Justin can now recite numbers 1 to 20 in the blink of an eye. He can only identify numbers 1 to 8, however. Last night, while going through his Brainy Baby book on numbers, I asked him a question.

Mommy: “Baby, where is number 6?”

Justin’s eyes were actually fixed on numbers 9 and 10 at that time. He then turned the book upside down.

Justin: “Number 6, Mommy” (while pointing to the inverted number 9).

Chris of Mommy Journey gave me two awards: the Noblesse Oblige Award and the Honest Scrap Award. Thanks so much, Chris!



This Award is presented to bloggers who display consistency in any one or a combination of these conditions:
1. The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2. The Blog contents inspire, strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the Blog, one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4. The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:
1. Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2. The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3. Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older posts to support.
4. The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5. The Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

I am happy that my blog's stats has improved considerably since September of last year. This is due largely to my regular Entrecard droppers. I’m also glad to be meeting other mommy bloggers. I am passing on this award to Yin, Rachel, and Kaye.



The rules for the Honest Scrap award

A. first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
B. pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Here is my list:
1. I’m not very fond of flowers and chocolates.
2. Rice is my comfort food.
3. I’m not a techie person, but I’m willing to learn.
4. I’m poor at remembering friends’ birthdays.
5. I’m a paranoid mom.
6. I’m an Entrecard dropaholic.
7. If I have all the money in the world, I won’t work anymore. I’ll just take care of my son and blog.
8. After my open-head surgery, I became more afraid of doctors, hospitals and medical procedures.
9. I’m afraid of dogs. If I see dogs wandering on the streets, I always think they’re going to bite me.
10. I get really upset when I don’t have Internet connection for two reasons: (a) I can’t work and (b) I can’t blog.

I’m giving this award to Wenchie, Chateau, Cookie, Gigi, Ibyang, Mitch and Phoebe.

My son Justin, now two years and six months old, is more clingy than ever to mommy. This shift in behavior actually started when his yaya (nanny) went home to the province last December and never came back. Perhaps, he felt he lost a mother figure there.

In the morning when he wakes up, the first person he seeks is me. When he rouses from sleep without me by his side, he cries and desperately looks for me. At night, when I’m still doing some household chores and it’s his bedtime already, he throws a tantrum, wails violently and wouldn’t stop until I come to his rescue.

I’m a work-at-home mom, and I’ve been working in our bedroom since July of last year without my son’s knowledge. This means I’m able to overhear the conversations going on in the living room between my son and his grandparents. Every day, he repeatedly asks his lolo and lola if I’m arriving anytime soon even when I’ve just been gone for a few minutes.

I know my son loves me very much, judging from the way he always wants to be with me. And I don’t have a problem with that because I love him to the hilt and there’s nothing I want more than to spend most, if not all, of my time with him. But this extreme “clinginess” has its downsides, too, such as I can’t do anything for myself anymore.

I can’t stay long in the bathroom because he’d be pounding on the door nonstop. I can’t take a nap when I want to because he’d try his best to open my eyes and make me watch him as he plays or urges me to play with him. I can’t talk to anybody for longer than 3 minutes because he wants my full attention.

My little one simply knocks the life out of me sometimes. Not that I’m complaining.

I have joined Chris’ Mommy Moments with the January 16 theme of “First Picture of Your Kid/s.” I saw the first pictures of other blogging moms’ kids, and I also wanted to share my son’s first photo.


Here's Justin Edward Figuerres’ first picture taken a few minutes after I delivered him via caesarean section. He was born on July 7, 2006, 8:16am, weighing 5lbs. and 10 ozs.

And here was Justin sleeping snugly afterwards.


If you want to join Mommy Moments, please visit Chris' The Mommy Journey.