Who Let the Dog Out?

Apparently, NO ONE let it out. Someone just threw a coconut at it. And that SOMEONE happened to be my dear son. So what happens when one does that? That someone can escape unscathed or that someone can get BIT. Sadly, the latter was what actually happened :( I've asked myself countless times how could that incident happen? We were just there. But they said boys will be boys and that one cannot be in the same place as your kid 100% of the time. I know that. But still, it was heartbreaking.
It happened last Holy Week in Tarlac while we were visiting my Tito Boy and Tita Susan. The dog, thankfully, is one of their pets. But to be sure, we brought the little guy to the nearest hospital and had him administered with the anti-rabies vaccine. Funny thing, after his initial drama over the dog bite, he was more upset over the fact that we CAN go home to Manila sooner than planned. Kids.

He was okay hours after the incident. He was off running and playing with his cousins again once we got back from the hospital. Understandably, he was a little wary of the dogs during our entire stay. His anti-rabies shot was completed middle of May. Now that it is over and done with, I'd like to share some things that I've learned:
1. After the bite, clean the wound with detergent soap.
2. Have the first anti-rabies vaccine as soon as possible. Rush to the nearest hospital or Animal Bite Center.
3. Within a week from the incident, the doctors will recommend that you take the human rabies immunoglobulin. Lucas was given Berirab. This one's expensive and the dosage depends on the weight of the patient. Lucas was given two vials. Given the cost, we had to verify with JJ's cousin if we really had to give it to Lucas. Unfortunately for our pockets, Kuya Larry said it is much better to have it. Better safe then sorry right?
4. If you're from the South, you can go to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for the succeeding anti-rabies vaccines. The cost is 50% less compared to hospitals. You just have to be there early to line up. You may reach RITM at 809-75-99 for any queries.
5. You can get the vaccines for free. Contact your municipal health centers. I inquired from the Muntinlupa City Hall and the procedure goes like this:
 - Go to your Barangay Health center and secure an endorsement
 - Go to the City Health Center to secure approval
 - Once you secure the City Health Center's approval, you may proceed to the Bayanan Health Center where they administer the vaccine or RITM if the Bayanan Health Center runs out of the vaccine.
But please, if you can afford to pay for the vaccine, please go to RITM instead of availing the shots for free. Other people who cannot afford the shots might need it more than you do. Please also note that the procedure is different per municipality.

So there. Hope this post helps.

His First Time...

The happy momma in me just have to post pics of Lucas's first time as coin bearer. Thank you Tito Arianne and Tita Arhel. It was a lovely wedding and I only wish the best for the newlywed couple :)

 While waiting for the ceremony to begin

 You guessed right. Bribery going on here

 He followed the photographer's instructions during the pictorials :)

 See?

 Lucas to his Daddy: Daddy, I want to ride the horse please...

 With Marcel's little Z

Yup, they danced the night away

Conversations with Lucas

Lucas loves watching Thomas the Tank Engine videos in Youtube. He specially loves product reviews. One time, he was watching a review of a new line released in other countries but not yet available here.
Lucas: Daddy, Mommy, buy me Thomas Track Master.
Me: Naku, anak. Hindi pa yan available dito. We cannot buy yet.
Lucas: Mom! Office Ebay!
*Oo nga naman. Puede sa ebay.

****
In our bedroom, all lights off. JJ and I were trying to sleep na. Of course, si Lucas rin dapat about to sleep na. Mukhang hindi pa siya antok so he kept moving.
Me: Lucas, anak, sleep na. Late na. Close your eyes na.
Lucas: Mom, I can't do it! Look! My eyes won't close! They won't close mom!
*Hay...

****
After dinner, I prepared Lucas's bath. I went to our bedroom to call him. He was just watching TV (nakataas pa ang kamay).
Me: Lucas, time for bath na. Halika na.
Lucas: Mooom, I am too busy...
*Kaloka. Too busy watching TV???

****
Out of the blue....
Lucas: Mom, I want to go to Toy Storyland in Hong Kong Disneyland!!!!
Me: Hmm, okay. But anak, kailangan natin mag-save, that's expensive eh (but I was wondering san niya kaya nakuha ang idea na ito)
A few days later, JJ and I were in our bedroom and Lucas came in shouting...
Lucas: Mom, Dad. Come on... Come here.. Toy Storyland!!
We went in the living room and he showed us Toy Storyland. Aba, commercial pala sa Disney Channel. Open na daw ang Toy Storyland in Hong Kong Disneyland....
*Feeling ata ng anak ko parang gala lang sa Glorietta yun...

