Quiet Sunday

We did not have anything planned last Sunday. After breakfast, the sun was up, a rare occasion these days, so I decided to bring Kimi to the small park across our house and for a short walk around the block -- our bonding time sort of since I work full-time. I quickly dressed him in several layers of clothes and jacket, prepared his small bag and ‘smart’ trike, and in less than 15 minutes, I was already pushing him. Have to move fast. The dark clouds might come anytime -- as you might know Melbourne and surrounds including Geelong is notorious for its four seasons in one day.

The walk to the park was great. Kimi was excited as always. He was even glancing and giggling back at me while I was pushing him and his trike. I put him in the swing and I told him to hold the side straps tight while I was also holding his hands then lightly swing him. He loved it! I found a front strap to buckle him up a bit. After a few more swings and enough confidence, I slowly let him go that I was able to snap photos of him.

He moved his feet and body to fit between the strap and the swing. (Imagine him inching and wriggling his body). I knew right then and there that he wanted to walk around so I unlocked the buckle around his waist and put him down.

He went straight to the seesaw and I positioned and held him to make sure he would not fall over. After a while, he motioned to go down. He explored the area, ran after me, and laughed his heart out.

After a few more minutes, the wind was getting strong so I decided to start our walk around the block before eventually heading home in time for his morning nap. He enjoyed the walk, smiling to everyone that walked past and saying aw aw! to the dogs.

Upon arriving home, he probably missed his Tatay (dad in Filipino) that he went to him for a cuddle straightaway and slept in his arms. They were such a bliss to watch, isn't it?


Life is tough moving away from our comfort zones, leaving family and friends behind, starting anew. However, simple outing like this makes me like living in Australia. The open spaces and parks and the priority they put on families and raising kids are really great -- something that can outweigh the benefit of access to affordable nannies in the Philippines. :)

My Shoes Please

As I have mentioned before, Kimi finds it difficult to speak yet. He is still babbling words we can't figure out and is using actions, gestures and all body language he could think of for us to understand him. He understands us pretty much though and follows our instructions, in both English and Filipino, most of the time especially when it favours him.

This is very evident a few days ago. When I came home, I found Kimi looking and waiting at the screen door while hubby is fixing something outside. He could not get out of the house and run after his Tatay (means father) since the screen door is locked. Had it not been locked with a key, he could easily open it by tip-toeing and slowly turning the door handle. I was really amazed when I first saw him do it a week ago. I was both proud and worried, though. Proud because he uses strategies to get what he is after and he doesn’t stop practising until he gets things right. Worried because he can easily get out of the house.

To continue, he was all smiles seeing me approaching. He probably knew that he could persuade me with his big hugs and masarap na kiss (sweet kiss) to carry him outside and see what Tatay was doing. He reached out his hand as if asking me to carry him. I did not. Instead, I stoop down and opened my arms wide. He showered me with big hugs and his masarap na kiss. After a few minutes, he was tugging me towards the screen door – a strong indication that he really wanted to get out. I still did not carry him.

I noticed that he was wearing only one of the pair of his squeaking sandals. So, I gave him instructions to get the right shoe and give it to me. I said the instructions a couple of times in both English and Filipino to make sure he grasps both language. As usual, he quickly followed. I motioned him to stand still while I was telling him that he should wear the other pair. I knelt down, put the other shoe near his right foot, opened the strap and asked him to put his foot inside the shoe. With not much thinking, he eagerly followed and lifted his right foot while trying to balance himself. He could not lift it too far though. After trying a couple of times to no avail, he suddenly just sat flat on the floor without looking what his bum might hit. It happened so quick that it made me have a good laugh while putting on his shoe. He was really in a hurry to go out.

I walked him to the door and watched him while he happily inspected Tatay’s work. The less than 10 minutes hullabaloo made me realise something. (1) Kids are really funny. And the more important, (2)Kids even without speaking are great negotiators. They can get things their way if you let them.

Oooopss... I must be warned!

Getting Lost in Oz?

If you are a new migrant in Australia and have no access to GPS, whereis.com.au is the way to go in getting instructions on how to reach your destination. They are now providing landmarks together with the turn-by-turn instructions either by foot or by car.

But, if you are using public transport in the state of Victoria, I recommend that you check Metlink Melbourne before travelling to plan your trip and get instructions on how to go to your next destination. It includes bus, tram, and train schedule, turn-by-turn instructions when you need to walk, and, of course, a leg and stop map.

