Guijo's First Haircut at Cuts-4-Tots

Haircut in progress - fussy Guijo, somewhat calmed down by a toy.

Living out what I only used to daydream about - that's what's happening to me now that I'm a mom.  It's all those little things, mundane everyday stuff - like taking my little boy for a haircut!  I remember walking by Cuts-4-Tots at Glorietta countless times back when I was still single and dating, and I'd always imagine taking my own kids to this cute kid salon someday.  That someday happened last weekend when we took Guijo for a cut!  It's our first time to patronize Cuts-4-Tots because, as luck would have it, my mom owns a beauty salon, and her establishment is like a second home to us.  Our little girl, Narra, has had her crazy-curly tresses trimmed there, so she never had the Cuts-4-Tots experience.  Oliver goes to his own barber though, and he wanted Guijo's head to go under the hair clipper.   

Guijo, happily deposited by Oliver into his "car" seat.

Cuts-4-Tots has such kid-friendly interiors, with brightly painted walls, playful seating for companions, and best-of-all: the seating for the tots - the converted toy cars installed on hydraulic poles - kids love sitting in them, and the steering wheel gives them something to grab, not only for stability, but also to keep their hands busy.  Adjusting the height of the seat is a fun process, it makes it feel a bit like a carnival ride for the kids.  Narra was equally entertained as she waited for Guijo to get his hair done.  She sat happily in her chair throughout the process.

Oliver, explaining the kind of cut he wanted for Guijo.

The haircut goes for 350 pesos.  For kids going for their first haircut, the salon offers a cute certificate (195 pesos) which displays "before" and "after" pictures, and a lock of hair.  Parents have to return for the certificate after 2-weeks, it takes them a while to get the pics printed and the lock of hair mounted.  It would be much cheaper to take our little boy to a regular barber shop, but we wanted Guijo's first haircut to be fun and playful, so we took him here.   Unfortunately, his fun was rather short-lived.  Guijo started to cry as soon as they put him in this yellow gown. It was quite a struggle to get him prepped.  The staff offered various diversions: toys, bubbles, and they turned on the dvd with Barney singing cheerfully on screen (that did not help much).

Guijo, started to cry as soon as they started to wear the salon gown on him.

Guijo cried.  Well, no. That's an understatement. He bawled. And screamed.  My easygoing and calm kid was crying out loud, we had to ask for a time-out until he could calm down.  Obviously, we have no photos of those tense minutes.  What's even more horrifying - a new set of customers came in as Guijo was throwing a fit.  I felt bad for the little kid and his parents who just came in... their happy haircut moment may just have been ruined by my son's angry vibe.  I bought a lollipop for sale in the counter, and offered it to my son.... I figured, with candy in his mouth, he's bound to be quiet.  It sort of worked, but not quite.  With lollipop in his mouth, he continued to cry (which only meant a sticky stream of candied saliva spilling onto his salon gown...thank God its the washable kind).

The rest of the haircut was a blur.  I heard the hair clipper whirring, as my son kept sobbing-with-lollipop-in-his-mouth, and Barney kept singing on tv.   I heard another song on the radio playing in the background, and toys rattling, and there were bubbles flying around, and there was this other kid running around the salon.  Yikes. Emotional vertigo.  This was not the scenario I daydreamed in my head decades ago.  I imagined a hallmark greeting card scenario, with kid smiling, and parents looking proud... instead, what we got was this harried experience in a pretty place.  Don't get me wrong, I liked Cuts-4-Tots.... it is a pretty place that looks fun and playful...  no amount of their preparation could guarantee a pleasant experience though.  A kid's temperament is beyond anyone's control.  Guijo, my lovely kid, who smiles so sweetly first thing in the morning... my calm kid who chills out beautifully, and laughs so easily all the time, turned out to be one of those guys whose hair you do NOT touch.

   

The result.

We paid and left as quickly as we could.  The farther away from the hair clipper we got, the calmer Guijo became.  Despite the stressful process, we were thrilled with the results!  Guijo looked like a fresh recruit with his crew cut.  Whew!

Guijo's Baby Barong

Guijo comfortably and proudly paraded around in his barong all day long.

Last weekend, we attended a cousin's wedding at Caleruega Church in Tagaytay (congratulations Gio and Melan!).  We had to look for a suitable barong for Guijo, and finding one was quite pleasurable because Guijo was sooo cooperative. He was charming to the sales ladies assisting us, "modelling" the stuff he tried on, strutting about proudly with an impish grin.   Originally, I wanted to get him a traditional barong made of jusi or piña fiber, so I checked out Tesoro's, but the smallest size available was still too big for Guijo.  We checked out infant wear at department stores, but they were too "baptismal" in style and material, and were too small for Guijo.  Fortunately, we checked out Kido Republic, a line of Filipino-inspired natural-wear for children, and found many options from their modern "barong-inspired line" which offers a kid-friendly and relaxed alternative to the formal and traditional barong. 

