Play time

The last 4 months besides caring for Leon I've been very concerned about how well my 'lil Lucy will adjust to our newest member of the family. So far so good and it seems to only get better. Mornings are very busy for us. Leon is awake and ready to play and so is Lucy.

I did not know how to effectively teach Lucy that there are toys just for Leon. It's especially difficult because baby toys and doggy toys are very similar- mostly stuffed and squeeky and almost always end up scattered on the floor.

Well this morning Lucy proved that she finally gets it. She wandered towards Leon's basket of toys, buried her nose at a few places in the basket, turned around and went to her own basket of toys. She came back with her very own stuffed animal in her mouth and then nudged for me to play. I'm so proud of her. Lucy and I have always had a special bond and if reincarnations are real- then she must have been my true bff in a previous life.

Love

My sweet family. I melt just looking at this picture. We enjoyed a quick brunch this morning at Blue Jam Cafe on Melrose after our surprisingly stress free trip at the DMV.

Leon has been doing so well whenever we take him to restaurants. We still juggle holding him when he starts showing signs of wanting to get out of his car seat but at least we no longer get the tears. He seems happy to look around and absorb his surroundings.

bottle feeding

16 week old Leon

Leon is growing more and more alert and aware- it's so amazing to watch. He is such a strong boy- holds his head up for long periods of time and loves to use his legs to stand whenever I hold him up. He has wild thick hair that we decided we'll let grow long. I think it would be so cute as long as Leon seems comfortable to rock it.

The latest and greatest challenge has been bottle feeding. Boy was I truly mistaken thinking that every baby took to the bottle without a problem. Definitely not the case with our 'lil boy. He dislikes the bottle so much. I have been trying so hard to get him to accept the bottle for several weeks now and it has been extremely frustrating. I enjoy breast feeding him and we certainly don't have any issues in doing so- except I would enjoy a tiny bit of freedom 'sometimes'. It would be nice to have some "me" time away from the house without the worry that at any minute I have to scurry back home because my baby is hungry. After so many weeks of trying every single day I've reached a point of accepting that maybe Leon will completely skip the bottle and graduate right to a sippy cup or drinking from a straw. After speaking to my amazing momma friend- Janine- I was re-assured that there are many babies who never take the bottle and that there's absolutely nothing wrong if Leon skips this stage altogether. It does mean that I have 2-3 months to go of exclusive breast feeding but perhaps this experience is teaching me something I have yet to learn. That is to let go and accept things for what they are. I've always been sort of a perfectionist- wanting things to go as planned. Well being a mom changes that dramatically. Suddenly my days don't go as exactly planned- suddenly it's this 'lil baby who calls the shots (at least for now).

Meanwhile I have a drawer full of an assortment of nipples and bottles that will most likely never be used. Any ideas how I could get rid of 'em after I'm absolutely sure Leon won't use it? I would hate to throw 'em away.

Risa

Once a week we visit my cousin Risa in Canyon Country. She has 1 year old twin boys that are so fun to watch. Noah and Josiah are super active and very social toddlers. Leon gets to hang out and play with his cousins. I get to enjoy my family's company and Filipino food that I don't get have often. We look forward to hanging out every week.

15 week old Leon held by Risa

yay milestone!

Our 'lil guy did his first ever roll over! He was lying on back turned to his side then suddenly figured how to turn his arm under and land on his tummy. It was a sight! I'm glad Chris was home to see it too.

Since this is my first ever experience in watching a 'lil baby grow I'm in such awe of milestones. Unlike most people who have baby sat in their teens or have been around babies of family members- caring for Leon is my very first shot at it.

The same reason why I had a hard time in the very beginning.

I remember the fear that I would break him because he appeared so fragile. I'm glad those days are over and everyday he is looking more sturdy then ever.

(3 months and 14 days)

This cutie pie did very well during our dinner out tonight. He sat in his car seat and looked around so curious about the busy restaurant. He is now very aware of his surroundings and is completely interested in people. From time to time he let out a loud coo to remind Chris and I that he was not getting enough attention, funny 'lil guy. We were so happy to have enjoyed our food, have a conversation all while keeping a baby content and happy.

I checked out his lower gums this morning and there is no visible tooth emerging. Maybe it's coming or maybe he was just extra fussy than normal last night. We shall wait and see.

teething?

