The Girls' 2010 Encounter with Santa

Louna's 5th Birthday

Louna had been talking about her birthday since... well, I can't even remember. Since long time ago, for sure. She had been warning us to be kind to her so we could be on the list of her invitees. She had been dreaming about celebrating her birthday at Mc Donalds but unfortunately, we were not able to reserve the date chosen. We held her birthday at Jungle Kid instead, and not to my surprise, to all the kids' delight! The pictures say it all!

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PS: Louna's birthday is on November 8 but we held an advanced celebration as I'll be out on a business trip on that day.

Kyla's First Run

It was a sunny October afternoon. The whole family were bound to Dole for Papa's 10-km run and Louna's fun run. But during the registration, Papa learned that kids born on 2008 are allowed to run.. so I guess you follow the story. Now, here's the evidence. Have fun!

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Philippine Getaway 2010

It was winter vacation at Louna’s school but we had better plans than battling the freezing cold here in France. The whole family geared off with summer outfits and off we went to the Philippines!

Kyla’s Christening

When my mother-inlaw asked how many visitors we will have on Kyla’s baptism. I told her “100 minimum”. She didn’t budge to react, I think it’s not because she didn’t care but simply because she was shocked! For Louna’s baptism, we did it the traditional way here in France. We were a total of 12 persons around the table. Exclusive to family members only (Louna’s godmother is her cousin). No extended family. No friends. No neighbors. No friends of the friends of our neighbors.

For Kyla’s baptism, it was rock-n-roll! We live in a small barrio and everybody knows each other (we didn’t officially invite tho because the number could grow exponentially!), my parents are retired teachers but they stay in contact with their friends, our family alone (mother and father side) represents more than a hundred already, multiply that by 2 if they’re all present! And 3 if all relatives living abroad go home to the Philippines!

Enough with the numbers but I’d like to insist that it’s simply impossible to plan for a “small” banquet. It’s just simply not possible. Party preparation is part of the fiesta though. As usual, my aunties and cousins were there to help prepare whatever there is to prepare. Most of the time, it ends up with a lot of reminiscing, a lot of laughter and a lot of bonding time with the family. That’s part of the Philippine culture I terribly miss.

So on with the fiesta. Kyla was feisty during the celebration because she was tired, it was hot, and we waited too long before the celebration started. Pictures were quite impossible to take. She was knocked off on our way home. But once awake, she loved switching from one arm to another. She never saw as much willing nannies, ready to cuddle and carry her day in and day out as in the Philippines! No wonder, she didn’t learn to walk there, she just needed to raise her arms and she’s carried!

Louna on the other hand had a blast. She played with her cousin, uncles and aunties. The language barrier didn’t seem to disturb her. The Christening celebration became a kiddy party of some sort since I wanted Louna to experience partying Filipino style.

Rural Life

Though Dijon couldn’t be considered a big city, it’s far from being rural either. And I personally prefer that my kids play outside than playing with their Nintendos inside their room. Louna fortunately shares the same point of view. She loved staying outside (we even took our meals outside! Under our caïmito tree!), picking bananas, mangoes and caïmitos direct from the tree every morning, living life without the stress of our daily routine.

Beach Lovers

White sand + Sun + Clear water + Isolated island = Paradise. Potipot island is just 10-15 minutes boat ride from the mainland. The girls loved the getaway. They forgot about their jetlag!

Louna's First Official Run

It's Kyla's 1st Birthday!

Bonne Fête Papa!

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

A Smile A Day Keeps Worries Away

Louna’s Baby Sister Is Here !

The long wait is over. Kyla finally decided to join us on the 22nd of September, 2008. She weighs 3.7 kg and measures 54 cm. Yes, as big as Louna, just 200 grams lighter. She’s being breastfed so she requires Maman’s presence almost every 2-3 hours. She had been monopolizing our time since we went home last Saturday but she’s more cooperative today, allowing us to do other chores than taking care of her. She’s currently sleeping so I have the time to gather my scattered thoughts and put them into writing.

