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April 2009

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Saturday at Gilroy Gardens

April 29, 2009 in Entertainment, Ethan, Hannah, Parenting, Vacation | 5 comments

 

Daddy and Mommy took Hannah and me to Gilroy Gardens last Saturday.  I asked Mommy to dress me up in my pair of cool blue jeans and happily got into the car.  Hannah took a nap in the car on the way there, and usually I would too, but I was too excited to sleep as I was looking forward to riding on the “mare-go-wown” (merry-go-round).  I had been to Gilroy Gardens a few months ago, but didn’t dare go on the rides myself, but I am a big boy now and I was all ready to have FUN!  There were also many more pretty flowers now since it is springtime.

Daddy and Mommy got us the Lotsa Card season tickets, which means we would be able to go to Gilroy Gardens an unlimited number of times this year!  Yippeee!

 

I spotted the mare-go-wown as soon as we walked into the entrance, and pulled Mommy towards it.  There was nobody in queue and I was the first one on the little merry-go-round, so I got to choose the horse I wanted to ride on! :)

 

Further down the road, we saw an even bigger merry-go-round, and I just HAD to get on that too!  Even Mommy got to sit on one of the horses!

Next up, it was rides galore!  I think Mommy enjoyed herself too because she could not ride on most of the rides last time as she was pregnant with Hannah.  This time, Mommy got to enjoy some of them with me!  I only wished Hannah was old enough to join me…

 

When we were riding in these gigantic strawberries, I saw a really exciting ride in the shape of a giant banana that was rocking up and down!  I asked Mommy and Daddy if I could ride on it, but they said I wasn’t tall enough yet.  I must start doing some stretching exercises! 

I did get to ride on little golden fishies (can you spot me?), on a fire engine and in a racing car!

 

 

…and then Daddy went on a balloon ride with me too!!  Too bad only my hoodie can be seen…see?

 

Mommy couldn’t ride in the balloons because she was carrying little Hannah who had fallen asleep in the sling. 

Must have been quite comfortable for Hannah, cuz she slept for a long time in there…not that I wanted to be in the sling anyway!  I had so much fun running around because there were so many things to do!

Sometimes Daddy had to catch me and stop me from running, but I just could not help it!  We had rides in the choo-choo train, of course, but when I tried to get on the roller coaster, I was not allowed to do so because I was not tall enough. :(

We then decided to take a break to have a treat.

Hawaiian Shaved Ice definitely sounded good, and just look at all the colorful juices that would go into it!

I heard Mommy and Daddy say it was a very expensive bowl of ice with syrup, but it sure looked good!

Initially I made a face because it was ICE all the way.  C-O-L-D!!!!  But soon, Daddy, Mommy and I finished the whole cup!  Yummy!

The one thing we MUST do the next time we come again to Gilroy Gardens is to ride in the paddle boats that were shaped like swans!  There was a long queue for the boats so Mommy decided to take me on the giant artichokes instead.

And before we left, Daddy took me for a final choo-choo train ride.

…with breathtaking scenery…

Oh, we are SO coming back here again soon!

Mr Manners

April 25, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up | 4 comments

Scrap Credits
Spring Blossoms QP from Bon Scrapatit Designs
Elegant word art (little moments) from Bethany
Without End - partie 1 (papier 04) from Scrapmalin

Ethan is getting very good at being polite now.  He says Please and Thank You at the right times.  When he does something wrong, he will look very sad, apologize and say, “Sorry Mommy” or “Sorry Daddy“.

He even says Good night and Good morning!  … although these depend on his mood.

I remember a funny incident when he asked me for some chocolate.  We would tell him that he can have just ONE Hershey’s Nugget on condition that he has finished his dinner.

Ethan (opening the fridge): Mommy, I want chocolate.
Me: Okay, since you have finished your dinner today, Mommy will give you one piece of chocolate.
Ethan (smiling happily): Chocolate!
Me: Here you go…what must you say, Ethan? (I was expecting him to say “Please”)
Ethan (without skipping a heartbeat): CHOCOLATE!
Me: No… you must say, PLEASE..
Ethan: Please Mommy…
Me: Okay, here you go…now what must you say?
Ethan: Thank you Mommy!

Now, the Please and Thank You come naturally :)

Lately, he has also learnt how to say “Excuse me“, but sometimes it sounds like he is saying “Kiss me“!!  And yet, sometimes when someone or something is blocking his way, he forgets his manners and says, “MOVE!!!”

