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All about Hannah
Sometimes they fight and grab stuff from one another, sometimes they cry and scream…but it’s always a joy to see them play together so adorably.
I’m glad this is happening more and more often now.
And sometimes, there are even moments of great brotherly love being displayed…. (awwww….)
And sometimes things get out of hand….
Scrap Credits
Collaboration kit from Jennysscrapplace
Wonderland numbers from Jessi Calger
Netter’s Alphas from Scarlet Heels
Weight
Probably around 10 kilos, plus or minus. We do notice that she has become less “round” since she started walking.
Height/Length
Getting taller and taller!
Teeth
4 incisors (2 top and 2 bottom). Next 2 top incisors are appearing too.
Motor Skills
Communication and Social Skills
Food and Feeding
She’s on Mommy’s milk 100% and also LOVES drinking water from a regular cup. Sometimes I have had to pry her hands from the cup!
New foods she has been introduced to include:
When it’s time for her porrdige, she will smile and look very happy. Then, if she has the mood to eat, she will open her mouth eagerly and wait for me to feed her. Sometimes if I am a little slow in feeding her, she will pull my arm or shirt!
Ethan’s birthday culminated in a celebration amongst relatives. We decided to have a buffet lunch at the E&O Hotel, and it goes without saying that Ethan was very much looking forward to this celebration.
See, he even willingly posed for a nice shot before we left for the hotel.
… and then, he started being his CHEEKY self again.
I think the part Ethan enjoyed most about the birthday lunch was the chocolate stuff: chocolate-covered marshmallows from the fondue station, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake….
..and the part that Hannah enjoyed the most was the teething rusk she was chewing on. She even fell asleep while holding it!
…and woke up for a moment to give it a few more chomps, then she was off to dreamland again….Even after she awoke, and her Ah Ma was carrying her, she was still holding the rusk.
Such “devotion” can only be admired. 🙂
So anyway, after our very filling lunch, we all adjourned back to our home to cut the birthday cake and to open the presents. After three days of preparation, I was very pleased to unveil the birthday cake Ethan had requested for. On the 1st day I made the cream cheese frosting and chilled it, on the 2nd day I baked the cake, and the night before Ethan’s birthday, I relived my childhood playing with *edible play-doh* a.k.a. fondant.
After he had cut his Thomas cake in school a few days back, I had asked him if he liked the cake, and his reply was, “Yes…” and then after that he said, “Where’s my Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake, Mommy?”
I had told him the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake was gonna be for his home celebration. Haha.
err….you see that small DENT on the lower left of the cake? That was caused by Mickey having the first taste of it; you can see his nose is a little bit blue… 😛
I chose to make the nutritious and rich carrot cake with cream cheese frosting I had tried a few weeks back.
And his expression when he saw the cake was just priceless. 🙂
The birthday boy then continued opening all his presents, including the HUGE present from Daddy, Mommy and Hannah. I had to enlist the help of one of my neighbors to help store it first lest Ethan sees it in our home and spoil the surprise.
He tore open the wrapper, and…..immediately got on it!
…and wouldn’t get down! It was a tricycle in his favorite color: YELLOW. He had wanted one since a few weeks before we left the US, so we figured it was high time we got him one now.
Look….all the pictures we took with him after that were of him on the trike.
Ain’t it weird that you can’t see the rest of my body in the photo above?
…and one with both his grandmas…
Ethan definitely had a LOT of fun on his birthday. He proudly announces he is FOUR years old now, and that he can play toys that are meant for “FOUR AND ABOVE”.
He even asked me for more presents to open… 🙂
Happy birthday, dearest Ethan Boy! 🙂
Being an SAHM poses a different set of obstacles to overcome every single day. Obstacles that the corporate world could never ever train you for, no matter how many learning courses you attend.
Some days, I have had to battle with my (on-the-way-to-independence) toddler on why he has to finish his dinner. Coaxing him and promising him something he would like *if only* he would finish just a few more spoonfuls.
Some days, I have to sadly throw away most of the porridge I cook for Hannah. She would take just one mouthful and then subsequently close her eyes and turn away when offered the porridge.
But some days, I taste sweet triumph…just like today.
Ethan, who, for as long as we can remember, will only agree to taking “rice with soy sauce”, asked for rice with FISH and CARROTS today. And he really ate them. Hallelujah!
Hannah, finished her entire bowl of rice, oats and millet porridge cooked with chicken, red dates, pumpkin and broccoli…and even asked for SECONDS!
Ahhhh…sweet victory indeed. 🙂
Sometimes he’s the really loving brother, just like that….
