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Bible Verse of the Day |
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2009.
This is Ethan doing his impression of a pirate. He says he learnt it from watching Backyardigans. 
Oh by the way, this is a picture I took of him while we were riding in the carriage of the ferris wheel in Gilroy Gardens last Monday. Ethan thoroughly enjoyed himself - in fact, he personally requested for the ride!
As we were having dinner yesterday, Hannah was sitting in her infant-toddler seat, quietly playing with the toys hanging over her head, batting at them with her hands and fingers, and cooing softly.
And then suddenly, when Pete and I were in mid-conversation, we heard that oh-so-familiar melody of Old MacDonald coming from Hannah’s direction. When the cord attached to the little cow in the middle is pulled, the song would play. Ethan was playing with his fridge phonics in the kitchen at that time, so he couldn’t have pulled it. 
I turned to look at Hannah, and her hand was firmly gripping the cord holder, making sweet nursery rhyme music. That was all it took for me to start applauding.
Wordart Credits
Collaboration between Dragonfly Summer kit from Graham like the Cracker & Bethany
Hannah is becoming such a friendly little girl now. It all started with her smiling when we spoke to her. Well, actually at first she only smiled at her Daddy most of the time, and with me, it was just a blur stare.
But now, she would consistently flash us the sweetest of smiles when we speak to her. Sometimes she would coo endearingly as if in reply to what we say.
She smiles at Ethan too, and even when Daddy does not say anything and just merely looks at her, he would be rewarded with her honey-sweet smile that just melts his heart…
The picture above was taken right before we were leaving for Gilroy for our Memorial Day shopping trip last Saturday. Do you think she was extra happy because of that?
Some people have asked us the inevitable question: “Is there sibling jealousy since Hannah arrived?”
Hmmm…while it is apparent that Ethan absolutely adores little Hannah, there are times when he displays some jealous streaks too. He would ask for us to carry him when he sees us carrying Hannah, he would insist that I put him down to sleep even when I am breastfeeding Hannah, and of course, he would ask us to “Put Hannah cot!” when he wants our undivided attention.
On the other hand, it appears that Hannah cries for attention more when her brother is around. Perhaps she senses some *competitive vibes* and so she responds with the only method she knows thus far.
Sibling jealousy goes both ways, I’d say…and yet, I can hardly wait for the day when my kids can play together happily, enjoying each other’s company.
The birth of a daughter gives the mommy the license to get sweet pretty girly stuff…that’s just an excuse really, but anyway, the green light shone nice and bright for me.
I am so pleased that Hannah is fully using cloth diapers now, some are hand-me-downs from Ethan, and some smaller ones (newborn and small sizes) I got for her recently. My craze led me to get these fantastic fitted diapers in pretty girly colors and prints. I do so prefer fitted because of how soft it feels against the skin.
These are from My Precious Baby by April. I absolutely love the soft velour and because my girl is also quite a heavy wetter, these fitted diapers are perfect! I got them all in medium size cuz Hannah’s already wearing that size anyway, believe it or not. And I personally selected and coordinated the prints and colors of these dipes too!
Look, I took the opportunity to get the additional soaker in Girly Cow Prints (and apt too, because Hannah was born in the Year of the Ox according Chinese Zodiac Calendar). How cute is that?
Then I also got a bumGenius! Deluxe Bamboo Fitted Diaper in Natural. Hannah takes to the bumGenius! pocket diaper really well, sometimes I use it through the night too, so I was curious to try the bamboo fitted version. Too bad they only have it in one color though…but it’s a nice neutral shade.
Then I saw that Swaddlebees has the Organic Velour Pocket Fitted Diaper in Rose and I knew I had to get it. It looks really tiny, though, even for a medium sized one, and I have no doubt the fit will be really trim. I just LURVE the rosy pink color, don’t you?
Fitted dipes will allow me to dress Hannah up in gorgeous wool longies such as these, which I got from Sweet Seats when I was preggers…
They’re simply gorgeous, and she’s gotten a few compliments already every time I take her out in them.
At 2.5 months, we still can’t firmly decide if Hannah resembles her Daddy or her Mommy more, but one thing’s for sure, she certainly looks like Ethan! I dug out some pictures of Ethan taken when he was about 2.5 months too, and well…you guys be the judge…
Of course it’s quite hard to tell because of the differing amount of hair, but still…
…same engaging brown eyes…
…same cute lil button noses…
…same rosebud lips…
…and the same happy cheerful (toothless) smile!
Yesterday evening, Ethan had not one, not two, but FIVE surprises when he came home from daycare. The mailman delivered these five books from the Dr Hippo Series, which is a wonderful collection of stories written by Dr Charlotte Cowan, depicting animals with an illness, and how they recover from it with the help of a pediatrician named Dr Hippo.
