Lately, Ethan has been experimenting with standing unsupported. He would (as usual) hold on to something (sofa or cabinet) and then let go of both hands for a couple of seconds and then sit down again.
Yesterday, he did it again – this time with more precision and for a longer period. 5 seconds or so, I think. Pete thinks he is gearing up for his upcoming birthday by trying his best to accelerate walking. We’ll see.
All about Ethan
We decided to change our Astro subscription to include the Fun mini package, comprising Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and the ever popular Playhouse Disney Channel (PHDC).
With programs such as Barney, Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, we think it would be great for Ethan in his growing up years. Right now, he would listen and watch intently as if he understands every word. But his attention span is still very short, and he will only watch for about 5 minutes tops.
For Mommy and Daddy, we added in the Movies package. Hehehe…. after all, we hardly can go to the cineplex nowadays, so it makes sense to have the Movies come to us at home.
Of course, to have these new packages, we sacrificed our Dynasty package and News, which we hardly ever watch anyway.
Here’s to Home Entertainment!
Ethan is now 1 month shy of his first birthday. Here’s a summary of how he has grown:
Weight
We’ve not had a chance to weigh Ethan at the pediatrician’s yet, so I rely on the following method for now:
Weight of myself on the scales = X
Weight of Ethan and me on the scales = Y
=> Weight of Ethan = Y-X = ~9kgHeight/Length
Unable to measure as he is very wriggly and we can hardly get him to lie still for an accurate measurement. My guess would be circa 72-73cm.
Teeth
4 in total: 2 central top and bottom incisors.
Motor Skills
- “Look Mommy, no hands!” – Ethan will sometimes release both hands from holding onto anything while he is standing, just to experiment. He can “tahan” for 2-3 seconds before he sits down again.
- Monkeying around – Ethan has begun to climb. He can hoist himself up onto his infant rocker/chair. He has also developed an ability to reach for things. He likes to reach outside his playpen for things on the cupboard nearby.
- Throwing – He loves to throw things, possible because of the sound that is produced when the stuff he throws hits the ground. He will also anticipate the sound by closing his eyes immediately after the item leaves his hands.
Communication & Social Skills
- New “words”: Baby and Mommy (yay!!!). Well, actually he doesn’t say Mommy all the time, it’s really a mixture of Momma and Mommy, but we’ve heard him say “Mommy” really clearly on a few occasions. Yay me.
- Can understand the meaning of NO, but sometimes will pout and start to cry when we say it. You should see him… pouting but still looking as adorable as ever.
Food
New foods introduced: Beef and other green vegetables. I can tell Ethan is a potential quarter-pounder-with-cheese lover by the way he wallops his entire bowl of nutritious beef porridge. Oh yeah… and our boy loves nectarines too!
Our last outing to Queensbay Mall was on December the 30th, and coincidentally, New Zealand Natural Ice Cream was having its 30% off promotion (it’s similar to Baskin Robbins’ 31% off every 31st of the month, except for New Zealand’s, it will occur every month, except February. Sure doesn’t take a genius to figure out why… duh)Anyway, since we had been deprived of ice cream for such a long time, we decided to get a pint (we couldn’t get too many pints cos our freezer space is mostly used up to store my frozen EBM). Guess what flavor we got? Irresistably RUM N RAISIN. Yummy…
The entire tub was finished by Pete and I in 2 seatings. We’re going back for more next month.
Since we’d already travelled for Christmas, we spent New Year’s in Penang, in the comfort of our apartment. One of my New Year resolutions is to cook more frequently, since I have “ready” customers at home who relish my cooking. Heh… does wonders for the ego too, I might add. So to start the New Year off with a bang (pun intended), I decided to cook today. Pete was such a dear and he looked after Ethan while I dished out the goodies.I’ll have to admit I actually went kind of bonkers and dished out 5 dishes today, instead of the customary 3. The 5 dishes were:
- Stir-fry beef with celery and carrots (This was the first time I cooked this dish, let alone cook beef. I introduced beef to Ethan today, so since he only took a small portion of the beef, I used the greater part of the meat for this dish)
- Ginger & spring onion chicken
- Baked beans with eggs & bombay onions
- Stir-fry Baby bok choy
- Watercress soup
Of course, the dishes were served with a healthy concoction of red rice + Herbal Ponney rice + Energy Grain Mix (millet + quinoa + buckwheat).
