Month 5

Dear Desi,

Happy five months! This letter is two days late and I didn't have the chance to write it earlier because you have been so busy in the last two days. Yes, you were busy! You are one gimikera 5-month-old! On the day you turned five months, we hung out in Katipunan to welcome Lolo Dan back from Stockholm. Yesterday, we spent the morning in Manila Ocean Park. You have been to many many places in the past month, and I am pleased to say, you travel quite well.



You seem determined to get on with teaching yourself how to get up and about. After mastering the whole rolling over and all around trick, you've been trying to crawl. You can't yet, and it frustrates you a lot. You've developed a sort of backstroke crawl, kicking yourself forward while arching your back, balancing on your head and toes. It's funny to watch, but you never seem to be having fun while doing it. I think it's you way of saying, look at me Mommy! Pick me up! Which of course I do. I give you my fingers to grip and you pull yourself up to sitting. That satisfied you for a while. You can even sit on your own already! But in the past week, when you pull yourself up to sitting, you thrust out your legs and pull up to stand! But you can't stay standing for long, your knees buckle and then straighten and you do this sort of bobbing/hopping dance. You just want to be upright on your own, you're so determined but you really can't do it yet. Don't worry sweetie, there will be time enough to learn to stand and walk. Believe me once you've learned, you'll wish you were still carried or wheeled around everywhere like you are now.



It's really cute though that you've discovered your feet. About three weekends ago, you raised them in the air and looked at them like, What are these? And grabbed them with your hands and led them straight to your mouth. Just like you do with everything else these days (cloth diapers, toys, my fingers, everything must be tasted). Now you and your feet are best friends. You love waving them in the air, and grabbing them and putting them in your mouth and rolling around with them. Ah feet! Lovely wonderful baby feet! Perhaps you thought, well, Mommy keeps kissing my feet and putting them in her mouth, why shouldn't I? Why not indeed? After all, you're not walking on the floor yet, so they're not dirty. And yes, they are very very yummy.



Speaking of putting things in your mouth, this month was also all about drool. Lots and lots of baby drool. So drooly are you that a bib is practically a permanent part of your everyday outfit because otherwise, you would be permanently dressed in wet clothes. Wet as in just-poured-a-glass-of-water-down-your-front wet. Fortunately, Lola Cora brought home a lot of colorful bibs from the states, and Ninang Judy gave you a number of really cute ones that are eerily accurate. One of them says "My finger may be small but I can still wrap my Daddy around it." And you absolutely can. Especially in the mornings, when you both rise bright and early with the sun, and Mommy is still reeling from a night of interrupted slumber, the two of you have your early morning chats. He tickles you and you kick him until it's time to go downstairs and let Mommy have her sleep.



Last weekend we went to Puerto Galera the long way with long drives, boat rides, zigzagging in mountains on rough roads. But you took it all in stride, not complaining at all, except the time I wasn't able to feed you before leaving the Batangas Pier and you cried and cried yourself to sleep on the Star Tollway. But aside from that, you were happy all the way, either sleeping or watching the scenery. You let anyone and everyone carry you and you slept well on your first overnight away from home. All our friends doted on you and you enjoyed swimming and playing in the sand. This bodes really well for future family trips. And there will be many because this is a family that travels.

At home I can sense you being more and more aware of the things around you. Aside from your penchant for sticking everything you can get your hands on into your mouth, you really look at things and observe intently. You smile when you see me or your yaya or someone you like. You always want to be in the noisiest part of the room and be included in big people's activities. There are times when you are downstairs with your yaya and you yell and complain until she thinks you're hungry so she brings you upstairs to me. And when you're upstairs you smile brightly at me and stop complaining. You're not hungry, you just want to be with me. And that is really touching because I love being with you too.



On quiet afternoons when you are not hungry or sleepy or restless and just peaceful and calm, I like turning off the TV and ignoring my phones and just lying beside you and staring at your face. I would tell you how much I love you and then I kiss you and you smile. It is in moments like those (which happen almost everyday) that I feel so blessed that I don't have to be anywhere else except with you. My dearest, darling, Desi, you make motherhood what it should be.


Love, Mommy