Guijo, so well-behaved. He's pretty neat, the barong survived the day with no stains.

The Kido "barong" differed from the regular adult barong in significant ways: it is not made of jusi or piña, which can be quite stiff for baby skin; rather, it is made of a nice, soft, natural fabric, which could presumably be a cotton-linen blend.   While different in texture to the traditional barong, visually, the Kido version mimics the adult classic.  It is similarly beige in tone, and has a semi-transparent/translucent look.  The design at the front of the shirt is painted on, which makes it more comfortable for kids than traditional embroidery.  Oliver picked out a "Chinese collar" style, instead of the traditional collar, so Guijo looked more current, and presko.  We received a lot of compliments on his faux barong, many people found it adorable.

Guijo's faux baby barong (back view) visually matched his Lolo Walter's classic barong.

Guijo gives me my daily excuse to gush.  And when I saw him looking dapper in his baby barong, I found him so cute, I couldn't believe he was mine.  I swear, I will cry at his wedding.   I know that's many years away. But last week, at the wedding - I found myself relating not with the bride... but with the mother of the groom!!! I was watching my aunt, who is as dear to me as a second mother, my Mama Eva, and I watched her keep her composure, as she gave her son, her bunso, away. I held back tears. I had a sense of what she was feeling. How would I feel if it was my baby boy getting married?!  I looked at Guijo,  all dressed up and adorable in his baby barong, and I was ready to weep.  My perfect little baby boy. This will most likely be the image I will replay in my head on his wedding day. Of him, in his first barong.  No matter how tall he gets, how old he becomes, he will always be my baby.  And his wedding day will be one of those days I would hope for, and dread at the same time.  

Me, capturing Oliver capture the moment. If only we can keep them cute forever...

Kido Republic is the children's line of Obra ni Juan (which also makes another line of Pinoy-wear called Hijo).   I first found out about these brands from Carsi Cruz family who gave us their cool clothing as gifts. (Thanks Miriam and Gio, Monty and Molly, and Winnie).  We liked the pieces we received, we looked up the clothing line and happily found comfy and cool Pinoy-style designs for our kids. 

Here's a link to their Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kido-Republic-by-Obra-Ni-Juan-Hijo-La-Obra/243042552401790

This Time Last Year: On Guijo's Being 1 Yr. Old Now

Guijo's birthday cake, at our serviced apartment in Singapore.

It was this time last year when Guijo was released from the Neonatal ICU. He was ten days old when he stopped feeding and became unresponsive all of a sudden. Red flag! We knew something was seriously wrong. We rushed him to the hospital where he stayed an entire week to complete the course of antibiotics to fight the infection that weakened his vulnerable little body.  I found that experience quite scary.  Nothing frightens a parent more than feeling their child go limp in their arms. It is a feeling I do not ever want to feel again.  So I am happy to report that since being released from the hospital last year, he's been reassuringly full of life, and malikot, and suitably noisy - with giggles and wails, and a lot of baby babble.  And now, he's enjoying to walk, and I have to run after him, and when I am on the verge of complaining about how tiring it is to watch him, I remember my prayers, uttered in earnest at the hospital chapel a dozen months ago. I prayed to God to restore Guijo to good health and make him strong and energetic.  

Asleep in his crib, with Singapore shophouses outside his window.

And that's the way he's been throughout the year. He is so strong, it hurts. He is so eager to wake me up in the mornings, he slaps me repeatedly on the face on good days... on less favorable days, Guijo finds the remote control and whacks me with it.  I wake up in pain, and in a terrible mood - until I see my son's adorable face, smiling from ear to ear with his four front teeth.  He lunges at me, for a hug and a slobbering kiss, which often results in an assaulting head butt, and a wet cheek for me... Of course this can be annoying, but it's hard to stay angry when I see him clapping excitedly at the grand event of my waking up.  He's really a morning person, my little Guijo. We can wake him up any time and he'll stir calmly, and smile.

Guijo's baby breakfast buffet at our hotel. Singapore, Aug. 19, 2012.

So for his birthday weekend, we took a trip to Singapore.  To get ahead of schedule,  we made it our strategy to wake him up early, and take him downstairs for breakfast before rousing the others in our group.  Feeding him is profoundly enjoyable. He eats whatever we bring to his lips. He reacts eloquently. He grunts assertively for faster returns of his baby spoon when he likes what he tastes; and he simply pushes food he doesn't like right out of his mouth the moment he decides it's not to his liking.  It's a straightforward process. Predictable and entertaining. Especially at buffets. He'll have cereals, eggs, yoghurt, diced fruit, bread, cheese, cut up pieces of meat, rice, porridge, oatmeal... and he'll be smiling unequivocally, to show he's in a state of gastronomic bliss.  It's a great way to start the day.  And predictably, he'll unload his tummy right after breakfast. We bring him up to our room, he's done with his business, we bathe him, get him dressed, and we're ready for an entire day of touring with no fears of messy trips to the toilet. He is a ray of sunshine in the early hours, I tell you!  Too bad, I can't say the same for his sister, who is NOT a morning person at all.

