The Miggie Report: Halfway to Three

To have a memoir to look back on…recalling my days being a first-time Mom. To keep a time capsule of my son’s first memories. To capture the lessons learned, inspirations gathered, and yes…even trials faced along the way.

This is why I have this blog.

One of the things I’ve written up to this point is “The Miggie Report”…a growing up progress report of sorts for our son, Miguel. It’s a blog post that captures his antics, favorites–and all things in between–for a certain milestone age. I’ve stopped doing the monthlies once he reached 24 months (two years old), but I think half-year marks are worth the mention.

So here goes…

Miguel’s Current Age – 2 1/2 years old (+ 1 month…I’m actually a month behind in writing this post)

Antics – He’s now super talkative. He’s always been a talker, but I feel he became a real little chatterbox once he reached this age. He’s more conversational, more curious by way of asking questions and repeating phrases that come up in grown-up talk (in short, this is the age when you want to watch what you say around him for fear of embarrassment he might repeat something you wouldn’t want said by someone his age in public).

Favorite Toys – His train sets, puzzles, dinosaurs, and blocks. He does this thing now when he pretends he is baking a cake with his blocks. He layers them up like a rectangular sheet cake and gives me “pieces of cake” to eat…the red blocks are strawberry cake, the yellow banana cake, the green blocks are apple cake, and the blue are blueberry cake. I think we may have a budding pastry chef… (I must remember to buy some bakery toys/pretend cakes and pastries on our next trip to the toy store.) He also likes building airplanes and tall towers and robots with his blocks, and he gets quite frustrated when the blocks break/fall apart (call us mean, but we find this entertaining). I’ve had to teach him it’s OK that the blocks break because he can just build them up again.

Nursery Rhymes/Songs – Miggz loves to sing. Especially at night right before bedtime. He likes to sing, sing, sing until he falls asleep. (That said, I’ve found that this is also the most effective time to teach him a new song). He also likes to sing when we are eating at the dinner table. So far, his library of full songs he can sing up to this point include:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

ABC

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

The Wheels on the Bus

Jingle Bells

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider

Jack & Jill

“Bahay Kubo“ – this is a Tagalog (Filipino) folk song about a hut-house surrounded by various vegetables in the garden

This is the Day (that the Lord has Made)

He also picks up songs quite easily from YouTube and TV cartoons (sometimes, songs from the radio too!!). He loves to sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song after his baths, as well as sing along to shows that he watches.

Education – For a kid his age, Miggz watches a LOT of TV. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing. He learns quite a great deal of educational things from TV, and we make sure we balance the TV watching with actual “lessons.” Miggz knows his ABC’s, colors, numbers. He can count straight to 30 and understands basic math (1+1=2, 2+2=4, etc…). He knows the concept of what happens if we add/take away stuff and how many remain (if we have six apples, take away two, he’ll count how many is left). He can also identify animals and the sounds they make, knows his dinosaur toy species, can pinpoint fruits and name vegetables (now if he only ATE his veggies, I would be TOTALLY happy and we’d be golden…)

The Outdoors – He still LOVES to pick up rocks. And play on dirt/sand. I guess this comes with the territory of having a boy.

The Terrible Twos – Up until this point, I thought we’ve so far skipped this stage. But yup, the terrible two’s upon us. Miggz has definitely found his whiny voice and tantrums now. Funny how they also develop a “pride” thing this early. For example, I had no trouble teaching him to say “Please” and “Thank You,” but for some reason, it took him really long to learn to say “I’m sorry”…not so much the meaning of it (though he knows what it means now) but just the act of saying it. His “NO!” voice has also gotten so pronounced (most of the time with a sting) that I’ve had to teach him to say “No thanks” instead. Of course, now he says “No thanks” to everything…

Learning Discipline. I’m a believer of “the earlier you teach them right, the sooner they’ll learn.” I’m definitely the bad cop in the house. I want to teach Miggz right from wrong, and for him to know that we love him unconditionally. This part of parenting is not easy, but something you have to deal with.

Below is a printable I got from Pinterest and framed in Miguel’s room. It captures my thoughts for him, for this age and beyond.

And here’s a look back on when Miggz was JUST six-months old…a care-free time when he was so little (and we didn’t have to think about discipline yet…)

Miguel at six months...no "Terrible Twos" here!!

Miggz at 2 1/2…Chef in the Making

Never too early to teach the little one how to cook–or at least cut the vegetables…

These realistic veggie toys help kids recognize and identify vegetables–and hopefully allow them to actually eat their veggies come meal time.