As soon as I showed Ethan the books, he got all excited and he wanted me to read the books to him. I asked him to choose which one he wanted to read and he chose this one:
The Moose with Loose Poops tells the story of a little moose named Miles, who is suffering from gastroenteritis. Coincidentally, Ethan has had gastroenteritis before, and as I read the story to him, I was not sure if he recalled the ordeal he had been through. The book describes the symptoms of gastroenteritis in simple kid-friendly terms, referring to tummy upsets as “having waves in the tummy” resulting in Miles “throwing up”, and having diarrhea as “pooping a waterfall”.
Ethan adored the beautiful illustrations in the book. They were very colorful and drawn really well, enough to sustain my toddler’s attention till the “The End” page. He kept pointing out the details in all the pictures, i.e. the various toys, the animals etc. I found that I had to ad lib the story at times, because impatient Ethan would ask me to “turn the page” very quickly. And also, because he is more used to Daddy and Mommy instead of Papa and Mama as is being used in the book, I had to make the necessary modifications too.
All in all, a very informative book that teaches kids about what happens when they are ill. I also liked the fact that home-trusted remedies like “drinking lots of fluids” was included in the story, and I took this opportunity to stress the importance of that to Ethan.
Our boy was already very sleepy then, but he was still determined to finish reading all five books consecutively. After book number 2, I had to take a break from reading to breastfeed Hannah, so Daddy took over the reading task. After two books, Daddy remarked, “Why is everyone sick in these stories?” LOL - at that time he did not yet know the concept of the Dr Hippo series.
Well, you see, in addition to educating kids about the illnesses, these books all come with a detachable guide for parents on the back cover that provides parents with everything there is to know about gastroenteritis. Very useful for times when we don’t feel like reading through some thick childcare book.
Ethan fell asleep with the five books at his bedside last night. And he asked to read those books again today. I foresee the start of a beautiful friendship there…
Scrap Credits
Every Day kit from Jen Yurko
Ethan entertains us everyday with his happy smiles and cheeky antics, and it is always a pleasant joy to engage in conversation with him.
He has learnt to say “YES” and “DON’T KNOW” now; he probably picked up the latter from times when he would inundate us with neverending questions, and finally when the question was too *difficult*, we just said, “Donno”
The way he says “YES” is classic. He stresses the last bit of the word so much that it sounds like YESHHHH, or perhaps more like YETHHHH… and sometimes we just like to ask him questions just to hear him say the word.
“DONNO” he says it while shaking his head, and sometimes it would seem as though he is thinking of an answer before he responds with “DONNO!” However, he learns fast, and as soon as we tell him what the correct response is, he will repeat it after us.
That’s our funny little big boy for you right there. He provides us with endless hours of entertainment.
Scrap Credits
QP Sahara from Mumure Scrapattaque
“Fall Memories” alphas from A work in progress
Glitter-Swirled Epoxy Alpha - YellowGold from Bon Scrapatit Designs
Hannah’s hair is miraculously defying gravity by standing up straight…well, the ones across the top of her head are. I have no idea when it first started, nor do I have any inkling as to when it will stop behaving that way.
When her hair is dry, it looks straight, but after her bath, my girl’s got the cutest curls on her head. What gives?
Will she take after my straight, fine hair, or have curly locks like Daddy’s? Only time will tell…
Much to my delight, Ethan has developed a keen interest in reading books lately. He would ask us to read to him all his books over and over again, and although sometimes he impatiently wants to turn the page, he would be all smiles when we read to him. Unlike his behaviour before when I tried reading to him, where he would push away the book disinterestedly, Ethan now voluntarily brings his books to us.
We do not have many story books here with us in the US, so instead of pathetically reading the ABC or Numbers book repeatedly, I decided to get him some new ones. Lately I have been trying to get some books online and it’s addictive, really!
I was so glad when this came in the mail today. Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar has got to be one of the most popular children’s books around today. And when Ethan refused to bathe yesterday, I showed him his surprise *treat* to be enjoyed after he took a bath and off he willingly went.
After his bath, he remembered the book, and happily asked me to read to him. All through the book, he was eagerly pointing out the things he saw. The moon, the sun, the caterpillar…he even counted the fruits like strawberries and apples.
And when we read that the caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly, Ethan exclaimed, “The End!” Sure meant a whole lot to me when he turned to me and said, “I like it Mommy! Thank you Mommy!”
Later that night, I read the book a couple of times to him again, including using it to calm him down when he was throwing a tantrum.
I’m sure we will be reading about the hungry caterpillar again this evening. And I can’t wait to share other wonderful stories with him.
Isn’t it amazing how this little box of 20 sidewalk chalk can amuse Ethan so?
I just remembered it had been collecting dust in one of our boxes for goodness-knows-how-long, and I was reminded of its existence when I saw some kids playing with their sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk recently.
Now when we go for our walks in the park with Ethan, he’ll want to bring along his box of chalk. He won’t even allow anyone to carry it for him, and he’ll hug it really tight too.
