End of the Year Updates

Did you know that Louna missed 3 days of school because she had chicken pox? Nope? That means you need to be updated. The girls are growing up too fast. I hardly get a chance to update this blog: Primo, because I don't want to miss on their education. Segundo, because these girls demand a lot of time and attention from their Mom.

So on with the updates. Kyla, luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you see it) wasn't contaminated with the chicken pox virus. Strong little girl. To think that we didn't take any effort to separate the two. Better luck next time.

Louna, on the other hand wasn't really disturbed by the virus. She had the same appetite and energy. I just hope there'll be no scars especially on her face, because this girl's not listening to her Mom. She just can't stop herself from scratching!

On with the developments. Kyla, at 1 year and 3 months old hasn't taken her first step yet. She prefers to walk with somebody than pushing a toy stroller or pushcarts alone. Hmmm. But she's got talents tho. She can eat her yoghurt on her own. In fact, she wants to eat on her own now.

Louna's development now is more on learning letters and numbers. She's got a lot of smileys from school which kind of motivate her. But that talent is rarely shown at home. She prefers to play teacher at home, she's giving me smileys too!

She's quite active tho on extra-curricular activities which is good in learning to respect others and how to connect with other kids.

Louna doing rock climbing (okay, she's too slow! but she's the youngest among the group and she's the only girl too).

Louna doing roller blades.

She knows how to take care of her sister too (when she's in the mood, of course). Look at them playing with the snow.

Merry Christmas!!

Will She Walk Before Christmas?

Kyla, the lazy walker. We have been trying to introduce different push-carts, toy strollers, mini-buses, toy trolleys, walker, name it.. none of those motivated her to take that first step without whining. This morning, I dealt the problem with a lot of patience... and look at the result! Kyla pushing her stroller! With a smile at that!

If she doesn't walk on her own before Christmas, I'm not the impatient kind of Mom, I could still wait till our Philippine vacation next Feb.

Kyla, no stress girly ;)

Louna est Amoureuse!

Louna is inlove! She's been talking about one boy. Only one boy. Everyday. His name is Adam.

One day, she asked me to fix her hair. She told me that Adam would surely say "Oh ma princesse. T'es belle!" (Oh my princess. You're beautiful.) And true enough, Adam was looking at her when we arrived at school that morning.

She's been refusing to use her green coat. The reason? Adam told her that her coat wasn’t pretty.

I asked her to write names of other kids at school. You now know the answer. The only name she knows by heart apart her name is: Adam!

She hates Leo, Joshua… and all other kids who play with Adam.

I think it's too early to be inloved. But kids are kids. Let them be!

But Louna is quite advanced in this topic. She starts to teach her adolescent cousins the art of kissing. According to her, a kiss on the cheek is a friend's kiss. A kiss on the lips is a parents' kiss. A kiss on the lips with the head a bit tilted is a lover's kiss. My, I think she has to stop watching Disney Princess stories!

Louna's First Official Run

It's Kyla's 1st Birthday!

It's Papa's Birthday!

And look at what the girls prepared for their Papa...

She's Crawling!

And oh, the lady behind just woke up. So please don't mind her, lol.

Check out Louna's first crawl here. She crawled when she was 10 months old, just like Kyla! Aren't they tracing the same developmental curves?

Summer Activities, Updates and More

The problem about leaving on vacation is that I get loads of laundries to wash, tons of pictures to upload and lots of stories to tell that I don't even know where to start. To make my life simpler, I'd start off with non-vacation-related stuffs and these pictures from our vacation. Let the pictures speak for themselves.

First off, Louna's out to the pool the whole day with the other kids at the center. Yes, she's enrolled at the community center's summer activities. This would allow her to be in contact with other kids and to avoid getting bored at home. This week's theme is around Pocahontas so more on water activities like swimming and fishing. Next week, the group will camp in a small village 15km out of Dijon. Their main activity would be to visit the village and the countryside riding a poney. Ain't that great? That would be Louna's first time experience to camp with other kids so I'm quite impatient to get her feedback and at the same time worried about mommy-exclusive-anxieties, lol.

