Ok so this is very delayed...like a month and a half late and Jandro already needs another haircut...hahaha.
Anyway so on May 28th, we went to get his first official haircut! After I had ruined it back in March as you can see in a previous post here. So we headed over to "The Yellow Balloon", a children's salon in the Kentlands, and I fell in love with the place! It was so cute and vintage, I didn't know if I was in an antique children's store or a old toy store from Peru.
He patiently waited for his turn while played :)
He sat in Papi's lap, while I was photographer, and Emily, his first hairdresser from Peru, got him all set up! (Funny fact, my first midwife-the one who confirmed my pregnancy-was also Peruvian, and we were also sealed/married by a Peruvian temple worker/sealer! coincidence? I think not! Alejandro will definitely be aware of his roots)
He was soooooooo nervous...pobrecito
And...let...the...snapping.....
and.....
crying.......
BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!
He was so scared, he wouldn't stop crying or moving! There was a TV playing Elmo's World across the room, we had to turn him around so Elmo could help him calm down :(
A little better now :) Except his face and eyes were swollen...
All done now! Right outside the place with Daddy :)
Almost a month ago on June 10th, Alejandro graduated from his "Bugs"class at the Little Gym, and he is now moving on to "Birds". For their little graduation, their instructors threw a fun show and tell party, where they pretty much did everything they did during their semester at the Little Gym. His instructors were Ms Katie and Ms. Christina. Unfortunately, Alejandrino was feeling a little bit sick (because he had been throwing up that whole week) so he doesn't look too excited when "showing off" :) Here are a few pics:
Rolling over the Hot Dogs
Here comes a forward roll!
YEAH! WELL DONE!
Now off to the Donut!!
That wasn't too bad now, was it? :)
It's Ball Play Time! Here he is with his buddy Lucas
Papi and Abuelito came to watch this special event :)
with his friends and all the mamas taking pics...just like I was ;)
This kid LOOOOVES bubbles!
Proud Mama :)
Proud Papa!
And now, presenting the Little Gym's "Bugs" Winter-Spring Class of 2011!!! woohoo!
Striking a pose with Abuelito Fidelius and Papi
With my friend Ixiana and our little ones, Lucas and Alejandro
Now you may think I'm silly, but this was such an exciting and emotional event for me. I think much more for me than for him. I've seen so much progress in my little guy since we first joined. I think he was 9...maybe almost 10 months when we first visited the Little Gym. I had received an invitation on the mail for a free class, so we went. I remember he looked a little bit overwhelmed, and it was probably because of the bright colors that filled up the room, the babies and mamas running/crawling/sitting around, the music, the movements. But I think all that stimulated him for the better. Soon after we began going he became more mobile, with a greater desire to explore, play, and do things independently. From scooting to crawling to standing up on his own to taking steps to climbing steps up and down, to catching a ball and throwing it back, to following bubbles, to singing along to music. Oh it's been a blast! I love my Little Little. I couldn't help but think how fast he is growing and that soon I'll be attending a Pre-K graduation, then Kindergarten, then elementary, then middle school, then seminary, then high school, then college, then grad school....aaaah! like I said, you probably think I'm silly and may laugh at me, but hey, I'm a new mom and I can't believe Alejandrito was once a single cell that lived in me; that I was once this little man's house and food and everything, that I gave birth to him and many could say I gave him life, but in all honesty, he's given ME life....along with purpose, direction, and infinite joy. He's helped me look at life in such a different manner. And when he gives me a kiss, a breath, a smile, or a cariñito,it's so surreal, I feel like I'm in another dimension. He really is my little gift from God.
A little over a week ago, I purchased a kid's bicycle seat from walmart, a toddler helmet from Toys R Us, and finally put some air in my bike tires. I'd been wanting to ride my bike with Jandro since the last day of winter. I was so curious to see his reaction to how the wind would hit his face, to speed, etc. I was curious to see his observations and if he'd be scared. And I also wanted the workout with such an enticing motivation: MY SON! plus it's perfect, I don't have to leave him in the gym daycare or with anyone else! he can easily tag along!
So here's a pic of us from the first time we rode our bike on June 16th, 2011:
He is about to cry because I'm stopping. He cries EVERY TIME I stop.
