Category: Toddler

All related to toddlers

The 4 BEST Learning Apps that Helped My Toddler Read Fast
We all want our toddlers to learn to read as early as possible even as they begin to speak. And there are tons of ways on how to teach them in simple yet fast way of learning. One of them is through educational learning apps that are free to download online.

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive a small commission for purchases made through the links in this post, but these are all the apps I highly recommend and proven effective for my baby.

How Did We do It?

When kids begin to recognize letters and sound them out, they are already learning phonics.

It’s an easy process, with good resources, time, and patience, your little one will learn to read in no time.

Mia, my 4 yr. old toddler began to recognize letters and sounds at the age of 1 right when she started to speak and at the age of 2, she started learning phonics. Early at 3 yrs. old, she started to learn blends of letter sounds and sight words.

Now, at 4 yrs. old, she’s able to read kindergarten books and level 2 scholastic books. Resources are limitless nowadays with the internet and technology readily available for everyone to use.

As for the first-time Mommy like me, I take time to find educational apps and games from library websites for my 4-year-old toddler.

These resources helped her a lot in learning how to read at a very young age.

This is the list of resources that worked for me and for my 3 year old toddler. I hope that it would be a great resource for you to use for your little one too.

Educational Mobile/Computer Applications for Toddlers
1. Jolly Phonics

I put this first on the list because my little one started with this app and it really helped her develop her literacy with letter recognition and sounds. I started to introduce this to my toddler when she was almost 2 years old.

It is a free app best for beginner readers learning in entertaining and interactional method by using letter sounds. Phonics is easily learned by being familiar with sounds which is very useful in reading and writing. Features include letters of alphabets to read and write, actions, stories, flashcards of words and songs.

This is not only for parents but also a great tool for teachers to use for their small learners.

Download online in google play and app store. Get more lessons from Jolly Phonics here.

2. Endless Reader

After getting familiar with phonics, my baby started learning about sight words using Endless Reader app by Originator.Inc.

Endless reader offers early reading success by using sight words. Kids get familiar with the words by sight and they learn to read them in context with the adorable monster characters. The characters and the sounds that this app contain are very entertaining for early learners especially for toddler

s. The letters come alive and make sounds forming word puzzles to sentence puzzle. The entertaining animations make it best for kids to learn in fun and interactive way.

Although this is free to download online, know that it only includes a trial lesson of sight words. If you want to get access to more words for your little one to learn, you have to make purchase to unlock more words.

3. Epic

You might have heard about this app. because of its popularity in schools and among teachers. This is one of the favorite app used by educators and parents at home for their littles.

I first discovered Epic when I was doing my research online about the best learning apps to use for my daughter. This app. appeared to be one on the list of most articles I read so I downloaded it for free and upon trying it with my baby, she instantly fell in love with it.

Epic is a learning platform where reading is develop through thousands of books and videos. It offers free download online but you need subscription to be able to access all the resources for your kids.when I was doing my research online about the best learning apps to use for my daughter. This app. appeared to be one on the list of most articles I read so I downloaded it for free and upon trying it with my baby, she instantly fell in love with it.

What I love about epic is that there are wide selection of books from top selling authors. There are also audiobooks and learning videos that your kids can choose whether they are beginner readers or advanced. They can explore their interests in different fields from adventures, crafts or arts to anything there is to explore in the world.

4. ABC Mouse

Also one of the subscription based educational learning platform is ABC Mouse. There are numerous ads about this learning platform that you might see anywhere on the web and so I would assume that you are also familiar with this app.

I started using this app for my toddler just recently when we are transitioning from TK lessons to kindergarten lessons.

ABC Mouse consists of kids learning activities and lessons for ages 2-8 years old. They offer a virtual classroom and a progress tracker which can be used online or offline. Unlike epic which focuses more on reading, this app contains games and other fun activities other than songs and videos. It covers re

Lessons with ABC Mouse are easily learned by early readers like toddlers because they’re simple to understand and the lessons are laid out carefully in a manner of “step by step learning”. The transition between easy to moderate to difficult is slowly applied through the activities. Subjects include reading, language, arts, math, science, health, social studies and music.

These are my top four educational apps that so far have worked for my early reader who is 4 years old right now, and who can read kindergarten books all by herself and writes words and simple sentences.

