Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 End of the Year Tips: Part 3 - Mommy

This part three series of the 2012 End of the Year Tips is about Mommy. All about Mommy, lol

A little bit about me is that I am currently a stay home mother, with a one year old baby girl.

Did you always hear that when your baby was born that you should take naps when the baby naps? Yes, over and over and over again. Well, let me tell you that I did not heed this warning, I tried to be the perfect mother and perfect housekeeper, and perfect this and perfect that. And all it did was burnt me out which was not good for my newborn baby and myself as a new mother. Did I learn from it? Nope, I did not learn to take naps when baby sleeps. So to all new mothers or mothers with a newborn: TAKE A NAP WHEN THE BABY SLEEPS. I know easier said then done but at least try and that was what I did.

Breastfeed the baby, it is such a natural thing to do, so why not? I am still breastfeeding my one year old. There are many benefits for the baby. And there are benefits to myself as well, I lost all my pregnancy weight gain and then some. Breastfeeding is draining, and tiresome, so make sure you take your prenatal vitamins, eat well, and drink a lot.

Invest in a good supportive bra.  I do not like nursing bras, I find it a hassle to take off the clips especially when the baby is very demanding and wants milk right now. It is always difficult to take off the clips on the nursing bras as well as hard to put it back on. I like the concept of the nursing bras, but it just did not work for me. I rather, just push my bras down and always make sure that my tops are stretchy enough to go underneath my breasts.

If you can, get a extra pair of hands to help out especially in the beginning. I had absolutely refused to let anyone take care of my baby. I was the new mother that wanted to do it all by herself, because I wanted to learn how to take care of my baby and her needs. It was either my husband or I taking care of Lina<3, but mostly me. I took care of the diaper changes, changing clothes, cleaning up spit ups or poop/urine mess, bathing, and food.  Even now, I am the same way, except I am willing to let someone else watch her, like my parents, while I do chores.

Do your Kegel exercise! If you have been doing it since you been pregnant then it should not be a problem to continue it. I find it hard to do at times but is continuing it to prevent urinary incontinence. 

Go to your six week check up after the baby is born, to make sure that everything is fine.

Go out without the baby. This one was extremely hard for me to do, as I never want to leave my baby and I did not want to miss anything that she is doing. My motto is where Mommy goes, Lina<3 goes. There were two days where I actually went out without my baby and it did feel good to leave the house and not be concern about taking care of the baby.

Do little things to pampers yourself when you have time: for me it could be a taking a longer hot shower, or doing my nails, or styling my hair differently, or read a book, or read the newspaper or just lay back and relax. Pampering yourself could be just anything that you enjoy, and it does not have to be elaborate.

Have dinner with your husband/spouse/love one. This was extremely hard to do when Lina<3 was a newborn and very demanding, but I always make sure that my husband and I have dinner together (even now). Also dedicate a few minutes to hugging or cuddling in bed, because you do not want your husband to feel neglected.

When the baby got older and started eating more solid foods, I make sure that dinner includes all of us as a family as much as possible.


Well, this is the last of the part three series of the 2012 End of the Year Tips, and I hope that everyone enjoyed the three part series. Please share your tips that had helped you or your baby in 2012.
2012 is coming quickly to an end. THANK YOU for staying with Lina<3 for the past six months. All About Lina<3 appreciates all the viewers and support, and hopes that everyone had a great 2012.


Please be advised that these tips are from my own experiences and if there should be any concerns or questions regarding these tips, please speak to a professional. 

Happy New Year’s Eve

New Years Eve 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

2012 End of the Year Tips: Part 2 - Baby

2012 was a wonderful year, and besides the eczema, Lina<3 had a great year. These tips will range from clothing, to cradle caps to toys, to baby gears, and more.

Breastfeeding your baby (if you can) is most wonderful thing you can do for your baby. Nursed as much as possible. It is the first and most important thing I could do for my baby. Lina<3 and I were able to bond. I enjoyed it no matter how painful or difficult it was in the beginning. Breastfeeding all the way is my motto.

