My Baby's Milestones at Five Months

Each baby is unique and may develop at a pace that may be slightly different than others. Nevertheless, there are certain milestones that a baby must achieve for each  month that he grows older from the newborn stage.


It's really amazing how babies develop so fast in many exciting ways that are very apparent! Every month, they are learning new skills. For example, at five months old, my baby Khalil can now do the following:

• smile and laugh out loud in reaction to stimuli, such as when we make funny face and create funny sounds and try to converse with him
• coos and makes other baby sounds when we talk to him, as if he can really converse
• grasp different items and if they are movable, automatically brings them to his mouth
• thumbsuck and "eat" all of his fingers
• reach for objects with his hands
• pull objects closer to himself
• be in a sitting position with support
• roll over and flip upside down on his tummy
• explore the surroundings with his eyes
• focus on watching TV or looking at the computer screen
• seemingly "sing" along with the lullaby being hummed to him
• sometimes hold his milk bottle by himself when hands are positioned
• listen to stories

Babies are so adorable! And parents never fail to be amazed at each little milestone that their baby is able to accomplish. I look forward to the other developments that my baby will exhibit in the following months.

Blogging by Mommy Olive

Our Greatest Joy

Wow, how time flies! My baby just turned five months old yesterday. As of his last visit to his pediatrician, he already weighs 8.8 kg! No wonder our arms easily ache after just a minute of carrying this big boy of ours! He's gotten a few nicknames already--- "Bardagul", "Bilog", and "Tabaching" to name a few. Now are you convinced that he really is big for his age? =)


Until now, my husband and I still find it funny to call our dearest son "anak". It's still hard to believe that we are actually parents now. Hehehe...

Certainly, having baby Khalil in our lives is the greatest joy we have ever felt! Here are the top five reasons we absolutely enjoy being his parents:

1. He always cheers us up after a hard day's work. It's so quick and easy for him to smile, with just a few funny sounds and movements from us. Sometimes, even when we're just calling his attention, he already smiles widely! There are times when he would even smile a bit, and then bury his face onto the shirt of the person holding him. Other times, he would even laugh out loud!
2. In the morning, he always brightens up our day. When he opens his eyes and sees us, he doesn't cry even if he had just woken up. Instead, his lips turn into a beautiful smile.
3. We absolutely enjoy playing with him. He removes all the worries from our minds, and keeps us smiling all the time.
4. He inspires us to work harder and to keep dreaming big dreams for our future as a family.
5. He gives us the opportunity to enjoy life and to know that God is for real, because our son is a blessing from Him. As the saying goes, "In God's time..." Our son moves us to believe that greater blessings our yet to come.

Blogging by Mommy Olive

JOHNSON'S My Kid's Growing Up So Fast Contest

It seems like only yesterday when I had given birth to our firstborn Khalil Kristoff. Wow, how time flies! I remember those sleepless nights when I felt like placing toothpicks on my eyelids to keep them open while rocking my little baby to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. I remember figuring out by myself how to breastfeed him, change his diapers, prepare his milk, give him a bath, and all those "firsts" for a new mom like me. I remember how my husband and I would marvel at this gorgeous baby that was a wish come true for us.

Now our precious little bundle of joy is not so little anymore. Even though he's only barely five months old, everybody keeps saying that he's a jumbo baby! His height and weight have doubled already. He now coos and laughs with us, and reacts at our songs and words. And many are saying he even seems to be growing a mustache already (hahahaha!). And of course, we are very happy about his latest trick--- finally being able to turn upside down and lie on his tummy! He's been practicing so many times, and now he has mastered it and can do it on his own. I'm a proud mommy!

My kid's growing up so fast, I can hardly catch up!
My big, round baby just learned how to flip on his tummy!

Truly he is changing before my eyes, but his skin is still like a baby's. We still need the gentle care of JOHNSON's Baby Milk Bath, with Vitamins A & E and 100% more milk proteins to nourish developing skin.

For every milestone that he is able to achieve, we will give him a pat on the back and continue to rah-rah for him! And for every challenge he faces along the way, we will embrace him with our loving care and encourage him to keep moving forward. But no matter how big he gets, indeed he will still receive the same love and affection from us and from JOHNSON'S!