Louna's been quite active on different activities like babygym and music classes last semester and I find it really rewarding not only to her development, but also on her relationships with other people, respect of rules, etc.

She's also gaining a lot of independence like dressing herself up, setting the table and washing the dishes (it's her new game now!) that I hope it would continue and she grows up as a fine woman in the future.

All that sounds perfect, ain't it? Not quite. The big girl's not that interested on school activities yet but got some talents nevertheless. She could now write her name and could copy quite a lot of letters pretty well.

Back to negative vibes, she's also fond of sequestering all toys of Kyla (which are by the way her old toys!) and is capable to close the door of her playhouse to avoid her sister from entering. Poor little sister!

The little sister on the other hand is growing remarkably well and is now just a light year away from removing her bib for forever. (well, I hope!). Her vomiting is reduced to almost the minimum level so I'm really happy to take pictures of her sans the bib.

She's now extending her arms ready to crawl but the first 'real' crawl is still much awaited. The girl moves though, by turning and pushing backwards while sitting down. She now knows how to clap her tiny hands, to wave goodbye and to play hide-and-seek by hiding behind her eyes with her hands (left picture). Well, as much as she could, of course.

She's sending signs of wanting to stand lately. So the eager mom asked papa to check the storeroom for the walker and the toy car. Well, I think she'll need more time to understand how the walker works. The toy car seems to have more success but I'm afraid she'll just bump her head on the floor.

So that more or less completes the summer update. I think I just heard myself promising to myself to update more often. Okidoki. I heard myself!

Bonne Fête Papa!

This is a late post, of course. But it's better late than later, lol.

Kids Say the Darnest and the Sweetest Things

Louna regardant tendrement sa sœur prendre son bain a dit Ah ma petite princesse.
***
Un après midi, en voyant le voisin qu'elle appelle Papy, elle m'a demandé Pourquoi Papy a une tête cassée? Mais pourquoi tu dis ça? Mais pourquoi il a des cheveux là et là (en montrant les 2 côtés du crâne) et pas là (le haut de la tête)?

Oppps.. fait attention Papa, bientôt Louna va s'inquieter aussi pour toi.
***
Comme la coquine est un peu trop gourmande, on essaye de contrôler ce qu'elle mange. Un soir, son Papa lui a interdit de manger beaucoup de gateau. Et quand son Papa est sorti de table, elle m'a dit Maman, fait plaisir à Louna, quand même. Tu me donnes un peu de gateau. Bon ben, comment je fais? Tu peux résister à ça, toi?
***
Quand elle joue aux personnages:
Maman, c'est la reine.
Kyla, c'est la princesse Cinderella.
Louna, c'est Arielle (la petite sirène).
Papa, c'est le sorcier.

MDR!!!

Fête de l'Ecole

My family would never miss a special occasion such as this. *Childhood memories rushing down memory lane now*. End of school ceremonies had always been something special. It's the time when kids are dressed beautifully, when children dance and sing and when all their work is being paid off. In the Philippines, students who do well at school are awarded with medals and certificates. And of course, Maman had always been the best in her class that is to motivate you girls, and to boot, your cousin Nikki has just been classified as a gifted child.

And since you're all far from us, here's presenting you Louna dancing the Greek goddess ;)

Another Star is Born

And who says my scrapbooking career is over? It was just on standby mode. Gear yourself for more fun pictures ;).

Mom, I blew up the kids!

It’s been over a month now since I updated the blog and I feel a bit guilty for not taking the time to chronicle each tricks and milestones as they arrive. So to recap this month’s progress...

Louna’s been excelling on her speech development. She’s been talking a lot using correct grammar, a rich vocabulary and sweet phrase constructions which surprise me each day. Just a second ago, she told me while showing her book ça, c'est mon livre adoré (this is a book that I adore). She could have contented herself by telling me that it's her book but adding the word adoré made the sentence extra special.

She's singing quite a lot too. Not with the correct phrases but it's sweet nevertheless. Hear her sing here:

Kyla on the other hand is not really gaining a lot of weight, hardly going over 8kg at 8 months old. So I thought giving her spinach instead of her toes could solve the problem but no dice. Not a gram more.

