Say What?!

He said his first word!!!! What is it? It's okay. No, seriously. His first word was "okay." LOL! We had been skyping with a couple of friends and we kept saying "okay" before hanging up and all of a sudden, he said "oh-tey!" P and I were like...huh? So we kept saying it and he would repeat it! He's been saying "mama" and "umma." Especially when he's really hungry, he always says "umma." But I never taught him that so it doesn't count. I think all babies naturally same "mama" without meaning anything. I always joke that I gave birth to a FOB! Oh man, I can't tell you how exciting it is and how cute it sounds when he says it. He also knows how to say peacock. Well, okay...he doesn't say "peacock." It sounds more like "cock." LOL!!! But we know he means to say the whole word, he just doesn't know how yet. It's so funny!!

I feel like my baby has grown so much since his last doctor's visit a couple of months ago. He's almost an entire year old!! Where does the time go?! Somebody please answer this question!!

As you can see, he's still got his crazy hairs. Depending on what position he's slept in, it goes in all directions. I love when I go to kiss his head, all those crazy hairs tickle my nose. :) I especially love when he puts both his hands on his head and scratches his hair. It's not the same as the "I'm tired so I'm gonna pull my hair out" thing. He just raises his arms high and wiggles his fingers around in his hair. It's hilarious! Do you think he has dandruff? Do they sell baby Head n' Shoulders?

He's been copying us, too. When we do "dori dori," he totally does it. And then when he's in an especially playful mood, he'll look at you and do it first and then it becomes a "dori dori" battle!! Each time, he'll lean in closer and closer and shake his head harder and harder. People must think we're a weird head-shaking family. To that I say, yes we are. He give high-fives, lifts his arms when you say "airplane," and tilts his head to one side when you do. Just this past week, he started waving hello and sticking his tongue out when we do. The funniest thing is when he tries to force a laugh when we're laughing. It ends up sounding like a cough instead. He just wants to be included, I think. It's so weird to be able to converse with him in this way. We may not be talking world politics, but we're communicating!! This is awesome!! I can't wait until he understands when we say "I love you." I say it so often and it kills me that he has no clue how I feel.

The other day, he decided to crawl up the stairs. That's right. He can't walk yet, but stairs...no problemo! I'm not too surprised because he really enjoys climbing onto his bouncer and playing giddyup. I guess he felt he was ready for Everest. I loved seeing the excitement and determination on his face. Baby ambition is a force to be reckon with. He pulls up to stand real well now, but he still has no desire to put one foot in front of the other. He just jumps up and down. I wonder if he spent too much time in the jumperoo. Oops.

I'm looking for good baby music because W is dancing now! Well, he's no Fred Astaire, obviously. But he sure likes to groove to music. Sometimes, he gets all gangsta and waves one hand in the air, bobbing his head up and down.

Lately, P and I have been sounding a broken record. We always knew that just by repeating yourself, babies will pick up on what you're saying. W knew Buggie's name long time ago. But I always it was because I was always yelling "Buggie!" But he listens and knows lots of words now. If I say "book," he goes crawling to his bookshelf. If I say, "beep beep," he looks at the car on his mobile. "Plop Plop" is fish. "Bzzzz" is his little felt bumble bee. He'll hoot for the owl and moo for the cow. So awesome. He knows "ball," "zebra," bath" and "goodnight." He doesn't like when I say "goodnight" because he knows he has to go to bed. Which leads me to a yucky development. Separation anxiety. It's awful. I knew this was coming but man, it's getting old already. I used to be able to leave him to play by himself for a long time. I was actually able to get things done. Not a ton of stuff, but it's better than now. I don't even have to be playing with him. He just wants me to be in his line of sight.

On the other hand, his stranger anxiety is subsiding. The last couple of times he saw his grandparents, he didn't cry. His grandma was so elated, she was dancing around all crazy...in public. Hahaha! I'm sooo happy about this! He still has his shy moments, but for the most part, he just smiles and giggles when strangers talk to him. He especially loves old ladies. Can you say Cougar? Hahaha!!

Sometimes he just yells. REALLY. LOUD. Especially at the mall. Any mall will do. Even in a busy food court, he is the loudest thing in there! It's so great and I just sit there like a proud mama. I rather he yell than cry, so you go wit' yo' bad self, son! Mommy loves you :)

Sigh, I hope I didn't forget anything. I've been so busy with his birthday crafts, that I haven't been very good at documenting all his new abilities and quirks. I've been trying to videotape W more. First of all, he moves too quickly to take as many photos as I used to. Blur. Blur. Blur. Secondly, we have 3 video cameras and they're just collecting dust. Shame on us. Lastly, as much as I LOVE photographs and all that they provide in the scheme of life, nothing beats live footage. But don't tell the other shutterbugs I said that.