Here he is playing with Tia Angie
He was kinda whining because it was slow
This time daddy got to give him a ride!
Btw, don't you love Alex's ghetto shirt? It's from his high school days where he thought he was all thug. Now it's his comfy house shirt...or part of his pj's...
Alejandro has discovered this thing where he thinks it's a lot cooler when you ride the bike and walk the dog at the same time. He will yell until you hand him the dog leash, but he'll also cry if you go slow. It's like he wants to go full speed while walking the dog! sorry little man, can't have the best of both worlds :(
Although he's not smiling in any of these pics, it's because they were taken with my camera phone, which means we had to slow down or stop, which makes him sad/angry. hahaha. Maybe i'll post a video next time. But he is seriously so cute and has so much fun. Each time we go downhill, I'll say something like, "WOOOHOOO!" and now every time I say, "Hey Jandro! vamos a montar bicicleta!" (let's go ride the bike!), he says, "woooo woooo!".
Yep, he definitely makes the connection and knows that bicicleta means "woooo wooo!"
I love this Little Little. And usually after a morning or early afternoon ride, this follows:
Nap time. My favorite time of the day. Only because we get to cuddle. Gosh I love my little prince! I know this may sound cheesy but we really are the best of friends!
This is how I feel and look in the mornings when Alex gets up to go to work, which is around 6am:
This is what I look like when he comes home which is around 7pm:
What makes me sad, is that he doesn't get to see what's in between. Or what I look like when I just get ready and begin my day. I'm no J.Lo, but I try to do something with myself and look nice/decent/presentable/semi-cute. I try to do something to my hair. I'm clean and I smell good. I have some make-up on. I put on a nice/ok outfit. By the time he gets home, my hair is up and sweaty, my earrings removed, my eyeliner is almost gone, I smell like food that I cooked, and sometimes I change to sweats or I'm already in pj's. It sucks :(
Oh well. At least I wake up to a handsome husband every morning! :) He's so fresh and clean and showered, and smells like cologne, his hair is gelled, his teeth are brushed, he's styling a nice shirt and slacks. Man, I'm a lucky girl!
A few days ago, Alejandro stopped feeling sick and started eating normally again. He hasn't thrown up and he has gained back his appetite. First, I'd like to say that I feel so lucky and blessed to be his mom. I have tried developing healthy eating habits and i'm just starting to see some of the results. Seriously, this kid is amazing.
For some reason, he doesn't seem to enjoy junk food. He doesn't like hot dogs, or chocolate chip pancakes, or whip cream, or some cakes. Am I complaining? NO WAY! He's had some ice cream but he won't even take much, and if he has pancakes he'll eat them plain, like without whip cream or maple syrup or anything. But he'll have a bowl of fresh quinoa or oatmeal with bananas, strawberries, and yogurt (which he devoured in minutes after spitting out his choco-pancakes) and he'll eat a plate of tilapia with brown rice and zuchinni and broccoli. He also loooooves cheese...just like papi. This kid could eat cheese with anything...even a cream cheese sandwich filled with grated carrots. And he will enjoy it. He doesn't really drink fruit juices, unless I make them...but he'll chug down a bottle of quaker con quinoa y manzana (a drink made of boiled quinoa, oatmeal, and apples)....y con que ganas! He loves it! He also doesn't really know what dessert really is (or what we consider to be dessert, aka loads of sugar, food coloring, and other additives). He thinks fruits are desserts. Which isn't necessarily what i was taught, but i plan on teaching him that. He loves watermelon, GRAPES, mangoes, ORANGES, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, blueberries...you name it...
Here he is stuffing himself with some grapes.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm UVAS!
Here he is stuffing himself with cheerios, yogurt, and strawberries
Here he is attempting to eat with a spoon, which he did successfully only a couple of
times but also spilled, but it's ok! he just turned 13 months!
He LOVES holding the spoon on his own. Independence starting young. Which
is fine with me. I respect his decisions and I strongly value independence! Shoot,
if he can be ready to pay his full college tuition by the time he's in
8th grade, he has my full support! hahaha
"MIRA MAMI! i'm so cool i can eat all by myself with my cucharita!"