Unfortunately some of the chalks have broken, due to *mishandling* on Ethan’s part… He’ll run over to tell me that “it’s broken, Mommy!”
Nevertheless this is a really good creativity tool to have for kids. Yesterday evening, I introduced simple hopscotch to Ethan too!
Hehe…I’ve asked Ethan to say thank you to Aunty Audrey for the chalk, when we next meet.
Scrap Credits
Daydreamin’ kit (papers, elements & alphas) from Megan Turnidge
Word Art (I Treasure You) from Dirty Feet Designs aka Heather Benson
Lately Ethan added the word “buy” to his ever-expanding vocabulary. Actually I don’t even remember when it had started, but he understands the concept of buying stuff now.
Ethan: Mommy, I wanna watch vi-dee-lio (video)!
Mommy: Which video do you wanna watch?
Ethan: Ummm…ummm…Madagascar!
Mommy, But we don’t have the Madagascar DVD darlin’…you wanna watch something else?
Ethan: BUY Madagascar!!
Mommy: Ok, we’ll see if it’s on sale this weekend, okay?
Ethan: Okay Mom!
Mommy: Alright Ethan, go get your jacket and wear your shoes and socks!
Ethan: I wanna wear purple socks!
Mommy: You don’t have any purple socks, my dear…how about your green ones?
Ethan: BUY purple socks!
There’s Ethan’s very simple solution to get anything he wants!
And then just the other day…
Ethan: Mommmeeee….I wanna drink milk!
Mommy: Okay Mommy’ll get some for you. Which milk do you want? (I’d expected him to choose between chocolate milk, his Pediasure or soy milk)
Ethan: I want green milk!
Mommy: Green milk??!! There’s no such thing as green milk, Ethan!
Ethan: Errmmm…BUY green milk!
It will take some time before he realizes not everything can be bought!
Scrap Credits
I Love Spring QP freebie from Biancka
I Love Spring elements from Seni Designs
“In the City” Alphas from Sahlin Studio
Weight
5.846 kilos or 12 lb 14.2 oz (weighed in at her recent 2-month well child checkup). Hannah’s weight is charted at 92.35% of growth percentile based on weight-for-age!
Height/Length
56.5 cm
Motor Skills
Communication and Social Skills
Others
Hannah can sometimes sleep for about 5 hours straight during the night, but it is not consistent. Hopefully our sleepless nights will be a thing of the past soon.
Food and Feeding
She is 100% on Mommy’s milk. However, because her weight is on the higher end of the scale, her doctor has asked us to try giving her slightly less to drink; perhaps removing the breast a little sooner or feeding her just one breast during the night, or try going through the night without a feed. On the other hand, I feel that Hannah can gauge when she is full because she would sometimes reject the breast, unlike her brother the last time.
Scrap Credits
QP from Galiscrap
Elegant word art (proud of you) from Bethany
Ethan is becoming more and more sociable now. If he was a shy little boy previously, fearful of strangers and people he meets, there is absolutely no indication of that shy trait at all now. He is gaining confidence every single day and his friendliness is so very contagious.
Someday I know I will look back at these short conversations he has and laugh about it. I know I already am…
In the elevator when someone else enters it with us
Ethan (to the other person): Hi!
While out and about
Ethan (to everyone he sees): Hi! (while waving his arm)
and…
Ethan: Bye!
At the grocery store
Ethan: Hi!
(Fish seller doesn’t respond because he doesn’t hear Ethan)
Ethan (louder, and waving his hand): Hi!
Fish seller: Oh hi! I didn’t hear you!
Ethan (proudly to me): I said Hi!
Me: Yeah, I know you said hi, darlin’.
At the supermarket checkout
Ethan (to lady behind us): Hi!
Lady: Hi sweetie!
Ethan: What you doin’?
Lady: I”m shopping. What you doin’?
Ethan: Go to mite house (He says “mite” when he means “my”)
(So now he’s inviting people to our house???!!!)
At the playground
Ethan (to everyone): Hi!
Man in the park: Hi!
Ethan: Look at Riverdance! (and does the tapdancing stunt)
Ethan: Go to mite house! (smiles happily)
Scrap Credits
NSD 2009 freebie template from Jen Caputo
Without End - partie 1 kit from Scrapmalin
Rough & Tumble Add On paper tear from Flergs
Worn Alpha from Bethany
***
And when he wants Mommy’s or Daddy’s attention on him, when either one of us is carrying Hannah, he will say “Put Hannah cot!” He puts a lot of emphasis on the “T” after the “Put” so much so that it sounds like he said, “Put THE Hannah cot!”
Oh, by the way, Ethan pronounces Hannah as “HA-NA”, and not “Hen-NA” like us. It’s just so adorable the way he says it! And I bet those things he says to her right now are all just the tip of the iceberg with many many more to come as they both grow up!
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