Jolly Phonics

Endless Reader

Epic

ABC Mouse

For me personally, the best app to use are those that makes your child learn in any way while they’re on it, either doing games, playing songs or watching videos.

It should be a fun way of learning, interactive and engaging, not distracted or for them to get sleepy or bored.

Choose an educational app where you think your child develops her interests more and connects more on what he/she already knows.

I hope this would give you some ideas what to try for your kids or if you have tried some that are on my list or you have some more recommendations for other parents, feel free to leave it on the comments!
January 23, 2022
My 3-Year-Old Toddler Learning Journey: MyLiBook Book Review

My little one, 3 yrs. old- a beginner reader

As a first time mommy, I wanted to teach my growing toddler how to read as early as possible. I wanted her to learn the phonics and be able to blend the sounds of the letters in a word. And so, I began teaching her the alphabets when she was one year old, along with numbers, different shapes, colors, fruits and vegetables. By the time she began to speak at about 2 years old, she easily learned to pronounce all of it and she developed skills on identifying each of them as well.

Start with Phonics

We know that building phonemic awareness is very essential in the process of learning to read as it helps the child blend the sounds of each letter to read a certain word. Phonics also teach kids about syllables.

My three year old toddler is a little bookworm, she enjoys opening her books whenever Mommy is busy with work. At times, I could hear her reading aloud some words through phonics. At this very young age, my daughter is starting to read 3 to 5 letter words through phonics and also beginning to learn about sight words as well.

It’s imperative that parents give their full support to their kids at this stage of their development. Young readers need books with fun stories and easy to read texts to develop their skills and see progress everyday.

Introduce Early Reader Books

Today on the blog, I’m excited to share these wonderful personalized book series from “MyLiBook“, text by Estelle Bardon and illustrated by Aya Suarjaya. The first time we received these books, it easily captured my daughter’s interest and she was so amazed that her name is included in the story that she was reading.

MyLiBook is a book series featuring personalized, easy to read, fun short stories with phonics and sight words. Perfect for early readers like your child and a good treat this coming holidays too!

The series has seven books in a set, each feature a personalized story with your child’s name in it and consists of single-syllable words for literacy. There are cute illustrations that are colored accordingly to your child’s choice and what’s more amazing is that there are parts in the story where your child will enjoy coloring the rest of the drawings in the book.

With these kind of books, my three year old toddler enjoyed reading in a fun and artistic way of learning. She had a good focus in finishing the book and was not distracted at all by other things.

If you wish to get your own personalized books like these for your little one, visit the official website of MyLiBook and enjoy their deals!

You can use our coupon code “ifillLife” to get free shipping upon purchase of your customized books from MyLiBook.

Surely, young readers like your child will be excited to have this kind of treat this coming holidays.

Reading Together

The stories of MyLiBook series are simple and straight-forward, it is easier for little kids to explore the book by themselves and enjoy reading on their own. But as a mommy like me, I love reading with my baby. I enjoy listening to her while she reads the story but when she has difficulty with a certain word, I was there to guide her.

I also make sure to ask her after each book if she understood what the story is about and have a conversation about it. This is essential for early readers, for them to nurture the joy of reading while developing their literacy skills.

We have the responsibility as parents to help our child succeed as readers. Through reading, we are helping them boost their imaginations and understand more about the world. More importantly, this helps them develop their literacy skills, language and even their listening skills too.

Let’s help our kids enrich their minds at an early age through books. As a tool for them to get knowledge while they explore more about the bigger world ahead of them. With knowledge they will have power to face the world!

December 4, 2020
Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm Patch 2019
Clayton Valley Farm Welcomes Mia for her 2nd Pumpkin Patch this Year!
About Clayton Valley Farm & Christmas Trees

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm & Christmas Trees has been in the business since 1980’s. It is a family owned farm situated in 1060 Pine Ln, Clayton, California. It started as a U-Pick Vegetable in 1980 and has grown into a pumpkin farm hosting some kids activities such as field trip tours and pumpkin patch during fall and halloween season.

Open to public from October 1st- 31st, the farm welcomes visitors in the morning at 9:00 a.m until dusk at 7:30 p.m.

Things to Know Before Your Visit at Clayton Valley Farm

General admission and parking are free. Except for the kids play area which is paid per child (adults are free)

Pets are not allowed.

