23 Months

Dearest Asherito,

We saw you over the last month getting more matured in terms on how you try to converse with us. Well, you can not exactly express yet through words your thoughts but your efforts are great and you're inch by inch getting there. Even though sometimes, your delighted shrieks and loud mumbles can be very irritating and deafening, I love your jolly spirit so by all means, feel free to be noisy. As you turn 2 years old in less than a month, I'm so excited to hear you talk more. I can't wait to see see you getting better and better with your vocabulary day by day. Although I know that in the following weeks and months, we will see you rowdier and we're very sure that our patience will be tested to the limit, I'm ready to witness another chapter of your toddler life. I'm so ready to guide you and be with you on every discovery and learning.

Here are things I noted about you on your 23rd month (Jan 2 - Feb 2):

1. Just like December, you were not in the best health in January. You got tonsilitis and your asthma was triggered again. You didn't get admitted but the duration of your cough was a bit longer. Mommy decided that we see a specialist that can help you better on your asthma. Glad we met Dra. Rivera (a pedia pulmonologist at UST) because the prescribed corticosteroids and bronchodilator certainly did wonders and you got better. Hopefully, the treatment will challenge your asthma and you totally recover from it. By the way, save for the x-ray procedure, you're really one brave little boy whenever you're seen by a doctor. You comply to the doctor's instruction to "breathe in and breathe out" by doing your "smelling trick". You also stick out your tongue when the doctor wishes to see your tonsils and sits still when she takes a peek inside your ears.

2. You didn't gain much weight last month but you're still one active boy. You insist on climbing the stairs by yourself. You love to keep on running and jumping and even though you're already panting and tired, you never run out of energy, it seems. Even a bruise or a tiny booboo when you stumble can't stop your energy.

3. Daddy was delighted to see how you are able to throw the ball the way a basketball player shoots. He says you're an athlete in the making and Dad's looking forward to the time when you can play together.

4. You have developed love for numbers, too. You can not count yet from 1 to 5 but it's amazing of you to say "two" whenever you see things or animals in partner. You also say "two" or signal "five" through your hands when you hear the questions "how many", "what time" and "how much".

5. It's heart warming to see how you've develop compassion sympathy. You say "wawa" (short for "kawawa") when you see an animal being preyed and eaten on the Animal Planet channel or an injured person around you.

6. You're still a water baby and I think you will be for the rest of your life. You say "wow!" in delight whenever you see waterfalls (like the one in SM's Skygarden) or even pools and tiny ponds. I'm certain that you will run towards them if we let you go and the next second will be us witnessing having a splash or playing with those pond filters.

7. It's also amazing how you associate the correct owners of the things (cellphone, clothes and even glasses) to the people in the house. You love hanging out in the balcony where the clothesline is and enumerate the owners as you point to the hanging clothes.

8. You now decide which clothing you will wear, otherwise, you and yayie end up debating and you fussing when you don't want the apparel that we've prepared for you. You also get to choose which pair of shoes or slippers to wear before going out of the room.

9. You're almost fully potty trained now. You say "Mama, wee-wee" when you feel your bladder is full and "Mama, poopoo" when feeling like doing number 2. We didn't have any little accidents in the last couple of months so we're saving a lot on diapers.

10. You note the absence of things like saying "na na" (short for "wala na").

11. There are only 2 things that scare you: 1. a mascot (even if it's your favorite Jollibee) and 2. the deafening and jolting sound of fireworks.

12. You love requesting Mommy and Daddy make a pig doodle while singing the "Small circle, small circle, big circle.." nursery rhyme.

12. The latest additions to your vocabulary are the following:
- "big" which you pronounce as "bik"
- "opo" as a sign of respect when answering the adults
- "Bo" for "Bro"
- "You" for "I love you"
- "baby"
- "Nong nong" for "Ninong"
- "Tata" for "Tita"
- "Wa" or "Ya" for Kuya
- "Wowo" for "Lolo"
- from "lra-lra" your term for Lola now is "Wawa"