Except Miggz–who used to love pureed carrots as a baby when we first introduced him to solids–now thinks the carrots are just “for bunnies.”

The Miggie Report: 22-23 Months / The Age of “Give Me.” and “I Found It!”

I realize I totally skipped over Month 22 (June) in my “Miggie Report” series.

Since I became a Mom my short-term memory has been WHACK (a semi-exaggeration). I know there were reasons why I missed last month’s report, and I had to look back at photos in both my iPhone and Macbook to jog my memory a bit. I realize now that it was because I was having too much fun. Granted, Miggz had some exciting toddler moments intermingled here and there, these were the reasons why I couldn’t (or didn’t) blog much last month, hence missing the Miggie Report:

– In early June I got to GET AWAY with my girlfriends for four days. We went to Cabo, Mexico…with NO hubbies and NO kids. In short, NO Mommie duties. It was AWESOME!!

– Hubby and I got to see Bruno Mars in concert!! This was our treat for our five-year (civil) wedding anniversary. It was nice. That was the perfect concert to go to…he’s such a serenader.

– I got to enjoy Pre-Fathers Day with Miggz and Daddy at Chuck E. Cheese’s.

– I got to celebrate Fathers Day with my folks and fam (and have one of my most heavenly meals) at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion (EXPENSIVE, but worth the heavenly meal);

– and finally, I got to see the Cars 2 Premiere with Miggz, his Auntie Kara, Daddy and grandparents.

So here I am, in late July, recalling the reportable Miggie details of the past two-months. All I can say is…time flies!

Time sure flies when you're having FUN!

For this post I’ve decided to combine months 22 and 23. From a mothering perspective, I can say that these months have been THE MOST FUN MONTHS yet.

Here’s why…

– Gone are the days of wobbly walks and scary first steps (and Mamma needing to be there every single step of the way to catch a fall). Miguel is wants to be in TOTAL control of his mobility now. He likes to hike up the stairs and climb playground slide steps without help (and protests much when we do). Same goes when we take walks. He hates being held now. Thus started the concept of letting go/supervising from a distance. This has been difficult for me to grasp for a long time (coming from–and living in–a house with over-protective parents), but Te makes me realize every day that Miggz has more fun when he is able to freely explore. So we let him be (as long as he’s safe). And when he’s having fun, I’m having fun as well =)

– He GETS things at first glance/try/explanation. He’s very teachable, and I LOVE that about him. Granted he forgets too…LOL, but I take that as just typical of being a BOY. You know, knowing how to do something but refusing to do it–or feigning ignorance–just to see if he can get away with it… (C’mon, Mammas. You know I’m right. And fellas, don’t even protest…)

– He can not only HOLD a conversation now, but also purposely amuse. The process of deciphering some of the things he’s trying to say is quite entertaining to me. Like there was one time he kept saying “eee-shes, eee-shes.” Took me mightily forever to figure out all he was trying to say was DEL-ICIOUS. Lol! I also love it when he hides something on purpose, only to come back seconds later and proclaim, “I found it!!” 

– He ASKS for what he wants, which is far better than us trying to FIGURE OUT what he wants. This allows for less-frustrating parenting–but also has a downside…you know, when he asks for something we CAN’T give him. His personal favorite to say lately is, “Giv-me. Giv-me.” Anything. Everything. Spoons. Forks. Chopsticks. The boy wants to do things for himself. I love that he’s on his way to independence at a tender age of (almost) two.

He didn't want us to help him with the chopsticks...

...so he learned to eat sushi by himself!

– He has a longer attention span now. He’s at that stage now where he can be kept busy for reasonable amounts of time either watching his favorite video, playing an educational app, or doodling. This means we are able to have little blocks of time here and there–for as long as he’s entertained–to do our own stuff (whip up some breakfast, pay bills, blog). I love that he LOVES to sit and draw. We’ve started buying him some Color Wonder markers and paper for whenever his artistic side fancies coming up with a new masterpiece.

Like this one…

I have a budding artist at home. This is one of his first frame-worthy masterpieces. Miggz and I sat down together while I helped him trace the car shapes in this drawing.

22-23 MONTHS: His current faves…

Food/Drinks: apple juice, chicken, strawberry (STILL a fave!)