Yey!

Guess who's included in the list of Qualified Examinees...

Yey!!!

7 Working Days 'Til We Know

Lucas will turn four (4) years old in August. It means that we MUST enroll him to Nursery Class this coming school year. The hunt for a preschool began late last year and well, we sort of decided where we want him to go.

We submitted the requirements last weekend (with Lucas thinking that he IS going to school that day. He was kinda disappointed when we trooped to the car after showing him the preschool area) and his entrance test/interview was scheduled today.

No parents were allowed inside the testing area and I was a little nervous, thinking he might refuse to go inside without me or his daddy in tow. I was pleasantly surprised when he went with the Teacher who called the kids inside to begin the "test". While waiting, JJ tried to listen to what's going on inside and he came back reporting that he heard several "Lucas" and "Let's see who's behaving/ sitting down properly" from the test administrator. Oh dear.

After about forty minutes, the doors opened with Teacher ushering the kids outside (there were three of them who took the "test"). Lucas came out smiling (which I hope is a good sign) while presenting me with his test permit with a writing that says "results will be out after seven working days".

It will be a long week.... we are just hoping that our little boy made the cut. This experience left me wondering whether parents these days (us included) are putting too much pressure on our kids and ourselves! particularly when it comes to school and learning. Hmm, are we????

Lucas and his "Tubs"

Lucas loves to "swiimmm", as he calls bath time. Here's a peek at how he's grown in the past years, as seen in his "tubs".

With Daddy at 6 months.

Kasyang-kasya pa sa baby bath tub niya

 At a little more than a year old.

Na-discover na niya ang wonders ng timba.

  Before turned two.

Kasya pa rin sa magic timba.

At three years old, ito ang dialogue niya kadalasan habang nakababad sa magic timba:

Lucas: Mommy, help me. I am stuck. (in short, hindi na siya kasya)

Ang solusyon: gumamit ng batya :)



Astronaut

Lucas and I were looking out the window, marveling at the full moon. All of a sudden, he says...
Lucas: Mommy, let's go to space Mars!
Me: Oh, you want to go to Mars...
Lucas: Yes, Mommy... Mars
Me: What are you going to wear?
Lucas: Hmmm.... a jacket! A helmet and.... 'jamas! ('jamas = pajamas)
Me: Ok, but you have to study hard to be an astronaut.Ok?

Lucas: Ok, mommy...

~*~

Lucas's 3rd Birthday Celebration

Lucas's 3rd birthday celebration was simple, with dinner at home with the family. We had the usual children's party food like fried chicken and spaghetti. Lucas's cake was Shopwise's yummy and moist chocolate cake.

Here are several pics from my son's birthday celebration:

 Horsing around while waiting for dinner

With Mommy

with his cake

I know... cute, right?

Blow...

With Ate Denny

Opening Ninong B's gift

Wow! It's Stanley

Ang daling kumiss at yumakap ah...

Track's been there for almost a year now... at mukhang hindi siya madi-dismantle anytime soon

Happy Birthday baby... we love you!

Happy 3rd Birthday Lucas :)

Happy happy birthday sweetheart.

You are so kulit these days and you try Mommy and Daddy's patience everyday. But despite Mommy's kasungitan sometimes, know that I love you with all my heart.

Making Faces

Recently, I noticed that Lucas loves having his picture taken. For fun, I  thought I'd ask him to make different faces. And I was happy he obliged. Take a look.....

 This is SAD :(

 This is ANGRY >(

This is HAPPY :)

~ * ~

After a while, he asked me to take pictures of him with some of his trains...

 With Toby

 With James...

To say that he loves Thomas the Tank Engine and the other trains is an understatement (and I believe deserves a separate post). Fellow n@wie Leslie surely understands. We saw them at Amici in ATC last weekend. Lucas saw Kuya Jared playing with Henry. My little boy HAD to go near him. Ending, they swapped trains while we're all eating. After the meal, it was time to swap trains :) Thank you Kuya Jared. See you guys in our next playdate.

Borrowed Henry

~ * ~

To end this, I'd like to share with you our recent conversations with Lucas:

Mommy just got home from work...

Mommy: Lucas! What did you to today?

Lucas: (tapping his chin with his forefinger) Hmmm... let's see....

:) 

On our way to the parking lot from Robinson's Department Store where Lucas was crying /begging  so we'd buy him James. We are to meet Tito B near the parking lot.

Lucas: Mommy, buy James. Please. Buy James.. (may konting iyak pa ito)

Mommy: We will buy James on your birthday ok?