Kyla’s Birth Story

We had a short walk around the park the day before. Louna was with her bike and I jokingly told her that at the speed she’s taking, it will never induce my labor. Then arriving at home, I helped L to fix our wallpaper. It was on purpose to induce labor naturally.

At 6:30 am the next day, I woke up with an excruciating, almost unbearable pain. I woke up L and told him that this must be it. We counted the regular contractions and in less than 10 minutes, we knew it was D Day. He hurriedly took his shower and busied himself preparing the remaining necessary stuffs to bring at the maternity clinic. I took my shower during that time, with a lot of difficulty of course.

At 7 am, Louna was already awake. We took our breakfast together and explained her that she will take her lunch at school and stay there the whole day. The school nursery opens at 7:30 am so a few minutes after that, Louna was already at school. It was the nanny who fetched her from school that day. She then stayed at the nanny’s place for the night.

We arrived at the maternity clinic at exactly 8 am. I was hurriedly examined and surprise! I was already 10 cm dilated. I was then transferred immediately at the delivery room. They asked me if I still wanted the epidural but since I was already 10 cm dilated and I knew that actual giving birth is nothing compared to contraction pains, I finally declined that option. I chose the side-lying position as I was too tired and too much in pain to try the semi-sitting position. Well, at least that was what I felt during that particular time.

At 8:40 am, my water bag was pierced. I pushed at each contraction and I could actually feel the baby coming. There was a little pause once the head was out since the umbilical cord was around her neck. The OB cut it at once and the delivery proceeded normally afterwards. I was even the one who took her out completely from my womb, taking her out and putting her on my chest. Isn’t that lovely?

At exactly 9:15 am, Kyla was already out and I didn’t suffer from episiotomy. Talking about fast and effective delivery!

A Delivery That Was Almost Perfect

Minutes after delivery, after they cleaned and examined Kyla, they brought her back to us so I could start breastfeeding. But the little girl wasn’t really hungry. She was calm and quiet – so adorable and looked remarkably the same as Louna.

I, on the other hand continued bleeding and my uterus refused to contract. They did a series of massage but each time they stopped, the bleeding continued forming blood clots inside my uterus. They then injected anaesthesia so they could examine if any part of placenta was left inside. Nothing.

They continued massaging my tummy making it real painful, as painful as the contractions. They also added 2 more perfusions, one to induce contractions, another for supplements, I think. They explained that if bleeding continues, they will be obliged to transfer me to the hospital for further interventions.

True enough, at 4 pm, I was transported to the hospital by an ambulance. They again examined me, checked my uterus, massaged my tummy and injected God-knows-what. At that time, I was already too tired and hardly conscious. I wasn’t allowed to take not even a drop of water.

After their intervention, I was again transported by an ambulance to another department, Radiology department. There, some veins of my uterus were apparently plugged to stop bleeding. The worst consequence of this kind of problem is the total removal of the uterus to which I was luckily spared.

At 2 am, I was transported back to my room, allowed to take dinner with the help of L and drink gallons of water. Whew!

That day, probably more than 20 people saw that most intimate part of me at its most unglamorous state. But I didn’t care. All I wanted was to get over and done with it so I could be with my family the soonest possible time.

I was back at the maternity clinic the next day, free from any complications. With the amount of blood I lost, I was lucky not to take any blood transfusion tho my hemoglobin count went down to 8 (normal is 12 – 16).

I was separated from my daughter for about 24 hours. Everybody in the clinic commended me for my courage to continue breastfeeding inspite that experience. I was supposed to be tired. The sole inconvenience I have right now is an allergy I got from one of the medicines they injected to me during the operation – my arms, back and tummy are itchy!!

And Life Goes On…

Louna is happy to have her little sister, even asking to hold her and give her the bottle. There are bouts of jealousy here and there but not at a worrying level. We take extra careful tho not to focus all our attention to Kyla. Balance is something we need to master at this particular moment. L is on paternity leave this week which helps a lot especially right now when Kyla has no fixed schedule yet. Organization at home starts to be settled little by little. It will be a long journey till we get back to our normal schedule. Nights are shorter and nap opportunities are too rare to be grabbed.