Talking to my other mommy friends, all the babies are starting to develop these cute personalities and I can't wait to get together with them again! I think we should just get a big bowl of popcorn and watch the comedy unfold.

I found him just chillin' by the bathroom, like he's waiting for the bus or something.

Por Que?!?!

Our AC broke yesterday. It was over 100 degrees today. Need I say more?

I don't remember the last time a day felt so long. It was early afternoon when I realized the AC wasn't working. Our home is generally cool, even during a heat wave. In fact, the only room that really gets hot is W's. Poor W. I remained calm, thinking it must be overheated and will just need a little break before working again. He went down for his nap okay even though he was hot. What a good baby :) But then hours went by, and the darn thing still was not working. Uh oh. Actually it was more like, oh shit. His room would be a furnace by nightfall. All this valley heat accumulates in the walls throughout the day and just festers until the next morning. Not good. Oddly enough, our neighbor was just telling me the day before how their AC had been dead for weeks. Those poor people, I thought. POOR US!! POOR W!!! You always hear on the news about babies and the elderly dying from heat waves. My mind was racing. My imagine got the best of me again and I kept checking the monitor to make sure he was still alive.

It was 7pm and time to go to sleep for my little man. He was soooo good. Even though it was so hot, he slept right away. I thought, "okay, it's going to be OK." I then heard all this banging and clanging outside. Turns out, my neighbors friend was visiting from out of town and he was trying to fix his AC for him. Why?? Because he was an AC repairman for 32 years!!!! Yeah!!!!

Thank you GOD! So I tell him that ours broke and he comes over and checks it out. I feel hope. Lots of hope. My baby won't melt in his sleep tonight. Phew!

But no. He did all he could but could determine what was wrong. You see, he was just here for a visit, so he didn't have any of the proper tools with him. He could only guess what wrong. Sigh. Thanks for trying. Truly, it was really kind of him to do that. He's one of those Harley-riding bikers with long hair and skull tattoos. Kinda talks like Leo from That 70's Show. Such a nice guy.

It was a rough night. W woke up around 10pm. His room was like an oven!! I almost screamed when I went in to get him. How could I do this to my baby!? We decided to open the windows and let the cool air circulate. Circulate it did not. He was so miserable and tired. His head was all wet with sweat! I could die just thinking about it. P went and got some ice and placed a fan in front of it to get the cold air in his room. He placed 2 air cleaners in his room and we had the ceiling fan going high speed. The heat won every time. We decided to sleep downstairs in his play area. All together, we lay down, crammed in on his little playmat, in front of an open window. Would he sleep like this? Between mommy and daddy? He did! He fell asleep on his tummy, legs tucked under him, tooshy in the air and finger in his mouth. I can't find words to describe how it felt to be so close to him while he was asleep. It was the first time I didn't think to grab my camera or cell phone. I didn't want to miss a second of this amazing moment. P and I were truly experiencing cuteness overload for sure!

It didn't last long and eventually he woke up, all sweaty and confused. Eventually the heat subsided and he was back in his crib. I think it was close to 3am by this time. We got a few very short hours of sleep again before it was time to start the day again.

The AC repairmen came and fixed our shitty circuit board. And yes, it was very expensive. Ugh. But you know what, it's midnight and my baby is nice and cool. That's all that matters.

Tradition

OC Fair.... oh, how I love thee. We almost missed it this year. I can't really explain what I love about it. I hate crowds and the summer heat. But when it comes to the OC Fair, I'll suck it up because it's a tradition. I have so many memories from that place that I go just for nostalgic reasons. P and I have been going every year since 1999. We did miss one year for reasons I can't remember. But that was the only time!! I even went last year when I was 8 months pregnant!! My feet ache just thinking about it. I spent the entire time in line for the restroom. One time, the line was so long that I had to use the men's room. So. Gross.

We usually go at night, when it's much cooler. Of course, with W, that's not really possible. It was fun, nonetheless. He was such a good little boy, taking in all the fair had to offer. He even got his silhouette done!

Cute, right?! She was quick with the scissors and quite talented, too. W was moving around like crazy looking at all the people walking by. I love his double chin!

I know he won't remember any of this, but hopefully one day he'll appreciate how excited we were to continue this fun tradition with the newest member of our family. Being a parent now, I am constantly reminiscing about my own childhood and what memories stand out in my mind. Both my parents worked (and STILL work) very hard and long hours. There wasn't time for the typical kid stuff like after school sports and clubs. I remember taking ballet classes at night! And even that didn't last very long. I do remember going camping quite a bit. Pitch a tent? No problem! I can't wait to make W his first s'mores!