In case, you're heading my way, let me know so I can prepare a cuppa!

Massa, get well soon!

I was not really an avid follower of Formula 1. But, my husband is hooked so I also end up up to date and sometimes watch the races even if it's shown during the wee hours. Ferrari's Felipe Massa underwent an emergency surgery after a high-speed crash during the qualifying race in Hungary GP on Saturday. He sustained concussion and a fractured skull when he was struck on the helmet by a damper spring.

On a positive note, the CT scan were good. If it were not for the accident, he could have shared the podium win with his team mate Kimi Raikkonen (2007 Formula 1 Champ).

What's the Fuss about?

Kimi was only 3 months when he left Geelong for Sydney and was only back to Geelong a couple of weeks ago. He has taken the CityRail numerous times on his Sydney escapades but it was only last Sunday that he took the V/Line train to join in the Melbourne Open House. The train's set-up was different with seats fixed and facing with another row of seats. There was not much space to move around compared to the city rail with an area reserved for passengers with prams.

During the first 5 minutes of the train ride, Kimi was silent than usual. It was like he was still assessing the new environment. His eyes were wide open, observing everyone around him and the scenery outside. Two friends who joined us for this trip, sitting next to the window, facing each other, took turns of putting Kimi on their lap to tell him things on the road, from the birds, the dogs, the grass, the people, the hills of the You Yangs, the buildings, to the ferris wheel. The explorer in him was not satisfied with what he saw outside. In between, he was clutching my hand to walk towards the middle of the carriage which joins two cars together. Eventhough I needed to hold on the railings to make sure we would not fall over, Kimi was not even scared a bit. In fact, he seemed to be excited standing on the adjoining portion for a few minutes before heading back to our seat.

Upon arrival in Southern Cross Station, we transferred to the suburban train to get to Flinders Station, which is nearest to Federation Square where we can get a map of the MOH. We arrived early than the official opening time of the participating buildings so we decided to take photos of the facade of St. Paul Cathedral, an Anglican Church and have breakfast at Hungry Jacks (Aussie's version of Burger King). We had burger and Kimi had hash brown. Not healthy, I know, but he doesn't fancy the banana I brought for him.

Capitol Theatre in Swanston St was our first stop. We walked past a long queue of teenagers, waiting for a concert at a nearby building, everyone having a chit-chat. I felt like we were lost in their midst. It was good though that there were a lot of tourist information volunteers roaming around the area, always ready to assist and smile at you. The accommodating lady directed us to a second shorter queue for those going to Capitol Theatre. It was still a long wait that Kimi already started to be fussy even after a bottle of milk. I knew he was already sleepy but we couldn't put him to sleep with all the distractions around him. He wanted to ran around and go up the stairs in the foyer leading to the insides of the theatre. I was always running after him to make sure he would not bump his head. Since it's dark inside the theatre, I held him in my arms and he screamed in a loud high pitch disturbing everyone listening to the guide. I quickly brought him out to the foyer and waited for hubby and our friends. Thus, I was not able to carefully observe the design and architecture of the theatre. But, hubby, eventhough agitated with Kimi's screaming, was still able to take a few photos that I can look at.
We went to our next stop, the Melbourne Town Hall, since it is only across the street. I managed to put Kimi back on to his pram. I pushed him to the Council Chamber at the second level. Kimi behaved for a few minutes so I was able to look around in awe of the grand and intricate designs of the Chamber. It's small but it looks like a miniature council hall of kings and queens in movies, with all the wood sculpture and the chandeliers. To my mind, it has a distinct feel of the Gold Rush period. Other rooms were also open for viewing but I was not able to enjoy them as much since Kimi started to be fussy again. One security lady guard even talked to him to appease him. To my surprise, he held his hand up to the lady guard and the lady guard carried him in her arms for a couple of minutes. There were many other visitors so we stayed in one area to wait for hubby and friends, wandering around and taking photos. Since Kimi is already restless and sleepy and the wind was blowing chills to our spine, we decided to go to the Direct Factory Outlet in Spencer St instead of continuing with the MOH visits. Kimi was not be able to sleep much but at least, we could take a seat while taking turns in looking after Kimi and at the same time doing a bit of window shopping. We took the tram to DFO and stopped at Rialto Hotel Intercontinental. The hotel is also one of the buildings open for viewing so we went in to have look. I am not big on architecture and art, but, I thought it was not as grand as I imagined it would be. There was no intricate designs and chandeliers of old times. But, it shows a contrast of past and modern designs with the steel and glass railings against the brick archs and walls.
At the end of day, when Kimi and I are exhausted and tired, hubby and I made a realisation. It is no longer an easy day to be out and about tugging our little one with us. A lost sleep and a disrupted routine for our toddler can mess up his day and ours. To prevent future frustrations, we will now consider Kimi's rest time in our trips.

