Now Mr. A says "Yes" quite often. I'm also teaching him not to hit his sister and brother and being kind to them. He really have 2 sibling who are crazy about him. Just yesterday, W shared a muffin with Mr. A. It was very sweet. After W fed A a few bites, A totally went to help the muffin himself, picking bites just like his bro.
Mr. A have a friend name "Audrey" and he can Audrey is my friend pretty clearly. Of course, his brother always gets him to say "girlfriend". ;)
As far as sleeping goes, A is still waking up, normally around 1:30-2:00 in the morning, then stays up for 2 hours before sleeping again so that has made daddy and mommy very tired. I have been falling asleep before 8pm quite a few nights. Thank God it's the holidays and daddy is home for the break.He's been more or less shifted to afternoon nap but they are fairly short, usually about an 1hour to a max of 1.5 hours.
We all think Mr. A is quite the gymnast; he has been doing splitz and he loves to hang on our trampoline bar.
One thing funny about Mr A is when daddy was picking him up from the nursery, he dropped everything and ran toward daddy. Then before he got to the door,he pointed to his sippy cup and coat. He remembered his "survival gear" aka sippy cup. Ha-ha!
Mr.A has also just started successfully goes #2 in the toilet. He actually says "poop" and makes his face so the signals are very clear. Then I sit him on the toilet with him, and when he is done, he says, "done" so that has been pretty easy. He actually said "poop" a few months before but seems always after the fact. Now he's starting to become more aware and says it before he goes.
Yesterday, we have some friends over. While we were eating, Mr. A wanted to take out a hard play sword and I told him "no". Then he looked down, mouth curving down like he is really upset and going to cry, then he started opening his mouth and actively breathed in and out for like at least a whole minute. The whole time he was looking down with mouth pouting. We all looked at him in amazement. Daddy says it looks he's about to boil over but actively trying to control his emotion. Our friend said, Mr A probably knows there's company over, and want to show honor to our family by not throwing a fit and controlling himself. We all remarked that not even that many adults can do what A just did, let a lone a 18 months old! That was the first time he's done something like this,esp. with the breathing. Oh, I wished I could have captured it all on the video. Priceless!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
First illness for Mr. A
Just this past week, Mr. A had I think is mostly a cold. I think he got it from his sister J. Heck, I was even really sick for a day, the kind I couldn't get up for anything. So I just slept and took some medicine.
Anyway, back to Mr. A. He ran a fever, for a day or two, and then was just mostly lethargic for the next couple days. He wanted to be held a lot, like almost the whole day. But sometimes, for no apparent reason, he'll push you away and scream with all his might for like 5 minutes. If you try to hold him or even approach him, he gets even more mad, hits you and pushes you. Then after some time, we try again and he wants to be held again. So this will go on for many times in day. Of course, for naps, he won't take one unless daddy or I are sleeping with him. He slept with us in the night. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep. During his illness, he really did not want his sibling, J or W and gets mad even if they look at him or stands too close. Thankfully, he's getting better and more back to his old self. He's really been sweet with me, holding me and giving me those cheek touches and loving to held.
It has been a really trying year with Mr. A. The good news is it is getting better. The last few days, he even took his nap at about the same time for which I'm very thankful. Not very long naps, but looks like he's transitioning to afternoon nap. Hopefully, it's the beginning of something that will stay. Now, we just have to work on that scream.
P.S His new favorite thing is sitting on our pool table and play with the balls. Daddy says he's also learning a little physics by playing Chinese checkers. The board is set up where the balls only can come out in one slot so Mr A pushes the stream of balls in the slots and out they come, one at a time.
Anyway, back to Mr. A. He ran a fever, for a day or two, and then was just mostly lethargic for the next couple days. He wanted to be held a lot, like almost the whole day. But sometimes, for no apparent reason, he'll push you away and scream with all his might for like 5 minutes. If you try to hold him or even approach him, he gets even more mad, hits you and pushes you. Then after some time, we try again and he wants to be held again. So this will go on for many times in day. Of course, for naps, he won't take one unless daddy or I are sleeping with him. He slept with us in the night. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep. During his illness, he really did not want his sibling, J or W and gets mad even if they look at him or stands too close. Thankfully, he's getting better and more back to his old self. He's really been sweet with me, holding me and giving me those cheek touches and loving to held.
It has been a really trying year with Mr. A. The good news is it is getting better. The last few days, he even took his nap at about the same time for which I'm very thankful. Not very long naps, but looks like he's transitioning to afternoon nap. Hopefully, it's the beginning of something that will stay. Now, we just have to work on that scream.
P.S His new favorite thing is sitting on our pool table and play with the balls. Daddy says he's also learning a little physics by playing Chinese checkers. The board is set up where the balls only can come out in one slot so Mr A pushes the stream of balls in the slots and out they come, one at a time.
From us to you
With love and wishes for peace and much joy, from all of us to all of you.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
First major win for J
J won the grand prize at our chiropractor holiday give-a-way. It's a Kindle Fire.
She said she hoped and prayed, hoped and prayed. This is really just in time for Christmas as her itouch unexpectedly broke. So happy for you, J!!
She said she hoped and prayed, hoped and prayed. This is really just in time for Christmas as her itouch unexpectedly broke. So happy for you, J!!
Monday, December 10, 2012
No!
A's new word, "Noooo!" He understands it, uses it correctly and often. I thought that was suppose to start at 2.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Sweet kisses
At the very start of 18month, A started giving sweet lip kisses. Can you believe it? It happened all of sudden, not exactly sure of the reason. That day, the older kids were away, so it was just A and me. We were sitting on the couch, relaxing, when Mr. A, quite suddenly, looked at me sweetly and with a big mischievous smile on his face, leaned over, with his mouth open, came to me and gave me a big kiss on the lip with no prompting whatsoever from me. Usually, even when we ask for kisses, Mr. A's response is either "ummm" meaning no or if we pretend to cry and be upset, the most he'll do is put his cheek next to ours or give you a hug. So it was a HUGE thing for him to do what he did.
After that first open mouth kiss, I had to teach him to do a proper kiss - close his mouth and put his lips together. Then he did it many times, very excited every time, like he just learned something new. We'd all clap excitedly after he came to kiss us with Mr.A clapping the happiest and just grinning from ear to ear. He kissed everyone in the family for THAT day. It was a very heart warming and sweet day.
Next day, he was back to his old self. No kisses, just cheek touches. :( But this morning, he kind of started again, after some initial reluctance.
I'm sure there's more to come. Love those sweet baby kisses!!!
After that first open mouth kiss, I had to teach him to do a proper kiss - close his mouth and put his lips together. Then he did it many times, very excited every time, like he just learned something new. We'd all clap excitedly after he came to kiss us with Mr.A clapping the happiest and just grinning from ear to ear. He kissed everyone in the family for THAT day. It was a very heart warming and sweet day.
Next day, he was back to his old self. No kisses, just cheek touches. :( But this morning, he kind of started again, after some initial reluctance.
I'm sure there's more to come. Love those sweet baby kisses!!!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
baby A -17 months old
Baby A had again lots of changes this month. He's able to do and say more than ever.