Pasttime: swimming (in pool OR tub)

Apps: (YES…he has favorite iPhone/Droid APPS!!) Talking Roby, Street Racing, and (this one’s my fave for him too) Monkey Preschool Lunchbox

TV Show: Wow Wow Wubzy on Nick Jr.

Related articles

• The Miggie Report: 20 Months (newmamma.wordpress.com)
• The Age of “Mine.” and “No!” / The Miggie Report: 21 Months (newmamma.wordpress.com)

The Miggie Report: 21 Months / The Age of “Mine.” and “No!”

Three more months and Miggz will soon turn two. Lately, I find myself holding on to the last bits of baby in him, to little success. One indication is that he has started to realize that he can have a say on things that affect him (yes, mommies…it starts THAT early!), from toys he wants to play with, shoes he wants to wear, food he likes to eat, even stuff he likes to use.

Just yesterday, as I was brushing his teeth, Miguel decided to give up his baby “finger toothbrush” he’s always been so keen on using as I brush his teeth with a toddler brush (just like an adult’s, but tinier). He gave his baby brush to me, as if to say, “Mommey, switch.” He then grabbed the brush I was using on him and proceeded to brush his teeth…LOL. This morning I tried to get away with our usual routine. Of course, he would not have it! So now we brush his teeth with two toddler toothbrushes…one for him to use, and one for me to use on him.

This month marks the start of Miguel’s “rebelliousness,” so to speak. He now knows how to say “NO!” very prominently. He also has gotten to like the word “MINE” and will use it almost at anything he does not want to give up. I wish he will get over these pretty soon, but who’s to tell how long it will last (a few days, months, maybe until he’s eighteen…oh no!!!) He’s also back to the just-Daddy phase, but worse…wanting just Daddy to bathe him, feed him, or even hand him certain things like his bottle and sippy cup. I know…sad-face for me.

On a positive note, this past month also marked the beginnings of Miguel speaking in sentences. Though still broken, he has started to use words together to make conversation (as opposed to single words at a time or when he wants something). His very first sentence I can remember was “Din-go…ARE you?” That is, to say, “Jingle, WHERE are you?” (LOL…Jingle is my sister-in-law’s cat, whom Miguel was so keen to playing with when we visited them in Sarasota, FL this month). There was also “Daddy…doing?” to ask “Daddy, WHAT are you doing?”

So cute.

And this makes Terrence and I so proud, and we were stumped ourselves when we discovered it. Our 21-month old knows his alphabet. From A-Z. One day a couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on my desk (probably blogging) when Miggz saw some loose paper on our printer. He immediately asked if he can “draw.” I proceeded to give him a pen and allowed him to scribble. (No, he doesn’t know how to write them yet…LOL). As he took a break from “drawing” I took the pen and started asking him to identify a few letters I know he already knows…O, I, W. And then I started to spell his name. I was surprised he could identify the letters M-I-G-U-E-L. Later that day, I sat with him in his room, and with his Dad also there, I started writing the letters one-by-one on his Cars magic-erase board. Yup…(save for some similar looking letters, M and N, X and Y) he was able to identify his letters. Proof that learning apps work (his Dad has an alphabet flashcard app on his Droid).

Now if only there’s an app that teaches how to potty train! Right now, Miggz likes to go in the bathroom (just for the adventure of it), put the toilet seat down, and FLUSH! At least we got that part covered…hahaha!!! I don’t think he’s quite ready to potty train yet.

Another thing he’s not quite ready for is to give up his bottle. He LOVES to drink juice and water in his sippies, but the moment we put milk in there he just refuses. We even tried calling it milk-juice and thought it worked for a second, but nothing gives. He likes his milk in his bottle still.

Miggz days before he reached 21 months. Not even two and already so independent-minded. Taken on his Uncle Mike and Auntie Trish's boat, Sarasota, FL.

The Miggie Report: 20 Months

I’m over a week late, but here is Miguel’s 20-month report for his grandmas, aunties, and godmothers who I know LOVE to read about his monthly updates.

20 Months

I was just thinking to myself last week how we’ve reached another milestone in Miguel’s life. Being a Mom who likes to remember special dates (yes…even seemingly insignificant ones like his month-sary birthdays), I made sure to greet Miggz on his 20th month with a kiss on his forehead in the car on our way to church. I LOVE that his Daddy follows suit with a greeting (even though he probably would not have remembered that it was the 17th had I not first greeted him…LOL!)