But sometimes all we hear around the house is, “No, Hannah NO!!!” It’s like an anthem for him.
Mommy: Ethan, can Hannah go to school with you?
Ethan: No, too small…Next time when she’s bigger, she can go to school.
When Hannah holds his toys or plays with them, he’s rush over and say, “No Hannah! It’s for 3 years old and above!”
SIGH….kids…
I knew the moment would come soon.
Any day now, I told myself.
And I was right… 🙂
Here’s Hannah, with her newfound confidence at 10 months old! Ta-daaaa…!!!!!!
I stumbled upon this custom-made fleece skirtie which I had gotten for Hannah when we were in the States. It was too big for her then, but look at her now!
Good thing I still managed to squeeze her into it…she’ll outgrow it soon, I’m sure!
She looks like a little lady in it, doesn’t she?
Oh, by the way, Hannah has been shortlisted as one of the finalists for the Cutest Baby of the Planet 2009 contest! More details to follow next week as I find out what we need to do. 🙂
Scrap Credits
A New Beginning kit from Digital-Crea
Harvest Spice alphas from Shabby Princess Designs
Weight
Did not measure but should be close to 10 kilos now.
Height/Length
Getting taller and taller!
Teeth
4 incisors (2 top and 2 bottom)
Motor Skills
Communication and Social Skills
Food and Feeding
She’s on Mommy’s milk 100% and is having her solids for 2 meals a day now (if I can help it). Thanks to the fabulous invention of the slow cooker, I am now able to cook her porridge before I head for bed, and have the porridge ready for her by lunch time the next day. Hannah normally eats more during lunch time.
New foods she has been introduced to include:
She appears to love her chicken porridge a LOT! And of course, she loves papaya too!
I don’t puree food anymore, not even the chicken. I just steam it and mince it into tiny pieces and shreds and then freeze it into cubes. And then I use them in her porridge. Little Miss Bulat loves it! 🙂
Oh, and she drinks her water directly from a regular cup (the purple one with her name on it) – of course I have hold the cup for her!
Hannah loves to play with toys, especially those that belong to Ethan’s. Unfortunately most of the time when she attempts to play with his toys or read his books, all she gets is Ethan saying, “NO! These are MINE!” or “MY Toys!” or “Hannah, play with the Alphabet Zoo!” (she has a spinning Alphabet Zoo toy that is catered for kids 6 months and over, and Ethan has learnt to *assign* that toy to her)
Obviously playing with just one toy is never enough and Hannah gets bored after a while. But too bad she is not *allowed* to touch other toys most of the time.
So what’s a girl to do?
She’ll sometimes stay up late, and wait for her big brother to sleep and THEN she’ll have full reign over all the toy cars, trains and books she has been barred from touching. 🙂
…was definitely a joyous occasion.
Coupled with the fact that we were away from Malaysia last Christmas and now that Ethan can talk a million words a minute, this was definitely a Christmas that did not contain a dull moment.
This year, Ethan (especially) has been looking forward to Christmas, counting down the days every day since the 20th. He would ask us how many more days to Christmas, and we’d tell him 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1. And in the days leading up to Christmas, he was my little helper, helping me hold the tape while I wrapped the presents, and also bringing the presents to arrange them under our Christmas tree.
And on Christmas morning, he woke up cheerfully and greeted everyone, “Merry Christmas everyone!”
We knew then that he was ready for his presents.
…and MORE presents!
Some “sharing” of Christmas presents amongst cousins was also apparent, especially the colorful toys.
Little Hannah, who was celebrating Christmas for the first time, decided to have a little beauty sleep of her own, and only awoke past 10a.m. (which is why she is still in her jammies). Here she is *showing off* her blouse and jeans Ethan *got* for her.
And then much later, after she washed up and got dressed, here’s my little princess, sitting pretty on her *throne*.
On Boxing Day, we celebrated baby Caitlynn’s full moon.
I think Ethan was the one who enjoyed the cupcakes the most.
…at least I *thought* he looked like he was enjoying it the most! 🙂
And then when we got back to Penang, there were more presents to be opened! Yup, we kept some at home because we knew Ethan would love opening presents everywhere! In fact, he would readily offer his gift-unwrapping services too!
…and another one…
Just makes our day to hear him say, “Wow!! Thanks Daddy and Mommy! I LOVE it!”
Here’s the look of JOY on his face when he opened one of his presents: A Mickey Mouse KITE.
Ain’t that precious?
And after that he said, “I want MORE presents, Mommy!”