And all that .. is part of parenthood. These angels worth all the efforts and sleepless nights.

First Day of School

Today is Louna's first day at the pre-school. The night before, we were able to let her pronounce her teacher's name which is Barbara. The next day, everybody was up quite early, too excited maybe to prepare ourselves for the first day. Even Papa took his morning off to experience this special milestone with Louna.

Arriving there, some kids already started crying while Louna stared at them, holding our hands, quite teary-eyed herself. She was probably thinking if crying was SOP. Does she have to cry too? Then she started to try the new toys around, then moved from one table to another. She was even able to talk to another girl and asked her if she could take the toy camera. Then she started taking pictures till it was time for us to leave.

Teacher B took her hand trying to assure her that everything will be alright. She cried silently when we left. But like a spy, we peeked on the window before we left. There, she was already mingling with other kids. She in fact stopped crying in no time.

She was already smiling when we went back to fetch her. First day was a promise of a fruitful school year. Parents had worried faces when they brought their kids to school. But all those worried faces were replaced by happy faces, excited to know how their kids fared. My, still can't believe I'm one of those parents.

Le Tour de France Candidate

She finally understood how it works. She loved it and she's proud of her new skill. She had her first bike long time ago and I think we really bought a big one for her. She loved staying with her bike but she just couldn't play with it. She sometimes ride on it and we stay at the back to push her but that is quite a tiresome activity.

Then we thought of this old bike. This is somewhat a heritage thing in the family. Her cousins rode and learned how to pedal from the same bike. And look at how Louna fares. She's biking like a pro!

Father's Day Special

Bonne Fête, Papa!

We're supposed to go to a theme park today but since it's raining outside, the plan was cancelled and we just stayed at home like couch potatoes. Good thing my parents anticipated a bit so we were nevertheless able to celebrate Papa's day yesterday.

I painted this picture frame with my Nanny and gave it yesterday morning to Papa. That was his breakfast treat. He was overwhelmed to notice that I could be an artist at my age. I was too proud when he said he would put it on his office table.

This gift was accompanied by a letter written by my Petite Soeur (Little Sister), with my approval and with the help of Maman, of course. I asked Papa if I could blog it here and he said it's okay. So here it is:

Dear Sir,

I wrote you this letter because I am in big trouble and I strongly believe that you’re the best person who could help me with the problem I face right now.

5 ½ months ago, I moved to a comfortable and spacious apartment owned by a charming lady. The contract was all inclusive – food, heater, etc. Everything I needed to live an ideal and stress-free life was cheerfully provided by the owner. I was actually starting to really love this cozy place until this problem.

Lately, I was apparently taking more and more space and my daily activities start to disturb the owner. I talked to her but as much as she wanted to keep me, she informed me that I needed to relocate on or before October 3 of this year for reasons too hard for me to comprehend. She also informed me that proper authorities would intervene in case I stay beyond this date. Not that she wanted to get rid of me. Apparently, we could get ourselves into big trouble if I don’t move.

The lovely lady was too kind though. She told me that she would watch over me till I finally settle down and get my independence and that I could always count on her.

This is the reason why I call your precious attention, Sir. I badly need a place to relocate and I’ve heard that you have rooms available. I would certainly need a lot of help and attention at the beginning because it’s always hard for me to adapt to new environment and new people. But I’m confident that you would help me deal with this situation. I promise to be a good tenant.

If it’s okay with you, I plan to pay you on a daily basis. Will a daily dose of love and happiness suit you? I know it’s not too much but I could add a lot of smiles which could surely help you forget your worries.

Hoping for your favorable response.

Love (oh yes, I already love you),
Your Future Tenant

PS: The girl who gave me your name is Louna. She’s been a friend since I moved to this place and she fondly calls me PETITE SOEUR. She’s been staying with you for two and a half years now and she highly recommends your place. Two thumbs up, as she describes it. She also told me that I need to call you PAPA. She also advised me to greet you HAPPY FATHER’S DAY today!

