The Big 9!

Now this time I got my son's age right. I know. I know. Go judge this poor mentally and physically tired mother who can fit in her size 24 jeans and rock her heels like a supermodel on a runway in Millan. YOU can?

Kaisan is 9 months old today and everyday he comes up with something new to surprise us with.

Few weeks ago he learned to clap his hands (finally!) At first it was OH GEE OH MY SHOOO CYOOOT then when he started to clap in his sleep, I was like; okay we need a switch off button for this clapping program and install a sleep button instead. He knows how to wave (with both hands -he wave like as if he's trying to get rid of something icky in his hands), going to walk very soon by the look of it (he's trying to stand on his own without assistance now), climbing, know how to say Mama, Papa, Nene (milk), Mamam (eat) and occasionally we caught him say YAY whenever he's happy.

When people see him, they tend to immediately point out that my son is a hyperactive baby. Even as a first time mother who is also not used to babies' development and such sometimes think that yeah, maaaaaaaaaaaybe he's a tad bit hyper.

He crawls EVERYWHERE; grab EVERYTHING, moving, standing, gnawing, bumping his heads and the longest he can keep still is in half a second. He tests his boundaries by going to places he's not supposed to go, grab anything we hold (TV remote, handphones, books etc) and get frustrated easily when his mobility is restrain by his development skills. It's like his brain is faster than his motor skills because all he wanted to do is to TAKE MY CAR KEYS AND DRIVE HIMSELF TO TOWN when he can't even walk yet.

Epic fail, son.

Since I'm a worrywart (what's new?), I seek some advice from experts (not from know-it-all-mothers-who-KNOWS-MORE-ABOUT-BABIES-BECAUSE-THEY-GIVE-BIRTH-TO-A-MILLION-ALREADY-SO-THAT-MAKES-THEM-AN-EXPERT-THAN-MY-DOCTORS) about his "hyper-activeness" and I found out that Kaisan's perfectly normal and healthy. Phew! What. A. Relief.

Doctors said he's just very inquisitive, curious and has a strong desire to explore.

I just need to control what he eats because some food tends to transform him into Sonic the Hedgehog injected with E. Since I don't add sugar or salt in his porridge, I have to monitor the fruits he eats instead. Most fruits are sweet and just a tad bit of it (like really, really small intake) can make Kaisan ricocheting all over the walls.

Other than that, he's a happy, strong and healthy baby!

Happy 9 months old, son! I love you ever so much!

My son, the friendliest baby in town.

Kaisan is one baby that I know who is never stingy with his smile. To him, smiling is like breathing. It is part of him and it comes naturally and effortlessly.

When he was few days old and gave us his wide smiles, we were like "Awww... so cute! But very common" because you know, we thought it's natural for babies to smile. We thought it was just a reflex or muscle twitch or just plain gas. We are parents with low expectations, see.

But the smiles never stop. It's his charm. It's warm, inviting, and friendly and not at all like Joker smile kinda creepy.

Say HI to him and he would flash his ten thousand megawatt smile at you. Tell him to look at a camera and he would smile without you having to yell "KAISAN! SMILE! SMILE, KAISAN! SMILE!" Call out his name and he would smile at you as if saying, "Wazzaaaaap, ladiezzzzz?"

I have friends who blushed and stammered shyly when Kaisan smile at them. I was like, "What is wrong with you? He's just a baby!" I have weird friends.

But no one can resist Kaisan's smiles. Be it people we meet at a park, in a restaurant, in the LRTs or the entire line of people waiting to pay for their groceries at a supermarket -they are all putty to my son's charms.

There was one time we were in a lift and a mean, hardened looking Chinese guy came in, shouting on his phone, threatening to murder someone with his bare hands. He then glanced over at Kaisan who immediately smile at him as if the guy didn't just glare at us with his throbbing vein on his forehead. The guy then lowered down his voice and smiled back at my son. It's not every day I get to see a rough; mean-ass guy went all gooey-like and started to baby-talk. It was my most uncomfortable lift experience ever.

However, the smile comes with a price. People tend to think that when he smiles, it's an invitation to take him and hug him and kiss him. I'm okay when friends and family do that to my son but not strangers. Call me extreme but I know I am the world most lunatic protective mothers out there.

When I see people coughing or sneezing, I would carry my son and sprint to the nearest exit while my hands frantically rummage my bag looking for hand sanitizer, wet tissues and insect repellent. I know it doesn't make sense but it makes perfect sense to me to protect my son the best way I know how.

The world is a dirty, dirty place. HFM is widely spread. Chicken pox is laying eggs everywhere. Mad cow disease in everyone's touch. And the news about child abductions- Gah! All these just make my spider senses go berserk.

So when you see us in town, flash a smile at my son but don't be alarmed by the scowl on my face. I'm meant to scare you away so you can admire my sweet son from afar. At least it's better than me putting a spacesuit on him with a homing device for protection. Right?

Right.