Kyla had been learning a lot of skills tho despite her regurgitation problems. She now knows how to sit on her own, to roll over and to hold her bottle. She’s been babbling tatata, bababa, mamama and papapa most of her waking hours. She also plays with different sounds and since her sister shouts a lot, she could sure imitate her sister no problem.
Since the girls are growing up too fast and the little girl in me had been wanting a playhouse, the whole family engaged in an ambitious project - a playhouse.

It all started with this layout:

Sorry, I don't know what this picture has but I can't turn it!

Then off we worked.

PS: It’s Mother’s Day today in this part of the globe and aside from the handmade picture frame Louna prepared for me at school, she also recited a nice poem for me. Watch out:

Translation: Knock, knock, knock, Is it the sound of rain on the floor?
Knock, knock, knock, Is it the horse running?
It's nothing at all.
It's my little heart Mom.
Happy Mother's Day!

Ain’t it nice to be a Mom?

Ainsi Font

Today's Weather Report

Check out Louna's version here.

A Four-Front-Teeth Smile

Il Fait Déjà Noir, Maman.

Translation: It's already dark, Mommy.
Louna's notion of darkness is always associated with a particular task like:

Eating Time

One night, the meal was already prepared and while waiting for Papa to arrive, she asked me:

Louna: Il est où Papa, Maman? (Where is Papa, Maman?)
Me: Il est encore au boulot. (He's still at work.)
Louna: Mais. Il fait déjà noir. Il faut manger! (But. It's already dark. We have to eat!)

Bed Time

I always try to prepare Louna "psychologically" when I ask a certain task. That cuts down negociation time considerably. So around 30 minutes before bed time, I already tell here that it's soon time to go upstairs and go to bed.

This evening, at 8:30pm, I told her the routine Il est bientôt l'heure de se coucher (It's soon time to go to bed). She immediately looked outside and told me: Mais. Il fait pas encore noir? (But. It's not yet dark?)...

So how will we force her to go to bed on summer time? When daylight stretches up to 10pm?

School, on the other hand has taught her a lot of things. She's got better command of words. She expresses herself no problem. She even has this method of talking to us like a teacher, honestly!

Yesterday, after putting Kyla on her favorite swing (My, she loves it!), Louna pulled my hand and asked me to "play'. Seeing her Papa run on a regular basis made her think that running is a game.

So run I did.

*Catching my breath* Darn. This little girl will never stop. Strategy, strategy..

I told her: Louna, ça y est! Maman est fatiguée. (Louna, Maman is tired. Let's stop).

Louna, looking at her Dora watch while running: Pas encore Maman, encore 1 km! (Not yet Mom, another 1 km)

What? This little kid is tiring me. Strategy, strategy...

*Ding - lightbulb open* I ran after her and tried to touch her butt. She suddenly stopped and looked at me intently:

Mais arrête Maman. Je t'explique. Il faut pas toucher les fesses. Sinon, elles vont sentir mauvais, tes mains. (Stop Mom! Listen to me. You shouldn't touch my butt. If so, your hands will smell bad!). Ngek!

Well, Louna has become a great help at home (well, when she's in the mood). She cleans the floor when Kyla regurgitates (yes, her vomitting could go that far!), she sets the table, she searches diapers, my pullover, Kyla's toys, etc.

This evening, she tried to help me peel potatoes. Look at it after Louna's intervention (right side). Errrr. Not that much left. But well, at least there were no more skin!

It's the gesture that counts dear. Lol.

Weight Gain Problem

It must be in our genes. My Mom told me that I never gained weight when I was the age of Kyla (until now actually). I still remember how me, my sisters and my Mom would exchange tips on how to gain weight. And the scenario's the same when my Mom meets her sisters.