Cards such as credit or debit cards are accepted for purchase.

Varieties of pumpkins in different sizes and colors will welcome you upon entrance.

There’s a gift shop where you can purchase different halloween decors and displays.

There are also photo stands like “face in the hole” boards for pictorials.
Kids Pumpkin Patch Activities

The farm is truly a fun place for young children since there are lots of activities that they will surely enjoy such as the train ride, feeding animal farms, hay maze or straw tunnels and posing their best smiles in photo stand boards! But one downfall is that some of these activities are paid except for the “face in the hole” boards.

1. Feeding Farm Animals
One exciting activity that Mia surely loved at this place was feeding and petting these farm animals (goats, pig and chickens). They were caged and fenced well so it’s more convenient for kids. We just grabbed some leaves on the ground to feed the goats and watched other people feed other animals.

2. Train Ride

Enjoy a train ride for $4/person but free to infants from 12 months under. It operates from 3 p.m until dusk during weekdays and from 9 a.m until dusk during weekends.

It goes around the farm, in the garden, past the animals and into a tunnel. Mia really loved it as it made sound every time it passes through the field of pumpkins.

3. “Face in the Hole” Photo Stands
These photo stands were perfect for kids photoshoot! The colors were bright and the images looked pretty cute! Mia is still small so she asked her Papi to carry her up to the holes so she could be like other kids who were all set with their faces looking out for some pictures.

4. Hay Maze Tunnel
The hay tunnel was great for bigger kids. They were playing and running around inside and out the tunnel chasing each other. Mia went to experience it as well but it was so dusty. We went couple of times since our little one enjoyed the company of other kids.

5. Water Pumps with Tubes & Rubber Ducks

The farm has 2 different parts, the upper area where you can see the gift shop and the pumpkins (free no admission) and the lower area where you can find large play areas for more kids activities(paid). To enjoy this activity you have to pay for every child, adults were free. Admission fee for both play area was worth $15 for every child.

Although you’ll spent some dollars here, it was a great idea to enjoy pumpkin patch with the whole family.

6. Ball Return Game

An extra fun for little boys was this ball return game inside the paid area. We decided not to go inside since most of the activities here were all for bigger kids.

7. Others
There were more activities inside the paid area which kids surely loved such as:

Bean Pools

Large hay maze tunnels

Ball Launchers and Foam Blocks
8. Gift Shop/Halloween Decor Shop
Colorful gift shop full of halloween decors and fall pumpkin displays. This is also the place where you can purchase tickets to play in the large play areas.

Prices here aren’t that cheap even for pumpkins but we saw a lot of kids enjoy this place and families who were there celebrating pumpkin patch.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience, Mia enjoyed every moment we spent there. The farm was well organized from the parking to the fun areas. The staff were welcoming and helpful. There were good varieties of pumpkins too and we really liked the gift shop, little Mia was stoked with different halloween decors!

Have you been in Clayton or visited this place? Where did you celebrate pumpkin patch this year?
October 28, 2019
2nd Pumpkin Patch in Larry’s Produce: Fall 2019
2nd PUMPKIN PATCH IN LARRY’S PRODUCE

Mia’s first pumpkin patch last year was a fun experience for all of us that’s why we decided to make it as part of our family culture and an annual tradition. She had seen giant pumpkins for the first time and played in the stacks of hay and corn kernels at Larry’s Produce in Fairfield.

We are so happy to bring her there once again this year for her 2nd pumpkin patch, this time with other kids from Nurse Family Partnership!

Stacks of Hay and Pumpkins at Larry’s Produce, Suisun Valley Rd. Fairfield

ABOUT LARRY’S PRODUCE

Owned by Larry and Lisa Balestra, Larry’s Produce is known to be one of the best sources of fresh fruits and vegetable in Suisun Valley. One refreshing getaway located in Fairfield California with varieties of fresh options at an affordable price! It’s a local favorite for a wholesome family pumpkin patch experience!

The farm is open almost seven months in a year from June to December and welcomes customers from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 pm daily.

We were invited by Nurse Family Partnership to Pumpkin Patch this year, they set-up a place exclusive for the family who are enrolled in the program. They have a little activity area for kids to do some art work with the pumpkins and a food stand for every family to share with.

It was nice to see other families who were with their little kids having fun and enjoying each other’s company.