We are past the point of lighting a candled cupcake (or some other pastry) on his monthly birthdays (though I must admit I probably would not mind the occasional treat). I know some parents even buy a small (or big) toy for the occasion. We do none of that now (and I say now because we DID that once for his 6th-month birthday, but c’mon…that’s PRETTY significant–six months!!! It’s the halfway point to one-year!). These days we give him a simple greeting and a kiss. He may not get the greeting part yet, but we know the kiss definitely lets him know it (meaning the day) must be something special. Plus he randomly gets toys from us–that would probably warrant as monthly gift toys if we aptly timed the buying of them.

Miguel’s antics just grow by the magnitude each month. This is especially evidenced in the past couple of weeks while we had additional family visiting here at home. How he started with a wailing cry at the sight of meeting his Grandma Amy and Grandma Maila for the first time at the airport, and ended with knowing how to call them by name (AH-MEE! MAI-YAH!) by the time they had to go back to Norway.

Favorite Things

Miguel’s absolute favorite thing to do these days, like in previous months, is to be outdoors (no surprise there!). He just LOVES to run around and not be bound by any walls. It seems that he LIVES to pick up rocks. He likes to toss them in the water and bring them inside the house (you’re bound to see them turn up in the bathtub, on pantry shelves, and yes…sometimes in my handbag). He also enjoys the occasional dip in his backyard pool.

When indoors, Miguel loves to play with his blocks, building Mega Block fortresses and Foam Block castles (this is a departure from previous months, when all he wanted to do was knock them over). He also enjoys playing with his Tonka Trucks a lot. It seems that this is one toy that he just doesn’t tire of. He received a set of these trucks from my cousin Olive for his 1st birthday, and here we are, eight months later, and the trucks are still his faves. (They’ve gotten attached to us, as well, those trucks. I remember mourning over the loss of one truck for days, after finding out we had left it back in a Vegas hotel some time in November. Thank God he’s got four more of them!!!) He’s since gotten a portable Tonka Garage from one of my Dad’s friends, and a set of Tiny Tonkas from my sister. And he can’t get enough of them!! He picks them up to play with everyday.

Mommy Dislikes

Cute as he may seem, there are some things I just wish Miggz will soon grow out of. The past month, I noticed Miguel chomping on a LOT more things than he did when he first teethed. I mean, I could understand the occasional munch on his toys and such, but on drawer pulls and coasters??? What gives?? LOL. He also has this thing where he thinks it’s fun to turn the TV on and off again and again (and seems to find more satisfaction at doing this while a basketball playoff game is on). He’s learned to also do the same with the volume knob on our TV receiver.

As the days go by, I wonder what more mischief he’s gonna get in to.

Mommy Likes

Miggz is generous with his kisses and hugs. And it’s so easy to make him laugh! Especially when I make silly sounds and funny sound effects whenever I dress him after a bath, or as he plays with his toys. I LOVE that he thinks I’m hilarious!!! (Always has since birth… It’s a mutual thing).

Miggz is also SUCH a quick learner. He can now mouth words to “Bahay Kubo” (a Filipino folk song), thanks to his Gramma’s constant teaching him of it. He knows his numbers until fifteen (though he skips some at times: one, two, three… seven, eleven, fifteen… LOL!). I continue to count every step on the stairs whenever we go up or down. He can also now identify the letters I, O, M, and W (I don’t know how he knows those before the other letters), and he now understands the concept of colors (red, green, blue, white, yellow), though he cannot completely identify the right name to the right color just yet. He just loves yelling out the colors when we eat Mini M&M’s (another one of his favorites).

One of my absolute faves to remember about this month is when Miggz occasionally does his “roll call” at the dinner table. He goes around and points at–and identifies–all of us: Mommy! Daddy! Gramma! Yo-Yo (Lolo)! Auntie! Uncle! Auntie! Auntie! Uncle! Jo-chi! Amy! Mai-yah!

He’s the best.

Miggz will probably choose to sleep out in the backyard if he can get away with it. (He is pictured here outside with Tator, his Auntie Anna and Uncle Jon's dog).

Looking Back: Miguel @ Eight Months

I was editing some pictures today from a party Terrence, Miguel and I went to almost a year ago. The daughter of one of our fellow church members was having her debutante party, and they asked Terrence to take some pictures at the event. Looking through those pictures again made me look back at that point of my new mommy-hood. Miguel was only eight months then, and he was just showing the first signs of separation anxiety. He was good about it though, until one of our pastors approached him in his stroller at the party, and he cried like I’ve never seen him cry before! Lol…

Terrence took some photos of Miguel and I before we left the house for the party. He looked so cute in his “little man suit” that I just had to share these! The photos are also some of our most poignant mother-son shots, probably because he didn’t want me put him down at all (either that…or he was just knocked out silly!)