Favorite toy/play: Cutting play food that are attached together with Velcro. He has not mastered it yet so he practice it a lot. To my delight, he's more into dolls now and like to push the doll I made for him in a baby stroller. He's able to balance the flimsy plastic stroller now but I still bought him a wooden one for Christmas. Since J/W plays the piano, baby A always wants to join in and can actually make some nice tunes on it. He also love to look and have us read books to him. He'll say, "book" when he wants you to read. Some of his favorite books are Baby Einstein Alpha book set, Nemo music book, Goodnight Moon, and Time for Bed.
Words: This months, he's able to imitate more words than ever and can say Nick, Izzy, Nai-nai, Yeh-yeh, most of the alphabet, quite a few of the numbers, like one, two. Most often sound A makes is, "mmnnnnnnnnnn", meaning no. He says that almost every time we tell him we are putting him to nap and also when other people tries to ask for a hug or he doesn't like something. He can also say, "Yes" pretty clearly. I bought him a pair of new sneakers, and asked him if he like it, and he said, "Yes". :) He is able to understand of course, a lot more than he can say. Milk, he still says, ma and still signs if he wants to eat. He say mommy, daddy very clearly. He also says, "Jiejie (sister), and Bro". We taught him "please" so now he says more please. :)
Sleep: He's getting much better and usually goes to bed anywhere between 8:00-9:00 and wakes up at 7am. We moved his bed time later since it helps him wake up later. Baby A still takes a morning nap on most days for 1 1/2 hours (still cries about it) and but most of the time skips the 2nd nap. If he does take one, it is usually at 5pm. He will usually sleep for another 1 1/2 hours and then goes to bed at his normal time. At night time, he knows and wants to sleep so usually doesn't cry.
Eating: Baby A is in general a good eater. He continue to likes fruit a lot and because he has so many teeth, can eat slices of apple. He is also starting to eat and like English raisin muffin. He's still not keen on oatmeal. We gave him a taste of chocolate, and he love it. Now when we ask, who wants a piece of chocolate, he enthusiastically says, "Me, Me!" :) We are also adding coconut and almond milk in with his normal rice milk.
Personality: The first thing people notice about A is that he is very observant. He watches and studies what you are doing very intently. So a lot of times, people are surprised what he is able to do. A is also very happy and playful child, though other people may not quite see that at first. He's still very reserved when it comes to other people,esp. adults. If we are around, he is def. not letting other people hold him and will cry loudly. But he will wave and say bye and delight you with his smile. A is also very strong willed child, since day 1. He will drag us by hand or sometimes by the leg to tell you to play with him. He gets frustrated pretty easily. The other day he was playing with the phone but the battery was dead so he can't turn it on. Out of frustration,he threw the phone. He is also at the stage where he is testing his vocal chords and likes to scream.
Large/ fine motor skills: Baby A is running all over the place. He will also stomp and tap to music. He is very strong and loves to hang on the rings or on the bars of trampoline, usually for 15-20 secs and then do a drop on the mattress below. Excellent fine motor skills too. He drew an heart on my bday note. Every time I use the restroom, if A is there, he flushes the toilet. If he can reach the door handler, he can open and close that door. He's also turning on/off TV. When A eats, he uses forks, spoon, chopstick for poking just like we do. He is also able to drink from a normal cup and sip from a straw a while ago.
All in all, A is doing excellent. So far, he has not been sick at all. All he had was a little runny nose and the chiropractor we go to recommended we use Aroma Siez from Young Living to help him feel better. It worked great, very soothing smell. I'm praying it stays that way through winter.
Next up, potty training. Baby A will put his hand on his butt to tell you he needs a diaper change so I think he's ready.
Favorite toy/play: Cutting play food that are attached together with Velcro. He has not mastered it yet so he practice it a lot. To my delight, he's more into dolls now and like to push the doll I made for him in a baby stroller. He's able to balance the flimsy plastic stroller now but I still bought him a wooden one for Christmas. Since J/W plays the piano, baby A always wants to join in and can actually make some nice tunes on it. He also love to look and have us read books to him. He'll say, "book" when he wants you to read. Some of his favorite books are Baby Einstein Alpha book set, Nemo music book, Goodnight Moon, and Time for Bed.
Words: This months, he's able to imitate more words than ever and can say Nick, Izzy, Nai-nai, Yeh-yeh, most of the alphabet, quite a few of the numbers, like one, two. Most often sound A makes is, "mmnnnnnnnnnn", meaning no. He says that almost every time we tell him we are putting him to nap and also when other people tries to ask for a hug or he doesn't like something. He can also say, "Yes" pretty clearly. I bought him a pair of new sneakers, and asked him if he like it, and he said, "Yes". :) He is able to understand of course, a lot more than he can say. Milk, he still says, ma and still signs if he wants to eat. He say mommy, daddy very clearly. He also says, "Jiejie (sister), and Bro". We taught him "please" so now he says more please. :)
Sleep: He's getting much better and usually goes to bed anywhere between 8:00-9:00 and wakes up at 7am. We moved his bed time later since it helps him wake up later. Baby A still takes a morning nap on most days for 1 1/2 hours (still cries about it) and but most of the time skips the 2nd nap. If he does take one, it is usually at 5pm. He will usually sleep for another 1 1/2 hours and then goes to bed at his normal time. At night time, he knows and wants to sleep so usually doesn't cry.
Eating: Baby A is in general a good eater. He continue to likes fruit a lot and because he has so many teeth, can eat slices of apple. He is also starting to eat and like English raisin muffin. He's still not keen on oatmeal. We gave him a taste of chocolate, and he love it. Now when we ask, who wants a piece of chocolate, he enthusiastically says, "Me, Me!" :) We are also adding coconut and almond milk in with his normal rice milk.
Personality: The first thing people notice about A is that he is very observant. He watches and studies what you are doing very intently. So a lot of times, people are surprised what he is able to do. A is also very happy and playful child, though other people may not quite see that at first. He's still very reserved when it comes to other people,esp. adults. If we are around, he is def. not letting other people hold him and will cry loudly. But he will wave and say bye and delight you with his smile. A is also very strong willed child, since day 1. He will drag us by hand or sometimes by the leg to tell you to play with him. He gets frustrated pretty easily. The other day he was playing with the phone but the battery was dead so he can't turn it on. Out of frustration,he threw the phone. He is also at the stage where he is testing his vocal chords and likes to scream.
Large/ fine motor skills: Baby A is running all over the place. He will also stomp and tap to music. He is very strong and loves to hang on the rings or on the bars of trampoline, usually for 15-20 secs and then do a drop on the mattress below. Excellent fine motor skills too. He drew an heart on my bday note. Every time I use the restroom, if A is there, he flushes the toilet. If he can reach the door handler, he can open and close that door. He's also turning on/off TV. When A eats, he uses forks, spoon, chopstick for poking just like we do. He is also able to drink from a normal cup and sip from a straw a while ago.
All in all, A is doing excellent. So far, he has not been sick at all. All he had was a little runny nose and the chiropractor we go to recommended we use Aroma Siez from Young Living to help him feel better. It worked great, very soothing smell. I'm praying it stays that way through winter.