Lina<3 had bad, bad cradle caps. To get rid of the scaly, patchy, yellowish flakes that was caked onto Lina's<3 scalp, use this home remedy below (from Babycenter) that I found and works wonders:
 If your baby has a stubborn case of cradle cap, you may want to try an oil remedy to help loosen dry flakes:
Rub a small amount of a pure, natural oil – such as almond or olive oil – on your baby's scalp and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Then gently comb out the flakes with a fine-tooth comb or brush them out with a soft brush.
Be sure to follow up by washing your baby's scalp with a gentle baby shampoo. The last thing you want to do is leave oil on his head, which could clog the pores and cause the flakes to stick. You might try leaving the shampoo on for a few minutes before rinsing, to help cut the oil.
This home remedy does not work overnight, it needs a few weeks to work. Once the cradle caps have cleared up, I continued to brush the scalp everyday and moisturized the scalp as well. To this day, there are still some dry skin on Lina's<3 scalp, but brushing daily controls the amount of dry skin that stays on the scalp.

Lina<3 wear mostly Carters due to the fact that I find their clothes durable and does not get ruin no matter how many times it gets wash. We only buy 100% cotton clothing. I like their pajamas, bodysuits, and play outfits. I believe that the prices of clothes are decent and even better if the clothes are on sale. The snap on buttons does not comes off easily (regardless how much the clothes are wash). I had brought other brands of clothing as well but it does not last long.

With these Dr. Brown's Glass bottles, there are little to no concerns about BPA and other chemical regarding plastic bottles. These bottles are great and durable it does not break easily regardless of how many times it gets toss on the floor (would say these bottles are excellent because I thought these glass bottles appeared to be unbreakable, but one bottle out of the eight bottles that we have, had shattered when it had fell on the floor for the umpteenth time a few days ago). Does these bottles really reduced burping, spit ups, or gas that Dr. Brown's products promotes? It does help to reduce spit ups and gas. It is a hassle to wash all the compartments that come with these bottles so make sure you use the correct brushes to wash out the bottles and compartments unless you use a dish washer.

Worst brush to wash the Dr. Brown's bottles, Munkins. The brush creates a lot of soap studs, which splashes everywhere including self. The handle on the brush is too short and thick. It is hard to get it in and out of the glass bottle I have, always ended up stubbing a finger or two. The fact that this brush stands up on its own is great and does not need to find a place to put the brush. Nipple brush, I never used, and  it got rusty. The bristles on the brush could be softer.

Love links toys, toys that connect to each other and has multiple purpose is always excellent. It can help connect other toys with the links to hang down, and it rattles when connected to each other. It can be used individually. Lina<3 had these links since she was a newborn and still plays with them now.

Using a Vtech walker to assist in walking worked for Lina<3. I had read all the precautions and controversy about using walkers but decided to get one anyway. The Vtech walker's handle is a little big for my baby's little hands but she got use to it. Stay close to the baby when using the walker to walk as the baby will fall.

When it comes to picky eaters, be patient. It drives me crazy when my baby refuses to eat and the homemade food gets thrown out. Try different foods with seasonings (which sometimes works). I am trying store brought organic foods as well (which I never thought I would buy store brought foods but decided to) to see if my baby will eat it or not. However, her eating habits stays inconsistent. Try using different utensils, not just baby spoons/forks, use regular forks, spoons, and even chopsticks (if possible but be careful not to stab the baby).

Lina's<3 diaper rashes used to be pretty severe but now diaper rashes are rare. Using Triple Paste Medicated ointment for diaper rashes works wonders, it takes up about two days to clear up the redness and rash. Even when my baby does not have a diaper rash, I continue to use the ointment to prevent the diaper rashes from coming back.

I have been encouraging reading books since Lina<3 was a newborn. Her little library is continuing to grow. My baby can turn pages with some assistance and know which board books she likes best. When Lina<3 wants Mommy to read to her, she goes and pick up her favorite books ("All About Me" or "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?") and brings it to me. Lina<3 loves her board books even eats some of it, lol.

When it comes to playtime, I try to use that time to teach as well. Teaching through play is a great concept. Babies learn through play. I always use praises when my baby reach a new milestone, such as rolling over, clapping hands, walking, stacking blocks on top of another block because it tells her that she is doing well, and increases her self-esteem.

Sleeping training, should you do it? I did it with a lot of difficulty but with a routine and consistency, it worked. Is Lina<3 sleeping through the night? No, but she is sleeping better, at least 4-6 hours at a time at nighttime and naps 2-3 hours during the day. It is extremely hard to train Lina<3 to sleep especially on myself as a parent, because there was so much crying in the beginning. The crying lessens, and baby did fall asleep on her own eventually. As a new mother who was sleep deprived, it was excellent to watch my baby sleep better because it also meant sleep for me.

