He got it from his mama...

. . .

28.5 inches...17.09 lbs...

It's funny to see him play like a big boy now. He lunges for anything and everything--even in the waiting room. I think it's time to buy him more toys. Any suggestions?




I enjoy seeing other kids and babies around us, especially now that Miles is aware of everyone around him. One thing I noticed is that he's attracted to other babies. He's even attracted to older girls...like this one...


He was showin' off his playtime skills, "Girl, check me out...I got motor skills."

This cute Latina girl sat next to Miles and the first thing he did was reach out his hand, trying to touch her's. It was so cute!
At Dr. Foy's office, Miles was very friendly with the medical assistant. He was also pretty friendly with the resident doctor.



But after a long wait, he ran out of patience (and so did his daddy). He did not want Dr. Foy to hold him and cried during the whole exam. But that is what happens, when baby is tired, teething, & hungry. So ofcourse, he cried as he got his immunization shots. Poor baby! As soon as we got him dressed, gave him his bottle and he was back to happy boy. I'm so glad that babies are resilient! What a morning...

BIRTHdays

This was the Birthday weekend for our pamilya. Miles has a new cousin, Aron Kalaw Alejandro. Aunty Sharon gave birth on Saturday!! Congratulations!! We can't wait to meet him...

In one of the hottest days of the summer, Miles got to spend birthday time with his Lola and Uncle Bob. Even in the humidity, Miles was surprisingly cheerful and enjoying his time with family. He was free from onesie tags and got a taste of what it was like to be in the nude (well, somewhat)--it was diaper-only weather.



He hung out with Lolo & cousin, Darrien.



He kicked it with Ninong Bob.






He also got to open presents with Ninong Bob, missing his Aunty Awts. It still felt as though she was there...just off cleaning somewhere! Hahaha...

One of the highlights for Miles, was watching his cousin-pitbull, N9na, run around and play in the backyard. I heard he was laughing for 30 minutes straight..which eventually put him to sleep afterwards! Alleluia!

Miles didn't get to enjoy his Uncle Eric's purst class sushi, or his mommy's extremely salty chicken kabobs & bland attempt at making grilled potato salad--but he did enjoy 2 extra feeding times. In that heat, he had to stay hydrated.





Lola was happy to spend her 58th birthday with her two Apos. This was her first birthday with grandchildren...she also got pictures of Darrien & Miles framed as gifts. Miles' mama and Aunty Jen were not as original as they thought ;)

After a hot weekend in the V-town, Miles was very happy to return to almost perfect summer weather in Frisco, warm and sunny with a breeze.

He's from the V...

...and he got his stunna shades on.

Besides chillin out and playin it coo--Miles is one movin monster. He can't walk--yet alone crawl--but he still finds his way into everything! He lunges, bounces, pulls...and while he plays--he yells...really loud. It's can be really irritating!! But i still love the lil momo :)

Twenty things that change when you have a baby- Rebecca Woolf

1. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

2. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

3. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.


4. You're less self-involved and more self-motivated.

5. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

6. You respect your body ... finally. (Hooray for baby-making!)

7. You have stronger opinions and are stronger willed.

8. You respect your parents and love them in a new way. (Hooray for grandparents!)

9. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

10. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child. (Hooray for the tooth fairy!)

11. You lose touch with the people in your life that you should have banished years ago.

12. Your heart breaks much more easily.

13. You think of your baby 234,836,178,976 times a day. In fact, you're so busy with this that you forget everything else.

14. Every day is a surprise.

15. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

16. You think before you speak.

17. You become a morning person. (Hooray for watching the sun rise!)

18. If you have a son, you no longer curse men. (Hooray for all men!)

19. If you have a daughter, you hope she won't endure your same heartaches.

20. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

Growing Like a Weed.

The only weed I have in my life nowadays is Miles! His head got a bit fatter since last week so his hats are somewhat tighter on his big 'ol dome. His pants which he fit the other week are more like bermuda shorts on him now.
He's eating more, taking more naps (longer ones!), and just chillin! And this all means that I'm just chillin! Sike. It's just been much more peaceful these past couple of days.


Sweet dreams baby boy...

Hot Summer Days & Nights

Saturday night was spent without Miles! Wooohoooo! Hahaha...

We left him with Lolo & Lola so that Justin & I could go on a "date." Our type of date is pretty much cruisin neighborhoods without Miles, being worry-free of having to check on him through the night. We just took a long walk around Northbeach, visiting Uncle Gary's flat, enjoying the view of downtown SF.




The night felt nostalgic--reminiscent of the first time Justin & I "hung out"--back in 2003. It felt great to just have that time with each other again. Balancing marriage life and parenthood is tricky. But having any time off from baby makes it easier for us to build with each other. To top the night off, I also got to sleep in somewhat--because Miles slept with Lola and Darrien. Poor Lola! She was juggling two crying babies all night! But grandparents really do enjoy it! I'm glad someone enjoys it!