Next up, potty training. Baby A will put his hand on his butt to tell you he needs a diaper change so I think he's ready.
Monday, November 5, 2012
16 months
This was a really great month for A. To start off, he is more or less sleeping through the night though he had couple relapses waking up at around 3 am for a couple of days. We have adopted to check on him at 15-30 minute intervals, giving him a bottle of milk but never picking him up. Eventually, after an hour or so or crying, he falls back to sleep. It's hard to hear him cry for that long, I admit, but I do think there's good to it. For one thing, I have noticed that by not picking him up and not letting him sleep with one of us, he's waking up later as in around 8 to 8:30am vs. 6 or 6:30am. I'm guessing it's probably because he's sleeping deeper when he's sleeping by himself verses when he's sleeping with one of us. This is also starting to push his nap later, so instead of napping at 10, he's beginning to nap around 1pm.
He's also becoming more playful and is enjoying to play with toys more. His favorite toy are ones where he can close and open by himself like Bakugon and plastic eggs. He still likes his shape sorter a lot but gets frustrated when he cannot put the shape in the bucket. Much to my chagrin, A is at the stage where he loves to dump things out and if someone builds, he enjoys in knocking them over. Naturally, he loves to go wherever his sister/brother goes, but mostly, he gets upset is I don't stay to play with him, even if I'm just going to use the restroom and his brother/sister are in a different place doing work. As a result, I have rearranged furniture so there is a room where the the older children do work, and A can play.
Brother and sister have been teaching A lots of words and gestures, but esp. brother W. A loves to copy. His favorite words are "but", "woof", "this", "more"," baby", "ball" (both in ball and hug in Chinese when he wants to be held" etc. Oh, when he's mad, he does great tap dancing. :) A big challenge right now is getting him into his car seat. Usually, we have to distract him with something or bribe him with a date/cookie. Sometimes, it's nearly impossible to get him in.
A has always been a fruit baby, so he continues to like strawberry, orange, and grapes. He also like Chinese buns, dumplings, and his favorite, eggs. What will I do without that food? Thankfully, he also enjoys steamed broccoli and cauliflower. We have also switched him from milk to rice milk and coconut milk and he's doing well with that. He also drink a lot of water and don't mind it at all. He's also starting to drink water from a cup.
Ever since A was a baby, he hated blankets, hats, and socks. So I know he's not to like his mittens and it was indeed so. But after staying outside in the chilly weather with his hands exposed, he's coming around and will let his mitten stay on. Hopefully, he'll keep his hat on and appreciate it's warmth. I'm also hoping he'll let his slipper stay on once it is winter so he won't walk barefoot everywhere in the house.
That's all for now.
He's also becoming more playful and is enjoying to play with toys more. His favorite toy are ones where he can close and open by himself like Bakugon and plastic eggs. He still likes his shape sorter a lot but gets frustrated when he cannot put the shape in the bucket. Much to my chagrin, A is at the stage where he loves to dump things out and if someone builds, he enjoys in knocking them over. Naturally, he loves to go wherever his sister/brother goes, but mostly, he gets upset is I don't stay to play with him, even if I'm just going to use the restroom and his brother/sister are in a different place doing work. As a result, I have rearranged furniture so there is a room where the the older children do work, and A can play.
Brother and sister have been teaching A lots of words and gestures, but esp. brother W. A loves to copy. His favorite words are "but", "woof", "this", "more"," baby", "ball" (both in ball and hug in Chinese when he wants to be held" etc. Oh, when he's mad, he does great tap dancing. :) A big challenge right now is getting him into his car seat. Usually, we have to distract him with something or bribe him with a date/cookie. Sometimes, it's nearly impossible to get him in.
A has always been a fruit baby, so he continues to like strawberry, orange, and grapes. He also like Chinese buns, dumplings, and his favorite, eggs. What will I do without that food? Thankfully, he also enjoys steamed broccoli and cauliflower. We have also switched him from milk to rice milk and coconut milk and he's doing well with that. He also drink a lot of water and don't mind it at all. He's also starting to drink water from a cup.
Ever since A was a baby, he hated blankets, hats, and socks. So I know he's not to like his mittens and it was indeed so. But after staying outside in the chilly weather with his hands exposed, he's coming around and will let his mitten stay on. Hopefully, he'll keep his hat on and appreciate it's warmth. I'm also hoping he'll let his slipper stay on once it is winter so he won't walk barefoot everywhere in the house.
That's all for now.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Encouraged
Baby A is 16 months old, and he can be dropped off at gym and at our church's nursery. Now I know I will most likely not be paged or called. Yesterday, at church, he whined while being dropped off, but when we picked him up, staff told us he did really well. Not one tear was shed. He played with all the children, played with himself and played with the staff. So I'm encouraged in that area.
Now if I can figure out how he can sleep through the night, it will be great. A is still waking up at 12, 4-5, then usually 6pm. So it is still rough as he's usually wide awake and wants to eat and then ready to play. But yesterday, after feeling exhausted, I put him back to bed at 8:45 and surprisingly he only cried for a while before falling back into sleep.
Now if I can figure out how he can sleep through the night, it will be great. A is still waking up at 12, 4-5, then usually 6pm. So it is still rough as he's usually wide awake and wants to eat and then ready to play. But yesterday, after feeling exhausted, I put him back to bed at 8:45 and surprisingly he only cried for a while before falling back into sleep.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Making progress: Starting Gym
I can finally go back to gym. The key is for the care takers not to hold baby A but simply to let him cry/scream for a while. Then after sometimes, he stops crying and will start playing. This is what people at our church told us last Sunday. They believe it's a control thing whereas daddy think baby A is still wary of strangers and don't feel safe if they hold him. Either way, I told the workers at the gym. It worked and I was able to work out for an hour. I was really worried at first but was thrilled they did not bring baby A to look for me. Baby A is now just 16 months and he's getting better with strangers. He is most willing to say bye. His kiss is putting his cheek on yours. He usually reserve that only for mommy and daddy. It is still extremely difficult to school the children while A is awake and that is like 95% of our day... guess I'll have to work with him on that. One step at a time.
Monday, August 27, 2012
A Breakthrough
Today (8/26) we left baby A in our church's nursery and actually did not get paged to be picked up at all. SHOCK!! He was crying when I left and I was sure I would get paged in 5 or 10 minutes, but after the songs, the greetings, and even the message started, still no pages. I was impressed.
Later we found out he cried 1/2 hour, then started to play happily. I'm impressed with the lady who works in there. I'm also glad baby A did not scream therefore I think workers in the nursery dealt with the cry better. Hopefully, this is start of baby A's independence in the Moon walker room.
Later we found out he cried 1/2 hour, then started to play happily. I'm impressed with the lady who works in there. I'm also glad baby A did not scream therefore I think workers in the nursery dealt with the cry better. Hopefully, this is start of baby A's independence in the Moon walker room.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Update on J/W
I know I have been MIA about J/W, but today I thought I'd post a little update on them. This summer they spent 3 nights at a Christian camp 2.5 hours away from us and they LOVED it. W has also been to circus camp and will have a comic art camp very soon. He's def. very into art and spend a lot of his free time drawing comic and making up stories. We sent J to a classical Russian ballet school this summer and while it is very nice, it is much farther and more expensive than her current studio. So we are still praying about that.