Indeed it was a perfect day! The farm has the perfect vibe for pumpkin patch with all the varieties of pumpkins in different sizes and colors. We all had fun especially our sweet dearie, Mia had a blast! She played with other little kids and enjoyed every activity with them.

Things to Know Before Your Visit at Larry’s Produce
- Remember to bring cash since they only accept cash no cards. (But they have atm machine available too for your convenience)
- Customer’s can pick up fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm so if you want to do this don’t forget your shoes.
- They provide shopping carts and wheelbarrows but it’s always advisable to bring your own bags.
- There are food trucks and food stands too available in certain times.
- Parking might be a bit busy during weekends so come early.
Kids Pumpkin Patch Activities

Activities were the same as last year except for the pyramid of hay with pumpkins display right at the center of the farm. This year they have different arrangements, it was pretty easy for kids to play and run around and for parents to take pictures of their little ones.

1. Giant Pyramid of Hay and Pumpkins

How cool is this pyramid?! It was for sure the center of attraction of the farm, the main spot for everyone’s perfect pumpkin photoshoot! Mia stood happily and full of excitement as she waved her hands for pictures, she was so amazed by its height and the pumpkins sitting on top of it.

This was absolutely a great idea since it captures the interest of more families to come back again for the next pumpkin patch!

2. Ride in An Old Farm Tractors

These old farm rides were only for displays, each was designed for pumpkin patch. We’re not really sure if they’re still working but they have stacks of hay and pumpkin displays perfect for kids pictorials!

The Nurse Partnership arranged a tractor ride for all the families who attended the activity, it went around the corn field and all the way back to the pumpkin farm. We seated at the first seat next to the driver and as we moved along Mia pointed out the big wheels of the tractor and says “wow” as it made it sound.

3. Run Around the Corn Maze

This was one of the places that families love at Larry’s farm, a perfect place to chase their little one in the corn maze! Mia didn’t have the chance to play here last year since she was very young at that time but this year she had fun!

At first she was hesitant but when her Papi (Dad) pretended to be a dinosaur and chased her in the maze, she runs as fast as she could. It was a fun play time in the corn field!

4. Corn Kernel Play Area

Another favorite spot for little kids is the corn kernel area where you can find small play tractors. Most of the little ones from nurse family partnership stayed here longer than any other activities. Kids loved swimming on top of the grains and hide their little toes and legs underneath, just what Mia did.

Each of the little ones took turns to play and ride in the small tractors. Mia waited for her turn and when she took her chance she didn’t want to let go of it until she saw the slide!

5. Climb the Hay and Slide on a Big Tube

This slide was not as slippery as an ordinary slide, it was a customized slide made from a big tube on top of hay stacks. Kids climbed the hay to reach the top and slid down to the corn kernel area.

Since our sweet dearie is so fascinated with slides at this age, this was her most favorite out of all the activities. After she had gone once, she asked for more!

6. Colors of Different Types of Pumpkins

Another

We visited 2 farms this year for Mia’s Pumpkin Patch, here at Larry’s and at Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm and Christmas Trees. I made two separate posts for each since we had a lot of pictures! But I would really recommend Larry’s Produce than the other since they have a lot fresh options in an affordable price and most of their activities are free!

This year was another wholesome family pumpkin patch experience at Larry’s Produce! This place never disappoints us, we’ll surely visit again next year!

Do you have the same tradition like us? If so where did you celebrate pumpkin patch this year?
October 20, 2019
How Can You be The Best Parent For Your Toddler

Your responsible parenting is the most essential part of your child’s growth and development. We all want to be the best parents for our toddler but how?

Toddler stage is the most challenging yet most exciting stage for parents. At this stage, baby begins to explore the world and take risks while learning.

Here are some of the tips and advice you can do with your family including baby.

These are very helpful among first time parents, like us at first we struggled on what to do but these simple ways made a big impact on our parenting journey towards our toddler.

We hope it can do the same for you and your family as well.

Knowing your Child

Think about this, if your child as a toddler can write you a letter what would he/she say to you? Would he/she ask more of “Why’s?” or no questions at all just gratitude and “I love you’s”.

Through this ask yourself, how well do you know your child?

Remember how many times have you had fun time together, what are his/her favorite game to play with you, what are his/her favorite food, how do you take care of him/her and more importantly what are the ways you do to keep him/her safe and healthy.