… well, sometimes he does remember to say, “PLEASE MOVE!” :)

Fi(r)st Discovery

April 24, 2009 in Growing Up, Hannah | No comments

Scrap Credits
Captured QP  from My Life And Scrap
About girl butterflies  from Elisja Design
Magnetic Poetry pieces from Digi-Designs by Nicole

As my little Hannah grows day by day, she’s starting to explore and discover more things.  When I change her on the changing table, her favorite stance is to grab one of the little vertical bars on the table.  And her grip is really tight too!

Another thing she has discovered recently is her fist.  In her exercising and stretching sessions, she would inadvertently find her fist in her mouth, and she would then suck on it fervently!

Fist first, then toes next? :P

Busy body

April 21, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments | 1 comment

Scrap Credits
Elegant word art (child’s uniqueness) from Bethany
Quick page par Soco - Avec le kit Lilou de Moune & Worn Alpha from Soco, scraps et loisirs

Our little Ethan boy is getting to be quite the inquisitive little fella.  Besides asking us where did so-and-so go, his favorite query now is to find out what we are all doing.

He’ll go, “Hi Mommy!  What you doin’ Mommy?” or “What you doin’ Daddy?”

Oh, I know it should be grammatically corrected to sound, “What ARE you doing?” but he sounds just too cute!  And he can go onandon, I tell ya… “What you doin’ Mommy?” , “Mommy, what you doin’ Mom?!!”

Gosh…looks like after the “where” and the “what” phase, we should brace ourselves for the “why” phase next eh?

Alone with the kids

April 20, 2009 in Ethan, Parenting | 2 comments

Last weekend marked our first one alone with the kids.  My parents headed for home on Friday morning, and Pete and Ethan sent them off at the airport.  The plan was to drop Ethan off at daycare after thar, but when Pete reached the daycare, Ethan started crying loudly and pitifully, asking for Mommy all the while.  So Daddy took Ethan home and we all had lunch at home.  Ethan had FOUR steamed paus!!! (normally he only takes two)

Then after lunch, we managed to persuade him to go to Aunty Van’s, and he happily went.

Hmmm…we think his initial crying incident at daycare could be due to his insecurity.  He must have been afraid Daddy would leave him, after he said goodbye to his Ah Ma and Ah Kong.  Well, I believe he certainly misses his Ah Ma and Ah Kong very much, because he keeps asking where they are, and I have no doubt the feeling is mutual…Never mind Ethan Boy, time passes very fast (especially when you’re having fun) and you’ll see Ah Ma and Ah Kong very soon back home in Malaysia!

So what else did we do last weekend?  Apart from the usual grocery shopping routine, Daddy, Mommy and Ethan got our haircuts.  Ethan can now sit independently on those planks they place on salon chairs, for kids…so proud of him, and he got a nice haircut too!

On Sunday I made Ethan some star-shaped pancakes, which he walloped with aplomb!  Then he requested from circle-shaped ones too. LOL!

Looks like the first weekend alone for our little family went rather well.  At times, we would expect it to be challenging handling two kids, without the additional two pairs of hands from my parents when they were here, but we’ll manage… :)

…..somehow.

She ain’t heavy, she’s my sister

April 17, 2009 in Ethan, Growing Up, Hannah | 9 comments

Maybe he just wants to join in the crowd…
Ethan has been requesting to carry Hannah on his own nowadays. He would make his request with both his arms outstretched.

I’d allow him to carry Hannah with her head on his lap and him sitting on the couch. I feel it is important to let Ethan know that he plays an important role as a big brother. Maybe this makes him FEEL like a big brother.

But one thing’s for sure…they look so adorable together, don’t they?

Piecing it together

April 16, 2009 in Entertainment, Ethan, Milestones | 5 comments

Ethan loves playing with jigsaw puzzles, and solving them, of course!  That’s a good thing, right?  Jigsaws hone a child’s ability to think, be creative and it’s fun!

A few weeks ago, my Mom got Ethan a 24-piece Little Einsteins jigsaw.  He was thrilled when he saw it, and wanted to fix the puzzle immediately.  We had to guide him the first few times, so he was able to solve it.  Then by and by, he would practise on his own, trying to fit the pieces together.  Sometimes he would try a particular piece, turning it in all directions, and when he saw it did not fit, he would try a different piece.  He would only ask us for help if he was really stuck.