Lucas: Ok...

Here comes Tito B...

Lucas: B, buy James?

:) baka nga naman makalusot

*****

Hope you guys had a nice weekend.

My Yayo :)

What do you have when your husband is in between jobs? Yup, you got yourself one trusty caregiver.

Daddy often takes Lucas to Jollibee where the little boy enjoys his favorite meal.

 When daddy gets bored, he brings Lucas to the mall.

 Daddy and son date in Glorietta

 In Makati, where Lolo G had a business meeting.

 Daddy was walking a few meters away from Little Mr. Independent. At least twice, people stopped by to ask if Lucas was accompanied by an adult.

 Where are you going little guy?

~*~

I am sure Lucas will miss spending time with his daddy when the husband starts working again in July. In the mean time, I am kinda glad JJ's with Lucas as I am swamped with work these days. At least I feel less guilty going home late most days.

Conversations with Lucas

At Amici in ATC while eating gelato. Lucas drops his spoon.
Lucas: Oh no Mommy...
Mommy: It's okay. I have two. I'll give you one. (I gave him the pink spoon)
Lucas: No Mommy. Don't like pink. Don't like pink Mommy...
Mommy: Oh okay. You can have the green one....

~*~
Mommy: Ladies and gentlemen, here is Lucas Ethan Vallesteros!!!!
Lucas: Thank you, thank you...
Lucas: (mejo bulol) Ladies and gentlemen, here is Mommy Ethan Vallesteros!!!!
Mommy: Nya!
Pati si JJ, Daddy Ethan Vallesteros daw :) hehehe...

Little Snippets

... from our past weeks

 Little boy playing with our camera....

 Lola E's reading glasses.

The lens were removed. He's wearing only the frame



Cuteness

~ *~

An afternoon at the park. Said park is a short walk away from our home. Makes you wonder why we don't visit often. Hmm, made we wonder too...

 Baligtad ata ito...

 Lucas: Slowly daddy slowly... Faster daddy faster faster

 I always pray that Lucas will grow up "close" to Daddy and Mommy.. (ok, puede rin kay Mommy lang... :) joke.)

See-saw fun...

~ * ~

And quoting my son as he closes a book after reading, "The End!"

Another Milestone

Guess who sat by  himself on a dentist chair? Guess who let the dentist clean his teeth without Daddy and Mommy's assistance and without making a fuss (read: not even a single tear!)? :)

 .. and we couldn't be happier :) We were so proud of him.

Daddy JJ was happy because he was dreading the part of the dental visit where he has to control all of Lucas' 20 kilos from squirming as the dentist goes about her task of cleaning and checking Lucas' teeth.

It was a surprise, really. I told him days before that we will go the dentist in a couple of days where his teeth will be brushed and cleaned. He just kept on saying, "Ok Mommy" whenever the upcoming appointment was mentioned to him so I took his reply with a grain of salt and just expected the worst.

But then, he willingly sat on the chair and the rest is one-mom's-proud-moment history.

~ * ~

Can I add that he's potty trained already? Yey! to savings from nappies...

Next mission is to have him speak Filipino. I asked Ate Denny to speak to him in Filipino (to enforce the one person, one language rule) but then he says, "No, Ate Denny, don't like it... don't like it" when she speaks to him in Filipino. Hay, next move is for me to be the designated person to speak to him in Filipino.

Let me know if you have any other tips :)

Lucas and Fruits

... are NOT compatible!!! It is really a challenge for me to get him to eat fruits. Before, he will occasionally eat mangoes. But that is it. His regular "fruit" intake comes in the form of fruit juices that he loves. But the sugar content of those can make one cry. And the sucralase content of those low sugar fruit drinks scare me.

A fellow n@wie posted her Magic Kong Pop as a way of making her toddler eat veggies. Read her post here. I read it last year and forgot about it until my chance encounter with a popsicle mold in Robinson's Galleria last February. I bought the popsicle maker and made my first set of popsicles.

My popsicle recipe:
Del Monte Four Seasons Fruit juice as base - it has a pretty strong color and it masked the fruits that I added
mangoes ( 1 slice)
papayas (about a cup)

I just placed them all in a blender and liquified the mixture. I tasted it and added water as I found it too sweet at first. Then I put the mixture in the mold and placed the mold in our freezer.

The next day, I am happy to report that the dear little boy ate it :) It was a little messy but at least he got to eat fruits!

 Ice cream Mommy!

Yum yum 

 Lick it...

Gone!

I hope the novelty of it won't wear off too soon. We'll see as my next batch is waiting in our freezer.