See you soon.

Papa read it with full attention. Maman told him that it's a letter she saw in the mailbox that morning. At first, he was like shaking his head, thinking how could somebody he doesn't even know could have the nerves to ask such help? And we could even put ourselves into an unknown trouble if we do something (he read the first 3 paragraphs 3x, asking Maman if she knew the sender). Then, not really understanding the first 3 paragraphs, he continued reading the rest of the letter. As he went through it, a smile started to dawn on his face, looked at us, and told us how lovely the letter was.

After that beautiful breakfast, we went to centre ville just to hang out. To each his own interest. While Papa was checking on laptop chargers and Maman on Ipod Speaker Systems (her gift to Papa), I was busying myself to other stuffs.

I then had a ride at the merry-go-round. yes, you read it right. One ride! Life isn't fair :(.

We then went to the market to buy some local produce. Maman was craving for some grilled fish, so grilled fish we had. It was supposed to be a garden lunch but the weather was too unstable so we finally had our lunch inside. We just picked some Cherries and Blackberries from the garden for dessert. These fruits are just too irresistible that I already ate a lot before even starting lunch.

After lunch, we headed to the swimming pool and look at what I could do now:

In fact, I saw a lot of kids doing the same so I tried. Maman was surprised I did it. I really had fun and did it a lot of times. Maman told me that we will surely go back especially that she could practice aquagym. She said it's good for her and my Petite Soeur. Yipeee! In fact, I could imitate her too. I was doing the bicycle exercise inside the water and Maman said that I finally understood what equilibrium means. I was doing great. She just reminded me not to jump into the water without my flotter.

That evening, Papa's friend went over and stayed with me while my parents went out for dinner. They said it's their anniversary, for whatever that means. It was my first time to stay alone at home with another person but I didn't really mind. This morning, they said they were proud of me for being a cool toddler. Oh well, I know I'm cool. And so what?

Ate Louna..

...soon!
.. and the little peanut starts to be active inside playing hide-and-seek at 12 weeks and 3 days old (6.7 cm crown to rump with heart rate at 160 bpm!).

Louna will officially be called ATE on September 25, 2008.

***

*Ate is a title used to address an older sister as a sign of respect. In Filipino families, elder brothers or sisters are to be respected always - the notion of hierarchy is observed even among siblings.

*Até est un titre pour s'adresser à une soeur ainée comme un signe de respect. Dans les familles philippines, des frères et les soeurs aînés doivent être toujours respectés par les cadets - la notion de hiérarchie est respectée même parmi les enfants.

Then and Now

The rules: If you still keep your baby’s first 3 days' photos, we would love to see them. Label them as 1st, 2nd or 3rd day. After that, please post the most recent one, one photo will do. You can post as much as you want though. I’m sure you will realize and tell yourself "seems like yesterday".

Thanks for tagging me Bochie, it was fun to re-discover the un-glamorous me at 1 day old..


.. then my Asian facette at 2 days old..

.. then the innocent me at 3 days old. Did you notice how my eyes grew bigger by the day?

And now, I know what fashion could do for me. A gumamela flower and voila!

Candle Blowing Expert

The second birthday of Louna was marked by an installment of candle blowing activities to which she obliged with gusto. Blowing has became her expertise because she just can't wait till her food cools down. She does the blowing to accelerate the process just so she could start with her meal.

The first candle blowing was with the family a week before her actual birthday. At first, she was quite surprised when everybody sang the Happy Birthday song when the cake was brought to the table. For her, it was simply mam mam. Then everybody asked her to blow the candle and she did. And she was proud. Now, she wants to blow every candle she sees.

On the D Day, we didn't really thought about celebrating it with the candles and all. The idea of a little family dinner in a cozy restaurant on the weekend following the D day seemed to please to everybody, even to Louna, so we settled to that plan. Of course, Louna just can't say Non, it's mam mam!

