Enzo’s World

     Everybody’s got favorites. Favorite food, favorite clothes, favorite toys, favorite music, favorite positions, favorite activities, favorite people… And of course, there are also things we dislike. Here are some of my loves and hates:

On food:

     My favorite is Milk! Milk! Milk! (Did you think it would be anything else?).

     And my un-favorite? Water. *Ugh!* *Ewww!*

On clothes:

     My all-time favorite clothes are my cotton-soft white shirts. *ahhhh* A white shirt feels so good on the skin, so cool. And I look really tidy in it, too! (that is, if I haven’t spitted up on it yet! Hehehe)

     My Ela says I look good in YELLOW. That’s why I love wearing my yellow side tie shirt with matching mittens and booties.

     Speaking of yellow, I love the way I look in my sunny Precious Moments ensemble (play suit, mittens, booties, bonnet). BUT… getting into that darn play suit is a challenge. Play suits are my peeves. There’s too much twisting and stretching before I get into one.

On toys and playmates:

     My favorite chat-mates are my mittens (for more on my friendship with mittens, please read my blog “Hello, Mittens”).

     My favorite playmate is my stuffed toy Henri Hippo. Ooooh, he’s got big eyes that I have fun mimicking. I enjoy looking at him ‘cause he’s so colorful! 

     I like strolling in the garden with our doggies Mokey and Mimi.  They don’t do much really except stay by my side and keep me company. But I like having them around and hearing them bark. Who I don’t quite like is our youngest doggie, 3-year old Quasi. Sure, he’s a cutie. But he nips at my feet and runs away with my booties! Hmph! That booty snatcher!

On music:

     When I was in Mommy’s tummy, I loved the theme songs from Darna and Encantadia. Why wouldn’t I? Mommy watched those series every weeknight!

     Mommy says I also liked classical music from her CD “Out Classics II”. I still do. Add to that list my new favorite, “Disney Classics”.

     I also enjoy listening to upbeat songs I hear on the radio and tv. My most recent discovery is “Sakto” which I often hear on tv during noontime. Mommy says I’m so jologs! She wonders why, out of so many songs she makes me listen to, I choose to giggle and wiggle at this Datu Puti jingle.

     I love listening to any type of music, except when it’s an off-key sing-along blaring from our neighbor’s videoke machine (please read my blog on “Oh, Those Noisy Neighbors!”).

On positions:

     When being served my bottled milk, I love taking it on the bed, in a semi-sitting position as I rest my back on my feeder’s thigh, and my head on his or her forearm. I don’t take much liking to being fed while propped up on a pillow, it’s so impersonal. I love the warmth of human touch when feeding.

     After a meal, I love being burped as I lie chest down on my feeder’s chest. I particularly love it best on Daddy’s chest,  it’s so sturdy (MACHO, he claims).  I like it on Mommy’s chest too, but it is so curve-y, I teeter-totter sometimes!

     I don’t particularly take to being burped on my tummy as I lie across Daddy’s legs. Not that it’s uncomfortable, in fact, I enjoy being “super baby” as I extend my arms in a flying position. But this burping position is so restrictive when it comes to view. All I see are Daddy’s big feet!

     In my crib, I’m comfortable sleeping on my back, with my head tilted to the left. Mommy and Daddy often tilt my head the other way, saying I’d have a distorted-shaped head if I only sleep on one side. I’m not so comfortable tilting my head to  the right. I dunno, it just doesn’t feel natural. I guess, I’m a lefty head tilter.

On activities:

     Taking strolls with Ela in the garden, sitting on the rocking chair with Mommy, and taking sunbaths on the veranda with Daddy are my favorite pastimes.

     My other favorite activities include gazing at the intricate patterns of our curtains, staring at light fixtures, watching hanging objects sway in the wind, and watching people and cars go by our house.    

     Of all the things Mommy and I do, I dislike nail trimming the most… especially when Mommy accidentally nips my skin! (but I’m a brave boy, I don’t cry. I just grunt in discomfort. It’s Mommy who cries—because of guilt hehehe).