On Sunday, Miles hung out with Lola & Darrien for awhile. We ate fried bananas with french vanilla ice cream...Mmmmm...






Later that evening, we had dinner at Aunty Lea's place in "Wine Country" aka Napa. "Wine Country" just makes me think about Mr. Big and Carrie. I bet Mr. Big would have lived somewhere close by Aunty Lea--if he were real!

Napa was HOT! Miles didn't get to play with his cousin, Wicket, but he wasn't too sad because he was entertained by the ceiling fans.



The summer weeks are flying by fast. Today we got a chance to walk to Baker Beach across the street from our pad with Aunty Lea. It was a bit too warm for a 2-mile-walk, so we just took a short scenic one. I really do need to take Miles out for more walks while the weather is beautiful in SF. Last week, Miles enjoyed his first Muni ride on the J, walked around Irving, then to Haight street and took the train back. I swear, Amoeba and Target are the stores Miles is most familar with! What a shame...

What he can do...

At this 6 month mark, Miles can:
-sit-up on his own for awhile before falling to the side (thank goodness for pillows)
-roll from belly to back
-grab anything and everything in sight
-pull his socks off
-almost put his feet in his mouth
-grab glasses off peoples' faces (esp Jus)
-touches my mouth and feels my face while he nurses
-pat and bang on books, toys, or our faces
-uses his feet and legs to grab things out of reach from his hands
-while on his tummy, move his arms to rotate his bodies position (when he's eyeing another object)
-pull down the lever on his bubblegum machine toy
-crack-up if you play games with him or make faces
-yell as his way of calling your attention (something other than crying)
-lean forward and hold his hands out if he wants you to carry him
-cry if we leave the room
-cry if he doesnt want to be carried by someone other than me or Jus
-choose what toy he wants to play with
-imitate sounds we make " say ahhhh"..."ahhh"
-almost pull his body up as if he were doing crunches
-hold his weight up standing if we hold his hands
-eat rice cereal, bananas, and carrots
-somewhat sip through a sippy cup
-splash his feet when he takes a bath
-hold his own bottle
-press his lips together when he refuses the pacifier
-cry
-cry really loud
-cry as if he were screaming bloody murder
-did i mention that he can cry hella loud?
-oh yeah, he can whine, "ehh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh" etc.
-communicate really well with us
-arch his back if he doesn't want to be held
-fake cough for attention
-watch a whole baby einstein dvd show
-lift his upper body in a push-up while on his tummy

This is just my list to keep track of his development up until this point. Jus this week, he's been eating twice as much as he normally does. He is also taking more catnaps. And all this extra food and extra sleep gives him extra energy to play, play, play. He gets up at 7-8am ready to play and will not have it if Jus and I continue to rest.

Ok, speakin of the lil devil, it's time for me to play with him.

Greenery

Fresh air. Thank goodness! Sunny, warm days in Frisco are rare (even during our summertime) so we had to take advantage of it. I remember the first month of Miles' life, being cooped up indoors sucked. The days are much more enjoyable now that we can go on different types of outings as a family.

Besides Target, Haight Street, downtown SF, and the Excelsior district (our frequent spots)--is all of SF's outdoors. Our fam loves greenery! When Miles gets excited--he kicks his legs and swings it. While we walked through golden gate park's botanical garden, Miles was swinging his legs for the most part.



We got lucky when the clouds cleared and gave way to some sunshine.



Miles got to see flowers, trees, and plants from different parts of the world. He kept leaning towards whatever flower or plant was infront of him.



It feels good to be outdoors and in nature.

Baby Einstein Lover

This is what he likes to do each morning...


...watch his Baby Einstein dvds. We like to play them in Spanish. Primavera! Otono! Verano!

And later on in the afternoon, he hits the gym for his workout...

Our New Baby...

Move over Miles cause we got a new baby... ;)


Miles had fun playin with his brother, Mac.




And now it's time for Mommy & Daddy to have fun with Protools...

We love tekmology...

When we were at the Apple store, we ran into Andrea's Mama, Aunty Jasmine. Andrea and Miles were born on the same month of this year. They have yet to meet. Jasmine and I were already talking about playdates coming in the near future because our babies will be mobile soon.

It's hard to believe that so much time has passed. Miles is one of the older babies downtown. The fact that he is no longer just nursing, eating rice cereal, bananas, and carrots--reminds Jus and I that he is growing up! He's like the puppy that you wish stayed the same--in size, shape, form and cuteness. No wonder why people go nuts over babies! I completely overstand!



While we were waiting to pick up our new baby, an elderly lady walks by Jus, carrying Miles, and stops. She takes a few steps back to look at Miles and placed her hands on his feet, staring at him with this grandmotherly type of facial expression--a loving and longing gaze. "My grandson is all the way in Australia." And I empathize, "His grandmother is all the way in Hawaii." "Well, do you webcam? That's what we're here for."