But hey, somebody else was thinking otherwise. A birthday is a birthday and should be celebrated as it is. Her Nanny celebrated it with the other kids at the children's center (picture below). What a star!

And she wasn't contented with that. It has to continue at her place with a Dora-themed celebration and a home-baked chocolate cake! And now tell me how my daughter could resist to the charm of her nanny - and to the mouth-watering cake! Louna is a spoiled brat.

And no, the celebration doesn't end there. Louna also received a set of Dora gifts - a Dora pajama holder from Noah (Nanny's son) and a Dora scooter from her Nanny. Merci Nannou et Noah! Je vous aime.
I know, you're jealous now and you want the same Nanny for your kids. Nah. Louna's keeping her Nanny till she gets to school.

So, want to see Louna and her trotinette at home? Well, she just loves this new toy that she keeps it near her, on the sofa, while watching her favorite DVD? She even dances with her scooter. Watch the vid!

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And watch her blow her candle here (her 4th candle blowing session):

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She Said Goodbye to Daytime Diapers

Oh yes ! The trick is, we have to remove her diapers at daytime for her to tell us it’s time to do the potty. When she’s with her diapers, most of the time, she won’t even bother to inform us that it’s poo time. So here are the tricks which worked for us:

- No to diapers during daytime. At first, she refused to remove her diapers and it was a real tug-of-war between us. She in fact understood that without the diapers, she was obliged to remember (because she tends to forget when she’s busy playing) and inform us (most of the time, it’s one second too late, thus the accidents). Practice makes perfect. After repeated accidents, she understood that, well, she had to think about going to the toilet sometimes.

PS: This strategy is coupled with the questions Pot Louna? Non. Sûr? almost every 30 minutes. Yes, we have to think for her sometimes.

- Let her know that accidents are not acceptable. She has to have the notion of what is good and what is not. Time-out corner, when used moderately, doesn’t hurt.

- Encouragement. Kids love to be applauded and praised – and know what, this doesn’t cost a thing. Louna is just so proud when she does it. There was one afternoon when she wanted to keep her potty because Papa hadn’t seen it yet. And Papa was still at work! So I tried to negotiate to keep the potty chair inside the toilet, without 'flushing’ the content, but she wanted it to be near her inside her playroom. She doesn’t trust Maman when it comes to potty matters. Imagine the odor propagating everywhere inside the house! Panic! I called up her Papa and explained the situation. They talked over the phone and Papa said Bravo Louna. After then, she took her potty chair and headed to the toilet. It was ok to flush her business. Whew.

It’s been almost a month now that she’s doing her potty business without any accident. She could even control herself now. Hope this progress continues.

Another milestone is taking into form right now. Last Monday night, bad Maman as I am, I told Louna to Go do your potty on your own. You’re a big girl now. when she started to say Pot. That was because this bad Mom was busy watching the telly. But… before criticizing me, read this:

Louna went to her potty chair, pulled down her pants and diapers, then did her business. She then went back to me, pants pulled up correctly with some bumpy thing inside. I checked on it and it was in fact her diapers (it was night time – diaper time) which she wasn’t able to pull back up with her tiny hands. That was really cute! Papa and I was laughing our hearts out, followed by Louna who equally giggled on her own. We were really proud of her.

We’re not into systematic rewards each time she does something good. But that night, she had her Kinder chocolate for a job well done.

Louna hiding, ashamed of what she's doing in her little potty corner. Her potty corner is just outside Papa and Maman's own potty corner.

More On Her Habits..

Bisous

She's developing a cute daily routine at her Nanny's place. She would knock on the door. Once inside, she would give a kiss to everybody in the house - then to Maman. After saying Au revoir Maman, she would take her slippers, remove her shoes, then wear her slippers. Just after then that it's play time.

She would take the same routine in the afternoon. She would wear her shoes, give a kiss to everybody, take her coat, then wave A demain to everybody. All in that order. She's so cute.