Here he is afraid of standing alone, with some little mocos of his own running
down his nose
Alejandro's been sick for more than a week. It appeared to be a cold plus a stomach virus that came with vomiting and all that nice stuff, which caused him to lack an interest in some physical activities, especially walking. He was already taking 8 to 10 steps on his own and all of sudden he's been afraid of just taking one step or even standing unsupported. As a new mom, I was kind of worried thinking that it might be more than just him feeling tired but that maybe he could be going through some developmental delay but then I told myself to be quiet and stop worrying. And then my little guy surprised me with a sudden array of milestones and little things he did all within a week. As I have been reading a bit about general child development, I feel a little better educated. So let me just say that he's done a wonderful job as he has immensely progressed in his oral motor, fine motor, language, social-emotional, and cognitive development. So here's a list of things I jotted down in my little pocket journal of my little man's accomplishments. Some are new, some he's been doing for a while. But this is what he's been up to :)
I will add an asterisk to the new ones he's been doing this past week or past 2 weeks...
Words he can say:
Mama
Papa
*Papi
Dada
Teta (that's milk, or bottle...well milk in a bottle)
Angie (she's my sis in law, pronounced Ant-chee a lo Alejandro)
*Chickles (the house dog, pronounced Chee-shee a lo Alejandro)
*Nana (Grandma Yova)
*Yova (Nana Yova, pronounced Boba a lo Alejandro)
*Bubbles (pronounced buh-bo)
*Bravo (pronounced ba-bo, for clapping)
*Alex
*Uh-oh
*Agua (that's water in spanish, pronounced Ga-ga or a-ga)
*Cookie (coo-coo)
*Caca (that's poop)
Bye
*Hi (sounds more like a hiss and he only says it when we play cell phones)
What he's tried or tries to say:
Mas (more)
*Happy Birthday (pronounced Pabby Behbeh)
*Se acabó (means "all done" in Spanish, pronounce Ah-boh)
*Baby
*Hot dog (as in Mickey Mouse's Hot Dog song because he doesn't eat hot dogs but he'll try to say it when he hears the song. Pronounced Gog Gog)
*Uno, Dos, Tres ( 1, 2, 3...he does this with Alex but won't do it with me, maybe he gets a feeling that his dad will be the one to help him with math because I can't remember jack or how to add fractions)
*Te Amo (I love you in Spanish, pronounced tah-moh a lo Alejandro)
*Chuy (short for his great-grandma Pichuzita, pronounced "shoo" a lo Alejandro)
What he signs (baby sign language):
More/mas
*Airplane/avion (usually used while he eats, we don't see too many airplanes but he knows what they are too)
*All done/se acabo
*Prayer/Oracion (this one is my weakness, he's too cute, he clasps his hands together, and tries to be all reverent and quiet but it only lasts for the first 7 seconds or so, but still, I die!)
This is the first time when he signed "se acabo" or "all done". Don't get scared. Yes, I literally freaked out and was squealing with joy. That's how I celebrate my Littles!
Other cute/cool/funny things he does:
Waves hi and bye
Blows kisses *Sings the "nana-nana" part of Elmo's song correctly, to the exact beat/tune. Watch this video
*Tries blowing his nose
*Blows raspberries while blowing kisses
*Blows raspberries on my belly
*Tries singing The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song and the Hot Dog song *Climbs all of the wooden steps (he would only do the carpeted ones, but now he's lost his fear!)
*Plays with everyone's bellybutton
Kisses me with bites
*Tries to put the leash on Chickles (the dog) or follows him around with it when he wants to walk him
*Says/breathes "Aaaah" after drinking water or milk
*Tries to be a dog when he's crawling. He will bark, roar, and crawl to our legs and try to bite us. He'll share his food, when we ask ("Alejandro, dame un poquito...me invitas?") and also when we don't ask. He is so kind, he will even get it out of his mouth to give you some!
*Tries to open all of the doors
*Actually opens the main entrance/door to the street and will stand and call us in/out
*Tries talking on cell phones, hisses when he wants to say "hi", hands it over to tell you you've got a call.
I love my Little Little. He is such a trooper. He's been sick, tired, hurting, puking, teething, and what not, but will manage to give me a smile during these times. I should try and be more like him.
