love her! Sure enough, we had fun, most especially our son, Noah.

hubby and son watchin' the "piñata" just busy playin'

Noah talkin' to Nana Joan

father and son bondin'

Noah and the Red Roses

Here is a picture of our front yard ( a part of it) with Noah as our model. :) We were hoping that the white azaleas and the red roses would show off their blooms at the same time. However, the white azaleas came sooner than we expected. Despite that, we're still happy that most of the rose plants bloomed gloriously, showing their rich, stunning red color. :)

i'm enjoying the outside!

my "magazine cover" pose...serious lookin' me :)

back to smiley me :)

ooops! think I better be careful with the thorns

Mommy's Little Helper

My dear son, Noah, loves being in the kitchen with Mommy. He ransacks the cabinets and takes out everything inside including pans, pots, bowls, etc. He has lots of toys, but for some reason, these are the ones that interest him more. He bangs the pans as if they are music to his ears. My baby munchkin, despite all the mess he creates, knows how to make Mommy smile and make her happy. :) Here in the short video, he "tries" to help me, in his own little way, clean the kitchen by sweeping the floor. Obviously, he still needs intensive training from Mommy. hehe jk :)

Excited!

Last week, we purchased Mom's ticket for her visit this June, few days after I give birth. My aunt from California would also be coming over. I am excited! I'm sure they do, too. They are excited to see how Noah has grown since their last visit a year ago, even though I have been updating them with his pictures and videos. Since I'd be having a Caesarean delivery, and two babies to take care of, I would need all the help I can get from family and friends. I remember when I gave birth to Noah, I had a hard time getting up from bed. I didn't have trouble walking at all. In fact, I preferred walking than getting up because it hurt in my abdomen every time I pushed myself up. Oh, it was horrible! I thought the pain would never end! But, good thing, it only lasted for a week or two. After that, I was ready to roll! Well... not really, for I had been exhausted due to sleepless nights and constant feeding of my baby. I breastfed Noah, and I'm planning to do that with baby Kaiden as well. It's all worth it. I love being a Mom. I love holding him close to me and just stare at his innocent, beautiful face. I love seeing him smile, even laugh, when he sleeps. I love hearing his loud, resounding fart that, at first, I thought it was my husband. hehe! :) How can a tiny, fragile body like a baby pass out gas so loud, that you would think it would have ripped his little butt apart. :) One thing is for sure, he can truly make Mommy and Daddy laugh even without trying to. :) I am expecting to experience those precious moments with my second baby, and I am really looking forward to them.

These are photos from my Mom and Aunt's visit last year

A Memorable Mother's Day

It was a memorable Mother's Day for me, and for my husband as well, I should say. :) I was still in bed, not wanting to get up yet, when Noah and his Daddy handed their Mother's day gift for me. There was a note, that was sweet and kinda funny.

"Dear Mommy,
Daddy wants me to learn this early that women love diamonds.
Love, Noah"

I laughed as soon as I read it. :) In other words, my husband gave me a beautiful diamond necklace! It was a surprise, again. Last year, he surprised me with a digital video camera, which I have really loved using ever since. It's definitely what I wanted. I love taking pictures and videos of Noah since the day he was born. I want to make sure that I have something to look back upon when he grows old. This year, he surprised me again and this time it's a piece of lovely jewelry. I wasn't expecting anything, except, maybe, for a bouquet of flowers, which he typically gives me on special occasions. In fact, I told him that I am happy and contented with just eating out after going to church. And maybe, going to the park or mall afterwards, have fun as a family. Well, being the sweetest husband as he can be, he said, I deserve it, and that I have been a good mom to Noah. Of course, that melted my heart. awwwww :) Don't get me wrong. I love the gift! Absolutely! It's simple yet elegant looking. Besides, who wouldn't love diamonds anyway? hehe :) So, after church, we went to Le Peep Restaurant to have brunch. We were planning to go the mall after that, but plans changed when my husband suddenly noticed a mustard-like color on his white shirt. Noah pooped! hehe :) He was carrying him and playing with him at the same time while walking towards the car. He didn't have a clue that Noah pooped on his shirt until he put him in his car seat. It was funny, well, for me. :) Noah has been taking antibiotic for his ear infection, and it causes diarrhea. I guess it squirted out of his diaper causing it to leak out of his pants to Daddy's shirt. In short, we went straight home. It was indeed a memorable day, not only for me, but undoubtedly for my husband as well. :)

