Rian's Milestones

After two weeks, Rian will celebrate her very first birthday! And as her mommy, I'm very excited and proud of her!  Over a year, Rian has grown to be a cute baby who has a strong personality but with a very big heart.  She knows what she wants and would not stop wailing until she gets it.  But she's also a loving baby who shows affection to those around her by showering them with smiles and kisses.

Looking back, she has developed a lot and probably already absorbed much information about the world she's living in.  Therefore I would like to share with you some of her baby milestones.

At O months, she already had strong ligaments, and could stretch her arms outside the receiving blanket which enveloped her whole body.  She liked sleeping with her arms stretched out.  When she turned 1 month, she liked sleeping on her side. 

On her 2nd month, a funny thing happened while I was breastfeeding her...she suddenly smiled at me.  As in a big grateful smile. On her 3rd month, she started smiling frequently, especially when I was making faces infront of her.  It became our special playtime.

When Rian turned 4 months old, she began practicing to sit, and she already raises her head and chest when put on tummy.  She also began babbling...a beginning of being a noisy baby. Haha!  She also began recognizing sounds, like Spongebob opening music (her favorite cartoon!).  But she didn't anymore startle to familiar sounds like the opening of the door or someone talking, probably because she already knew them.  Rian was a breastfed baby, but when she turned 4 months, I tried to wean her...and it was very stressful because she really wanted my milk.  I told her
that she should know how to drink milk from the bottle so we can travel outside the house.  After a month, she already became comfortable with bottles, though I alternate breastfeeding and bottle feeding.  It was after her 5th month when she decided to stop breastfeeding.  When I totally stopped breasfeeding her (since she didn't anymore wanted to drink from me), I wept a little because I felt like my baby's beginning to be an independent being.  I was quite hurt but very happy at the same time (at last, no breast pads anymore!).

It was Rian's 5th month when she was baptized.  After being baptized, we occasionally started travelling and going to malls, especially when we do shopping.  I observed that whenever Rian goes to a new place, she poops!  Haha!  On her 5th month, she could already sit with support and began talking endlessly, her favorite was: aba aba aba aba!, especially when she was angry.

2009 came to an end on her 5th month and she already celebrated Mother's Day, my 28th birthday, her first Trick or Treat, and her first Christmas.

Rian's 6th month-- the time I introduced solid foods to her.  Her very first solid food was Cerelac (Wheat and Milk).  After a while I introduced to her the mashed potato and carrot.  She loved the carrot very much, but not the potato (though she still ate it, but her face changed to an expression of  dislike).  I tried making porridge but I couldn't perfect it. On her 8th to 9th month, she started to eat soft biscuits.  Well, she liked to eat whatever things she got in her hands!

It was also in her 6th month when we bought her a walker, but she learned to walk fast the next month.  The next thing we knew, she wanted to walk without a walker, but with someone just holding her hands.  On her 10th month, her favorite was to climb up and down the stairs! I don't know why she didn't get tired climbing on the stairs...but one thing I know for sure, it was a very tiring activity for the one who's holding her hands while walking up and down!  Rian was also a fast crawler especially when she turned 10 months.  Aside from that, she also learned to stand up with support and even walk sideways, cruising on furnitures and bed.  Wow, my baby becomes more and more mobile!  I can just imagine how she would be when she learn to walk on her own...I'm sure running and hiding would be her favorite activities!

On her 10th month, she learned to give her loved ones kisses, which was very sweet.  Everytime my husband and I came home from the office, her eyes would lighten up and her smile would be very big.  And most of all, she would give us her kisses.  A very sweet baby she is, isn't she? Aside from giving kisses, she also learned how to dance...and I call her dance, the Spongebob dance (because her dance looked like dancing Spongebob on the Spongebob Birthday Bop commercial on TV 5).  Whenever she hears any kind of happy music, she would eventually dance.  But when she hears a sad song (like a very slow version of Twinkle Twinkle, she would cry sadly).  She also knew who her mommy and daddy are.  She would sa mamamama  and dadadada.  Sometimes she says other babbling words when she's angry.  Actually, she's more madaldal to her daddy than to me. I guess, she wanted to talk to a quiet person like him than to a madaldal person like me.  Haha!

Just like the other kids, her interest in things had grown widely.  She searches for things hidden and even peeks under my shirt to see what's in it (she even looks at my belly button to see what's in it!).  She already knows how to clap especially when someone's praising Very Good! to her.  She also knows how to point with her pointing finger (a skill which she will use when she grow up and tell us, mommy, daddy I want this!  I want that!).  Our sleep became less stressful because she already sleeps soundly throughout the night (and she learned how to sleep by herself too!).  She's more active in playing and she knows how to encourage the people around her to play with her.  Yup, her world now is all about playing.  That's why as a parent, I do my best to play with her but also instill some learnings through our play.

Rian, my birthday wish for you is to continue being a smart and loving baby that we always know.  I wish you good health in all aspects of your life-- physically, intellectually, socially, spiritually.  May God always bless you and give you happiness.  Your Mommy and Daddy will always be here to care for you and to keep you safe.  We love you very much, Rian.  Happy 1st brithday to you on June 19! Mwaaah ❤❤❤

Rian at 11 months