Blogging by Mommy Olive

Baby Movements at 7 Months

Now at my 31st or 32nd week of pregnancy, my very active baby seems to be very eager to come out and scream "Hello, World!" with arms wide open. At this time, baby movements in the womb have certainly increased. In my personal experience, it seems to be kicking and dancing and turning every hour or so.

There is now a wider variety of baby movements, ranging from light nudges to rhythmic patterns to very hard kicks! Sometimes, I would even be caught in surprise when the baby seems to suddenly tumble in a somersault that feels like an enormous ball turning in my tummy, stretching out my skin to its limits. My belly would then harden, and at times it can be frightening. But this would last for just a few seconds, although there are repetitions.

As the baby grows even more, I guess the movements will increase too. In some cases, other moms experience otherwise. It really depends, actually. But if you become apprehensive about these baby movements in the womb, then it would still be best to consult your doctor to be appeased, especially if there are frequent contractions at this time of your pregnancy.

Baby movements in the womb are indeed both exciting and scary, especially for a first-time mom-to-be like me. There are times you cannot really tell what kind of movement it is. If only I could see inside in a snap! But of course, it is still a great joy for me to feel that my baby is alive and kickin'!

Image Credit: http://www.baby2see.com/development/week31.html

Blogging by Mommy Olive

Baby Hiccups in My Belly

Have you ever felt those tiny rhythmic movements inside your tummy? This kind of baby movement will certainly feel different, quite distinct from the usual baby kicks that you get. If you suddenly feel a kind of spasm happening inside your belly, don't fret. These are actually baby hiccups inside the womb!

Many moms-to-be experience baby hiccups inside the womb. It was only last month when I started feeling it myself. It was kind of weird, but good thing I did not panic because I have previously read about it already. From then on, it became more frequent!  According to research, this is because the more mature fetuses have better developed central nervous systems. It is said that these baby hiccups inside the womb result from the contraction of the diaphragm, which is caused by the entering and exiting of amniotic fluid into and out of the baby's lungs.


No need to worry about your cute baby movements! These hiccups are very normal, and they are not bothersome at all to the fetus. The next time you feel those rhythmic patterns from inside your belly, just enjoy the moment!

Blogging by Mommy Olive

My First Handmade Baby Booties

Handmade baby booties are truly adorable! When I had planned to make one, I had to do a little research first on the net--- browsing samples, studying patterns, reading on how-to articles. But nothing beat actually doing it for the first time!

The first pattern I cut out for my handmade baby booties project did not turn out so well. I had to cut out two more patterns before the shape I molded looked something like a shoe! Nevertheless, I did not give up. Indeed it was a challenge, for it probably took me almost two hours to finally come up with this result:

This pair of unique handmade baby booties fit for newborn baby girls made me smile with pride and joy. I had used felt cloth, embroidered embellishments, and laces/ribbons. I could honestly say they seemed to have turned out quite well. And so my small success fueled me to work on another pair--- this time a bit bigger, with a design fit for active baby boys!

Handmade baby booties make such perfect handmade baby gifts, don't you agree? If you are on the lookout for baby gifts, handcrafted ones would be very good because they are usually unique and can be customized too to fit your preferred size, color, style, and design.

To view more cute and one-of-a-kind handmade products that can be used as gift items or can be availed for personal use, visit  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43205&id=167383453306220&saved#!/pages/Glam-Project/167383453306220.

Blogging by Mommy Olive

Rare Finds: Baby Products on Sale!

A grand baby fair such as the one held in SM Megatrade Hall last January 28-30, 2011 is an opportunity that comes along only once or twice every year. Thus, my husband and I did not let it pass! We had planned to go on Saturday right after the ultrasound we had been waiting for--- the one that would finally determine if we will be having a boy or a girl! But then, we could not help ourselves so we ended up going on Friday night too.