Delicious or not, you’ll have to ask Pete la…
So as we bid buh-bye to the year 2006, I fondly recall the many blessings God has bestowed upon us and the priceless episodes that have indelibly changed my life:
- I gave birth to our darling Ethan boy, sans epidural
- I changed diapers for the first time in my life. Now Pete refers to me as the expert…
- I experienced the beautiful bond of breastfeeding and am still cherishing the experience to this day
- Ethan’s first giggle which was filled with such pure innocence and joy.
- I felt the wonderment of being a mother, and more importantly, of being a parent. Motherhood and parenthood really makes us appreciate our own parents more.
- …And I witnessed how awesome a daddy Peter is. The way his face lights up when he looks at our little angel – that’s definitely worth a million bucks.
On the first of 4 days we were to spend with Ethan,
It was past noon and our tummies were really barren,
So off our mini family scooted to Queensbay Mall
Where else but Kenny Rogers’ to answer hunger’s call?The food was superb, the service simply great
Ethan boy really enjoyed the rusks he ate
As usual he flashed a charming smile or two
At aunties at the next table, and some pretty girls too!
Shopping at Jusco is always fun
We just didn’t know when we would be done!
The baby room is an ultimate addiction
For Ethan had his meal of milk to his utmost satisfaction!
After a whole afternoon of shopping and more shopping
We headed to Laksa Shack for some lighthearted eating
Then it was home sweet home all the way
A fulfilling end to an awesome day!
There’s this Toyota Vios ad that comes on ESPN quite often. It starts with these 2 castaways on a deserted island. They find a lamp, rub it and Poof! … A genie appears.
Genie: For freeing me, I’ll grant each of you one wish.
First castaway whispers his wish in the genie’s ear.
*Ting*
First castaway jumps for joy as the genie has granted his wish of a brand new silver Toyota Vios.
Second castaway (hits his head in an appalled and shocked manner): What?!!!
Second castaway then whispers his wish in the genie’s ear. TV viewers think he is wishing for something better or more sensible than his friend’s wish.
*Ting*
Second castaway: Ah yes! Yes!!!
Second castaway jumps up and down in excitement as he embraces his granted wish of a brand new *black* Toyota Vios.
All three (2 castaways and genie) are seen jubilating as the ad ends.
Ethan is fascinated with this ad. Every time it comes on, he will stare at the TV transfixed. It could be because we keep on saying this phrase over and over again, especially when we *free* him from his sleeping sack:
“For freeing me, I’ll grant each of you one wish.”
Our little family spent Christmas eve in Taiping and Christmas day in Ipoh. It was a rather rushed-filled holiday, but all in all, we all had a ball of a time this Christmas. Ethan boy, of course, had loads of fun… after all, why wouldn’t he? His t-shirt clearly states: WARNING! Little Monster on the Loose! Heh heh…Ethan was showered with so much love and attention, and of course presents!
And what did Daddy and Mommy get him? Check this out:
We got him his first pair of red Adidas football boots, similar to what Daddy owns. The boots came with a toy Santa Claus. We also got him a denim cap with the letter P in front. Pete says P stands for “Pete’s boy” but secretly, I think it stands for “Phai-see” (Hokkien for Naughty) . Hehehe… By the way, the cell phone in the picture is not Ethan’s – it is just for size comparison.
We managed to get a couple of precious shots of Ethan wearing his new cap, and it is a wonder how we did it, because almost every time we put the cap on him, he would immediately pull it right off his head!
Ethan: All I want for Christmas is my TWO front teeth….
…and the closeup…
We took Ethan to Queensbay Mall today to complete our Christmas shopping. Every year we tell ourselves that we won’t do last minute shopping, but year in and year out, we end up going to the malls at the last minute.
Well, this year we have Ethan tagging along. Pete was just commenting that he loves taking Ethan to the mall because our boy gets really excited with all the sights and sounds there. And let’s face it, when Ethan is happy, Pete and I are happy too…
Ethan looking on with amazement…
Lunch at Kenny Rogers (Ethan had carrot sticks and rusks)
“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
I wanna be with Mommeee…!!!! “