What are you looking at? - Week 31

This week, our little bundle of smiles and giggles officially turned 7 months. And as he grows older, his interests are beginning to change and becoming much more varied. One of which happens to be other babies like him, esp. female babies, as you can see from the photo above.

Mommy D's friend, Kyoko, came over last Friday together with her daughter Mao-chan, and this gave our dashing Theo a chance to "fool around" with his peer. Theo's Aunt Tippi and Uncle Ian, fresh from a refreshing respite in the Philippines, also came over to bring some stuff and goodies for us and for Theo. It was a hectic day for Mommy D, given that she had to cook and prepare food for everyone, but it was all worth it given how much Theo seemed to enjoy everybody's company.

Theo received lots of stuff from his Aunt Tippi and Uncle Ian, as well as some goodies from his grandmother, Mommy C. He is really one well-loved baby.

Wednesday this week, Mommy D took Theo to my laboratory where he met my boss as well as my other labmates. Everyone couldn't help but notice how "kawaii" (cute) little Theo is. My boss, who is a mother herself, couldn't get enough of Theo. She was kissing and hugging him from the time he took him in her arms. Theo also seemed to enjoy every minute of it.

In the meantime, remember that if Theo is with girls, please, don't bother him. Hehe...

Stuffed! - Week 30

We received a package of goodies from Theo's Lola Nalik this week and among the things inside were two stuffed toys and numerous nice shirts for Theo, plus some vitamins and candies for us.

From the photo above, we need not tell you whether Theo loves the stuffed toys or not. His smile from ear to ear while hugging the toys says it all. Also, if you look close enough, you can already see his two upper incisors beginning to emerge. In less than seven months, Theo has certainly gone a long way from being a toothless, milk-exclusive infant to a very expressive, munching baby.

Today, we took Theo to a big park together with some of the Filipino students and scholars here in Tsukuba. Almost everyone who saw him could not help but comment on how healthy and handsome he is. They were also surprised why he doesn't seem to mind being held and cuddled by those who are complete strangers to him. He really seems to be a socially well-adapted baby.

As he grows older, more and more his name is becoming truly apt. Theo. Divine Gift.

Mother and Child - Week 29

This has been a poignant weekend for Mommy D and Theo as both confront humanity's susceptibility to creatures that are invisibile to the naked eye. Mommy D has tonsillitis while Theo is having a runny nose and has been sneezing quite often lately, probably due to the cold. The former is caused by bacteria while the latter is by a virus.

It's Theo's first bout with the common cold, but apparently, he's holding up very well. He's as active as ever; his smiles and giggles never fail to cease. No virus can put a good baby down, so they speak. On the other hand, Mommy D is feeling much better now, unlike when the tonsillitis first struck on Thursday night. As I am writing this, both mother and child are in bed fast asleep. The photo above was taken about an hour earlier.

As expected, the mercury has considerably risen, and it has become very uncomfortable to venture outside. Not only is it very hot, it's also very humid. Japan's summer is undoubtedly much hotter than that of the Philippines. Yesterday was cooler though, so we spent the afternoon out, mostly in an airconditioned mall. Today, just thinking of stepping outside already makes us feel sweaty.

Mommy D and Theo will be surely okay despite this encounter with aliens. This episode made us think that we're just human after all.

Mr. Cool – Week 28

Theo’s Aunt Tippi and Uncle Ian came over last Friday from Tokyo to give us a short yet fun visit, especially for our little bundle of smiles and giggles.

Initially, he wasn’t able to recognize his Uncle Ian, breaking into short sobs after staring at him, but after 20 minutes or so, he quickly warmed up to his loving relatives. He apparently seemed to enjoy being carried by his Aunt Tippi whose shoulders he seemed to relish resting his head on.

In the photo above, you can see Theo wearing a GAP jacket purchased by his Aunt Tippi last Friday, among the other shirts and a short that she also got for him. Obviously, he's very happy about it.

Tippi and Ian will be vacationing in the Philippines for 14 days, from Thursday this week until almost the end of the month, and before leaving, they decided to drop by Tsukuba and give us, esp. Theo, a short visit.

Mommy D and I are sure that they’ll have lots of stories to tell about their nephew, who, as Mr. Cool, has taken Japan’s summer heat – his first – in stride.
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PS - Can you see his two small, growing teeth in the photo above?

Month 6 Vital Statistics - Week 27

Mommy D (who took the photos above) and I took our little bundle of smiles and giggles yesterday to the doctor for his 6th month well-baby checkup. And as always, the doctor gave him a very clean bill of health. He said that there is absolutely nothing irregular or abnormal in Theo's growth and development, and he is also one well-behaved and happily smiling baby.

Below are two graphs showing Theo's development since birth up to the present. His stats all fall within the range for his age, but his height is slightly at the upper end, i. e., he is probably one tall baby compared to his peers. As I am writing this, he is in his crib playing with (and tasting!) his mobile toys.

And by the way, this month, we celebrate this blog's 1st Year Anniversary! Time flies indeed!