Here they are…

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The Day He Learned to Say “Thank You” / The Miggie Report: 19 Months

Since I did an 18 1/2-Month post…this report is just from the past two weeks, but it’s amazing what a toddler learns in just that short amount of time.

I am proud to say that many years from now, Terrence can give me the credit to teaching our son how to say “Please” and “Thank You.”

It started with some White Castle Chicken Rings that we took home from our uber-quick NJ trip. If you’ve never had White Castle Chicken Rings before–and have access to a White Castle in your state–get some now! They are delicious…especially with their Honey Mustard sauce. (Arizona, unfortunately, does not have any White Castles around).

As a snack one day, I decided to cut up some Chicken Rings for Miguel. He ended up LOVING them (after all, what’s not to love…they are glorified chicken nuggets)!!! I used these as a learning tool and proceeded with giving him just one ring at a time, sliced up nicely in his bowl. After the first serving, he asked for more. He’s been taught to say “please” before, but has not really been consistent with saying it. So I essentially used the yummy chicken rings as a behavior reinforcer. LOL. With each succeeding serving, I waited for him to say, “please” before I got up to slice a new chicken ring. And before completely giving him a new bowl, I asked him, “What will you say?” After a couple of tries, he said it in the cutest way…

TINK-yooooo.

For the past two weeks I continued this routine with every meal, glass of water, bottle of milk, toy, etc. that he asks for: anxiously waiting for the “please” at the onset of a request, and patiently waiting for his “TINK-yooooo” at the end. He’s needed the “What will you say?” reminder up until now, when I just handed him a bottle of de-de (his milk).

“TINK-yooooo,” he says.

It’s even sweeter when he says it on his own.

And I know he is now a thanker by heart.

And it makes me feel SO proud.

The Miggie Report: 18 1/2 Months

I’m behind on Miguel’s 18-month report, so I’ve decided to do an “and a half” post.

The past couple of weeks has brought us from the Philippines back to Arizona, then to New Jersey for a quick week, and finally settled back home (here in AZ). We have Miggz in tow on all trips, of course. While in NJ for seven days, we got to see Miguel’s Aunties and Uncles from Terrence’s side of the family, and most of our NJ friends (and their new babies…more than three were born since we moved to Arizona in July 2010). We had mini-reunions all over the place, and it was great to see everyone again, even for a short time (especially the babies!!!).

Miguel had no problems feeling at ease amidst all the faces and places he hasn’t seen in six months. In every home we visited, I saw him feel AT HOME. More than that, he interacted very easily with everyone, young and old alike (although I wished he shared his toys more when around other kids). He’s also quite the talker and entertainer (I don’t know where he gets this from since both Terrence and I are the quiet, reserved types). He’s also very comedic…THAT I know he gets from his dad 🙂

Here are some highlights for Miguel’s 18-month (and a half) report:

– can answer “yes” or “no” depending on what he wants

– can speak quite a few Tagalog words, which he’s picked up from our recent trip to the Philippines (he knows ipis, lamig, hawak, sama, alis, init, tulog, ligo, among other words)

– calls everyone he sees with white hair “Lola” (Grandma)…even at airports and planes. I find this sooo hilarious!

– can feed himself with a spoon and fork unassisted

– loves Ben10 DVDs

– also likes the Little Einsteins, SID the Science Kid, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Thomas the Tank Engine, but NOT nearly as much as Ben10

– is getting into playing drums…nice!

– likes to play with cooking utensils and pretend food (which I have no problem with!)

– STILL loves to play with rocks…he picks them up from all over the place

– adores his Lolo and Lola

– still has NOT gotten a haircut, ever, and we know he’s in dire need of one (his curls are nice, but they’re getting too long)

– I am happy to report, has gotten over his “just Daddy” phase, and also looks for me when I’m not around, quite equally with Daddy 🙂

My HAM of a son, taken while he was making "ligo" at his Lola's house in the Philippines.

The Miggie Report: 17 Months

We’ve been in the Philippines now for over a month and a half. I’m not too happy about not being able to blog about Miguel and our travels as there’s just so much to write about, and no constant wi-fi availability.