In line to get tickets. He looks excited, no?

You can see all of W's crazy hairs. I guess he takes after me. They grow in every direction. I LOVE it!

Is your mama a lama? Sorry, had to say it. I bet he's thinking...wow, that's a huge doggie!

Look, it's Bambi! I don't like that movie cuz the mother dies. Boo.

This goat got a little too close to W. I think he wanted to nibble on my baby's meaty arms and legs.

Here's Uncle C, unable to resists those ample cheeks.

You know where those fingers are going, right?

Straight into W's mouth!!

You are like this little chickie, cute and soft.

Airplane!!!

I'm not sure what Uncle C did, but W in some sort of a trance. He was just calmly laying in his arms, staring up at him. I think it was the goatee.

Don't worry, we didn't forget to take the required photobooth pictures.

Next year, W will get to enjoy some of the fine cuisine that the fair has to offer. Maybe not fried KoolAid, but I know he's gonna love the corn!

Bug Needs Love Thursday

Bug needs lots of love. Especially these days. We're not sure what happened, but he's acting a little gimpy lately. Perhaps he overdid himself on a recent hike. Or maybe the slippery stairs are finally taking its toll on him. Who knows...but regardless, our little Buggie isn't a happy dog right now. :(

Poor guy is so neglected that he's even willing to get stepped on by W while he's jumping in the jumperoo. Any means of touch will do, I guess.

Maybe he'll pet me this time. I should do something cute.

Look! I'm flying upside down!!

Hey!! He's petting me!!! Finally!! He's...

Nevermind.

Bug-tipping is fun :)

This new home is great for us, but it's missing one thing that made Bug really happy. A view to the outside world. There are no cars or people visible from the one window he can look out of and it's terribly boring for him. No sun-bathing lizards or squirrels to bark at. No people walking their dogs. Nothing. The only time he ever barks is when our neighbors come home. And even that, I think he's getting to. Oh I can't forget about the flies. We got plenty of them! Buggie is pro at NOT catching them but we let him go crazy as a means of exercise.

Get em' boy!

We're not complaining about this major decrease in barkage, of course. Not at all. But it sure would be nice if there were something about W that was entertaining to Bug. So far, W is only interested in grabbing Buggie's legs and his shiny dog tag. No petting just yet. Sigh. Poor Bug.

Remember how I said there would be "before and after" shots of the home? I didn't forget. We're just not done unpacking and remodeling yet. Not sure we ever will be. LOL!

Can I just take a moment and talk about how much I'm loving our home? It may not be big or new or fancy...but who cares! It's cute, cozy and it's ours and we're finally free!!! The privacy, oh the privacy! There isn't a day that goes by where I don't thank God for that. I've never lived alone my entire 30 + years until now. P doesn't count because I don't have anything to hide from him.

But the truth of the matter is, I'm a very private person. I don't like people going through my stuff, poking around. I didn't even like it when my mom did it. What business is it of hers? I know I give off that bartender impression, where you can tell me or do anything, as if I'd seen it all before. And for the most part, you can. But stay away from my stuff. I had a friend go through my purse once. I almost punched her. If I wanted the contents of my purse made public, I'd have carried one of those tacky plastic, see-through bags that Coach tried to make popular once. Fashion fail. No. Keep your hands on your lap and your wandering eyes on the television, thank you. And we won't have a problem.

Right now, I'm wondering how to protect all my belongings from W. He's already tearing through anything he can get his hands on. He broke my phone the other day(it's okay now). It was my fault for letting him play with it, but still! And he loves LOVES books! I do, too! Only he loves chewing on them and folding the pages. A big no-no to a book lover like moi. How can I teach him that books are luxury items to be handled with the utmost respect? Too early? I think not.

High School Reunion

No. Not the ACTUAL high school reunion. This was the reunion of us girls...women...no, wait...mommies. O. M. G. I never thought there would ever be the day when all of us were in a house filled with babies. Lots and lots of babies. It was a beautiful madness and I still have a smile on my face. The last time we were all together...we were fawning over our friend's daughter, G. She was the only kid in the circle. Now she's the eldest of six!!!

It's still incredible to me that we all ended up having babies at the same time. What the #@*$%!! Right?! It makes no sense except that God has a plan. There were those of us trying for years. Those of us who weren't. And those of us totally not planning at all. So this baby boom is just a big mystery to me.

This is G. The big sis of the group. Sweet, no?

And this is cutie E, who in so many ways is like W's twin. Welcome to America!!

