Eleventh Month Birth Anniversary - Week 48

Eleven months ago today, Theo was born! Time has been whizzing!

This week was another week of surprises. For the first time, Theo showed us that he can already stand on his own two legs -- without support(!) -- and he did it for more than one minute. That was when Tippi and Ian visited us in Tsukuba last Wednesday, which was also a national holiday in Japan.

We can't wait until he begins to start walking, even if it means having to chase him around the house, which isn't too big, fortunately (or unfortunately?). One way of checking if the child is about ready to walk is by observing his feet while assisting him in walking. If he tiptoes, then he's not ready yet; if his feet are flat on the floor, very soon he'll be able to start walking himself. Theo's feet are of the latter.

Another funny antic that he learned recently is that when you say "moshi moshi" or "hello", he would put his hand towards his ear as if answering a phone call. And he does this with that wide grin on his face as if he knows that he's trying to act cute and funny.

Recently, we have also found out that Theo knows when he's being photographed. Whenever we call his name, while the digital camera is in our hand, he would always flash that very cute smile, the same one that you see in the photo above, which was taken this afternoon inside one of the big 100 yen shops here in Tsukuba.

For me and Mommy D (who, by the way, took most of the pictures in this blog so far), Theo is our solid proof that miracles do happen every day.

Christmas is in the Air! - Week 47

Christmas is definitely in the air in Tsukuba, although we are certain that the Christmas spirit here is of the commercial kind and has nothing to do with the birth of our Savior. Nonetheless, Christmas trees and decors have already begun to appear in shopping malls, and we see Theo here apparently enjoying the Christmas spirit.

Winter is also in the air, and the mercury continues to dip as we approach December. Mommy D has already purchased a bonnet for Theo, and as you can see from the photo above, he looks very cute wearing it. We've also changed Theo's stroller to a smaller, more compact one. By this time, he has already become more comfortable sitting down than lying when we go on walks during weekends.

Last week, Theo has also shown that he can clap his hands at will when you sing to him, "Clap, clap, clap your hands, clap your hands together." Maybe one of these days, I'll post a video of him doing exactly this.

On the down side, Theo had a cold this week, and his nose was very runny, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday. By this time, however, the cold has almost cleared and we expect him to be virus-free by tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. What's good about this episode with colds, however, is that Theo's energy level never showed any signs of waning. He's still our very curious Energizer bunny. Just to be safe, we have already plugged all of the open electrical outlets at home in case he gets TOO curious.

It's really very difficult raising a child, esp. at this stage when Theo's still a baby. But with a bubbly and cute baby like him, his smiles and adorable antics are enough rewards.

The Drool - Week 46

If there's one person that I truly missed in Tunisia, while standing in the sands of the Sahara Desert, it was Theo (and Mommy D, too, of course).

The Tunisian trip was largely successful: 3 days for the pre-conference tour and 2 days for the Tunisia-Japan Symposium on Culture, Science and Technology. The pre-conference tour allowed us to visit almost 2/3 of Tunisia, traveling from the capital Tunis down to Douz, which is the entrance to the Sahara Desert. Then we went into the desert itself and spent an evening in the oasis, in deluxe tents that had airconditiong plus toilet and bath. It was a truly unforgettable experience.

Back home, Mommy D told me -- when I called from Sousse -- that Theo would often look at the door when he hears it moving. And each time he wakes up in the morning, he would always look at my place in the bed, hoping that I would be there. That made me miss him even more when I was halfway around the globe. I'm sure you can imagine how happy he was when he saw me arrive home last night.

In terms of development, Mommy D told me that Theo has become much more curious than ever, and he could now manage to move more freely without support. It's probably not too long before he can start walking. And hopefully, soon, he'll be joining me in these exotic adventures, to lands much different from our own.

Theo, the world is out there, and yours for the taking.

The Toe Sucker - Week 45

Just as my aunt, Tita Nalik, had earlier predicted, Theo would eventually end up sucking his own toes. In the photo above, you can see him caught in the act.

Last night, when Mommy D, Theo and I had dinner at a family restuarant near our home, Theo, maybe not so surprisingly, attracted the interest of young female students from two different tables. Some of them even ended up coming to our table just to touch his hand or his face. We could not help overhearing them say "kawai, kawai!" or cute in Japanese.

In previous blogs many months past (see archives), I had predicted that Theo will be God's gift to women. The prophecy has come to pass. If this kid isn't cute (see photo below), then I don't know what is.



In the next photo, you'll find Theo and his adorable friends inside his crib.



Maybe once he gets over his toe-sucking routine, he'll probably have more girlfriends, hehehe...

I expect to miss Theo this coming week since I will be going to Tunisia from tomorrow, November 6, to Saturday, November 12. I will be attending an international conference to present a paper related to my research. I'm sure I will miss my baby and Mommy D. I'm glad that it's just a week.