I believe I covered most of the helpful tips, at least what I can recall :)


Please be advised that these tips are from my own experiences and if there should be any concerns or questions regarding these tips, please speak to a professional.  

2012 End of the Year Tips: Part 1 - Eczema

This is the first annual End of the Year Tips. The 2012 End of the Year Tips is a three part series, so please stay tune :)

Lina <3 had symptoms of eczema since two to three months of age. It was bad in the beginning with a lot of redness; cracked and moist skin between the folds; a lot of scratching and itchiness; heat rashes; dry, scaly and patchy skin; and skin discoloration. It drove Lina's<3 Daddy and I crazy and we felt so helpless. However, Lina<3 eczema symptoms have decreased over the past few months and thus less severe.

These tips listed below might have some repetitions (to create more emphasis) and it may not be news to parents with a child(ren) with eczema:

The number one thing is: MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE and MOISTURIZE! Oh did I mention to moisturize. It is extremely important to keep the skin as moist as possible. If it means moisturizing every hour then do so, and trust me, every hour will become every two hours and then every three hours (I am currently moisturizing every 3-4 hours, which makes it about 4-5 times a day from the moment Lina<3 wakes up to bedtime. I always moisturize the skin with a warm damp cloth, and spritz of water from the spray bottle that I always keep next to the body lotions. After using a damp cloth, the lotions/creams/ointments/moisturizer comes next.

Must test different brands of lotions/creams/ointments/moisturizers to see which one works well. Keep in mind that each new brand of lotion must be tested on the arm for 30minutes for allergy reactions (the time limit is not limited to 30mintues and can wait longer if need to or want to and even overnight is fine as well because some allergy reactions take longer to break out).

Alba Un-petroleum Jelly--- a natural alternative to petroleum jelly. It is a great product. Great for Lina's <3 skin. Use it with the Cetaphil Restoraderm which is also works well with Lina<3. So it is wipe down with a damp cloth, Alba un-petroleum jelly then Cetaphil Restoraderm and another layer of Alba un-petroleum jelly (I find that the third layer traps more moisture in). Should put on moisturizers as soon as the skin is wet, which is the best way to trap the moisture.

For the scratching, when socks/mittens no longer works or when the baby is able to pull them off by self, then it is time to switch to the ScratchMeNot flip mittens.  The ScrathMeNot mittens are absolutely a must have. It works very well when the baby absolutely refuse to stop scratching, and when distractions does not work to stop the scratching. The ScratchMeNot mittens prevents little fingers from breaking the skin and causing the skin to bleed. The mittens are used mostly for bedtime, and as needed when scratching during the day becomes too much. I was worry that the ScratchMeNot mittens would limit Lina's<3 ability to use her hands, and set her back from reaching her milestones at an appropriate stage but it did not. Once Lina<3 got use to it, it was fine, she learned to pick up her toys with the mittens on.

Using a lot of moisturizers/creams/ointments/lotions, here's a trick: cut open the bottles when shaking does not bring out the last bit of moisturizers left in the of bottles. There's always an ounce or two left in the bottles. There are so much money spent on these products, might as well use it all, every last drop.

Should not bathe too often, especially in the winter time, it will only dry up the skin. Babies do not get dirty, a good wipe down will do (then moisturized). When bathing, use a bath thermometer to test the water and make sure it is not too hot or too cold. If baby scratches a lot while bathing, put the ScratchMeNot mittens on to prevent the scratching, do not worry, baby will get use to it and get back to playing with the bath toys.

Dress in natural fiber clothing, cotton is the best, I find. I like organic cotton. Babies should not wear unnatural fibers that does not allow the skin to breathe and can make the skin itchy. So be aware of the baby's clothing as it can affect the skin. Make sure clothing are not too tight on the skin and should be loose as it allows the skin to breathe properly.

Keep drooling babies dry. It may be hard but once drool lands on the skin and stays there, it may irritate the skin, and make symptoms of eczema worse.

At nighttime , use a humidifier in the winter as it will keep the air moist therefore keep baby skin moist and not get too dry. Lina<3 uses a cool mist humidifier.

Document all triggers and flares up to keep track of symptoms of eczema, know the best days and worse days for the scratching.

Also, parents breathe, breathe, and take a deep breath, when things does not seem to look up, or when the scratching or itchiness gets worst. There are brighter days to come.


