No paci = Wah-Do!

As I've written before, it continues to amaze me how quickly Micro's vocabulary is developing. It's increased three-fold since we've quit the "chupon" (aka 'the pacifier') cold turkey about a month ago. 

It wasn't that we deliberately decided on a date to take away his most sacred possession. Micro just grew too attached to it and would just put the chupon in his mouth when he had no reason other than it provided some form of reassurance. We decided to see if he could make it through one night without it. Of course, we picked a night when our little one was too tired to notice that we skipped reading him a book before bed. Micro just craved the comfort of his bed and was asleep before we even laid him down. Since then, I've only offered the chupon once. It was when poor Micro slipped, fell, and cut his lip pretty bad. He didn't stop crying for 20 minutes from the pain and I caved in at one moment, reached for the chupon and offered it to him. And you know what he did? He turned it down and was just content having us holding him tight. It was a shock and awe moment.

Which leads me to believe is the result of the increase of his vocabulary. I think removing the chupon has made Micro more talkative and engaging with us. He was always a little "chatty," but nothing like he is now. He's begun putting small phrases together such as, "He's crying. Choo choo train gone. Daddy at work." Micro is constantly observing the world around him and giving his two cents on everything. We're all thoroughly enjoying this phase, and I can tell that Micro is pretty proud of himself on being able to communicate, and us understanding. 

Micro's latest is saying his version of "I love you," as "Wah-do!" He has a difficult time pronouncing the letter "l," and I probably say it so quickly that my "you" sounds like "do."  Hence, "Wah-do." When your child reaches an age when he or she can respond to your saying, "I love you," that moment is priceless. It completely melts me and I can't think of hearing anything sweeter.

Suffice to say, Micro is still a Mad Genius in my eyes.

Give me my adobo or nilaga!

Micro loves his rice. And, why not? He is half Filipino. He's not a big fan of sandwiches, with the exception of pb&j's. He does enjoy eating mac n cheese. And yup, he's gone down the fast food route and discovered french fries (though not much of a fan of chicken nuggets). Yet, nothing compares to eating a bowl of rice. Lucky for Mr. Fliz and I, since birth, Micro has always had a healthy appetite. He ate anything we gave him. When we started adult solid foods, he ate everything from hummus to nilaga. 

Now that he's a toddler, his palette is developing and getting more picky. Something I'm not to happy about, but realize it's a stage he's going through too. I didn't quite develop a palette for various flavors till I was in my 20's, so I guess I shouldn't judge. Micro however, really likes everything his Lola makes for him. Since I don't have the special skills to make various filipino dishes, I can rely on my family to pick up the slack. He loves a bowl of rice with sabaw, be it sinigang, adobo, kare kare, or sopas, etc. So when we're eating other types of food, it makes it easy to order some dish that has some broth or sauce and we just pour it over rice, couscous, or pasta to satisfy Micro.

Sometimes my family is surprised with how much filipino food he enjoys eating. I know people unfamiliar with filipino dishes may be turned off by the list of ingredients or the look of a dish. But, like a book, don't judge it by its cover. Our dishes are exceptionally tasty and flavorful if prepared well. Ask Mr. Fliz. You'd be surprised how some of our dishes may remind you of similar ones from Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, or Indonesian.

But if your toddler is picky and you want to make kid-friendly food while exposing them to various flavors, this website has great recipes that are simple, fast, and tasty that cater to your toddler: www.weelicious.com

Bay Area Discovery Museum

Gorgeous view Golden Gate Bridge from their parking 

Since it's finally starting to feel like summer around the Bay Area, this past weekend, we hung out outdoors with Ms. Lolli and crew. Ms. Lolli has been quite the jetsetter this summer, so Micro and her haven't had much time to hang out, which is unfortunate. Somehow, we had to make sure we got some quality time in with her and family, especially since both our families are expecting our second babies--all within a week of each other. Exciting isn't it? We keep talking about how the next time we'll see each other, we'll be a party of eight. Eight!! OMG!!

Micro and I have been wanting to visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum over in beautiful Sausalito. However, the thought of having to cross two bridges and survive city traffic always put me off. So this past weekend was a great opportunity to do it with family friends. I can certainly say that Micro and Ms. Lolli had a superb time enjoying all the various activities. 

Look at all the fish Ms. Lolli is hoarding. Kudos for sharing!

What a gorgeous day to be outdoors and spending time with good friends we haven't seen in awhile. The museum offers children different themed rooms and outdoor activities to stimulate motor skills and imagination. Very similar to the Children's Discovery Museum (but this is completely indoors) in San Jose. If you're ever in the San Francisco Bay Area and have time to check this place out, it's wonderful place to take young kids, especially if the weather is agreeable. 