Guijo, succedding in waking up his sister and  making her laugh.

Narra is unbelievably difficult to rouse from sleep. She isn't easy to dislodge from her dreams... you can physically wake her, but her mind and spirit will still be elsewhere.  It takes time for her being to inhabit her body, and it's best to coax her back to reality with something sweetly sobering.  We assign the task of waking up Narra to Guijo, who can already pronounce his  sister's name. "Na" he says... "Na"...pause..."Ra"!!!... "Narraaaaaaah"!!!...he pulls her hair, he slaps her face, he plunks his hard head on hers and plants a wet kiss on her cheek, on our instruction. He will do this repeatedly, for as long as it takes (good thing kids have a lot of energy).  We will laugh, Narra will stir, slowly, and to our relief, she'd also laugh.  Only Guijo can get away with  waking up Narra without unleashing the exasperating little drama queen in her.  I'm glad they enjoy their special rapport.

Guijo and Narra, clowning around in the morning. Aug. 19, 2012.

Although sometimes, I feel like they gang up on me and get to enjoy a few laughs at my expense. At one of our dinners in Singapore, for instance, Narra pulled my hair as I was giving Guijo a drink, and my shocked squeal made them both laugh. Narra did this with impeccable comedic timing, eliciting hearty giggles from her little brother.  I am amazed at how they could conspire like this at ages 3 and 1! I shudder at the thought of what tricks and pranks they'd pull when they're older!  

My kids, having a few laughs at my expense.

This morning, it happened again. Guijo woke me up with a slap on the face and a mischievous grin that transformed into a genuine welcoming smile on his lips.  Then he woke up Oliver and Narra with their ration of slaps - fair is fair!  It was 5 am and still dark outside! I was about to get grumpy, then I saw the date flashed on our digital clock, and remembered that this time last year, he was strapped to an IV drip and was confined at the hospital, weak and vulnerable.  Between last year's sleepless nights full of worry and fears, and this year's hand-delivered wake up calls, I'd say I'm much better off these days. I'd pick the pains of having to deal with a robust child's heavy hand any day... though I am seriously contemplating sleeping with a helmet.  Guijo's just one year old and already, he packs quite a mean wallop.  I did ask God to make him strong and energetic. So I take the blows I'm dealt each day with a great deal of gratitude.

Guijo's Good Disposition & How He's Making Me A Morning Person

He wakes up smiling. A smile so pure and infectious, we can't help but smile right back. Oliver and I have been basking in Guijo's sunshine for months now, as our daily source of happy hormones so early in the morning.  He goes from sleep-state to full-awareness in a split second, with no grouchy transition in between. He simply wakes up, happy. Just like that.  Especially in the mornings when he rouses naturally from a good night's sleep.  I wake up to his smiling face and twinkling eyes, and I am awash with gratitude, to the entire universe, for giving me this precious gift - received in abundance. Love, hope, contentment, happiness, peace... and many other beautiful things. I feel them all, when Guijo wakes me up.  I feel the weights of my life's kharmic balance shifting favorably each moment I get lost in his eyes. All wrongs are righted. All pains are worth it. All roads not taken aren't remembered with regret, but with joyful acceptance - because the road I did take led me to this - my mornings ignited by Guijo's smile.

I'm not exactly a morning person. I get up early when I need to, with the help of an alarm clock - but I do so out of obligation.  Guijo, on the other hand, looks like he's so thankful to be awake, so excited to get up, so eager to get on with his day, and so happy to see other people waking up too. Having him, is like getting a wake up call from God, it's like I am being told to seize my days, to rouse my life from sleep mode, and embrace every waking moment with energy and enthusiasm.  A good friend from long ago once told me he saw in me a very enthusiastic person - explaining to me how the word "enthusiasm" comes from "en-theos", with the root "theos" referring to God - to be enthused, is to be infused with the breath of God.  In my enthusiasm he saw a person fulfilling God's plan, and doing God's work.  

Sometime last year, I lost all enthusiasm. No amount of material comforts (a new bag, a new phone, a new condo) could get me enthused.  No amount of non-material spirit-lifters worked either - not music, nor dance, nor prayer. I had a dry spell, so prolonged I felt like parched land that has fallen under an eternal drought. But Guijo's smiles, like drops of water forming awesome stalagmites, has led to my healing, and I am feeling excited about everything, again. I am eager to wake up, with a ready smile. Sigh (a happy, happy sigh). With Guijo it is always an "oh what a beautiful morning" or "umagang kay ganda" moment. So early in the day, he makes me feel like I am such a lucky one.