Please be advised that these tips are from my own experiences and if there should be any concerns or questions regarding these tips, please speak to a professional. 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

The First Birthday Bash!!

Here’s a look back at my baby Lina’s<3 first birthday with pictures.
Three different days of celebrating, three different homemade cakes, four different outfits and all the people that love you- All fitting for my Princess Lina<3.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

How was everyone's Christmas?

It has been two days after Christmas day, how was everyone's Christmas? Please feel free to share your story with Lina<3 in the comment section below. 

Lina<3, you had a wonderful Christmas Eve and day. Woke up, had breakfast, open presents and playtime with new toy after ripping up the wrapping paper lol. Wore your Christmas pajamas and it was so adorable on you. After playing, had a snack, play again, lunch and then it was nap time. Before dinner, it was time to put your red dress. Christmas dinner was yummy, you actually ate your food. You like the white rice, the callaloo, turkey breast (turkey with no hormones or antibiotics), turkey stuffing (which you like a lot). For the time being, you are eating your food which is great, you even like the apple pie (just a little bit of it)! The best part was that there was no allergic reactions to anything due to the fact that all the foods that was prepared were not new foods, nor allergy prone.

Hope everyone's Christmas went smoothly for the those who have eczema and have allergies. 


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Breastfeeding after the First Year

Breastfeeding all the way:  is Mommy's motto since you been born. Lina<3, you love it and can not get enough of it.

You are now one (the first year went  by so fast) and Mommy is still breastfeeding. During the day, it is one to two times. At nighttime, it is two times. Of course, it does changes with your mood and your teething process (which makes you even more needy and want to be nurse).

The thing that I had learn so far is not to put a time limit on how you would nurse when nursing because the milk supply is low and sometimes I am uncertain about how much milk you are actually getting. During the day, nursing you is funny because you get so distracted so easily, and would unlatch quickly if you hear a noise or notice something next to you to play with. And it also means that you are not hungry and just wanted to play with Mommy's boobs. 

Nursing you now is much easier and less demanding. When you were a newborn, nursing is essential and demanding. Although I loved every moment of it, it can be tiring, exhausting, and painful.

I will continue to breastfeed for as long as Lina<3 needs.


Please comment if any suggestions about breastfeeding after the age of one or when to ween...

Winter Chill

It had been really frigid the last two days. Being outside yesterday, going back and forth from the car to the stores (running errands with Daddy and Mommy) has made your eczema flare up on your cheeks. It had not been this cold for this winter and when it is, we do not go outside much. This is the first time that the windiness and cold has affected your eczema. Your cheeks became bright red, blotchy and dry. The good thing was that it did not make you itchy. Mommy does not like to see your itchy and scratching. The redness and blotchy skin did not stay long, it slowly disappear today, with a lot of moisturizing.

Who knew that the winter chill would cause your eczema to flare up? well, now Mommy knows.



Please comment to share stories about what flares up your eczema or your child's eczema...

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Getting into the Christmas Spirit...

It is going to be a tough Christmas :) but as long as there is family, then everything will be great!

Can you believe it, Lina<3? It is your second Christmas coming up soon :) Times really do fly.

The books of choice for the holiday are: "'Twas the night before Christmas" and "The Nutcracker". These two books are favorites. Lina<3 likes it these two books on the  iTouch and enjoys turning the pages (with some help from Mommy). Majority of the time, Mommy reads it to you. And other times, those two iTouch books has an automatic "read to me" option.

It's five days before Christmas, Mommy is just starting to decorate the house. Yikes, but it is okay, I have your help with the paper decorations. More like running off with the papers that Mommy prepares, lol. Then crumples the paper, toss it around, step on it, and tries to eat it (before I caught you and stop you).


<---Paper Snowflake Instructions. Really easy to make once you learn it. Mommy have been making this for a couple of years now, and enjoys making it every year as well as hanging them up.

http://christmas.newarchaeology.com/make_paper_decorations.php







christmas tree star

<---The tutorial for the 3D paper star below. This is a new paper decoration that I discovered while searching for paper decorations to make for the holiday. It is easy once you get the hang of it, and uses less paper than the snowflake above.
http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/how-to-make-a-star.html













Picky Picky Eater...