They also both took a class called "Sheep to scarf" and got to wash, card, spin, dye and weave wool. W had a little rough time and required help. His favorite part was carding the wool while J's favorite part was spinning. They both also took a cooking class and learned from a French chef taking home with them samples of Braised beef, Risotto, homemade dressing and English Trifle. Everything was made from scratch which is nice but little too consuming esp. with a 1 year old in the house.
As we are gearing up for school, they took a DORA(reading) and DOMA(math) assessment at letsgolearn.com courtesy of OXFORD school. A kind lady @ Oxford interpreted results for me and she put everything in a positive light. I know the kids were relieved and happy since they thought they got many wrong. he-he. The test do add/subtract questions based on how you answer them.
Regarding W, she says, "As you can see, W scored very well in every sub-area of the DORA test. His reading comprehension score is especially impressive, scoring at an almost 9th grade level! Way to go!! (I'm totally shocked about this.)
W's DOMA score reveals that he is also doing well understanding math. Considering he is going into 3rd grade this year, he is at a wonderful pace with his skill level. "
Way to go!
~J's Results:
J did very well in every sub-area of the DORA test. Her reading comprehension level is super! I am so happy for her! She also shows impressive abilities in oral vocabulary!
Her math test also reveals that she is doing well understanding fractions, measurement and especially number skills. Excellent work!"
They also both took a class called "Sheep to scarf" and got to wash, card, spin, dye and weave wool. W had a little rough time and required help. His favorite part was carding the wool while J's favorite part was spinning. They both also took a cooking class and learned from a French chef taking home with them samples of Braised beef, Risotto, homemade dressing and English Trifle. Everything was made from scratch which is nice but little too consuming esp. with a 1 year old in the house.
As we are gearing up for school, they took a DORA(reading) and DOMA(math) assessment at letsgolearn.com courtesy of OXFORD school. A kind lady @ Oxford interpreted results for me and she put everything in a positive light. I know the kids were relieved and happy since they thought they got many wrong. he-he. The test do add/subtract questions based on how you answer them.
Regarding W, she says, "As you can see, W scored very well in every sub-area of the DORA test. His reading comprehension score is especially impressive, scoring at an almost 9th grade level! Way to go!! (I'm totally shocked about this.)
W's DOMA score reveals that he is also doing well understanding math. Considering he is going into 3rd grade this year, he is at a wonderful pace with his skill level. "
Way to go!
~J's Results:
J did very well in every sub-area of the DORA test. Her reading comprehension level is super! I am so happy for her! She also shows impressive abilities in oral vocabulary!
Her math test also reveals that she is doing well understanding fractions, measurement and especially number skills. Excellent work!"
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
baby eats
Some food baby A actually swallows:
hard boiled eggs
mini chicken dumplings
grilled squash from our garden
cheese (seems like the boy really likes diary)
little rice
French Toast ( bread, 2 eggs, little milk, vanilla extra, butter in pan)
Honey Hoisin chicken ( 4-6 boneless chicken breast, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup white wine/chicken broth, 1/4 tsp. ginger; cook on high 4-5 hours)
I have been trying to get him to eat oatmeal, but not having much success.
I Would like to try Soulemama's recipe of "leftover oatmeal" muffins
(1 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 egg, 1 TBSP melted butter, 1/2 cup milk, 4 TBSP honey/sugar/maple syrup, 2 TBSP baking powder, 1.5 cups flour, plus 1/2 cup 'extra somethings' - raisins, chocoloate chips, berries, etc. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.)
On the good side, he has been drinking my green smoothie with beet. Hoping try out more veggie/fruit juice. Yesterday, he actually ate little avocado together with banana. So I think I'll get some more avocado and mash it with banana to give it another try.
On a random side note, Daddy's favorite Blueberry buttermilk pancake - recipe found here
hard boiled eggs
mini chicken dumplings
grilled squash from our garden
cheese (seems like the boy really likes diary)
little rice
French Toast ( bread, 2 eggs, little milk, vanilla extra, butter in pan)
Honey Hoisin chicken ( 4-6 boneless chicken breast, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup white wine/chicken broth, 1/4 tsp. ginger; cook on high 4-5 hours)
I have been trying to get him to eat oatmeal, but not having much success.
I Would like to try Soulemama's recipe of "leftover oatmeal" muffins
(1 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 egg, 1 TBSP melted butter, 1/2 cup milk, 4 TBSP honey/sugar/maple syrup, 2 TBSP baking powder, 1.5 cups flour, plus 1/2 cup 'extra somethings' - raisins, chocoloate chips, berries, etc. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.)
On the good side, he has been drinking my green smoothie with beet. Hoping try out more veggie/fruit juice. Yesterday, he actually ate little avocado together with banana. So I think I'll get some more avocado and mash it with banana to give it another try.
On a random side note, Daddy's favorite Blueberry buttermilk pancake - recipe found here
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
walking
Baby A just turned 13 months and he is basically walking. Sometimes he's still wobbly and other times he tips to one side but he is making lots of steps. He's not wearing any shoe yet as I'm not quite ready for him to walk on concrete surfaces. I think 1 month later, he'll be a lot more stable and probably even running. He is also able to pull himself up to standing w/o help and even will carry his toy across the room. His favorite toy is the shape sorter. He loves the push the shape in and hear the sound it makes. This is a fun stage.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Random bits of cuteness
Baby A is taking couple steps. Most of the time he's so excited, he takes 2 steps before he falls. But today, with the encouragement of some dried mango, he walked across from the sofa to the TV. So he is able, just need more balance.
He knows the word for nose and love to point to it.
Whenever he hears music, he starts rocking his head. So cute.
If he doesn't want something, he shakes his head side to side or turns his head away from you.
Sometimes, he gets the sign for milk and eat a little confused and starts doing both. Very funny.
He's drinking mostly milk w/ vitamins plus some formula and water daily now. He's on a mix of baby bottle and sippy cups.
Those little container designed to keep cheerios in doesn't work for baby A since he'll use his hand to pry it open and then turn the container up side down so most of the cheerios or puffs come falling out.
I wish he would swallow the food he so eagerly puts in his mouth.
It seems like in the morning when it is close to his nap time, putting him in the stroller for a walk usually puts him to sleep. Amazingly, he stays asleep with just a little bit of fussiness before sleeping in his crib. This a huge breakthrough for me as I used to spend 45 minutes to over an hour trying to get him to fall asleep. Sometimes w/o success. Now if I can work the magic during the night somehow, it would be great.
Oh, did I mention here baby A is totally loving the big kids slide. Goes up the steps and comes down on his tummy. He's still scared to come sliding down on his tush so he turns and gets on his tummy. He's also learning to get off the bed and our guest bed is pretty high. He's climbing up and down our sofa with ease and is fast.
All in all, the boy is doing well. Says ma-ma clearly and he knows who he is calling. Totally melts my heart. Now if he can be not so wary of people outside of our immediate family, it would be awesome. I guess one step at a time.
He knows the word for nose and love to point to it.