Ethan would practise solving his jigsaw puzzle almost every day, sometimes several times a day.  And each time he completes it, we’d praise him and say, “Wow, you did it!” and applaud his efforts. :)

Well, practice indeed makes perfect, for now Ethan can solve the jigsaw puzzle all on his own, in just a very short time!  He’s all seriousness when he’s at the puzzle, sometimes saying, “Two more pieces…” and “One more piece..” as he completes it.  And then when he does, he’ll go, “I did it!” and flash a jubilant smile!

Sporting the Mohawk!

April 16, 2009 in Ethan, Funny Moments | 4 comments

 

How do you like my hairstyle?  Daddy did it for me last night after my shower… :)

No gel, no hairspray, just plain ol’ water, is what he used…

My cheeky grin suits it just fine, eh?

A splashin’ bubblin’ good time!

April 14, 2009 in Ethan, Exercise | 4 comments

After promising Ethan for such a long time that I would take him swimming “when it gets warmer”, I decided to *take the plunge* last Sunday afternoon, when I saw that the sun was shining and the weather was warm.  I could see a few people sunbathing too, and the pool looked absolutely inviting.  The day before we managed to get Ethan a new swimsuit (shorts and shirt), so I was quite eager to see him in it too.

However, when we reached the pool, I put my finger in it to test the temperature and retracted it immediately!  It was freezing COLD!!  I asked Ethan to feel the water too, and he said, “It’s cold!”

So what to do?  We decided to try the heated jacuzzi nearby instead.  For months, we had seen people enjoying the bubbly jacuzzi, but we had not tried it ourselves yet.  Pete switched on the timer on the jacuzzi and Ethan and I stepped in.

 

He said excitedly, “Look at the bubbles!”, and man, was the jacuzzi relaxing!

 

It was a win:win situation for all: Ethan had fun splashing around, and Daddy and Mommy experienced some therapeutic water massage!

 

Unwanted white gold

April 14, 2009 in Breastfeeding, Food & Feeding, Hannah, Parenting | 2 comments

This is the story of my *unwanted* EBM (expressed breast milk)… :(

 

I had a one hour conference call scheduled today, so I asked my parents to look after Hannah during that time.  The day before I’d made an effort to express some breast milk for Hannah, just so my parents could feed it to Hannah if she asked for milk during my meeting.  Well, turns out she didn’t, but asked for it as soon as my conference ended, so I decided to warm the EBM and feed it to her instead.

It was the first time I had expressed milk since I had Hannah, and the very first time I was gonna feed her using the bottle.  I honestly didn’t think it would work, but gave it a shot anyway, because my EBM was already kept for 24 hours in the fridge, and I would have to throw it out had I not fed it to her then.

The first few tries were unsuccessful because I didn’t close the bottle properly, so the EBM leaked out.  And then when I made sure it didn’t leak, Hannah used her tongue to push away the nipple, and cried and screamed even louder!  I guess she knew I was feeding her so she flatly refused the bottle!  When I asked my Mom to try feeding her, she still refused, because the smart little girl *knew* that a *better milk package* was around…so why should she settle for less?

So that’s the story of my leftover EBM…being a kiasu breastfeeding mommy, of course I could not bring myself to throw out the milk just like that, although it was just about two ounces…

So I poured a little of the EBM onto a wet washcloth and washed Hannah’s face with it when I bathed her!  Hey…breast milk works wonders on heat rash, y’know? :)

Irish tapdancing, anyone?

April 13, 2009 in Entertainment, Ethan | 1 comment

When most toddlers would request to watch Barney and other cartoon DVDs, Ethan is currently displaying a rather *mature* and musical taste in DVD selection.  What does he asks to watch almost every day?

The Riverdance DVD!

Riverdance is a concert performance comprising mostly of Irish tapdancing, with some great song performances as well as musical instruments.  Ethan would ask to watch Riverdance and even better, he would imitate the dancers in the show.  His favorite is Thunderstorm, a flawless tapdance performance that is performed without music.  This is Ethan’s version:

 

Sometimes Ethan would invite us to dance along with him and at other times, he would also *sing* along to the songs in Riverdance.  He also loves to dance to the music in the performance he refers to as the “instruments” track, a musical repertoire by all the musicians.  Ethan would identify all the instruments, such as the flute, accordion, violin, drums, bagpipe and so on.

