Chiara - Month One

Welp. Chiara is over a year old now and I found this sitting in my drafts. LOL. Hitting publish anyway. 

Luca - Month 12

Our year with Luca has been so whimsical and filled with magic. There have been rough moments too - how else are we do recognize the good if we didn't have bad, right? But right now, as I type, I'm hard-pressed to remember those. It's some sort of mommy amnesia I'm sure. Wait, let me think. Yep, I can think of a few. I'll save those for another post. Right now it's all about how wonderfully our baby is thriving.



On his first birthday, he still had no teeth. But about a week later, my mom spotted a little white nub poking through the front of his bottom jaw. He's not a fan of opening his mouth for us to peer inside but I can feel that sharp little point with my finger.

He is cruising around the furniture now, holding on while "walking" around the room on his feet. He is extremely fast while crawling. I need to basically jog to keep up if I'm not paying attention. I think he waits for me to look away for a second and then he revs up his engine to get as far away as possible before I notice. It's funny. He makes a long wheezy noise with a sharp intake of breath as he scuttles away, gaping wide drooly smile. Sometimes he'll actually try to be quiet as he crawls so slowly away but as soon as he notices I see him, he makes that funny noise and goes faster. He'll crawl over and hold up his arms to be picked up now too. That's kind of new-ish. He might have been doing that the previous month. I can't remember!





He kisses us on the cheek if we ask for a one. His kisses are really just him touching our face with his open mouth and making a "mwah!" sound. They're really slimy. But I love them. For a while there, he thought kisses were head butts. I think he was confusing the head movement with the more nuanced lips part of a kiss. He still does a head butt when he likes something in particular or is really happy. In fact, when he first saw the big Mickey Mouse doll that Alps and Tesh gave him for his 1st birthday, he touched his forehead to Mickey's forehead. The sweetest thing to see. But it can get him into trouble too because he can't really control the force of the head touch. For example yesterday, at Din Tai Fung, he was in the high chair and so excited to be be sitting up at the table with us, he did a head butt right into the table. He was NOT happy after that.







He loves the porridge my parents make for him. They call it baby food because they blend it up into a mush. It's filled with wholesome, fresh ingredients. Meat, veggies, rice, broth. My dad makes the broth from scratch using bones. Sometimes they'll use fish. In fact, Luca hates the store bought baby-food that has meat in it but he yells for more of the porridge. I've tasted it and it's really quite delicious.

His hair is long and I don't want to cut it.

He says dada and mama consistently. He is babbling up a storm now. He makes inflections like he is asking questions, like "da da da daaa?" He'll flip through his books and just spout gibberish. Well, gibberish to us. I'm sure it totally make sense to him.

He loves to watch other kids but doesn't really have a chance to interact with them. We have to be better about booking playdates!

He LOVES books. So much that he eats them. That part is probably because he's teething. His current favorites:

The Pout-Pout fish - he kisses his favorite pages! so cute.
Io Sono Piccola? (Italian/English)
Five Little Monkeys
Brown Bear Brown Bear - was the prime favorite for a long time but has fallen lower on the spectrum
If I were an Owl
Vroom Vroom Cars

I try showing him television sometimes but he's not that into it. Though, I did show him Sesame Street for the first time last week - when he saw Big Bird for the first time he let out a gleeful laugh.

He's all about tossing things. He takes each one of the nesting buckets and tosses them. Sometimes he'll put things back into the container. Then take it right back out and toss it. And he loves to hand items to us. In fact, he'll hand us something only to immediately reach out to ask for it back, and then hand it right back to us less than 2 seconds later.

Impossibly, he still loves peek-a-boo.

He loves it when I sing two specific songs to him: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Itsy Bitsy Spider. I always incorporate the hand gestures I learned in grade school. I marvel that I still remember them. My mom asked the other day how I knew those songs and to make the hand movements. I told her I learned them in grade school. "And now you're singing them to your child," she said. Seems like a simple statement to you but my mom never says things like this. She is not outwardly nostalgic or sentimental in any way. It was a brief but nice moment.