Now, on to Kyla. The transition between breastmilk and formula has not been that fluid, me thinks. Kyla's weight should follow the same curve but visibly, it started to shift starting December to January - taking but a mere 200g/month for a normal 600g/month weight gain for her age. The major changes at that period are none other than - Kyla's switch to formula and me getting back to work. Poor lil girl.
She already underwent some examinations like x-ray and allergy test but those tests revealed nothing. The prescribed medicines didn't improve anything either. Her pediatrician started to worry that he prescribed Kyla a two-page diet to be followed religiously in the next three months. On the menu are some spoons of meat and fish, a scoop of butter here and there, 2 servings of yoghurts for each meal, illimited doses of fresh fruits and vegetables, boudoirs, etc.

Now Kyla, if you don't exceed that 200g weight gain mark on your 7th month visit, can we just consider that we have the same genes and that you could eat whatever you want, regardless of sugar and fat quantity in it? And all your life, all your friends would ask your secret on how to keep a svelte figure and you would answer exactly the same as Maman? - That is, you eat a lot to maintain your weight. Deal?

Max

I always wondered where Louna got her toys' names. She calls her Barbie Jeanne. She calls her dog Max.

Last night, we were watching The Little Mermaid for the nth time, and there, I finally knew where she got Max.

6th Month

Wonder what a 6 months old kiddo could do? This! Wohooo! Taking into account that Louna did it at 5 months old, we could only blame but the weather and Kyla and her covered feet.

Semi-Marathon Nuit-St Georges

Who could beat this? A 3-year old doing the 21-km run in Nuit-St Georges!

You didn't believe me, did you? You haven't called any association on child protection, I hope? Lol. Louna joined her Papa at the start and at the end of the marathon. The announcers and spectators were in awe!

Kyla, 5 Months Picture Update

I could hold my head upright. It's not really my favorite position but Maman said I need some exercise.

I could now grab and hold my toys. No trick!

I tried spinach but visibly, that was a messy experience.

I prefer this piece of bread they call boudoir. My two front teeth are in action each time I have one. I could finish a boudoir in one shot.

No, I'm not scratching my ears. I'm giving a call to Mamie and Papy.

Belat. Lol. Just showing that my toungue is clean and I finished the boudoir up to bits.

This thing calms me. It accompanies me to bed. It wipes my tears. And it soothes my toothache whenever I need it.

No, this isn't a jacuzzi. This is an improvised bathtub in Mamie's place. Louna used it. Now it's my turn.

I'm a confirmed traveller. I could stay in a car for 4 hours without a fuss. I just need a boudoir, some toys and Maman beside me.

PS: Here's a bonus. I sleep through the night no problem. Meaning I could sleep 10 hours at a stretch. My schedule is 9pm to 7-8am, non stop. But I'm already in bed at 7pm. My Maman just wakes me up at 9pm to give me the bottle (she says it's important since I don't gain weight), then I continue in my dreams till 7-8am. My first bottle is at 9am and since I wake up early, I just play and babble paaa and baaa while waiting for breakfast.

Ah, baby life is such an adventure. More of me next time ;).

5 Months 2 Weeks Old

I Need a Teether!

My little Kyla lost her lovely smile..
to this...
look closer - she's got two teeth!
.. and I thought I still have time to buy chamomilla vulgaris from the pharmacie. I had been touching her gums since last week. The Mommy in me felt that those tiny teeth are on their way but didn't expect that it would be this soon and not two teeth at a time. This evening, at exactly 5 months, 1 week and 2 days old, the tiny teeth surprised me. The little girl's ok - no fuss. We were obliged to pinch her so she'd cry and open her mouth. I took the pictures right away. Bad parents.

On other developments, she starts to have a good control of her hands - she grabs everything infront of her. She particularly loves papers which she puts directly in her mouth. She still regurgitates a lot inspite of the medicines prescribed by the doctor. As they say, if symptoms persist, insult consult your doctor. So this Friday, Kyla has another appointment with her pediatrician. I hope he'll give us something more effective - changing Kyla's shirts and bibs all the time to keep her dry starts to be real tiring. Add to that the fact that Kyla smells like a stinky milk after a day. But well, I start to love that smell anyway.