 

Time's a tickin'

I'm trying my very best to enjoy the last few weeks of pregnancy (who knows, this may be the last time I'll be creating another human being and an organ). But I just can't seem to. Though this pregnancy has been much easier than Micro's, I believe I'm just one of those women who don't enjoy being pregnant. Now, it took me awhile to admit that and forgive myself for not feeling the opposite. I'm sure I'm not alone.

As any mother knows, the last trimester is the most difficult. By now, picking up anything off the floor is a workout, sleep used to be a gift, and looking in the mirror is just madness. On top of all that, I'm having to find ways to keep Micro entertained and happy without having to take him to the playground or do too much physical activity. However, on some days, I just fail to keep his energy level at bay and I deal with it best I can. Thankfully, my family has been very supportive and when they can, come over to watch Micro, while Mr. Fliz and I attend to prepping for Micron, or just enjoying some alone time.

Don't get me wrong, I am blessed to be able to bring a baby into this world and enjoy feeling the all the tiny (or in my case, LARGE) kicks, nudges, and loop de loops, Micron is doing inside me. Last Sunday night, I had some preterm labor. I hadn't even reached 36 weeks yet and I began to worry. Though I'm sure there are hundreds of babies born successfully even more premature than that, I just wasn't ready for Micron to enter the world. Thankfully, Micron listened to Mommy's pleas and decided he or she, wasn't ready either. "Don't hold your breath just yet, Mommy," I can hear Micron say. The past week has been dotted with lots of strong Braxton Hicks contractions that are close together, that there have been plenty of false alarms. 

Mr. Fliz and I have been hard at work trying to make room in our tiny abode to fit in the newest member of our family. It's been fun revisiting all the newborn clothing and accessories. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that we'll have two kids under two. The thought is daunting, and yet, Mr. Fliz and I can't wait to meet our new baby. We'll see how much longer Micron can last inside the comfort of my womb. . . sorry to break it to ya kid, but the outside world is a much scarier place. 

However, I've been looking back at all of Micro's baby pictures and I'm just excited to know that no matter what happens, God will be looking out for us, and we'll hopefully be celebrating a healthy birth and another one of these. . .

Mark your calendars...let's EAT REAL

It's that time of year again...well, it's only the second time the Eat Real Festival is happening. Please check out last year's review of the inaugural festival which I volunteered at for two days. This year it will take place on the last weekend of August and with the growing popularity of food trucks in the Bay Area, this festival is sure to continue to grow (especially after last year's success). 

But with Micron on the way, I'm hoping to make it at the very least to "ice cream" night. There's plenty of things for families to enjoy during this festival. You can sample an abundance of different foods, desserts, music, beer, local arts & crafts, and food demonstrations (kids can learn to cook too!). It's a great way to spend a day--just eating! Why wouldn't you want to spend the end of summer feeling like a glutton? I mean check out the list of vendors that will be participating.

Hope to see you out there :)

Guess Who?

Recognize this famous tank engine?

He's the most famous steam train on the Island of Sodor

and Micro's favorite

It's Thomas the Tank Engine! 

Two weekends ago, we spent a Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine. Joined by good friends and their kids, we enjoyed a 25 minute ride with a train outfitted to look like Thomas the Tank Engine. Micro has been a fan of this "roaring" personality since he was 17 months old and loves to watch his "Choo choo" first thing in the morning (courtesy of our DVR and Sprout TV). The outdoor event was held at Roaring Camp Railroads near Santa Cruz. The beautiful redwood trees provided a scenic background to the train ride.

You can take a short train ride to the event from the parking lot (or hoof the 3/4 mile walk on dirt road). If you can, opt for the train ride so your kids can get the most out of the train experience. Micro loved every minute of being on the train and his grin only grew wider as the day wore on. There are outdoor Thomas the Tank Engine activities such as, train sets to view and play with, a blown-up Percy to pose pictures with, a photo op with Sir Topham Hat, food and shopping to enjoy. 

If you have little ones that are fans, make sure to check it out while it's still here.

"Give me the green light. Give me just one night. I'm ready to go right now."

You got it Mr. Legend! John Legend, that is. This past weekend Mr. Fliz and I managed to spend some quality time together. Just me, him, and JL. 

The lyrics referenced above has taken on new meaning for us. It's this JL song that we heard and saw on tv when Mr. Fliz and I first checked-in to the hospital, indicating that Micro was on his way. Appropriate don't you think? But I had been a fan of Mr. Legend's for quite some time and had mentioned more than once to my hubby that I'd love to see him perform live. And Mr. Fliz came through, surprising me with this late birthday gift.