It has been extremely hard to get you eat more than a few spoonful of your food. Mommy does not understand why my little Lina<3 does not eat well during your meals. The foods that you loved in the beginning (such as sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, and baby cereal), you do not want it any more. When you see the food in the bowl where Mommy is going to feed you from, you stare at it, then look at the spoon coming toward your mouth; once the spoon touches your close mouth and food touches your lips; you lick it (sometimes even smell it first) and taste to decide if you want to eat another spoon or not. Majority of the time, you shake your head, keep your mouth close except to make utterances towards something else you want which is usually not food. Mommy had been making your food since you started eating solids at six months old.  Now we are trying anything such as Gerber prepared foods, Earth's Best organic prepared foods, which you are tolerating a little bit and eat a little but it is not consistent. You are drinking all your soy milk and being nursed as needed. Besides different homemade foods, and store brought food, Mommy tried different utensil (different spoons, forks, chopsticks, plates, bowls and even using Mommy's fingers to put food in your mouth does not last more than a few bites) to try and entice you to eat more.

Difficult, difficult, difficult, that is what my little Lina<3 is. You are eating some things, and it is not like you are refusing all your food. The most important thing is that you are not losing weight and is not sick from anything :)  Will continue to eat more food, and try new foods soon, looking to try berries (strawberry, blueberries-let's hope that you are not allergic to the berries) and different types of proteins.




Please comment if there are any suggestions on how to improve Lina's<3 eating habits or different recipes to try. Thank you.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Telephone

The last two mornings, you had been on your phone for at least five minutes. You have a play telephone. During playtime, Mommy stays nearby so you can play (you do not play well by yourself without nearby me watching), and goes "ring ring ring" (as an indication to you that your telephone is ringing) and you look for it inside your toy box. Once you see it and pick it up to play. You hold it to your ear (well as close to your ear as possible, which is on your shoulder) as if you are answering the telephone :) It is so cute. At first you would listen to the telephone, then Mommy goes "hello", you make utterances/babbles onto the telephone, then you would walk back and forth with the telephone. While on the telephone, you would scream, talk really loud, get quiet, and go back to babbling a lot. Sometimes you would throw your free arm (that's not holding the telephone) up in the air, as if you are having an argument with someone, lol. This goes on for about five minutes and you do it a few times throughout the morning. It is so interesting and funny to watch you have a whole conversation with yourself on the telephone.

It is interesting that you understand the concept of the telephone as no one in this household uses the conventional land lie telephones (which is what your play telephones looks like...the picture below is what your telephones looks like, except it is purple and the other telephone is yellow).



Daddy and I taught you to "answer" your telephone by holding it up to your ear and saying "hello" as well as holding it up to our ears. It took several days of practicing before you held it up to your ears (or shoulder, lol) on your own. You are imitating Daddy and I :)

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

In The News: Reflecting on the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in CT.

Reflecting on this, about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre makes me speechless.


For those who have not been watching the news, click on the site below to stay updated
http://www.cbsnews.com/crimesider/?keyword=sandy+hook+elementary&tag=contentMain;contentBody

There are still wonders as to why anyone would do something so horrific to children. Children are so precious, and this event makes them even more precious. As we continued to hug, kiss and love our child, we grieved for those who lost their child in this massacre. As a parents, we send our child to school, knowing that they are safe and in a good environment. No one could imagine that this would happen.

The website below may help in talking with the children about this horrific event. 
http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/talking.html

For those under the age of 2years old, this website below may help how to understand the news
http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/agebyage_1.html

Our deepest condolence goes out to those who lost love ones and are affected by this.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Temper Tantrum...

...yes, Lina<3, I believe that you are starting to have temper tantrums for a at least for more than a couple of months already. At first, it was just protest when Mommy told you no to opening the doors to the kitchen cabinets, and to picking up the floor mats; where you would babble your discontent with me with utterances, shaking your head to me and sit down firmly from a standing position and would not move at all from the kitchen or the mat. Now it seemed to be a full blown temper tantrum, crying hysterically (sometimes for a short time, and others for a longer period of time), face get beet red, tears starts to stream down your cheeks, shaking head "no" continuously, body gets tense, arms waving in the arm in dislike of what I am saying, and very loud (sometime screaming) utterances that seemed to be your way of arguing with me. You would have a short temper when it comes to Daddy or I disrupts your playtime, what you are doing, tells you that you can not have something (such as cellphones, the electronics stuffs), tells you not to eat paper or put your books in your mouth, and when you are pulling the fabric on the couch pillows. When you get a temper tantrum, it shows how frustrated you are and upset you get. It is hard to calm you down, talk to you, and to distract you unless Daddy or I pick up and bring you to a different area that fantasizes you.