Being a Parent

Being a Mom or a Dad to a growing toddler is not easy, you should have the patience, kindness and other good qualities like fun, playful, calm, thoughtful, loving, flexible and consistent.

Among all of these qualities, which are you best at?

You might have some other good qualities which you might discover along the way of your parenting journey. You’ll know that you’re showing good once you see your little one is growing happy and healthy.

As what the famous saying goes, “As kids grow, they might forget what you said but won’t forget how you made them feel”. Toddlers like your child are observant and what they see and hear from you, they do!

So be a good model for him/her, be the best reflection of how you want him/her to be when they grow into an adult.

Looking Back…

It’s also good to look back on your parenting journey, what have you learned so far being a mom or a dad. Looking back will make you realize your capabilities to be the best parent you can be.

As a first time mommy, I could say that so far my parenting journey is a smooth sailing learning. I learn almost everyday with my toddler.

I never thought I could have so much patience and extend it way beyond limits.

I never thought I could take care of a new human being and raise her well into a joyful blessed kid.

I never thought teaching is one of the skills I would be passionate about since I want my baby to learn as much as possible and as young as she is.

Like us, these kind of realizations will motivate and inspire you to do more than what you have done before for your child.

Thinking Ahead…

It’s about your dreams for your child, how do you see him/her in the future. Spend more time with your child and explore new ways on how to develop his/her skills and abilities.

It is essential for you to spend more quality time with your growing child since this is the stage where he/she begins to form the foundation of his/her learnings as well as building his/her character.

Know your Family Strength

Like individuals, all families have strengths. These are the things that you do well as a family. The power of working together to be happy and healthy in good and bad times. Do you know what your family strengths are?

As parents, we build this strengths for our family whether it’s about health, safety, life plans for the future, relationships or involvement in the community.

Build a Strong Family Ties

A strong family ties means providing love and comfort within all the members of the family. This is how you communicate and build your relationship towards one another.

It also means support of each members in any life’s circumstances.

Strong ties begins in communication, how well do you communicate when someone is frustrated or upset.

Indeed, listening is the key to understanding. Listen in full attention about each stories and understand their emotions.

Do some new bonding activities that your family will surely enjoy especially your little one. This helps to keep your family happy.

Create and Nurture Family Culture

Creating family customs and nurturing special cultural practices such as traits are good for your toddler. These special customs are learned by your child from older family members and this helps build your toddler’s character.

It would also be nice if your child learns about the history of your family. This helps them understand their roots and be proud of it.

October 2, 2019
Feeding Your Toddler
Most mommies like me often wonder about what kind of food to serve at the table for our family everyday especially to our toddlers! They are in this stage where they begin to be “picky”, refusing certain type of food. Toddlers go through this phase and when this happen, it doesn’t mean you should stop giving her that certain food but instead try to offer it again in the next few weeks or keep offering if you need to. It will take a lot of tries before your child accepts the food again.

What To Do?

Although your toddler seemed to be picky of her food at this time, make sure to offer nothing but healthy foods. A balanced diet is very important to ensure the health of your child. With all the nutritious food you are giving her, let her make her food choices, even if it’s mixed food. And when she got her choices, your toddler will enjoy eating more.

There will be days that your child would eat more than usual or otherwise, don’t panic this is normal. Your child’s appetite is not the same everyday, if she doesn’t want to eat more don’t force for her. Children should eat until they’re full and then they stop eating. Also observe your child’s liquid intake, the more she drinks, the more she’ll get full. Because of this, your child will lose appetite for healthy solid food.

Since toddlers have small tummies, they get hungry and they get full so fast. They need to eat most of the time or as often as possible probably every 3 hours gap, serving at least 3 meals a day including 2-3 snacks. Remember, having a routine for mealtime is a great way for your child to learn eating discipline. Give your child a meal and snacks around the same time each day and serve it in the table or in a high chair. It will be more fun for baby if you can sit and eat with her at the same time!

