shamzz and i (part 3)

Anton: Shamzz, you really need to eat your vegetables and fruits. 
            You don't seem to be growing (at all)..

Anton @ 9.5 months

Anton @ 6.75 months

Anton @ 10 days

 

(re)interpreting Sir Francis Bacon

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.” (Sir Francis Bacon, English author, courtier, and philosopher 1561-1626)

anton lee @ 9 months

Three quarters of a year!

Thank you friend Jayden for my outfit and
Mommy's officemates for my shoes!

Thank you friend Alon for loaning me your walker!

 

You’ve gained a kilo since last month

 you now weigh 8 kilograms!


Celebrating the Philippines' 115th year of independence!

You have one, two, three,

 four teeth
(fifth and sixth ones are starting to peep)!

Mommy: Why do you have sharp teeth, Anton Lee?

Anton: The better to bite you with, my dear.

(8.5 months)

 
 

You are practicing to walk 



Shopping for shoes!
(8.25 months)

Joining Mommy and Ninang Cristine
at their weekend walk/run
(8.5 months)

 You are starting to talk

Ba-ba-ba

da-da-da

ta-ta-ta

Waaaaaaaaaahhhhh!

 

You are learning to wave, clap, and

and make high fives!

 

And you are letting us know

the power of your will

("Mommy! No deal!")

 

(8.75 months)

anton lee @ 8 months

Thank you Team Fil-Adelaide for my wonderful presents and
Tita Grace for my colorful PJs!

You started crawling around your second month – you crawled then like a little uod slithering this way and that.  By your six month, you could move your upper body fast while dragging your lower half. Imagine Mommy’s amazement when one evening you suddenly started crawling on all fours! This was a week after you turned seven months. By the next weekend, you could quickly get yourself into a sitting position from either prone or crawling positions.

Two weeks after, you could stand upright with support.

Here’s our little secret: It’s all because of persistently doing things day after day. When you turned three weeks, Daddy would flip you like a pancake, put you on your tummy, then cheer you on so you start moving. Every day after that, you’d have your regular tummy time and crawling practice.

Finally did it at 7.25 months!
Thank you Tita Bing for
my pet Turtle!

When you turned five months, we would gently pull you up into a sitting position instead of picking you up from your cot.  By your six month, with just a little pressure, on the count of three, you could get yourself into a sitting position.

When you turned seven months, we lowered the floor of your cot since you were starting to pull yourself up.  From then on, we would gently pull you into a standing position in the morning when you wake up.  Even before you turned eight months, from a prone position, with a gentle pull, you could get yourself into a standing position.

 

Letting loose at the playground!

 

 

Our dearest boy, you see how that little thing we do every day gets amazing results? It’s called, Practice. And Practice makes Perfect.

Standing up with support at 8 months!

PS: Looking at books provides you (and Mommy too!) with hours of entertainment.

Daddy: Anton... Anton!

Anton: (Looks up  briefly and goes back to his book)

Ben the Ghost says.... "Boo!"
(cows say "moo!"; doves say, "coo!"; and owls say, "whoo!")

 

anton lee @ 7 months

 

Thank you Tita Elaine for my travelling outfit!

Anton Lee, you had your first overseas trip at 6.25 months! We were so proud of you, such a good sport during the long trip: Manila to Kuala Lumpur (KL) (3.5 hours), KL to Adelaide (7 hours), with a layover of 4 hours. It was just you and Mommy  on this trip but we managed beautifully with several fantastic people helping us out. 

You were quite a charmer, spreading sunshine.  In the leg from Manila to KL, there was a blond Austrian young man with surfer looks who enjoyed making funny faces at you; from KL to Adelaide, there was a sweet Chinese girl who kept giggling at your antics; from Adelaide to KL, there was an old Indian lady and a pretty Vietnamese mother who indulged you with your babbling; and from KL back to Manila, there was a Korean gentleman who tried to soothe you when the plane started its descent and you experienced discomfort.

Something tells us you will nicely manage to go around the world even before you turn 20.

You enjoyed yourself immensely on this trip.  You finally got to meet your family on your Daddy’s side and hang out with Daddy’s friends.  Oh boy, they really spoilt you with lots of attention and with loads of Easter presents!
 

6.5 months at Easter

It was on this trip that you learned to hold yourself well on a high chair. It was fitting that your first high chair, which we retrieved from years and years of storage, was Daddy's (this was Zio Wally’s and Zia Luisa’s high chair too!)

You adored high chairs so much that when we returned to Manila, we got you for your seventh month mini-birthday. . . your own booster! This way you can sit with us when we have our meals.

The Della Verde High Chair (Adelaide)

Anton's booster (Manila)

It was during your stay in Adelaide when your first tooth broke out (6.5 months).  We got so excited over this that we kept checking your brand new tooth.  Your second tooth broke out when we got back to Manila.

When you turned seven months, we started you on the sippy cup for drinking water.  This was a skill you quickly mastered even before the week was over.  

Thank you Zia Luisa for my plastic bib!

 

Anton's new shoes
(Zia Luisa really spoilt you!)

 

Anton trying his hand at the drums..
Thank you Ninang Kat for my toy!

 

At seven months, you are regularly eating mashed fruits and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, pears, squash, avocado, watermelon).  As advised, we feed you one fruit/vegetable at a time to make sure that you are not allergic to  it. You can also now hold your own milk bottle with minimal assistance.

You are so near to crawling on all fours.  You can roll over both ways and  get yourself to a sitting position when pulled up.  You enjoy Mommy reading to you in the morning and/or evening and entertain yourself looking at picture books. You love playing peek-a-book and seeing yourself in the mirror makes you smile. 

You are our... Super Anton!

yes, anton CAN

 

YOU TURNED SIX MONTHS TODAY

 

you can

 

 sit unassisted for brief periods

 



 

respond when your name is called

start to crawl on all fours

 

touch your foot
(and suck it too!)



 

 

play peek-a-boo

squeal in delight

giggle and coo!

 

 

 

and yes,

we've given you

your first

sweet potato!

 

 

happy half year

belluzzo

mommy and daddy
 are so

proud of you!

 

 



happy half-year!

Good morning world! I am 6 months old today!
 

You give us immeasurable delight

You make us realize our infinite capacity for love

You show us reservoirs of strength we didn’t know we had

You teach us patience

You instruct us in humility

You coax us into pure silliness

You draw us to take this world and ourselves less seriously

You drive us to strive to become better human beings

You lead us to look beyond ourselves

You open our eyes to see the grandeur in the mundane

You unravel to us the infinite complexity of the universe.

 Thank you for blessing our lives, little one.