Mommy wonders where you get your short temper from. From Mommy...hmmm I do not think so, well...maybe. From Daddy...who thinks that he does not get angry or have a temper at all...

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Milestones...


My baby is One Years Old! WOW  Let’s examine all that you accomplish before turning the big O-N-E.

The chart below is from Babycenter:  with my comments in red
Child's Age
Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
8 months Says "mama" or "dada" to parents (isn't specific) (dada came first then Mummaa)
Passes objects from hand to hand (what is in one hands goes in another, can hold multiple items in one hand, and hold multiple things in the other hands as well or at least figure it out how to)
Searches for hidden objects (search frantically for things that are hidden until you find it, or Mommy gestures where it is when you start to look frustrated and can not find it) Pulls self to standing, cruises (did it before turning seven months old)
Picks things up with thumb-finger pincer grasp (a lot of practice with finger food, Mommy showing you)
Indicates wants with gestures (makes a lot of uh uh sounds, hands extended toward something)
9 months Stands while holding onto something (stands perfectly from sitting position to standing by self with no support, and with a toy in your hands, and a big smile)
Jabbers or combines syllables (lots of babbling but does not understand what you are saying, lol)
Understands object permanence (yes, even when duck is not in your sight, I asked “where’s duck?” you look for duck even if sometimes you do not find it, you know that duck is somewhere in existence)
Cruises while holding onto furniture (did since at eight months old, it is fun watching you cruise along the furniture, at first it was slow going but once you got the handle on it, you like doing it a lot)
Drinks from a sippy cup (for a long time, you had been drinking from a sippy cup, mostly water in it)
Eats with fingers (even feeds Mommy and Daddy)
Bangs objects together (loves to bangs your toys together and bangs toys on table and floors too, it is so noisy, but I can see how happy it makes you)
Plays  peek-a-boo (loves to do this, pulls covers over herself and pokes head out with a big smile)
Says "mama" or "dada" to the correct parent (one months later)
10 months Waves goodbye (and hello/hi, says hi)
Crawls well, with belly off the ground (yes and crawls very fast, in a blink of an eye, you’ll be at the other side of room)

Stands alone for a couple of seconds (stands longer than that in a wide stands) Puts objects into a container (yes but not too often, rather pulls things out and fling them out of the toy box, lol)
11 months

Cruises (yes, does it very well, start walking at 10 months and officially walking before 12months)
Understands "no" and simple instructions (understands “no” for a while now, or at least when you want to, understands shaking head of “no”, and simple instructions such as look, hug, kiss, come here, up up) Says one word besides "mama" or "dada" (says duck, hi, bear more often for weeks now, says other words as well but not too often)
Stoops from standing position (stoops for weeks now and picks up toys, and back up with the toys to standing; even squats very well, and stays in a squatting position before getting up to standing position)
12 months Imitates others' activities (imitates brushing hair with comb or brush on self and on Mommy: answering the phone and hold it up to your ears or Daddy’s or Mommy’s; if you see Mommy put my head down for a few seconds, you would do the same thing; imitates chewing motions from Mommy; imitates putting things on head when we put toy on your head; imitates sticking out your tongue in front of mirror;
Indicates wants with gestures (points to what you want, sometimes it is not always in right direction)
Takes a few steps (walking! officially)

Clapping hands :)
Walks alone (yes and sometimes with toys in your hands)
Scribbles with a crayon
(pen)

Says two words besides "mama" or "dada" (says duck, hi, bear more often for weeks now, says other words as well but not too often)
The following chart below, you had accomplished it ahead of schedule than listed.
13
months

Bends over and picks up an object (for weeks now :) picks up things very well, good precision)
Enjoys gazing at his reflection (for a weeks now, loves to look at yourself
Holds out arm or leg to help you dress him (not very coordinate but does hold arms up when I pull off shirt, and sometimes when you want to extends legs out for your pants)

Rolls a ball back and forth (trying to get the concept of rolling the ball, just got you to catch the ball it rolls to you since summer time)
14 months
Empties containers of contents (yes, does it well, sometimes it is all you want to do)
Imitates others (yes, imitates noises, putting things on head, brushing hair, putting head down to lie down, using a fork, reading a book or newspaper)
Toddles well (walking, unsteady and falls mostly on hands and gets back up, sometimes falls on butt, but not often)
Initiates games (plays a game that you invent when you are in your crib and Mommy nearby, you would stick out one hand or foot out of crib through the rails and wait for me to touch your hand or foot, sometimes I miss because you take away your hand or foot too fast, sometimes you would come closer to me, or farther away from me, making it harder for me to touch your hand or foot) (also like to initiates piggy back rides and peek a boo)
Points to one body part when asked (points to head, when I said head)
Responds to instructions (e.g., "give me a kiss") (hmm, I say kiss, you know it means kiss, and I say hug, you hug, I say open, she opens her toy house’s door, does these count?)