IDEAL MEALTIME ROUTINE
- As the saying goes, “A family that eats together, stays forever”. Eating together about the same time each day.
- Eating in a special place like dining table or high chair for meals and snacks.
- In order to eat clean and healthy, don’t forget to wash hands before eating.
- Avoid eating meals or snacks in front of the t.v.
- Eating time is family time, make mealtime fun, talk with your child.
- Give your child healthy snacks in between meals.
- Let baby eat whatever everybody eats in the family. Your toddler can now enjoy many of the food you eat just make sure it’s cut in small pieces, easy to chew and to swallow.
- Avoid giving sweets or candies as a substitute for the food not eaten.
- Let your child try some new food, offer it along with the food she already likes. She might not want it at first but if you keep offering it again after some time she will soon learn to like it.
- Allow your child to watch you eat and enjoy the food. Through this she might be convinced to try and eat the same food as what you’re eating.
LEARNING THROUGH THE MESS

Making a mess is part of growing up among toddlers. They learn as they explore and discover things that they can do on their own, this helps to their growth and development. Toddlers make a lot of mess every time they eat, they are true messy eaters. When your child begins to eat with her fingers and trying to imitate you using spoon or fork, food goes everywhere and mostly ends up to waste.

TIPS OR HACKS YOU CAN TRY

Some strategies might work for you so that cleaning up won’t be a lot of work and will be lot more easier.
1. If baby is inside the house and the environment’s temperature is not cold, you can let her eat without any clothes (only diaper). Through this you won’t have to change her clothes all the time she makes a mess, you just have to clean her and dress up.
2. Cover the floor around the high chair with some plastic sheets or old newspaper.
3. Give your child a short handle spoon, an empty plastic bowl and a plastic cup so that they could pretend and practice on how to eat and drink.
4. Make some finger foods that are cut into small pieces or small cubes like fresh or canned fruits, cheese, hard-boiled eggs or cereals.
MAKE EATING SAFE FOR BABY

Your child might hurt her mouth or even choke with the food she eats. It is your responsibility to be aware of the food she puts in her mouth and so it is best to know which food are safe and unsafe for your child.

Watch for these certain food that could choke baby: Nuts, crackers, chips, whole grapes, popcorn, whole kernel corn, raw vegetables like carrots, candies, raisins, cherries, hotdogs, sausage etc.

Or some of these that could hurt baby’s mouth: Drinks with straws, fruit slices, hard and long candies, popsicles on stick, french fries, bread or pretzel sticks, corn chips etc.

Teach your child early disciplinary routine about proper eating. It is best to make her seat in the high chair or eat in the table during meal or snack time. In this way she could eat safe without any harm of choking from playing and or running around. Also offer baby water for drinking in between meals, it is the best drink she could have rather than giving her milk or juice.

REMEMBER:

Talk to your child’s doctor if your baby develops any signs of food allergies.

When my baby turned one year old, she began to learn to eat on her own and through my experience these tips worked well and proven effective for me and my baby. I hope that these will give you some ideas on how to feed your toddler. If you have more tips or ideas, feel free to comment below!
January 18, 2019
How Important It is To Have 8 Hours Good Night Sleep

It is a widely known fact that sleep is an important factor in the lives of people, just like eating healthy and exercising regularly. It comes with no surprise that every individual takes this seriously, considering that everyone starts a day with a certain goal in mind. This is a well followed advise that comes from doctors who recommend a total of eight hours of sleep because the fact is, eight hours of sleep indeed boost one’s productivity, improves one’s health and overall quality of life.

Effects of Lack of Sleep

Every once in awhile, at nine o’clock in the morning a student walks in sluggishly in English class, room 121. Some struggle to enter the room as if carrying a bag full of rocks and slamming their books on the table, others push open the door sipping coffee from a starbucks cup. People rather compromise sleep for countless of reasons such as procrastinating, leaving homework for the last minute before the day of school or getting off late from work, family responsibilities, etc. The point is, these circumstances can greatly interfere with productivity and can lead to severe consequences.

A person who does not get enough sleep the night before showing up to class will likely just doze off during an important lecture, or just have a hard time concentrating on taking notes during a film, looking tired and yawning a lot is definitely not a good impression. The lack of energy can lead a person to feel irritable, distracted and daydreaming which leads a person to find an escape that can make the class tolerable. One just does not have the willingness to do anything else, except think of that comfy bed waiting patiently at home.