We attended JL's concert at the beautiful Mountain Winery in Saratoga. The winery, perfectly situated overlooking the picturesque South Bay, is a great concert venue. It was quite a steep and windy drive up the side of the mountain before we found the parking lot. The parking attendant even gave us $5 off the parking fee because we were more than a party of two (Hey, you rock Mister! Thanks for noticing my bulging belly!). Pregnancy perk #1.

Then as we pulled into the lot, we asked another parking attendant which lane we should go into, and he too, noticed that I was preggers and told us it was ok to park in VIP. Yeah baby! It was the closest parking to the venue where a small shuttle took us directly to the grounds, and bypassing lines. Pregnancy perks #2 and #3. Thank you belly :)

Mountain Winery, once owned by Paul Masson, was known to throw lavish parties, ceased making wine back in 1952 and became a concert venue. In the past few years, they have resurrected wine-making at the winery. Living in California, with Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara Valleys producing such amazing wines, seeing a winery residing in the mountaintops was a special treat. Great views, great wine, plus great music, makes for an exceptional evening. The outdoor amphitheater is conducive in making musicians and the audience feel more intimate. You can opt to have dinner at the winery beforehand or use the picnic tables near the parking lot for alfresco dining. We didn't have dinner, but they did have small carts dishing out food, wine, beer, and some spirits.

The opening act, hailing from Barbados, was Hal Linton. Playing his acoustic guitar, his voice and musical style are reminiscent of Maxwell--a perfect pre-show act for Mr. Legend. Look out for this up and coming star. 

Mr. Fliz and I really enjoyed our time together. We both agreed that we should try and do this more often and get more creative with our date nights. It was a great evening and Micron was certainly enjoying JL's music in the womb. I guess now Mr. Legend is somewhat loosely associated with my pregnancies...wonder if I'll hear his music accidentally when Micron is ready to be born? Stay tuned.

What's a mom to do?

A few weekends ago, Mr. Fliz and Micro went to visit family in the East Coast, while I spent four nights all to myself. The first in forever, and the longest time my family and I have ever been apart. It was also Mr. Fliz's first time traveling alone with our toddler. 

I'm glad to report that both the outgoing and return flights went exceedingly well for Mr. Fliz. Lucky him. Of course, I had been a little anxious about them leaving me. Separation anxiety can be hard. I also had to remind myself that I needed to treasure this time to myself before Micron's arrival and that being a great mommy means spending some quality "me" time. 

So what's a mom to do? I didn't plan anything too crazy. I had entertained the idea of checking into a hotel for a night away to feel like I was on a mini-vacation (but decided that I should save some $), or do a spa outing (but forgot that I had a pre-natal massage lined up to use when they get back--but, hey, there can never be too many pampering treatments for a mom, right?), or go buck-wild and splurge on a nice pair of shoes or a purse (a, "Hey, I deserve to reward myself mom moment"). Well, I settled on not committing to anything and just letting the days dictate themselves.

I dropped my boys off at the airport quickly. As Mr. Fliz said, "like pulling off the bandaid." I didn't want to get too emotional and knew that looking at Micro's face as we waved good-bye, would hurt me more than him. Unfortunately, about the time they left I managed to catch a summer cold that had me needing to catch up on rest the first two nights they were away. I managed to go shopping one afternoon(yay, I actually used a PURSE!) without any interruption of someone needing to get their diaper changed, waddle after someone taking off, or worry about some grubby little hands touching everything in the store. It was peaceful and relaxing. Saturday, my best friend and I took a day to ourselves (yup, she left her kids with her hubby at home for the day) and drove to Sausalito for a delicious late lunch. As we ate outdoors on a beautiful sunny day, overlooking the marina, and soaking up some rays, I didn't even think about Micro or Mr. Fliz. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just meant that I was finally relaxing. That night, I didn't get home till 11p.m.--which I can't remember when the last time I did that for myself was sans a kid. Sunday, Lola came over to help me unpack those pesky space bags that held all of Micro's old clothes and baby stuff. I had to make room to put out clothes for Micron's arrival. It was fun to re-visit all the newborn clothing that I hadn't seen in almost two years. It got me anticipating baby's arrival even more...or rather, the reality began to slowly sink in that there will be a new member to our family. Our unit of 4 (including our dog, Mo), would now grow by two feet.

When I saw Mr. Fliz and Micro at the airport, I was overjoyed. Micro yelled, "hi Mommy" with a huge grin and ran over to give me a hug. It was the best ending to a long weekend.