Wipey Lil Butt-y

Doing the potty starts to be a regular routine. If it's pee time, then I just give her a toilet paper and she'll do the wiping on her own. She throws the used toilet paper in the toilet bowl like a big girl. If it's poo time, then she would bow down for me (or Papa) to do the wiping. She would then accompany me to the toilet to flush her business and says au revoir pipi/caca.

She starts to raise her panties too, not perfectly tho. Her bottoms are always left uncovered because her tiny arms just can't reach the butt part, yet.

Bébé Massage

Oh, this is an excellent bonding time between us and Louna (whoever gives her a bath). She's a willing client. She would even turn her back so we could do the job efficiently.

La Vérité Sort de la Bouche des Enfants

We were at my parents-inlaw’s place the week before I left, and as usual, we had lunch with the whole family, SIL’s family included. Family gatherings like that happen probably 3-4 times in a year. So like you, they also follow Louna’s development through blog – and phone calls, of course.

Proud parents as we are, we were ecstatic to announce that Louna understands quite a lot now, both in English and in French. You could ask her to throw something in the garbage, to go to the bathroom because it's bathtime, to wipe her mouth, to arrange her toys (understanding and actually doing the task is not synch yet), to get inside the house. Well, the list is actually endless.

SIL, a mom herself, knows that parents love to brag about their kids so she started to test Louna’s comprehension skills.

Louna, does Papa cook well? (Remember, I told you, we we're having lunch. And French culture says, we should talk about anything related to food while eating.)

Louna, sitting proudly on her highchair, aware that everybody was watching her, started to nod. Everybody applauded and said ‘Bravo’.

SIL, still not completely convinced, started to ask another question.

Louna, does Mama cook well?

Louna after seconds of hesitation, looked at me, and started to shake her head. Everybody laughed except me. I suddenly turned red.

PS: You should know by now what the title means.
PS1: But well, at least, they knew that she, indeed understands well.

Picture: Louna with her Mamie (grandmom) and cousins Louise and Martin. Look at how delighted she was in seeing the cake. Takaw!

My Little Frenchy at 19 Months Old

She starts to dream big...a lot. I mean she's got a lof of dreams. I was just wondering what suits her most. What do you think?

She dreams to be a Dancing Queen. So, supportive parents as we are, I taught her the first step (wriggly pampery arse), Frenchguy the second one (incredible hulk style). Hehe.

But me thinks she'll be a Future Engineer, like Maman and Papa. Look at her building the Eiffel Tower.


But well, her love for animals will also make her a good Veterinarian, me thinks. She not only gives them injections, she's also capable of giving them TLC - hugs and kisses.


She also dreams to be a little Imelda Marcos. She's a Shoe Advocate.

On developments..

Il est où? T'as vu? Literally translates to Where is it? Did you see it? Her first two sentences. No wonder, she's my cute little frenchy.

Au revoir (she pronounces it as ow-vwa). That means Goodbye. But she says that word to say Thank you. Baligtad.

Understands well (only when she wants!). Isn't life unfair? She understands us. But we don't understand her. She usually babbles a lot of sounds. She must have a lot of stories to tell. It must be interesting to know what's behind each uncomprehensible words.

She knows her body parts, errr, limit that to the head, ok? Nose, eyes, head, ears, lips, hands. Of course, there's some mix up sometimes but that makes kid life funnier, right?

Don't touch me. That's probably what she wants to say to all those who want to touch her, kiss her or hug her. But at her age, all she could do is to scream. Better luck next time, folks.

Bookworm? She starts to love looking at pictures on her book. Her favorite is her Farm Animal book. And would you believe that she said hiiih to imitate goat sound when she saw one? This book is a marvel!

Oppps, one more thing why I hate leaving her with her Papa (see picture below). This public display of complicity starts to make me jealous. Grrrr.

17th Month Wonders

My little toddler is growing up at a lightning speed. Reminds me, I need to be on full focus. Suffice to observe her one minute and I'm on for endless sweet discoveries. When I saw her playing with the computer mouse, clicking left and right and scrolling the wheel with her index finger while holding the mouse correctly, I thought it was just a simple game for her. But when I noticed how she was focused on the computer screen observing the changes, it was different. She knew what that little thing was for.