Whenever he hears music, he starts rocking his head. So cute.
If he doesn't want something, he shakes his head side to side or turns his head away from you.
Sometimes, he gets the sign for milk and eat a little confused and starts doing both. Very funny.
He's drinking mostly milk w/ vitamins plus some formula and water daily now. He's on a mix of baby bottle and sippy cups.
Those little container designed to keep cheerios in doesn't work for baby A since he'll use his hand to pry it open and then turn the container up side down so most of the cheerios or puffs come falling out.
I wish he would swallow the food he so eagerly puts in his mouth.
It seems like in the morning when it is close to his nap time, putting him in the stroller for a walk usually puts him to sleep. Amazingly, he stays asleep with just a little bit of fussiness before sleeping in his crib. This a huge breakthrough for me as I used to spend 45 minutes to over an hour trying to get him to fall asleep. Sometimes w/o success. Now if I can work the magic during the night somehow, it would be great.
Oh, did I mention here baby A is totally loving the big kids slide. Goes up the steps and comes down on his tummy. He's still scared to come sliding down on his tush so he turns and gets on his tummy. He's also learning to get off the bed and our guest bed is pretty high. He's climbing up and down our sofa with ease and is fast.
All in all, the boy is doing well. Says ma-ma clearly and he knows who he is calling. Totally melts my heart. Now if he can be not so wary of people outside of our immediate family, it would be awesome. I guess one step at a time.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
He's ONE!
Happy Birthday to my little boy. He's ONE today. I still remember his birth like it was yesterday. "Precious gift from God. Loved no matter what." That is what I wrote on the back of his baby book.
We had an early celebration this past weekend. Baby A had no trouble eating his cupcake and smeared his mouth with blue frosting. He won't let any one hold him other than our immediate family so that was a bummer. He did however, sat contently in his baby Tenda eating noodle and rice. Today he's loving the watermelon! His favorite sign is "more", "eat" and "milk". Boy does he loves to eat!!!! Nickname started by sister is "smoocha-din-din". Now everyone in our family calls him that and his name.
Happy day today, and hopefully there will be many more to come. And please start sleep through the night and take better nap. 20 minutes of nap / day is just not healthy for you or for your mommy. Love ya.
We had an early celebration this past weekend. Baby A had no trouble eating his cupcake and smeared his mouth with blue frosting. He won't let any one hold him other than our immediate family so that was a bummer. He did however, sat contently in his baby Tenda eating noodle and rice. Today he's loving the watermelon! His favorite sign is "more", "eat" and "milk". Boy does he loves to eat!!!! Nickname started by sister is "smoocha-din-din". Now everyone in our family calls him that and his name.
Happy day today, and hopefully there will be many more to come. And please start sleep through the night and take better nap. 20 minutes of nap / day is just not healthy for you or for your mommy. Love ya.
Friday, May 25, 2012
A's new gig
Baby A is 11 months old now. His newest discovery is the sandbox. We have one right out on the deck and it's a favorite for all the kids. A enjoys the sandbox as along as I'm out there with him. Once I start to leave even if his sister/brother are out there, he'll yell for attention. But if I try to pick him up from the sandbox, he won't want to leave. It's interesting to see see how he communicates. We'll do this couple time and usually after the 3rd time, he comes to me willing out of the sand box.
With regards to the stairs, it is interesting how each baby acts differently. I don't remember too much about J, only that she was afraid of coming down the stairs. Maybe it's because she is able to walk earlier than A and W. With W, he was fearless and before he can walk, he came down the stairs easily backwards. I don't know how he learned to do that, but it was easy for him. Shortly after, he started to slide backwards down and that was scary to watch. Good thing our stairs had a middle flat area and that slowed things down. Now A, he wants to come down the stairs the way we do it. So even though he can't balance himself yet, let alone walk, his preferred way is to sit on the stair and then scoot down while holding rail for some support.
A is also very musical. He loves the piano and whenever the older kids are playing on it, he will for sure want to play too. Oh, yes, W just started piano lessons and so far he's loving it and practice often. Back to A, he loves any toy that makes music and tries to stand up and wiggle. So even though I was initially little hesitant about these kind of electronic toy, seeing how much he loves them, I brought him a little telephone that plays music. Often times, that is the only toy that can entertain him for short time. So far, A is not very interested in books but wants whatever book we are looking at. I guess that is pretty normal.
He is also a voracious eater. For example, this morning he drank 5 oz of formula, 2 baby cookies, 1/2 jar of fruit/yogurt, 1 egg, some green puffs, 2 dried dates and a little whip cream. This is after he drank 8 oz of formula at 3:40 in the morning. Seems like a lot of food for a little person.
I have been trying to teach A some sign language. Two he is good at is "more" and "milk". I'm also trying to show him "out" but his way is to fuss. And yesterday, we took him for the 3rd time to Cookie Cutters to get a hair cut. Poor baby was crying the whole entire time even though I held his hand and kissed him the whole time. He didn't fight like I thought he might have, but just cried and protested very loudly. The tears were flying and in the end, his eyes was semi swollen. He held still so at least it wasn't hard for the stylist to cut his hair. As soon he was done and I held him, he stopped crying.
With A, homeschooling the kids has been very trying. Only time I can really work with kids is when A is napping and that is usually after lunch. This is always when I personally need a nap after taking care of him in the morning. We are also missing park/gym days in the afternoon with other homeschool children because A only naps well in his crib. Thank God for one of my friend who takes J/W along with her kids to the park to play after the art class. Otherwise, he will nap for only a brief time and that will be it for the day. Well, we do our best given the circumstance.
With regards to the stairs, it is interesting how each baby acts differently. I don't remember too much about J, only that she was afraid of coming down the stairs. Maybe it's because she is able to walk earlier than A and W. With W, he was fearless and before he can walk, he came down the stairs easily backwards. I don't know how he learned to do that, but it was easy for him. Shortly after, he started to slide backwards down and that was scary to watch. Good thing our stairs had a middle flat area and that slowed things down. Now A, he wants to come down the stairs the way we do it. So even though he can't balance himself yet, let alone walk, his preferred way is to sit on the stair and then scoot down while holding rail for some support.
A is also very musical. He loves the piano and whenever the older kids are playing on it, he will for sure want to play too. Oh, yes, W just started piano lessons and so far he's loving it and practice often. Back to A, he loves any toy that makes music and tries to stand up and wiggle. So even though I was initially little hesitant about these kind of electronic toy, seeing how much he loves them, I brought him a little telephone that plays music. Often times, that is the only toy that can entertain him for short time. So far, A is not very interested in books but wants whatever book we are looking at. I guess that is pretty normal.
He is also a voracious eater. For example, this morning he drank 5 oz of formula, 2 baby cookies, 1/2 jar of fruit/yogurt, 1 egg, some green puffs, 2 dried dates and a little whip cream. This is after he drank 8 oz of formula at 3:40 in the morning. Seems like a lot of food for a little person.