There were so many booths to explore and so many cute baby products that were super tempting! We got so excited just going through all the different items, watching the demos for the cribs and other stuff, and discovering products that we never knew existed. At the end, we bought a baby bag plus a baby bath tub and a matching net. I wanted to purchase items with a total worth of a thousand pesos, so I could avail of the goody bag with all the freebies before it ran out! And I did indeed. =)

Saturday morning was an exciting one, for we found out that we were going to have a boy as our first-born! My husband was really ecstatic he could not help grinning widely all day long. Off we went back to the Baby Fair in Megamall where we went around again and spent much time choosing a crib and a stroller carefully.

CordLife gives a talk about the benefits of preserving your baby's umbilical cord.

My husband and I bought a Graco crib from their latest 2011 collection, with around 3k discount!

I absolutely loved these matching bedding, bolsters, pillows, curtains, and more.

Upon finding out we were having a boy, I went off to buy some cute overalls. It was really difficult to choose!

Cool baby products such as these "one size cloth diapers" with changeable pads really caught my attention.

I took home two of these: one on Friday and one on Saturday. They were filled with tons of baby goodies!

The demo convinced us to buy this gorgeous, sturdy stroller with carrier set from Baby 1st.

The grand baby fair was a success! Tons of people lined up with their chosen baby products all day long.

From clothes to feeding bottles to furniture to grooming kits to breastfeeding essentials... you name it, they got it! Parents roamed around everywhere, goggling at the discounted baby products and probably thinking the same thing as we were: this was an opportunity we should take advantage of! Who knows when the next one will be? But I've got great news--- there's another Grand Baby Fair in Megamall coming up this end of March 2011! 

Blogging by Mommy Olive

From Bridal Fairs to Baby Fairs

Free food tasting. Posing in different photo booths, mix-matching the various props. Oohing and aahing at beautiful photo albums. Collecting tons of flyers. Booking suppliers on the spot and getting discounts and freebies. Those were the days.

My husband and I had enjoyed going to different bridal fairs then. But this weekend, we are excited to attend our very first baby fair! The 3-day Baby Company fair in Megamall from January 28-30 will certainly be a big event--- with celebrity moms sharing their tips and insights on topics like newborn care and baby checklists, fun games for the attendees, lots of giveaways, and discounts up to 70% on baby items!

Every single day, the first 100 moms to bring their bundle of joy's baby book can bring home a special gift at the VIP Babies Booth! 

More great news for mommies out there! In this Grand Baby Fair in Megamall, if you are one of the first 5,000 customers to have a minimum of P1,000 in a  single-receipt purchase, then you are in for some good luck because you'll be getting a free SWAG BAG loaded with freebies like nursing pads, diapers, baby feeders, and baby mittens.


Here are the lined-up activities at the Baby Fair in Megamall:

See you there,  fellow mommies!

Image Source: http://www.promoblitzph.info/3-day-grand-baby-company-fair.html

Blogging by Mommy Olive

Karate Kid in the Tummy

I was busily typing away on my laptop at work, when I felt a slight nudge in my tummy. I stopped. In the midst of my concentrated and mind-boggling reverie, I suddenly smiled. There's nothing like a baby's first movements in the womb to make first-time mommies smile. On impulse, I touched my swelling tummy, my lips turned into a wide grin (probably looking goofy to some).

I'm almost on my sixth month. For a while there, I was beginning to worry about these baby kicks that I'm supposed to be feeling already but were not coming at all. I read in a book, though, that the baby is most active at night just when the mom is sleeping which is probably why she could not feel those "baby kicks". Whew. Quite a relief.

My patience paid off after some time. I began to feel those nudges and flutters, becoming more frequent as days pass by. Not yet strong ones, but they're certainly there. They surprise me at the most unexpected times--- when I'm chatting with someone, after I take a bite of something, while I'm teaching in class, when I get up to pee in the middle of the night. My baby is alive and kickin'! Whoopee!

So if you're experiencing anxiety about these baby kicks, don't fret. Just when you least expect it, the first nudge will suddenly jump out at you. It may be a single kick, but more likely a series of movements, as if your baby has finally awakened from his deep slumber and is now proclaiming "Mommy, I'm here and I'm getting ready to face the world!"

Image source: http://prairiepumpkinseed.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-is-going-on-in-there.html

Blogging by Mommy Olive