Pushes and pulls toys while walking (pushes her walker when walking but does not pulls when walking yet)
16 months Turns the pages of a book (your favorite thing to do during story time to board books and pretends to read by self sometimes)
Has temper tantrums when frustrated (for a few weeks now, is that normal, temper tantrums includes stopping what you are doing, cries out loud, tears, eyes get tight, face gets red; hard to redirect you unless we pick you up and distract you, otherwise it is hard to settle you down)
Becomes attached to a soft toy or other object (in your play area, it it your duck; in your crib, it is your bear; other times it will always be your socks, you are obsessed with your socks since seven months old)
Discovers the joy of climbing (unfortunately yes, and very nerve wrecking especially on the stairs, climbs pillow mountain, Mommy or Daddy
Stacks three blocks (can stack blocks two blocks so far)
Learns the correct way to use common objects (e.g., the telephone) (learning to use concept of your toy telephone, light switch, doors, socks, shoes, and hair brush)

Gets finicky about food (since eight months, had been picky about what you eat, choosing what you want to eat )
Switches from two naps to one (have not officially switched to one nap yet, but sometimes it just happens that way depending what time you wake in the mornings
17 months Dances to music (loves to dance to music for a long time now, would bounce body up and down, shake head now; does it standing, or sitting down, or in a squatting position)

Very Good Eveing

Lina<3, you had a very good evening yesterday, just before bedtime and after dinnertime. You were so playful, smiling, giggling, laughing, and screaming. After dinner, it was time to play with Daddy and I in the living room.  We had not had an non fussy evening in a few days. You were chased by Daddy, your toy dog (that Daddy held and chase you with it) and Mommy. You crawled so fast when being chase, and sometimes you like to be chase when you are walking. Climbed on Mommy then on Daddy, then on your toys, well more like sit on top of your stuff animals, duck and dog, lol. At times, you played by yourself with your toys, others, you just want to walk from one side of room to other side and back.
It is nice when all of us are together-Lina<3, Daddy and Mommy. We usually do this every evening after dinner. 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Hugs and Kisses

Yes Lina<3 you give hugs and kisses.
It is so nice when you wake up in a very good mood, I come into your room to get you up and say good morning to you, you smile, laugh, and comes over to me and gives me a kiss (without having to ask and sometimes beg for one) and a big hug. Some mornings I get one kiss, others you'll give three kisses on Mommy's lips (on a very good morning and it is the most kisses I gotten from you at one time) and there are times when there's no kisses at all in the morning time (just crying and screaming). Each time we kiss, Mommy always says "kiss" so that you can understand the word, and what we are doing. There are times when Mommy asked for a kiss, you just give me your cheeks or your forehead, lol. At times, it seems like asking for a kiss become begging for a kiss, when you would not come over for a kiss, or kiss Mommy when I come to you for a kiss, and you look at Mommy like "you are crazy" (you absolutely refuse to give a kiss, or receive one). There are days when I get more kisses throughout the day, and other days there will be the bare minimum, lol
Hugs are sometimes what I get instead of a kiss, just your little arms wrap around my body, it is so cute, and then you bury your face into my chest, and hold onto Mommy really tight. It is funny when you let go of me, you would push me away. I come back for another hug, you just continue to push me away, as if it has became a little game of ours.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

A Note to Our Supporters...

Hello everyone,

I apologize for not having kept up with the daily posts but continue to support Lina<3. Lina<3 is doing well and had been doing a lot of things to keep Mommy very busy for the past few weeks. So please bare with me (in the coming week) as I will updating as to what has been happening from the last of first holidays, black Friday, daily activities, milestones, and the first birthday. There will be pictures as well.

Stay tuned...Thank you for supporting Lina<3 and hope that it will continue as Lina<3 journeys through the following year.

Lina's<3 Mommy