Leon was extra fussy this evening. Really had a difficult time falling asleep despite all our efforts to soothe him. He was chomping on his hand, super drooly and was just plain irritable. Chris finally said- "maybe he is teething?" WOW. Could it be? So I reached and felt his bottom gum and sure enough it felt bumpy. We're not sure yet but if this is the onset of the teething stage- then the feeling of my heart sinking could be validated. Just when I thought I have Leon figured out change comes. This time it's change that means he is less and less the newborn baby we brought home almost 4 months ago. It really is bittersweet.

I guess we'll find out in a few days if there really is a tooth about to emerge.

We bought Leon a jumperoo sort of contraption. It seems so elaborate and busy but hey- whatever entertains the 'lil guy.

He has not enjoyed it yet mainly because his feet do not quite touch the floor. A bit more growing to do and he will be able to jump away.

Definitely wins the cutest smerk contest here. If he can talk- he would say "mama, why am I on this jumperoo when I can't even touch the floor?"

Leon started giggling and knowing how to let out a scream all in the same weekend.

The Only Child

I found the Time article The Only Child: Debunking the Myths very interesting. It seems that besides how old Leon is- the next most popular question from family and friends is when we're having the next baby. When either Chris or I reply honestly that we are happy to have just one child- we always get a gasp or an explanation of why we should change our minds. I've gotten responses like "one child does not make a family" or "try again so you get a girl next time" as if having a baby is like picking up food from a grocery store. I love Leon and I'm utterly enjoying motherhood. Chris and I would love to travel and see the world with our son. Traveling with two young kids in tow just does not seem to equal stress free traveling. Some people may find this selfish but I find that having more kids for the wrong reasons is even more self serving.

A small part of me worried about raising an only child mainly because from my own experience- only children I've come across as adults are generally self centered and unwilling to share. I have to trust that raising a well balanced and grounded kid depends on Chris and I. In the meantime- I'll be making sure Leon gets all the socialization he can get from his cousins and baby pals.

Recently I've been bogged down about the reality that losing the baby weight will take more time than I thought it would. It does make complete sense what everyone says- it will take the same amount of time to lose the pounds as it was gained. So in the real world (my world) without luxury of a personal trainer, a private nutritionist and a full time nanny I have about 6 more months to

go from getting even close to my post baby bod.

As I accept this truth I thought it would not hurt to atleast lift up my spirit by having a mod and super stylish diaper bag. I am a full time momma at the moment so I might as well be so in style.

Tadaan!

Timi and Leslie Diaper Bag- "Baby Jane" on its way from www.zappos.com free shipping and on a special sale... I feel better already!

Doctor visits have been real exciting for us. It's wonderful to find out exactly how much our boy has grown. Of course, it's also an opportunity for me to ask our awesome pediatrician- Dr. Monica Asnani- all the questions I've been jotting down for a month.

Today was Leon's 3rd month doc visit. He now weighs 11 lbs 13 1/2 oz and is 24" long. His growth has been steady although he definitely does not belong in the higher percentile- doc assured me that his size fall within the average range.

I tend to worry that he does not get enough breastmilk although he shows all the signs of contentment at every feeding. That's the only part of breastfeeding that I don't enjoy- not knowing exactly how much Leon has had and leaving it to trust that even though I can't visually measure his intake- he is well fed.

I'm so glad to have received the most needed re-assurance today.

I remember the first few days of having Leon home, most of what I wondered about was when Chris and I would be able to get another full night's rest. Those days feel like only yesterday and yet long gone. Our sweet 'lil Leon has been sleeping for 8 straight hours. Hooray and sigh at the same time. Already? Our newborn is fast becoming a full pledged baby. Holding his head up, looking around in complete awareness of his surroundings. I definitely don't miss the sleepless nights but it somehow is bittersweet. We won't get those moments back and perhaps that's why I feel this way.

There were definitely many memorable moments between Chris and I of not knowing what to do with our brand new baby, getting up in the middle of the night bumping into things because we were so out of it, staring at each other realizing it's been weeks of no sleep... oh just remembering it makes me chuckle.

There are many more special moments to cherish, this I know and I'll make sure to relish each one as it comes.