What a great idea, right. So funny, Bobawts called us (after we told him we were picking up a new babyboy Mac) to tell us that we can set-up meeting room webcam chats with Awts--all the way in Conneticut! Now Miles' Grandma Susan has to get one of these new babies. Tekmology! It's a beautiful thang...

We need a break!!

In an attempt to give ourselves, as well as Miles a break--we went to Amoeba's yesterday so Jus could dig for some breaks...and so Miles can leave the apartment for a break...and so that I could also get a break--alone(walking by myself around Amoebas is valuable and rare alone time).


It was a great. Miles seemed to be in a great mood. He got to meet some of his Uncles and an Aunt visiting from Hawaii (his Daddy's homies). He even had some bananas before bed. And after about an hour of unwinding, he eventually fell asleep. But woke up 15 minutes after...then woke up an hour after...followed by the next hour...and the next...and on & on & on.

I don't know what's going on. He is not sleeping through the night like he use to. He gets up every hour or two, crying for his pacifier or to be held. Jus and I arent getting the sleep that we need. So today, I felt pretty wound-up and crazy! My patience ran very thin...so did Jus(two cranky parents is not good). Even a car ride would not put the boy into his deep slumber. Ooh, "deep slumber" sounds gooooood.

There's no point in me trying to sleep right now. I'll end up getting up again in the next half-hour or hour. WACK! So here I am, venting and processing into my digital friend. I need to unwind. I really do need some sleep. I can't remember when was the last time I even got a straight 8-hour sleep. Maybe it was before I got pregnant with Miles. I'd say over a year ago. :(

oh well. Tough shit. Everything comes second, right. Our sleep comes second to this lil prince.
Days like this makes me appreciate the really good moments.

Ain't having it!

At 6 months, Miles' character is starting to resemble his moms & pops. For one, he is one CRANKY lil man if he doesn't get his nap on schedule (which is just like his daddy). Today, we didn't get to go to Lola's for bar-b-q but instead went to Aunty Chrissie's & Uncle Ian's. In a new environment, with many new faces--Miles wasn't havin' it. He didn't want to sleep at first, adjusting to his surroundings. He didn't want to eat, noticing that the walls looked different. He wants to sleep and eat his meals his way or no way. What a lil capricorn boy i tell ya! He even snubbed a cute babygirl, Pikea, while she smiled and patted his hand. This was the first time I saw him so ANTI! And this quality reflects on his mama. I guess it's the Vtown in us!? Usually, he's open arms to new, smiley faces. Even though he already knows his Aunty Lauren, he was not having it. No hugs, no love.



Instead of interacting with all the people surrounding him, he slept. It ain't like he didn't get any sleep prior to Aunty Chrissie's! He did sleep all night long.

When he was awake, he'd ignore everyone except for moms, pops, and those eating or holding a drink in hand. He was even crying for a beer! Oh no!

After a long afternoon outdoors, we headed back. Miles smiled as soon as he entered the car--something familiar to him. When it was just the 3 of us, he starting babbling. It was almost hard to believe that 5 minutes ago--he was in such a bad mood. I'm telling you--Dr.Jekyl & Mr.Hyde steez (and again, just like his pops). But I was glad to see him back to his usual loveable self!

And as soon as we got home, Miles...


...pooped. Maybe he just needed to let it all out! Let it all go! Immediately after, he was in his playful mood but ofcourse, got all sleepy again because it was his sleepy-time hour.

So now he's asleep and it's time for Jus and I to enjoy some relaxation! Praise the Lo'd!

His Life In the Sunshine...

Miles got to check out another stimulating day in San Francisco, the Fillmore Jazz Festival. For the most part, he enjoyed his late afternoon merienda, people watching, listening to a jazz medley, and spending some time with his Aunty Lea.

Miles met many of his Daddy's Hiphop friends, finding out just how popular his Dad is in SF. He can't go anywhere without meeting a new face! Besides his Daddy's homies, Miles met a pretty baby girl, blowing raspberries and impressing him with her skills.


For the most part, we listened to the music from the corner of Fillmore & Sutter, right by one of the main stages. After snacking on garlic fries & corndogs, strolling by a grip of vendors, and posting, we decided to head back home. We missed all the Jazz Funk and Afro-Jazz funk bands that played on Saturday (because we were at Lola's house watching the Pacquiao fight). But Miles was satisfied with his bottle and audio-visual stimulation, absorbing everything and everyone around him. On our quiet walk back to where we had parked--somewhere by Divisadero--we found that Miles enjoyed the view from beneath all the trees. Sometimes it can be that simple. We hear him laugh and smile the most with the most simple things. Festivals for Miles, so far this summer, have been somewhat hectic. So many vendors, so many food stands, so many peoples...not to mention so many strollers trying to manuever through crowds...

All in all, this city boy is very lucky to be emersed in city life and nature. We look forward to different types of events that spring up in this city. I always look forward to our peaceful walks together. Today was one of those good days with Miles when all I can think of is how much he is loved.