On people:

     So far, I have found no reason to dislike any of the people I have met in my 2+ months of life. But of course, there are people I like most—especially for specific activities.

     Because I spend so much time with my Mommy, she is my favorite in many things: chatmate, playmate, jukebox, bather, fashion consultant, and of course, feeder.

     My favorite burper is Daddy. He is also the expert sunbather and sanitary engineer (a.k.a. poop eradicator).

     My Ela is the ultimate spoiler. She’s the only one who, when she carries and cuddles me, patiently tries every position humanly possible in every corner of the house to find out where I am most comfortable.

     My stare-mate is Tito Ninong Nikki. He’s afraid to carry me, so when he comes to see me, he just plays a quiet game of Stare-At-Me-Enzo. Sometimes, he slowly slides to and fro sideways like a pendulum and I follow his movements with my eyes until I get tired (or he gets dizzy!).

     I’ve got tons of favorite people, who include another spoiler, Mamoo (who just recently sponsored my 2nd month birthday cake!), my other grandparents, my godparents (especially come Christmas time! hehehe). Here in the photo are my godparents with fr. john, the priest in the middle who baptized me: (clockwise from top left) Ninang Cha and Ninang Abby, Ninongs Nikki,Jon-jon, Neil; Ninangs Che, Princess, Mylene and Maybelle. Not in the picture are Ninangs Kiss (who took the photo), Kay and Andeng and Ninongs PM and Amiel.

Well, so much for faves and peeves. Ta-ta for now! Toodeloo!

     If there’s someone who has mastered the skill of manipulation, it is me. From the first week since I was born, I have discovered the secrets of making people around me heed to my every beck and call. As a valentine treat, I will share with you the trade secrets for getting what you want.

     First, you must master how to CRY. Nothing makes people scamper to your side more quickly than crying.

     There are different kinds of cries. There’s the whimper, weep, wail and bawl.

     The WHIMPER, or soft crying, is the mildest of them all. You just have to let out a whine to catch the attention of anyone nearby. There’s no urgency in the sound of a whimper, so I suggest you don’t use it when you require immediate attention and want to be picked-up. Expect to receive some soothing words, a caress on the arm and a tap-tap-tap on the thigh when you use this technique.

     The WEEP is the one to use when you want to strike the hearts of those who hear you with pity so they will feel moved to come to your aid no matter what the circumstances. Nobody can be apathetic to a wailing baby. Kawawa naman, they’d say, and you’ll instantly be carried, cuddled, and coddled. Top off your act with a jutting lower lip and a quivering chin and you’ll have anyone fussing over you in no time.

     The WAIL is one of the techniques used when urgency is required. It is a non-stop loud cry, as if one is in extreme pain. The shock of hearing a baby wail invokes panic in anyone nearby, thereby making them pick you up without second thoughts to check where you hurt. No real injuries are required as prerequisite to using the wail. It can be used anytime you want immediate attention. You are sure to receive a thorough body check, a few hugs and lots of kisses when you use this technique.

     And now for the BAWL. This, by far, is the cry which receives the most urgent response. Not because people around you pity you or fear you are hurt in some way, but because they’d want to pacify you the soonest possible time before the neighbors call Bantay Bata. How to perform the bawl? Simple: use your loudest voice when crying. Show some tonsil and flail your arms and legs. And the most important thing: don’t stop bawling until the person who responds to your cry figures out exactly what you need. Out of sheer frustration, he or she will try everything possible just to try to calm you down.

     Now, shedding tears doesn’t always have to be the way to go to get what you want. There’s another technique you can use to captivate the attention and the hearts of those around you. And this is the SMILE. Curve those lips upward, add some cooing and gurgling sounds, and top off with playful winking of the eyes and—presto! You will become the most charming little baby nobody can resist. Anyone who sees your smiling face will stop what they’re doing to babble with you, carry you, embrace you, play with you… Now, isn’t that heavenly?

     Master these techniques, and I guarantee— you’ll have anyone eating out of the palm of your hand.