When the need to temporarily move to a smaller house came about, every family member had to do his/her share of adjustment because everyone already got used to wide open spaces that our former residences generously offered.

Staying focused on the affirmative side of our situation allowed me to enumerate several positive outcomes or events that the small house offered.

In this small house,

…the atmosphere is very cozy; the situation promoted lots of interactions among family members. The fact that we do not have a television unit also helped. Physical closeness encouraged emotional intimacy as well.

…the value of resilience was taught to the kids among other things. As parents, we now know that they can easily adapt to changes, come what may.

…we get to live close to my parents and siblings whom we missed for almost seven years. Having an established support system/extended family, especially while the kids are younger, is priceless.

…we were able to make my parents happier. They now have the chance to spoil our kids :D

... our kid's Tita Tin gets to drop by very often and Tito Jay gets to teach them art lessons.  For this, I am very thankful.

... there's a safe open area for kids to play and a parking space for our car within the compound, both of which are relatively scarce in the area.

…the neighborhood is safe and friendly. Our normally socially inhibited daughter learned to make friends and the gregarious nature of our sons was fueled as they enjoy playing with other children.

…became a witness to Nadine’s developmental milestones. She learned to talk, run, dance, sing, comb her hair, brush her teeth and do lots of other things.

... everything is just a few steps away... from the beauty parlor to the barbershop; from the resort to the park; from the public foot spa (hot spring) to the public transport; from the wet market to a variety of stores...you name it.

…Immaculate Concepcion Parish is just a stone throw away. I got the chance to reflect more often and benefit from the serenity of the Perpetual Adoration Chapel that is a few steps away.

…we were protected from ravaging impacts of typhoon. We feel safe inside this small house.

Our stay in this small house is just temporary but wherever our next destination maybe, to this small house truly grateful we'll always be!!!

Developmental milestones are physical or behavioral signs of development or maturation of infants and children. The milestones are different for each age range, and children develop a little differently from one another. However, there are physical, motor, sensory and cognitive markers parents and medical practitioners can use to recognize if a child’s development is within the normal range, advanced or delayed. Well, it sounds exciting to talk about child developmental milestones but for now, let us not go deep into the technical details but rather the emotional roller coaster that my husband and I got into with this facet of parenting.

Among our four children, the youngest has been causing us some worries with every milestone in her development. Don’t get me wrong, we keep a close watch of her growth and development and are happy for she is doing great. She is such a blessing!!! It just that there is this fear of "losing our baby" too soon. Before we know it, she'll be a toddler, then a preschooler and so on. The fact that she is our last makes us want to cling to that state for a little longer and savor it some more. To cut the drama short it is really our selfishness that's making us a little sad with her every milestone.

Our first child, a girl, was confidently walking at 9 months of age, our second and third, both boys did it when they were 10-month-old. Our youngest is now 10 months and just starting to balance with her two feet. Instead of worrying why she’s not walking yet, we feel okay with it... not just because we know that every child develops at a different pace but because we are taking pleasure in seeing her move around on fours.

I remember this Filipino riddle that goes:

“Nung maliit ay apat ang paa, nang lumaki ay dalawa, nang lumaon ay tatlo na”
(When small it's legs are four, as it grew it has two, and eventually three)

The answer is "human" who starts to move around using all his legs and arms, then walks with just his two feet, and in his final phase he would require a cane for support. Given a little more time our baby girl will level up from fours to twos...she’ll be up and about walking with her two feet. It feels like with just a blink of an eye we're "losing our baby" and then open it to see a toddler running around. But there’s no stopping her, we know. *sob*

Anyway, we want to say that we love you Nadine and we’ll be here to cheer you on your every step.