Here at Lola’s house, we are connected online through a mobile USB connection (Globe Tattoo), where we “load” money into this USB’s SIM card to be able to access the web. The problem is either the signal’s too weak in my Grandma’s neck of the woods, or there’s just too many Globe Tattoo users around here. I’ve figured out that we usually have the least access problems between 12 midnight and three in the morning, when every body and their mother is asleep (including me!), so unless I make an effort to stay up, there’s just no way I’d be able to blog. There are also the posh malls that grant free wi-fi access (including nearby Eastwood Mall, which we love). We were actually there today, which allowed me to post some of our pics from Bohol. The problem with that is there is just so much patience that comes with Mamma being online while Daddy watches our crazy toddler run and wreak havoc at Starbucks.

Oh Miguel…where to start his 17th-month report. Since last month, I’ve seen him develop most in his language skills, literally just absorbing and repeating everything we say (in his cutest little way of saying things). He can now say “Daddy” and “Mommy” with perfect diction and intonation of course, as if it were a four-year-old saying Daddy and Mommy. My utmost favorite is when he says “I Love-y” (I love you.) He knows when we are going to ride in a car (“vroom-vroom”), when it’s time to sleep (“meh-meh”), and when he runs to his great-grandmother (“wo-wa”). He’s also gotten so much friendlier toward strangers, greeting random people “hi” and “bye” (with matching wave of hands) at malls, in restaurants, and while we were in Boracay, Cebu, and Bohol this month. He’s also gotten so attached to his Dad. He looks for Te when he’s gone, even when he leaves the room to get his bottle. And Te reports that Miggz doesn’t really look for me whenever I leave. I guess it just shows how devoted and hands-on of a father my hubby is…even more than me, to be honest. I’m proud of this fact, but am also sad about it at the same time. It’s amazing how, at a tender age of one, toddlers can recognize who the nicer parent is (hands down it’s Te, because he’s more about fun, rather than the disciplinarian, which is me). It makes me wonder if Miggz will “switch sides” eventually, or if he’ll now and forever be Daddy’s boy.

We’ll see =)

What will you come up with next, Miggz?

The Miggie Report: 16 Months

I had intended to make monthly reports about Miguel’s milestones ever since I posted his last one two months ago, but sadly, I couldn’t due to the hefty hustle-and-bustle of November. So this report spans two months, and really, two continents, as I am writing this in my grandmother’s bedroom in the house where I partly grew up many years ago.

Seeing Miguel’s progress over the past two months is downright scary (figuratively and literally), to say the least. He is now a little kid (with much-needed adult supervision), no longer a baby for sure. The worries of moms with young babies are not the same as the woes of moms with young toddlers. Since my last post, Miggz has gotten so good at giving me little heart attacks attempting to get out of bed on his own, running to the bathroom to head straight for the toilet bowl, or fleeing to the top of the stairs where the last person unknowingly left the safety gate ajar. Terrence and I have managed well to keep him out of harm’s way, but I honestly don’t know how long he and I can keep it up, what with Miguel’s ever-expansive sense of curiosity and adventure. I tend to err on the side of safety (while trying to avoid being over-protective). Terrence, my husband, on the other hand, tends to let Miggz try things out for himself so he can learn to manage things on his own quicker, like allowing him to get out of bed without help. I am glad we have this parenting balance, as I think Miggz becomes all the better for it. As of now–thanks to Te–Miggz knows how to get out of bed on his own without falling. He’ll hold on to the bed’s edge and carefully lower his legs down until his little feet reaches the floor, and then he’ll get off the bed and proceed with his little adventure for the day. He’s mastered this skill for about two months now.

Here are some other things Miggz have mastered over the last two months…

– sipping from a straw

– pointing at and naming familiar objects (light, moon, car) and people (Mama, Daddy, Gramma, Wo-Wo, Tedi)

– walking/running without looking like a little drunk man

– making little requests (“Up. Daddy. De-de.” is his way of asking his Dad every morning to get up from bed and get him some milk…LOL)

– determining which one is our car from a parked lot (I know…smart boy!)

– asking to go “labas” or “outside” when he wants to play outdoors

– repeating a loud “A-CHOO!” whenever his Wo-wo (Grandpa) sneezes

– saying “OH NOOO” when something isn’t right

– giving hugs and kisses on command (and when he pleases to do so!)

– and since coming to the Philippines, getting his Great Grandmother’s hand and placing the back of it upon his forehead to “bless”…a sign of respect for the elderly in our culture

Miggz has mastered using the straw and sipping freshly made MANGO SHAKE 🙂