The body feels tired for the rest of the day until 9 pm when again the mind snaps out of that shade for awhile and feels awake again but by then it is already late and the body is drained out of that energy fast because it is not well rested. Five hours of sleep or less is never enough for the body to recover from stressful busy days that is why people who do not get enough sleep always feel exhausted which leads to low performance on daily activities.

Benefits of Complete 8 Hours Sleep

There are so many great benefits of getting eight hours of sleep and one of those is the impact that it creates on one’s health. A good sleep the night before a presentation will act as a protective shield against pessimistic thoughts, or anything that might try to intrude the brain to trick it to act accordingly. This is why teachers recommend students to be well rested before a test because getting enough sleep can actually improve one’s memory.

Other great benefits of getting a good night sleep include, less likely to gain weight, rejuvenates, and decreases risk of heart disease and other dangerous illness. Breaking the routine of late night sleeping is something that one must do in order to get the most out of life because the lack of sleep might just be the one thing that could cut a good portion of someone’s life and longevity. Sleep gives the body the opportunity to reboot; the brain gets a chance to store every bit of information from the day before, and it also gives it a chance to catch up and freshen up for the next day. Shutting the eyes for at least 8 hours or so might just be the key to a much healthier body and mind.

A good night sleep should definitely be endorsed. This is the one thing that almost everyone neglects and it is the one that matters the most because clearly a poor night’s rest leads to nothing good. We encounter numerous of obstacles in our daily lives and we wonder why it is so hard to find a solution. The mind gets blurry, the bones get heavy and it becomes hard to even take a step forward. All these things that can get in the way when trying to accomplish a goal. It is important to pause for a second, take a deep breath and get a good night sleep.

December 15, 2018
Baby Mia’s First Year Reflection
How time flies so fast, I was just reminding myself about the posts my husband and I made when our baby was born last year, from her birth story, we wrote the post celebrating last year’s thanksgiving to her first outdoor adventure and to her most unforgettable pictorials or photoshoots. And now our baby Mia is now a toddler, just wow what a wonderful year had it been! On September 19’ 2018, Mia celebrated her first birthday, she was officially ONE year old! It’s time to reflect on Mia’s first year, time to look back on each of her milestones and reminisce those memories of her youngest year.
Watch Mia’s first year journey in this video!

Baby Mia’s Monthly Journey to First Year of Life

“For this Child we prayed and the Lord has granted the desires of our Hearts” 1 Samuel 1:27

September 2017:

After 14 hours of labor, through a normal delivery, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl, named Baby Mia Paris. She was a small baby like a preemie, weighing only 5 lbs and 6 oz. She got big eyes and a very thick hair, curly like her Pappi.

Mia’s first day at home was when she was 3 days old. Auntie’s got her welcome banner and a balloon! The day after being at home was her first appointment with her pediatrician followed by laboratory appointments after she was diagnosed with infant jaundice. Although it was a tough beginning for Mia, we had to do photo-therapy for a day in the hospital. After then, the Dr. advised us to see a cardiologist since she noticed an unusual sound in Mia’s heartbeat. But all went well, after all the clinic appointments, Mia got all cleared! Thank God for after all, she is a healthy baby!

Mia, one week old, weighed 6 lbs. & 2.5 oz.. By this time her belly button started to fell off, yay such a special day!

“A moment in my Tummy, a Lifetime in Our Hearts”

October 2017:

The first month was the most critical yet the most exciting month for all of us even for Baby Mia too. There were a lot of new exciting experiences of our baby that made our days so special, indeed all of it were always unforgettable. Finally, Mia’s official birth certificate was released 2 weeks after birth. First nurse home visit, first bath tub arrived, first full bath, first outdoor adventure: first visit to the park: Lake Temescal, Oakland, first sleepover with grandparents, first stroller and carrier arrived and celebrated Mia’s 1st Month birthday! She got her birthday cupcakes made especially by Auntie and got some presents from relatives too!

At the end of this month, Mia grew 2 lbs more and she weighed 8 lbs and an ounce!

“All of God’s grace in one tiny face!”

November 2017:

First Halloween! Mia got her first pumpkin this month! No trick or treating yet but Mia really enjoyed the following occasion, Thanksgiving! Mia’s first thanksgiving was such a joyful celebration with family and relatives. One of kind celebration for we have a lot of things to be thankful for this year, above all those things was the biggest blessing we received and that’s having Mia in our lives. After the night of thanksgiving, everyone in the family packed up for another adventure and Mia visited Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and strolled in the beautiful scenery of Sawyer Camp Trail.