Noah and hubby's gift for me :)

Photo courtesy of Kay Jewelers

Noah's Report Card

Last Friday, Kimberly, our daycare provider, gave me a piece of paper showing what Noah did, ate, etc. during the whole time he stayed there. This is the first time I got something in writing, as it's usually verbal, and I just think it's pretty neat. I think it's a good way of tracking his progress as far as his developmental milestones are concerned.

Here it goes...

THINGS I DID TODAY WHILE YOU WERE AT WORK

Name: Noah

Date: 5/2/08

Nap Time

1 hour 10:00 am to 10:55 am

2 hours ______ to _______

Other _______ to _______

Moods

xHappy

x Cranky

x Curious

x Affectionate

x Didn't feel good

* At moments

Mealtime- I ate

Breakfast:

Strawberries and cream with homemade chocolate

Pancakes and 5 oz. milk + snacks at 9:30 am

Lunch:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Green Beans

Cantaloupe

BM - Bowel Movement - once

I played

ALL DAY LONG!

Noah has mastered going up and down the stairs with supervision and a spotter!

We encourage Noah to "go feet first".

Notes:

Noah is counting everything!

Sings ABC's in tune! Yeah!

Noah is learning Twinkle, twinkle little star!

His tune and rhythm are excellent!

Fun in the Tub!

Normally, when my husband doesn't have work on a weekend, him and Noah would spend some bonding time together while taking a bath in the shower, or in the tub. Indeed, it is a lovely, sweet sight to see a father and son bond and have fun. For this video, Noah is enjoying himself in the tub alone, but with Mommy's guidance.

Noah and His Toy Box

My son, Noah, frolicsome as ever, just loves playing with boxes. Most of the time he would try to get inside his toy box and fit in it. Sometimes, what he would do first, is empty out all his toys by either taking them out one by one, or just turn the box upside down, dropping all his toys on the floor. Or, even with still toys inside, he would just step in and squirm himself in it. I would usually push the box, make a "vroom" "vroom" sound and pretend it's a car. He laughs! You can see that he really enjoys this kind of game. It's like an adventure for him. :)

Noah Being Silly

Noah had been bugging his Dad this afternoon while he was reading something from the computer. For the past few days, Noah had learned to climb up and down the couch and sneak under the tables and chairs. Last Thursday, as I was talking to my Mom over the phone, he found his way under the sofa, crawled all the way to the corner, stayed there while smiling so cheerfully at me. Definitely not easy for a preggy Mom like me to crawl on my belly to get him. I had to lift it up and move the couch so I could get hold of him. He thought we were just playing. So he just kept on laughing as if it was funny. Silly boy! :)

Noah's Own Little World

This is one of my fave videos of Noah when he was 11 months old. As soon as I put him in his playpen, he went straight to his toybox, sat on his cow, and munched on his Cheerios. :)

A Wrestling Career

Noah says,

I wanna be a wrestler someday!I have been workin' on my biceps as early as 3 mos. old. Look at the colorful dumbbell Dad got me.
See my big muscles?! grrrrrrrr....
heheheehe...just kiddin'! I'm just showin' off. Mommy won't allow me that's for sure. :)

Note:

This was his dream when he was only 3-4 mos. old. Because of Mommy's desperate plea to discard that dream, when he turned 9 mos, he changed his dream to becoming a musician instead. ;)