Enzo’s World

I stopped using my baby shoes recently. Mommy and Daddy said it was time to wear shoes for kids or what I call "Big Boy Shoes."

At my January visit to Doctor Buendia, my Pediatrician, she said my Mommy and Daddy should buy me new shoes already after she saw me slipping while walking on the smooth-tiled hospital floor. My baby shoes, she said, had no traction (traction? Hmnnn… I wonder what that means). She said since I love exploring and running away from my baby sitter now, it really was time to migrate to the next shoe level.

And so it was time to say good-bye to my beloved Mickey baby sandals… *Sniff!* Sniff!* I love my Mickey sandals! I picked it out all by myelf. Daddy wanted to buy another pair, but I saw this pair on the rack and I wouldn’t let it go. So, Daddy had no choice but to buy it for me.

One Saturday morning, Daddy and I made a trip to the mall… We spent quite some time finding the right pair for me. I’ve got awkward feet, that’s why. My feet are stubby at the fleshy point after the toes. Mommy calls it a HUMP. So Daddy kept asking me to fit shoe after shoe after shoe…. It was taking so long, my head (and feet!) started to hurt already.

At last, Daddy made a decision. We settled for a pair of gray Evans sandals which strap on at 3 points—an added safety feature, says my Daddy. He says the tri-strap design makes putting on and taking off the shoes easier. Hmph! As far as I’m concerned, putting on shoes or sandals is a bummer, so it doesn’t matter if it has one or two or three straps. I’d change my mind though if the sandals had a Mickey Mouse design! Daddy also says the tri-strap design makes the sandals more flexible when it comes to getting a good fit.

This is a picture of my foot in my new Big Boy Shoes. Boy, are they expensive! 350 pesos for a pair of kiddie shoes. Geez! Daddy says it’s even one of the least expensive ones. The others cost 600pesos or more. Mommy’s eyes grew big upon hearing the price. Such costly shoes for such little feet, she says.

Now, going back to the Big Boy Shoes… I didn’t like to wear them at first. It took a couple of days before I learned to like my new shoes. I think they’re a bit heavy. My feet go clip-clop on the tiled floor every time I walked. But you know what, I think I understand now what Dr. Buendia meant by "traction."  Since I started wearing my Big Boy Shoes, I noticed that I hardly slip anymore (I tend to trip at times, though when I feel a bit lazy to lift my feet properly while walking). Now I can explore my surroundings more without slipping on the floor! Come and catch me!

Mommy and Daddy went to the doctor last Saturday. Don’t worry, nothing was wrong with either of them. Daddy says they went to the doctor to have a picture of B2 taken inside Mommy’s tummy. An ultrasound, that’s what I think they call it.

Wow, a picture of B2! I couldn’t wait to see it…

When they came home, Mommy and Daddy gave me the news:  I’m having a baby brother! Yey! Then they showed me a fuzzy black and white photograph of B2.  Funny… it didn’t look like a baby. Daddy explained that B2 was still very small, that’s why I couldn’t see a baby’s figure in the picture yet.

Wow, a baby brother… Now I’ll have someone to wrestle with and play boxing with. Daddy was soooo excited to find out he’ll have another team mate. He says he and I will teach B2 a lot of things like playing war games, dodgeball and basketball, climbing trees and rooftops, and riding a bicycle. When Mommy wasn’t looking, he whispered a secret to me, too… he said he’ll teach us how to make pretty girls fall for us easily. Hehehe. Mommy said I shouldn’t listen to everything Daddy says ’cause he’s so pilyo sometimes.

Mommy and Daddy were super excited at finding out B2’s gender. They started talking about names for him… I heard them rattle off some Spanish- and Italian-sounding names.  If they ask me, I think the name B2 is just fine—just like one of the Banana’s in pajamas! Cute, right? And easy to spell, too.  I also like the names Mickey, Barney, Snoopy, and Pooh. I wonder why Mommy and Daddy didn’t include them in their list? Hmnnn…

Mommy has started briefing me on how to take care of my baby brother. She explained to me that when B2 comes, she looks forward to my help in making sure he is all comfy and happy. As early as now, I start running small errands for Mommy like fetching stuff like pillows, the tissue box, her bag. She also taught me to be neat when it comes to my toys and stuff. She taught me to pick up my things from the floor so that we won’t trip over them.

Mommy and Daddy also taught me how to show B2 I love him. They taught me how to embrace little stuff toys so that when the right time comes, I can also hold B2 in my arms and squeeze him real tight (not too tight though, says Daddy because I might make B2 cry).

I also studied a song I’d like to sing to B2 so he’d be amused. I know how to sing Old McDonald Had A Farm… well, just the eya-eya-yoh part actually. I can sing it all day–ala long playing album. I plan to learn more songs while waiting for B2 to arrive so that when he’s home, I’ll sing for him the whole day!

Daddy says it will still take 3 months before I see B2. I wonder how long 3 months is? How many naps do I still have to take til that day comes? Hmmmnnn…. I wonder… Oh welll… I really have no idea, but anyway, I promise I’ll help prepare for B2’s coming. Don’t worry baby brother, Kuya Enzo will be right here to show you the ropes. I’m an expert on baby stuff—after all, been there, done that.

See youin May, B2!