I have been trying to teach A some sign language. Two he is good at is "more" and "milk". I'm also trying to show him "out" but his way is to fuss. And yesterday, we took him for the 3rd time to Cookie Cutters to get a hair cut. Poor baby was crying the whole entire time even though I held his hand and kissed him the whole time. He didn't fight like I thought he might have, but just cried and protested very loudly. The tears were flying and in the end, his eyes was semi swollen. He held still so at least it wasn't hard for the stylist to cut his hair. As soon he was done and I held him, he stopped crying.
With A, homeschooling the kids has been very trying. Only time I can really work with kids is when A is napping and that is usually after lunch. This is always when I personally need a nap after taking care of him in the morning. We are also missing park/gym days in the afternoon with other homeschool children because A only naps well in his crib. Thank God for one of my friend who takes J/W along with her kids to the park to play after the art class. Otherwise, he will nap for only a brief time and that will be it for the day. Well, we do our best given the circumstance.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Up and up he goes
Out of the blue, A started to climb stairs. Our stairs are pretty tall and is split between 2 levels. He was a hard worker and climbed all the way to the top. Extremely pleased with himself, he did it again and again. Now coming down was a little bit more problem. He tried to dive down and soon realized that it is pretty scary esp. since he's at the top of the stairs looking down. Then he tried come down the way we do it and realized his leg is little short and not very safe either. We tried to show him to get down by turning around and scooting down. He got more or less the hang of it. But realized it was much easier to yell for someone to bring him down while he's standing on the stairs and holding the rail. :)
I was talking with my neighbor and telling her my woes that baby A since birth has had trouble going to bed. He just does not want to, during the night or during the day time. She mentioned that sleep trouble is a sign that he might be gifted. Oh, dear. I searched on-line and sure enough it is one of the signs that could indicate a gifted child. Well, gifted or not, I still wish he will sleep more because I know sleep is good for him and for me.
I was talking with my neighbor and telling her my woes that baby A since birth has had trouble going to bed. He just does not want to, during the night or during the day time. She mentioned that sleep trouble is a sign that he might be gifted. Oh, dear. I searched on-line and sure enough it is one of the signs that could indicate a gifted child. Well, gifted or not, I still wish he will sleep more because I know sleep is good for him and for me.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
At 10 months, 3weeks
Baby A finally started crawling!! Not the belly off the floor kind but the army crawl with toes tipped. In just a few days, he has really picked up speed. So watch out world, baby A is on the move. :)
Today, baby A even said "ma-ma" very clearly while he was looking at me. It made me a very happy mama.
We have been away, and just came back. A was a good baby on the plane for the most part. No screaming like he usually does when he doesn't get his way so thank God for that. We enjoying a week of vacation in the New York and CT area visiting J/W's aunt's family. It was great fun for everyone, but esp. the kids. They played with their cousin every chance they got, staying up late and getting up early just to play. It will be great to see them again in June for a wedding.
Today, baby A even said "ma-ma" very clearly while he was looking at me. It made me a very happy mama.
We have been away, and just came back. A was a good baby on the plane for the most part. No screaming like he usually does when he doesn't get his way so thank God for that. We enjoying a week of vacation in the New York and CT area visiting J/W's aunt's family. It was great fun for everyone, but esp. the kids. They played with their cousin every chance they got, staying up late and getting up early just to play. It will be great to see them again in June for a wedding.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
a little screamer
Well, babycenter.com says in the 9th month of a baby's life, his/her personality really shines through. It is certainly true of baby A. Lately, he has really been a little screamer who knows exactly what he wants and when he wants it. It happens both during the day and in the night and started all of sudden.
Daddy says he is an aggressive little boy, certainly more so than his siblings. He's also strong, determined and extremely curious. When he wants down, he'll literally dive for the floor and it's very difficult to not let him get down or mistake what he wants. Baby A has always been strong with his fine motor skills. Recently, he waved a quite weighty clay basket his brother made with ease. He even can pass comfortably between his hands.
Now the little guy can also be sweet when he's happy. He'll give us hugs or pats on the shoulder. His favorite activity seems to eating. When he's picking up food off his table, he's a very content baby and we can some period of peace. He's still nursing but mostly for comfort. Occasionally, when he's in the mood, he'll even suck on his toes like it is milk. Mmmm-good. :)
We have tried to put him in different carriers and one thing we know now is that baby A better be able to face the front or he's going to want out fast. So the slings and other carriers we brought are mostly left at home. A wants to watch all the actions and follow all the sounds. So far he seems to be a very auditory and visual learner. He loves when you make the "ew" sound like he's stinky. It works almost every time.
So far, A shows no interest in crawling and he is almost 10 month. When he is on his tummy for too long and can't go anywhere, he gets frustrated. But he loves it if you help him to get on his knees and he'll hold our hand and walk toward where he wants to go. He's also been getting stronger on his balance and is able to stand with his back to the wall. Though he is still a little scared and will scream for you to help him to change position.
In the last week of so, A seem to be having growth spurt and has been eating a ton during the night making mommy and daddy very tired. I'm hoping this is just a phase he's going through since waking up and staying up for 2 hours at a time during the time when I'm most sleepy is not fun.
Daddy says he is an aggressive little boy, certainly more so than his siblings. He's also strong, determined and extremely curious. When he wants down, he'll literally dive for the floor and it's very difficult to not let him get down or mistake what he wants. Baby A has always been strong with his fine motor skills. Recently, he waved a quite weighty clay basket his brother made with ease. He even can pass comfortably between his hands.
Now the little guy can also be sweet when he's happy. He'll give us hugs or pats on the shoulder. His favorite activity seems to eating. When he's picking up food off his table, he's a very content baby and we can some period of peace. He's still nursing but mostly for comfort. Occasionally, when he's in the mood, he'll even suck on his toes like it is milk. Mmmm-good. :)
We have tried to put him in different carriers and one thing we know now is that baby A better be able to face the front or he's going to want out fast. So the slings and other carriers we brought are mostly left at home. A wants to watch all the actions and follow all the sounds. So far he seems to be a very auditory and visual learner. He loves when you make the "ew" sound like he's stinky. It works almost every time.
So far, A shows no interest in crawling and he is almost 10 month. When he is on his tummy for too long and can't go anywhere, he gets frustrated. But he loves it if you help him to get on his knees and he'll hold our hand and walk toward where he wants to go. He's also been getting stronger on his balance and is able to stand with his back to the wall. Though he is still a little scared and will scream for you to help him to change position.
In the last week of so, A seem to be having growth spurt and has been eating a ton during the night making mommy and daddy very tired. I'm hoping this is just a phase he's going through since waking up and staying up for 2 hours at a time during the time when I'm most sleepy is not fun.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Some of baby A's new words
Time is short so I'll get right to point:
Most exciting words: ba-ba (though he doesn't know that is referring to daddy in Chinese)
Heard only by daddy: daddy
Heard by mama: a-da, da-da
Love all the words he utters and syllables he puts together. It is the cutest and sweetest sounds. Baby A is also really playful and getting better with his naps. He'll usually take at least one 2 hour nap if we put him down for nap. He's still not sleeping through the night, but with a break in the day, at least I can do some school with my other two children.