Here's little M, holding on to his monkey. How cute is that!

We all know little B. He's a good boy.

And the baby of the group, precious K. Look at her holding her head up like there's no tomorrow!

Don't worry, my little man. I didn't forget about you. He loves his auntie K.

It was nuts. So many babies around, crying, pooping, wipes of all brands, and a collection of diaper bags big enough to open our own store. I loved every second of it(except when W fell back and hit his head. Poor guy). These guys get funnier and funnier as they get older. Wait until they start baby talking to each other. Do babies have inside jokes?

Look at my cellphone, it's soooo cool!

Oops. Nevermind.

\

Don't look at me. I didn't do it.

Thank you Auntie B for my microphone. How did you know I wanted to be a singer?

The gang. Look at W and E crying. Told you they could be twins. LOL!

It was only a few short hours we got to spend together. But let me tell you, each of us could've used a nap by the end. As we all took turns feeding our babies and changing dirty diapers, I got this overwhelming feeling of fulfillment and joy. I still remember passing notes in class, gossiping about boys and stressing about our AP Bio quizzes. Can't believe it's been over 10 years!! I won't say the exact number so don't ask. No matter how different our lives are, we're all here together as sisters, sharing this new chapter of mommyhood. I'm one very lucky girl.

Man, next time, we might have even more kids on that couch. You know what that means, right? Time to get a bigger couch!

Shut The Front Door!

Lunges. I do a lot of lunges. W is constantly trying to crawl away from me and I spend my day chasing him, picking him up and repeating this process until it's time for his nap. I love how happy he gets because he can get around on his own now. He gets this huge grin on his face when he's on the move, leaving a trail of drool behind. Love it!

You know who doesn't love it? Bug. Poor Bug. For some odd reason, W keeps crawling to Bug's doggie bowl and it's really stressing the poor dog out. He eats like 5 times a day now! He's so paranoid that W is going to eat his food, he just starts stuffing his face even though he's not hungry!! Any solutions? Is our dog going to blimp out? I'll keep you posted. Even though it drives Bug nuts, I love watching the baby crawl there. He knows he's not supposed to so he tries real hard to get there fast and sometimes, he beats me. I'll admit it. He's dipped his little fingers in Bug's water bowl quite a few times.

He loves trekking over from his room into ours. And when P is in the bathroom, W turbo crawls. Then he just watches his daddy get ready for work.

I hope I have as much hair as you do, daddy.

Help!! The baby is coming towards me with a mouth full of drool!!!

Yes, you may use that sock to wipe your face. In fact, please do.

I shall climb and conquer this mountain of mommy! (pls ignore laundry in the background)

I AM THE MASTER OF THE CRAWL! RAAAAARRRRR! YOU SHALL NEVER ESCAPE ME NOW!

It's a little scary now because W keeps pulling himself up to stand. Most of the time, he can sit back down on his own. But sometimes, he just gets this blank stare going and then he'll let go of whatever is holding him up and CRASH!! And as we all know, his noggin is not little. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Poor guy. That reminds me, gotta buy some pillows to put around the house.

My hands have been busy, trying to make as much as I can for his birthday. Don't worry, I'm not going overboard. It's just that I want W to have a great party and if my two hands can make that happen, I'm going to do it. Besides...I love making stuff. All kinds of stuff! So this is right up my alley. We splurged on the photographer but that's about it. Everything is made with paper and glue. LOL! My only regret is not having started this much earlier. I wanted a themed party at first. And I thought Star Wars, baby!!! It's perfect!! P's a huge fan and this would be such the "circle of life" type of thing, but W is too young to appreciate it, so it'll have to wait. These awesome cookies will have to wait as well.

OMG, only two more months!!! Ahhhh!! Where's that glue gun?!

My Water Baby

I wasn't sure how he'd handle the water. I have photos of me as a baby, crying my eyes out at the beach when my mom took me in the water. To this day, I don't like being in the water. I don't hate it, but .... I could name a couple hundred other things I'd rather do first, know what I mean? So, I was really surprised to see W having such a great time :) P was real good about warming him up to the water. Eventually, we ended up with a happy water baby!

I bought this floaty thing at Babies R Us. Cute, right? But sooo poorly designed. All the air is in the front if the baby leans back at all, he'd probably flip over!!

Here's our solution. I hope W riding in the back seat of the police car isn't indicative of future events.

He was totally fascinated by this group cannonball. One day, my son. One day.

P was showing him how to splash in the pool.

Am I doing it right, dad? LOL!!

And he just kept splashing and splashing...

Until he was totally drenched!!

When can we come back, mommy?

Sigh. Look at that face.