I have been a very "un-playful/boring" Mama these past few days. Not exactly by choice but the forces of nature are against me at the moment. So it can be confirmed that DEFINITELY, Orion will be a Big Brother sometime this year. I had my first thorough check-up yesterday, an ultrasound including and the baby is now 7 weeks old. Well, I just wish that I can recover early from the "unwanted bouts" of nausea, lethargy and tiredness so that our lives can be back to normal again. The new baby (Aaron is hoping it's a girl) is very much welcome and this early we have primed Orion for it. He knows that "baby sister" is in Mama's belly and he expresses his love by rubbing his hands or kissing my belly. He, in his own way, seems to know that Mama is feeling sick and cannot play with him. He actually leaves me alone and plays with Yani and Endang (our live-in help). I am really grateful that I have a very considerate son, which leaves me feeling guilty though.

Aaron has now more than ever become more "serious" with his fatherhood (not that he wasn't in the first place, just calmer and more tender) and makes up with Orion what I cannot offer him at the moment. I just love to watch them play together, the giggles and the shrieks especially when Aaron tosses him up in the air and Orion screams for "More, more, more." Their favorite playmate too is Jaga (Indonesian word meaning security guard), our 90-pound Rottweiller. I don't really mind playing with the dog, it's the slime that I hate, so Orion only can play with Jaga when Papa is around. He sneaks out on me by approaching the dog by walking backwards to it, that makes it hard for me to scold him because my laughter "bursts" out.

 Pilot Orion emerging from the cockpit

Last weekend, since I was in the "downside," Papa and son embarked on a "project." We haven't really bought any new toys for Orion in the past few months (since we are traveling back to the Philippines anyway, where his stuff is), so the two innovated. My toddler loves among other things trains and that's what they did. Aaron tied several shoe boxes together and filled some with "passengers and cargos." The passengers were "Ernie, Teddy and Monkey" stuffed toys while the cargos where whatever. The intention was for Orion to have something to drag around, Aaron instead had to add up a "big passenger carrier" (the laundry basket) because Orion wants to ride and drive the train.It was really a big hit! The