Most exciting words: ba-ba (though he doesn't know that is referring to daddy in Chinese)
Heard only by daddy: daddy
Heard by mama: a-da, da-da
Love all the words he utters and syllables he puts together. It is the cutest and sweetest sounds. Baby A is also really playful and getting better with his naps. He'll usually take at least one 2 hour nap if we put him down for nap. He's still not sleeping through the night, but with a break in the day, at least I can do some school with my other two children.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Dance competition
This weekend J finished her 1st dance competition for the year. Her and her team did awesome! They won platinum for all 3 of their dance #s and went on to win 1st overall for tap and jazz, 2nd overall for hip hop. J is the captain for jazz and got to take home her trophy.
This year J is front center in all 3 of her dances and many people commented that she is fantastic and that this is her year. I know J works really hard on her dance, practicing and making a lot of improvement. Her love and passion for dance really shines through when she is on stage. We are so proud of her.
Hopefully I'll be able to upload her jazz/hip hop dress rehearsal videos later.
This year J is front center in all 3 of her dances and many people commented that she is fantastic and that this is her year. I know J works really hard on her dance, practicing and making a lot of improvement. Her love and passion for dance really shines through when she is on stage. We are so proud of her.
Hopefully I'll be able to upload her jazz/hip hop dress rehearsal videos later.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Battle
First I got the flu, then a bacteria infection, and finally a bad cold all accompanied with a fever. Now baby A, I don't know if it is because he is nursing or not, but he also got a cold and an infection along with a fever. So as expected, he has been crabby and more needy than usual. I can tell he's really tired since he's sleeping more than usual. He's still pretty feisty through the sickness, whacking at the bottle to tell me he's had enough so he's a fighter. Daddy sometimes is the only one who have success putting him to sleep. Because I was sick too, so daddy has been getting up a lot to take care of baby A and the bond between them is growing strong. :) Sure hope he can get well soon. Even though baby A is almost 9 months, he's not crawling, only scooting back. I'm not too concerned, all in good time.
As is usual around this time of the year, I'm on the hunt for homeschool resources for the next school year, taking into account now I have less time to spent with J/W. At the same time, there are certain areas I feel we can do better and make the experience better for everyone. This year, esp. for me, I feel I lost the joy of homeschooling. So I'm hoping to find it again. I do however, have to remember to give myself a lot of grace as we did have a new baby this school year; and an extra challenging baby at that, not like J/W. They are my 'textbook' baby, though W was sick a lot during his first year of life.
Anyway, I feel I'm doing the best I can given the circumstances. I have a lot I need to pray for. But one thing I came away from this year is I will still continue to homeschool J/W and spend more time in prayer/reading God's words. When I shared my insecurities with one of my friend, she said, that is the enemy-aka Satan- talking to you. First I didn't think too much of it, and then I realized how right she is. Glad my kids are firm in their commitment of wanting to stay with me. Thanks, J/W!
As is usual around this time of the year, I'm on the hunt for homeschool resources for the next school year, taking into account now I have less time to spent with J/W. At the same time, there are certain areas I feel we can do better and make the experience better for everyone. This year, esp. for me, I feel I lost the joy of homeschooling. So I'm hoping to find it again. I do however, have to remember to give myself a lot of grace as we did have a new baby this school year; and an extra challenging baby at that, not like J/W. They are my 'textbook' baby, though W was sick a lot during his first year of life.
Anyway, I feel I'm doing the best I can given the circumstances. I have a lot I need to pray for. But one thing I came away from this year is I will still continue to homeschool J/W and spend more time in prayer/reading God's words. When I shared my insecurities with one of my friend, she said, that is the enemy-aka Satan- talking to you. First I didn't think too much of it, and then I realized how right she is. Glad my kids are firm in their commitment of wanting to stay with me. Thanks, J/W!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Character traing for mom
It has been a rough 2 weeks, heck it has been rough ever since baby A appeared. I was seriously in very grouchy mood due to being very tired, feeling run down and having a very sore throat every morning, aching all over that I was pretty much being a real ogre to my kids. I felt I was at the end of the rope and just can't go on like this and something had to change. At my lowest, I was ready to send J/W right to public school. When I am sane, I realize I should wait until fall. I didn't at one point cared if they wanted to or not, or if hubby might object, I was going to send them no matter what, just so I can have some breathing time and not always feel so angry and frustrated. I even made a prayer bet with God, just to see if He really wants me to homeschool or not. *gasp*
But somewhere along the road, God talked to me through my kids. Both my kids w/o hesitation give wanting to homeschool a 10, not a 9.5 or 9.9 that I suggested they can give. Both of them would still wants to continue homeschool even if the other one was sent to school. I even offered to give them a large sum of money if they went to school because my kids do love to have their own money thinking for sure that would give them something to think about. But they turned it down flat and said even if it was a million or a billion bucks, they still want to homeschool. Okay, there you have it. They are unwavering in their desire to homeschool.
Often times I wonder why? Especially since when I feel like I yell them a lot, sometimes everyday for what is really little stuff. I have often asked myself why can't I treat them with more kindness and patience? And I pray often to God to help me not to yell but use gentle words. And if I'm really honest, I think sometimes I am downright mean and once I start yelling, I have a hard time stopping. In all honesty, I know I have really good, easy going kids. So why can't I see more of the good in them? Why do I always disapprove of them???? Of course, my solution is to send them to school. I think at least they won't get this kind of treatment at school.
Yet, despite all this, my kids amaze and confuse me when they say they want to stay home with me. W even reminded me that I had said I'll homeschool him until college if he wants and that is what he wants. So once again, deep in my heart, I know I won't be sending them to school and that I'll just have to keep working on myself. Or the best would be to send baby A to daycare. he-he. Just kidding. A friend of mine has once said that homeschooling is character training for mom. So very true.
P.S. I did get a rebounder for myself (and for the kids/hubby) to blow off some steam and hopefully feel better physically.
But somewhere along the road, God talked to me through my kids. Both my kids w/o hesitation give wanting to homeschool a 10, not a 9.5 or 9.9 that I suggested they can give. Both of them would still wants to continue homeschool even if the other one was sent to school. I even offered to give them a large sum of money if they went to school because my kids do love to have their own money thinking for sure that would give them something to think about. But they turned it down flat and said even if it was a million or a billion bucks, they still want to homeschool. Okay, there you have it. They are unwavering in their desire to homeschool.
Often times I wonder why? Especially since when I feel like I yell them a lot, sometimes everyday for what is really little stuff. I have often asked myself why can't I treat them with more kindness and patience? And I pray often to God to help me not to yell but use gentle words. And if I'm really honest, I think sometimes I am downright mean and once I start yelling, I have a hard time stopping. In all honesty, I know I have really good, easy going kids. So why can't I see more of the good in them? Why do I always disapprove of them???? Of course, my solution is to send them to school. I think at least they won't get this kind of treatment at school.
Yet, despite all this, my kids amaze and confuse me when they say they want to stay home with me. W even reminded me that I had said I'll homeschool him until college if he wants and that is what he wants. So once again, deep in my heart, I know I won't be sending them to school and that I'll just have to keep working on myself. Or the best would be to send baby A to daycare. he-he. Just kidding. A friend of mine has once said that homeschooling is character training for mom. So very true.