Ethan has definitely improved on his dancing skills to date, and he has learned to move his arms to the rhythm too.  But the other day, when I was showing him his old videos, he still manages to dance in his back and forth manner!

Pretty in Pink

April 13, 2009 in Hannah, Sleep | 1 comment

 

My Ah Mah from Ipoh recently bought me these lovely little night gowns.  Mommy tells me they are from a place called Carter’s and the gowns are called sleeplikely gowns.  They are supposed to make me sleep better at night and also make diaper changes easier for Mommy.

Well, I wouldn’t know about changing diapers but I certainly think I look adorable and pretty in ‘em gowns! :)

 

I also get to go to bed in this cute little dino sleeping sack:

 

My big brother Ethan took really good care of it when he used it last time, because it is still in wonderful condition!

I’m not sure if the use of these gowns and sleeping sack will help eliminate the loud throaty sounds I make at night though, but Mommy and Daddy definitely hope so!

The reader in him

April 9, 2009 in Ethan, Milestones | 2 comments


Scrap Credits
Poppy paper from Happy Go Lucky kit from Shabby Princess Designs
Photomask #10 from Kylie M Designs
Photo Mask Sampler from DigiLover’s Addiction
Elegant word art (unbelievable) & Worn Alpha from Bethany

Ethan has shown a remarkable improvement in his language skills since we relocated to the States.  His prowess in phonics has been especially exceptional, and even Aunty Van, his daycare provider, has reported that Ethan is getting very good at phonics.

In fact, I have no doubt in my mind that he can already read.  And here are some scenarios to prove my point:

  • As Ethan was playing with his Leapfrog Word Whammer on the fridge one day, Pete guided him to spell the word “bus”, by asking him to put in the letters “b”, “u” and “s”.  Ethan immediately said “bus!” when he was done.  And that’s not all.  One day as I was cleaning up in the kitchen, he pointed out a word to me by saying, “Mommy, cold!”  I turned around and looked.  He had spelt “koh” and he proudly announced that it was “koh!”
  • His Aunty Van told me that Ethan read off the word “pink” on her sweater, even though there wasn’t a hint of the color pink on her.
  • Ethan was *accompanying* me in the kitchen and he wanted to spell the words on the dishwasher.  He went, “O-F-F”, and I would ask him, “What does that spell?”, and Ethan would say, “Off!”
    Then he went, “O-P-T-I-O-N-S”, and when I asked, “What does that spell?”, he happily exclaimed, “Octopus!”
    Why, of course!  He recognized that the word OCTOPUS has similar letters to the word OPTIONS!
  • Lastly, he surprised us one day when he was about to play on his computer.  We’d created user profiles on our PC, and we had to click on the profile to enter.  Ethan knows he has to click on the “Ethan” profile, but that day, he suddenly said, “Jors!” and pointed to my name!  Nobody taught him to say that but for some reason he knew that was how it was pronounced!
    Now, he would say “I wanna click on ‘JOYCE”!”  :)
    Yep, he has already got the pronunciation down pat!

The Full Moon Celebration

April 7, 2009 in Celebrations, Ethan, Hannah | 7 comments

 

We celebrated Hannah’s full moon sans the traditional full moon set of the red chicken eggs, angkoo and turmeric rice.  We figured we would have those done during her first birthday instead, since we would be back in Penang then and we would also be able to distribute the full moon sets to relatives and friends.  So for her full moon celebration, we just had a simple lunch in our favorite Layang Layang restaurant.

 

The adults all enjoyed the food while little Hannah also enjoyed her meal when she decided it was feeding time during our lunch!

 

After lunch, we drove up to Pier 39 in San Francisco, where it was really springtime in full bloom!

 

Everyone was eager to take pictures with the pretty flowers and hoarding almost all the photo spots, it was almost impossible to find a good spot.

 

The weather was sunny but chilly and windy, and at times I had to just hold Hannah close to keep her warm and comfy.

Ethan had fun looking at the sealions and after that, he asked to go to the merry-go-round!  Wow…he remembered!

This time though, he could ride on his own…and daddy, who was accompanying him, even got to ride on a horse by himself! LOL

 

Ethan rode on the merry-go-round twice, and if we hadn’t stopped him, I bet he could be riding the whole day long too!

