A Special Bond

Angel is now all of 8 months and a half, and everyday, we see a unique person emerging.  Perhaps because he is now more aware of his surroundings and the permanence of the people he sees everyday, he has developed an even stronger attachment to me which has its pros and cons.  He would always light up the minute I entered the room, and would eagerly await my emerging from the staircase up to our co-op unit. Even before I could take off my coat and put my bag down, he would eagerly call attention to himself and start edging towards me.  Sometimes he would need appeasing when I have to cook dinner and postpone attending to him until later — and then just playing with him or picking him up would usually comfort him and quiet him down.

Fortunately, he fusses but doesn’t throw a tantrum.  He would usually start crying but not bawling.  I am lucky that he does most things in moderation.  I am just so thrilled when I see him with his puppy dog eyes begging to be picked up — but sometimes I have to turn around and tell him to wait and just play because Mommy is busy cooking dinner or making coffee, or that mom needs to go to the bathroom.

Alan now warns me that taking the weekend off in Paris as a valentine treat by end-February might be more of a challenge compared to when we took off for California sometime early December.  Mom says he’s okay when I’m not around and they manage pretty well in their little world there amongst the quilts and toys in our living room.  It’s when he sees me that he starts to pull all these antics to get my attention so we can play or when he is sleepy, so he can nurse and lull himself to sleep.

It’s Thursday and as we would tell him (as if he knew what it means), one more “sleep” and it’s the weekend and we can play all day if he wants.

He likes the purple cover of the vaseline tub and loves to gnaw at his playpen’s edge when we leave him there.  He prefers his Elmo ball over his other toys although he was once terrified that it moved so vigorously on its own.. he likes apple juice but won’t take pear juice.. and no matter how upset he is, he will stop momentarily to take in the “Journey to Ernie” jingle, or watch Elmo through the day’s installment of “Elmo’s World”.

Mom says that even before I emerge from the stairwell, if she tells him I’m home already, he will look towards the direction of the stairwell, waiting to see me.  The best wake up call remains to be seeing him hovering above me, waiting for me to open my eyes, and when I do, he breaks out in the sweetest of smiles… so I don’t begrudge him for wanting to be carried around the kitchen as I puttered around trying to prepare coffee for the next day.  He gave me the look though when I brushed my teeth while holding him with the other arm. 

It’s not even noon and I can’t wait to get home to him later already.  I know that when I give him a kiss hello, he will light up and take all my cares and worries away.  Guaranteed..

 

Thinking Chocolate: Dreaming of Serg's

I make no bones about the fact that I am a chocoholic. Even in the midst of having gestational diabetes while pregnant, I managed to get my chocolate fix with sugar free chocolates to sate my appetite. These days, I’m desperately trying to cut down to lose weight in time for spring and the sleeveless tops of summer. My newly discovered heaven: Caramel filled Ghirardelli. My favorite sin: eating strawberries dipped in caramel. While it is a test of wills to actually avoid picking up a candy bar from the vending machine just a few steps away from my cubicle, I have managed to stash a dollar for each successful attempt at overcoming a craving. (Beneficiaries are Nikky and Audrey — and so far, they have around $10 between the two of them.)

Sitting here typing away and working through the frenzy of the afternoon, I debated about whether or not I would fish for the seventy cents I would need for the vending machine to pick up a candy bar or if I would stay put. Then a sinful thought crossed my mind — what I would give for a bar of Serg’s Milk Chocolate. Serg’s is the chocolate bar from the sari-sari store next door which I grew up with. How could I have forgotten about it when I went home in 2002? Next time I go home, or better yet, when my siblings come to visit me soon, I will ask for a box of Serg’s. No Goya or Chocnut for me.. I’m happy with the small Serg’ bars I used to love to break up into the predefined sections. They would melt in your mouth with all their milky goodness.  They even had a crispy variety — but it’s always been milk chocolate for me.

I remember the allure of the sari-sari store next door which had an uncanny smell emanating from its stocks.  I loved to look at the huge jars filled with various goodies, and those snacks that hung from wires suspended from the ceiling.  And there would be the Serg bars.. can’t wait to sample this again.. hopefully soon.