16 month check with MCHN

When Kimi was still in Sydney, it has been a regular activity for him to visit the Child Health Nurse a few days before or after his monthly birthday. But, he did not visit them for his 16th month. So, I booked him right away for an appointment with the Maternal and Child Health Nurse to re-establish his records in Geelong and discuss a few things with the MCHN on what activities he is expected to be doing now until the 18th month. The MCHN tried to do an 18 month old assessment. But, Kimi were not doing some of the things being instructed to him. The nurse informed us that it might still be really early to expect them from him especially the things that we have not done with him yet like putting blocks on top of each other, make-believe games of pouring a cup of tea or drinking, etc since he is 6 weeks short to 18 months.

So many things can be learned and acquired in a matter of 4-6 weeks especially with toddlers who are always at their feet exploring their world. I was, however, concerned about his speech development. He can say a few words he wanted to say like mama, tata, baa baa, ba-bye, jay jay, ba waw (for his wiggles CD), and dede for his milk. But, if we ask him to repeat what we are saying he can't do it yet. He can't be bothered to even say his name. On a ligther note, he understands instructions in both English and Filipino and responds to them pretty well. If he wants to say something he usually signs and demonstrates it to us although there are limitations to this.

His motor skills are developing quickly as expected of boys. He can go up an adult chair, sit still and stand up quickly without any assistance. He can run, run and run and go up and down the bed or the sofa. He knows where to turn off the TV and the computer, tinker with the remote control and the mobile phone. At the moment, he learns what he wants and dismisses anything that does not interest him. I know babies develop at their own pace. We need to expose and stimulate him further to learn and discover the skills at his own time. It is needs a lot of patience.
To start off, we bought a 7-in-1 set of wooden toys for him to stack up, group, and sort. He quickly did the stacking up. But, it did not interest him to do it for a long time. I am lucky if I sustain his interest for 10 minutes before he wanders around the house again or asks to do something different like read a book, piggy back ride, or sing and dance depending on his mood.

We also started to introduce him to washable colored pens and crayons but he still tries to put the crayons on his mouth so we are really watchful that he does not swallow them.

Since he learns a fair bit from watching his DVDs, I am now on the look for DVDs that could assist his speech development. I found them really expensive and I am not even sure if they will work fine with Kimi so I am now waiting for something to come up on ebay in the next few days. Otherwise, I will be forced to buy a brand new one to trial. I just hope they have a money back guarantee, which I doubt.

Sometimes, we ran out of new things and activities to stimulate him. Do you have any suggestions that we can do before his 18 month check in September?

My Men are Taking over

Straight from work on Thursday night, I took a Jetstar flight from Avalon to Sydney. Not for my regular visit but for packing my son and hubby’s stuff and bringing them home in Geelong. The entire flight was really bumpy, with my stomach turning upside down a few times. It did not in any way, however, change my enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming weekend. Wondering why? -- because Kimi and hubby would now be staying with me.

Yes, they moved back to Geelong over the weekend. We all drove down to Geelong early Saturday. In contrast with my flight to Sydney, the 8 plus hours land trip was "smooth sailing," something we hoped and prayed for. However, driving an old but well maintained car with a 16 month toddler, who can be fussy at times, would really make you a bit anxious during the trip. It was good, though, that Kimi cooperated. He slept most of the trip. He ate, played and sang with me when he was awake. He screamed a few times but they did not last long. Overall, I can still say he is my happy baby.

Upon arriving at home, I thought the battle started. Kimi did not want to go out of the car. He was observing and looking around. He knew it’s not his nonna’s house. With a bit of a struggle, I was still able to get him out of his car seat and put him inside the house. He did not want to touch anything, he was still observing. I let him sit in his new toddler chair and table. There was resistance for a few minutes. I left him inside the house with hubby’s uncle to help hubby get their things in the car. Lo and behold, when I came back Kimi was already walking around the house, following me whenever I put bags in our room, the kitchen, and the laundry. He was already inspecting his new abode. And in less than an hour, he was already so comfortable that he wanted to take control of the TV/DVD remote and press the desktop computer’s keyboard.