Final weight of baby this month was 8 lbs and 9 oz. Growing and growing each single day!

“You have to hold her up to see the angel on the Christmas tree

And even though she’s still too small to know the meaning of it all,

You watch her eyes reflect the glow of colored lights that come and go.

And feel her quiver with delight at every new and wondrous sight.

There’s Santa with his jolly face, beaming from the fireplace

And from the stocking hanging there, peeks a cuddly teddy bear!

She points and grins from ear to ear and then she yawns her bedtime near

Dad gives her a kiss and you tuck her away

to rest up for the fun of her first Christmas Day!”

December 2017:

First stroll to Uncle’s school to pick him up after class, second monthly appointment with pedia and vaccinations due this month. Celebrated baby’s 3rd Month Birthday and Mia met Santa for the first time! Baby got her first DIY dresser, customized paint and waxed by Mommy and Pappi.

Mia’s First Christmas! A sweet special moment for us all. With all the decors we have in our home, the christmas lights and the christmas tree, with family and friends, we had the merriest Christmas celebration this year.

Our sweet dearie grew into a 10 lbs and 9 oz baby, 22.5 inches by height!

“No joys on Earth bring greater pleasure than a little girl to love and treasure!”

January 2018:

First New Year!

Four months old Mia can now play with toys, can roll on her side, does some screaming, shouting, giggles and laugh, started to kick and can move her legs way up high! First visit to the zoo, a lot of fun at Oakland Zoo! Also first visit to the beach in Alameda, CA.

Mia received her first toy, it was a cute red rattle. She stared long at it, wondered and cooed when the rattle made the sound.

Our little bundle of joy in four months old already weighed 11 lbs and 14.5 oz. She grew 23.5 inches by height at the end of this month!

MIA

My-Incredible-Anak

(Anak- tagalog term for child)

Pappi: Mia please go to sleep.

Mia: What do you mean Pappi? Am I supposed to sleep all night long? Oh ohw!

…………

Mommy: Mia, what are you doing?

Mia: I have a surprise for you mommy!

Mommy: Really sweetie? Let me see!

Mia: Tadaaa, it’s a poop!

February 2018:

Celebrated Mia’s 5th month old birthday! Such an important month since on this month, Mia was officially registered to the consulate of Philippines, Mommy and Pappi responsibly registered baby to become a Filipino! Mia’s first photo i.d was also taken on this month, super cute blushing cheeks in her tiny youngest face. She will for sure be surprised in the future when she sees how adorable she was in her first photo i.d, mommy just can’t wait!

First Valentines! Mia received a special flowers from Pappi, it came with a small balloon that says “I love you”.

Mia had gained 2 more pounds this month, she was 13 lbs and 25 inches tall.

“Mia, let us love you so much more before you’re not little anymore.”

March 2018:

It was time for baby to eat solid food. She took her first bite on a small biscuit and divulged herself with rice cereal. Mia also took her first sip of water on her first sippy cup. On the second week of this month, Mia got her pink walker. Although she was small and young, she tried to stretch her legs and reach the floor.

At six months, Mia grew 24 inches by height and weighed 13 lbs and 10.5 oz.

Mia’s Baptism a day before her first birthday!

To our beloved Mia,

You are greatly loved and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. You brought us joy and showered us with love everyday, we thank God for blessing our family an angel like you. This past year, we have learned a lot from you, our journey to parenthood started when you came. You have taught us the essence of being a parent, you are worthy of everything. The beginning of life is tough but you have conquered it all, now you are one year old!

There are a lot more to explore and discover in this life, the world may be scary but we will always be here to be your biggest support. Always remember that Mommy and Pappi are behind your back, be kind and humble yet brave and courageous, the world awaits for you.

We love you beyond measure and you will always be Mommy’s sweetest treasure!

Love,

Mommy

And so all the successive months just went through in a blink of an eye, it was full of joy, excitement, wonders, learning’s, and unforgettable memories. Mia is learning fast everyday and soon she will learn to be an independent young lady. For now, we will savor each moment of her youngest years and the memories of her innocence. We are one proud parents that we have this sweet little girl in our lives, so loving, so sweet and so curious of the big world ahead of her.
December 2, 2018