Month 5

Dear Lia,

Happy five months! Yesterday you turned five months and what a happy day it was. In the afternoon, you took a nap beside Lola Vinchu by putting yourself to sleep. That evening, you played with your titos and titas, manipulating them into lifting you above their heads by laughing uproariously every time they did it. You enjoyed yourself so much, and they got their exercise.



To celebrate, Mommy brought a plaster of paris keepsake set to Katipunan so we can record the size of your hands in plaster of paris mold. Do I have to say that it was completely botched up. You didn't seem to get the concept of placing your hands flat on gooey white stuff. You just had to scratch it. We tried putting your feet, but you smooshed it around. Oh well, it was mommy's fault anyway for not measuring the water accurately. It was, however, a lot of fun getting messy. For us at least. You didn't seem to have the least idea what was going on.



This last month brought a lot of milestones in your inexorable mission to grow up. You got your ears pierced and you rolled over for the first time. You rolled over at least once a day since you first did it. But you seem to forget right after how you did that. I'm sure by the time I have to write the next letter, you'll either be rolling at will or driving the pick up. Which one you decide to do is anyone's guess.



We're getting to know your personality better too. When you play or see or experience something new, you have this intense concentrated expression we call "serious fun". Like when you splashed around in your inflatable tub or play with your rattles, you examine your activity with a look that says, "this is how fun is had." You must be solving the mysteries of the universe in the back of your head. But baby that little frown is the cutest in the world. Priceless.



You also have a growing vocabulary which none of us can understand for sure, but enjoy translating into adult human talk anyway. "Eh eh eh eh!" usually means either: "Pick me up! And don't sit while carrying me, stand!" or "FEED ME NOW!" Your screeching "AAaaaahhhh..." means you're happy and excited and want to be talked to. Your singsong "Aaayyayaaawaahaaa..." means you're sleepy and want to be rocked to sleep. And once when Tita Shiva came over for a visit, you stopped in the middle of nursing and said, "Eeew weh ahhyayaahaa..." explaining to her the very simple solution to all her problems. Too bad we couldn't understand a word. If you could translate it, we'd like to publish it in a book and make millions. For your future education of course. And a family trip to Disneyland.



Sometimes when people ask me what I do, and they mean, besides take care of you, I think about all the things I could do, all the jobs I could work on, all the rackets I could take. And then you come up with a new trick or you smile or you laugh and I thank God for the job He gave me. Taking care of you is the most rewarding work I have ever done. You make your daddy and me very happy everyday. Thank you baby. You are our angel.

Love, Mommy