And while all this excitement was happening, Hannah was oblivious to her surroundings, being kept cozy in a snuggly warm baby sling.  I’m still quite the novice at baby-wearing though, having only worn the sling with Ethan when he was a wee babe, but Hannah seems to be enjoying it, no?  Look at how peacefully she’s sleeping! :)

 

Oh, and of course we didn’t forget to do our usual routine of Boudin clam chowder before we bade farewell to Pier 39 that day. :)

Now he really knows his ABCs

April 6, 2009 in Entertainment, Ethan, Milestones | 2 comments

Ethan’s favorite song right now has got to be the ABC song.  When he first started daycare, he would sit quietly and listen.  Then by and by, he picked up the song himself, and would be very happy when we sang it to him at home.  He would smile happily and clap when we were done.

And then one day, when they had the singing session at daycare, he suddenly stood up and sang the song all by himself.  His Aunty Van was the one who told me this, and I was so proud of him then :)

Sometimes when we start to sing the ABC song at home, Ethan would say, “No!  I’ll do it!” and he would start singing it on his own.  It started with a slightly off-key version, but now the song is beginning to take shape…well, he does it in a most adorable manner now.

Here’s his slow version, video taken right before bedtime:

… and a faster version of the song, sung after dinner:

Ain’t he a darling?

Last week he surprised me with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, full version.  I need to get a video of him singing that soon :)

Hannah at 1 month

April 3, 2009 in Hannah, Milestones | 6 comments

Scrap Credits
Spring Blossoms: April’s Mega Blog Train freebie from Carjazi Designs
Small stamp frame from Lindsay Jane Designs
Unscripted No. 3 - Simply Put [handwritten word art] from TaylorMade Designs by Amanda Taylor
Paper Alphas  from Oksana
Just Because Alphas  from Shel Belle Scraps
Leaf Swirl  from Lynette’s Photo Art
HoldEmUps from Tara Dunstan

Weight

3.35 kilos (weighed in at 2 weeks’ old during her 2-week pediatrician visit).  She sure feels a lot heavier now!

Height/Length

50.8cm (measured at 2 weeks’ old during her 2-week pediatrician visit)

Motor Skills

  • Hannah is able to lift head for a short period of time when placed on her tummy.  I try to give her some tummy time every day just to allow her a different view and also to provide some exercise! … and she LOVES it!
  • She can also move her head from side to side, especially when a rattling toy is moved in front of her face.  She will follow the sound intently.
  • She has started batting the little toys on her mobile in the infant-to-toddler rocker.
  • She makes jerky arm movements, especially when asleep. When there is a loud disturbance when she is asleep, Hannah jerks her hand upwards, and they sometimes remain that way.
Communication and Social Skills
  • Hannah makes loud throaty sounds all the time, and even more so during the night when everyone is asleep (or trying to sleep).  It could be due to her GER, and I hope it will go away soon.
  • She gives the occassional social smile, sometimes when we talk and sing to her, and sometimes she even smiles in her sleep!  In fact, the first time Hannah smiled at me was the first night we spent together in the hospital!
  • There are times when Hannah is awake and alert and just observing the world around her, but she will sometimes cry when she feels lonely or thinks no one is around.   She will, however, quieten down and look at people nearby with those huge brown eyes when we start talking or singing to her.
  • She sometimes will cry, not out of hunger, but just to be carried and cuddled.
  • Hannah can soothe herself to sleep most of the time when placed in the cot. We try to place her in the cot when she is drowsy but not asleep, although sometimes I allow her to fall asleep in my arms and carry her in a sling in a snuggle hold position, which is currently her favorite.  I am not complaining because in the snuggle hold position, I have two free hands! :)
  • She enjoys being clean, and when she cries to be changed because her diaper is wet, she will calm down immediately when I put her on the changing table.  She also loves her bathtime nowadays, and will patiently stay as still as possible while I bathe her.

Others

  • Hannah is pooping less frequently now, but some of the poops are MAJOR BIG ones.   In fact, we just had a catastrophic explosive poop on the morning of the day she turned one-month-old.  My whole right forearm acted as a shield for the poop and as a result, I had to clean the carpet, the side table, bottles of lotion, changing table and mat early in the morning.
  • Hannah has some pimple-looking rashes on her face and head. I have already removed chocolate and ice cream from my diet, and hopefully it will help the rashes subside. Ethan had rashes too, so perhaps it runs in the family.

Food and Feeding
She is 100% on Mommy’s milk.