Here's a bit of insight into these monthly sessions. We need to be so quick and it takes quite a few shutter clicks to get one I'm happy with. It takes quite a bit of time to edit through the photos in the end as well. Which is why I'm not sure whether I'll be continuing this monthly tradition. Maybe I'll switch it up - a portrait every 3 months? Do we use the same chair?



Here's a link to the entire set of photos.

Luca - Month 11

Impossible. How does time speed up when all I want is more of it? Look at our boy. He is certainly looking the part. Where did the baby go?



I just wanted to get these photos posted. I may or may not come back and try to remember things. It all depends on that precious, precious, elusive thing: time. Right? But the main thing is that our baby is thriving and I'm so grateful.















See more photos from this session here.

Luca - Month 10

Luca is full on crawling now. So quick! In fact, he feet are always moving. It's impossible to get a non-blurry photo of him. And he's so fidgety like his dad.

Note from 1/22/14: Luca crawled for real today! He might have done it earlier in the day at mom's house but tonight was the first time we saw it.

Sometimes he tries to sneak off to where he knows we don't want him to go. He is so quietly creeping along while we're not looking. When he sees us catch him, he throws one backwards glance, breaks into a giant smile and then SPEEDS UP before we've even said anything! He's trying to reach his destination before we stop him! Oh boy. A bit of insight into the mischief we'll be dealing with in the future...



He reaches out his hand for things he sees and wants.

Note from 1/24/13: Luca saw the stars for the first time. When he did he stretched his arms up and reach out to them with his little hands. This was last week, maybe Monday?

He waves back! And if he's real excited, he'll wave both hands.



Not sure why but he hates having his diaper changed. Like nearly red-faced screaming hate. We're perplexed and not really sure what to do about it.



He's having the beginnings of separation anxiety and stranger aversion. He used to go with just about anyone. But just recently he has begun to pout and cry if we hand him off to someone he hasn't immediately connected with. He'll usually warm up but it takes a little bit now. Of course, it's the worst if he is tired. I SO get the whole nap schedule thing. It's like this tenuous dance between almost tired and too tired. He just isn't quite his jolly self if he misses a nap or hasn't napped enough.

of course this means he's finally a napper! Unfortunately his naps are fairly short and he needs all sorts of assistance to stay asleep (bouncing). I really didn't want to fall into the trap where our baby needs to be bounced in order to fall asleep but it just sort of happened.



I think we will start weaning him when he turns one. My milk may dry up before then but that is the current goal. He is eating a lot of food now so I don't think the transition will be too difficult. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. No teeth yet but he's doing fine gumming all sorts of food. He still loves oranges! And congee. And...anything savory. I've relented on the no salt rule. He still doesn't get a lot of it but it just didn't seem right to keep him on super bland stuff. I'm trying to share our food as much as possible right now so his palate opens up before he starts getting picky. I'm still strict about no processed sugar though.

He loves his Po Po (my mom)! It's so cute to see him watch her when she gets up to leave the room or reach out to her from across the room to be picked up. Of course, when he's at her house, he is always held. But I guess that's what grandmas do right? His Gong Gong (my dad) have a sweet reporte as well. My dad isn't really strong enough to pick Luca up or hold him a long time, but he does interact with him. My dad puts his hand out for Luca who will reach out to touch it.



See the other few photos that are part of this set here. I'm definitely unable to blog as much as before but Instagram has become my creative outlet. I post a lot on there. So follow me if you want. That is where most of my Luca photos end up! @elauinc

Luca - Month 8 + 9

Again, impossible to remember details any more. But right now, right this moment, Luca is just days from crawling. He gets on all fours and kind of wobbles back and forth and scoots one knee forward, but then drops onto his tummy to slide himself forward via an army crawl of sorts. He can get around the house like that. But maybe he never will properly crawl because he's pulled himself up onto his feet in front of the couch and in his crib. So maybe he will walk before crawling? We hold his hands and he can pull himself onto his feet, and we walk him around while holding his hands - he goes really quickly actually. His little legs move in a quick march.