Kyla's Forced Laughter

One of the favorite moments of Kyla is diaper-changing time. It's during this particular time when she wiggles and giggles. If she thinks I'll forget the smell of her diapers because of that, she's surely right. I love this moment!

The Little Frenchy Sings ABC en Anglais

Louna was trying to catch my attention while I was changing Kyla's diaper. She wanted me to take a video of her too. She too has talents. Which I don't doubt even a second. Aside from ABC, she also knows how to count 1 to 10, in English and in French. She starts to master the different colors and shapes too.

What she likes doing right now is to read her books. After I tuck her to bed, I often hear her talk alone in her bed. That started to annoy me since she needs to wake up early the next day. Last night, I approached her room discretely and what did I hear? Louna reading her I'm a Big Sister book with her own version of the story. Of course.

Patay na Kuko

Louna approached me this morning and told me while showing her toenail Mon pied est mort Maman.

Translation: My foot is dead Maman (but I think she meant toenail because she's pointing on it).

I'm just wondering how she knew the word mort (dead) and how she interprets it.

Louna Writes, Kyla Laughs

Louna. She's 3 years and 2 months old but look at how she writes her name! But hey, don't be fooled, she's just tracing the lines I wrote which formed her name. But that ain't bad for a 3 year old, right? I could be proud!

Kyla. 4 months old. Errr, I'm playing stage mom. I joined her picture in Kiabi casting so if you have time and you think she deserves to be on the billboards, go vote! Here's a sample of Kyla, the star ;)
But before that, hear her laugh on this video.. Enjoy!

And before I leave you, here's a funny picture of the two girls sleeping. Real sisters, aren't they? They've got the same style!

Kyla 3 Months 3 Weeks Old

I'm a lazy blogger mom. My mom asked me to update the blog so my family could see how beautifully this little girl grew up. She reminded me how regularly I updated the blog at Louna's time and how happy Kyla would be when she's older and could read what I've written for her. Oo nga naman.

So. She still has plenty of hair. This little princess laughs when somebody talks to her. She's eager to communicate. She tries to lift her head when laid on her back, to grab and hold toys infront of her and to suck her fingers. She still regurgitates quite a lot and often cries after feeding. The medecines she took didn't do her any good so her pediatrician asked us to undergo xray examinations on her stomach in the next week. I hope it's just nothing. She had her second set of vaccin shots. At 3.5 months, she weighed 6 kg and measured 66 cm. Big girl!

She's now taking 4 bottles of 210ml a day and sleeps longer hours at night. She could stay from 9pm to 9am now but still irregular. If I want to have uninterrupted nights, I need to give her the last bottle later in the evening, like 9 to 11pm.

Well, aside from frequent regurgitations, this little girl grows up wonderfully. Never been sick since birth. Smiles when she wakes up. Wets and soils her diapers regularly (oh yes, even that could mean happiness to parents!).

T'es sûre, il va pas revenir?

Louna's fascination to Père Noël (Santa Claus) is so innocently sweet but is tainted with a bit of fear and doubt. Each time she sees Santa Claus hanging on windows and roofs, she gets excited and would sing:

Last Christmas, Papa decided to disguise as Santa Claus so Louna could continue with her fascination to the Père Noël story. She was pretty surprised when she saw Santa knocking on the window. Her first reaction was to sing Petit Papa Noël (see video) but when she realized that Santa was the real one, she started to sing in a low voice and move backwards. Gift distribution was fun and ended without Louna crying. She had what she asked for - a blue plane in a blue gift. She hesitantly approached Santa though, and was even more hesitant to give him a kiss.

After Santa's gift giving, during our Christmas lunch, we again asked her to sing Petit Papa Noël. But before singing, she asked me: T'es sûre, il va pas revenir? (Are you sure, he won't come back?). Lol, she was happy to see Santa in person but she preferred not to see him again.

Last night, she told her Papa: En fait, le Père Noël chez Tatate, c'est Papa (In fact, Santa Claus in Auntie's place was Papa) - with an air of confirmation. Oh, that little brain starts to analyse things. Do you think she now knows the secret of Santa Claus?