Kimi’s first night was not as bad as I had imagined it would be. He wanted to be put to sleep by his Tatay. He was tossing and turning when the clock hit 4am. But there was no big drama, no long loud crying at all.

So far the first four days of Kimi in Geelong went well. A lot of it attributed to hubby’s good care. He is keeping Kimi well adjusted first before he hits the road and look for work in Geelong and Melbourne. Whenever, I’m home they are maximising my presence. Hubby is taking over the desktop computer and Kimi is following me everywhere from the kitchen to the bedroom and even to the door of the toilet. They are now both running my life and I like it, especially their big hug and kisses, and the dancing, and the singing, and the laughter and the meals together.

Now, I can say we are truly a family.

Embrace It

Here is a different take on the global financial crisis by Australian cartoonist, philosopher, poet and artist Michael Leunig. In a nutshell, he is saying that someone becomes more creative and emerges to be more successful when subjected to challenges and difficulties in life. Thus, the global financial crisis may do more good than harm if taken on a different perspective.

Leunig says it is up to individuals to absorb and handle their present suffering.

"One's got to live creatively - creativity means you lose what you expect to have, but you find something better and then you grow," he said.

"If that's what's happening, I say let it happen and embrace it."

Spread optimism, creativity, and the thinking out of the box!

He's Coming Back

Looking after a newborn baby as a new migrant could be tough especially for working parents as you have no familiar support systems easily accessible. Child rearing is a different approach compared to what I have seen and experienced with my niece and nephew. In the Philippines, a middle income family can afford to hire a nanny to help with looking after the kids. Down under, a nanny is not affordable. There are family carers and child care centres, though. However, putting our son in child care at a very young age was not an option for us. So, we accepted my mother-in-law's offer, who is living in Sydney, to look after our son. It is an hour and a half plane ride from Geelong. We battled being away from our son and the monthly visit in return for a family member's care. It may not be the ideal set-up but we believe it is better for our son. Don't get me wrong though. Child care centres may still be a good place to start if you research and check them well enough.

The good news is my little angel is finally going back to Geelong in July instead of me heading to Sydney when I get my permanent residency. Times are tough especially with the longer than usual financial slump. We decided that it would not be a smart move to let go a stable and secure job and risk looking for work in Sydney where competition is much higher with a lot of qualified workers getting unemployed to recession. Apart from that, we will be able to strengthen our ties as a young family and truly depend on each other to reach our family goals if we only have each other.

In preparation, I made a list of a few things that we need to do:

• Hire a carpet steam cleaner
• Keep the stack of books in an area that he can’t reach
• Childproof the cupboards, drawers, tables, and power points (outlets)
• Re-arrange the shed to provide space for his bike and art and crafts area
• Look for child care or family carer
• Arrange for his things to be sent back to Geelong
• Do a general cleaning before the carpet cleaning
• Draft a new schedule and routine for him
• Book a flight to pick him up

I am already excited. I have a long list that I want to do with my son and husband. It may be a hit and miss but what matters is we are together sharing the journey ahead. I will definitely post our experiences as we go along.

Easter Celebration

This is quite a late post. But, it is better than never I reckon.

The long weekend for Easter celebration gave me an opportunity to play with Kimi much longer than usual since Australia celebrates Easter Monday, making a 4-day long weekend. Aside from attending the Filipino mass during Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday and dining out with the entire family on Easter Synday, we were not able to get out of the house much since Kimi got sick and it was drizzling.



In one of our plays, Kimi pretended to be a mail man. He was walking around with a shopping bag across his shoulder and showing off to everyone. He loved it that he even stared at himself on the mirror. But, he looked more like a little shaolin than a mailman. Would you agree?



On Easter Sunday after mass, the entire family dined out at Five O. While I was ordering, Kimi walked around trying to get the attention of the girls on the next table. He was successful enough that the girls said hello and asked for high-five. After about 15 minutes of waiting and laughing at Kimi, we were alerted to get our order at the counter. 'Twas the cheapest yummy steak, lasagna, and potato wedges with chilli sauce and sour cream that we had -- in short value for your money. Kimi just so loved his wedges without the skin.

Before going to bed, Kimi still had time to open his Easter gifts. He just enjoyed tearing the wrapper and smiling at the camera. He also tried to put on his bunny ears from Ninang E. Isn't he cute?



Next year, we will bring Kimi to an Easter egg hunt or probably have our own egg hunt with friend's kids.