Third Month Birth Anniversary - Week 13

Today, March 26, is Theo's 3rd Month Birth Anniversary.

With the passing of the third month also comes much relief for Mommy D who no longer has to wake up more often in the middle of the night to feed Theo. By this time, Theo's sleep has become much longer and more deep, providing much respite for the tired mom. This is because Theo's stomach has become much larger, holding much more breast milk that could last for much longer hours before the next feeding.

If Theo is such a healthy and adorable baby, it's really because of the immeasurable love, care and sacrifice that Mommy D has been providing. Certainly, I do my part in baby-sitting, esp. at night and on weekends, but because I have to work on weekdays to put food on the table, it's Mommy D who's with Theo 24/7, thus having the most significant influence over his life and total well-being. As one Jewish proverb says, God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. The influence of a mother on a child can probably be encapsulated in this succinct quote by O. Schreiner: There was never a great man who had not a great mother.

Theo, one day when you're old enough, you'll probably read all these; here's one thing that you should always remember: Love your mother. You owe her your life.

The Baptized - Week 12

Today is Vernal Equinox and it's a national holiday in Japan, which explains why I am writing this post now on a Monday instead of Sunday. Saturday, March 19, was when Fr. Michael Coleman baptized Theo into the Catholic faith (see photo above) with an all-male list of sponsors (ninongs). Yesterday, my sister and brother-in-law also came to Tsukuba to visit Theo and see for themselves how big and very cute their nephew has become.

A few weeks back, my aunt in the US also sent us another package of vitamins and goodies, one of which is the baby toy atop Theo's chest in the photo below. Theo really enjoys this toy so much because he would coo and drool almost each time we dangle it over his face.

Now at 12 weeks old, Theo can very well lift and move his head at will in response to visual and/or auditory stimulation. He can also very clearly recognize his parents' voices and faces. It has also become a great source of joy and amusement for us to see him respond with wide-eyed smiles and loud coos each time we talk to him. Undoubtedly, he is slowly becoming a fully functional human being.

Obviously (see below), he is also very happy about it.

Theo in Tsukuba Center - Week 11

Last Saturday was Theo's first trip to Tsukuba Center (the commercial area of Tsukuba Science City), where Mommy D and I did some shopping for Theo's baptism come March 19 at the Tsukuba Catholic Church. And as you can see from the photo above, Theo seems to enjoy the stroll, what with the temperature starting to rise comfortably with the onset of spring.

One of the things that we purchased was a net for Theo's bath tub, and as you can clearly see from the photo below taken this morning, Theo, now 11 weeks old, has metamorphosed into "The Godfather" as he savors one of his favorite moments: bath time.

The Smiler - Week 10

Mommy D's painful bout with the shingles proved short-lived and she's now very much on the way to full recovery, without infecting any of us at home with the wayward virus. I've already had chickenpox before so I was somehow immune. On the other hand, Theo's immune system proved resilient even if Mommy D continued to take care of him despite the affliction.

We expect Mommy D's discomfort to heal completely within a week or two and to bring Theo back to his usual, regular doses of nutrition-rich breast milk. Mommy D has had lots of advice from our aunt Tita Nalik, and from my own mom, Mommy C, two of which is that she should take things more easily, esp. with the chores at home, and to take lots of vitamins, particularly vitamin C.

Theo apparently seemed to anticipate his return to breast milk, and that's why he's grinning from ear to ear in the photo above. He's also become much more talkative lately, although we'd probably need a linguist to decipher his babbles.

But when he smiles, his message is crystal clear: I am a happy, contented baby.