P.S. I did get a rebounder for myself (and for the kids/hubby) to blow off some steam and hopefully feel better physically.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
baby A loves
My little guy (7 Months 3 weeks) loves...............
to stay with mommy. Sometimes that drives her a little insane esp. when it's an all day marathon.
to nurse and can do so for a good hour until he is asleep and even when is asleep.
(mostly) can't wait to come to mommy. His whole upper body dives forward, sometimes little too fast. But he'll go to daddy, sister and brother too.
to rip out tissue paper or lettuce or anything he can rip, he loves.
to have a taste of whatever it is we are eating.
to play with water bottle.
to handle and investigate a book.
to put things in his mouths.
to take a bath. He gets so excited when I'm taking off his clothes.
to play with stacking cubes. He like to bang them.
to clap his hands. He's got really strong fine motor skills.
to have someone in our family to hold him, esp. mommy.
to stay with mommy. Sometimes that drives her a little insane esp. when it's an all day marathon.
to nurse and can do so for a good hour until he is asleep and even when is asleep.
(mostly) can't wait to come to mommy. His whole upper body dives forward, sometimes little too fast. But he'll go to daddy, sister and brother too.
to rip out tissue paper or lettuce or anything he can rip, he loves.
to have a taste of whatever it is we are eating.
to play with water bottle.
to handle and investigate a book.
to put things in his mouths.
to take a bath. He gets so excited when I'm taking off his clothes.
to play with stacking cubes. He like to bang them.
to clap his hands. He's got really strong fine motor skills.
to have someone in our family to hold him, esp. mommy.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Baby A's first long car trip
On Friday afternoon, we left for Chicago not realizing there's a snow storm warning there. So instead of 5 hours that it would normal take us, it took us 8 hours. There wasn't actually too much snow, maybe 3 inches or so but it was extra extra slow, the closer we got to Chicago. But baby A did pretty well; at least much better than we anticipated. He didn't cry or fuss too much, and in his normal fashion, only slept for 20 minutes after what seemed like a long time, 20 minutes. It was pretty much the same on the way back. J/W however asked what feels like a 100 times, are we out of MI yet? But the answer was pretty much always not yet.
We went to Chicago for the JUMP dance convention for J. There was a party on Friday that we had intended to let J attend, but given the snow storm, obviously we didn't make it on time. The rest of the convention J was there for. She was a real trooper, not complaining once about having to get up at 6:30 in the morning to get ready for JUMP. She was also very independent as we did not stay with her at the hotel. I did come to watch the closing show, but she wasn't even in it. It was only for dance academies who competed in the the convention. But at the closing show, J was surprised she was offered a scholarship for her excellent work in ballet during class. We are so proud of her!
During the time we stayed in Chicago, we stayed at a relatives' place. We didn't even knew we had such relatives until a little while ago. But they were very hospitable, and insisted we stayed with them. Lucky for us, they live pretty close to where JUMP was held so we commuted. They were very nice to us, making us meal breakfast, lunch and dinner. So someday, we hope to return the favor they showered upon us.
Of course, being in new place, baby A did not sleep well. So he had to sleep with us for the 3 nights on a full size bed the whole night and woke up to nurse many times. It was really tough and I feel like I have not slept in ages. Now that I'm home, I'm so glad. It is truly home sweet home!
We went to Chicago for the JUMP dance convention for J. There was a party on Friday that we had intended to let J attend, but given the snow storm, obviously we didn't make it on time. The rest of the convention J was there for. She was a real trooper, not complaining once about having to get up at 6:30 in the morning to get ready for JUMP. She was also very independent as we did not stay with her at the hotel. I did come to watch the closing show, but she wasn't even in it. It was only for dance academies who competed in the the convention. But at the closing show, J was surprised she was offered a scholarship for her excellent work in ballet during class. We are so proud of her!
During the time we stayed in Chicago, we stayed at a relatives' place. We didn't even knew we had such relatives until a little while ago. But they were very hospitable, and insisted we stayed with them. Lucky for us, they live pretty close to where JUMP was held so we commuted. They were very nice to us, making us meal breakfast, lunch and dinner. So someday, we hope to return the favor they showered upon us.
Of course, being in new place, baby A did not sleep well. So he had to sleep with us for the 3 nights on a full size bed the whole night and woke up to nurse many times. It was really tough and I feel like I have not slept in ages. Now that I'm home, I'm so glad. It is truly home sweet home!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
crawling
Just want to put a quick note here that baby A has started trying to crawl. He is moving back and sticking up his butt high. It is really cute. He is also really strong on his leg and can stand holding to the edge of a chair/sofa for some time.
This last Sunday we were out all day, first meeting Grandma for lunch then going to a birthday party. Because of that, baby A slept very little. Ever since then, he's on a napping strike. For the last couple days, he naps 5-20 minutes for the whole day then wakes up numerous times at night. So it's been exhausting.
We will be out of town this weekend again so it won't help the matter much but hopefully when we come back, we'll try to resume normal schedule.
This last Sunday we were out all day, first meeting Grandma for lunch then going to a birthday party. Because of that, baby A slept very little. Ever since then, he's on a napping strike. For the last couple days, he naps 5-20 minutes for the whole day then wakes up numerous times at night. So it's been exhausting.
We will be out of town this weekend again so it won't help the matter much but hopefully when we come back, we'll try to resume normal schedule.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
EC
I had accidentally read about EC before baby A was born. After reading the "Diaper Free Baby" by by Christine Gross-Loh, I was more than willing to try. When baby A was brand new, he signaled loud and clear whenever he needed to relieve himself and did not like to do it in his diaper. But when he was that age, he seemed to need to go too often, like every 10-15 minute that it was too much for us to deal with at the time so we gave up for the time being.
Fast forward 7 months and baby A is starting to eat solid food, and even though we use cloth diaper, baby A's bottom still seemed red, dry and chafe. I'm sure having more solid poop does not help. So I began thinking about EC again. But at this age, he is used to doing it in diaper. So the last few days, I have been letting him go diaper free most of the time and his bottom look much better. Today was the first day I had real success. I cued him and he went in the toilet while we were at archery. Hubby had success the last few days. It's really just about holding him for some time and paying attention. Hubby even caught a poop in the toilet. But later in the day, I got busy and didn't pay attention to his cues (fussing and kicking his legs), baby A went back to his old habits and went in his diaper. So I def. plan to continue EC and pay attention and communicate with my baby. To know that I can communicate with my baby is amazing.
Fast forward 7 months and baby A is starting to eat solid food, and even though we use cloth diaper, baby A's bottom still seemed red, dry and chafe. I'm sure having more solid poop does not help. So I began thinking about EC again. But at this age, he is used to doing it in diaper. So the last few days, I have been letting him go diaper free most of the time and his bottom look much better. Today was the first day I had real success. I cued him and he went in the toilet while we were at archery. Hubby had success the last few days. It's really just about holding him for some time and paying attention. Hubby even caught a poop in the toilet. But later in the day, I got busy and didn't pay attention to his cues (fussing and kicking his legs), baby A went back to his old habits and went in his diaper. So I def. plan to continue EC and pay attention and communicate with my baby. To know that I can communicate with my baby is amazing.
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