Another wonder is how she maneouvre her toy stroller. She walks from one ramp to another with magnificent ease. To think, I've learnt this technique at 29 years old (by asking a mommy friend how strollers work at ramps, escalators, metros and buses).

Louna with her stroller at the park.

I know she's on for more discoveries and I'd gladly accompany her. I'd love to watch the world through her innocent eyes.

Nature Lover. The first thing she would do upon arriving at home is to smell the tulips at the back of our house. Then she would take her toy stroller and walk around the garden, spending more time on the steps separating the terrace. She loves to climb them up and down.

This weekend, she stopped on the first step of the terrace pointing on something while saying tee tee. I checked on what captured her attention and there, I saw some ants and a bug merrily crawling. I then pointed to the ants and said ants, then to the bug and said bug. She then followed suit, pointing to the ants and said tee, then to the bug and said tee. She looked at me with that delighted and triumphant look so I was forced to clap my hands and say Bravo Louna.

PS: I don't force her anymore to get inside the house. She's an outdoor person. She enters when I announce that it's bath time.

Come Maman. She's got a new style. Each time I tell her anything that has something to do with taking the stairs like bath, potty or bed time, she would take my hand and lead me to the stairs. She's over with the crawling episode and would prefer climbing the stairs standing up with the help of Maman or Papa. Her legs are still too short to climb them alone.

Stair Gates Down. We finally decided to remove the stair gate. Louna knows that she's not allowed to go downstairs alone, too dangerous. She would normally stop before the stairs and call up. She never tried nor dared doing it alone. She climbs up the stairs alone though, but she would close the gate as a security measure upon arriving upstairs. Smart little girl.

Funny anecdote. She would close the security gate of any playground after getting in.

Down to 2 Diapers per Day. The nanny already informed us that Louna is almost potty trained. It's either she would say po to say pot which is pronounced as po in French, or she would take nanny's hand and lead her to the potty chair. Last week, it was no success for us to keep her on her potty chair. I've tried every method possible but she didn't cooperate. This weekend, we tried leaving Tetite (her fave toy) with her. And voila! She did it and she was proud.

Tetite has always been her toy fetish. It helped her crawl and walk. And I think there will always be great adventures coming with Tetite in tow.

Bon appetit. She's an easy-to-please little eater. She eats just about anything we offer her and even ask for more. With that comes her determination to hold her spoon and eat on her own. And she does that tidily. Even picking those tiny little crumbs around her bowl, put them carefully on her spoon before directing them to her mouth. And she even takes her glass of water from time to time to quench her thirst. She also blows her food even when it's not hot. She's a grown up.

Eating in a restaurant is not a problem anymore. She even livens up the discussion most of the time.

Tender Louna. Imagine her on her Papa's shoulder, caressing Papa's head with her tiny hands. That's video perfect. Aside from that, she hugs and she kisses (with sound!). What more can a Maman ask for?

Co-Sleeping Advocate. Ask her where she wants to sleep and she would run directly to our room giggling.

Vocabulary Check. She's learning slowly. She always babble different sounds which are quite hard to decode till now, like walawalawala or gonong gonong gonong. Friends say she speaks Tagalog. She also babbles tatatata melanged to a certain melody when she sings.

Here's some words/phrases which I was able to decode lately:

Ta Tee Tee. Translation: One Two Three. That's when she wants to play jumps. We hold her hands and then carry her forward at the count of three.

Ya pu. Translation: Il n'y en a plus pronounced as il nyona plyu (I'm bad at this one) which means nothing anymore in English. This is accompanied by hand gestures (holding her hands up high and turning left and right).

Be. Translation: Birds. We couldn't miss one. She sees and hears them. Just this evening, she saw a fly on the window. She immediately pointed at it and said be. Now, everything that flies is a be. And boy, I didn't know that a fly could be that amusing!

My First Haircut