Note from 12/31/13: Luca almost climbed out of his crib today. He also learned how to fling food with his spoon and get to a sitting position from his tummy. It was a big day! We dropped his mattress lower to nearly the last position. Oh my. His crib looks so big and cavernous now.

Still no teeth but oh so close! It's like he goes through bouts of teething and then the angst subsides but still no teeth. That's ok though. For now, I'm quite loving that gaping gummy smile. Also, he bites when he nurses and it already hurts so much!

I'm giving him all kinds of food to taste now. He really likes tangerines and blackberries. And LOVES water.

Note from 12/26/13: Luca learned how to use a straw today!

He's learned how to suck out of the baby food packets which makes it so much easier. Though, it is quite messy the second he's done eating but there's still some left in the pouch. Basically he sucks it into his mouth and then squirts it out of his mouth. Sometimes he'll spit it out via making raspberries. I'm still pumping at work but my supply is way down. I'm trying to get it back up using fenugreek and Mother's Milk tea. It's kind of stressful because I want to avoid formula. We'll see. We're thinking of weaning by the time he turns 1 - only 3 more months!



He experienced his first cold while on our trip in Las Vegas. Which of course made it not really a vacation after all.

Sometimes, when he's really happy about something, he does this cute little wiggle and smile. It's so good. And his squeal! eeeeek! So loud! When he does it in public, I think it must annoy people. But I LOVE it so much. It's the sound of joy emitting from that little person and I kind of egg him on instead of shushing him. Also, he's been making the bub-bub-bub sound using this fingers and hand on this mouth. And he likes to put his open mouth on our arms and then lift his head up real quick while making a noise with his mouth. mmmmmm...bah!

We removed the little stopper in his whale tub since he's sitting up now. I think we'll try bubble-bath soap this Sunday.

He's really strong. And he's scratching a lot with his razor sharp nails. And slapping our faces. He just doesn't get that what he's doing hurts. Or maybe he does?

He has developed quite the flirty side to the ladies and we've caught him watching as a young girl walks by.





His little mustache is fading.

Luca - Month 6 + 7

It's been a bit of a blur the last couple of months. Work has been so busy and Luca has been developing so quickly. My brain and body are both a bit spent. But my heart. How is it possible to fall in love every single day? I'm feeling very guilty for not documenting how Luca has been changing but at the same time, I just can't seem to get to it. I've been feeling like I have so few minutes to "waste," experiencing the time as it passes becomes preeminent to using any for blogging. I'm sure this will change as I become less obsessed with everything Luca. Right? Right?

But, I will try to recount some of what has happened. And totally out of order because I'm too tired to sift through the foggy brain to be exact. I did manage to take a few notes on my cell so I have those dates at least.





First night in his crib (October 5)

Note from that night:

We put Luca in bed in his crib for the first time just now. It's way past his bedtime but we had gone out for dinner with Jenny and Chi to celebrate Sergio's birthday and got home late. Then Luca just wasn't happy in the crib. Sergio bounced him to sleep in his bouncy chair. So many feelings. It had been a long time since I had nursed in the nursery. Doing that earlier tonight while knowing we were going to try the crib made me a little weepy. So many feelings and memories. Our room feels so empty.

First food: Avocado (October 10)

We had been holding back on giving him his first non-milk food until well into his 6th month. I was set on organic avocado and I never got around to the grocery store until maybe his 2nd week into his 6th month. We were so excited to try the baby-led method too. Sooooo, he wasn't a fan of food at the start. He made this funny grimace face and kind of gummed it and kind of squished it in his fingers (big fan of the squishing) and kind of smeared it all over his head. There might have been a few tears. Or more than few. Sigh.



Following in quick succession:

Sweet potato (tried twice and hated it twice. there might have been some screaming on this one. maybe.)
Rice cereal (yes. yum. especially if really watered down with milk. he's a carby dude after his mother.)
Banana (um. maybe? kinda? no?)
Zucchini (ugh)
Homemade veggie soup broth mixed with rice cereal (yes!)

So the key has been rice cereal (and being spoon fed). We've tried a couple types. We think he likes the more expensive brand (of course). It dissolves disarmingly quick and becomes this gummy consistency after too long. But it's supposed to be probiotic dha etc fortified etc. So that makes me glad. We put it into his bottle sometimes and he sucks it down. My mom has made the Chinese babyfood staple, jook or Congee. I guess he liked it when she made it a little thicker but refused when it was diluted. I also gave a bit to him during Dim Sum with his godparents and he seemed to enjoy it. I stopped after a few sips because of the salt and MSG. I'm sure once we introduce more flavor to the foods he'll be totally into it. For now, I guess he'll have to tolerate natural flavors for a bit. In fact, I'm hoping his first real sugar will be his first birthday cake. He'll get plenty of sodium and sugar the rest of his life. No need to start it off that way.



First word: Mama (September 14)

Note from that night:

Mama. Luca looked right at me and said mama.

He was sitting in his bouncy chair in front of the couch, facing us on Sergio's side, per usual. I was sitting in my usual spot. He turned to me and said it clear as day. Let me tell you - not sure there is a more special feeling than when your baby's eyes light up when he looks at you and calls out to you for the first time. We are trying to teach him "Papa" but I think "Dada" is easier for him - which he has said a few times. He has also said "Luca," of course. Probably half the words he hears is "Luca" in various inflections.



We celebrated Sergio's birthday without Luca - so grateful to my sis and Chi!

First sip of water (October 20)

Note from that day:

Luca's first drink of water! He sipped from my glass. He held the glass exactly like he should. He put his mouth to the rim like he should. I tipped the glass up so the water washed over his lower lip and he hungrily slurped at it. He did bit the rim. He doesn't have teeth yet but it still made me nervous. H was so disappointed when I took it away. It was like he wanted to quench 6 months of thirst.

Luca is now fortunate enough to have loving Godparents. We kicked off the hopefully lifelong relationship with dim sum!

Luca is now a regular fixture at the local artwalk. He's been to nearly all of them during his entire life so far.

Luca was a monkey for his first Halloween. The cutest monkey in all the land. But he hated it. The costume was just not comfortable. It was way too hot and kind of big for my little guy. The hood kept falling in front of his face. All the kids dressed up for a group photo at Jennie's birthday party. It was pretty darned adorable.



Sergio and I went to a proper pumpkin patch for the first time on October 12. Well, proper by L.A. standards. I suppose we could have driven out to a farm where we cut our own. This was way more fun. All the beautiful pumpkins were lined up by size and there were so many kinds of squash. We also had some fun navigating the corn maze. Luca fell asleep while we strolled around the field. Next year, I think he will be big enough to play a bit in the kiddie area. More photos later...



I brought him to work on the company potluck day. He was so popular. :) In general, most of our friends who hang out with him really do seem to love him.



He's sitting up so well now we can't have him in his chair without being strapped in. We now avoid the bumbo too because he's gotten kind of good at getting out of it.





He isn't crawling yet but is pretty mobile - spinning around on his belly. Also, rolling back and forth from belly to back to belly again somehow propels him forward. He's grabbing, pinching, scratching (our fault for not keeping his nails trimmed/filed), open-hand patting. He's also hit us in the face a few times - he just doesn't have control of his hands just yet. His chubby little fingers open and close when he tries to reach something and often inadvertently flicks the item further away. He gets frustrated sometimes and keeps reverting to his little airplane/superman trick, which doesn't get him anywhere. But then he'll put his face down, scoot his bottom up like an inchworm and suddenly he's moved a little further forward than before and can grab it!



His laugh!! Hearing that laugh as it evolves makes my heart melt. At first it was single little coughs as he pushed the laugh out. He would close his eyes, smile wide open and make a little cough. And then the excited squealing happened. Now he's connected the sounds and is laughing for real. I've recorded some of it. Also, looking at the cats makes him laugh.





He has been blowing raspberries so much lately. And he has this cute little owl hoot too. They both come an go almost daily. It's so cute. I know he's growing out of these little sounds so I try to capture them on audio at least.





Well. It's a pretty far into his 7th month - today is November 19. Hopefully my next post wont be so late. But then again, it probably will. He's already grown and changed so much just in the past 17 days.